Mobilizing Evidence

The report synthesizes evidence on the wide-ranging health risks of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), noting that one-third of Canadians live within 250m of a major road. It details impacts across respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and reproductive systems, while highlighting that racialized and low-income populations bear a disproportionate burden. The document also analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic both exacerbated health risks and demonstrated the potential for air quality improvement through traffic restrictions. It concludes with recommendations for pollution control policies, active transport infrastructure, and urban greening.

• Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with a broad spectrum of health issues, including reduced lung function, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and myocardial infarction, neurocognitive decline, adverse birth outcomes, and various cancers including lung, leukemia, and breast cancer.
• Children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to TRAP due to their immature respiratory and immune systems and a higher breathing rate relative to their body size.
• In Canada, one-third of the population lives within 250m of a major road, creating a significant public health risk.
• Environmental inequality is evident in TRAP exposure, with racialized people and those of low socioeconomic status facing disproportionately higher pollution concentrations and greater barriers to healthcare.
• Air pollution increases the risk of COVID-19 infection, transmission, and mortality, potentially by acting as a transport vector for the virus and compounding respiratory stress.
• Pandemic-era lockdowns led to substantial reductions in many TRAP pollutants, though ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations rose in some areas due to weakened NOx titration.
• Effective preventative and protective measures include pollution control policies (e.g., low emission zones, electric vehicles), expanding active transport networks, increasing urban greenspace, and adapting ventilation systems in buildings.

APA

Roussy, S. S., Kuhl, J., Burnside, J. N., McArthur, J. E., & Helferty, A. (2022). Mobilizing Evidence. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-2022-2.pdf

Chicago

Roussy, Sophia Scott, Jennifer Kuhl, Jessica Nicole Burnside, Jane E. McArthur, and Anjali Helferty. Mobilizing Evidence. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2022. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-2022-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roussy |first1=Sophia Scott |last2=Kuhl |first2=Jennifer |last3=Burnside |first3=Jessica Nicole |last4=McArthur |first4=Jane E. |last5=Helferty |first5=Anjali |title=Mobilizing Evidence |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=April 2022 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-2022-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roussy2022mobilizing, author = {Roussy, Sophia Scott and Kuhl, Jennifer and Burnside, Jessica Nicole and McArthur, Jane E. and Helferty, Anjali}, title = {{Mobilizing Evidence}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CAPE-TRAP-2022-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }