California Air Resources Board

Many people are affected by the effects of traffic. Studies that have been done and are ongoing that involve some sort of measurement of the possible exposure to air pollution from traffic on major roads are below. 

Status of Research on Potential Mitigation Concepts to Reduce Exposure to Nearby Traffic Pollution

This review provides information on scientific research that has been conducted on various building-related and site mitigation concepts suggested as potentially effective approaches for reducing the traffic-related exposures of those living near high traffic roadways.

Asthma Disparity Among Californians

This study will use CHIS (California Health Interview Survey) 2003 data to examine air pollution exposure impacts on approximately 54,500 Californians, including 12,500 children. It will determine whether asthma or asthma-like symptoms among low socio-economic status individuals are associated with greater pollutant exposures, greater vulnerabilities, or both, compared to the general population.

East Bay Kids

This study was conducted as a school-based, cross-sectional study in Alameda County in 2001, and recruited a total of 1,109 students between 3rd and 5th grades. The study area was comprised of ten neighborhoods. School sites were selected to represent a range of locations upwind and downwind from major roads.

Extended Analyses of Air Pollution and Cardiopulmonary Disease in the California Teachers Cohort

This augmentation of the “Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in the California Teachers Study Cohort,” will extend these analyses by examining several unanswered questions such as susceptible subgroups, critical time windows of PM exposure to specific disease categories, effects in never-smokers, specific cardiovascular causes of death, and others. This proposed augmentation will be important for the next review of ambient air quality standards for PM, and possibly for several gases, in California and at the federal level.

Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (LA FANS)

The objectives of this study are to conduct NO_x and NO₂ monitoring at 200 locations within the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey study domain for the development of the land use-based regression model for the Los Angeles county area. The findings from this study would help inform policy decisions on motor vehicle emissions control and asthma prevention/control in low socioeconomic status populations. They would also help in the development of air pollution exposure models that could be used in future epidemiological studies in L.A. County focused on different age groups and different adverse health outcomes.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Air Pollution and Death

This study will derive assessments of the health effects from particulate and gaseous air pollution on all-cause and cause-specific death in California based on the American Cancer Society cohort. The investigators will examine whether specific particle characteristics are associated with larger health effects to different particle constituents and sources of exposure; and will determine how critical time, duration, and level of air pollution exposure are in contributing to death in California. (Jarrett, et all)

In-Vehicle and Mobile Monitoring Study

Study conducted in an EV on the two major freeways in Los Angles, the 710 and the 415, to quantify the possible exposure metrics involved with freeway driving exposure.

Harbor Communities Monitoring Study

The goal of the Project is to develop improved tools for measuring pollutant concentrations in the air and detecting areas where concentrations of these pollutants are high.

School Bus Exposure Study

Study conducted inside of an active school bus to diagnose the effects of traffic air pollution and bus "self pollution" to the occupants of the school bus.

Concentration and Size Distribution of Ultrafine Particles Near a Major Highway

Study done by USC (Sioutas, et all) quantifying the particulate air pollution amounts near the freeway traffic and the dissipation of the particulate air pollution to ambient levels due to distance from the freeway traffic. AWMA - Sept 2002, Vol 52, No. 9, 1032

Cardiovascular Health Effects of Fine and ultrafine Particles During Freeway Travel

The purpose of this study is to investigate possible links between exposures to freeway-related ultrafine and fine particles and cardiovascular effects through controlled, on-road exposures of human volunteer subjects. This study continuously monitors measures of cardiovascular health and in-vehicle measurements of fine and ultrafine particles and gas phase pollutants before, during, and after 2-hour exposures of freeway driving. The results will aid CARB in evaluating the importance of motor vehicle related ultrafine particles on cardiovascular health.