Estimation of the Vehicle Emission Factor in Different Areas of Cartagena de Indias

In most of the cities of the Colombian Caribbean, the emission factors associated to road traffic have not yet been estimated, due to the shortage of technical and economic resources. The authorities of some municipalities across Colombia have developed emission inventories adopting emission factors from other countries and, although these inventories are theoretically approximate, results indicate that road traffic is a source of emission of significant amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere. Studies conducted in 2013 by the Institute of Immunological Research (IIR), associated with the University of Cartagena, determined that the concentrations of CO and PM2.5 which were recorded throughout the city generally increased in the vicinity of the main roads. The present study aims to estimate the concentration of air pollutants generated by road traffic on the main roads of the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, taking into account the critical points of increased vehicular flow. The upper limits of the emission factors values applying the inverse modeling technique were estimated for CO and PM2.5 considering average concentrations obtained for 24 hours of the pollutants that represent a greater threat to public health, as well as effects of weather conditions and urban morphology. This study is a starting point to determine the magnitude of the emission associated with road traffic in Cartagena and also provides technical support to be able to identify approximately the impact of different vehicle sources in the city. Finally, this article aims to propitiate applicable tools for the authorities to develop effective mitigation and/or control strategies pointed at minimizing the impact of vehicle emissions on the Cartagena inhabitants’ health.