Urban Science

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on pollutant exposure modeling and observations within urban domains towards health outcomes. With the expansion of urban centers around the world, both spatially and in population, a larger emphasis has been placed on the pollutant exposure of city-dwellers. As the majority and a growing number of the world’s population is already living in urbanized areas, which can be large sources and sinks of a multitude of pollutants, the health implications are significant.

There are many ways to assess exposure, including observation and modeling-based approaches. The observational pollutant data being collected range from the stationary regulatory-grade to the citizen science grade, and mobile platforms including sensors mounted on research vehicles, public transit, and airborne instruments. Exposure modeling studies have used land use regression models and complex atmospheric transport models to predict pollutant exposure.

Topics for this Special Issue include studies that focus on novel techniques to estimate the pollution exposure of the urban population whether they be observational or modeled, in association with a health outcome. Work that is interdisciplinary is particularly welcome, as an integrative approach is a necessity in order to discuss the impact of urban pollution on population health and find appropriate measures.

Dr. Daniel Mendoza
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

urban pollution
pollutant observation
health outcomes
population health
exposure modeling

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2913 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Relationship between Land Cover and Sociodemographic Factors

by Daniel L. Mendoza

Urban Sci. 2020, 4(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci4040068 - 02 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3085

Abstract

Multiple social and environmental justice concerns are linked to the urban form such as the distribution of socioeconomic class populations, healthcare spending, air pollution exposure, and human mobility. Because of this, the implications of the relationships between built urban form, sociodemographic factors, and air quality warrant analysis at a high spatial resolution. This study used 1m resolved LiDAR data to characterize land use in Salt Lake County, Utah, and associate it with sociodemographic and air quality data at the census block group and zip code levels. We found that increasing tree cover was associated with higher per capita income and lower minority populations while increasing built cover was linked to lower per capita income and higher minority populations. Air quality showed less strong correlations, however, decreased non-irrigated cover, increased built cover, and higher amounts of households living under poverty were related to higher long-term PM_2.5 exposure. Due to regional air pollution concerns, several policy efforts have been undertaken to improve air quality and reduce negative health outcomes in Utah which are being informed by regulatory and research-grade air quality sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Health: Emission Sources, Pollutant Transport, and Associated Health Impacts)

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12 pages, 2744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Urban Odor with Field Olfactometry in Camden, NJ

by Jennifer Kitson, Monica Leiva, Zachary Christman and Pamela Dalton

Urban Sci. 2019, 3(3), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3030093 - 18 Aug 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4771

Abstract

Odor annoyance negatively impacts residents of communities adjacent to persistent nuisance industries. These residents, often with a high percentage of minority or otherwise marginalized residents, experience subjective and objective impacts on health and well-being; yet, reliable methods for quantifying and categorizing odors have been elusive. Field olfactometry is integral to the study of odor annoyance experienced by communities as it includes both qualitative (human perception) and quantitative (intensity measurement) dimensions of human odor experience and has been employed by municipalities in the U.S. to evaluate odor pollution levels. Cartographic visualization of odor data recorded using a field olfactometer offers further opportunity to evaluate potential patterns of odor annoyance, yet the use of field olfactometry and geographic information systems have not been frequently employed by geographers. By employing a mixed-methods approach to evaluate odor pollution, this study addresses the environmental justice context by quantifying and categorizing the presence of odor pollution in Waterfront South, a neighborhood in Camden, NJ previously identified for its disproportionate malodor burden. This study offers support to mixed methods research and the need for monitoring subjective and objective impacts in communities with compounding odor nuisance industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Health: Emission Sources, Pollutant Transport, and Associated Health Impacts)

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