Mid-term Summit showcasing TRANSITION-funded Clean Air Discovery & Innovation projects:
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Measuring Exposure in Different Transport Modes | Nick Molden (Emissions Analytics Ltd)
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Characterising Changing Travel Patterns in the COVID-19 Era | Dr Fiona Crawford (University of the West of England)
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Progressing Real-Time Source Identification | Gordon Allison (DustScan Ltd)
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Minimising Public Exposure at the Roadside | Dr Fabrizio Bonatesta (Oxford Brookes University)
Minimising Public Exposure at the Roadside | Dr Fabrizio Bonatesta (Oxford Brookes University)
Focussing on roadside exposure to momentary peaks of air pollution from passing vehicles, Dr Fabrizio Bonatesta’s team will use state-of-the-art airflow simulation software to optimise bus shelter design for minimum air pollutant exposure. The study will be undertaken in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council.
Vehicles on UK roads today are a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM); traffic levels are expected to rise significantly (17% to 51% by 2050). The health concerns associated with exposure to emissions are serious and wide ranging; even short-term exposure has been linked to a measurable impairment in cognitive performance. PM will continue to pose a significant threat in the context of transport decarbonisation, due to the impact of non-exhaust emissions (from brakes and tyres), which are potentially much larger than current tailpipe limits.
A newly emerging air quality and public health challenge comes from exposure to high, momentary peaks of air pollution which arise from vehicles stop-start manoeuvres and accelerations, typical of congested urban areas. Roadside air quality instrumentation does not routinely measure these events, and the health implications – especially for vulnerable groups (e.g. children, the elderly) who use streets and public transport more frequently – remain unknown. While literature is starting to discuss the weaknesses of the “point-fixed/uniform exposure” approach, there is a clear necessity of building up data to support specific air quality and medical research.
Leveraging years of experience on emissions, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, Oxford Brookes University have developed a new ultra-high definition 3-Dimensional CFD urban model, capable of: predicting the complex dynamics of pollutants dispersion from moving traffic; and quantifying actual exposure for the public occupying the space. The model is computationally demanding, but offers a vast accuracy advantage compared to other approaches (e.g. Gaussian Plume Models) for application in dense urban environments.
This project aims to: increase the technical capabilities of the Oxford Brookes University model; perform its validation using purposely-collected field data; and carry out a case study on bus stop shelters, to assess the effective protection they may offer from short-term peak concentrations of air pollution.