Mobilizing Evidence: Activating Change on Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) Health Impacts

This executive summary of a report by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) details the adverse health impacts of transportation-related air pollution (TRAP), highlighting the vulnerability of specific populations and recommending policy and individual-level interventions to reduce exposure and improve health outcomes.

• Transportation-related air pollution (TRAP) consists of ambient pollutants from motorized vehicles and on-road mobile sources. Exposure levels are influenced by factors such as wind, terrain, and distance from roads, with concentrations potentially remaining elevated within 50-500m of major emission sources. In Canada, one-third of the population lives within 250m of a major road, increasing their potential for exposure.
• TRAP is associated with a wide range of health issues across the life course, affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, and reproductive systems, and contributing to higher mortality rates. Specific documented impacts include respiratory diseases (COPD, bronchitis), cardiovascular outcomes (hypertension, myocardial infarction), neurological decline, adverse birth outcomes, certain cancers (lung, leukemia, breast), diabetes, obesity, and dermatological issues. Additionally, traffic noise is linked to mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance.
• Certain groups face disproportionate risks from TRAP. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to their respiratory and immune system immaturity and higher breathing rates relative to body size. Furthermore, racialized people and those experiencing poverty or socioeconomic marginalization often face higher concentrations of TRAP and greater barriers to healthcare, leading to environmentally-driven health disparities.
• Research indicates a link between air pollution, including TRAP, and the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that such pollution increases the risk of infection, transmission, and related mortality.
• The document recommends several preventative and protective measures to mitigate TRAP health impacts: adopting pollution control policies (e.g., low emission zones, idling restrictions, electric vehicles), increasing active transport infrastructure like cycling networks, mandating better indoor air filtration and ventilation, expanding urban green spaces in high-traffic areas, and individual actions such as using personal protective equipment and increasing dietary antioxidant intake.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2022). Mobilizing Evidence: Activating Change on Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) Health Impacts. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-En-Summ-1.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Mobilizing Evidence: Activating Change on Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) Health Impacts. 2022. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-En-Summ-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Mobilizing Evidence: Activating Change on Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) Health Impacts |date=April 2022 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-En-Summ-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2022mobilizing, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Mobilizing Evidence: Activating Change on Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) Health Impacts}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-En-Summ-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }