Bicyclists' Uptake of Traffic-Related Air Pollution
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Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Fall 10-27-2014 Bicyclists' Uptake of Traffic-Related Airollution: P Effects of the Urban Transportation System Alexander Y. Bigazzi Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, and the Sports Studies Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Bigazzi, Alexander Y., "Bicyclists' Uptake of Traffic-Related Airollution: P Effects of the Urban Transportation System" (2014). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 2064. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2063 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Bicyclists’ Uptake of Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Effects of the Urban Transportation System by Alexander York Bigazzi A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering Dissertation Committee: Miguel Figliozzi, Chair Robert Bertini James Pankow Jennifer Dill Portland State University 2014 © 2014 Alexander York Bigazzi Abstract While bicyclists and other active travelers obtain health benefits from increased physical activity, they also risk uptake of traffic-related air pollution. But pollution uptake by urban bicyclists is not well understood due to a lack of direct measurements and insufficient analysis of the determinants of exposure and ventilation (breathing). This knowledge gap impedes pollution-conscious transportation planning, design, and health impact assessment. The research presented in this dissertation generates new connections between transportation system characteristics and pollution uptake by bicyclists. The primary research questions are: 1) how do urban bicyclists’ intake and uptake of air pollution vary with roadway and travel characteristics and 2) to what extent can transportation-related strategies reduce uptake. Breath biomarkers are used to measure absorbed doses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This research is the first application of breath biomarkers to travelers and the first uptake measurements of any pollutant to include roadway-level covariates. Novel methods to collect and integrate bicycle, rider, traffic, and environmental data are also introduced. Bicyclist exposure concentrations, exhaled breath concentrations, respiratory physiology, and travel characteristics were collected on a wide range of facilities in Portland, Oregon. High-resolution trajectory and pollution data were then integrated with roadway and traffic data. Models of exposure, ventilation, and uptake of VOCs were estimated from the on-road data. Important new quantifications in the models include the i effects of average daily traffic (ADT) on multi-pollutant exposure, the lagged effect of on-road workload on ventilation, and the effects of exposure and ventilation on absorbed VOCs. Estimated models are applied to situations of interest to travelers and transportation professionals. Sample applications include the inhalation dose effects of road grade, cruising speed choice, stops, and detouring to parallel low-traffic facilities. In addition, dose-minimizing routing behavior is compared with revealed routing preferences in the literature. Finally, findings from this research and the literature are distilled so that they can be incorporated into bicycle network design guidelines. ii Acknowledgments The research described in this dissertation was supported by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), Portland Metro, and the City of Portland (through a research grant with principal investigator Jim Pankow and co-investigator Miguel Figliozzi). In addition, my doctoral research was supported by fellowships from the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant No. DGE-1057604) and NITC. The gas sample collection and analysis were masterminded by Jim Pankow and his team of Wentai Luo and the late Lorne Isabelle. I performed gas analysis tasks under their direction, but the VOC measurements were dependent on their knowledge and expertise. It was also Jim’s expertise that led to the idea of using breath analysis as a biomarker of exposure – something I had never considered before undertaking this dissertation topic. Completion of this dissertation was absolutely reliant on the support of many people in both my professional and private lives. Miguel Figliozzi advised me for five years, through both my master’s and doctoral degrees. He was supportive and patient with me as I explored new topics such as respiratory physiology, and helped me to always bring my investigations back to the transportation engineering context. Robert Bertini, my previous advisor, launched my career in transportation research. He taught me about the science and profession of transportation engineering, in addition to broader skills about how to be a scholar and professional. Jim Pankow had the unenviable task of mentoring a transportation engineering student with little background in chemistry or exposure science through a research project full of chemistry and exposure science (a task which was, frankly, beneath his stature – and yet he never complained more than the iii occasional eye roll). Jim also tried to teach me how to write concisely, accurately, and intelligibly – though I never seemed to achieve more than two of those three objectives. Jennifer Dill graciously agreed to bring her expertise in bicycle transportation and planning to my committee and provided crucial context for the analysis work. Dr. Dill also provided me with valuable and insightful career advice as I prepared to leave school. In my time at PSU I also had the good fortune to work with Kelly Clifton and Chris Monsere, and I greatly appreciate all I learned from them. I would also like to thank the late Wendelin Mueller, my first research advisor (as an undergraduate in the structural engineering research lab). Dr. Mueller planted the idea of a Ph.D. in my head – something which seemed preposterous at the time. I have also had the support of a vibrant and collaborative peer group of graduate students at PSU. Christine Kendrick and Adam Moore helped me work through many roadblocks in the air quality arena, and the students in the ITS Lab have always been a stimulating lot. I’d like to especially thank the PhT group, which was a fantastic forum for exchange of ideas, insights, gripes, and pitchers. Kristi Currans also did her part to help organize a seemingly endless string of happy hours with which to rehydrate between chapters. Lastly but not leastly, the real hero of the story is Jade Koide, who always encouraged me to work less and go do something fun – providing a balance without which the whole thing would feel almost pointless. Jade is an inspiration and treasure. She had some help in her work from my wonderful family and my fantastic group of friends in Portland, to whom I owe much. In fact, without the broader bicycling community in Portland, I believe none of this would have happened – so keep on riding! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................1 2 Context .........................................................................................................................2 3 Motivation ....................................................................................................................5 4 Objective & Research Questions ..................................................................................7 5 Framework and Scope ..................................................................................................8 6 Methodology Overview ..............................................................................................10 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................11 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................11 2 Literature Search Methodology ..................................................................................12 3 Bicyclists’ Air Pollution Exposure Concentrations ....................................................14 4 Bicyclists’ Air Pollution Intake ..................................................................................23 5 Bicyclists’ Air Pollution Uptake ................................................................................33 6 Health Effects of Bicyclists’ Air Pollution Uptake ....................................................38