Review: Road Transport as the Key Source of Environmental Pollution in Cities, and the Associated Human Health Risks

Abstract

Road transport is a necessary attribute of urban environment. Fuel vehicles emit a great variety of pollutants, transform the environment and pose human health risks. This problem is highly recognized in the EU and US, while it is out of sufficient attention in other countries.
This review article highlights road traffic as the key source of environmental pollution in cities and the associated adverse effects on human health. This problem is reviewed in details and possible solutions related traffic management, fuel quality increase and roadside territories design are described.
This article is written for educational purposes to direct the attention of academia, government and businesses to road traffic as the key source of environmental pollution in the urban environment. It is especially useful for urbanists considering the negative effects of motor vehicles for human well-being in sustainable city planning.