Connection between the Spatial Characteristics of the Road and Railway Networks and the Air Pollution (PM10) in Urban–Rural Fringe Zones
Sustainability
; 14(16):10103, 2022.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2024133
ABSTRACT
Atmospheric particulate matter (PM10) is one of the most important pollutants for human health, and road transport could be a major anthropogenic source of it. Several research studies have shown the impact of roads on the air quality in urban areas, but the relationship between road and rail networks and ambient PM10 concentrations has not been well studied, especially in suburban and rural landscapes. In this study, we examined the link between the spatial characteristics of each road type (motorway, primary road, secondary road, and railway) and the annual average PM10 concentration. We used the European 2931 air quality (AQ) station dataset, which is classified into urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Our results show that in urban and rural landscapes, the spatial characteristics (the density of the road network and its distance from the AQ monitoring points) have a significant statistical relationship with PM10 concentrations. According to our findings from AQ monitoring sites within the urban landscape, there is a significant negative relationship between the annual average PM10 concentration and the density of the railway network. This result can be explained by the driving wind generated by railway trains (mainly electric trains). Among the road network types, all road types in the urban landscape, only motorways in the suburban landscape, and only residential roads in the rural landscape have a significant positive statistical relationship with the PM10 values at the AQ monitoring points. Our results show that in the suburban zones, which represent the rural–urban fringe, motorways have a strong influence on PM-related air pollution. In the suburban areas, the speed of vehicles changes frequently near motorways and intersections, so higher traffic-related PM10 emission levels can be expected in these areas. The findings of this study can be used to decrease transportation-related environmental conflicts related to the air quality in urban, urban–rural fringe, and rural (agricultural) landscapes.
Environmental Studies; Spearman’s correlation coefficient; road; rail; urban fringe; rural; landscape; PM10; sustainable development; Highways; Pollution dispersion; Suburban areas; Environmental monitoring; Roads & highways; Transportation networks; Transportation planning; Air pollution; Environmental impact; Rural environments; Railroads; Density; Human influences; Traffic congestion; COVID-19; Urban areas; Rural roads; Rural areas; Hypotheses; Trains; Roads; Railways; Traffic speed; Coronaviruses; Pollutants; Urban environments; Anthropogenic factors; Road transportation; Emissions; Air quality; Outdoor air quality; Driving ability; Statistical analysis; Alzheimers disease; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Rail transportation; Infrastructure; Environmental health
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Language:
English
Journal:
Sustainability
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS