Car and Health

TML clarifies the link between car - mobility and pollution by fine particles

TML wrote a report that served as input for a public consultation around the topic 'My car, our health'. The employer, the viWTA ('Vlaams instituut voor Wetenschappelijk en Technologisch Aspectenonderzoek' linked to the Flemish Parliament), chose fine particles emissions as a starting point for the report. Fine particles link clearly car, traffic and our health.

Through this report, TML makes its expertise about traffic and fine particles accessible to the general public. The Department of Pneumology of the Group Biomedical Sciences at the K U Leuven was consulted for describing the health consequences.

A few key points from the report:

• Fine particles (PM) diminish the life of Flemish people with three years
• Traffic is responsible for one third of the fine particles emissions
• A lot of fine particles come to us from the neighbouring countries, while Flemish particle matter is blown abroad. Depending on the location and weather circumstances, 5% to 30% of the fine particles comes from traffic in Flanders
• If all European diesel cars would be replaced by diesel cars with a particulate filter, the Flemish air would contain 10% less fine particles
• There is a growing importance of non-exhaust emissions from the wear and tear of roads, tires and brakes.

TML participated in the first Flemish public consultation, organized by viWTA, on May 24 at the Flemish Parliament.
224 Flemish people debated a whole day about specific policy measures to reduce the fine particle emissions of traffic. They changed and improved the proposed measures in groups of 10 persons. During the process, they could consult three experts for technical explanations or questions: Frans Fierens of VMM, Tania Van Mierlo of LNE and Bruno Van Zeebroeck of TML.
The discussion was based upon the simplified and shortened version of the TML report "Car and Health" (in Dutch)

reports

Press release of March 12, 2008 (Dutch)

Download the final report here (pdf, in Dutch).

period

2007-2008

funded by

viWTA

researchers

Bruno Van Zeebroeck

partners

Department of Pneumology of the group Biomedical Sciences at the KU Leuven

contact

Griet De Ceuster

+32 16 31.77.30
reference: 07.21