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Title: Air quality, health and equity implications of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles
Abstract Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) disproportionately contribute to the creation of air pollutants and emission of greenhouse gases—with marginalized populations unequally burdened by the impacts of each. Shifting to non-emitting technologies, such as electric HDVs (eHDVs), is underway; however, the associated air quality and health implications have not been resolved at equity-relevant scales. Here we use a neighbourhood-scale (~1 km) air quality model to evaluate air pollution, public health and equity implications of a 30% transition of predominantly diesel HDVs to eHDVs over the region surrounding North America’s largest freight hub, Chicago, IL. We find decreases in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations but ozone (O3) increases, particularly in urban settings. Over our simulation domain NO2and PM2.5reductions translate to ~590 (95% confidence interval (CI) 150–900) and ~70 (95% CI 20–110) avoided premature deaths per year, respectively, while O3increases add ~50 (95% CI 30–110) deaths per year. The largest pollutant and health benefits simulated are within communities with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic/Latino residents, highlighting the potential for eHDVs to reduce disproportionate and unjust air pollution and associated air-pollution attributable health burdens within historically marginalized populations.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2239834
PAR ID:
10517586
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Nature-Springer
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Nature Sustainability
Volume:
6
Issue:
12
ISSN:
2398-9629
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1643 to 1653
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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