Changes in Air Pollution-Related Behaviour Measured by Google Trends Search Volume Index in Response to Reported Air Quality in Poland

Abstract

Decreased air quality is connected to an increase in daily mortality rates. Thus, people’s behavioural response to sometimes elevated air pollution levels is vital. We aimed to analyse spatial and seasonal changes in air pollution-related information-seeking behaviour in response to nationwide reported air quality in Poland. Google Trends Search Volume Index data was used to investigate Poles’ interest in air pollution-related keywords. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations measured across Poland between 2016 and 2019 as well as locations of monitoring stations were collected from the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection databases. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients were used to measure the strength of spatial and seasonal relationships between reported air pollution levels and the popularity of search queries. The highest PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were observed in southern voivodeships and during the winter season. Similar trends were observed for Poles’ interest in air pollution-related keywords. Greater interest in air quality data in Poland strongly correlates with both higher regional and higher seasonal air pollution levels. It appears that Poles are socially aware of this issue and that their intensification of the information-seeking behaviour seems to indicate a relevant ad hoc response to variable threat severity levels.