Agent-based modeling to estimate exposures to urban air pollution from transportation

We recently published an article on using an agent-based modeling framework to study population exposure to traffic-related pollution and issues pertaining to environmental justice and data-resolution. I thought this article may be of particular interest to the members of this group.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019897151830156X

Some key highlights of the article:

• We developed an exposure modeling framework by integrating an activity-based travel demand model (DaySIM), a dynamic traffic assignment model (MATSim), a mobile source emissions model (EPA MOVES), and a dispersion model (RLINE). This framework was used to estimate human activities, roadway link-level emissions, concentrations on a 500 meter grid, and exposure to NOx at the person-level and population subgroup-level

• The study area is Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa)

• Below poverty group, blacks, working adults, and individuals with longer travel times had disproportionately high exposures

• Exposure disparities for minorities increased sharply at higher exposure levels

• Use of low-resolution activities and concentration data underestimated exposures on average. This underestimation of exposure is more pronounced with the use of just low-resolution concentration data as opposed to the use of just low-resolution activity data; this suggests use of high-resolution concentration data may be more important than use of high-resolution activity data to estimate exposures

- Sashi