TY - JOUR
T1 - Sensitivity of BTEX pollution and health effects to traffic restrictions
T2 - A case study in an urban center of Tehran, Iran
AU - Baghani, Abbas Norouzian
AU - Dana, Elaheh
AU - Sorooshian, Armin
AU - Jafari, Ahmad Jonidi
AU - Aalamolhoda, Ali Asghar
AU - Sheikhi, Razieh
AU - Jajarmi, Farzaneh
AU - Shahsavani, Abbas
AU - Delikhoon, Mahdieh
AU - Ebrahimzade, Gholamreza
AU - Ashournejad, Qadir
AU - Mansoorian, Hossein Jafari
AU - Kermani, Majid
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2024/5
Y1 - 2024/5
N2 - This study reports a spatiotemporal characterization of BTEX concentrations in urban air of hotspots in Iran, specifically at the Bus Rapid Transit system in Tehran Traffic Zone. The average concentrations ± (SD) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene in bus cabins versus bus stations were 8.75±4.21 vs. 8.74±2.61, 24.33±19.19 vs. 32.77 ± 13.59, 25.90 ± 10.63 vs. 28.74 ± 6.41, 43.71 ± 21.88 vs. 45.19 ± 15.60, and 33.46 ± 14.88 vs. 39.46 ± 10.57 μg/m3, respectively. The toluene to benzene ratios in bus cabins and bus stations ranged from 2.84 to 2.95 and from 2.20 to 5.55, respectively, indicating that traffic, bus, and stationary point source emissions were the primary source of BTEX. The average lifetime cancer risks (LTCRs) of benzene for bus cabins and bus stations along various routes ranged from 3.08 × 10−5 to 7.07×10−5 and from 4.58 × 10−5 to 5.42 × 10−5, respectively, surpassing guideline values by EPA and WHO. Target pollutant concentrations increased on non-working days due to fewer traffic restrictions imposed by the city allowing people to travel without restrictions with their own vehicles. Hence, enforcing traffic restrictions on working and non-working days could reduce BTEX pollution, with implications for better public health as a result of reduced exposure to BTEX and associated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects.
AB - This study reports a spatiotemporal characterization of BTEX concentrations in urban air of hotspots in Iran, specifically at the Bus Rapid Transit system in Tehran Traffic Zone. The average concentrations ± (SD) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene in bus cabins versus bus stations were 8.75±4.21 vs. 8.74±2.61, 24.33±19.19 vs. 32.77 ± 13.59, 25.90 ± 10.63 vs. 28.74 ± 6.41, 43.71 ± 21.88 vs. 45.19 ± 15.60, and 33.46 ± 14.88 vs. 39.46 ± 10.57 μg/m3, respectively. The toluene to benzene ratios in bus cabins and bus stations ranged from 2.84 to 2.95 and from 2.20 to 5.55, respectively, indicating that traffic, bus, and stationary point source emissions were the primary source of BTEX. The average lifetime cancer risks (LTCRs) of benzene for bus cabins and bus stations along various routes ranged from 3.08 × 10−5 to 7.07×10−5 and from 4.58 × 10−5 to 5.42 × 10−5, respectively, surpassing guideline values by EPA and WHO. Target pollutant concentrations increased on non-working days due to fewer traffic restrictions imposed by the city allowing people to travel without restrictions with their own vehicles. Hence, enforcing traffic restrictions on working and non-working days could reduce BTEX pollution, with implications for better public health as a result of reduced exposure to BTEX and associated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects.
KW - Air pollution
KW - BTEX
KW - Bus rapid transit
KW - Clean air
KW - Risk assessment
KW - Traffic management
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U2 - 10.1016/j.scs.2024.105281
DO - 10.1016/j.scs.2024.105281
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85185887251
SN - 2210-6707
VL - 104
JO - Sustainable Cities and Society
JF - Sustainable Cities and Society
M1 - 105281
ER -