Elemental carbon and PM(2.5 )levels in an urban community heavily impacted by truck traffic.

Abstract

Hunts Point, a 690-acre peninsula in the South Bronx, New York City, is a hub in the tristate (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) freight transportation system. This study was carried out in response to community concerns about potential health effects of exposure to diesel exhaust particulate (DEP). We measured particulate matter < 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5)) and elemental carbon (EC) on sidewalks and tested whether spatial variations in concentrations were related to local truck traffic density. Ten-hour integrated air samples for EC and PM(2.5) were collected for 9 days over a 3-week period in the summer of 1999 at seven geographically distinct intersections. Simultaneous traffic counts were carried out for each sampling event. Traffic was classified into three classes: passenger cars, small trucks, and large trucks (diesel vehicles). Mean diesel vehicle volumes ranged from 9.3 to 276.5 vehicles/hr across sites. Mean EC concentrations by site ranged from 2.6 microg/m(3) at the control site to 7.3 microg/m(3) along a designated truck route. Linear regression of site-specific mean EC concentration on mean large truck counts predicted an increase of 1.69 microg/m(3) EC per 100 large trucks/hr (SE = 0.37; p = 0.01; R(2) = 0.84). Average PM(2.5) concentrations by site ranged 1.6-fold (19.0-29.9 microg/m(3)) and were more weakly associated with local traffic. Variations over time for PM(2.5 )were more pronounced, ranging almost 4-fold (8.9-34.4 microg/m(3)). These results show that airborne EC concentrations, an important component of DEP, are elevated in Hunts Point and that the impact varies across the community as a function of large truck traffic.

Diesel Truck Traffic in Low-Income and Minority Communities Adjacent to Ports

“…Traffic levels are often sustained at 400 to 600 trucks per hour for several hours during the day immediately upwind of schools; openfield parks; and residences, including affordable housing. These volumes are as high as or higher than those in Hunts Point, New York (20), and raise concerns about the elevated levels of diesel exhaust on nearby sidewalks and at local businesses and eating establishments. The California ARB recommends that sensitive land uses, including residences, schools, day care centers, and playgrounds, be sited at least 500 ft or farther from high-traffic roadways (26 Transportation projects implemented to improve the flow of HDDTs through adjacent communities should ensure a separation of at least 200 m, or about 650 ft, from sensitive land uses to mitigate community exposure to diesel exhaust.…”

Tráfego veicular como método de avaliação da exposição à poluição atmosférica nas grandes metrópoles

“…Despite this variety and combinations, few studies considered more detailed traffic information, such as the mean speed of vehicles 38 , the type of vehicle (cars or trucks) and what could characterize the fuel used 40 , and none considered the year the vehicle was manufactured. It was observed that only two reviewed studies included the discrimination between truck traffic and that of the remaining vehicles during data analysis 11,30 .…”

“…The relationship between PM 2,5 , elemental carbon and truck traffic in the Bronx, New York, USA, was analyzed by Lena et al 40 .…”

Variability in the fraction of ambient fine particulate matter found indoors and observed heterogeneity in health effect estimates

“…Scenario b has the mean composition of the top 25th percentile PM 2.5 mass concentration days from the Los Angeles county RIOPA measurements. 30 Scenario c, which represents a northeastern US near-roadway scenario, is enriched in OC and EC based on the near-roadway measurements of Lena et al 33 Particle composition is taken into account in our calculations of F through the use of species-specific deposition loss rates and by accounting for the semivolatile nature of nitrate. The value for k evap;NO À 3 is from the work of Lunden et al 34 and Hering et al, 29 and involves the temperature-dependent equilibrium constant for ammonium nitrate dissociation (see details in Supplemental Information).…”