Efficacy of Recent Emissions Controls on Road Vehicles in Europe and Implications for Public Health

Harrison, Roy M.; Beddows, David C. S. · 2017 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01135-2

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Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of recent European vehicle emission regulations, specifically the Euro standards and the mandatory introduction of diesel particle filters (DPFs), on urban air quality and public health. While previous research focused heavily on particulate matter (PM), this paper investigates whether these controls have adequately reduced nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM2.5, which remain significant health hazards. The authors aim to determine the relative impact of these pollutants on premature mortality and assess whether regulatory tightening has translated into real-world emission reductions. The researchers analyzed ambient air quality data from paired roadside and background monitoring sites in London, Glasgow, and France (Paris) to isolate the incremental pollution caused by road traffic. This paired-site method allows for the attribution of concentration changes specifically to vehicle emissions rather than other sources. The study examined trends in PM10, PM2.5, elemental carbon, organic carbon, particle number counts, and nitrogen oxides (NOx/NO2) from 1995 to 2015. Additionally, the authors utilized WHO HRAPIE hazard ratios and UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory data to estimate the relative public health impacts of NO2 versus PM2.5 and to identify the primary fuel sources of these emissions. The results indicate a significant divergence in the efficacy of controls for different pollutants. PM2.5 concentrations and particle number counts declined substantially, with roadside increments in London dropping by 37.5% and 48.3%, respectively, between 2010–2011 and 2015. This reduction is attributed to the widespread adoption of DPFs. In contrast, nitrogen dioxide levels showed no improvement; incremental NO2 concentrations in London actually increased slightly after peaking in 2008, despite an 84% reduction in type-approval limits for NOx emissions since 2000. The study further reveals that diesel vehicles are responsible for 97% of PM2.5 and 90% of NOx exhaust emissions from road traffic in UK urban areas. The authors conclude that the public health impact of traffic-derived NO2 far exceeds that of PM2.5. Using hazard ratios and concentration data, they estimate that the premature mortality impact of NO2 from road traffic was nearly ten times greater than that of PM2.5 in 2010/11 and more than twenty times greater by 2015. Consequently, the paper argues that current regulatory frameworks are insufficient for controlling NOx emissions in real-world driving conditions. The findings emphasize an urgent need for stricter controls on diesel vehicles, either by reducing diesel traffic volume or ensuring new vehicles emit significantly less NOx, as the current fleet remains the dominant source of this high-impact pollutant.

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