Respiratory health assessment of outdoor workers exposed to urban air pollution based on satellite observations

Abstract

Human health impact assessment due to air pollution is critical for evaluating environmental hazards. In this research, levels of three air pollutants (CO, NO2, and SO2) were estimated based on satellite data (sentinel-5p) to assess the air quality over three areas (Al-Mahaad Al-Dinni, Bus Stop, and Oil Company areas) at Banha city, Qalyobia in addition to evaluating the human health risks resulting from exposure to these air pollutants. Unlike the conventional approaches for human health risk assessment, which depend on in-situ air pollution measurements, in this study, the spatial distribution of the pollutants was acquired from satellite remote sensing for the period 2021–2022. The respiratory health assessment of 151 outdoor workers, exposed to air pollution in Banha City was conducted. Results showed that the highest concentration of the pollutants was found in areas of Bus Stop and Oil Company. Consequently, the percentage of predicted pulmonary function tests was significantly lower among those working in the Oil company area than those working in the Bus Stop and Al-Mahaad Al-Dinni areas. Additionally, 47.6 % of the studied group complained of nasal congestion and 67.5 % of them complained of wheezing, 30.5% of them had obstructive airway diseases. In conclusion, remotely sensed air quality data proved its efficiency in health impact studies which could be carried out in different regions globally with less cost than traditional measurement techniques. Urban pollution can influence outdoor workers with varied percentages according to their exposure rate to pollutants and work-related factors.