Author(s)

JOSÉ ANTONIO ÁLVAREZ, EDGAR QUIÑONES, VANESSA ÁLVAREZ

Abstract

In recent decades, the scientific community has noted that the pollutants released into atmosphere produced by road traffic is one of the most significant causes in the deterioration of air quality in cities. Therefore, it is important to estimate the emission factors associated with road traffic, which turns out to be the theoretical basis for estimating the emissions of air pollutants in a precise way. The emissions of atmospheric pollutants generated by mobile sources may produce severe impacts on human health because these pollutants are generally produced in areas with a high density of inhabitants and at ground level. The present study aims to estimate the concentration of air pollutants generated by road traffic on the main roads of the city of Cartagena, which were selected while taking into account the critical points of highest traffic congestion. The emission factors for PM_2.5, using the inverse modeling technique, were estimated taking into account the average concentrations measured over 24-hour period and the pollutants that represent the greatest threat to public health were determined. This study is a starting point to determine the magnitude of the emissions associated with road traffic in Cartagena, and it also provides technical support to be able to identify in an approximate way the impact of different vehicle sources in the city.

Keywords

road traffic, emission factors, inverse modeling technique, pollutant concentrations, air pollutants, public health