1 Spatial Modelling of the Terrestrial Environment - Georeferencial

11
Modelling the Impact of Traffic
Emissions on the Urban
Environment: A New Approach Using
Remotely Sensed Data
Bernard J. Devereux, L.S. Devereux and C. Lindsay
11.1 Introduction
For most of the last decade there has been significant concern over the impact of exhaust
emissions from road traffic on the environment. Substantial increases in road transport
(CEC, 1992) throughout the developed world have established this source of pollution as
a major factor in promoting global climate change (IPCC, 1990). Furthermore, there is a
growing body of evidence that constant exposure to vehicular emissions in the form of
carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (No x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), hydrocarbons (HC),
particulates (PM x ), lead (Pb) and benzene (C 6 H 6 ) has a significant harmful effect from a
community health perspective (Schwartz, 1989; Collins et al., 1995). DETR (1998) suggest
that an increase in daily PM10 concentrations of 10 µg/m 3 would result in one additional
increase to hospitals every other day for lung-related illnesses. As a consequence, significant
energy is being devoted to tackling the problem of road traffic emissions.
European countries have implemented strategies for air quality monitoring within a
framework established by the European Union with the objective of meeting clearly defined
emissions standards for all the major pollutants. In the United Kingdom, Part IV of the
Environment Act of 1995 (see DETR, 2000) made it the responsibility of local authorities to
review air quality and to implement a local ‘Air Quality Strategy’ to ensure that the required
standards are being met within the statutory time frames set down for each pollutant.
Spatial Modelling of the Terrestrial Environment. Edited by R. Kelly, N. Drake, S. Barr.
C○ 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 0-470-84348-9.