Estimating the effect of roadside barriers in reducing PMs concentration with PALM - 4U

Air pollution from traffic is one of the leading causes of disease and premature death, potentially affecting all human body organs, depending on exposure to polluting sources. Among the main harmful agents to human health are fine particulate materials (PMs), such as PM 10 μm, PM 2.5 μm, and PM 1 μm. The finest particulates, like PM 2.5 μm and PM 1 μm, are easily inhaled, causing respiratory problems such as irritation in the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing, worsening asthma, developing chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, non-fatal heart attacks, premature death in people with heart disease, decreased lung function, contributing to the developing lung cancer. 

In addition, transported by the wind and then deposited in soil or water, the fine particulate contributes to the alteration of their acidity and nutrients, causing damage to forests and agricultural plantations. 

The present study investigates the ability of non-porous (concrete, glass) and porous (vegetation) barriers to attenuate the dispersion of fine particulate from roadway traffic. Large Eddy Simulations combined with observational data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the different barriers in reducing the particulate concentration downwind from the roadway. Different types of barriers, different distances between the road and the barrier, and different barrier heights are simulated with PALM - 4U. The simulated concentration fields are compared to the Marche Region (Italy) measurements.