A psychophysical measurement on subjective well-being and air pollution

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 5473 - 8
• Main Authors: Li, Yuan, Guan, Dabo, Yu, Yanni, Westland, Stephen, Wang, Daoping, Meng, Jing, Wang, Xuejun, He, Kebin, Tao, Shu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29.11.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/172/4081; 704/844; Air monitoring; Air Pollution; Air pollution effects; Air pollution measurements; Air quality; Airborne particulates; Atmospheric conditions; Beijing; China; Diameters; Emotions; Environmental monitoring; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Mental Health; multidisciplinary; Observers; Outdoor air quality; Particulate Matter; Photic Stimulation; Polls & surveys; Pollution; Pollution effects; Pollution monitoring; Pollution surveys; Psychological factors; Psychophysics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); United Kingdom; Well being; Beijing; United Kingdom; China
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13459-w

Although the physical effects of air pollution on humans are well documented, there may be even greater impacts on the emotional state and health. Surveys have traditionally been used to explore the impact of air pollution on people’s subjective well-being (SWB). However, the survey techniques usually take long periods to properly match the air pollution characteristics from monitoring stations to each respondent’s SWB at both disaggregated spatial and temporal levels. Here, we used air pollution data to simulate fixed-scene images and psychophysical process to examine the impact from only air pollution on SWB. Findings suggest that under the atmospheric conditions in Beijing, negative emotions occur when PM 2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm) increases to approximately 150 AQI (air quality index). The British observers have a stronger negative response under severe air pollution compared with Chinese observers. People from different social groups appear to have different sensitivities to SWB when air quality index exceeds approximately 200 AQI. Air pollution can affect people’s emotional status and well-being. Here, the authors simulate fixed-scene images to show that under the atmospheric conditions in Beijing, negative emotions occur when air quality index of PM 2.5 increases to approximately 150.