Promoting a better understanding of how exposure to transportation emissions affects public health (including specific population groups or occupations), and how these impacts can be mitigated.
Related Projects
Urban Policy Interventions to Reduce Traffic Emissions and Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Systematic Evidence Map (Project Number Pending)
Lead: Texas A&M Transportation Institute
As the urban population continues to grow, a greater quantity of people risk exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), and therefore also risk-averse health effects. In many cities, there is scope for further improvement in air quality through targeted local policy interventions. The objective of this systematic evidence map is to identify policy interventions at the urban-level that can be implemented by local authorities to effectively reduce traffic emissions and/or TRAP from on-road mobile sources, thus reducing human exposures and adverse health impacts.
Secondary Particulate Matter Exceed Primary Emissions from Current Gasoline Vehicles: Air Quality and Public Health Implications
Lead: University of California, Riverside
Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology is becoming increasingly popular among vehicles in the market today. While there is relatively little-established knowledge on GDI vehicle emissions, studies have raised concerns relating to PM emissions, as well as the generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrated-PAHs. Another aspect that has not been investigated in detail is the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, which is also a contributor to airborne PM. This study will characterize the primary emissions and the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from current technology gasoline direct injection (GDI) and port fuel injection (PFI) vehicles when operated under different driving cycles, through in-use emissions testing and the use of a mobile atmospheric chamber and oxidation flow reactor to assess secondary aerosol formation.
Quantifying Potential Impacts of Bioavailable Metals and Potential Dust Emissions from Highway-Related and Desert Sediments at Lordsburg Playa, New Mexico
Lead: University of Texas at El Paso
In dry regions, blowing dust causes air quality issues, and also has environmental, health and safety impacts on traffic and transportation infrastructure. The project uses land-surface and geophysical field-based testing and characterization methods to assess the changing localized dust emission potentials in different microenvironments of Lordsburg Playa. The study also assesses relative exposures to bioavailable airborne metals from transportation and other activities. The data and findings will be synthesized using GIS to inform stakeholders of potential health hazards from transportation-related vs. natural and mining‐related dust and metal exposures at Lordsburg Playa and provide insight into other areas in the Western US, where numerous routes cross dry lake beds and/or dust hotspots.
Characterizing In-Cab Air Quality in Heavy Duty Diesel Construction Equipment
Lead: Texas A&M University
The goal of this project is to collect and analyze air quality data inside cabs of heavy-duty diesel construction equipment. Virtually nothing is known about indoor air quality (IAQ) in heavy duty diesel (HDD) construction equipment cabs. Previous research on other vehicles such as school buses found that intrusion of the vehicle’s own exhaust into the cab after emission from the tailpipe is a significant source of passenger exposure to diesel-related pollutants. This study will provide empirical evidence regarding the infiltration of emissions, IAQ and operator exposure in HDD construction equipment cabs.
Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma in the United States: A Burden of Disease Assessment
Lead: Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Asthma is a chronic airway disease characterized by episodes of coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing. Around 6 million children in the United States are affected by asthma, making the condition the most common chronic lung disease in childhood. Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) may be an important exposure contributing to the development of childhood asthma. Yet the burden of incident childhood asthma, attributable to TRAP, is poorly documented. This study builds on past research and models to estimate the burden of incident childhood asthma, attributable to traffic-related air pollution within the contiguous United States.
Measuring Temporal and Spatial Exposure of Urban Cyclists to Air Pollutants Using an Instrumented Bicycle
Lead: Georgia Institute of Technology
Increased use of active transportation can make direct and indirect contributions toward addressing health concerns arising from sedentary lifestyles and other societal transportation issues. However, in the process of cycling for transportation, cyclists themselves are exposed to pollutants that could adversely impact their health. The goal of this study is to better understand local cyclist exposure to air pollutants and variations by route and time of day. Data collection will be done using an instrumented bicycle, and the pollutant exposure of cyclists on parallel routes between major origin‐destination pairs will then be mapped.
Particulate Matter Exposure for Paratransit Transport
Lead: Georgia Institute of Technology
Paratransit transport typically provides transportation options for seniors and individuals that cannot access the fixed route bus or rail system. As the US population ages, there is an increasing number of people with limited transportation options, who have to rely on services such as paratransit. Little is known about the emissions characteristics of paratransit vehicles, and the exposures faced by paratransit riders, both onboard the vehicles and while waiting at stops. This study will characterize the Particulate Matter (PM) emissions exposures inside the cabin of paratransit buses, as well as in waiting areas, and provide an understanding of the exposures of a vulnerable user group.
Assessing Regulatory Compliance and Community Air Pollution Impacts of Crude Oil by Rail Transport in Baltimore City, Maryland
Lead: Johns Hopkins University
Increases in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, in the Bakken Shale region of the United States have resulted in the transport of enormous volumes of crude oil by rail (CBR) across the country to refineries and ports along both the East and West Coasts. Baltimore City has been a hub for CBR transport throughout the fracking boom, due to its central location along the Eastern Shoreline and service as a transfer station along the Chesapeake Bay. This study will characterize CBR shipments in Baltimore City, and their impacts on local communities. Issues of regulatory compliance, impacts on measured volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in residential areas, and best practices in protecting community health will be addressed.
Truck Emissions-Exposure Study in Ports
Lead: Georgia Institute of Technology
Partners: University of California, Riverside and Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Ports serve as a hub for freight movement into and out of the United States and often face air quality issues due to the emissions from marine engines, freight trucks, drayage trucks, and cargo handling equipment. This has occupational health implications for truck drivers and others working and living in these areas. GT will lead the effort at the Port of Savannah; UCR will lead the study at the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles; and TTI will lead the study at the Port of Houston. We will conduct field measurements of in-use in-cab and ambient particulate matter (PM) concentrations, and correlate the concentrations with port activities using an expansion of the GT’s Fuel and Emissions Calculator and port simulation models.
Border Crossing Emissions Impacts Study
Lead: Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Partners: University of Texas at El Paso and Johns Hopkins University
Poor air quality and associated health impacts are a major health concern to citizens living in the U.S.-Mexico border region. This is especially true in areas near major ports of entry (POE), where large volumes of cross-border freight and passenger movement occur. This project will characterize the air pollution in El Paso and assess the impacts of traffic-related pollution on a POE bridge in the region.
Health Risk Characterization for Transportation Users
Lead: Johns Hopkins University
Partners: University of Texas at El Paso
The fields of occupational and environmental health are moving toward application of the concepts of cumulative risk assessment to enhance the health and safety of workers and communities. Yet, methods are rudimentary and few examples exist in this area, especially in terms of risk profiles for transportation system users and workers. The research team will apply its existing expertise in the area of risk assessments to a pilot project to develop a cumulative exposure and risk profile for transportation workers and transportation system users considering chemical and non-chemical stressors from the transportation setting as well as home, community, and social environments.
