PM2.5 and NOx from traffic: Human health impacts, external costs and policy implications from the Belgian perspective

This article employs an optimized impact pathway approach to marginal external health costs that relies on high-resolution dispersion models calibrated for Belgium and the surrounding areas. Per tonne, the MEHCPM2.5 is found to be many times larger than MEHCNOx, which is currently negative. Further, the impact of Belgian PM2.5 emissions in the immediate area of generation is significantly larger than the impact on more distant areas; the opposite is true for NOx. The MEHCs of both pollutants are predicted to increase in the coming years. Further analysis of the impacts of PM2.5 and NOx reveals that, on average, modern gasoline vehicles outperform their diesel counterparts as far as future emissions are concerned. This contrasts with findings for 2007, which suggested that Euro 5 diesels had fewer associated health costs because of the potential for ozone reduction offered by their NOx emissions.

► Marginal external health costs of traffic-related PM2.5 and NOx are modeled.
► MEHCPM2.5 is highly dependent on the emission location and MEHCNOx varies with the time frame considered.
► The share of MEHC affecting foreign areas is much higher for NOx than for PM2.5.
► Gasoline outperforms diesel regarding future emissions of PM2.5 and NOx.