Characterization of the short-term temporal variability of road dust chemical mixtures and meteorological profiles in a near-road urban site in British Columbia

J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2023 Jun;73(6):502-516. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2186964.

Abstract

Implications: Non-tailpipe emissions driven by springtime road dust in northern latitude communities is increasing in importance for air pollution control and improving our understanding of the health effects of chemical mixtures from particulate matter exposure. High-volume samples from a near-road site indicated that days affected by springtime road dust are substantively different from other days with respect to particulate matter mixture composition and meteorological drivers. The high load of trace elements in PM10 on high road dust days has important implications for the acute toxicity of inhaled air and subsequent health effects. The complex relationships between road dust and weather identified in this study may facilitate further research on the health effects of chemical mixtures related to road dust while also highlighting potential changes in this unique form of air pollution as the climate changes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants* / analysis
  • Air Pollution* / analysis
  • British Columbia
  • Dust / analysis
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • Particulate Matter / analysis
  • Vehicle Emissions / analysis

Substances

  • Dust
  • Air Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter
  • Vehicle Emissions