Evaluation of atmospheric NO2 levels in public transport corridors

The objective of this work is to evaluate the operational plan for public transport in NO2 concentration levels. Poor air quality affects the environment, the health of the population and the economy, which requires special attention to the issue. The transport sector is the one that most impacts on air quality in urban centres, with emphasis on heavy vehicles, which represent the majority of the public transport fleet. There are several alternatives used to improve this system, such as exclusive bus lanes, often seeking gains in operational aspects, without considering the environmental impact of the system. Thus, in this study, transport corridors were evaluated in the city of Fortaleza-CE, through the association of passive NO2 sampling and the selection of road pairs with similar physical and operational characteristics, in order to enable comparative analysis. Sampling was carried out over a year of observations, seeking to verify the influence of traffic conditions, as well as meteorological conditions. The results obtained show that on roads with an exclusive lane for public transport, there is a positive influence on NO2 concentration.