Spatio-Temporal Variation-Induced Group Disparity of Intra-Urban NO2 Exposure

Abstract

Previous studies on exposure disparity have focused more on spatial variation but ignored the temporal variation of air pollution; thus, it is necessary to explore group disparity in terms of spatio-temporal variation to assist policy-making regarding public health. This study employed the dynamic land use regression (LUR) model and mobile phone signal data to illustrate the variation features of group disparity in Shanghai. The results showed that NO2 exposure followed a bimodal, diurnal variation pattern and remained at a high level on weekdays but decreased on weekends. The most critical at-risk areas were within the central city in areas with a high population density. Moreover, women and the elderly proved to be more exposed to NO2 pollution in Shanghai. Furthermore, the results of this study showed that it is vital to focus on land-use planning, transportation improvement programs, and population agglomeration to attenuate exposure inequality.