scholarly journals Air quality as a factor affecting urban tourism

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Łapko ◽  
Roma Strulak-Wójcikiewicz ◽  
Aleksander Panasiuk
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Urban Tourism ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Travel Decisions ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Mass Events

The purpose of the article is to determine whether potential tourists consider information about a city’s air quality in their assessment of its tourist attractiveness and how this this information affects their travel decisions. Urban tourism is a common and dynamically developing form of tourism. Cities encourage tourists to visit them with various attractions, cultural, gastronomic and accommodation offerings as well as mass events. At the same time, they are often industrial centres and important transportation hubs, which makes them characterized by a high degree of air pollution. The article presents results of a survey involving 509 respondents from Poland. The data were used to assessment to what extent information about air quality in a given city is relevant for people planning a tourist trip. In addition, the survey provided information about factors that could increase the respondents’ interest in the level of air quality in a city they were planning to visit. Particular attention was paid to the respondents’ health. Many diseases can be the result of air pollution, or can be aggravated by substances contained in smog. Therefore, the authors tried to determine whether people suffering from such illnesses were more likely to pay special attention to air quality in their prospective destinations. The results constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge about the factors affecting demand in urban tourism. They may be relevant for entities responsible for managing cities and promoting tourism products. The article also draws attention to the fact that problems arising from air pollution in cities can affect not only their residents, but also tourists.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 QUARANTINE MEASURES ON THE LEVEL OF AIR POLLUTION IN THE SHCHUCHINSK-BOROVSKAYA RESORT AREA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maikanov Balgabay ◽  
Auteleeva Laura
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Sulfur Dioxide ◽  
Maximum Permissible Concentration ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Standard Index ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Very High

In this study, changes in air quality were quantified before and during the introduction of COVID-19 quarantine measures in the Shchuchinsk-Borovskaya resort area. During 2020, there were only 49 resolutions "On strengthening restrictive quarantine measures in the territory of the Akmola region"on the territory of the resort zone. The maximum permissible concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmospheric air has been exceeded. We have revealed that in the entire territory of the resort area for 2018-2019. atmospheric air pollution, according to the standard index, was elevated and high (3.38 to 6.4), according to the highest frequency (16.6 to 100%), there was a very high degree of pollution, and in 2020, the indicators of the standard index and the highest frequency were within the norm.

scholarly journals The number of passively smoked cigarettes and the risk of lung cancer among the inhabitants of the Świętokrzyskie Region (2010-2018)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 344-350
Author(s):  
Robert Chudzik ◽  
Paweł Rybojad
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Increased Risk

Air purity is one of the factors affecting human health. Over the years, numerous scientific reports have provided us with evidence of the effects of air pollution on health. Along with the increase in pollution, the risk of respiratory and circulatory diseases in particular increases. The main pollutants are Airborne particulate matters (PM) which, depending on the size, vary between 2.5 and 10. Their presence is mainly related to the burning of fossil fuels. Another significant air pollutant is NO2, mainly related to road transport. It is believed that the long term exposure to NO2 could increase inflammation. The negative effect of air pollution is also associated with an increased frequency of strokes, exacerbations of mental illnesses and also with diseases of the digestive system. We analyzed the data available in the Polish National Cancer Registry (PNCR), Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Air Quality Guidelines, We checked air pollution by the means of  PM2.5 , PM10 and NO2 and thanks to mathematical equation delivered by Saskia C. van der Zee converted them into number of  passively smoked cigarettes. Above data we compared to lung cancer morbidity in Świętokrzyskie Region. Based on the latest published data, we can infer that in 2010-2018 each citizen of Świętokrzyskie Region smoked average 9,8 cigarettes a day +/- 2,3. The incidence of lung cancer is more or less the same number with a slight upward trend. After 61 years everyone in the exanimated region had 30 package-years of passive smoking and high risk of lung cancer. Air quality in Poland is not rewarding, exceeding WHO Guidelines 2005 recommendations translates into an increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Relationships between Air Quality and Multiple Meteorological Parameters in 221 Chinese Cities

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyi Ji ◽  
Yuying Jiang ◽  
Xiping Han ◽  
Luo Liu ◽  
Xinliang Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Meteorological Factors ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Temporal Differences

Air quality in China is characterized by significant spatial and temporal differences, which are directly related to local meteorological conditions. This study used air quality monitoring data, namely, the air pollution index (API) and air quality index (AQI) between 2005 and 2018, together with meteorological data and identified key meteorological factors that affected the spatial and temporal variation of air quality using a random forest algorithm. The spatial and temporal differences in the threshold values of different meteorological factors affecting the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3 were identified. The AQI has the advantages of facilitating higher index values than the API. The air quality showed an improvement from 2005 to 2018. Wind direction and precipitation were the most important meteorological factors affecting the air quality in northern and southern China, respectively, which to some extent reflected the causes and degradation mechanisms of air pollution in the two regions. There were significant spatial and temporal differences in the effects of meteorological factors on the concentrations of different pollutants. The influence of atmospheric pressure on pollutant concentration differed between the east and west. Precipitation and relative humidity in most cities had significant impacts on PM2.5 and PM10. The influence of relative humidity was most significant for SO2 and it also had a great influence on O3, while wind speed had a great influence on NO2. The results of the study confirm the meteorological sensitivity of air quality and provide support for the implementation of regional air pollution prevention and control initiatives.

scholarly journals The State of Air Pollution as a Factor Determining the Assessment of a City’s Tourist Attractiveness—Based on the Opinions of Polish Respondents

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Łapko ◽  
Aleksander Panasiuk ◽  
Roma Strulak-Wójcikiewicz ◽  
Marek Landowski
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
The State ◽  
City Tourism ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Travel Decisions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Cities are multifunctional by definition, and an increasingly significant function is the tourist function. City tourism is one of the most dynamically developing forms of tourism. Tourists’ decisions regarding choosing a destination are influenced by a number of factors determining the subjective assessment of the tourist attractiveness of a given city, and one of them may be the state of air pollution, as it can have a negative impact on the health of both city dwellers and tourists. This article is an attempt to determine whether potential tourists consider information about the level of a city’s air quality in the assessment of its tourist attractiveness and the impact of this information on their travel decisions. The article presents the results of surveys conducted among a group of 509 respondents from Poland. On this basis, an assessment was made of the extent to which information on the condition of air quality in a given city is relevant for persons planning a tourist trip. In the conducted research, decisions regarding both business and private trips were evaluated. In addition, information on factors that could increase the respondents’ interest in the condition of air quality in the city of the intended trip (e.g., trip with children, trip length) was collected. Due to the fact that tourism is a significant source of income for many cities, the research results presented in the article may be of significant importance for entities creating the urban tourist product and responsible for its management. The article also draws attention to the fact that reducing pollution in cities can contribute to increases in their tourist attractiveness.

Impact of air pollution on short-term movements: evidence from air travels in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 939-968
Author(s):  
Shuai Chen ◽  
Yuyu Chen ◽  
Ziteng Lei ◽  
Jie-Sheng Tan-Soo
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Air Quality Forecast ◽  
Induced Travel ◽  
Complete Dataset ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
Travel Decisions ◽  
Identification Strategy

Abstract While there is abundant evidence demonstrating that residents permanently migrate in search of locations with cleaner air, there are considerably fewer studies that investigate if travellers also take short-term trips to reduce their exposure to air pollution. In this study, we use a complete dataset of flights at Beijing International Airport to investigate if travel patterns are indeed correlated with air quality-differences across cities in China. Our identification strategy is aided by instrumenting air quality using thermal inversions. We find that a one-unit increase in the Air Pollution Index of origin over destination city would lead to a 0.36% increase in number of passengers on the flight. When considered separately by cabin-class, the number of first-class passengers increased about three-times faster than economy-class. Using lagged air quality information, we also find that averting-related travel decisions are most sensitive to destination’s air quality on day-of-travel. This indicates that flight passengers likely rely on air quality forecast information to make air pollution-induced travel decisions.

VALORIZATION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF SOUTH SERBIA FROM THE AIR QUALITY ASPECT

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1329-1333
Author(s):  
Miodrag Šmelcerović
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Cause And Effect ◽  
Sources Of Pollution

The protection of the environment and people’s health from negative influences of the pollution of air as a medium of the environment requires constant observing of the air quality in accordance with international standards, the analysis of emission and imission of polluting matters in the air, and their connection with the sources of pollution. Having in mind the series of laws and delegated legislations which define the field of air pollution, it is necessary to closely observe these long-term processes, discovering cause-and-effect relationships between the activities of anthropogenic sources of emission of polluting matters and the level of air degradation. The relevant evaluation of the air quality of a certain area can be conducted if the level of concentration of polluting matters characteristic for the pollution sources of this area is observed in a longer period of time. The data obtained by the observation of the air pollution are the basis for creation of the recovery program of a certain area. Vranje is a town in South Serbia where there is a bigger number of anthropogenic pollution sources that can significantly diminish the air quality. The cause-and-effect relationship of the anthropogenic sources of pollution is conducted related to the analysis of systematized data which are in the relevant data base of the authorized institution The Institute of Public Health Vranje, for the time period between the year of 2012. and 2017. By the analysis of data of imission concentrations of typical polluting matters, the dominant polluting matters were determined on the territory of the town of Vranje, the ones that are the causers of the biggest air pollution and the risk for people’s health. Analysis of the concentration of soot, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides indicates their presence in the air of Vranje town area in concentrations that do not exceed the permitted limit values annually. The greatest pollution is caused by the soot content in the air, especially in the winter period when the highest number of days with the values above the limit was registered. By perceiving the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, it is clear that the concentration of polluting matters can be decreased only by establishing control over anthropogenic sources of pollution, and thus it can be contributed to the improvement of the air quality of this urban environment.

Improving the Protection of Children Against Air Pollution Threats in Romania � The RokidAIR Project Approach and Future Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 841-846
Author(s):  
Hai-Ying Liu ◽  
Daniel Dunea ◽  
Mihaela Oprea ◽  
Tom Savu ◽  
Stefania Iordache
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Quality Maps

This paper presents the approach used to develop the information chain required to reach the objectives of the EEA Grants� RokidAIR project in two Romanian cities i.e., Targoviste and Ploiesti. It describes the PM2.5 monitoring infrastructure and architecture to the web-based GIS platform, the early warning system and the decision support system, and finally, the linking of air pollution to health effects in children. In addition, it shows the analysis performance of the designed system to process the collected time series from various data sources using the benzene concentrations monitored in Ploiesti. Moreover, this paper suggests that biomarkers, mobile technologies, and Citizens� Observatories are potential perspectives to improve data coverage by the provision of near-real-time air quality maps, and provide personal exposure and health assessment results, enabling the citizens� engagement and behavioural change. This paper also addresses new fields in nature-based solutions to improve air quality, and studies on air pollution and its mental health effects in the urban areas of Romania.

scholarly journals Subtle Changes or Dramatic Perceptions of Air Pollution in Sydney during COVID-19

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Peter Brimblecombe ◽  
Yonghang Lai
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
New South ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Physical Reality ◽  
Social Perceptions ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Significant Difference

The COVID-19 pandemic made it critical to limit the spread of the disease by enforcing human isolation, restricting travel and reducing social activities. Dramatic improvements to air quality, especially NO2, have often characterised places under COVID-19 restrictions. Air pollution measurements in Sydney in April 2019 and during the lockdown period in April 2020 show reduced daily averaged NO2 concentrations: 8.52 ± 1.92 and 7.85 ± 2.92 ppb, though not significantly so (p1~0.15) and PM2.5 8.91 ± 4.94 and 7.95 ± 2.64 µg m−3, again a non-significant difference (p1~0.18). Satellite imagery suggests changes that parallel those at ground level, but the column densities averaged over space and time, in false-colour, are more dramatic. Changed human mobility could be traced in increasing times spent at home, assessed from Google Mobility Reports and mirrored in decreased traffic flow on a major road, suggesting compliance with the restrictions. Electricity demand for the State of New South Wales was low under lockdown in early April 2020, but it recovered rapidly. Analysis of the uses of search terms: bushfires, air quality, haze and air pollution using Google Trends showed strong links between bushfires and pollution-related terms. The smoke from bushfires in late 2019 may well have added to the general impression of improved air quality during lockdown, despite only modest changes in the ground level measurements. This gives hints that successful regulation of air quality requires maintaining a delicate balance between our social perceptions and the physical reality.

scholarly journals Quantifying Air Pollutant Variations during COVID-19 Lockdown in a Capital City in Northwest China

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 788
Author(s):  
Rong Feng ◽  
Hongmei Xu ◽  
Zexuan Wang ◽  
Yunxuan Gu ◽  
Zhe Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Vehicle Emissions ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Motor Vehicle Emissions

In the context of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), strict lockdown policies were implemented to control nonessential human activities in Xi’an, northwest China, which greatly limited the spread of the pandemic and affected air quality. Compared with pre-lockdown, the air quality index and concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO during the lockdown reduced, but the reductions were not very significant. NO2 levels exhibited the largest decrease (52%) during lockdown, owing to the remarkable decreased motor vehicle emissions. The highest K+ and lowest Ca2+ concentrations in PM2.5 samples could be attributed to the increase in household biomass fuel consumption in suburbs and rural areas around Xi’an and the decrease in human physical activities in Xi’an (e.g., human travel, vehicle emissions, construction activities), respectively, during the lockdown period. Secondary chemical reactions in the atmosphere increased in the lockdown period, as evidenced by the increased O3 level (increased by 160%) and OC/EC ratios in PM2.5 (increased by 26%), compared with pre-lockdown levels. The results, based on a natural experiment in this study, can be used as a reference for studying the formation and source of air pollution in Xi’an and provide evidence for establishing future long-term air pollution control policies.

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