scholarly journals Examining Patterns of Air Quality Perception: A Cluster Analysis for Southern Chilean Cities

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401986356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àlex Boso ◽  
Boris Álvarez ◽  
Christian Oltra ◽  
Álvaro Hofflinger ◽  
Arturo Vallejos-Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Southern Chile ◽  
Las Casas

Various medium-sized cities in southern Chile are saturated by air pollution caused by woodsmoke. In this study, we developed a segmentation model to assess the public’s perceptions, understanding of health risks and emotional responses to poor air quality. To date, this is the first segmentation model dealing with public perception in cities contaminated by woodsmoke. A survey ( N = 489) was conducted in Temuco and Padre las Casas, Chile, which included questions regarding attitudes, sociodemographic factors, and health care behaviors, to obtain information for mitigation initiatives. Through a cluster analysis, three population segments were identified that related differently to environmental pollution, which were constructed based on seven psychosocial variables. Different sociodemographic profiles and self-reported behavioral patterns were found, which should guide policies aimed at improving air quality in cities contaminated by pollution from wood-burning stoves.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Land Cover and Sociodemographic Factors

Urban Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Capita Income ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
Per Capita Income ◽  
Per Capita

Multiple social and environmental justice concerns are linked to the urban form such as the distribution of socioeconomic class populations, healthcare spending, air pollution exposure, and human mobility. Because of this, the implications of the relationships between built urban form, sociodemographic factors, and air quality warrant analysis at a high spatial resolution. This study used 1m resolved LiDAR data to characterize land use in Salt Lake County, Utah, and associate it with sociodemographic and air quality data at the census block group and zip code levels. We found that increasing tree cover was associated with higher per capita income and lower minority populations while increasing built cover was linked to lower per capita income and higher minority populations. Air quality showed less strong correlations, however, decreased non-irrigated cover, increased built cover, and higher amounts of households living under poverty were related to higher long-term PM2.5 exposure. Due to regional air pollution concerns, several policy efforts have been undertaken to improve air quality and reduce negative health outcomes in Utah which are being informed by regulatory and research-grade air quality sensors.

The Aggregate Risk Index: An intuitive tool providing the health risks of air pollution to health care community and public

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Sicard ◽  
Charles Talbot ◽  
Olivia Lesne ◽  
Antoine Mangin ◽  
Nicolas Alexandre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Care Community ◽  
Aggregate Risk

A Cluster Analysis of PM2.5 Using CMAQ Model Results for Representativeness of Air Quality Monitoring Networks in Busan, Korea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woo-Sik Jung ◽  
Woo-Gon Do
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Air Quality Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Networks ◽  
Monitoring Stations

<p><strong>With increasing interest in air pollution, the installation of air quality monitoring networks for regular measurement is considered a very important task in many countries. However, operation of air quality monitoring networks requires much time and money. Therefore, the representativeness of the locations of air quality monitoring networks is an important issue that has been studied by many groups worldwide. Most such studies are based on statistical analysis or the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in existing air quality monitoring network data. These methods are useful for identifying the representativeness of existing measuring networks, but they cannot verify the need to add new monitoring stations. With the development of computer technology, numerical air quality models such as CMAQ have become increasingly important in analyzing and diagnosing air pollution. In this study, PM2.5 distributions in Busan were reproduced with 1-km grid spacing by the CMAQ model. The model results reflected actual PM2.5 changes relatively well. A cluster analysis, which is a statistical method that groups similar objects together, was then applied to the hourly PM2.5 concentration for all grids in the model domain. Similarities and differences between objects can be measured in several ways. K-means clustering uses a non-hierarchical cluster analysis method featuring an advantageously low calculation time for the fast processing of large amounts of data. K-means clustering was highly prevalent in existing studies that grouped air quality data according to the same characteristics. As a result of the cluster analysis, PM2.5 pollution in Busan was successfully divided into groups with the same concentration change characteristics. Finally, the redundancy of the monitoring stations and the need for additional sites were analyzed by comparing the clusters of PM2.5 with the locations of the air quality monitoring networks currently in operation.</strong></p><p><strong>This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(2017R1D1A3B03036152).</strong></p>

scholarly journals RISING AIR POLLUTION: DEMAND ACTION-DRIVEN ADVOCACY AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE FOR HEALTHER LIVES

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Pratibha Chauhan ◽  
Rahul Chauhan
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Advocacy

Air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting the developing and the developed countries alike. The effects of air pollution on health are very complex as there are many different sources and their individual effects vary from one to the other. It is not only the ambient air quality in the cities but also the indoor air quality in the rural and the urban areas that are causing concern. In fact in the developing world the highest air pollution exposures occur in the indoor environment. Air pollutants that are inhaled have serious impact on human health affecting the lungs and the respiratory system; they are also taken up by the blood and pumped all-round the body. These pollutants are also deposited on soil, plants, and in the water, further contributing to human exposure. (1) Governments alone are not responsible for addressing such issues and health care professionals (HCPs) need to consider whether their duty of care should extend beyond normal clinical boundaries. When considering the ethics around the generation and effects of air pollution, especially in relation to justice and health care, actions taken by HCPs (e.g. in a country such as India) potentially extend beyond treating individual patients one-at-a-time for toxic effects of emissions and include advocating on behalf of others. (2) This paper covers the health impacts arising from ambient and household air pollution globally and at the national level (India) and recommends policy measures to reduce the health impact from air pollution in the national context. (3) Community health advocacy is also considered as of the main tasks of public health. Health professionals try to solve health problems with effective strategies. One of them is, specifically, community health advocacy. To act on health problems in the global context, participation and communitarian perspective is a choice. In addition to this behaviour change towards healthier lives by modifications in specific practices pertaining to rationale use of energy, water, cooking etc. is crucial for quality of life.

Health Risks AssociatedWith Air Pollution: Public Perception In Kano, NorthWestern Nigeria.

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
U.M Lawan ◽  
Z Iliyasu ◽  
A.A Abubakar ◽  
O.K Alausa
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Public Perception

scholarly journals Indoor Air Quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Seguel ◽  
Richard Merrill ◽  
Dana Seguel ◽  
Anthony C. Campagna
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers

Many health care providers are concerned with the role environmental exposures play in the development of respiratory disease. While most individuals understand that outdoor air quality is important to their health status, many are unaware of the detrimental effects indoor air pollution can potentially have on them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates both outdoor and indoor air quality. According to the EPA, indoor levels of pollutants may be up to 100 times higher than outdoor pollutant levels and have been ranked among the top 5 environmental risks to the public. There has been a strong correlation between air quality and health, which is why it is crucial to obtain a complete environmental exposure history from a patient. This article focuses on the effects indoor air quality has on the respiratory system. Specifically, this article will address secondhand smoke, radon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, house cleaning agents, indoor mold, animal dander, and dust mites. These are common agents that may lead to hazardous exposures among individuals living in the United States. It is important for health care providers to be educated on the potential risks of indoor air pollution and the effects it may have on patient outcomes. Health problems resulting from poor indoor air quality are not easily recognized and may affect a patient’s health years after the onset of exposure.

scholarly journals Assessing the Influence of Socioeconomic Status and Air Pollution Levels on the Public Perception of Local Air Quality in a Mexico-US Border City

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4616
Author(s):  
Dalia M. Muñoz-Pizza ◽  
Mariana Villada-Canela ◽  
M. A. Reyna ◽  
José Luis Texcalac-Sangrador ◽  
Jesús Serrano-Lomelin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Population Census ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Border City ◽  
Local Perception ◽  
Very High

Air pollution in developing countries is a growing concern. It is associated with urbanization and social and economic structures. The understanding of how social factors can influence the perception and the potential impact of air pollution have not been addressed sufficiently. This paper addresses the social vulnerability and exposure to PM10 association and its influence on the air quality perception of residents in Mexicali, a Mexico–US border city. This study used individual variables and population census data, as well as statistical and spatial analyses. A cluster of socially vulnerable populations with high exposure to coarse particulate matter (PM10) was found in the city’s peripheral areas. The spatial distribution of the local perception of air quality varied by the exposure zones of the estimated PM10 concentrations. Respondents living in very high exposure areas perceive air quality as “poor,” contrarily to a worse perception in areas of intermediate and lower exposure to PM10. Proximity to stationary sources of pollution was associated with a poor perception of air quality. Results also indicate that low household income and poor air quality perceived at the place of residence negatively influences the perceived changes in the air quality over time. The knowledge of chronic health effects related to air pollution was scarce in the sampled population, especially in the areas with very high exposure and high social vulnerability. These findings can serve as a support in local air quality management.

scholarly journals Comparing Standard to Feature-Based Meteorological Model Evaluation Techniques in Bogotá, Colombia

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Nedbor-Gross ◽  
Barron H. Henderson ◽  
Justin R. Davis ◽  
Jorge E. Pachón ◽  
Alexander Rincón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Surface Characterization ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Meteorological Model ◽  
Feature Based

AbstractStandard meteorological model performance evaluation (sMPE) can be insufficient in determining “fitness” for air quality modeling. An sMPE compares predictions of meteorological variables with community-based thresholds. Conceptually, these thresholds measure the model’s capability to represent mesoscale features that cause variability in air pollution. A method that instead examines features could provide a better estimate of fitness. This work compares measures of fitness from sMPE analysis with a feature-based MPE (fMPE). Meteorological simulations for Bogotá, Colombia, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model provide an ideal case study that highlights the importance of fMPE. Bogotá is particularly interesting because the complex topography presents challenges for WRF in sMPE. A cluster analysis identified four dominant meteorological features associated with air quality driven by wind patterns. The model predictions are able to pass several sMPE thresholds but show poor performance for wind direction. The base simulation can be improved with alternative surface characterization datasets for terrain, soil classification, and land use. Despite doubling the number of days with acceptable specific humidity, overall acceptability was never more than 10%. By comparison, an fMPE showed that predictions were able to reproduce the air-quality-relevant features on 38.4% of the days. The fMPE is based on features derived from an observational cluster analysis that have clear relationships with air quality, which suggests that reproducing those features will indicate better air quality model performance. An fMPE may be particularly useful for high-resolution modeling (1 km or less) when finescale variability can cause poor sMPE performance even when the general pattern that drives air pollution is well reproduced.

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