Is air pollution exposure linked to household income? Spatial analysis of Community Multiscale Air Quality Model results for Madrid

This study explores the potential correlation between income and exposure to air pollution for the city of Madrid, Spain and its neighboring municipalities. Madrid is a well-known European air pollution hotspot with a high mortality burden attributable to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Hewitt, Richard J., Caramés, Eduardo, Borge, Rafael
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/361850
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/361850
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Environmental justice
Household income
Air pollution
CMAQ model
GWR
Bivariate correlation analysis
Environmental degradation
Descripción
Sumario:This study explores the potential correlation between income and exposure to air pollution for the city of Madrid, Spain and its neighboring municipalities. Madrid is a well-known European air pollution hotspot with a high mortality burden attributable to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Statistical analyses were carried out using electoral district level data on gross household income (GHI), and NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations in air obtained from a mesoscale air quality model for the study area. We applied linear regression, bivariate spatial correlation analysis, spatial autoregression and geographically weighted regression to explore the relationship between contaminants and income. Three different strategies were adopted to harmonize data for analysis. While some strategies suggested a link between income and air pollution, others did not, highlighting the need for multiple different approaches where uncertainty is high. Our findings offer important lessons for future spatial geographical studies of air pollution in cities worldwide. In particular we highlight the limitations of census-scale socioeconomic data and the lack of non-model derived high-resolution air quality measurement data for many cities and offers lessons for policy makers on improving the integration of these types of essential public information.