Experimental studies of the dispersion and the polluting emissions of smaller than 10 microns solid particles produced by city vehicles

Abstract

Currently the ecology problems in large cities are not being solved because of the insufficient attention to the polluting particles produced by worn tires and worn asphalt pavement, and which carry very dangerous carcinogens causing lung cancer. In order to determine the real dispersion and the amount of emissions of solid particles (SP) smaller than 10 microns produced by a vehicle in operation, a research methodology was developed that involved the following tasks: 1) the sampling methodology of solid particles emissions made by a moving vehicle; 2) the effect of various driving conditions on the dispersion and the amount of SP emissions depending on the tire and road wear. The determination of the dispersion and the magnitude of the SP emissions was carried out under various driving modes of the tested vehicle on the roads with different flow density. As a result of the conducted research, it has been discovered that the main emission of solid particles coming from the wear of tires and the roadway wear is from 0.3 to 5 microns. Considering that the World Health Organization registers more than 1,000,000 new cases of lung cancer worldwide annually claiming that polluted street air is an oncological factor which causes lung cancer among citizens, it is necessary to develop and adopt additional, urgent measures to reduce the emissions of smaller than 10 microns solid particles caused by the wear of the roadway and tires and which are especially dangerous for the health of people in large cities and megalopolises.