3 ms·

I guess I'm confused what specifically they were finding disgusting on the road. I thought they meant smog, which is mostly particulate matter?

• Retric 3y ago
  The concerning bits are mostly “Ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide” which are all gases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smog Particulate matter from tires is more concerning if you live next to a major highway. However in cities it’s almost all combustion byproducts with significantly lower tire ware due to low speeds + lots of idling at stoplights. Which is why catalytic converters made such a huge impact.
  • dataflow 3y ago
    I get that those are concerning, but "disgusting for pedestrians and cyclists"? O3, SO2, and CO are all invisible, and even SO2 is not something people see at a close distance AFAIK. Moreover I don't understand how they would be noticeably different for drivers vs. pedestrians/cyclists. Only the particulate emissions (smoke etc.) are things that would seem noticeably different, no?
    • Retric 3y ago
      Exercise means significantly faster breathing and thus significantly more exposure per minute. Road cyclists can and should use a mask which helps vs particulates, but they can’t easily avoid these gasses. Also, while most cars have some air filtration for the cabin the quality of that filtration can vary quite a bit. It can be well worth an aftermarket upgrade.