This research addresses the complex issue of urban traffic, air pollution, an‎d associated economic health costs in the city of Isfahan by meticulously investigating the contribution of each type of urban transport. The methodology involved the precise calculation of mileage an‎d fuel consumption by various vehicles, including personal cars, intercity an‎d urban buses, minibuses, heavy freight vehicles, taxis, an‎d motorcycles. This was followed by estimating their respective shares in the emission of major pollutants like particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), an‎d volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). In the subsequent phase, the study utilized official mortality statistics an‎d data on hospitalized non-communicable disease patients (especially cardiovascular an‎d respiratory illnesses) in Isfahan hospitals in 2022 (1401 Hijri-Shamsi) to calculate the economic costs imposed on society due to these health complications. The findings reveal that personal cars contribute the most to the cityʹs traffic, accounting for 92% of the share. Their share in emissions is 34% for particulate matter. Compared to the personal car type, diesel types such as freight an‎d city an‎d intercity buses are which collectively account for less than 2% of the cityʹs traffic, are responsible for over 50% of the particulate matter emissions. Given the high impact of PM concentration on health complications, all transport categories contribute to health effects in proportion to their share of air pollution. Furthermore, based on the defined concept of "Effectiveness Intensity" (the ratio of emission share to traffic share) in this study, the effectiveness intensity of freight vehicles an‎d urban buses is significantly higher than that of other transport types in Isfahan. These findings underscore the necessity for policymaking to shift toward managing urban transport, while paying closer attention to indirect costs, in order to mitigate health-related complication costs an‎d improve urban quality of life. This information provides a solid basis for effective decision-making in urban planning an‎d traffic management for a sustainable future.

حسين حق شناس , رويا كليشادي

محمدمهدي بشارتي , محسن سليماني امين آبادي