U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and many more are notorious for their dense population, traffic, and most importantly, their air quality that do not adhere to ozone standards created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A new University of Houston study has taken all of these aspects into consideration and it found that the highly touted green option for transportation, electric vehicles (EV), could clear the air once and for all.
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How EV Could Benefit Major US Cities
The research delved into the changes in air pollution primarily in the most populated United States urban hubs. It focused on y PM2.5 and ozone levels found within these cities under various electrification instances.
The team's findings suggest that by shifting to electric vehicles, New York and Chicago could avoid 796 and 328 premature deaths every month, respectively- while Houston could avoid 157 premature deaths per month.
Full electrification could lead to a rise in mortality in Los Angeles due to increased levels of PM2.5 and ozone, while a scenario with a 29% EV share for light-duty cars could save 104 lives each month in Los Angeles.
PM2.5 levels - tiny particles that can damage our lungs - dropped by as much as 2.29 μg/m3 in numerous places under the complete electrification (FullE) scenario. Interestingly, PM2.5 levels rose by as much as 0.67 μg/m3 in some sections of eastern Los Angeles.
This was brought on by a rise in hydroxyl radical concentrations and an increase in secondary organic aerosols, which were brought on by modifications in the dynamics of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
The distinct climate and topography of the Los Angeles region, which includes a mountain range to the east, can trap air pollution in places that are downwind. Higher pollutant concentrations may result from this, according to the study.
The study also discovered that the FullE scenario resulted in considerable decreases in nitrogen oxides and maximum daily average 8-hour ozone levels, dropping to 14.01-32.34 ppb and 2.58-9.58 ppb, respectively. Nonetheless, MDA8 ozone levels increased in several locations, underscoring the difficulty in controlling air quality.
In terms of money, the FullE scenario estimates that New York, Chicago, and Houston would save anywhere between $51 million and $249 million a day in health-related costs. On the other hand, Los Angeles might see daily financial losses of up to $18 million.
However, the team noted that the overall impact on air quality remains a complicated task. Factors such as residential areas, industry, biogenic emissions, and many more contribute to the challenges of predicting future scenarios with the rise of electric vehicles.
"In the future, we anticipate an increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road, which will help reduce the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from vehicle tailpipes. By considering the expected percentage of electric vehicles in the future, we can estimate the impact of these changes on air pollutant and greenhouse gas concentrations, which ultimately affect human health," said the first author of the paper Ali Mousavinezhad.
The study's findings were published in the journal journal Science of the Total Environment.
