Effect of time-varying exposure to air pollution on subjective well-being

Abstract

Urban air pollution is significant enough to affect the subjective feelings and health of local residents in China. However, different air pollutants experienced over different time frames have different impacts on subjective well-being. This study analyzed hourly air pollution data and telephone survey data to assess the different time effects of air pollution (Air Quality Index, Particulate Matter PM2.5, PM10, and SO2) on subjective well-being in the short-term, the medium-term, and over the long-term exposure in Shandong, China. The results showed that the short-term effects of different air pollutants on subjective well-being were not significant; however, exposure to air pollution over the medium-term and long-term significantly lowered subjective well-being of local residents. The negative effect of exposure to long-term air pollution was significantly worse compared to exposure to the medium-term air pollution. Second, high urban green coverage and adequate public medical services can obviously improve the subjective well-being of local residents. Finally, it was found that urban residents with lower personal expectations and higher trust in local government in Shandong usually experienced higher levels of subjective well-being. The different time effects of urban air pollution may reveal deep-seated issues for urban environmental governance, and can provide information to create public policies and practical recommendations.