Each winter great amounts of asphalt dust are produced as a result of the wear of studded tires on the pavement. The road dust leads to soiled environment along roads with high traffic volume. Whether the dust from wear involves any health risks, has been little examined. The aim has been to obtain a better characterization of air borne road dust, as well as making an evaluation of the health risk when exposed to the wear dust. This is in order to achieve a better basis for an evaluation of measures against the environmental drawbacks from the use of studded tires. In 1984 the norwegian institute of air research was engaged to coordinate a research project. This article is based on the final report, whose first part contains results from the measurements of dust (chemical characteristics, etc.). The second part gives an evaluation of the health risk which can be tied to air borne dust.
Abstract