Exhaust and non-exhaust contributions from road transport to PM10 at a Southern European traffic site*

It is a well - established fact that road traffic is one of the main contributors to ambient levels of airborne particulate matter (APM). This study was carried out at a traffic site in which the PM10 levels are monitored all year round. A trend analysis of these levels revealed that over a decade there was no discernible trend, with the PM10 concentrations normally hovering around the EU limit values. In 2018, one of these limit values was exceeded. The contribution of traffic at the site was therefore investigated through a chemical speciation of 209 PM10 samples collected throughout this year. The speciation data were used in a source apportionment exercise in which the output of the PMF model was further refined using the lesser-known, constraint weighted non - negative matrix factorization (CW - NMF) model. This technique enabled the isolation of two factors clearly related to traffic, which were labelled as exhaust contribution (responsible for 3.4% of the PM10), tire/brake wear contribution (contributing 17% of the PM10). Additionally, a factor including both traffic resuspended dust and crustal material was also isolated and labelled road dust/crustal factor. The two contributors to the factor jointly contribute 18% to the PM10 and the contribution of the traffic resuspended dust was estimated at 7.3%. The traffic resuspended component of this factor together with the tire/brake wear contribution jointly make up the non-exhaust contribution of traffic - derived dust. Consonant with what has been known for quite some time, the exhaust fraction is the minor component of traffic PM10. It is therefore, clear that policies aimed at controlling traffic derived PM10 pollution at the receptor will have a minimal effect unless the non - exhaust emissions are adequately controlled.

Automated summary

This study found that road traffic contributes mainly to the ambient levels of airborne particulate matter (APM) through exhaust emissions and tire/brake wear, accounting for 3.4% and 17% of PM10 respectively. Additionally, road dust and crustal material also contribute to PM10, making up 18% in total, with 7.3% being contributed by traffic resuspended dust. Therefore, policies aimed at controlling traffic-derived PM10 pollution should adequately address non-exhaust emissions.