Urban Traffic’s Influence on Noise and Particulate Matter Pollution

Simona Elena Avram (), Lucian Barbu Tudoran, Gheorghe Borodi, Miuta Rafila Filip and Ioan Petean ()
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Simona Elena Avram: Faculty of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 103–105 Muncii Bd., 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Lucian Barbu Tudoran: Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, 44 Gheorghe Bilaşcu Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Gheorghe Borodi: National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Miuta Rafila Filip: Raluca Ripan Institute for Research in Chemistry, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ioan Petean: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, 11 Arany Janos Street, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-24

Abstract: Noise level and atmospheric pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) and combustion gases depend on car traffic. A highly circulated area in Cluj-Napoca City (Romania) was investigated based on sustainable principles. The noise level at the source was about 77 dB due to intense traffic of 214 units/10 min including cars, buses, trucks and pedestrians. It decreased slowly to 62 dB in the proximity of the first wall from the roadside (20 m distance) and significantly to about 50 dB beyond the buildings near the road (135 m from the source). The noise level was correlated with a high pollutant emission at the source: 25 µg/m 3 (PM 2.5 ), 45 µg/m 3 (PM 10 ) and 1.023 µg/m 3 (total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs)). The PM 10 level decreased to 38 µg/m 3 , while PM 2.5 remained at a high level at 22 µg/m 3 and TVOC slightly decreased to 0.974 µg/m 3 at the distance of 10 m from the road. The PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels decreased significantly to 5 µg/m 3 (PM 10 ) and 18 µg/m 3 (PM 2.5 ) at a distance of 135 m from the road, and the TVOC level also decreased significantly to about 0.705 µg/m 3 . The PM crystalline structure was investigated by XRD coupled with mineralogical microscopy. Microstructure and elemental composition were assessed via high-resolution SEM coupled with EDS spectroscopy. It was found that PM 2.5 was dominated by the finest clay fraction (e.g., kaolinite and muscovite), while PM 10 was dominated by quartz and calcite. A large amount of organic matter was found adsorbed onto the finest particles by FTIR spectroscopy. The correlation between PM emissions and sound intensity indicates that intense noise extended for a long time facilitates the ultra-structural PM fraction sustentation into the atmosphere. A large number of clay nanoparticles (kaolinite 40 nm and muscovite 60 nm) were detected by AFM in the samples collected at the noise source, becoming sparser at a distance of 135 m from the source.

Keywords: urban traffic; noise; PM; atmosphere pollution; XRD; FTIR; SEM-EDX; AFM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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