
Impact assessment of respirable dust PM 2.5 pollution in urban areas with intense traffic on the health of the population
Project Acronym: PMAER
Contracted Authority: National Center for Program Management – CPM Program Partnerships in priority areas – competition I.
Contract value 31-089/14.09.2007: 1.376.663 lei (founded from govenrment founds)
Project lenght: 36 months
Consortium componence:
Coordinator: National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology – INCD-ECOIND – 90-92 Panduri Street , district 5, Bucharest; postal code 050663; phone: 04.021.410.67.16 / 410.03.77; fax: 04.021.410.05.75 / 412.00.42; email: ecoind@incdecoind.ro; www.incdecoind.ro; project coordinator ing. Elena BUCUR, phone: 021 410 03 77, int. 132;
Partner 1: National Institute of Public Health – INSPB, Str. Dr. Leonte no. 1-3, Sector 5, Bucharest Phone: 04.0213183620 Fax: 04 021. 3123426; www.inspb.ro, Project Manager Dr. Corneliu Neagu;
Partner 2: University Politehnica of Bucharest – PUB, Splaiul Independentei. 313, sector 6, Bucharest, tel: 04.021318.1000, Fax: 04 021. 318.1001; www.pub.ro, Project Manager Prof. Vasile LAVRIC
Project presentation
Air pollution and its effect on the health of the population is a constant concern of the international scientific environment with emphasis on the types of pollutants known to be particularly harmful to human body.
Among the many potential air pollutants a special attention is given to the presence of this dust in the atmosphere, they being among the “six criteria pollutants” as they were called the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with ozone, oxides of carbon dioxide nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and lead risk because they can pose to human health and influence on the environment.
The interest and environmental health are particulates PM 10 and PM 2, .5 monitoring of ambient air which is regulated in international law. Particulate PM 2.5 category fits in respirable dust that can enter and accumulate in the system respiratory lung alveoli causing serious health problems.
On the launching of the Romanian and European law :Order 592/2003 established maximum permissible limits for particulate matter in ambient air only PM 10, PM 2.5 particulate monitoring imposing only, without setting a limit.
Through this project we intend not only to determine and demonstrate high levels of respirable dust PM 2.5 pollution of urban areas with intense traffic and the effect that this pollutant can have on health, but also, in activities to disseminate the results, to inform people and to make available to the competent authorities in threat awareness results in the hope that it is this type of pollution and the need for standardization and monitoring substantiation.
Has been considered particulate matter air pollution, but also other organic and inorganic compounds adsorbed on the surface of the toxic dust that emphasize the population that comes in contact with this type of pollution.
Project results
The ambient air pollution with particulate matter, metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the intersection Razoare in Bucharest in 2008-2010, have been highlighted following:
- The concentration of particulate matter in air (PM 2.5, PM 10, TSP) varies widely with frequent exceeding of the maximum values allowed for a time average of 24 hours (Fig. 1);
- intense road traffic increases the concentration of dust in the air especially particulate matter PM 2.5;
- Dust PM10 contain 70% PM2, 5 and is 40% of TSP, PM 2.5 is 30% of TSP;
- Weather parameters (humidity, temperature, air movement layers) influence the concentration of particulate air lowest dust concentrations occur in a humid sharp (rain or snow), when dimensional changes and weight fractions;
- From analyzed metals, lead and cadmium are found in highest amounts in PM 2.5 and other metals analyzed, copper, nickel and arsenic occur especially in powders with larger size (Fig. 2);
- The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate matter varies greatly with temperature (in winter concentrations were observed 10-15 times higher than in summer);
- 90% of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in dust PM 2.5, the predominant source of traffic.
The PM 2.5 particulate pollution, heavy metals and PAHs on the health of the population was studied in two groups of staff from the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform: one represented by agents that drive traffic and a control group composed of personnel working in the office.
Test results have highlighted the following aspects:
- Ventilatory function tests performed before exposure (at the entrance instead of subjects) as well as after, indicates consistently and repeatedly (throughout the research period) an average lower values of ventilatory function parameters from input to output. The most affected parameters were PEF, FEV and FVC. This coincides with data from literature concerning the effect of exposure to irritating gases and vapors.
- Bio-toxicology media constantly indicators (especially phenols, DAL and porphyrins) registered at the exit of the exchange to entry are higher, as generally the average of those exposed to the witnesses. Constant for aceaasta best statement we find indicators of effect of lead exposure (DAL and porphyrins).
- Values of Bio-toxicology analizelelor individually do not exceed acceptable limits at any point and so that exposing normally does not exceed the exposure limits set by law for occupational exposure.
Dissemination of project results
- Organizing two workshops during which results were presented in the project and attended by representatives of environmental and industry authority, mayor of the town and representatives of the beneficiaries of the project results and the consortium partners.
Articles published in ISI journals:
- E.Bucur, L.Ionita – “Considerations Concerning Pollution Impact Assessment of PM 2.5 with breathable particulate maters. Part 1. Pollution monitoring in urban Areas with intense road traffic. “JEPE (Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology). Vol 11, No. 3, 809-814 (2010);
Articles published in volumes of works by international scientific events:
- E.Bucur, L.Ionita – “Considerations Concerning Pollution Impact Assessment of PM 2.5 with breathable particulate maters. Part 1. Pollution monitoring in urban Areas with intense road traffic. “- Andis (Italian Association on Sanitary and Environmental Engineering), Dice (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) University of Florence and IWA (International Water Association), Florence 24 to 27 June 2008, page 138.
- Elena BUCUR, Ileana NICOLESCU, Andrei Vasile “Considerations Concerning Pollution Impact Assessment of PM 2.5 with breathable particulate maters. Two. The Determination of the content of Haps from the surface of the PM 2.5 particulate maters “International Symposium” Environment and Industry “organized by NIRD ECOIND Bucharest, October 28 to 30, 2009, vol.II, pp. 152, publisher Estfalia 2009