Assessment of Air Quality Trends and Their Impact on Urban Health: A Longitudinal Environmental Study

Abstract

Urban air pollution is a major health concern to society especially in large cities in the process of industrialization, which have no green facilities. Despite its adverse consequences, there is a lack of long-term empirical evidence between exposure to air contaminants and their health impacts. The current study evaluated the patterns and trends (2014-2024) of the most significant urban air pollutants (PM₂. ₅, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and O₃) and their relationship to cardiorespiratory outcomes in a megacity with a population of more than 10 million. The fixed sites stations, as well as satellite information on aerosols and NO₂, were used to monitor ambient air quality. Municipal and hospital data on health were obtained in terms of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The analytical procedure involved the Mann-Kendall trend test, Slopes, and estimating temporal trends, Multitask linear regression, and generalized additive models, which allowed gauging of health correlations, including adjusting for confounders like temperature, humidity, population density, and age distribution. The findings indicated that there was a continuous year-by-year decrease in the PM _2.5 and NO₂ concentrations, explained by the direct effect of the regulatory measures and better city infrastructure, whereas O₃ demonstrated a gradual increase imposed by photochemical activity. There were seasonal spikes, PM _2.5 and NO₂ in the winter months, O₃ in the summer months. High levels of pollutants were strongly linked with frequent hospital visits due to asthma infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack, and hypertension, with children, old people, and those with underlying illnesses being the worst among them.