Assessing the impacts of infrastructural road changes on air quality: A case studySlide 2Methods, Data and TestResultsSlide 5ConclusionsAssessing the impacts of infrastructural road changes on air quality: A case studyPaper by R.T. O’Donoghue, B.M. Broderick and K. Delaney. 2007. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 12(8): 529-536Presented by Lauren Tuttle, Environmental Science, GEOG 370, 2/26/08Problem: Road transportation impacts the environment through air pollution, pollution of natural drainage systems, noise disturbance and energy consumption. These effects are further aggravated by congested levels of traffic.Hypothesis: The construction of a new national by-pass road would not only shift congested traffic away from a small town, but also have a positive impact on the town’s environment.Methods, Data and TestSite: Monasterevin, Ireland, 39 miles SW of Dublin with population of approximately 2500. Samples taken at police station located on the outskirt of town, but on the main road heavily traveled through town.Monitoring of CO, NO, NO2, NOX, PM10 and other gases hourly throughout an 8 month period before and after the opening of the M7(national by-pass road).Air samples of 400 mL air collected during 40 minutes every hour.Results•Traffic through Monasterevin during peak traffic hours was reduced by approximately 60%•Concentrations of all gases measured decreased with the exceptions of ethane and propane•NOX compounds and butane isomers decreased the greatest followed by CO, ethene, acetylene, benzene and PM10•For all gases, night time concentrations decreased•Weekend concentrations of gases remained close before and after the M7 opening•Average wind speeds decreasedNO, PM10, ethene and wind speed levels before and after opening of M7ConclusionsOpening of the M7 in order to by-pass traffic from a small town helped the town reduce weekday traffic congestion.Similar concentration of gases on the weekends can be accounted for by local traffic and showed a limiting effect of the M7 on weekend traffic.Criticisms:•Discusses the effects of gases on the environment but does not examine how the actual environment improved based on the changes in air quality.•Fails to discuss how the environment in the area which the M7 was constructed will
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