Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones
Vehicle emissions are a major source of pollution in urban communities and idling may contribute up to 34% or more to local air pollution levels. Reduced idling has been found to be an effective policy tool for improving air quality, especially around schools, where it may also improve outcomes for...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/5/706 |
| _version_ | 1797501655757881344 |
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| author | Daniel L. Mendoza Tabitha M. Benney Ryan Bares Benjamin Fasoli Corbin Anderson Shawn A. Gonzales Erik T. Crosman Madelyn Bayles Rachel T. Forrest John R. Contreras Sebastian Hoch |
| author_facet | Daniel L. Mendoza Tabitha M. Benney Ryan Bares Benjamin Fasoli Corbin Anderson Shawn A. Gonzales Erik T. Crosman Madelyn Bayles Rachel T. Forrest John R. Contreras Sebastian Hoch |
| author_sort | Daniel L. Mendoza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vehicle emissions are a major source of pollution in urban communities and idling may contribute up to 34% or more to local air pollution levels. Reduced idling has been found to be an effective policy tool for improving air quality, especially around schools, where it may also improve outcomes for asthmatic children. We studied two anti-idling campaigns in Salt Lake County, Utah to understand if reduced engine idling leads to behavioral change and subsequent reduction in traffic-related air pollution exposure of the related school. We found a 38% decrease in idling time following an anti-idling campaign and an 11% decrease in the number of vehicles idling at the school drop-off zones. The air quality measurements showed improvement in the middle of the campaign, but seasonal variability as well as atmospheric inversion events had substantial effects on overall ambient pollutant concentrations. This study provides an encouraging starting point to develop more effective anti-idling campaigns to protect the health of children, school staff, and the surrounding community. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:21:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9fa9ef73feb74467b4631b9d75e12982 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:21:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-9fa9ef73feb74467b4631b9d75e129822023-11-23T10:01:33ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-04-0113570610.3390/atmos13050706Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off ZonesDaniel L. Mendoza0Tabitha M. Benney1Ryan Bares2Benjamin Fasoli3Corbin Anderson4Shawn A. Gonzales5Erik T. Crosman6Madelyn Bayles7Rachel T. Forrest8John R. Contreras9Sebastian Hoch10Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E, Room 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USADepartment of Political Science, University of Utah, 260 S Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USAUtah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality, 195 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, USADepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E, Room 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USASalt Lake County Health Department, Air Quality Bureau, Environmental Health Division, 788 E Woodoak Lane, Murray, UT 84107, USASalt Lake County Health Department, Air Quality Bureau, Environmental Health Division, 788 E Woodoak Lane, Murray, UT 84107, USADepartment of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Natural Sciences Building 324, Canyon, TX 79016, USAPublic Health Program, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Westminster College, 1840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, USAPublic Health Program, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Westminster College, 1840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, USAPublic Health Program, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Westminster College, 1840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, USADepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E, Room 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USAVehicle emissions are a major source of pollution in urban communities and idling may contribute up to 34% or more to local air pollution levels. Reduced idling has been found to be an effective policy tool for improving air quality, especially around schools, where it may also improve outcomes for asthmatic children. We studied two anti-idling campaigns in Salt Lake County, Utah to understand if reduced engine idling leads to behavioral change and subsequent reduction in traffic-related air pollution exposure of the related school. We found a 38% decrease in idling time following an anti-idling campaign and an 11% decrease in the number of vehicles idling at the school drop-off zones. The air quality measurements showed improvement in the middle of the campaign, but seasonal variability as well as atmospheric inversion events had substantial effects on overall ambient pollutant concentrations. This study provides an encouraging starting point to develop more effective anti-idling campaigns to protect the health of children, school staff, and the surrounding community.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/5/706schoolsidlingair pollutionfine particulate matternitrogen oxidesozone |
| spellingShingle | Daniel L. Mendoza Tabitha M. Benney Ryan Bares Benjamin Fasoli Corbin Anderson Shawn A. Gonzales Erik T. Crosman Madelyn Bayles Rachel T. Forrest John R. Contreras Sebastian Hoch Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones Atmosphere schools idling air pollution fine particulate matter nitrogen oxides ozone |
| title | Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones |
| title_full | Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones |
| title_fullStr | Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones |
| title_full_unstemmed | Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones |
| title_short | Air Quality and Behavioral Impacts of Anti-Idling Campaigns in School Drop-Off Zones |
| title_sort | air quality and behavioral impacts of anti idling campaigns in school drop off zones |
| topic | schools idling air pollution fine particulate matter nitrogen oxides ozone |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/5/706 |
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