Air pollutants on UK pavements generated by diesel cars could be slashed by a third if car exhausts were positioned on the right, according to new research.
University of York researchers recently conducted a study into air pollution exposure among pavement users in urban environments.
They analysed which factors – such as the amount of exhaust from vehicles, what’s contained in that exhaust, and how it moves through the air – influence near-road traffic-related air pollution (TRAP).
Using advanced ‘plume regression techniques’, they modelled concentrations of pollutants, especially nitrogen oxides (NOx), under different conditions.
The researchers made an interesting discovery relating to the exhaust pipe position: diesel cars with left-sided exhaust pipes released 40% higher pollution concentrations than right-sided exhausts.
In the UK, where vehicles drive on the left side of the road, exhausts are typically positioned on the right, the side furthest from the pavement or kerbside.
However...