Transport and Health Risks of Transport

The increasing amount of gases and solid pollutants emitted into the atmosphere have a considerable impact on human health and environmental ecosystems. Specifically, long exposure to high concentrantions of pollutants may lead to a shortening of life by several years due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and contributes to increased risk of death. Recent studies also indicate cancer occurrences related to some pollutants, namely PM, that are hazardous not only due to their physical parameters, but mainly due to their content of many dangerous organic compounds, such as hydrocarbons, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and their derivates, and inorganic compounds, such as Pb, Pt, Cd, As, Cu, Zn, and others, nitrates, ammonia ions, sulphates, etc.