Air Pollution and Seasonality Effects on Mode Choice in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 2634 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weibo Li ◽  
Maria Kamargianni
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

A modal shift from motorized to nonmotorized vehicles is imperative to reduce air pollution in developing countries. Nevertheless, whether better air quality will improve the willingness to use nonmotorized transport remains unclear. If such a reciprocal effect could be identified, a sort of virtuous circle could be created (i.e., better air quality could result in higher nonmotorized transport demand, which in turn could further reduce air pollution). Developing countries may, therefore, be more incentivized to work on air pollution reduction from other sources to exploit the extra gains in urban transport. This study investigated the impact of air pollution on mode choices and whether nonmotorized transport was preferred when air quality was better. Revealed preference data about the mode choice behavior of the same individuals was collected during two seasons (summer and winter) with different air pollution levels. Two discrete mode choice models were developed (one for each season) to quantify and compare the impacts of different air pollution levels on mode choices. Trip and socioeconomic characteristics also were included in the model to identify changes in their impacts across seasons. Taiyuan, a Chinese city that operates a successful bikesharing scheme, was selected for a case study. The study results showed that air quality improvement had a significant, positive impact on nonmotorized transport use, which suggested that improvements in air quality and promotion of nonmotorized transport must be undertaken simultaneously because of their interdependence. The results of the study could act as a harbinger to policy makers and encourage them to design measures and policies that lead to sustainable travel behavior.

scholarly journals Investigating the impacts of air quality and weather indicators on the spread of SARS-COV-2 in Istanbul, Turkey

2021 ◽  
pp. 71-71
Author(s):  
Caner Taniş ◽  
Kadir Karakaya
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Hospital Discharges ◽  
Weather Parameters ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Indexes

Background/aim: Air pollution is having a positive impact on the spread of the SARS-COV-2 virus. The effects of meteorological parameters on the spread of SARS-COV-2 are a matter of curiosity. The main purpose of this paper is to determine the association between air quality indexes (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3) and weather parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure, dew, wind speed) with the number of SARS-COV-2 cases, hospitalizations, hospital discharges. In this paper, we also focused on determining the impact of air pollution and weather parameters on the number of daily hospitalizations and daily discharges. Materials and methods: It is gleaned daily cases, hospitalizations, hospital discharges, meteorological, and air quality data in Istanbul from Turkey between July 15, 2020, and September 30, 2020. We performed the Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the effects of meteorological parameters and air quality indexes on the variables related to SARS-COV-2. Results: It is determined a statistically significant positive relationship between air quality indexes such as CO, SO2, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and the number of daily confirmed SARS-COV-2 cases. We also observed a negative association between weather parameters such as temperature and pressure and the number of daily confirmed SARS-COV-2 cases. Conclusion: Our study proposes that high air quality could reduce the number of SARS-COV-2 cases. The empirical findings of this paper might provide key input to prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 across Turkey.

scholarly journals Dwelling Type Matters: Untangling the Paradox of Intensification and Bicycle Mode Choice

2017 ◽  
Vol 2662 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudy Ledsham ◽  
Steven Farber ◽  
Nate Wessel
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Household Location ◽  
Urban Intensification ◽  
The Impact

Urban intensification is believed to result in a modal shift away from automobiles to more active forms of transportation. This study extended the understanding of bicycle mode choice and the influence of built form through an analysis of dwelling type, density, and mode choice. Apartment dwelling and active transportation are related to intensification, but an understanding of the impact of increased density on bicycling is muddied by the lack of isolation of cycling from walking in many studies and by the lack of controls for the confounding effects of dwelling type. This study examined the relationship between dwelling type and mode choice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this study of 223,232 trips, 25 variables were controlled for, and multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate relative risk ratios. Strong evidence was found that a trip that originated from an apartment-based household was less than half as likely to be taken by bicycle as a similar trip that originated from a house-based household in Toronto in 2011. Increased population density of the household location had a positive impact on the likelihood that a trip would be taken by walking and a negligible and uncertain impact on the likelihood that it would be taken by transit. However, increased population density had a negative impact on bicycling. Further analysis found that the negative impact of density did not seem to apply to those who lived in single detached housing but rather only to the likelihood that apartment and townhouse dwellers would cycle. Further research is required to identify the exact barriers to cycling that apartment dwellers experience.

scholarly journals Population Aging Can Aggravate Air Pollution: Evidence from China

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Hui Shi
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Household Consumption ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Fossil Energy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Population, resources and environment have always attracted much attention from the society. Nowadays, pollution and population aging are urgent problems to be solved in China, and many scholars have found a strong correlation between pollution and aging. This paper constructs a KAYA model with aging variables, making an empirical analysis of the relationship between population aging and air pollution based on the panel data of 82 cities in China from 2011 to 2016. We found that population aging has a significant and positive impact on air pollution. 1% change of the population aging will lead to a 0.203% change in AQI. The deepening of China’s aging level will lead to ineffective improvement of air quality and even lead to more serious air pollution. Then we make the further analysis of the impact mechanism of population aging on air quality, the results show that population aging could have a positive impact on air pollution by improving labor productivity, promoting technological innovation, increasing fossil energy consumption and the household consumption, and changing the structure of household consumption. At last, in order to improve the air pollution under the background of population aging, we put forward the policy recommendations according to the conclusion of this paper.

scholarly journals Dwelling Type Matters: Untangling the Paradox of Intensification and Bicycle Mode Choice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudy Ledsham ◽  
Steven Farber ◽  
Nate Wessel
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Household Location ◽  
Urban Intensification ◽  
The Impact

Urban intensification is believed to result in a modal shift away from automobiles to more active forms of transportation. This study extended the understanding of bicycle mode choice and the influence of built form through an analysis of dwelling type, density, and mode choice. Apartment dwelling and active transportation are related to intensification, but an understanding of the impact of increased density on bicycling is muddied by the lack of isolation of cycling from walking in many studies and by the lack of controls for the confounding effects of dwelling type. This study examined the relationship between dwelling type and mode choice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this study of 223,232 trips, 25 variables were controlled for, and multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate relative risk ratios. Strong evidence was found that a trip that originated from an apartment-based household was less than half as likely to be taken by bicycle as a similar trip that originated from a house-based household in Toronto in 2011. Increased population density of the household location had a positive impact on the likelihood that a trip would be taken by walking and a negligible and uncertain impact on the likelihood that it would be taken by transit. However, increased population density had a negative impact on bicycling. Further analysis found that the negative impact of density did not seem to apply to those who lived in single detached housing but rather only to the likelihood that apartment and townhouse dwellers would cycle. Further research is required to identify the exact barriers to cycling that apartment dwellers experience.

scholarly journals Air Quality during Covid-19 Lockdown

Encyclopedia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-526
Author(s):  
Gabriele Donzelli ◽  
Lorenzo Cioni ◽  
Mariagrazia Cancellieri ◽  
Agustin Llopis-Morales ◽  
María Morales-Suárez-Varela
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Impact

Air pollution exposure is one of the greatest risks to health worldwide. It is estimated to be responsible for about 4.2 million deaths around the world every year owing to many serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and lung cancer. The WHO guideline limits are exceeded in several areas around the world, and it is estimated that about 90% of the world’s population is exposed to high air pollution levels, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to implement severe mobility restriction measures to limit the spread of the virus. This represented a unique opportunity to study the impact of mobility on urban air quality. Several studies which have investigated the relations between the quality of the air and such containment measures have shown the significant reduction of the main pollutants in the urban environment so to encourage the adoption of new approaches for the improvement of the quality of air in the cities. The aims of this entry are both a brief analysis and a discussion of the results presented in several papers to understand the relationships between COVID-19 containment measures and air quality in urban areas.

scholarly journals The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambient Air Quality in China: A Quasi-Difference-in-Difference Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3404
Author(s):  
Tuo Zhang ◽  
Maogang Tang
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
World Health ◽  
Static And Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has provided a distinct opportunity to explore the mechanisms by which human activities affect air quality and pollution emissions. We conduct a quasi-difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of the impacts of lockdown measures on air pollution during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Our study covers 367 cities from the beginning of the lockdown on 23 January 2020 until April 22, two weeks after the lockdown in the epicenter was lifted. Static and dynamic analysis of the average treatment effects on the treated is conducted for the air quality index (AQI) and six criteria pollutants. The results indicate that, first, on average, the AQI decreased by about 7%. However, it was still over the threshold set by the World Health Organization. Second, we detect heterogeneous changes in the level of different pollutants, which suggests heterogeneous impacts of the lockdown on human activities: carbon monoxide (CO) had the biggest drop, about 30%, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had the second-biggest drop, 20%. In contrast, ozone (O3) increased by 3.74% due to the changes in the NOx/VOCs caused by the decrease in NOx, the decrease of O3 titration, and particulate matter concentration. Third, air pollution levels rebounded immediately after the number of infections dropped, which indicates a swift recovery of human activities. This study provides insights into the implementation of environmental policies in China and other developing countries.

scholarly journals Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Parichat Wetchayont
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Absolute Reduction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Co Concentrations

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, many countries announced lockdown measures, including Thailand. Several scientific studies have reported on improvements in air quality due to the impact of these COVID-19 lockdowns. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and its driving influencing factors on air pollution in Greater Bangkok, Thailand, using in situ measurements. Overall, PM2.5, PM10, O3, and CO concentrations presented a significant decreasing trend during the COVID-19 outbreak year based on three periods: the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods, for PM2.5: −0.7%, −15.8%, and −20.7%; PM10: −4.1%, −31.7%, and −6.1%; and O3: −0.3%, −7.1%, and −4.7%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2019. CO concentrations, especially which had increased by 14.7% Before Lockdown, decreased by −8.0% and −23.6% during the Lockdown and After Lockdown periods, respectively. Meanwhile, SO2 increased by 54.0%, 41.5%, and 84.6%, and NO2 increased by 20.1%, 3.2%, and 26.6%, respectively, for the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods. PCA indicated a significant combination effect of atmospheric mechanisms that were strongly linked to emission sources such as traffic and biomass burning. It has been demonstrated that the COVID-19 lockdown did pause some of these anthropogenic emissions, i.e., traffic and commercial and industrial activities, but not all of them. Even low traffic emissions, on their own, did not cause an absolute reduction in air pollution since there are several primary emission sources that dominate the air quality over Greater Bangkok. Finally, these findings highlight the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures not only on air pollution levels but on their effects on air pollution characteristics, as well.

Impact of Odd–Even Scheme on Travel Pattern in Delhi

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Palak Thakur ◽  
Sharif Qamar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Travel Pattern ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Transport Services ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
Perception Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Public Transport Services

The paper intends to assess the impact of the odd–even scheme on the travel pattern of the daily commuters in Delhi. The objective of the paper is to assess the impact of the odd–even scheme on mode choice for daily work trips, shift in travel patterns – before, during, and post-implementation – of the odd–even scheme, and to understand people perception regarding the odd–even scheme. Based on the primary survey, the paper concludes that the odd–even scheme brought a significant impact in the travel pattern in terms of occupancy, travel cost, travel time, and modal shift, and statistically not so much on the air quality gain. It was observed that the scheme helped increase the occupancy rate in cars as well as ridership of buses and Delhi metro. The scheme had a huge impact on congestion, which was evident from both perception analysis and the change in travel time. The modal shift, with an improvement in public transport services and a reduction in car users, is one of the key successes of the scheme resulting in decrease in air pollution caused by private vehicles. To improve the outcome of the odd–even scheme on air pollution, two-wheelers should not be exempted going forward.

scholarly journals Association of temporary Environmental Protection Agency regulation suspension with industrial economic viability and local air quality in California, United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Chang ◽  
Kenneth Zhang ◽  
Margaret Paczkowski ◽  
Sara Kohler ◽  
Marco Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Treatment Control ◽  
Oil Refineries ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background This study seeks to answer two questions about the impacts of the 2020 Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement regulation rollbacks: is this suspension bolstering the economic viability of industries as oil and manufacturing executives claim they will and are these regulations upholding the agency’s mission of protecting the environment? Results To answer the former question, we utilized 6 months of state employment level data from California, United States, as a method of gauging the economic health of agency-regulated industries. We implemented a machine learning model to predict weekly employment data and a t-test to indicate any significant changes in employment. We found that, following California's state-issued stay-at-home order and the agency’s regulation suspension, oil and certain manufacturing industries had statistically significant lower employment values. To answer the latter question, we used 10 years of PM2.5 levels in California, United States, as a metric for local air quality and treatment–control county pairs to isolate the impact of regulation rollbacks from the impacts of the state lockdown. Using the agency’s data, we performed a t-test to determine whether treatment–control county pairs experienced a significant change in PM2.5 levels. Even with the statewide lockdown—a measure we hypothesized would correlate with decreased mobility and pollution levels—in place, counties with oil refineries experienced the same air pollution levels when compared to historical data averaged from the years 2009 to 2019. Conclusions In contrast to the expectation that the suspension would improve the financial health of the oil and manufacturing industry, we can conclude that these industries are not witnessing economic growth with the suspension and state shutdown in place. Additionally, counties with oil refineries could be taking advantage of these rollbacks to continue emitting the same amount of PM2.5, in spite of state lockdowns. For these reasons, we ask international policymakers to reconsider the suspension of enforcement regulations as these actions do not fulfill their initial expectations. We recommend the creation and maintenance of pollution control and prevention programs that develop emission baselines, mandate the construction of pollution databases, and update records of pollution emissions.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Strategic Orientation, Service Innovation, and Performance in Hotels in Angola

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6256
Author(s):  
Gerdina Handa Serafim ◽  
José Manuel Cristóvão Veríssimo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Strategic Orientation ◽  
New Business ◽  
Competitor Orientation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Technology Orientation ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to investigate the impacts of customer orientation, competitor orientation, learning orientation, technology orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation on hotel innovation and performance. Data from 69 hotels in four Angolan provinces were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach and multi group analysis. The results show that learning and entrepreneurial orientations have a positive impact on hotel innovation. As anticipated, innovation has a positive impact on performance. According to the multigroup analysis, only the hotel category has a moderating effect on performance. Results suggest that hotels in developing countries could add value to both customers and shareholders by promoting new services and exploring new business opportunities. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few studies that has researched the impact of strategic orientation on hotel innovation and financial performance in developing countries.

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