ORIGINAL RESEARCH
High-Resolution Population Exposure to PM2.5
in Nanchang Urban Region Using
Multi-Source Data
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1
School of Tourism and Geography, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
2
School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
3
School of Computer and Big Data Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
Submission date: 2021-01-12
Final revision date: 2021-03-11
Acceptance date: 2021-03-15
Online publication date: 2021-08-30
Publication date: 2021-09-22
Corresponding author
Qingming Leng
School of Computer and Big Data Science, Jiujiang University, 332005, Jiujiang, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(5):4801-4814
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ABSTRACT
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 can lead to great adverse health effect on human health. To better
guide public policies that aim to reduce PM2.5 population exposure, this work combined multi-source
data to realize high-resolution PM2.5 exposure risk assessment in Nanchang urban region. The land use
regression (LUR) model was used to simulate the seasonal-spatial variations of PM2.5 concentrations at
100-m resolution, and building information extracted from IKONOS image was applied to spatialize
population at 100-m resolution. An improved piece-wise population exposure approach was introduced
to evaluate the exposure risk, and results were compared with two classical approaches. In all seasons,
results by the absolute concentration approach are very different from the other two, showing obvious
spatial smoothing effect. Results by population-weighted and piece-wise exposure approaches are
similar in spring and autumn, and different in summer and winter. In winter, the area and population
percentages divided to severity level 7 by population-weighted exposure approach are 5.21% and 2.35%
lower than that by piece-wise exposure approach. When in summer, the area and population percentages
divided to severity level 7 by population-weighted exposure approach are 6.77% and 24.79% higher
than that by piece-wise exposure approach. The absolute concentration approach is disadvantageous for
the identification of high-risk areas, the population-weighted exposure approach would underestimate
or overestimate the population exposure when air is seriously polluted or remarkably clean, and the
proposed piece-wise exposure approach would be more reasonable. The integrated methodology is
effective in exposure risk assessment and can be applied to other regions and pollutants.