Environmental Impact of Land Transport
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Transfer inovácií 24/2012 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LAND TRANSPORT Ing. Baryalai Tahzib systems. They are often of higher Ing. Lenka Zvijáková consequence than direct impacts, but the Technical university, Faculty of Civil Engineering, involved relationships are often Department of Environmental Engineering, misunderstood and difficult to establish. Vysokoškolská 4, 042 00 Košice, Slovak republic Cumulative impacts: The additive, e-mail: [email protected] multiplicative or synergetic consequences e-mail: [email protected] of transport activities. They take into account of the varied effects of direct and indirect impacts on an ecosystem, which Abstract are often unpredicted. The development of transport networks The complexities of the problems have led has played an essential role in the economic to much controversy in environmental policy and in development in all countries. Emissions from road the role of transportation. The transportation sector transport vehicles are a major contributor to is often subsidized by the public sector, especially greenhouse gases and are suspected to be linked to through the construction and maintenance of road respiratory problems and diseases. The infrastructure which tend to be free of access. environmental impact of transport is important Sometimes, public stakes in transport modes, because it is a major user of energy, and burns most terminals and infrastructure can be at odd with of the world's petroleum. This creates air pollution environmental issues. If the owner and the regulator and it is a significant contributor to global warming are the same, then there is a risk that regulations through emission of carbon dioxide. Other will not be effectively complied to. It can also lead environmental impacts of transport systems are to another extreme where compliance would lead to traffic congestion, acid rain, smog and climate inefficient transport systems, but which costs are change. This article discusses the environmental subsidized. Total costs incurred by transportation impacts of land transport activities, notably environmental damage, are generally not fully assumed by the users. The lack Key words: Transport, Pollution, Emission, Noise of consideration of the real costs of transportation could explain several environmental problems. Yet, a complex hierarchy of costs is involved, ranging INTRODUCTION from internal, compliance, contingent to external. The issue of transportation and the For instance, external costs account on average for environment is paradoxical in nature. From one more than 30% of the estimated automobile costs. side, transportation activities support increasing If environmental costs are not included in this mobility demands for passengers and freight, and appraisal, the usage of the car is consequently this ranging from urban areas to international trade. subsidized by the society and costs accumulate as On the other side, transport activities have resulted environmental pollution. This requires due in growing levels of motorization and congestion. consideration as the number of vehicles, especially As a result, the transportation sector is becoming automobiles, is steadily increasing. The increasingly linked to environmental problems. relationships between transport and the With a technology relying heavily on the environment are multidimensional. Some aspects combustion of hydrocarbons, notably with the are unknown and some new findings may lead to internal combustion engine, the impacts of drastic changes in environmental policies, as it did transportation over environmental systems has in regards of acid rain and chlorofluorocarbons in increased with motorization. This has reached a the 1970s and 1980s. The 1990s were characterized point where transportation activities are a dominant by a realization of global environmental issues, factor behind the emission of most pollutants and epitomized by the growing concerns between thus their impacts on the environment. These anthropogenic effect and climate change. impacts, like all environmental impacts, can fall Transportation also became an important dimension within three categories: of the concept of sustainability, which is expected Direct impacts: The immediate to become the prime focus of transport activities in consequence of transport activities on the the coming decades, ranging from vehicle environment where the cause and effect emissions to green supply chain management relationship is generally clear and well practices. These impending developments require a understood. deep understanding of the reciprocal influence between the physical environment and transport Indirect impacts: The secondary effects of infrastructures and yet this understanding is often transport activities on environmental 70 Transfer inovácií 24/2012 2012 lacking. The main factors considered in the physical of these gases, particularly nitrous oxide, also environment are geographical location, topography, participate in depleting the stratospheric ozone (O3) geological structure, climate, hydrology, soil, layer which naturally screens the earth’s surface natural vegetation and animal life. The main from ultraviolet radiation. environmental dimensions of transportation are Air quality: Highway vehicles, marine related to the causes, the activities, the outputs and engines, locomotives and aircraft are the sources of the results of transport systems. Establishing pollution in the form of gas and particulate matters environmental policies for transportation thus have emissions that affects air quality causing damage to to take account of the level of contribution and the human health. Toxic air pollutants are associated geographical scale, otherwise some policies may with cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and just move the problems elsewhere and have neurological diseases. Carbon monoxide (CO) unintended consequences. A noted example are when inhale affects bloodstream, reduces the local, regional policies that have forced the availability of oxygen and can be extremely construction of higher chimneys for coal burning harmful to public health. An emission of nitrogen facilities and induced the continental diffusion of dioxide (NO2) from transportation sources reduces acid rain. Thus, even if an administrative division lung function, affects the respiratory immune have adequate environmental enforcement policies, defense system and increases the risk of respiratory the geographical scale of pollutants diffusion problems. The emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) obviously goes beyond established jurisdictions. In and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere form addition to the environmental impacts of the various acidic compounds that when mixed in cloud network, traffic and modes, economic, industrial water creates acid rain. Acid precipitation has processes sustaining the transport system must be detrimental effects on the built environment, considered. These include the production of fuels, reduces agricultural crop yields and causes forest vehicles and construction materials, some of which decline. The reduction of natural visibility by smog are very energy intensive and the disposal of has a number of adverse impacts on the quality of vehicles, parts and infrastructure. They all have a life and the attractiveness of tourist sites. Particulate life cycle timing their production, utilization and emissions in the form of dust emanating from disposal. Thus, the evaluation of the transport- vehicle exhaust as well as from non-exhaust environment link without the consideration of sources such as vehicle and road abrasion have an cycles in the environment and in the product life impact on air quality. The physical and chemical alike is likely to convey a limited overview of the properties of particulates are associated with health situation and may even lead to incorrect appraisal risks such as respiratory problems, skin irritations, and policies [3]. eyes inflammations, blood clotting and various types of allergies. Noise: Noise represents the general effect THE IMPACT OF TRANSPORTATION ON of irregular and chaotic sounds. It is traumatizing THE ENVIRONMENT for the hearing organ and that may affect the quality Transportation activities support of life by its unpleasant and disturbing character. increasing mobility demands for passengers and Long term exposure to noise levels above 75dB freight, notably in urban areas. But transport seriously hampers hearing and affects human activities have resulted in growing levels of physical and psychological wellbeing. Transport motorization and congestion. As a result, the noise emanating from the movement of transport transportation sector is becoming increasingly vehicles and the operations of ports, airports and linked to environmental problems. The most railyards affects human health, through an increase important impacts of transport on the environment in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Increasing relate to climate change, air quality, noise, water noise levels have a negative impact on the urban quality, soil quality, biodiversity and land take: environment reflected in falling land values and Climate change: The activities of the loss of productive land uses. transport industry release several million tons of Water quality: Transport activities have gases each year into the atmosphere. These include an impact on hydrological conditions. Fuel, lead (Pb), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide chemical and other hazardous particulates discarded (CO2; not a pollutant),