Improving the current air quality index with new particulate indicators using a robust statistical approach.
Pak Lun Fung1, Salla Sillanpää2, Jarkko V Niemi3
1Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research / Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland.
The Science of the Total Environment
|July 2, 2022
Summary
The current air quality index (AQI) needs updating to reflect modern pollution. This study proposes adding new indicators like black carbon (BC) to better represent health impacts from traffic and residential burning.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Atmospheric Chemistry
Background:
- The existing Air Quality Index (AQI) may not accurately reflect current urban air pollution levels due to improved air quality and diminished roles of some traditional pollutants.
- There is a need to update AQI to better represent health effects from local combustion sources, such as traffic and residential burning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revise the Finnish AQI by incorporating new air pollution indicators that better represent health impacts from traffic and residential burning.
- To develop and validate a robust statistical approach for revising AQI, transferable to other cities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of air quality data (2017-2019) from three Helsinki sites, focusing on current indicators (NO2, PM2.5) and proposed particulate indicators (BC, LDSA, PNC).
- Statistical fitting of data to optimal distribution functions and integration of expert opinions to revise the Finnish AQI.
- Determination of AQI breakpoints for the proposed indicators.
Main Results:
- The study found correlations between current and proposed indicators, suggesting shared urban emission sources.
- Revision of the AQI with new indicators (BC, LDSA, PNC) led to a decrease in reported 'good' air quality hours, particularly in urban traffic areas (~22%).
- Air quality deterioration was more pronounced during peak traffic hours and evenings in residential areas, highlighting the impact of vehicular and domestic combustion.
Conclusions:
- The proposed revision of the AQI, incorporating black carbon (BC), light-absorbing surface area (LDSA), and particle number concentration (PNC), provides a more accurate reflection of current air pollution health risks.
- The developed statistical methodology for revising AQI is robust and transferable to other urban environments.
- This update is a crucial first step towards improving air quality guidelines and public health communication.
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