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This study addresses the critical need for comprehensive multi-pollution modeling in urban environments by employing Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) techniques. Specifically, it aims to elucidate the variability of air and noise pollution levels in Tehran, Iran, and develop precise multi-pollution susceptibility maps. A spatial database was compiled, encompassing annual average data (2019--2022) of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and Equivalent Continuous Sound Level (Leq), along with 19 influential factors related to both pollutants. The study utilized the CatBoost machine learning algorithm, enhanced with Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) and Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO) algorithms, to model and predict pollution patterns. Key quantitative achievements include a remarkable 15% reduction in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for air pollution and a 12% reduction in noise pollution when using the CatBoost-HHO configuration compared to the standalone CatBoost algorithm. Validation of the multi-pollution maps utilizing the Area Under the Curve (AUC) analysis showed high accuracy, with the CatBoost-HHO achieving AUC values of 0.943 for air pollution and 0.936 for noise pollution, outperforming CatBoost-GWO and standalone CatBoost models. These results underscore the efficacy of our approach in accurately identifying and mapping multi-pollution hotspots, contributing valuable insights for urban environmental management and public health preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to use the power of geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI), employing the categorical boosting (CatBoost) machine learning model in conjunction with two metaheuristic algorithms, the firefly algorithm (CatBoost-FA) and the fruit fly optimization algorithm (CatBoost-FOA), to spatially assess and map noise pollution prone areas in Tehran city, Iran. To spatially model areas susceptible to noise pollution, we established a comprehensive spatial database encompassing data for the annual average Leq (equivalent continuous sound level) from 2019 to 2022. This database was enriched with critical spatial criteria influencing noise pollution, including urban land use, traffic volume, population density, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Our study evaluated the predictive accuracy of these models using key performance metrics, including root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) indices. The results demonstrated the superior performance of the CatBoost-FA algorithm, with RMSE and MAE values of 0.159 and 0.114 for the training data and 0.437 and 0.371 for the test data, outperforming both the CatBoost-FOA and CatBoost models. ROC analysis further confirmed the efficacy of the models, achieving an accuracy of 0.897, CatBoost-FOA with an accuracy of 0.871, and CatBoost with an accuracy of 0.846, highlighting their robust modeling capabilities. Additionally, we employed an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) approach, utilizing the SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) method to interpret the underlying mechanisms of our models. The SHAP results revealed the significant influence of various factors on noise-pollution-prone areas, with airport, commercial, and administrative zones emerging as pivotal contributors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)