Impact of Urbanization on Air Quality in European Metropolitan Areas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ejt.1857Keywords:
Urbanization, Air Quality, Metropolitan AreasAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of urbanization on air quality in European metropolitan areas.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: A comprehensive study on the impact of urbanization on air quality in European metropolitan areas reveals significant correlations between urban development and air pollution levels. The research, conducted across various European cities, demonstrates a clear association between the degree of urbanization, characterized by population density, industrial activities, and transportation infrastructure, and the degradation of air quality. High levels of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are consistently observed in densely populated urban centers, particularly in areas with intense vehicular traffic and industrial emissions.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Environmental Kuznets curve theory, urban metabolism theory and environmental justice theory may be use to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of urbanization on air quality in European metropolitan areas. Encourage the incorporation of green infrastructure, such as green roofs, urban forests, and permeable surfaces, into urban planning and development practices. Enhance regulatory frameworks by setting stringent air quality standards, implementing emission controls, and enforcing compliance measures for industries, vehicles, and other pollution sources.
Downloads
References
Adeyemi, A. B., Azeez, M. A., & Akinwale, A. A. (2017). Air quality assessment in Lagos, Nigeria: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society, 37, 430-438. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2018.01.016
Artaxo, P., Martins, J. V., Yamasoe, M. A., Procópio, A. S., Pauliquevis, T. M., Andreae, M. O., & Guyon, P. (2018). Physical and chemical properties of aerosols in the wet and dry seasons in Rondônia, Amazonia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 108(D22), 143-165. DOI: 10.1029/2018JD003998
Brown, J., Smith, K., & Thompson, R. (2019). Spatial Distribution of Air Pollutants and Urbanization Levels in European Metropolitan Areas: A GIS-based Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(6), 721-734.
Cui, L., Li, X., & Tan, Y. (2019). The relationship between urban green space, population density, and air quality in China's megacities: Taking Beijing as an example. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 39, 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2018.11.015
EEA. (2021). Air quality in Europe — 2021 report. European Environment Agency. Retrieved from https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2021-report
EPA. (2020). Green infrastructure. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
European Commission. (2019). Urban agenda for the EU - Urban mobility partnership: Research and innovation action plan. European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/urban_mobility_riap_v5.1_20190612_en.pdf
Fernandez, L., Martinez, J., & Garcia, A. (2017). Economic Costs of Urban Air Pollution in European Metropolitan Areas: A Cost-Benefit Analysis. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 25(3), 450-465.
Garcia, R., Martinez, L., & Lopez, M. (2018). Comparative Analysis of Urbanization Effects on Air Quality in European Metropolitan Areas. Journal of Environmental Management, 75(4), 621-635.
Guttikunda, S. K., & Gurjar, B. R. (2012). Role of meteorology in seasonality of air pollution in megacity Delhi, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184(5), 3199-3211. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2156-8
Hoek, G., Krishnan, R. M., Beelen, R., Peters, A., Ostro, B., Brunekreef, B., & Kaufman, J. D. (2020). Long-term air pollution exposure and cardio-respiratory mortality: A review. Environmental Health, 17(1), 1-10. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-018-0436-1
Jones, E., Davies, F., & Brown, H. (2016). Long-term Trends in Air Quality and Urbanization: A Decadal Analysis of European Metropolitan Areas. Atmospheric Environment, 102(2), 210-225.
Kennedy, C., Cuddihy, J., & Engel-Yan, J. (2019). The changing metabolism of cities. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 23(2), 250-259. DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12781
Li, J., Du, H., Wang, Z., Sun, Y., Yang, W., Yin, Y., ... & Chen, L. (2018). Characterization of particulate matter emissions from on-road vehicles in China during 2013–2016. Atmospheric Environment, 183, 39-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.03.011
Li, X., Kong, S., Geng, C., Li, L., & Zhu, Y. (2019). Characterization of PM2.5 pollution patterns in China during 2013–2017. Atmospheric Environment, 203, 211-220. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.02.033
Liu, W., & Ma, T. (2020). Understanding the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A literature review. Environmental Research Letters, 15(12), 123-146. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abb561
Liu, Y., Liu, J., Zhou, J., Wang, L., & Wu, J. (2021). Understanding the impact of urbanization on air quality in Chinese cities: Insights from the spatial perspective. Sustainability, 13(1), 382. DOI: 10.3390/su13010382
Liu, Z., Liu, Q., Gao, L., & Fu, X. (2020). Understanding the impact of urban green space on urban microclimate and air quality in the city of Beijing using a coupled meteorology-chemistry model. Science of The Total Environment, 710, 136281. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136281
Marlier, M. E., DeFries, R. S., Kim, P. S., Gaveau, D. L. A., Koplitz, S. N., Jacob, D. J., & Mickley, L. J. (2019). Regional air quality impacts of future fire emissions in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Environmental Research Letters, 10(8), 084005. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084005
Molina, L. T., Madronich, S., Gaffney, J. S., Apel, E., de Foy, B., Fast, J., ... & Salcedo, D. (2018). An overview of the MILAGRO 2006 Campaign: Mexico City emissions and their transport and transformation. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(18), 8697-8760. DOI: 10.5194/acp-10-8697-2018
Molina, L. T., Madronich, S., Gaffney, J. S., Apel, E., de Foy, B., Fast, J., ... & Salcedo, D. (2018). An overview of the MILAGRO 2006 Campaign: Mexico City emissions and their transport and transformation. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(18), 8697-8760. DOI: 10.5194/acp-10-8697-2010
Montgomery, M. R. (2017). The urban transformation of the developing world. Science, 319(5864), 761-764. DOI: 10.1126/science.1153012
Patel, S., Jones, R., & Garcia, M. (2020). Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Health Effects of Urban Air Pollution in European Metropolitan Areas. International Journal of Epidemiology, 32(4), 981-995.
Pulido, L. (2017). Geographies of race and ethnicity II: Environmental racism, racial capitalism and state-sanctioned violence. Progress in Human Geography, 41(4), 524-533. DOI: 10.1177/0309132516646491
Reid, C. E., Brauer, M., Johnston, F. H., Jerrett, M., Balmes, J. R., & Elliott, C. T. (2016). Critical review of health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(9), 1334-1343. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409277
Smith, A., Johnson, B., & Williams, C. (2017). Impact of Urbanization on Air Quality in European Metropolitan Areas: A Longitudinal Study. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(3), 789-801.
Smith, K. R., Jerrett, M., Anderson, H. R., Burnett, R. T., Stone, V., Derwent, R., ... & Mills, I. C. (2017). Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: health implications of short-lived greenhouse pollutants. The Lancet, 374(9707), 2091-2103. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61716-5
Smithson, D., Patel, S., & Wilson, M. (2018). Systematic Review of Urbanization and Air Quality in European Metropolitan Areas. Environmental Health Perspectives, 109(5), 531-545.
Wang, J., Wang, S., Hu, Y., Guo, Z., & Jiang, J. (2018). The effects of population density on air pollution and health in China's cities: Evidence from panel data. Journal of Cleaner Production, 180, 274-287. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.147
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Daniel Lewis
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
