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Polukarova M, Hjort M, Gustafsson M. Comprehensive approach to national tire wear emissions: Challenges and implications. Sci Total Environ 2024; 924:171391. [PMID: 38431172 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The use of vehicle tires has been identified as a major source of microplastics in the environment and an increasing source of urban particulate air pollution. In light of increasing traffic volumes, increasingly heavier and more powerful vehicles due to trends and electrification, and the lack of tire wear regulation, methods to estimate and monitor changes in national emissions are needed as input for environmental impact assessments. Emission estimations of tire wear are made either based on the mileage approach or the sales approach. This study aims to investigate if and how the mileage approach can be improved by using emission factors for passenger cars and LDVs based on our own measurements and emission factors from the literature for HDVs and buses. An approach with emission factor adjustments based on weight and number of tires in combination with highly detailed mileage data has been evaluated. Sales approach calculations have been used to validate the method. A secondary aim was to use the new mileage approach framework to calculate the national tire wear emissions for Sweden. These calculations resulted in slightly lower total emissions than previous estimations provide, but with higher emissions for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles, and lower emissions for heavy-duty vehicles and motorcycles. Passenger cars constitute more than half of the total emissions. It is concluded that even though the framework offers greater detail, thus increasing the possibilities to adjust for changes in emission factors and mileages in specific vehicle categories, the challenges posed by such factors as the lack of measured emission factors for heavy-duty vehicles and uncertainties regarding the quality of mileage statistics makes the estimations uncertain. Important future suggestions for research include establishing reliable emission factors, especially for heavy-duty vehicles, and initiating research to better understand how climate, road networks, surface properties, and vehicle fleet characteristics affect emission factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Polukarova
- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Linköping (VTI), Box 8072, SE-402 78 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Division of Water Environment Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Mattias Hjort
- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Linköping (VTI), Bruksgatan 8, SE-222 36 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Mats Gustafsson
- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Linköping (VTI), SE-581 95 Linköping, Sweden.
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Hossain S, Maggi E, Vezzulli A. Factors influencing the road accidents in low and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38379460 DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2024.2319618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
This paper studies the main factors affecting road traffic accidents (RTAs) using a systematic review. The primary focus is on factors related to road characteristics and driver behaviours. This review also addresses the socioeconomic and demographic factors to provide a clear overview of which groups suffer the most from RTAs. Several factors were found to affect RTAs, notably road characteristics: highways, high-speed roads, unplanned intersections and two-way roads without dividers; driver behaviours: reckless/aggressive driving and riding, excessive speeding, unawareness of traffic laws, and not using safety equipment; and vehicle types: four and two-wheeled. This review found that male and economically productive people with less education were mostly associated with RTAs. In addition, for most of the low and middle-income countries analyzed, there is a lack of quality data relating to RTAs. Nevertheless, this review provides researchers and policy makers with a better understanding of road accidents for improving road safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saddam Hossain
- Department of Economics, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Elena Maggi
- Department of Economics, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Andrea Vezzulli
- Department of Economics, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Sun B, Zhang Q, Zou C, Tong H, Wei N, Jia Z, Mao H. Review and prospect of research on road traffic flow energy model. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:81198-81209. [PMID: 36210405 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23304-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Energy is a necessary prerequisite for the operation of road traffic flow. Describing the phenomena of traffic flow from an energy perspective will promote energy conservation and emission reduction technologies. To clarify the application status and trend of traffic flow energy, this paper studies and summarizes the literature on traffic flow energy, classifies the traffic flow energy models into four groups, discusses the benefits and drawbacks and practical scenarios of various models, and suggests future research topics. The research revealed that the ultra-microscopic traffic flow energy model, based on the principle of vehicle energy flow, has high calculation accuracy but is hard to forecast traffic flow energy, which is adequate for estimating the energy of a single vehicle; The microscopic traffic flow energy model, which can predict traffic flow energy but with low calculation accuracy, considers interactions between fleet vehicles and helps evaluate the energy consumption features of various traffic flow states; The average characteristic parameter of the traffic flow is the key to the macroscopic traffic flow energy model, which calculates energy precisely for the uniform traffic flow but lacks the macroscopic traffic flow theoretical underpinnings; The simplified traffic flow energy model of traffic flow has a straightforward structure but the low calculation accuracy, making it suitable for assessing the effectiveness of the traffic flow model. Large-scale vehicle testing, the thorough integration of macro and micro traffic flow theories, and the decrease of computing complexity should be the main focuses of future research on traffic flow energy models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qijun Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Chao Zou
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Hui Tong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ning Wei
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Zhenyu Jia
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Hongjun Mao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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Kelley N, Tucker NJ, Mauffrey C, Parry JA. Pelvic ring injuries after road and mountain bike accidents. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 2022:10.1007/s00590-022-03374-0. [PMID: 36029341 DOI: 10.1007/s00590-022-03374-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare patients with traumatic pelvic ring injuries sustained in road and mountain bicycling accidents to evaluate for differences in injury types and hospital courses. METHODS A retrospective review of 60 patients presenting with pelvic ring injuries after road (n = 46) and mountain (n = 14) bicycling accidents was performed to compare patient/injury characteristics and hospital course. RESULTS LC1 injuries were the most common pelvic ring injury (n = 31, 51.7%), 38.7% (n = 12) of which were considered unstable, followed by isolated iliac wing (n = 11, 18.3%), pubic rami (n = 6, 10.0%), and sacral fractures (n = 6, 10.0%). Hospital admission was required for 41 (68.3%) patients. The median hospital LOS was 4 days (IQR 2-9) and 12 (20%) patients received operative treatment. Patients in road versus mountain bicycling accidents were more likely to be older tobacco users and were similar in sex, body mass index, and injury severity score. Road bicycling resulted in more LC1 injuries (58.7% vs 28.6%, p = 0.04), while mountain bicycling resulted in more iliac wing fractures (42.9% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.01). Road cycling injuries required more days in the hospital to clear PT (median difference 2, CI 0-4, p = 0.04) and had longer hospital stays (median difference 2, CI 0-6, p = 0.02) but had no difference in the rate of admission, operative intervention, or discharge to rehabilitation facilities. CONCLUSION The majority of pelvic ring injuries from road and mountain bicycling accidents were LC1 injuries that were frequently unstable and often required hospital admission and operative fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Kelley
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Nicholas J Tucker
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Cyril Mauffrey
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Joshua A Parry
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA
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Sarkies MN, Hemmert C, Pang YC, Shiner CT, McDonell K, Mitchell R, Lystad RP, Novy M, Christie LJ. The human impact of commercial delivery cycling injuries: a pilot retrospective cohort study. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2022; 8:116. [PMID: 35650634 PMCID: PMC9158271 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01077-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Commercial delivery cyclists represent a uniquely vulnerable and poorly understood road user. The primary aim of this study was to pilot whether cycling injuries could be categorised as either commercial or non-commercial using documentation entered into routine hospital medical records, in order to determine the feasibility of conducting a large cohort study of commercial cycling injuries in the future. A secondary aim was to determine which key demographic, incident and injury characteristics were associated with commercial versus non-commercial cycling injuries in emergency. METHODS Pilot retrospective cohort study of adults presenting to an acute public hospital emergency department between May 2019 and April 2020 after sustaining a cycling-related injury. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the demographic, incident and injury characteristics associated with commercial compared to non-commercial cycling. RESULTS Of the 368 people presenting to the emergency department with a cycling-related injury, we were able to categorise 43 (11.7%) as commercial delivery cyclists, 153 (41.6%) as non-commercial cyclists and the working status of 172 (46.7%) was unable to be confirmed. Both commercial and unconfirmed cyclists were more likely to be younger than non-commercial cyclists. Compared to non-commercial cyclists, commercial cyclists were 11 times more likely to speak a language other than English (AOR 11.3; 95% CI 4.07-31.30; p<0.001), less likely to be injured from non-collision incidents than vehicle collisions (AOR 0.36; 95% CI 0.15-0.91; p=0.030) and were over 13 times more likely to present to the emergency department between 8.00pm and 12.00am compared to the early morning hours (12.00 to 8.00am) (AOR 13.43; 95% CI 2.20-82.10; p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS The growth of commercial cycling, particularly through online food delivery services, has raised concern regarding commercial cyclist safety. Improvements in the recording of cycling injury commercial status is required to enable ongoing surveillance of commercial cyclist injuries and establish the extent and risk factors associated with commercial cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell N Sarkies
- Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Cameron Hemmert
- Department of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yu-Chen Pang
- Department of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christine T Shiner
- Departments of Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Karon McDonell
- Trauma Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca Mitchell
- Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Reidar P Lystad
- Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Michael Novy
- Trauma Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lauren J Christie
- Allied Health Research Unit, St Vincent's Health Network, Sydney, Australia.,Nursing Research Institute, St Vincent's Health Network, Sydney, Australia
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Carter NH, Pradhan N, Hengaju K, Sonawane C, Sage AH, Grimm V. Forecasting effects of transport infrastructure on endangered tigers: a tool for conservation planning. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13472. [PMID: 35602904 PMCID: PMC9121866 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of transport infrastructure is a major threat to endangered species worldwide. Roads and railways can increase animal mortality, fragment habitats, and exacerbate other threats to biodiversity. Predictive models that forecast the future impacts to endangered species can guide land-use planning in ways that proactively reduce the negative effects of transport infrastructure. Agent-based models are well suited for predictive scenario testing, yet their application to endangered species conservation is rare. Here, we developed a spatially explicit, agent-based model to forecast the effects of transport infrastructure on an isolated tiger (Panthera tigris) population in Nepal's Chitwan National Park-a global biodiversity hotspot. Specifically, our model evaluated the independent and interactive effects of two mechanisms by which transport infrastructure may affect tigers: (a) increasing tiger mortality, e.g., via collisions with vehicles, and (b) depleting prey near infrastructure. We projected potential impacts on tiger population dynamics based on the: (i) existing transportation network in and near the park, and (ii) the inclusion of a proposed railway intersecting through the park's buffer zone. Our model predicted that existing roads would kill 46 tigers over 20 years via increased mortality, and reduced the adult tiger population by 39% (133 to 81). Adding the proposed railway directly killed 10 more tigers over those 20 years; deaths that reduced the overall tiger population by 30 more individuals (81 to 51). Road-induced mortality also decreased the proportion of time a tiger occupied a given site by 5 years in the 20-year simulation. Interestingly, we found that transportation-induced depletion of prey decreased tiger occupancy by nearly 20% in sites close to roads and the railway, thereby reducing tiger exposure to transportation-induced mortality. The results of our model constitute a strong argument for taking into account prey distributions into the planning of roads and railways. Our model can promote tiger-friendly transportation development, for example, by improving Environmental Impact Assessments, identifying "no go" zones where transport infrastructure should be prohibited, and recommending alternative placement of roads and railways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil H. Carter
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States of America
| | - Narendra Pradhan
- International Union for Conservation of Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Krishna Hengaju
- International Union for Conservation of Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Abigail H. Sage
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wenatchee, United States of America
| | - Volker Grimm
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research –UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
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Konlan KD, Hayford L. Factors associated with motorcycle-related road traffic crashes in Africa, a Scoping review from 2016 to 2022. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:649. [PMID: 35382791 PMCID: PMC8981755 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13075-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The toll associated with road traffic crashes (RTC) is high, and the burden of injury is disproportionately borne by pedestrians and motor riders, particularly in developing countries. This study synthesized the factors associated with motorcycle-related RTC in Africa. Methods The PICO framework and the PRISMA guidelines for conducting reviews were incorporated in searching, screening, and reporting the findings. Advanced search in five electronic databases (Google Scholar, PubMed Central, Scopus, CINAHL, and Embase) yielded 2552 titles and 22 from manual search, filtered for 2016 to 2022 (to generate 1699) and then further for primary studies (854). Through the title, abstract and full-text screening, 22 were appropriate for this review. Data extraction was done by the two researchers independently, and the results were compared. Convergent synthesis was adopted to integrate results, transformed into a narrative, and analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results The four main themes identified were the rider-related, non-rider-related factors, prevalence and severity of injuries from RTC, and the measures to reduce RTC. The behavioral factors associated with RTC were alcohol use, smoking, use of illicit drugs, tiredness of rider, poor knowledge on traffic regulations, more than one pillow rider, lack of rider license, non-observance of traffic regulations, and non-use of personal protective equipment. Road traffic crashes were common among younger age and male gender. Other factors identified included poor road network, unplanned stoppage by police, unlawful vehicular packing, increased urbanization, and slippery floors. Conclusion There is the need to institute multi-sectoral measures that target riders’ behavior change. Coordinated efforts should target governments, enforcement authorities, and regulatory bodies to enforce enactment that ensures safe use of roads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Diema Konlan
- Department of Public Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta region, Ghana. .,College of Nursing, Yonsei University, 50-1, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea.
| | - Linda Hayford
- Department of Medicine, St Anthony Hospital, Dzordze, Volta Region, Ghana
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Eskandari Torbaghan M, Sasidharan M, Reardon L, Muchanga-Hvelplund LCW. Understanding the potential of emerging digital technologies for improving road safety. Accid Anal Prev 2022; 166:106543. [PMID: 34971922 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Each year, 1.35 million people are killed on the world's roads and another 20-50 million are seriously injured. Morbidity or serious injury from road traffic collisions is estimated to increase to 265 million people between 2015 and 2030. Current road safety management systems rely heavily on manual data collection, visual inspection and subjective expert judgment for their effectiveness, which is costly, time-consuming, and sometimes ineffective due to under-reporting and the poor quality of the data. A range of innovations offers the potential to provide more comprehensive and effective data collection and analysis to improve road safety. However, there has been no systematic analysis of this evidence base. To this end, this paper provides a systematic review of the state of the art. It identifies that digital technologies - Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine-Learning, Image-Processing, Internet-of-Things (IoT), Smartphone applications, Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Drones, Social Media, Virtual-reality, Simulator, Radar, Sensor, Big Data - provide useful means for identifying and providing information on road safety factors including road user behaviour, road characteristics and operational environment. Moreover, the results show that digital technologies such as AI, Image processing and IoT have been widely applied to enhance road safety, due to their ability to automatically capture and analyse data while preventing the possibility of human error. However, a key gap in the literature remains their effectiveness in real-world environments. This limits their potential to be utilised by policymakers and practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manu Sasidharan
- School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, UK; Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK.
| | - Louise Reardon
- Institute of Local Government Studies, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
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Larue GS, Watling CN. Prevalence and dynamics of distracted pedestrian behaviour at railway level crossings: Emerging issues. Accid Anal Prev 2022; 165:106508. [PMID: 34902625 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent increases in pedestrian collisions have led to several studies investigating the effects of distraction on pedestrian behaviour at road intersections. Although distraction has been identified as a contributing factor to pedestrian crashes at railway crossings, only limited research is available regarding the prevalence of this behaviour occurring at railway level crossings. It is, therefore, essential to better understand distraction prevalence at railway crossings to support the use of countermeasures to improve safety outcomes. We conducted field observations at a railway crossing in Brisbane, Australia and its adjacent road intersection to gauge the prevalence of distracted pedestrians. Overall, 585 pedestrians were observed and video recorded during the daytime. The video recordings were coded to estimate the prevalence of distraction behaviour that road users engaged in, factors that affected these proportions, and dynamic changes in behaviour. Compliance with signals was also analysed. We found distraction behaviours such as talking and looking at the mobile screen (41.9%) while walking to be prevalent and affected by age. Highly distractive tasks were found to be less commonplace at the railway crossing, accounting for 3% of the observations. Still, pedestrians at the railway crossing engaged in these highly distractive tasks on their phones for a much longer period of time. While most non-compliances (with traffic lights) occurred among attentive pedestrians and are likely to be intentional, non-compliances by distracted pedestrians were also observed, highlighting that distraction can lead to unsafe decisions or lack of decisions that result in unsafe behaviours. Finally, distraction was found to be a dynamic phenomenon as a few pedestrians stopped engaging in distractive tasks once they reached the crossing, while others engaged in more distractive tasks once they were on the road or crossing. Our study shows that pedestrian distraction is a prevalent issue at railway crossings and future research is required to further understand and mitigate this changing behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire S Larue
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Christopher N Watling
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Brisbane, Australia
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Hilário RR, Carvalho WD, Gheler-Costa C, Rosalino LMC, Marques TA, Adania CH, Paulino JS, Almeida PM, Mustin K. Drivers of human-wildlife impact events involving mammals in Southeastern Brazil. Sci Total Environ 2021; 794:148600. [PMID: 34198085 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Annually millions of animals are killed as a result of human-wildlife impacts. Each year the NGO Associação Mata Ciliar (NGOMC), in Southeastern Brazil, receives and rehabilitates thousands of animals. We evaluated how natural and anthropogenic characteristics affect the risk of different types of human-wildlife impacts for mammals that arrive at the NGOMC; and explore the relationship between both the animal's size and the type of human-wildlife impact event, survival rates and the likelihood that these animals can be fully rehabilitated. To test our hypotheses regarding the drivers and consequences of the total number of human-wildlife impact events, traffic collisions, electrocutions, and requested removals, we used records of the mammals that arrived at the NGOMC between 2012 and 2018, and obtained data on environmental attributes and anthropogenic factors at the municipality level, as well as species weights. The total number of human-wildlife impact events and of requested removals were both positively correlated with deforestation rate and urban area. The number of traffic collisions was positively related to the number of fires. Municipalities with larger urban areas were more likely to have at least one electrocuted mammal. Temporally, the number of fires two months before was positively correlated with the number of human-wildlife impact events. Traffic collisions and electrocutions more frequently resulted in the death of the animal, than did other events. Animals that died were heavier on average than those that remained in captivity or were successfully released back into the wild. We conclude that human-wildlife impact event rates should decline with lower rates of deforestation, less anthropogenic fires and the adoption of other specific measures to avoid both traffic collisions with fauna and electrocutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R R Hilário
- Postgraduate Program in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, AP, Brazil; Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - W D Carvalho
- Postgraduate Program in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, AP, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Environment and Biodiversity, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brazil; Associação Mata Ciliar, Jundiaí, SP, Brazil
| | | | - L M C Rosalino
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - T A Marques
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling & Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - C H Adania
- Associação Mata Ciliar, Jundiaí, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - K Mustin
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Biology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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Xu R, Zheng X, Lin Y, Lin C, Guo Y, Huo X. Assessment of dust trace elements in an e-waste recycling area and related children's health risks. Sci Total Environ 2021; 791:148154. [PMID: 34118658 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Children from Guiyu, an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling town, are exposed to trace elements via dust. However, the source, pathways, and influence factors of house dust and the association of house dust with child inflammation in an e-waste recycling area are not well-known. This study investigated dust trace elements in children's living environment and the associations of house dust trace elements with influence factors and child inflammation. A total of 108 dust samples from children's residences, roads, and kindergartens in Guiyu (an exposed area) and Haojiang and Shantou urban areas (reference areas) were collected and analyzed, as well as children's questionnaire data. The Mann-Whitney U test found there were higher trace element concentrations in road dust (Co, Ni, and Cu), kindergarten dust (Al, V, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn), and house dust (V, Co, Cu, As, and Cd) in Guiyu than in Haojiang and Shantou urban areas (P < 0.05). Our analysis showed that house dust and road dust have similar distribution patterns of trace elements. Spearman's correlations showed close relationships among quantities of trace elements (P < 0.05). Higher trace element concentrations in dust were found in houses that used indoor shoe cabinets and opened windows frequently (P < 0.05). In houses of children with airway inflammation, higher dust Ba concentrations were found (P < 0.05), and if their fathers did not work with e-waste, we found higher dust Pb concentrations (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.05). Health assessments showed a high risk of exposure through ingestion and an acceptable risk of exposure through inhalation of dust trace elements for children. However, relationships between airway inflammation and house dust trace elements showed the inhalation risk might be underestimated. This study suggests trace element exposure via dust poses a health risk for children living in e-waste recycling areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibin Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangbin Zheng
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China
| | - Yucong Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ciming Lin
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China
| | - Yufeng Guo
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Huo
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China.
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12
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Larue GS, Dehkordi SG, Watling CN, Naweed A. Loud and clear? Train horn practice at railway level crossings in Australia. Appl Ergon 2021; 95:103433. [PMID: 33989951 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The road environment has changed markedly over the years. Train horns are ostensibly used to alert road users and are typically mandatory on approach to railway level crossings. However, they have increasingly been seen as a nuisance. Beyond their negative aspects, a study has yet to comprehensively evaluate train horn effectiveness and understand if they remain beneficial and relevant in the contemporary environment. Hence, this study aimed to provide evidence on the actual use of train horns. Field observations were conducted at 54 railway crossings across four Australian States. The effects of level crossing type, location, and environmental conditions were investigated in relation to train horn loudness as objectively measured at the crossing. Results revealed that train horns were not always used, presenting an issue for passive level crossings. However, when sounded, train horn use was redundant and insufficiently loud at level crossings equipped with bells. Taken together, current train horn practice was found to be highly variable and dependent on crossing type, remoteness, and individual train drivers, thus resulting in inconsistent warnings and raising important implications for standardisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire S Larue
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Sepehr G Dehkordi
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Christopher N Watling
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Anjum Naweed
- Central Queensland University, Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Adelaide, Australia
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13
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Erdozain M, Kidd KA, Emilson EJS, Capell SS, Luu T, Kreutzweiser DP, Gray MA. Forest management impacts on stream integrity at varying intensities and spatial scales: Do biological effects accumulate spatially? Sci Total Environ 2021; 763:144043. [PMID: 33383512 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effects of forest harvesting on headwaters are quite well understood, yet our understanding of whether impacts accumulate or dissipate downstream is limited. To address this, we investigated whether several biotic indicators changed from smaller to larger downstream sites (n = 6) within three basins that had intensive, extensive or minimal forest management in New Brunswick (Canada). Biofilm biomass and grazer abundance significantly increased from upstream to downstream, whereas organic matter decomposition and the autotrophic index of biofilms decreased. However, some spatial trends differed among basins and indicated either cumulative (macroinvertebrate abundance, predator density, sculpin GSI) or dissipative (autotrophic index, cotton decomposition) effects downstream, potentially explained by sediment and nutrient dynamics related to harvesting. No such among-basin differences were observed for leaf decomposition, biofilm biomass, macroinvertebrate richness or sculpin condition. Additionally, results suggest that some of the same biological impacts of forestry observed in small headwaters also occurred in larger systems. Although the intensive and extensive basins had lower macroinvertebrate diversity, there were no other signs of biological impairment, suggesting that, overall, current best management practices protect biological integrity downstream despite abiotic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada; Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Scott S Capell
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Taylor Luu
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 28 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
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14
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Erdozain M, Kidd KA, Emilson EJS, Capell SS, Kreutzweiser DP, Gray MA. Forest management impacts on stream integrity at varying intensities and spatial scales: Do abiotic effects accumulate spatially? Sci Total Environ 2021; 753:141968. [PMID: 32911166 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Though effects of forest harvesting on small streams are well documented, little is known about the cumulative effects in downstream systems. The hierarchical nature and longitudinal connectivity of river networks make them fundamentally cumulative, but lateral and vertical connectivity and instream processes can dissipate the downstream transport of water and materials. To elucidate such effects, we investigated how a suite of abiotic indicators changed from small streams to larger downstream sites (n = 6) within three basins ranging in forest management intensity (intensive, extensive, minimal) in New Brunswick (Canada) in the summer and fall of 2017 and 2018. Inorganic sediments, the inorganic/organic ratios and water temperatures significantly increased longitudinally, whereas nutrients and the fluorescence index of dissolved organic carbon (DOC; indication of terrestrial source) decreased. However, some longitudinal trends differed across basins and indicated downstream cumulative (inorganic sediments, the inorganic/organic ratios and to a lesser extent DOC concentration and humification) as well as dissipative (temperatures, nutrients, organic sediments) effects of forest management. Overall, we found that the effects previously reported for small streams with managed forests also occur at downstream sites and suggest investigating whether different management practices can be used within the extensive basin to reduce these cumulative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada; Department of Biology, School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Scott S Capell
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 28 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
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15
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Abra FD, Huijser MP, Magioli M, Bovo AAA, Ferraz KMPMDB. An estimate of wild mammal roadkill in São Paulo state, Brazil. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06015. [PMID: 33553734 PMCID: PMC7846925 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Roadkill estimates for different species and species groups are available for many countries and regions. However, there is a lack of information from tropical countries, including from Latin America. In this study, we analyzed medium and large-sized mammal roadkill data from 18 toll road companies (TRC) in São Paulo State (6,580 km of monitored toll roads), Brazil. We extrapolated these roadkill numbers to the entire system of major paved roads in the State (36,503 km). The TRC collected mammal-road- mortality data both before (2-lanes) and after (4-lanes) road reconstruction. We used the "before" data from the TRC to estimate annual mammal-road-mortality along 2-lane roads that remained public roads. Combined with the data for the new 4-lane highways, this allowed us to estimate annual mammal road mortality for all the paved roads in the State. During 10 years of roadkill monitoring along toll roads, a total of 37,744 roadkilled mammals were recorded, representing a total of 32 medium to large-sized mammal species (average number of roadkilled individuals/year = 3,774 ± 1,159; min = 1,932; max = 5,369; 0.6 individuals roadkilled/km/year). Most roadkilled species were common generalists, but there were also relatively high roadkill numbers of threatened and endangered species (4.3% of the data), which is a serious conservation concern. Most of the roadkill was reported occurred during the nocturnal period (66%, n = 14,189) and in the rainy months (October-March) (55%, n = 15,318). Reported mammal roadkill tended to increase between 2009 and 2014 (R2 = 0.614; p = 0.065), with an average increase of 313.5 individuals/year. Extrapolation of the results to the entire São Paulo State, resulted in an average estimate of 39,605 medium and large-sized mammals roadkilled per year. Our estimates of the number of roadkilled individuals can be used as one of the input parameters in population viability analyses to understand the extinction or extirpation risk, especially for threatened and endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Delborgo Abra
- Forest Science Department, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
- Viafauna Estudos Ambientais, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Magioli
- Forest Science Department, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, SP, Brazil
| | - Alex Augusto Abreu Bovo
- Forest Science Department, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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Rødland ES, Okoffo ED, Rauert C, Heier LS, Lind OC, Reid M, Thomas KV, Meland S. Road de-icing salt: Assessment of a potential new source and pathway of microplastics particles from roads. Sci Total Environ 2020; 738:139352. [PMID: 32806381 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Roads are estimated to be the largest source of microplastic particles in the environment, through release of particles from tires, road markings and polymer-modified bitumen. These are all released through the wear and tear of tires and the road surface. During the winter in cold climates, the road surface may freeze and cause icing on the roads. To improve traffic safety during winter, road salt is used for de-icing. Knowledge of microplastic (MP) contamination in road salt has, until now, been lacking. This is contrary to the increasing number of studies of microplastics in food-grade salt. The objective of this study was to investigate if road salt could be an additional source of microplastics to the environment. Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to identify and quantify the polymer content in four types of road salts, three sea salts and one rock salt. The particle number of MP in sea salts (range 4-240 MP/kg, mean ± s.d. = 35 ± 60 MP/kg) and rock salt (range 4-192 MP/kg, 424 ± 61 MP/kg, respectively) were similar, whereas, MP mass concentrations were higher in sea salts (range 0.1-7650 μg/kg, 442 ± 1466 μg/kg) than in rock salts (1-1100 μg/kg, 322 ± 481 μg/kg). Black rubber-like particles constituted 96% of the total concentration of microplastics and 86% of all particles in terms of number of particles/kg. Black rubber-like particles appeared to be attributable to wear of conveyer belts used in the salt production. Road salt contribution to MP on state and county roads in Norway was estimated to 0.15 t/year (0.003% of total road MP release), 0.07 t/year in Sweden (0.008%) and 0.03 t/year in Denmark (0.0004-0.0008%) Thus, microplastics in road salt are a negligible source of microplastics from roads compared to other sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth S Rødland
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Center of Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway.
| | - Elvis D Okoffo
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Cassandra Rauert
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Lene S Heier
- Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Construction, Postboks 1010, N-2605 Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Ole Christian Lind
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Center of Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway
| | - Malcolm Reid
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Sondre Meland
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Center of Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, 1433 Ås, Norway
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17
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Papadimitriou E, Schneider C, Aguinaga Tello J, Damen W, Lomba Vrouenraets M, Ten Broeke A. Transport safety and human factors in the era of automation: What can transport modes learn from each other? Accid Anal Prev 2020; 144:105656. [PMID: 32629228 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2020.105656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
One of the main aims of introducing automation in transport is to improve safety by reducing or eliminating human errors; it is often argued however that this may induce new types of errors. There is different level of maturity with automation in different transport modes (road, aviation, maritime and rail), however no systematic research has been conducted on the lessons learned in different sectors, so that they can be exploited for the design of safer automated systems. The aim of this paper is to review the impact of key human factors on the safety of automated transport systems, with focus on relevant experiences from different transport sectors. A systematic literature review is carried out on the following topics: the level of trust in automation - in particular the impact of mis-aligned trust, i.e. mistrust vs overreliance, the resulting impact on operator situation awareness (SA), the implications for takeover control from machine to human, and the role of experience and training on using automated transport systems. The results revealed several areas where experiences from the aviation and road domain can be transferable to other sectors. Experiences from maritime and rail transport, although limited, tend to confirm the general patterns. Remarkably, in the road sector where higher levels of automation are only recently introduced, there are clearer and more quantitative approaches to human factors, while other sectors focus only on mental modes. Other sectors could use similar approaches to define their own context-specific metrics. The paper makes a synthesis of key messages on automation safety in different transport sectors, and presents an assessment of their transferability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Papadimitriou
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands.
| | - Chantal Schneider
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Juan Aguinaga Tello
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter Damen
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Max Lomba Vrouenraets
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Annebel Ten Broeke
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, the Netherlands
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18
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Amato F, Pérez N, López M, Ripoll A, Alastuey A, Pandolfi M, Karanasiou A, Salmatonidis A, Padoan E, Frasca D, Marcoccia M, Viana M, Moreno T, Reche C, Martins V, Brines M, Minguillón MC, Ealo M, Rivas I, van Drooge B, Benavides J, Craviotto JM, Querol X. Vertical and horizontal fall-off of black carbon and NO 2 within urban blocks. Sci Total Environ 2019; 686:236-245. [PMID: 31176822 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
While exposure to traffic pollutants significantly decreases with distance from the curb, very dense urban architectures hamper such dispersion. Moreover, the building height reduces significantly the dispersion of pollutants. We have investigated the horizontal variability of Black Carbon (BC) and the vertical variability of NO2 and BC within the urban blocks. Increasing the distance from road BC concentrations decreased following an exponential curve reaching halving distances at 25 m (median), although with a wide variability among sites. Street canyons showed sharper fall-offs than open roads or roads next to a park. Urban background concentrations were achieved at 67 m distance on average, with higher distances found for more trafficked roads. Vertical fall-off of BC was less pronounced than the horizontal one since pollutants homogenize quickly vertically after rush traffic hours. Even shallower vertical fall-offs were found for NO2. For both pollutants, background concentrations were never reached within the building height. A street canyon effect was also found exacerbating concentrations at the lowest floors of the leeward side of the road. These inputs can be useful for assessing population exposure, air quality policies, urban planning and for models validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Amato
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - N Pérez
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M López
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Ripoll
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Alastuey
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Pandolfi
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Karanasiou
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Salmatonidis
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Padoan
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain; University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - D Frasca
- Chemistry Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Marcoccia
- Chemistry Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Viana
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - T Moreno
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Reche
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - V Martins
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Brines
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M C Minguillón
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Ealo
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - B van Drooge
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Benavides
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - X Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Wang J, Wu Q, Liu J, Yang H, Yin M, Chen S, Guo P, Ren J, Luo X, Linghu W, Huang Q. Vehicle emission and atmospheric pollution in China: problems, progress, and prospects. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6932. [PMID: 31143547 PMCID: PMC6526014 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
China has been the largest vehicle market in the world since 2009. The stalemate between the rapid development of the vehicle industry and delayed vehicle emission control has become increasingly prominent. Vehicle emission has become a significant source of air pollution in China's cities. Understanding the current barriers in the vehicle industry is necessary for the development of effective and sustainable measures and policy to manage vehicle-induced air pollution. This review provides insight into the circumstances and causes of vehicle-induced air pollution and outlines recent progress in policy-makers' long-term strategies and regulations. The development of an integrated mechanism of social participation, technical revolution, and regulatory innovation in vehicles, fuel, and roads is suggested to break the stalemate between air pollution and the automobile boom in China; the implications of this review extend to other countries facing the similar atmospheric pollution problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiuxia Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Juan Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Meiling Yin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shili Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Peiyu Guo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiamin Ren
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuwen Luo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wensheng Linghu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiong Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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20
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Lilley R, McNoe B, Davie G, Horsburgh S, Maclennan B, Driscoll T. Identifying opportunities to prevent work-related fatal injury in New Zealand using 40 years of coronial records: protocol for a retrospective case review study. Inj Epidemiol 2019; 6:16. [PMID: 31245265 PMCID: PMC6582675 DOI: 10.1186/s40621-019-0193-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Improving New Zealand's poor workplace safety record has become a high priority following high profile workplace fatal incidents in 2010 and 2014. Existing routine official data are unable to reliably inform occupational safety policy and action in New Zealand. This case review study will examine work-related fatal injury (WRFI) to: i) determine their burden, rates and distribution; ii) identify high-risk groups, causes and circumstances; iii) analyse secular trends, and iv) examine the impact of historic occupational safety legislative reform. Design and methods A comprehensive New Zealand WRFI dataset from 1975 to 2014 will be established using existing data for 1975-1994 combined with new data for 1995-2014 extracted from reviewed coronial case files. Data collection involves: 1) identifying likely cases of WRFI from national mortality records using selected injury external cause codes; 2) linking these to coronial case files, which will be retrieved and reviewed to determine work-relatedness; and 3) coding work-related cases. Annual WRFI frequencies and rates will be calculated and disaggregated by age, sex, employment status, occupation and industry to identify high-risk groups and compared across the time series. The circumstances of the WRFIs will be analysed in-depth. The impact of New Zealand's Health and Safety in Employment 1992 Act, which resulted in deregulation of the previous legislative frameworks for occupational health and safety during a period of rapid labour market restructuring, will be examined by comparing rates before and after implementation of the Act. Discussion The resulting evidence will serve as the basis for policy development and practical interventions to reduce WRFI, targeting groups of high-risk workers, and for bench-marking of workplace safety performance in New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebbecca Lilley
- 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Bronwen McNoe
- 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Gabrielle Davie
- 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Simon Horsburgh
- 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Brett Maclennan
- 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - Tim Driscoll
- 2Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
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Kibblewhite MG. Contamination of agricultural soil by urban and peri-urban highways: An overlooked priority? Environ Pollut 2018; 242:1331-1336. [PMID: 30125843 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Highways are major, open and dynamic sources of contaminants that present a risk to adjacent agricultural soils. Urban and peri-urban soils are particularly at risk because of a greater density of nearby highways with high traffic volumes. In developing economies, these soils support valuable food production and income, while in more developed economies there is a growing interest in urban food production. This commentary highlights the need to better characterise the sources, pathways to and impacts of highway contaminants on agricultural soils and it suggests research priorities. Soil contamination from highways includes metals, toxic organic pollutants and plastics (including large amounts of tyre dust). Contaminants from vehicle emissions and from wear of vehicles and highways are transferred to soil in airborne particulates, dust, splash, spray and runoff. Contamination is greatest near to the highway edge but can extend to >50m. Levels of metals including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn in some soils adjacent to highways may exceed thresholds above which there is a potential risk of harm to food production. Elevated levels of non-threshold carcinogens (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) in soil adjacent to highways are widely reported, with significant attribution to highway emissions. Mitigation options include improved vehicle design and performance, porous asphalt pavements, physical and vegetative barriers and better drainage. Research priorities include: (1) targeted soil monitoring to identify where highway contamination already presents a significant risk of harm to food production and to identify and assess trends in response to mitigation measures; (2) studies to assess the role of tyre particulate in transporting and releasing contaminants that are hazardous to soil (3) assessment of the risk to soil from pesticides used in highway maintenance; (4) analysis to inform a new emphasis on controlling soil pollution by innovative highway design and maintenance.
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Rasul H, Earon R, Olofsson B. Detecting Seasonal Flow Pathways in Road Structures Using Tracer Tests and ERT. Water Air Soil Pollut 2018; 229:358. [PMID: 30416221 PMCID: PMC6208759 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-018-4008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Roads and traffic can be a source of water-bound pollutants, which can percolate through the unsaturated zone to groundwater. Deicing salt is widely used on roads in northern Europe during winter and is usually applied at a time when the temperature is below zero and the soil is partly frozen. Understanding the mechanism by which water-bound pollutants such as deicing salt are transferred from roads to groundwater is highly important for groundwater protection, environmental sustainability and road maintenance. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be used for tracing the infiltration of deicing salt in different seasons, including the frozen period, as a step towards identifying pollutant infiltration pathways. In this study, a tracer-ERT monitoring method and analytical process was developed and evaluated for use in investigating and demonstrating deicing salt infiltration pathways in road structures in different seasons and weather conditions. The method involves using dissolved sodium chloride as a tracer and monitoring its infiltration using a multi-electrode array system. The tracer tests were performed at the same location in different seasons over a 1-year period. The results indicated high seasonal variation in percolation pattern and flow velocity, with large decreases in December (winter), most likely due to preferential flow paths within the road shoulder. These findings can be applied to other water-soluble pollutants that move from the road surface to groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedi Rasul
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, KOY45, Koya, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq
| | - Robert Earon
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bo Olofsson
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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Nassan FL, Chavarro JE, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Williams PL, Tanrikut C, Ford JB, Dadd R, Perry MJ, Hauser R, Gaskins AJ. Residential distance to major roadways and semen quality, sperm DNA integrity, chromosomal disomy, and serum reproductive hormones among men attending a fertility clinic. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2018; 221:830-837. [PMID: 29801984 PMCID: PMC5997566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined associations of residential distance to major roadways, as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution exposures, with sperm characteristics and male reproductive hormones. DESIGN The cohort included 797 men recruited from Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2000 and 2015 to participate in fertility research studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Men reported their residential addresses at enrollment and provided 1-6 semen samples and a blood sample during follow-up. We estimated the Euclidean distance to major roadways (e.g. interstates and highways: limited access highways, multi-lane highways (not limited access), other numbered routes, and major roads) using information from the Massachusetts Department of Geographic Information Systems. Semen parameters (1238 semen samples), sperm DNA integrity (389 semen samples), chromosomal disomy (101 semen samples), and serum reproductive hormones (405 serum samples) were assessed following standard procedures. RESULTS Men in this cohort were primarily Caucasian (86%), not current smokers (92%), with a college or higher education (88%), and had an average age of 36 years and BMI of 27.7 kg/m2. The median (interquartile range) residential distance to a major roadway was 111 (37, 248) meters. Residential proximity to major roadways was not associated with semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity, chromosomal disomy, or serum reproductive hormone concentrations. The adjusted percent change (95% CI) in semen quality parameters associated with a 500 m increase in residential distance to a major roadway was -1.0% (-6.3, 4.5) for semen volume, 4.3% (-5.8, 15.7) for sperm concentration, 3.1% (-7.2, 14.5) for sperm count, 1.1% (-1.2, 3.4) for % total motile sperm, and 0.1% (-0.3, 0.5) for % morphologically normal sperm. Results were consistent when we modeled the semen parameters dichotomized according to WHO 2010 reference values. CONCLUSION Residential distance to major roadways, as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution exposure, was not related to sperm characteristics or serum reproductive hormones among men attending a fertility clinic in Massachusetts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiby L Nassan
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Departments of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Paige L Williams
- Departments of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Departments of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cigdem Tanrikut
- Department of Urology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer B Ford
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ramace Dadd
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Melissa J Perry
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Russ Hauser
- Departments of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Departments of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Audrey J Gaskins
- Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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Reinik J, Irha N, Koroljova A, Meriste T. Use of oil shale ash in road construction: results of follow-up environmental monitoring. Environ Monit Assess 2018; 190:59. [PMID: 29305722 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6421-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Oil shale ash (OSA) was used for road construction in a pristine swamp area in East-Estonia during 2013-2014. OSA was used as a binder both in mass stabilization of soft peat soil and in the upper layer. Use of OSA in civil engineering always raises questions about the environmental safety of such activities. Post-construction environmental monitoring of the pilot section was carried out in 2014 and 2015. The monitoring program involved surface water and soil sampling campaigns. Samples were analyzed for selected constituents and parameters of environmental concern. The paper gives data for assessing the environmental impact and evaluation of potential risks associated with construction of roads using OSA. Leaching of hazardous compounds from the pilot section to surrounding aqueous environment was not observed during the monitoring program. Still, the road construction affected the concentration of sulfates in surrounding surface water. Also, the water-soluble content of barium in surface water correlated significantly with the concentrations of chloride and sulfate ion and electric conductivity of the surface water. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the electric conductivity, concentrations of sulfates, chlorides, and barium in nearby surface water when OSA is used in road construction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janek Reinik
- National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Natalya Irha
- National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Tõnis Meriste
- Estonian Energy SC, Laki 24, 12915, Tallinn, Estonia
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Nimegeer A, Thomson H, Foley L, Hilton S, Crawford F, Ogilvie D. Experiences of connectivity and severance in the wake of a new motorway: Implications for health and well-being. Soc Sci Med 2018; 197:78-86. [PMID: 29222998 PMCID: PMC5777829 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.11.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The construction of new urban roads may cause severance, or the separation of residents from local amenities or social networks. Using qualitative data from a natural experimental study, we examined severance related to a new section of urban motorway constructed through largely deprived residential neighbourhoods in Glasgow, Scotland. Semi-structured and photo-elicitation interviews were used to better understand severance and connectivity related to the new motorway, and specifically implications for individual and community-level health and well-being through active travel and social connections. Rather than a clear severance impact attributable to the motorway, a complex system of connection and severance was spoken about by participants, with the motorway being described by turns as a force for both connection and severance. We conclude that new transport infrastructure is complex, embedded, and plausibly causally related to connectedness and health. Our findings suggest the potential for a novel mechanism through which severance is enacted: the disruptive impacts that a new road may have on third places of social connection locally, even when it does not physically sever them. This supports social theories that urge a move away from conceptualising social connectedness in terms of the local neighbourhood only, towards an understanding of how we live and engage dynamically with services and people in a much wider geographical area, and may have implications for local active travel and health through changes in social connectedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Nimegeer
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB, United Kingdom.
| | - Hilary Thomson
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Foley
- MRC Epidemiology Unit & UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Shona Hilton
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, G2 3QB, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Crawford
- Glasgow Centre for Population Health, Third Floor, Olympia Building, Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, G40 2QH, United Kingdom
| | - David Ogilvie
- MRC Epidemiology Unit & UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
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Olofsson B, Rasul H, Lundmark A. Spread of Water-Borne Pollutants at Traffic Accidents on Roads. Water Air Soil Pollut 2017; 228:323. [PMID: 28845063 PMCID: PMC5554479 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-017-3477-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Traffic accidents sometimes lead to the spread of hazardous compounds to the environment. Accidental spills of hazardous compounds on roads in the vicinity of vulnerable objects such as water supplies pose a serious threat to water quality and have to be assessed. This study compared three different assessment methods, electrical resistivity measurements, analytical flow calculations, and 1D and 2D dynamic flow modeling, to describe rapid transport processes in the road shoulder and roadside verge after a major spill. The infiltration and flow paths of water-borne substances were described during simulated discharge of pollutants on different road types. Full-scale tracer tests using sodium chloride were carried out at nine different road locations in Sweden. Analysis of grain size distribution and infiltrometer tests were carried out at the road shoulder and verges. The pathways and travel times were traced using resistivity measurements and 3D inverse modeling. The resistivity measurements were compared to analytical flow calculations and 1D and 2D dynamic modeling. All measurement sites were highly heterogeneous, which caused preferential flow. Vertical flow velocities of 1.4-8.6 × 10-4 m/s were measured. The results of the analytical calculations and flow modeling were of the same order of magnitude. The measurements showed that almost all infiltration goes directly into the road embankment, hence the composition and structure of the built-up road must be considered. The non-destructive resistivity measurements and 3D modeling provided useful information for clarifying the infiltration and flow pattern of water-borne compounds from road runoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Olofsson
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hedi Rasul
- Division of Land and Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annika Lundmark
- Water Unit, County Administration Board of Jämtland, 831 86 Östersund, Sweden
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Foley L, Prins R, Crawford F, Sahlqvist S, Ogilvie D; M74 study team. Effects of living near a new urban motorway on the travel behaviour of local residents in deprived areas: Evidence from a natural experimental study. Health Place 2017; 43:57-65. [PMID: 27898312 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the effects of a new motorway built through deprived neighbourhoods on travel behaviour in residents. This natural experiment comprised a longitudinal cohort (n=365) and two cross-sectional samples (baseline n=980; follow-up n=978) recruited in 2005 and 2013. Adults from one of three study areas - surrounding the new motorway (South), an existing motorway (East), or no motorway (North) - completed a previous day travel record. Adjusted two-part regression models examined associations between exposure and outcome. Compared to the North, cohort participants in the South were more likely to undertake travel by any mode (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0–4.2) at follow-up. Within the South study area, cohort participants living closer to a motorway junction were more likely to travel by any mode at follow-up (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.1–19.7), and cross-sectional participants living closer were more likely to use a car at follow-up (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.1–10.7), compared to those living further away. Overall, the new motorway appeared to promote travel and car use in those living nearby, but did not influence active travel. This may propagate socioeconomic inequalities in non-car owners.
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28
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Horstmeyer N, Huber M, Drewes JE, Helmreich B. Evaluation of site-specific factors influencing heavy metal contents in the topsoil of vegetated infiltration swales. Sci Total Environ 2016; 560-561:19-28. [PMID: 27093119 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Stormwater runoff of traffic areas is usually polluted by organic and inorganic substances and must be treated prior to discharge into groundwater. One widely used treatment method is infiltrating the runoff over the topsoil of vegetated swales. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors influencing the heavy metal contents in such topsoil layers of vegetated infiltration swales near highways, roads, and parking lots. In total, 262 topsoil samples were taken from 35 sampling sites, which varied in age, traffic volume, road design, driving style, and site-specific conditions. In the evaluation of all soil samples, the median heavy metal values of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc were yielding 0.36 (mean: 1.21) mg/kg DM, 37.0 (mean: 44.5) mg/kg DM, 28.0 (mean: 61.5) mg/kg DM, 27.0 (mean: 71.9) mg/kg DM, and 120 (mean: 257) mg/kg DM, respectively. The main purpose was to evaluate the site-specific data (i.e., surrounding land use characteristics, traffic area site data, and operational characteristics). In general, heavy metal contents increased with increasing traffic volumes. However, other factors also had a notable impact. Factors such as road design (e.g., curves, crossings, and roundabouts) and grade of congestion significantly influenced the heavy metal contents. High heavy metal contents were detected for stop-and-go areas, roundabouts, crossings, and sites with traffic lights, signs, and guardrails. Findings of this study can be used to identify highly polluted traffic areas and to verify or improve standards regarding the treatment of runoff from traffic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Horstmeyer
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Maximilian Huber
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Jörg E Drewes
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Brigitte Helmreich
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Proppe DS, McMillan N, Congdon JV, Sturdy CB. Mitigating road impacts on animals through learning principles. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:19-31. [PMID: 27154629 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Roads are a nearly ubiquitous feature of the developed world, but their presence does not come without consequences. Many mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians suffer high rates of mortality through collision with motor vehicles, while other species treat roads as barriers that reduce gene flow between populations. Road effects extend beyond the pavement, where traffic noise is altering communities of songbirds, insects, and some mammals. Traditional methods of mitigation along roads include the creation of quieter pavement and tires and the construction of physical barriers to reduce sound transmission and movement. While effective, these forms of mitigation are costly and time-consuming. One alternative is the use of learning principles to create or extinguish aversive behaviors in animals living near roads. Classical and operant conditioning are well-documented techniques for altering behavior in response to novel cues and signals. Behavioral ecologists have used conditioning techniques to mitigate human-wildlife conflict challenges, alter predator-prey interactions, and facilitate reintroduction efforts. Yet, these principles have rarely been applied in the context of roads. We suggest that the field of road ecology is ripe with opportunity for experimentation with learning principles. We present tangible ways that learning techniques could be utilized to mitigate negative roadside behaviors, address the importance of evaluating fitness within these contexts, and evaluate the longevity of learned behaviors. This review serves as an invitation for empirical studies that test the effectiveness of learning paradigms as a mitigation tool in the context of roads.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Proppe
- Department of Biology, Calvin College, 3201 Burton St SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546, USA.
| | - N McMillan
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - J V Congdon
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - C B Sturdy
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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30
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Huber M, Welker A, Helmreich B. Critical review of heavy metal pollution of traffic area runoff: Occurrence, influencing factors, and partitioning. Sci Total Environ 2016; 541:895-919. [PMID: 26448594 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A dataset of 294 monitored sites from six continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America) was compiled and evaluated to characterize the occurrence and fate of heavy metals in eight traffic area categories (parking lots, bridges, and three types each of both roads and highways). In addition, site-specific (fixed and climatic) and method-specific (related to sample collection, preparation, and analysis) factors that influence the results of the studies are summarized. These factors should be considered in site descriptions, conducting monitoring programs, and implementing a database for further research. Historical trends for Pb show a sharp decrease during recent decades, and the median total Pb concentrations of the 21st century for North America and Europe are approximately 15 μg/L. No historical trend is detected for Zn. Zn concentrations are very variable in traffic area runoff compared with other heavy metals because of its presence in galvanized structures and crumbs of car tire rubber. Heavy metal runoff concentrations of parking lots differ widely according to their use (e.g., employee, supermarket, rest areas for trucks). Bridge deck runoff can contain high Zn concentrations from safety fences and galvanizing elements. Roads with more than 5000 vehicles per day are often more polluted than highways because of other site-specific factors such as traffic signals. Four relevant heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd) can occur in the dissolved phase. Knowledge of metal partitioning is important to optimize stormwater treatment strategies and prevent toxic effects to organisms in receiving waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Huber
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Antje Welker
- Fachgebiet Siedlungswasserwirtschaft und Hydromechanik, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Nibelungenplatz 1, 60318 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Brigitte Helmreich
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 8, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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31
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Wolf ID, Croft DB. Impacts of tourism hotspots on vegetation communities show a higher potential for self-propagation along roads than hiking trails. J Environ Manage 2014; 143:173-185. [PMID: 24907669 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 01/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation communities along recreational tracks may suffer from substantial edge-effects through the impacts of trampling, modified environmental conditions and competition with species that benefit from disturbance. We assessed impacts on trackside vegetation by comparing high and low usage tourism sites at a 1-10 m distance from recreational tracks in a popular arid-lands tourism destination in South Australia. The central aim was quantification of the strengths and spatial extent of tourism impacts along recreational tracks with a qualitative comparison of roads and trails. Track-distance gradients were most prevalent at high usage sites. There, species community composition was altered, total plant cover decreased, non-native species cover increased, plant diversity increased or decreased (depending on the distance) and soil compaction increased towards recreational tracks. Roadside effects were greater and more pervasive than trailside effects. Further, plant diversity did not continuously increase towards the road verge as it did along trails but dropped sharply in the immediate road shoulder which indicated high disturbance conditions that few species were able to tolerate. To our knowledge, we are the first to demonstrate that the access mode to a recreation site influences the potential of certain impacts, such as the increase of non-native species, to self-perpetuate from their points of introduction to disjointed sites with a predisposition to disturbance. Due to this propulsion of impacts, the overall spatial extent of roadside impacts was far greater than initially apparent from assessments at the road verge. We discuss possible means of mitigating these impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle D Wolf
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - David B Croft
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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32
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Bawah A, Welaga P, Azongo DK, Wak G, Phillips JF, Oduro A. Road traffic fatalities - a neglected epidemic in rural northern Ghana: evidence from the navrongo demographic surveillance system. Inj Epidemiol 2014; 1:22. [PMID: 27747657 PMCID: PMC5106412 DOI: 10.1186/s40621-014-0022-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Globally, road traffic fatalities have been on the increase, particularly in low-and-middle income countries. Much of this is attributed to increases in the acquisition, and use of motorized vehicles. However, there is very little empirical research to understand the causes and determinants of this threat. This paper investigates time trends and determinants of road traffic accidents in the Kassena-Nankana district of northern Ghana. Methods First, we utilized causes of death data gathered by the Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Navrongo, to examine trends in deaths due to injury, particularly those related to road traffic crashes. Subsequently, we employed multivariate logistic regression to examine factors associated with deaths due to all injuries and road traffic crashes among adults 15–59 years of age. Results Results show a three-fold increase in mortality (from less than 6% in 1995 to about 18% in 2010) due to injuries in the Kassena-Nankana district in about a decade. Fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes constitute the greatest share of the burden of mortality resulting from injuries. Increases in road traffic fatalities have coincided with recent increases in motor and vehicular traffic in the region. Several factors are associated with the increased risk of deaths from road traffic accidents, principal among which include urban residence (OR = 1.74 95% CI 1.09-2.78), being male and in the prime adult ages of between 20–29 years old (OR = 4.85 95% CI 2.65-8.89), as well as people with higher levels of education (OR = 3.21 95% CI 1.75-5.87) and those in higher socioeconomic status categories (OR = 2.43 95% CI 1.21-4.88). Conclusions Results suggest that road traffic fatalities have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality and brings into focus the need for measures to curb this looming crisis. There is need for strategic interventions to be adopted to avert what is sure to become one of the leading causes of death in this impoverished locality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaga Bawah
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, 10032, NY, USA.
| | - Paul Welaga
- avrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
| | | | - George Wak
- avrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
| | - James F Phillips
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, 10032, NY, USA
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Wolf ID, Hagenloh G, Croft DB. Vegetation moderates impacts of tourism usage on bird communities along roads and hiking trails. J Environ Manage 2013; 129:224-234. [PMID: 23954389 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2012] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 07/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Bird communities inhabiting ecosystems adjacent to recreational tracks may be adversely affected by disturbance from passing tourism traffic, vehicle-related mortality, habitat alteration and modified biotic relationships such as the increase of strong competitors. This study investigated the effects of tourist usage of roads vs. hiking trails on bird communities in gorges of the Flinders Ranges, a popular South Australian tourist destination in the arid-lands. High tourist usage along roads decreased the individual abundance and species richness of birds relative to low usage trails. The decrease in species richness, though less pronounced, also occurred at high-usage sites along trails. Changes in the species response to recreational disturbance/impacts varied depending on the ecology of the species. Bigger, more competitive birds with a generalist diet were overrepresented at high-usage sites along roads and trails. Species using microhabitats in lower vegetation layers were more sensitive. However, structural and floristic complexity of vegetation was a more important factor influencing bird abundance than tourist usage. Sites with a better developed shrub and tree layer sustained higher species abundance and richer communities. Importantly, vegetation qualities moderated the negative effect of high usage on the individual abundance of birds along roads, to the extent that such an effect was absent at sites with the best developed shrub and tree layer. To protect avifauna along recreational tracks in arid-lands gorges, we recommend the closure of some gorges or sections for vehicle or any access. Further, open space particularly for camping needs to be minimized as it creates areas of high tourist usage with modified habitat that provides birds with little buffer from disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle D Wolf
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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