Geochemical, Mineralogical and Morphological Characterisation of Road Dust and Associated Health Risks

Abstract

Road dust resuspension, especially the particulate matter fraction below 10 µm (PM10), is one of the main air quality management challenges in Europe. Road dust samples were collected from representative streets (suburban and urban) of the city of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. PM10 emission factors (mg veh-1 km-1) ranging from 49 (asphalt) to 330 (cobble stone) were estimated by means of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency method. Two road dust fractions (< 0.074 mm and from 0.0074 to 1 mm) were characterised for their geochemical, mineralogical and morphological properties. In urban streets, road dusts reveal the contribution from traffic emissions, with higher concentrations of e.g. Cu, Zn, and Pb. In the suburban area, agriculture practices likely contributed to As concentrations of 180 mg kg-1 in the finest road dust fraction. Samples are primarily composed of quartz, but also of muscovite, albite, kaolinite, microcline, Fe-enstatite, graphite and amorphous content. Particle morphology clearly shows the link with natural and traffic related materials, with well-formed minerals and irregular aggregates. The hazard quotient suggests a probability to induce non-carcinogenic adverse health effects in children by ingestion of Zr. Arsenic in the suburban street represents a human health risk of 1.58 x 10-4.

Road tunnel-derived coarse, fine and ultrafine particulate matter: physical and chemical characterization and pro-inflammatory responses in human bronchial epithelial cells

“…The relative OC levels of total PM mass were higher in the fine than coarse PM samples, constituting around 50–60% and 10–15% of the total mass of the respective size-fractions. This may reflect that coarse PM is usually dominated by road dust which consists primarily of mineral particles [ 51 , 52 ], while fine and ultrafine PM consist primarily of particles from combustion sources [ 26 ]. The OC content in the PM samples seemed to be relatively high in comparison to other studies reporting ratios of OC/PM in air from European cities for PM 2.5 and PM 10 [ 53 , 54 ].…”

Metal composition and contamination assessment of urban roadway dusts on the Abu Dhabi-Liwa Highway, UAE

“…Mn in roadway dust links to traffic emissions (Straffelini et al, 2015), where Mn is employed in fuel additives, anticorrosion, and other automobile applications (inner panels, heater, and radiator tubes) (Candeias et al, 2020). Apeagyei et al (2011) found metal concentrations in brake pads in the following order: Mn>Zn>Pb>Cr>Cd.…”

“…The UAE is one of the largest consumers of fertilizers, with a consumption rate of 643.4 kg/hectare of arable land in 2020 compared to the world average of 180.1 kg/hectare (Economy, 2020). Arsenic is associated with pesticide application, organic manure, and phosphatic fertilizers (Candeias et al, 2020) commonly used in these farms. In addition to agricultural sources of As in this area, As is originated from motor-related non-exhaust emissions as the elemental As is employed in manufacturing Pb alloys (in Pb-acid batteries) and Cu (Office of Air Quality Planning And Standard, 1998; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ATSDR, 2007).…”

The pro-inflammatory effects of combined exposure to diesel exhaust particles and mineral particles in human bronchial epithelial cells

“…This is especially problematic in Nordic countries due to the widespread use of studded tyres during winter, which increases road-surface abrasion [ 36 , 38 , 40 ]. While the mineralogy of road dust and ambient PM is not commonly assessed, some studies have reported the presence of several different types of minerals, including quartz, feldspars, mica and various clay minerals [ 41 – 43 ]. However, the contribution of the mineral fraction to PM-induced diseases is not fully known.…”