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• Quantifying the impact of peer pressure on environmental improvements among local governments in China. • Investigating cities ' reaction to declining air quality rankings through regression discontinuity design. • Demonstrating the efficacy of political incentives in combating pollution and the catalytic effect of rankings on policy action. • Assessing the benefits resulting from air pollution reductions using an exposure response function. This paper estimates the impact of peer governmental pressure on air quality using a regression discontinuity design inherent in China's air quality ranking system. Because air quality rankings are important for political evaluations, local officials who witnessed a decline in air quality ranking are motivated to enforce more stringent environmental standards compared to their counterparts with increased rankings. By exploiting this regulatory discontinuity with monthly air quality ranking data from 2012 to 2020 of 169 cities, we find that cities experiencing a lower air quality ranking in the current month compared to the previous month exhibit a subsequent improvement in air quality during the following month, as evidenced by decreased pollutant concentrations. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that in cities where pollutant rankings decline more sharply, officials are less likely to encounter fewer promotion opportunities. Importantly, we observe that the discontinuity in individual pollutant concentrations is not solely influenced by their respective rankings but is also impacted by the overall A ir Q uality I ndex (AQI) ranking. Linking the reduction in air pollutants concentration with the economic benefits, a back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates the decrease in premature deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases amounts to approximately 200 thousand, resulting in an associated economic saving of more than 600 billion Chinese yuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the positive externalities of public transit, fares have been heavily subsidized throughout the United States and the world. Policymakers have designed these subsidies as a potential mechanism to reduce local air pollution. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of free-fare public transit subsidies in reducing air pollution. Studying the "Zero Fare for Better Air" initiative, I find no significant decrease in ground-level ozone due to free-fare public transit in Colorado. This paper also demonstrates how the free-fare initiative failed to improve welfare even when incorporating all the positive externalities of transit ridership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the presence and insights of suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) in a coastal urban setting of Xiamen, China, focusing on the downtown tourist and urban-rural fringe areas. The abundance of SAMPs in Xiamen ranged from 0 to 0.062 items m−3, with an average of 0.011 ± 0.012 items m−3. Notably, the urban-rural fringe area exhibited a higher abundance of SAMPs compared to the tourist area, attributing to surrounding pollution sources and the effectiveness of environmental policies. Fibers emerged as the dominant form of SAMPs, with microbeads and films also observed. Polyethylene terephthalate emerged as the dominant type, and transparent and blue SAMPs constituted the largest proportion. Over 50% of the SAMPs were smaller than 1 mm, with the smallest particle measuring 29 μm. Correlation and principal component analyses revealed that atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction significantly influenced the distribution of SAMPs. Backward trajectory modeling indicated that marine air masses diluted the SAMP pollution, whereas continental air masses exacerbated it. This study represents the first assessment of SAMP pollution in Xiamen, shedding light on the interplay between local pollution sources, environmental factors, air masses, industrial layout, and environmental policies. It emphasizes the need for increased attention to atmospheric microplastic pollution in coastal urban landscapes and underscores the importance of effective mitigation strategies. [Display omitted] • Suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) were studied in a coastal urban zone. • SAMPs in Xiamen were 0–0.062 items m−3, with average 0.010 ± 0.012 items m−3. • Sources and environmental policies led to more SAMPs in urban-rural fringe area. • Fibers were dominant SAMP form, with microbeads and films observed. • Year-round monitoring gives seasonal variations in SAMPs, enhancing representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualizing tools are now capable of synthesizing satellite imagery with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results. The new method is applied in Augsburg, Germany, and consists of two main phases: pre-processing and post-processing. The pre-processing phase involves creating geometry, mesh, and extracting results from simulations of traffic pollutant dispersion. In the post-processing phase, the results are combined with satellite images to produce visually optimized results. The demonstration of road traffic air pollution is based on real data from local air quality measurements and specific scenarios. The results indicate that using these visualization tools produce understandable and impressive images and videos. This enhances the public's comprehension of scientific results and raises awareness of environmental issues. An increased understanding of scientific results can reinforce the implementation of environmental policies by pressuring responsible authorities to take action. This paper provides a valuable tool for visualizing air pollution and facilitating public engagement with environmental issues. • A new visualization tool capable of combining earth-observation images with CFD results which represent air-pollution dispersion. • Numerical simulation of air pollution fed to scientific visualization with 3D computer graphics to create photo-realistic images. • Photo-realistic results can guide environmental policies down to local level. • Easily comprehensible results make the general audience understand environmental conditions and enhance action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]