Exposure of traffic related particles to the environment and humans, case study Gårda

Research Project, 2023 – 2024

Road transport accounts for significant emissions of a cocktail of particles derived from exhausts and wear from brakes, tyres, vehicle bodies, and road surfaces, and as an example, tyre and road wear particles are considered the largest source of microplastics emissions to the environment in Sweden. As modern vehicles have reduced emissions from exhaust pipes, emissions of wear particles have become more important and will be one of the main ”on-road” environmental impacts of transport in the future. Electrification of the traffic fleet will reduce the importance of exhaust particles while wear particles will still be a challenge that also increases with the weight of the vehicles. The particles cause severe effects on living organisms, human health, and life expectancy, both due to the physical effects of the particles themselves but also because the particles contain and sorb toxic substances. In this collaborative project, we will contribute to the characterisation of these emissions in a real traffic environment and support health research with valuable input with the long-term objective to reduce the health impact of transport.
The cocktails of the particles emitted are distributed to the environments via various routes in the air and soil, and through the road runoff water further led by stormwater to receiving water. However, there is a knowledge gap both in terms of characterization, source appointment, and understanding of transport processes of particles from road transport to the surrounding environment. The particles are often complicated to characterise and quantify because the emission and formation processes are very complex. The integrated approach used in this project addressing both airborne, soil, runoff water and sediments will give a holistic perspective on the exposure of traffic-related particles in a case-study area. By enabling source appointment of traffic pollution and improving knowledge about transport processes of the particles, society can make better decisions for improving health effects, and contribute to the work towards a non-toxic environment. The goal is to show results that further inspire the development of innovative solutions on both vehicles, in road constructions, and treatment techniques close to the road, e.g. rain gardens, to prevent both generation and spread of wear particles.