PM2.5 Exposure and Health Risk Assessment Using Remote Sensing Data and GIS

Assessing personal exposure risk from PM2.5 air pollution poses challenges due to the limited availability of high spatial resolution data for PM2.5 and population density. This study introduced a seasonal spatial-temporal method of modeling PM2.5 distribution characteristics at a 1-km grid level based on remote sensing data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The high-accuracy population density data and the relative exposure risk model were used to assess the relationship between exposure to PM2.5 air pollution and public health. The results indicated that the spatial-temporal PM2.5 concentration could be simulated by MODIS images and GIS method and could provide high spatial resolution data sources for exposure risk assessment. PM2.5 air pollution risks were most serious in spring and winter, and high risks of environmental health hazards were mostly concentrated in densely populated areas in Shanghai-Hangzhou Bay, China. Policies to control the total population and pollution discharge need follow the principle of adaptation to local conditions in high-risk areas. Air quality maintenance and ecological maintenance should be carried out in low-risk areas to reduce exposure risk and improve environmental health.