Particulate matter from non-exhaust sources

Abstract

Air pollution is an important issue worldwide. Solid components in air (particulate matter, PM) originate from a variety of natural or anthropogenic sources and have different morphological, physical, and chemical properties. Their presence in the air also depends on meteorological conditions, such as humidity, rainfall, and wind speed. PM pollution has adverse effects on environment and human health. Therefore, it is very important to address sources and processes involved in PM generation. Among the existing sources, a special attention must be paid to PM emissions from road traffic, i.e., exhaust sources (e.g., fuel combustion) and non-exhaust sources (e.g., road, tyre, brakes). These traffic-related sources contribute to PM concentrations in cities, and this calls for research into new possible systems and/or mitigation measures. In light of the facts above, the objectives of this study are 1) To evaluate the contribution to PM emission from traffic-related sources. 2) To evaluate existing mitigation measures and to identify new ones to reduce PM production. First results show that: 1) Non-exhaust sources have a different role in PM generation and they differently affect PM10, PM2.5, and PM0.1. 2) Even if emissions-related regulations have led to reductions in exhaust emissions from road traffic, other mitigation measures could reduce the non-exhaust part of emissions (e.g., brakes wear, road wear, and tyre wear). 3) New technologies could be developed to reduce PM from non-exhaust sources.