‘Additional controls needed’ to curb PM formation in urban areas

Nearly every city around the world is plagued by poor air quality. High concentration levels of harmful pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) are having a severe impact on the health of residents, linking to both cardiopulmonary and respiratory diseases.

One of the main sources of these emissions is road traffic. Decades of work by powertrain engineers and designers have resulted in significant reductions to primary emissions, but a new study by a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering suggests that more needs to be done to prevent secondary emissions from forming.