Impact of low emission zones and local traffic policies on ambient air pollution concentrations.

BACKGROUND Evaluations of the effectiveness of air pollution policy interventions are scarce. This study investigated air pollution at street level before and after implementation of local traffic policies including low emission zones (LEZ) directed at heavy duty vehicles (trucks) in five Dutch cities. METHODS Measurements of PM(10), PM(2.5), 'soot', NO(2), NO(x), and elemental composition of PM(10) and PM(2.5) were conducted simultaneously at eight streets, six urban background locations and four suburban background locations before (2008) and two years after implementation of the policies (2010). The four suburban locations were selected as control locations to account for generic air pollution trends and weather differences. RESULTS All pollutant concentrations were lower in 2010 than in 2008. For traffic-related pollutants including 'soot' and NO(x) and elemental composition (Cr, Cu, Fe) the decrease did not differ significantly between the intervention locations and the suburban control locations. Only for PM(2.5) reductions were considerably larger at urban streets (30%) and urban background locations (27%) than at the matching suburban control locations (20%). In one urban street where traffic intensity was reduced with 50%, 'soot', NO(x) and NO(2) concentrations were reduced substantially more (41, 36 and 25%) than at the corresponding suburban control location (22, 14 and 7%). CONCLUSION With the exception of one urban street where traffic flows were drastically reduced, the local traffic policies including LEZ were too modest to produce significant decreases in traffic-related air pollution concentrations.

[1]  James A Mulholland,et al.  Impact of improved air quality during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta on multiple cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes. , 2010, Research report.

[2]  B. Brunekreef,et al.  Contrasts in Oxidative Potential and Other Particulate Matter Characteristics Collected Near Major Streets and Background Locations , 2011, Environmental health perspectives.

[3]  Ian Mudway,et al.  The impact of the congestion charging scheme on air quality in London. Part 1. Emissions modeling and analysis of air pollution measurements. , 2011, Research report.

[4]  B. Brunekreef,et al.  Long-term personal exposure to PM2.5, Soot and NOx in children attending schools located near busy roads, a validation study , 2007 .

[5]  H. R. Anderson,et al.  Black Carbon as an Additional Indicator of the Adverse Health Effects of Airborne Particles Compared with PM10 and PM2.5 , 2011, Environmental health perspectives.

[6]  D. Dockery,et al.  Health Effects of Fine Particulate Air Pollution: Lines that Connect , 2006, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[7]  Bert Brunekreef,et al.  Personal, indoor, and outdoor exposures to PM2.5 and its components for groups of cardiovascular patients in Amsterdam and Helsinki. , 2005, Research report.

[8]  Stefan Hausberger,et al.  Heavy duty vehicle emissions - Final report , 2005 .

[9]  Stefan Ma,et al.  Cardiorespiratory and all-cause mortality after restrictions on sulphur content of fuel in Hong Kong: an intervention study , 2002, The Lancet.

[10]  Bert Brunekreef,et al.  Comparison between different traffic-related particle indicators: Elemental carbon (EC), PM2.5 mass, and absorbance , 2003, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology.

[11]  H. R. Anderson,et al.  The impact of the congestion charging scheme on ambient air pollution concentrations in London , 2009 .

[12]  C. Johansson,et al.  The effects of congestions tax on air quality and health. , 2009 .

[13]  D. Dockery,et al.  Effect of air-pollution control on death rates in Dublin, Ireland: an intervention study , 2002, The Lancet.

[14]  J. Matthijsen,et al.  Anthropogenic and natural constituents in particulate matter in the Netherlands , 2010 .

[15]  C. Pope,et al.  Respiratory disease associated with community air pollution and a steel mill, Utah Valley. , 1989, American journal of public health.

[16]  D. Carslaw.  Evidence of an increasing NO2/NOX emissions ratio from road traffic emissions , 2005 .

[17]  Ernie Weijers,et al.  Contrast in air pollution components between major streets and background locations: Particulate matter mass, black carbon, elemental composition, nitrogen oxide and ultrafine particle number , 2011 .

[18]  R. Yancik,et al.  Impact of changes in transportation and commuting behaviors during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta on air quality and childhood asthma. , 2001, JAMA.

[19]  D. Dockery,et al.  Effect of Air Pollution Controls on Black Smoke and Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations across Ireland , 2009, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[20]  B. Armstrong,et al.  Air pollution and mortality benefits of the London Congestion Charge: spatial and socioeconomic inequalities , 2008, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[21]  A. Cohen,et al.  Progress in research to assess the effectiveness of air quality interventions towards improving public health , 2012, Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health.

[22]  Hendrik Wolff,et al.  Policy Monitor , 2010, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.

[23]  G. Velders,et al.  Higher than expected NOx emission from trucks may affect attainability of NO2 limit values in the Netherlands , 2011 .

[24]  Matthias Ketzel,et al.  What are the Impacts on Air Quality of Low Emission Zones in Denmark , 2011 .

[25]  Bert Brunekreef,et al.  Spatial variability of fine particle concentrations in three European areas , 2002 .

[26]  Giorgio Cattani,et al.  Health benefits of traffic-related air pollution reduction in different socioeconomic groups: the effect of low-emission zoning in Rome , 2011, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[27]  Alan M. Jones,et al.  Field study of the influence of meteorological factors and traffic volumes upon suspended particle mass at urban roadside sites of differing geometries , 2004 .