The Effect of Commuter Route Choice on Particulate Exposure of an Urban Cyclist

With cycling becoming an ever more popular form of commuting and exercise, it is important to understand the exposure of cyclists to airborne pollutants. This is especially critical as cyclists do not create pollution, but may suffer from increased exposure to pollutants due to cycling in close proximity to motor vehicles over extended journey times (Kaur et al., 2006). Both short and long term exposure to particles can be significant in terms of health impacts (COMEAP, 1998, AQEG, 2005). Repeated short term exposures have been linked to increases in hospital admissions (Vedal, 1997) and are commonly experienced by commuters along major roads as demonstrated in this and previous (Kaur et al., 2006, 2007) studies. The development of low exposure routes may encourage people to commute by bicycle instead of motor vehicle, thus reducing overall emissions. Previous studies of traffic related pollutants within urban areas suggest strong spatial variability in concentrations over short distances (Tomlin et al., 2009, Kaur et al., 2009). Hence it may be possible to explore lower exposure routes for pedestrians and cyclists through urban areas. This work therefore aims to assess the influence of commuter route choice on cyclist exposure to particle number concentrations within the City of Leeds, UK, with a view to suggesting low exposure options.