How VOC Emissions by Asphalt Pavements under Service Conditions Impact Air Quality in Cities?
- 1IMT Nord Europe, Institut Mines-Télécom, Univ. Lille, Centre for Energy and Environment, F-59000 Lille, France
- 2IMT Nord Europe, Institut Mines-Télécom, Univ. Lille, Centre for Materials and Processes, F-59000 Lille, France
- 3rdscientific, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 6LH, UK
Outdoor air pollution is the fourth cause of death worldwide, linked to around 4.2 million deaths per year. Air pollution is more severe in urban environments of cities/megacities, due to the high population density and intense anthropogenic activities. More than 50% of global population lives currently in urban areas,1 and a projected 70% is anticipated by 2050,2 even reaching 84% of the population in the EU.3
Around 40% of urban areas are covered by asphalt pavements, a fraction that keeps increasing with urbanization.4,5 Asphalt is a petroleum byproduct composed of a large number of organic species 6-8 capable of emitting a wide variety of organic compounds. Although emission of pollutants by asphalt mixtures have been investigated at deposition temperatures (120-160°C), data at service temperatures (i.e., atmospheric relevant conditions) are lacking.
Among atmospheric pollutants, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) play a key role in urban atmospheres, as efficient ozone (O3) and Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) precursors. In the present work, we characterize and quantify VOC emissions by fresh and aged asphalt surfaces as a function of temperature. Experiments were performed inside a Teflon atmospheric simulation chamber coupled with PTR-ToF-MS, and GC-MS/FID for VOC speciation and quantification. We observe that at atmospheric relevant temperatures, asphalt surfaces significantly contribute to urban pollution, and therefore urgently need to be included in emission inventories, and in air quality models. Emissions are shown to be key in terms of ozone and SOA formation potential in urban areas to account for observations of urban air pollution.
References
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How to cite: Romanias, M. N., Lasne, J., Lostier, A., Vassaux, S., Lesueur, D., Gaudion, V., Jamar, M., Derwent, R., Dusanter, S., and Salameh, T.: How VOC Emissions by Asphalt Pavements under Service Conditions Impact Air Quality in Cities?, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17283, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17283, 2023.
