Articles | Volume 21, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18195-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-18195-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Dec 2021
Research article |
| 15 Dec 2021
| 15 Dec 2021
Why is the city's responsibility for its air pollution often underestimated? A focus on PM2.5
Philippe Thunis
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
Alain Clappier
Laboratoire Image Ville Environnement, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Alexander de Meij
MetClim, Varese, Italy
Enrico Pisoni
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
Bertrand Bessagnet
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
Leonor Tarrason
NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway
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Cited
22 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Comparison of source apportionment targeting hot-spot concentration and average population exposure P. Thunis et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178857
- Use of Lichens to Evaluate the Impact of Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Activities on Air Quality: A Case Study from the City of L’Aquila L. Di Biase et al. 10.3390/biology11081199
- Towards Air Quality Protection in an Urban Area—Case Study Z. Nahorski et al. 10.3390/atmos15091106
- Inequality in exposure to air pollutants: A new perspective E. Pisoni et al. 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113358
- Impact of urbanization on gas-phase pollutant concentrations: a regional-scale, model-based analysis of the contributing factors P. Huszar et al. 10.5194/acp-22-12647-2022
- Road transport impact on PM2.5 pollution over Delhi during the post-monsoon season C. Mogno et al. 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100200
- Exhaust and non-exhaust airborne particles from diesel and electric buses in Xi'an: A comparative analysis R. Jiang et al. 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135523
- Use of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service policy products to evaluate the contribution of EU cities to their pollution E. Pisoni et al. 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100194
- Background Influence of PM2.5 in Dallas–Fort Worth Area and Recommendations for Source Apportionment A. Shapero et al. 10.3390/air1040019
- Effects of Evaporative Emissions Control Measurements on Ozone Concentrations in Brazil S. Ibarra-Espinosa et al. 10.3390/atmos13010082
- Global impacts of aviation on air quality evaluated at high resolution S. Eastham et al. 10.5194/acp-24-2687-2024
- Reducing biomass burning is key to decrease PM2.5 exposure in European cities S. Zauli-Sajani et al. 10.1038/s41598-024-60946-2
- Assessing the Impact of Local Policies on PM2.5 Concentration Levels: Application to 10 European Cities E. Pisoni et al. 10.3390/su14116384
- Joint occurrence of heatwaves and ozone pollution and increased health risks in Beijing, China: role of synoptic weather pattern and urbanization L. Zong et al. 10.5194/acp-22-6523-2022
- Meteorologically normalized spatial and temporal variations investigation using a machine learning-random forest model in criteria pollutants across Tehran, Iran M. Ali-Taleshi et al. 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101790
- The nexus of transportation, the built environment, air pollution and health H. Khreis et al. 10.1080/23748834.2024.2376389
- Changes in a Bottom-Up Vehicular Emissions Inventory and Its Impact on Air Pollution During COVID-19 Lockdown in São Paulo, Brazil S. Ibarra-Espinosa et al. 10.3389/frsc.2022.883112
- Spatial and sector-specific contributions of emissions to ambient air pollution and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment S. Khomenko et al. 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00106-8
- Impact of urbanization on fine particulate matter concentrations over central Europe P. Huszar et al. 10.5194/acp-24-397-2024
- Spatiotemporal Patterns of Air Pollutants over the Epidemic Course: A National Study in China K. Qin et al. 10.3390/rs16071298
- Sensitivity of air quality model responses to emission changes: comparison of results based on four EU inventories through FAIRMODE benchmarking methodology A. de Meij et al. 10.5194/gmd-17-587-2024
- Enhanced Integration of Health, Climate, and Air Quality Management Planning at the Urban Scale G. Kleiman et al. 10.3389/frsc.2022.934672
22 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Comparison of source apportionment targeting hot-spot concentration and average population exposure P. Thunis et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178857
- Use of Lichens to Evaluate the Impact of Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Activities on Air Quality: A Case Study from the City of L’Aquila L. Di Biase et al. 10.3390/biology11081199
- Towards Air Quality Protection in an Urban Area—Case Study Z. Nahorski et al. 10.3390/atmos15091106
- Inequality in exposure to air pollutants: A new perspective E. Pisoni et al. 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113358
- Impact of urbanization on gas-phase pollutant concentrations: a regional-scale, model-based analysis of the contributing factors P. Huszar et al. 10.5194/acp-22-12647-2022
- Road transport impact on PM2.5 pollution over Delhi during the post-monsoon season C. Mogno et al. 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100200
- Exhaust and non-exhaust airborne particles from diesel and electric buses in Xi'an: A comparative analysis R. Jiang et al. 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135523
- Use of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service policy products to evaluate the contribution of EU cities to their pollution E. Pisoni et al. 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100194
- Background Influence of PM2.5 in Dallas–Fort Worth Area and Recommendations for Source Apportionment A. Shapero et al. 10.3390/air1040019
- Effects of Evaporative Emissions Control Measurements on Ozone Concentrations in Brazil S. Ibarra-Espinosa et al. 10.3390/atmos13010082
- Global impacts of aviation on air quality evaluated at high resolution S. Eastham et al. 10.5194/acp-24-2687-2024
- Reducing biomass burning is key to decrease PM2.5 exposure in European cities S. Zauli-Sajani et al. 10.1038/s41598-024-60946-2
- Assessing the Impact of Local Policies on PM2.5 Concentration Levels: Application to 10 European Cities E. Pisoni et al. 10.3390/su14116384
- Joint occurrence of heatwaves and ozone pollution and increased health risks in Beijing, China: role of synoptic weather pattern and urbanization L. Zong et al. 10.5194/acp-22-6523-2022
- Meteorologically normalized spatial and temporal variations investigation using a machine learning-random forest model in criteria pollutants across Tehran, Iran M. Ali-Taleshi et al. 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101790
- The nexus of transportation, the built environment, air pollution and health H. Khreis et al. 10.1080/23748834.2024.2376389
- Changes in a Bottom-Up Vehicular Emissions Inventory and Its Impact on Air Pollution During COVID-19 Lockdown in São Paulo, Brazil S. Ibarra-Espinosa et al. 10.3389/frsc.2022.883112
- Spatial and sector-specific contributions of emissions to ambient air pollution and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment S. Khomenko et al. 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00106-8
- Impact of urbanization on fine particulate matter concentrations over central Europe P. Huszar et al. 10.5194/acp-24-397-2024
- Spatiotemporal Patterns of Air Pollutants over the Epidemic Course: A National Study in China K. Qin et al. 10.3390/rs16071298
- Sensitivity of air quality model responses to emission changes: comparison of results based on four EU inventories through FAIRMODE benchmarking methodology A. de Meij et al. 10.5194/gmd-17-587-2024
- Enhanced Integration of Health, Climate, and Air Quality Management Planning at the Urban Scale G. Kleiman et al. 10.3389/frsc.2022.934672
Latest update: 10 May 2025
Short summary
Air pollution's origin in cities is still a point of discussion, and approaches to assess the city's responsibility for its pollution are not harmonized and thus not comparable, resulting in sometimes contradicting interpretations. We show that methodological choices can easily lead to differences of a factor of 2 in terms of responsibility outcome and stress that methodological choices and assumptions most often lead to a systematic and important underestimation of the city's responsibility.
Air pollution's origin in cities is still a point of discussion, and approaches to assess the...
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