Air quality due to road traffic

 AIR QUALITY DUE TO TRAFFIC

• Road transport accounts for a significant portion of air pollution in cities and towns, causing serious pollution problems like carbon monoxide and smog. 
• The main reason being the increase in the use of private vehicles.
• Road traffic pollution is a major threat to clean air 
• Traffic fumes contain harmful chemicals that pollute the atmosphere. 
• Road traffic emissions produce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
• Studies have shown excess morbidity and mortality for drivers, commuters and individuals living near major roadways. 
• Traffic is an important reason for fluctuating air quality with increasing traffic density resulting in increased air pollution .
• Transportation has directly enhanced the level of pollutant gases such as Carbon dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon monoxide and particulate matter
• Increasing concentration of these pollutants has caused not only health effects like cough, breathlessness and asthma but also contributed significantly to global warming
• Pollutants like particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), poly-aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), trace elements, etc., are also present in the urban air and their levels are on the rise because of vehicular pollution thus disturbing the human health.
• Several studies suggest an association between automobile exhaust and increased respiratory symptoms. 
• Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of chemical agents of different shape and sizes. Studies reveal that the effect of PM on human health will depend on the chemical composition of PM, besides its number and mass concentration. At elevated levels, both the categories may increase mortality and morbidity of human population. 
• The effect of SO2 on ecosystem and human health is well recognized. At significant levels, SO2 can contribute to respiratory illness, particularly for children and elderly people and intensify existing heart and lung diseases.
• Long term exposure of SO2, CO, PM and NOX cause exacerbation of asthma, cancers, particularly lymphomas, leukemia and brain cancer. 
• To control vehicle emission, regular check-up for fitness of vehicle and upgradation of fuel quality alongwith tightening of vehicle emission norms should be adopted.  
• Public transport system must be improved and grossly polluting commercial vehicles should be phased out. 
• Encouraging car pool as well as reduction in value of Vehicle Kilometer Travel (VKT) also reduced the emission profile of vehicle.
• Within the transport sector, road transport is the largest contributor to global warming