Despite the decline in the levels of many air pollutants due to the existing policies, air pollution remains associated with millions of premature deaths worldwide, including in Europe. A significant portion of the global urban population, including Europeans, has lived in areas with consistently unhealthy levels of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide.
Transportation plays a crucial role in the global distribution of food, materials, energy, and more. However, all transport sectors are substantial emitters of gaseous and particulate air pollutants. The influence of transport sectors on harmful ambient PM2.5 is not well understood, necessitating improved scientific understanding and evidence to justify policies and develop tools for policy implementation. This requires extensive emissions studies under real-world conditions, far beyond those used for the current emission standards. Additionally, emerging non-exhaust emissions (e.g. brake wear and tire microplastics) present new challenges.
The previous assumption that primary organic aerosol (POA) emissions are chemically inert has dramatically changed in the last decade. Evidence shows that both gases and particles continuously react in the atmosphere, creating complex chemical mixtures that are just beginning to be analyzed with new analytical tools. Furthermore, it is now clear that large fractions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), inorganic secondary aerosol precursors, as well as secondary aerosol formation from those have been neglected in most past emission studies and consequently are not explicitly included in the current emission inventories.
This session invites interdisciplinary contributions (experimental and/or theoretical) ranging from characterization of emissions related to various types of transport, including emerging non-exhaust emissions (e.g. microplastics), to their atmospheric transformations, and potential impacts on climate and health. Contributions will span from fundamental studies to real-world evaluation and mitigation of transport emissions, aiming for a better description of air quality in different regions, particularly in high-impact zones.