Aug 2026· Remote Sensing· Vol 18, pp. 2581· 0 citations· 41 references
Abstract
Driven by regional demand for stringent emission controls and the associated public health impacts, this study investigates tropospheric NO2 concentrations in Volta Redonda, a major metallurgical hub in Rio de Janeiro State. Initially, TROPOMI data were used to establish spatiotemporal patterns from 2019 to 2024, revealing that Volta Redonda maintains higher NO2 levels than similarly sized urban centers. A detailed analysis of the ‘weekend effect’ showed a minimal 3% reduction in NO2 concentrations during the weekend in Volta Redonda, compared with a 23% drop in Rio de Janeiro city, suggesting that industrial sources of this pollutant predominate over vehicular traffic. This finding is further supported by an analysis of Climate TRACE emissions data, which shows that industrial NOx emissions exceed transportation emissions in this industrial-urban cluster. Local ground station measurements, combined with satellite observations, indicate that the nearby industrial zone is likely the primary source of NO2. Finally, the study quantifies the human cost through a Relative Risk Index (RRI) analysis. Results indicate that a 1 µg/m3 increase in minimum NO2 concentrations leads to a 34% rise in pediatric hospitalizations and a 25% increase among older people, offering critical evidence for regional emission regulations and public health strategies.
Air pollution from fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) poses a significant environmental health challenge in rapidly urbanizing African cities. Lagos, Nigeria, experiences severe traffic congestion and elevated ambient PM₂.₅ concentrations, yet localized estimates of associated health impacts remain limited. This study applies the World Health Organization’s AirQ⁺ model to quantify mortality attributable to PM₂.₅ exposure along the Ikeja traffic corridor, a representative high-traffic urban environment. Ambient PM₂.₅ concentrations were monitored using a high-resolution SNAQ sensor over four months (November 2018–February 2019), yielding a mean concentration of 73.75 µg/m3 and peaks exceeding 123 µg/m3. Population data for Ikeja (≈475,000 residents) and cause-specific mortality rates from the Institute for Health Metrics and national statistics were used as model inputs. Using the study-period mean concentration, AirQ⁺ estimated that acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) accounted for the largest number of attributable deaths over the four-month period (4,131; 520 per 100,000 population), while lung cancer (54.1%) and ischemic heart disease (50.8%) showed the highest attributable fractions. Weekly and monthly analyses revealed that even modest fluctuations in PM₂.₅ levels could meaningfully influence respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. Scenario analysis indicates that a 10% reduction in PM₂.₅ concentrations could prevent more than 1,400 premature deaths, highlighting the potential health benefits of targeted emission control and traffic management strategies. These findings underscore the substantial burden of traffic-related PM₂.₅ exposure in Lagos and provide critical evidence to guide urban air quality interventions and public health policy in rapidly developing African megacities.
O. A. Babatunde, Olanrewaju B. Fayemi, L. Sunmonu et al.· Discover Environment· 0 citations
Urban areas must develop and implement air pollution-reduction strategies in order to comply with progressively stricter air quality standards. Various measures imposed during the lockdowns associated to COVID-19 pandemic worldwide made the year 2020 an exceptional period for global air pollution: air pollutant emission patterns were significantly and differently altered. Atmospheric pollutant levels varied from the lowest to the highest values. Within this context, present study aim is to emphasize comparatively the changes in major air pollutants’ concentrations PM10, PM2.5, NO, NO2, NOx, CO, SO2, O3 in three important urban centers (Bucharest, Brașov, Iași) in Romania during 2020. The contrast in mass concentrations of major air pollutants in the urban and the suburban areas of above cities has been studied using longitudinal analysis, probability density functions and change point analysis.
The study outcomes extend the knowledge about air pollution at local/regional scale and are of help in designing air pollution control strategies.
G. Iorga, B. Antonescu, George-Bogdan Burghelea et al.· Romanian Journal of Physics· 0 citations
Air quality is one of the environmental issues that has become a global concern and a priority in the Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to evaluate the ambient air quality on secondary roads in the urban area of Yogyakarta under the influence of traffic levels. The air quality variables in this study include PM2.5, PM10, CO2, HCHO, and TVOC. Data collection was conducted through observation and literature study. A total of 134 data points were collected from 37 measurement locations in this study. The data were analyzed using matching, geographic information systems (GIS), statistical methods, and descriptive approaches. The results indicate that CO2 is the only parameter significantly correlated with traffic activity. More specifically, CO2 is significantly related to motorcycles, where an increase in the number of motorcycles corresponds to a rise in CO2 levels. Spatially, there is a difference in average CO2 levels between urban and suburban areas. CO2 levels are higher in suburban areas than in the city center due to commuter traffic from surrounding areas. HCHO and TVOC do not show a significant correlation with traffic levels. Meanwhile, the number and intensity of cars on the road, although not as numerous as motorcycles, contribute to increased levels of PM2.5 and PM10. This study provides new insights into the relationship between private vehicle activity and air quality in non-industrial cities, contributing to the development of regional theories in Southeast Asia on the environmental impact of transportation activity on secondary roads. Additionally, the findings of this study imply the need for spatiotemporal traffic management, not only to prevent traffic congestion but also to control pollution levels.
S. Purwantara, Arif Ashari, Grace Helena Amaranthois Kapisan· Turkish Journal of Engineeri...· 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
Southeast Asia has long experienced severe air pollution, posing significant risks to public health. Contrary to global trends of declining emissions, the region’s rapid industrialization may exacerbate air quality problems. This study investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations across Southeast Asia using satellite-based observations. Two analytical approaches are employed: an analysis of tropospheric NO2 concentration fields and a flux-divergence-based assessment of NO2 emissions. First, regional and local patterns of NO2 concentrations are examined using tropospheric column density data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for the period 2005–2022. The results indicate that elevated NO2 concentrations are primarily concentrated in major urban centers, likely associated with vehicular emissions and industrial activities. Notably, enhanced NO2 levels are also observed in several forested regions. These anomalies are hypothesized to be associated with biomass burning, a relationship further supported through integration with MODIS burned area products. Detailed analyses are then conducted for 12 hotspot regions using time series decomposition to isolate long-term trends, seasonal variability, and residual components. To account for the potential influence of the COVID‑19 pandemic, the analysis period for each hotspot is divided into pre‑ and post‑pandemic phases, revealing distinct concentration trends for individual regions. Second, NO₂ emission patterns are investigated using flux divergence calculations derived from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) observations in combination with wind fields from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis. Regional-scale emission maps are first produced for Southeast Asia, followed by focused analyses for three selected areas: the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the Northern Vietnam Industrial Corridor, and the Singapore–Kuala Lumpur Region. Independent auxiliary datasets are used to reference the accuracy of the inferred emission patterns. The results demonstrate that the flux divergence approach effectively identifies major emission sources, especially in complex areas like Bangkok's urban region.
P. Piromthong· International Journal of Geo...· 0 citations
Kigali, like many cities in sub-Saharan Africa, faces rapid urban growth alongside the need to manage air pollution and protect public health. Despite its policy efforts, systematic data on nitrogen oxides (NOx: NO2 and NO), key indicators of combustion-related pollution, have been limited. We applied a standardized protocol to characterize city-scale spatial and temporal patterns of NOx across Kigali. Between November 2022 and December 2023, we collected weekly integrated NO2 and NO samples (n = 630 each) at 130 sites representing diverse land-use types. NO2 concentrations ranged from 1.3 to 61.9 µg/m3 (mean 13.9 µg/m3), with annual-equivalent frequently exceeding the WHO annual guideline (10 µg/m3) in urban areas. Exceedances occurred in 39% of sparsely residential, 89% of commercial/industrial, and 99% of densely populated residential sites. NO2 concentrations were significantly higher in urban versus rural areas (18.2 vs. 6.3 µg/m3), near major roads (19.9 vs. 11.6 µg/m3), and at lower elevations (15.4 vs. 9.0 µg/m3). The highest levels were observed in the densely populated districts of Kicukiro and Nyarugenge. Overall, NO2 and NO exhibited strong spatial gradients related to land use, traffic, population density, and topography, highlighting the importance of targeted urban planning and air quality management in rapidly growing cities.
Pacifique Karekezi, K. Kyeremateng, Carissa L Lange et al.· npj Clean Air· 0 citations
