aircraft traffic on communities near and beneath Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) flight paths.

Funded by the Washington State Legislature and conducted over two years until December 2019, the study aimed to assess ultrafine pollution particles within a 10-mile radius of the airport along the paths of aircraft flights. Led by the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, researchers collected air samples extensively around Sea-Tac Airport between 2018 and 2019.

The findings revealed that communities situated under and downwind of jets landing at Sea-Tac Airport experience a distinct form of ultrafine particle pollution directly linked to aircraft emissions. This study marks the first to identify this unique "signature" of aircraft-related pollution in Washington.

Using a novel methodology, the research team developed a means to differentiate between pollution from jet traffic and that from other sources like roadway traffic. While both sources emit ultrafine pollution particles, the study highlighted significant differences in particle size and composition between them.

Furthermore, the team created maps illustrating the specific geographic distribution of each type of emission mixture surrounding the airport.

While the MOV-UP study did not assess the health effects of exposure to roadway or aircraft-related pollution directly, previous research has established links between exposure to ultrafine particles and various health issues, including breast cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer, and a range of respiratory conditions.

Read the full report here:

https://deohs.washington.edu/sites/default/files/Mov-Up%20Report.pdf