Atmospheric Pollution Mapping of the Yangtze River Basin: An AQI-based Weighted Co-word Analysis.

Yu Song,Bingrui Liu,Xiaohong Chen,Jia Liu

doi:10.3390/ijerph17030817

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics and human effects of atmospheric pollution in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). An AQI(Air Quality Index)-based weighted co-word method is applied to explore the characteristics of keywords taken from the data, using authoritative media sources and government reports. Hierarchical clustering techniques are utilized to classify and visualize the keywords and display the different types of incidents. The results reveal the following four main clusters: enterprise pollution, coal-burning pollution, traffic pollution, and air pollutants. Cluster 1 is divided into 7 sub-clusters to offer powerful insight into the structural characteristics of industrial activities. This study is one of the first attempts to use a bibliometric approach to visualize the underlying and interconnected sub-clusters from grey data. It also provides an atmospheric pollution mapping for formulating government policies by understanding the human effects of air pollution incidents.

Highlights

Addressing air pollution while advancing economic development tends to be a conundrum for developing countries [1,2]
Green and energy-saving golden waterway is becoming the desire of residents in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB)
Statistical analysis of the keywords verifies that meteorological and natural factors are responsible for air pollution, and could better uncover the spatial distribution of incidents

Summary

Introduction

Addressing air pollution while advancing economic development tends to be a conundrum for developing countries [1,2]. Air pollution is a disquieting phenomenon affecting the environment as well as presenting climate and human health problems to communities [3]. It is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors, while human activities are the primary causes [4]. Recognizing the main causes and characteristics of atmospheric issues is the key to effectively easing the perceived tension. The largest developing country in the world, has experienced rapid economic development in the past decades.

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Conclusion