A new study conducted by the University of Toronto suggests 90 per cent of the pollutants in the air could be coming from just 25 per cent of cars on the road.
The study, led by U of T chemical engineer Greg Evans, collected data using air probes set up on College Street in Toronto. These devices took measurements from roughly 100,000 passing cars, determining that most of the emissions and pollutants came from just a quarter of the vehicles.
In a press release (hat tip to Autofocus), the University of Toronto explained 25 per cent of the vehicles it took measurements from produced 95 per cent of black carbon, also known as soot, as well as 93 per cent of carbon monoxide and 76 per cent of “volatile organic compounds,” an umbrella term that includes pollutants and carcinogens such as toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes.
While a number of other factors contribute to the amount of emissions cars produce, such as driving style and heavy acceleration, the researchers pointed out all of the pollutants came from older and so-called “badly tuned” vehicles.
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Along with his findings, Evans also collaborated with Environment Canada, determining how far people had to live from a major roadway to be unaffected by pollution.
“We used to think that living near a major road meant that you lived near a lot of air pollution,” he said in the press release. “But what we’re finding is that it’s not that simple. Someone living right on a major road in the suburbs may not be exposed to as much pollution as someone living downtown or on a side street near many major roads.”
The study determined that if someone lived near a handful of major roads, they could be exposed to as many as 10 times more pollutants than those who didn’t live near major roads. In fact, as much as half of Torontonians – and one in three Canadians – live within 250 metres of a major road or highway.
In the past, experts said one would have to live anywhere between 100 and 250 metres from a road in order to be affected by poor air quality, but after taking measurements near Highway 400 just north of Toronto, the study determined “concentrations of pollutants from traffic are still double at a distance of 280 metres.”
