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. 2023 Dec;7(12):e976-e984.
doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00237-1.

Ambient nitrogen dioxide in 47 187 neighbourhoods across 326 cities in eight Latin American countries: population exposures and associations with urban features

Josiah L Kephart  1 , Nelson Gouveia  2 , Daniel A Rodríguez  3 , Katherine Indvik  4 , Tania Alfaro  5 , José Luis Texcalac-Sangrador  6 , J Jaime Miranda  7 , Usama Bilal  8 , Ana V Diez Roux  8
Affiliations

Ambient nitrogen dioxide in 47 187 neighbourhoods across 326 cities in eight Latin American countries: population exposures and associations with urban features

Josiah L Kephart et al. Lancet Planet Health. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Health research on ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is sparse in Latin America, despite the high prevalence of NO2-associated respiratory diseases in the region. This study describes within-city distributions of ambient NO2 concentrations at high spatial resolution and urban characteristics associated with neighbourhood ambient NO2 in 326 Latin American cities.

Methods: We aggregated estimates of annual surface NO2 at 1 km2 spatial resolution for 2019, population counts, and urban characteristics compiled by the SALURBAL project to the neighbourhood level (ie, census tracts). We described the percentage of the urban population living with ambient NO2 concentrations exceeding WHO air quality guidelines. We used multilevel models to describe associations of neighbourhood ambient NO2 concentrations with population and urban characteristics at the neighbourhood and city levels.

Findings: We examined 47 187 neighbourhoods in 326 cities from eight Latin American countries. Of the roughly 236 million urban residents observed, 85% lived in neighbourhoods with ambient annual NO2 above WHO guidelines. In adjusted models, higher neighbourhood-level educational attainment, closer proximity to the city centre, and lower neighbourhood-level greenness were associated with higher ambient NO2. At the city level, higher vehicle congestion, population size, and population density were associated with higher ambient NO2.

Interpretation: Almost nine out of every ten residents of Latin American cities live with ambient NO2 concentrations above WHO guidelines. Increasing neighbourhood greenness and reducing reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles warrant further attention as potential actionable urban environmental interventions to reduce population exposure to ambient NO2.

Funding: Wellcome Trust, National Institutes of Health, Cotswold Foundation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of study cities (n=326) and city-level population-weighted annual concentration of ambient NO2 in 2019 The WHO guideline for annual NO2 is 10 μg/m3 (approximately 5·3 ppb) and all neighbourhoods that exceed this guideline are represented by yellow, orange, red, or purple. NO2=nitrogen dioxide. ppb=parts per billion.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Within-city variation in neighbourhood-level ambient NO2 in two selected cities with varying population and geographical sizes (note the panel-specific scale bars) Black lines represent neighbourhood boundaries and colours represent annual mean ambient NO2 in 2019. (A) The metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina (population approximately 16 million). (B) Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (population approximately 295 000). In both cities, neighbourhood NO2 concentrations trend higher with greater proximity to the urban core. The WHO guideline for annual NO2 is 10 μg/m3 (approximately 5·3 ppb) and all neighbourhoods that exceed this guideline are represented by yellow, orange, red, or purple. NO2=nitrogen dioxide. ppb=parts per billion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Annual ambient NO2 within 47 187 urban neighbourhoods in Latin America Each dot represents annual NO2 in one neighbourhood. The red dashed line represents the 2021 WHO guidelines for annual NO2 (10 μg/m3; approximately 5·3 ppb). The grey dashed line represents the pre-2021 guideline for annual NO2 (40 μg/m3; approximately 21 ppb), for reference. NO2=nitrogen dioxide. ppb=parts per billion. *Central American grouping includes urban neighbourhoods in Costa Rica (n=1 city), Guatemala (n=2), and Panama (n=3).
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