Adoption of electric vehicles tied to real-world reductions in air pollution

The growing use of electric vehicles is already improving air quality in California neighborhoods a new report said on MondayUsing highresolution satellite data the team reported the first statistically significant drop in nitrogen dioxide pollution linked directly to zeroemissions vehicles showing that cleaner transportation is delivering real benefits today according to the study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USCThe study published in The Lancet Planetary Health analysed changes in air pollution levels between 2019 and 2023 as more Californians switched to zeroemissions vehicles including fully electric and plugin hybrid cars Researchers found that for every 200 electric vehicles added in a neighborhood nitrogen dioxide levels fell by about 11 per centNitrogen dioxide is a harmful pollutant produced mainly by burning fossil fuels and is known to trigger asthma bronchitis heart disease and strokes While electric vehicles are often promoted as a way to fight climate change in the long run this research shows they are also making the air cleaner in the short term Earlier studies using groundbased air monitors suggested a link between electric vehicle adoption and lower pollution but limited coverage made the results uncertainBy using satellite data from NASArsquos TROPOMI instrument which measures air pollutants across large areas daily the USC team was able to track changes in nearly every neighborhood in California The researchers divided the state into 1692 neighborhoodsized areas and compared electric vehicle registration data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles with annual nitrogen dioxide levelsOver the fiveyear period a typical neighborhood added around 272 zeroemissions vehicles Many areas saw even bigger increases leading to noticeable improvements in air quality Senior author Dr Erika Garcia said the findings are important because air pollution affects health almost immediately Trafficrelated pollution can harm the lungs and heart both in the short and long term making reductions especially meaningful for community wellbeingLead author Dr Sandrah Eckel added that even though electric vehicles still make up a small share of all cars in California their impact is already measurable During the study period zeroemissions vehicles grew from about 2 per cent to 5 per cent of all lightduty vehicles showing that much more improvement is possible as adoption continuesThe study also highlights the power of satellite technology to track air pollution worldwide opening new opportunities to study the environmental impact of clean energy policies The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and NASA with contributions from scientists across USC George Washington University UC San Diego and community partners in Los AngelesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever