Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractCentral Asian countries face acute air quality challenges, with PM2.5 concentrations in major cities exceeding World Health Organization guidelines several times over, while industrial CO2 emissions continue to rise alongside economic development. Understanding the empirical linkage between these pollutants is essential for designing integrated environmental policies. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of industrial CO2 emissions on PM2.5 air pollution in five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – using balanced panel data for the period 2000–2020 (N = 105) obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. Pooled OLS, fixed effects, and random effects estimators were applied, with GDP per capita, urbanization, and energy intensity as control variables. Model selection was based on the Hausman test, and robustness was verified through ten alternative specifications. The random effects model (Hausman χ2 = 0.412, p = 0.521) reveals a statistically significant positive relationship: a one million metric ton increase in industrial CO2 emissions is associated with a 0.87–0.89 µg/m3 rise in mean annual PM2.5 concentration (p < 0.01). The coefficient remains stable across all robustness checks (0.823–0.923). GDP per capita shows a significant negative effect (−1.92, p < 0.05), supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, while energy intensity has a positive effect (p < 0.05). Country-specific effects reveal substantial heterogeneity, with Tajikistan exhibiting the highest baseline PM2.5 (+26.25 µg/m3 above Kazakhstan) and Turkmenistan the lowest (+7.49 µg/m3). These findings confirm the co-pollutant hypothesis and justify integrated climate-air quality policies with country-specific strategies.AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions that helped improve this manuscript.
Air pollution has become a major global challenge, imposing substantial health and economic burdens while threatening progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigates the impact of air pollution on healthcare expenditure using panel data from 95 countries over the period 2010-2020. Two complementary indicators of air pollution, emissions per unit area (EMS) and ambient PM2.5 concentration, are employed to distinguish pollution intensity from population exposure. Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models with robust standard errors are estimated to examine the direct effects of air pollution, while interaction models are used to assess the moderating roles of urbanization, industrialization, and national income levels. The results indicate that EMS significantly increases healthcare expenditure, whereas PM2.5 exhibits a counterintuitive negative association, suggesting that institutional capacity, preventive healthcare, and policy responses may influence the pollution-healthcare expenditure relationship. Urbanization mitigates the adverse effect of PM2.5, and heterogeneous impacts are observed across income groups. The findings contribute to the literature by integrating dual pollution indicators and crosscountry heterogeneity, providing evidence to support policies aimed at strengthening environmental governance, improving preventive healthcare systems, and advancing sustainable development.
Loan Thị Vũ, Trang Dinh, Thao Phuong Hoang et al.· VNU University of Economics...· 0 citations
This study comprehensively evaluates air pollution in Adana, one of Türkiye’s key industrial, urban, and transportation hubs. Using monitoring data from 2023–2025, the concentrations of major pollutants—PM2.5., PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3—were analyzed. The results were compared with standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union (EU), and Türkiye’s national regulations, showing that PM2.5 and PM10 thresholds were frequently exceeded at several stations. A significant finding was that data capture rates remained below 60%, indicating reliability gaps in the monitoring infrastructure and weakening evidence-based policymaking. Primary sources of pollution include coal-fired power plants, the use of low-quality fuels, open burning of agricultural residues, and vehicular emissions. These factors are aggravated by Adana’s geographic and meteorological conditions, such as temperature inversions and low wind speeds, which facilitate pollutant accumulation and increase public health risks. Statistical analyses revealed notable rises in SO2 and particulate matter concentrations during winter due to residential heating, coinciding with higher respiratory illness rates. The study recommends reducing coal dependency, expanding access to natural gas, promoting sustainable transportation, restricting agricultural waste burning, and improving data transparency. The Adana case highlights air pollution as both an environmental and social justice issue.
E. Turan· Doğal Afetler ve Çevre Dergi...· 0 citations
Air quality in contemporary cities is not only an environmental issue but also an important determinant of public health. This paper examines the relative ability of European cities to achieve favourable health outcomes under comparable levels of air pollution and urbanisation pressure. The analysis draws on a balanced panel of 20 European cities for 2015–2024 (200 city–year observations). An output-oriented BCC Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was applied, with inputs comprising PM2.5 concentration, NO
2
concentration, and population density, and outputs comprising life expectancy and a reciprocally transformed rate of respiratory hospitalisations. Most cities lie close to the efficiency frontier (mean = 0.977; SD = 0.018; range = 0.933–1.000), implying an average gap of approximately 2.4% in desirable health outcomes. Bratislava (0.997) and Budapest (0.996) recorded the most favourable long-term profiles, whereas Prague (0.946) and Helsinki (0.944) recorded relatively weaker performance. Descriptive trend analysis suggests statistically significant changes in selected cities including Krakow (β = 0.0006;
p
= 0.037), Brussels (β = − 0.0044;
p
= 0.018), and Prague (β = −0.0041;
p
= 0.049). PCA results indicate that the selected pressure indicators capture largely distinct dimensions, although the overall sampling adequacy remains limited. The study links public health, air quality, and city benchmarking to provide a multidimensional perspective relevant for urban policy discussions. The findings represent relative efficiency estimates rather than causal effects or comprehensive measures of urban quality of life and should therefore be interpreted in light of the model specification, limited variable set, and data constraints.
J. Oláh, Roman Tranžík, Z. Hajduová· Discover Sustainability· 0 citations
The transport sector has emerged as a significant source of greenhouse gases and airborne pollutants. However, few studies have carried out a comprehensive assessment of the synergistic benefits between air pollutant and carbon emission reductions that account for the unique regional characteristics of individual provinces. In this study, we establish nonlinear prediction models for future activity levels of on-road mobile sources by integrating economic and demographic drivers. We then dynamically quantify the co-benefits of simultaneous air pollutant and CO2 abatement under diverse mitigation scenarios. Environmental tax rates and carbon trading prices are combined with conventional elasticity coefficients and coordinate-based methodologies to convert emission cuts into economic advantages. The results show that under the most optimistic scenario, 47.86% of the CO2 emissions could be mitigated, while emissions of NOX may increase by 60.49% in the absence of mitigation strategies (BAU scenario). Marginal CO2 emissions under the ELC scenario indicates a peak around 2027. Elasticity coefficients for all pollutants gradually converge toward 1, indicating that more stringent mitigation efforts enhance co-benefits. Findings in this study could provide essential insights for the co-management of CO2 and air pollutants from road mobile sources in Guangxi and other key regions along the Belt and Road Initiative.
Yucai Bai, Beibei Yao, Xiahong Shi et al.· Sustainability· 0 citations
This study presents the dynamic impact of renewable energy consumption, urbanization, industrialization and economic growth on CO₂ emissions in developing Asian countries. Energy use demonstrated as a mediating factor and using a balanced panel model in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines countries over the 2000-2024. These analysis data collection on World Development Indicators WDI database and engagement panel regression methods under a pooled least squares framework. The empirical results are demonstration that renewable energy use, urbanization, industrialization and GDP use statistically significant effects on CO₂ emissions and the aggregate energy use increase as a strong and significant mediator linking these drivers to environmental results. The positive implication between renewable energy and CO₂ emissions suggests that is the current penetration levels and renewables may be complementing rather than relieving the fossil fuel use, especially in fast urbanizing and industrializing economies. These findings underscore the need for policies that not only expand renewable capacity but also fast-track fossil fuel movement and improve energy efficiency. The study highlights the importance of sectoral and source specific energy evolutions to achieve effective decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions in developing Asia.
Rana Sharjeel Akhtar, Samar Abbas, Inaya Sari Melati· The Journal of Economic Educ...· 0 citations
Agricultural pollution has reached critical levels globally, making it important to investigate how agricultural emissions will change with economic development. This study empirically investigates whether agricultural pollution follows the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework for G20 countries over the 1990-2020 period. Distinctively, the research focuses on nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions, which possess significantly higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). This study employs panel data techniques that account for cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity, using CIPS unit root and Westerlund cointegration tests; coefficients were calculated using the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimator. The findings support the EKC hypothesis for agricultural N2O emissions and reveal inverted U-shaped relationship. The turning point for N2O emissions is identified at a GDP threshold of approximately $1.377 trillion. The findings do not support the EKC hypothesis for agricultural methane (CH4) emissions. Furthermore, the roles of renewable and fossil energy consumption in mitigating emissions are analyzed. These results provide critical policy implications for G20 nations regarding the balance between economic growth, agricultural sustainability, and energy transition.
Z. Göktolga· Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İkti...· 0 citations