Sources of particle number concentration and noise near London Gatwick Airport
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
There is increasing evidence of potential health impacts from both aircraft noise and aircraft-associated ultrafine particles (UFP). Measurements of noise and UFP are however scarce near airports and so their variability and relationship are not well understood. Particle number size distributions and noise levels were measured at two locations near Gatwick airport (UK) in 2018–19 with the aim to characterize particle number concentrations (PNC) and link PNC sources, especially UFP, with noise. Positive Matrix Factorization was used on particle number size distribution to identify these sources. Mean PNC (7500–12,000 p cm−3) were similar to those measured close to a highly trafficked road in central London. Peak PNC (94,000 p cm−3) were highest at the site closer to the runway. The airport source factor contributed 17% to the PNC at both sites and the concentrations were greatest when the respective sites were downwind of the runway. However, the main source of PNC was associated with traffic emissions. At both sites noise levels were above the recommendations by the WHO (World Health Organisation). Regression models of identified UFP sources and noise suggested that the largest source of noise (LAeq-1hr) above background was associated with sources of fresh traffic and urban UFP depending on the site. Noise and UFP correlations were moderate to low suggesting that UFP are unlikely to be an important confounder in epidemiological studies of aircraft noise and health. Correlations between UFP and noise were affected by meteorological factors, which need to be considered in studies of short-term associations between aircraft noise and health.
Date Issued
2022-03-01
Date Acceptance
2022-01-11
Citation
Environment International, 2022, 161
ISSN
0160-4120
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Environment International
Volume
161
Copyright Statement
/© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Sponsor
University Of Leicester
Grant Number
MR/P023673/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Source apportionment
Ultrafine particles
Particle number size distributions
Traffic
Airport emissions
Noise
SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS
SOURCE APPORTIONMENT
ULTRAFINE PARTICLES
AIR-POLLUTION
AIRCRAFT
EMISSIONS
POLLUTANTS
ROCHESTER
SPECTRA
HEALTH
Airport emissions
Noise
Particle number size distributions
Source apportionment
Traffic
Ultrafine particles
Environmental Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 107092
Date Publish Online
2022-01-21