A Study on Particulate Matter from an Area with High Traffic Intensity

Abstract

This research focuses on analyzing concentrations of particulate matter (PM) next to a highly congested road section, with 39,900 as the maximum number of vehicles per 24 h, in the vicinity of Timisoara, Romania. The concentrations are measured in multiple episodes using two different measurement methods, gravimetric and dynamic light scattering, showing a dispersion range of the PM concentrations. The presence of metal particles in the samples are analyzed using an electron microscope. Additionally, the impact on human health is described by evaluating the results for inhalable-, thoracic-, and alveolar-sized particles.

Keywords

• PM pollution
• microscopic analysis of PM
• PM influences on human health
• presence of metals in PM
• inhalable-, thoracic-, and alveolar-sized particles