High-resolution urban air pollution mapping

Abstract

Variation in urban air pollution arises because of complex spatial, temporal, and chemical processes, which profoundly affect population exposure, human health, and environmental justice. This Review highlights insights from two popular in situ measurement methods—mobile monitoring and dense sensor networks—that have distinct but complementary strengths in characterizing the dynamics and impacts of the multidimensional urban air quality system. Mobile monitoring can measure many pollutants at fine spatial scales, thereby informing about processes and control strategies. Sensor networks excel at providing temporal resolution at many locations. Increasingly sophisticated studies leveraging both methods can vividly identify spatial and temporal patterns that affect exposures and disparities and offer mechanistic insight toward effective interventions. This Review summarizes the strengths and limitations of these methods and discusses their implications for understanding fine-scale processes and impacts.