Modeling of PM10 Pollution Range of Meybod-Ardakan and Ardakan-Nain Highways and Health Risk Assessment of Surrounding Residents Using IVE and AERMOD Models

Background & objectives:

Air pollution is considered as an ultrastructural element in urban transportation systems and as an important indicator of human health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the PM10 pollution range of two main highways of Ardakan city and determine the contribution of these highways in health risk of their surrounding residents due to exposure to these pollutants by modeling methods.

This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted on two highways of Meybod Ardakan and Ardakan Nain. IVE and AERMOD models were used for estimation of emission rate of PM10 in four seasons of the year, and also dispersion and exposure rates to PM10.The information required to run the models was collected by observational statistics, information from the police research center and the meteorological research center of Yazd province. By identifying six PM10 exposure groups in the pollution range of these two highways, health risk assessment was performed using the proposed USEPA relationships.

In four seasons of the year, the mean and maximum concentration of PM10 of Meybod Ardakan highway were predicted more than Ardakan Nain highway. Although the minimum dispersion concentration of PM10 of Ardakan Nain Highway was lower than that of Meybod Ardakan, the pollutant limit of this highway (1, 24 hours and annually) was more predicted. Among the six groups exposed to PM10 in all time intervals, the highest exposure rate was belonged to Ardakan Nain road police station and the least to residents of Torkabad Village (1 hour) and Shahid Paydar Park (8, 24 hours and annually). Cancer and non-cancerous risk exposure to PM10 was estimated in acceptable range in all age groups and categories.

With the modeling method used, the contribution of the two investigated highways in predicting the health risk of surrounding residents was within the acceptable range.