Near-Road Air Quality Insights from a U.S. DOT Five-Year Transportation Pooled Fund Study

摘要

Air pollution in urban areas has been closely connected with vehicle use for more than half a century. Emissions from cars, trucks, and other vehicles are harmful on their own, and they combine in the atmosphere with air pollutants from other sources to form regional-scale pollution that includes a mix of partic-ulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone (O_3), nitrogen dioxide (NO_2), and other substances. Pollutants directly emitted by vehicles-from exhaust, wear from brake pads and tires, or dust from disturbing the road surface-are of special concern in areas adjacent to heavily traveled roads.