Preventive measures to reduce the adverse health impact of traffic-related air pollution

How can we enhance urban air quality and minimize the health impact caused by air pollutants in the most efficient manner? Current measures primarily focus on overall reductions, which are suitable for specific pollutants like gases. However, particulate matter (PM) consists of diverse particles with properties that heavily depend on their sources. Therefore, a more precise reduction of PM emissions from specific sources is necessary.

Traffic is a major contributor to urban air pollution and a significant global health concern, including in Norway. Traffic-related pollution encompasses a mixture of gases and PM emissions originating from vehicle exhaust and the wear and tear of road surfaces, tires, and brakes. From a regulatory perspective in Nordic countries, the primary pollution concerns related to vehicular traffic are elevated levels of coarse mineral-rich wear PM due to the use of studded tires in winter and the emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and exhaust PM from diesel vehicles.

This project aims to investigate the potential health consequences of targeted interventions to reduce or modify:

1. Coarse abrasion PM emissions from road surfaces by altering the pavement stone material, introducing road cleaning procedures, or decreasing the use of studded tires.
2. Exhaust emissions by implementing emission reduction technologies (removing PM and NO2) or changing fuel types (gasoline vs. diesel, fossil fuels vs. biofuels).

A third objective is to evaluate the relative impact of abrasion-related PM versus exhaust-related PM on pulmonary and cardiovascular health outcomes, with a focus on potential combined or differential effects of PM originating from these two sources. This analysis is crucial for predicting which measures are likely to be most effective in reducing specific health effects. The project encompasses a human panel study, in vivo experiments using sensitized animal models, and in vitro studies employing advanced co-culture models involving alveolar epithelial cells and the microvasculature at the air-liquid interface.

The project features collaboration among experts from various scientific disciplines at the national and international levels. It also includes key executing and regulatory authorities and end-users at both the national and local levels.

https://prosjektbanken.forskningsradet.no/project/FORISS/260381