Exploring the Effects of Wind Direction on De-Icing Salt Aerosol from Moving Vehicles

Aerosol sprayed from the wheels of vehicles driving on wet roads is a significant source of pollution in the vicinity of roads. If it contains residues of chemical de-icing agents, it can contribute to the faster degradation of objects and structures within its reach. The aim of this research was to determine how the direction of the wind and the intensity of traffic affect the dispersion of the aerosol particles. Using a numerical model of turbulent flow incorporating discrete phase modeling, seven variants of wind direction and two traffic intensities represented by the passing of one or two vehicles were simulated. The results showed that when the wind blew from the location where the particle amount was measured, particle deposition was highly concentrated near the road—peaking at 6.5% of the injected amount at a distance of 5 m—followed by a steep decline to negligible levels at 9 m. Conversely, in the opposite wind direction, deposition was lower (