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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Quantifying the Flood Resilience Value of Water Quality Best Management Practices on Vermont Roads</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689762</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation networks have been recognized as contributors to water quality impairment by discharging stormwater, sediment, and nutrients to receiving waters. These contributions can occur through chronic inputs of water and pollutants washed from the road surface during storm events or through episodic and often catastrophic road failure by mass wasting or fluvial erosion at structure crossings during extreme storms. Research studies in forested areas of the eastern United States, and elsewhere, including those conducted by members of this project team, have documented rates of erosion and mass wasting from low volume roads and impacts on water quality. Our previous research has also documented the importance of unpaved roads on water quality impairment and quantified the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) in reducing sediment and phosphorus contributions.
The Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load for Vermont Segments of Lake Champlain (a.k.a. TMDL) called for reductions in phosphorus contributions from developed lands, motivating a need to address stormwater runoff from the state’s transportation network. Statewide efforts to achieve the reductions required by the TMDL led to the development of the Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP) in 2018 and subsequent revisions. Recent extreme flooding events across the state, in particular the July 10-11, 2023 North Country Storm event and associated Great Vermont Flood which will be the focus of this project, in addition to subsequent flood events in December 2023 and July 2024, have resulted in the need for emergency repairs of damaged transportation infrastructure, and revealed the need to clearly communicate the cost benefit of improved stormwater management on the transportation network. In past research projects funded by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation, we conducted retrospective analyses (i.e. a review of project planning documents and site visits to assess existing conditions) of transportation stormwater upgrades funded by the state’s Better Roads and Grants in Aid programs and found that the BMPs installed through these grants were highly robust to extreme flood events. This project therefore aims to expand on the research teams’ prior work to assess the life cycle cost-benefit of BMP adoption with a focus on the BMPs required by the Municipal General Roads Permit (MRGP), Sections 1 and 2 of the VT Road and Bridge Standards for municipal roads, and VTrans Drainage Management Standards for State roads. The data and results of this project may be used to update VT AOT’s Transportation Resilience Planning Tool or other mitigation practices.
To facilitate this work, we will form a technical advisory committee (TAC) composed of VTrans project champions (Todd Eaton), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) staff engaged in the implementation of the Municipal Roads General Permit, members of at least one Regional Planning Commission, and others identified by VTtrans. The role of the TAC will be to help guide study design, facilitate the use of existing data, leverage on-going implementation of erosion control projects, and provide context for agency needs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:46:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689762</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improved VDOT Bioretention Media Specification</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672501</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) uses bioretention as a stormwater control measure (SCM); however, the most recent special provision for VDOT bioretention soil media requires that testing the media’s infiltration rate use a unique mesocosm test method, outlined in VTM-134 (VDOT, 2025), which presents five challenges.  These are (1) inconsistency in how the media is placed and ultimately compacted in the test apparatus and therefore potential variability in the test results; (2) lack of labs willing to run the mesocosm test (only one in Virginia does this); (3) large amount of media required (40 5-gallon buckets of media and related materials); (4) lack of information proving this test is needed to procure successful bioretention soil media; and (5) a cost of $6,000 to run one test.  Due to these challenges, few media providers both try to meet the requirements and then succeed in doing so, which ultimately increases the overall project costs when bioretention is selected as the SCM.  A unique aspect of testing a media’s infiltration rate using the mesocosm test is consideration of how both de-icing salts and wet and dry cycles (to mimic rainfall patterns) impact a media’s infiltration rate. These unique aspects of the mesocosm test appear to be why it’s included in the current special provision. This study will recommend a specification for VDOT bioretention soil media that addresses the five challenges of the mesocosm test method to determine the media’s infiltration rate based on laboratory testing.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:50:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672501</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Cumulative Impact of Environmental Conditions on Stress Levels in Micromobility Users: An AI-Driven Multimodal Approach</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652172</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Micromobility solutions, such as e-scooters and bicycles, are increasingly utilized in urban transportation, providing flexible and sustainable mobility options. However, micromobility users face significant exposure to environmental stressors, including air pollutants emitted by motorized traffic. While prior studies have explored the physiological effects of transportation emissions, the psychological impacts, particularly stress, remain underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing an AI-driven predictive model that evaluates the cumulative impact of transportation-related air pollutants on stress levels in micromobility users. By integrating wearable sensor data (e.g., electrodermal activity, heart rate variability, and skin temperature), air pollutant concentration data (e.g., PM2.5, NOx, and CO), and spatial context data (e.g., GPS and accelerometer readings), this research will leverage Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) models to predict real-time stress levels and generate stress heatmaps. The results will inform policymakers, transportation planners, and public health officials, contributing to more sustainable and inclusive urban transportation systems. Additionally, the project will provide hands-on research opportunities for students, fostering workforce development in AI-driven transportation health studies. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:55:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652172</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Real-Time Corridor Modeling and Health Impact Assessment using Dynamic Vehicle Fleet Composition Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652183</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Urban transportation systems support personal mobility, but are also a significant source of air pollution, with disproportionate impacts on communities near high-traffic corridors.  If electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to increase, pollutant concentration distributions will change, potentially requiring more detailed assessments of air quality and health impacts.  Traditional air quality impact assessment for transportation projects employs microscale modeling using the MOVES and AERMOD models.  These models rely heavily on fleet composition data (vehicle classes, ages, and fuel types), yet existing assumptions often fail to capture the spatial and temporal variability in vehicle usage.  For example, research in Atlanta has revealed that the on-road freeway fleet during the morning peak tends to be a lot younger (and cleaner) than the average vehicle fleet, likely because commuters take their best vehicles to work.  This research to be conducted in this proposed project will develop an integrated framework that combines real-time traffic simulation, air quality impact assessment, and health impact assessment to assess the effects of different vehicle fleets on air quality and public health.  Using the TransportSim model, MOVES model, and AERMOD dispersion model, this study will analyze vehicle fleet dynamics across multiple urban corridors in the Atlanta metro area for different fleet compositions.  The research results will also identify shifts in pollutant concentration hotspots and their implications in spatial health impact assessment across neighborhoods as EVs enter the fleet.  By improving the accuracy of corridor-level pollutant modeling, this study will support the identification of strategies designed to mitigate air pollution and protect public health.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:20:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652183</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Innovative Stormwater Solutions for Linear Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2486932</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Managing stormwater is a critical part of any transportation infrastructure project, both during construction and long term. Meeting water quality requirements during long linear projects is challenging given limited right of way and resources; this is especially true in tight urban areas. The increase in impervious surfaces has increased the amount of water that must be managed (as opposed to being absorbed into the ground). There are different types of challenges managing stormwater within urban and rural areas, each require different approaches and techniques. For each, the creation and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure have different implications for roadside infrastructure and vegetation. Finally, there are multiple different challenges that occur at different timeframes, from short term construction challenges to longer term infrastructure and maintenance concerns.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:14:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2486932</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Biochar Specification Criteria as Soil Amendment for Slopes, Conveyances and Stormwater Treatment Systems, Phase 2</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487020</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Stormwater runoff significantly contributes to pollution in roadside environments. The objective of this research will be to evaluate the stormwater treatment efficiency of biochar at different particle sizes and in combination with various mixed media, such as compost, peat, topsoil and sand. Both lab tests and field implementation will be conducted during this phase. The findings from phases 1 and 2 will be used to develop a design guide for the production, selection, and application of biochar as a biofiltration media for roadside stormwater treatment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:11:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487020</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quantifying the Influence of Driver Behavior on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Air Quality</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2606557</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will study how both greenhouse gas (CO2) and pollutant (NOx and particle) emissions of the Minnesota vehicle fleet compare to modeled values to quantify the increase in emissions attributable to driver behavior. A very large time-series dataset of over 1M vehicles owned by the University of Minnesota will be used to study real-driving cycles on Minnesota roads. Emissions factors from laboratory measurements and from literature will be used to estimate the increase in emissions over those predicted by models like the EPA-MOVES framework. On-road emissions will also be measured using gas and particle instruments mounted in a chase vehicle equipped with radar sensing to correlate emissions to local traffic speed and acceleration, a novel approach differing from conventional fixed site measurements. Measurements will also identify vehicles with higher-than-expected emissions due to poor maintenance and tampering and quantify their impact on overall pollution.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:02:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2606557</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Multi-Criteria Framework for Selecting Nature-Based Solutions for Remnant Properties for Regulatory Credit</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604609</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of this research is to develop and implement a robust multi-criteria decision support framework to enable the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to strategically leverage remnant properties as nature-based solutions for regulatory credit under the Department’s statewide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit (NCS000250) and under state nutrient management strategy rules. In recent years NCDOT has experienced a significant escalation in construction costs, including costs associated with designing and constructing stormwater control measures along existing highways as is required by Section 3.6.1 of the NPDES stormwater permit and 15A NCAC 02B .0281 (9)(d) of the Falls Lake nutrient management strategy rules. In an effort to control construction and long-term maintenance costs, NCDOT piloted a project to retain ownership of four adjacent remnant parcels in Division 5 (Falls Lake watershed) and quantify the stormwater management benefits of maintaining the parcels in an undeveloped land cover. The NC Department of Environmental Quality formally recognizes land conservation as a creditable compliance practice and NCDOT demonstrated that the pilot project saved the Department $3,500,000 in avoided design, construction, and long-term maintenance costs of stormwater infrastructure relative to the value of the properties if sold on the open market. The success of the pilot project in Division 5 has demonstrated that remnant properties from right-of-way acquisitions provide a unique opportunity to provide a value-added repurposing of underutilized assets. The aim of this framework is to align NCDOT's stormwater management compliance obligations with the untapped potential of remnant properties by achieving regulatory compliance, environmental sustainability, cost-effectiveness, social impact, and asset optimization through the strategic deployment of nature-based solutions (NBS).
To achieve this objective, the research begins with a systematic literature review, identifying best practices and relevant frameworks in stormwater management and NBS. The research team will then conduct expert interviews and surveys to engage NBS experts and practitioners. Next, the team will conduct outreach activities to engage NCDOT stakeholders, ensuring their valuable input is incorporated into the decision-making process. Then the team will collate the knowledge gained in these tasks to develop an adaptable, data-driven decision support framework. Lastly, the team will use the newly developed framework to conduct real-world case studies that will test the framework's efficacy, including sensitivity analysis to ensure robustness and flexibility. By combining scientific rigor, expert input, stakeholder engagement, and practical application, the research approach aims to produce a tool bridges the gap between sustainability and effective stormwater management.
This research holds significant importance for both NCDOT and the broader community. It positions NCDOT as a leader in sustainable stormwater management, leveraging remnant properties to reduce costs, enhance environmental stewardship, engage communities, and meet regulatory obligations. Anticipated outcomes include a versatile decision support tool that can be adapted for various scenarios, insights from case studies that provide real-world applicability, and sensitivity analysis results to ensure the framework's robustness. Ultimately, the research empowers NCDOT to make informed decisions that benefit economic efficiency, ecological health, and social well-being in the realm of stormwater management, setting a precedent for sustainable practices in transportation agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:04:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604609</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Effects of Road Types and Construction Activities on Particulate Matter and Development of Best Practices for PM2.5 Reduction</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604527</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research team will evaluate the impact of roads (paved and unpaved roads, and unpaved shoulders) and construction on 2.5 microns (PM2.5) emissions and develop strategies for reduction. Objectives include quantifying PM2.5 emissions from roads and construction sites, identifying high-risk areas using thematic mapping, and designing cost-effective mitigation measures like dust suppression and optimized paving practices. The research team will create a user-friendly decision-support toolkit to help prioritize interventions and assess emission reduction strategies. The project outcomes will provide actionable solutions for air quality planning at both project and regional levels, enabling the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to meet environmental regulations, improve public health, and reduce PM2.5 impacts. The research team will collaborate with the TxDOT project 0-7256 "Monitoring and Speciation of Particulate Matter Under 2.5 Microns (PM2.5) Composition across Texas Counties" to enhance data collection and analysis, ensuring effective mitigation efforts.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:24:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604527</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Monitoring and Speciation of Particulate Matter Under 2.5 Microns (PM2.5) Composition across Texas Counties</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593191</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Texas needs a detailed understanding of statewide particulate matter under 2.5 microns (PM2.5) sources, as current regulatory monitoring lacks the granularity for source apportionment. Since speciated PM2.5 data is limited, the research team will collect and analyze samples from multiple regions nearing or exceeding the 9.0 µg/m3 threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The research team will conduct source apportionment analysis and highlight the prominent sources of PM2.5 emissions by region. This will support future research and regulatory efforts, such as developing and implementation appropriate emission reduction strategies. The research team will collaborate with state and local governments, academia and other stakeholders, to acquire any existing data and ensure local regulations and best practices are met. The research team will collaborate with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project 0-7257, "The Effects of Road Types and Construction Activities on Particulate Matter and Development of Best Practices for PM2.5 Reduction" by sharing data, resources, and coordinating efforts to enhance data collection and analysis.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:42:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593191</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Microplastic Air Pollution from the Wear of Vehicle Tires</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582930</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Tire wear particles from mobile sources are the dominating source of microplastic pollution globally. Tires typically consist of rubbers/elastomers, polymers, fillers, processing oils and resins, additives, reinforcements, and vulcanization agents. This study aims to investigate the abundance and examine the occurrence and composition of traffic-derived microplastics from in-use vehicles when operating on different routes. To the best of the research team's knowledge, the present study is one of the first attempts to characterize and quantify microplastic pollution from tire wear during in-use conditions. This study will employ state-of-the-art and novel sampling systems, which will be installed on vehicles operating on routes with different pavement materials (concrete vs. asphalt) and a mix of driving conditions (urban vs. highway driving, aggressive driving and elevation changes). The goal of this study is to investigate tire-wear microplastic particles and better understand how these pollutants affect communities near major highways.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:42:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582930</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Traversable Postconstruction Stormwater Check Dams in Clear Zones


</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558390</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) must comply with stormwater discharge requirements under the Clean Water Act. Clear zones within the highway right-of-way often provide suitable locations for stormwater management close to the source of runoff. Roadway swales with check dams are a common, cost-effective solution for stormwater quantity and quality control in these clear zones. 

Current guidelines do not provide recommendations for the design of check dams in clear zones. Additionally, check dam design must be compatible with the primary purpose of clear zones: vehicular safety. Concerns have been raised about check dams causing vehicles to vault into oncoming traffic or rollovers. Research is needed to support the development of check dam design specifications that meet state DOT safety requirements and to help achieve water quality goals.

The objective of this research is to develop a guide and accompanying site assessment decision support tool for designing traversable postconstruction check dams in clear zones. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 13:28:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558390</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Economical and Sustainable Dust Suppressant for Gravel Roads</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2508967</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The 66,000-mile-long network of unpaved gravel roads connect 1.2 million rural Iowa population and serves as a backbone to Iowa’s $27 billion per year agrarian economy. On unpaved roads, fugitive dust emanates from the mechanical interaction between the moving vehicles and the crushed aggregates. Fugitive dust primarily comprises of soil minerals (e.g., oxides of silicon, aluminum, calcium, and iron) with particulate material sizes lower than 10 μm (PM10) [4]. According to the National Transportation Statistics (NTS) report published in 2018, approximately 18.5 million short tons of PM10 and 5.34 million short tons of PM2.5 particulates (size lower than 2.5 μm) are entrained into the air annually. About 35% of this particulate material comes from unpaved roads. From the health, economic, and safety points of view, the generation of fugitive dust poses a serious threat to road users and people living in the vicinity of the unpaved roads. Furthermore, the unpaved roads will deteriorate faster due to the loss of fines that bind the larger aggregates. Fugitive dust lowers the visibility on gravel roads leading to accidents. Examples of some accidents occurred in the past due to fugitive dust include a chain of vehicle crashes near I-39 Wisconsin, accidents near Interstate 5 in Coalinga, California, a fatal ATV rollover crash in Carlton country, Minnesota, crashes in the intersection of Conejo Avenue and Highway 41, California; crashes on U.S. Highway 87 between Great Falls and Fort Benton, accidents in Butler County, Missouri, etc. Currently, chlorides especially Calcium Chloride are applied on gravel roads to lower the fugitive dust. Calcium chloride being a hygroscopic material absorbs moisture from the atmosphere that cements the fine particulate material. However, chlorides are detrimental to concrete, corrode automobiles, lower the fertility of soils, and contaminate water bodies. The objective of this project is to synthesize and characterize a low-cost and sustainable dust suppressant that has both hygroscopic nature and agglomeration capability. To this end, both wet and dry formulations will be synthesized. Evaporation tests and wind tunnel tests will be conducted followed by field tests. Preliminary studies suggest that the wet formulation is at least 6 times better than traditional chloride-based dust suppressants.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:37:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2508967</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quantitative Study of Environmental Condition and PFAS Impacts on Microplastic (MP) Fate and Transport due to Effects on MP Flocculation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2442011</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Microplastics (MPs) are a class of emerging contaminants of concern that result from the degradation products of plastic-based fibers, particles, and films. Transportation related pollution contributes notably to MP pollution in the environment, particularly in urban areas where pollutants such as anthropogenic debris and tire wear particles are exported to rivers and streams through urban stormwater and roadway runoff. Moreover, MPs are increasingly found in drinking water and drinking water sources, which may contribute to disproportionate impacts on communities of concern located near urban areas. Despite the abundance of MPs and their impacts to health and the environment, there are currently notable knowledge gaps related to MP fate and transport processes. Addressing these knowledge gaps is needed to support the design of approaches for mitigating transportation related MP pollution through improved process-based understanding. 
	The focus of this project is specifically on the process of MP flocculation, or aggregation, with other MPs and/or other nearby materials occurring in the surface water environment. Figure 1 conceptually illustrates the transport of MP pollution from transportation related sources and through surface waters. MPs will settle to the sediment bed at different rates depending on their settling velocity, which can be notably impacted by the flocculation of MPs with other material (e.g., sediment, organic material) into larger composite particles known as “flocs”. The flocculation process can increase settling velocities and even cause otherwise buoyant MPs to settle. While the process of MP flocculation has been highlighted in recent studies, quantitative understanding of the impacts of environmental parameters (e.g., suspended sediment, salinity) on MP flocculation are lacking. In addition, the potential impacts of chemicals of concern, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), on the MP flocculation process has not been investigated. Hydrophobicity and surface chemistry affect flocculation processes as MPs interact with nearby material and may be further impacted by PFAS sorption to MP surfaces. This project will experimentally examine the effects of environmental conditions PFAS on MP floc sizes and settling velocities by using an imaging-based MP floc measurement system. These results will provide new quantitative information about MP fate and transport that can be used in future modeling efforts and to inform design of pollution mitigation strategies.

US DOT Priorities: This project is an investment in fundamental research that advances basic understanding of microplastics transport from transportation related pollution sources, through rivers and streams, and to potential accumulation zones. This work addresses critical needs for improved quantitative understanding of MP transport mechanics and supports future modeling efforts for MP fate. Settling velocity is a critical input parameter in these models and uncertainty concerning MP floc formation notably hinders current prediction accuracy. Through the impacts of this research on future modeling of MP pollution in the environment and of the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, this work supports the USDOT Strategic Goals for “Transformation” and “Climate and Sustainability.” Addressing MP pollution in surface water and stormwater is also important for community health since MPs are increasingly found in drinking water and drinking water sources. Since MP pollution tends to be highest near urban areas, addressing these issues is a matter of concern for equity since nearby communities of concern in densely populated urban areas may be disproportionately affected by MPs. The improved understanding of MP pollutant transport provided here will thus support the strategic goal for “Safety” and “Equity” by informing pollution mitigation strategies.

Outputs: This project will result in new quantitative data that provides insight about fate and transport mechanics of MPs that are input to the environment via transportation related pollution. The datasets will quantify reference settling velocities for isolated MPs. The datasets will also quantify the effects of environmental conditions and the presence of PFAS on MP flocculation and settling velocity. Quantification of these effects is limited in the literature. This dataset will enable future modeling of MP transport with evidence-based consideration of processes and environmental factors that may drive MP settling and accumulation in the sediment beds of inland, estuarine, and marine waters. Additionally, a white paper will be produced to present correlations between PFAS adsorption and MP transport based on the study results. 

Outcomes/Impacts: By advancing the quantitative accuracy of MP transport modeling efforts, this work will support informed design of microplastic mitigation strategies that can preserve environmental resources and improve the sustainability of transportation infrastructure designs. Moreover, this work can enable evidence-based cost-benefit assessment of various pollution mitigation designs used to mitigate transportation related microplastic pollution. This type of MP transport modeling can be used to assess the risks associated with a continuation of “business as usual” practice and support future regulatory and policy decisions concerning the mitigation of MP pollution, particularly in urban environments. This project will also inform regulations focused on multiple environmental contaminants, namely MPs and PFAS, which are both emerging contaminants of concern that may affect both environmental and public health. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:04:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2442011</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Curbing Emissions: Enhancing Sustainability Through Collaborative
Shipment in Horizontal Supply Chains
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420218</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In recent years, the importance of sustainable and resilient supply chains has become increasingly
important due to the growing concerns over energy crises, environmental pollution, and supply
chain disruptions. Amidst these challenges, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have emerged as a
promising solution as they offer several key advantages that contribute to sustainable and resilient
supply chains. BEVs have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in
the logistics sector, thereby helping companies meet their sustainability goals and mitigate their
environmental impact. Moreover, BEVs can enhance supply chain resiliency by reducing reliance
on volatile fossil fuel markets and providing a more stable and predictable energy source for
transportation. However, the BEV technology is still evolving, and the significant initial investment
required for BEV adoption remains a deterrent, particularly among small companies. To address
this challenge, the research team proposes a cooperative mechanism for BEV adoption among multiple small
companies in a horizontal supply chain. The team specifically focuses on the logistics sector, where a set
of firms deliver their products to their customers through a shared distribution center using a
BEV fleet. Such collaborative shipment of products through BEVs would directly contribute to
the reduction of carbon emission and dependency on fossil fuels. Additionally, this approach
promotes better vehicle utilization, as the shared fleet is used more efficiently across participating
companies. This, in turn, will lead to reduced congestion and fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT),
further contributing to the sustainability and operational efficiency in the logistics sector.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 24 Aug 2024 10:56:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420218</guid>
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