Photo credit: Pixabay
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Science Daily recently reported on research done at George Washington University’s Milken School of Public Health. Using data from the European Space Agency, the researchers found that the road traffic-related air pollutant nitrogen dioxide was found at increased levels near large warehouses. Correlating the satellite data with other data from the Federal Highway Administration and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the researchers also found that the warehouses were located near or in poor and minority communities.
The researchers noted that zero-emissions vehicles would reduce air pollution near the warehouses, which are concentrated in only 10 counties. We have noted that road traffic noise is the unwanted soundtrack of vehicles using internal combustion engines. Gaseous and particulate air pollution are the breathable contribution of road traffic to air pollution. The Quiet Coalition focuses on noise, but our parent organization Quiet Communities, Inc., is also concerned with reducing noise-related air pollution.
We hope this new research will force local, state and federal regulators to deal with the air and noise pollution caused by heavy truck traffic to and from large warehouses. A quieter world with cleaner air will be a better and healthier world for all.
