Detection of microplastics in soil samples from the area of traffic route

<p>At the end of the 1940s, mass production of plastics began. Since then, due to the very wide range of applications, a steady increase in their production has been observed. Anthropogenic activities have a significant impact on the natural environment. In this case, despite the knowledge of the problem, as early as the early 1970s, the harmful consequences continued to increase, and even if stopped immediately, their effects would last for centuries. In 2018, global production of plastics reached almost 360 million tonnes. The diverse use of plastics and low production costs mean that there are no other environmentally friendly alternatives that could replace them on a large scale. Therefore, it can be assumed that their production will continue to grow dynamically. The main hazard posed by the production of plastics is microplastic. These are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. Research on microplastics in the environment is based mainly on diagnosing the problem in sea waters. Its concentration in soils is underestimated. The microparticles of plastics contained in the soil influence not only its structure or the ability to retain water, but also the organisms living in it. In the experiment, soil samples from the vicinity of a busy road in the city of Krakow, Poland, were examined. First, the samples were separated by density, and then the organic material was digested. The separated microplastics were analyzed both in terms of quantity and quality. Tests were carried out under the FTIR microscope, using the sensitive DRIFT method, and in the case of larger fragments, using ATR-FTIR. The results indicated the presence of a large fraction of microplastics, most often from tire abrasion.</p>

Evaluation of Freeway Travel Speed Estimation Using Anonymous Cellphones as Probes: A Field Study in China

The high penetration rate of mobile phones among drivers and passengers indicates an opportunity for obtaining detailed information on vehicle spatial movement and estimating traffic state at a lower cost than traditional traffic monitoring techniques. In this study, we examine and assess the use of cellphones as probes to measure vehicle speeds. Network-based wireless location technology is adopted and calibrated, and the cellphone signalling data is used for traffic state estimation. Then, we introduce the relationship between the cellular network and road network, and explain how it can be used to estimate link-based average travel speed. Cellular probe-based measurements are compared with those obtained by microwave detectors for each five-minute time interval on busy road links along a freeway in Zhejiang, China, on weekdays, weekends, and holidays respectively. The analysis results show that the proposed cellphone-based system can effectively estimate travel speed on freeways with high cellphone penetration rates.

Stationary and mobile particulate matter concentration measurement in Miskolc

A stationary and mobile device based on a low-cost dust sensor (Plantower PMS7003) was used to study particulate matter (PM) concentration in Miskolc. The stationary device was placed at the automatic monitoring station of the National Air Quality Measurement Network (OLM) in Martintelep, Miskolc. The mobile device was used to walk 4 streets along a square route with a total length of 800 m. Measurements were made on two days (September 9 and 11) between 7am and 9am, which according to preliminary experience coincided with the morning rush hour. The access route includes the OLM monitoring station, a busy road, two bypasses, a parking lot, and a smaller roadway blocked by traffic. The measured PM1, PM2.5, PM10 concentrations of the mobile device were interpolated on a circuit-by-circuit basis in ArcGIS, and conclusions were drawn for the area. The concentration of stationary and mobile devices was compared.

Walking Green: Developing an Evidence Base for Nature Prescriptions

Although the health benefits of exercise and exposure to nature are well established, most evidence of their interaction comes from acute observations of single sessions of activity. However, documenting improved health outcomes requires ongoing interventions, measurement of multiple outcomes, and longitudinal analyses. We conducted a pilot study to guide the development of a protocol for future longitudinal studies that would assess multiple physiological and psychological outcomes. Herein, we report psychological outcomes measured from thirty-eight participants before and after three conditions: a 50 min walk on a forest path, a 50 min walk along a busy road, and a period of activities of daily living. Changes in positive and negative affect, anxiety, perceived stress, and working memory are reported. We benchmark these results to existing studies that used similar protocols and also identify elements of the protocol that might impair recruitment or retention of subjects in longer-term studies. Linear mixed-models regression revealed that walking improved psychological state when compared to activities of daily living, regardless of walk environment (p < 0.05). Comparison of mean differences showed that forest walks yielded the largest and most consistent improvements in psychological state. Thus, despite a protocol that required a 3.5 h time commitment per laboratory visit, the beneficial effects of walking and exposure to a forested environment were observed.

Acute Effects of Air Pollution and Noise from Road Traffic in a Panel of Young Healthy Adults

Panel studies are an efficient means to assess short-term effects of air pollution and other time-varying environmental exposures. Repeated examinations of volunteers allow for an in-depth analysis of physiological responses supporting the biological interpretation of environmental impacts. Twenty-four healthy students walked for 1 h at a minimum of four separate occasions under each of the following four settings: along a busy road, along a busy road wearing ear plugs, in a park, and in a park but exposed to traffic noise (65 dB) through headphones. Particle mass (PM2.5, PM1), particle number, and noise levels were measured throughout each walk. Lung function and exhaled nitrogen oxide (NO) were measured before, immediately after, 1 h after, and approximately 24 h after each walk. Blood pressure and heart rate variability were measured every 15 min during each walk. Recorded air pollution levels were found to correlate with reduced lung function. The effects were clearly significant for end-expiratory flows and remained visible up to 24 h after exposure. While immediate increases in airway resistance could be interpreted as protective (muscular) responses to particulate air pollution, the persisting effects indicate an induced inflammatory reaction. Noise levels reduced systolic blood pressure and heart rate variability. Maybe due to the small sample size, no effects were visible per specific setting (road vs. park).