MSGID: 1:317/3 63dc8de6   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Study links adoption of electric vehicles with less air pollution and   
   improved health    
      
     Date:   
         February 2, 2023   
     Source:   
         Keck School of Medicine of USC   
     Summary:   
         A team of researchers have now begun to document the actual impact   
         of electric vehicle adoption in the first study to use real-world   
         data to link electric cars, air pollution and health. Leveraging   
         publicly available datasets, the researchers analyzed a 'natural   
         experiment' occurring in California as residents in the state   
         rapidly transitioned to electric cars, or light-duty zero emissions   
         vehicles (ZEVs). The team compared data on total ZEV registration,   
         air pollution levels and asthma- related emergency room visits   
         across the state between 2013 to 2019. As ZEV adoption increased   
         within a given zip code, local air pollution levels and emergency   
         room visits dropped.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   Electric vehicles are widely hailed as a key way to mitigate climate   
   change through reduced emissions, but research on the dual benefits of   
   reduced air pollution and improved health has been largely hypothetical.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   A team of researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have now   
   begun to document the actual impact of electric vehicle adoption in the   
   first study to use real-world data to link electric cars, air pollution   
   and health. Leveraging publicly available datasets, the researchers   
   analyzed a "natural experiment" occurring in California as residents   
   in the state rapidly transitioned to electric cars, or light-duty zero   
   emissions vehicles (ZEVs). The results were just published in the journal   
   Science of the Total Environment.   
      
   The team compared data on total ZEV registration, air pollution levels   
   and asthma-related emergency room visits across the state between 2013   
   to 2019. As ZEV adoption increased within a given zip code, local air   
   pollution levels and emergency room visits dropped.   
      
   "When we think about the actions related to climate change, often it's   
   on a global level," said Erika Garcia, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor   
   of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine   
   and the study's lead author. "But the idea that changes being made at   
   the local level can improve the health of your own community could be a   
   powerful message to the public and to policy makers."  The researchers   
   also found that while total ZEVs increased over time, adoption was   
   considerably slower in low-resource zip codes -- what the researchers   
   refer to as the "adoption gap." That disparity points to an opportunity to   
   restore environmental justice in communities that are disproportionately   
   affected by pollution and related health problems.   
      
   "The impacts of climate change on health can be challenging to talk about   
   because they can feel very scary," said Sandrah Eckel, PhD, an associate   
   professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of   
   Medicine and the study's senior author. "We're excited about shifting   
   the conversation towards climate change mitigation and adaptation,   
   and these results suggest that transitioning to ZEVs is a key piece   
   of that."  Benefits for health and the climate To study the effects of   
   electric vehicle adoption, the research team analyzed and compared four   
   different datasets. First, they obtained data on ZEVs (which includes   
   battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell cars) from the   
   California Department of Motor Vehicles and tabulated the total number   
   registered in each zip code for every year between 2013 and 2019.   
      
   They also obtained data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air   
   monitoring sites on levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an air pollutant   
   related to traffic, and zip code level asthma-related visits to the   
   emergency room.   
      
   Asthma is one of the health concerns long linked with air pollutants such   
   as NO2, which can also cause and exacerbate other respiratory diseases,   
   as well as problems with the heart, brain and other organ systems.   
      
   Finally, the researchers calculated the percentage of adults in each   
   zip code who held bachelor's degrees. Educational attainment levels are   
   frequently used as an indicator of a neighborhood's socioeconomic status.   
      
   At the zip code level, for every additional 20 ZEVs per 1,000 people,   
   there was a 3.2% drop in the rate of asthma-related emergency visits and   
   a small suggestive reduction in NO2 levels. On average across zip codes   
   in the state, ZEVs increased from 1.4 to 14.6 per 1,000 people between   
   2013 and 2019. ZEV adoption was significantly lower in zip codes with   
   lower levels of educational attainment. For example, a zip code with 17%   
   of the population having a bachelor's degree had, on average, an annual   
   increase of 0.70 ZEVs per 1,000 people compared to an annual increase   
   of 3.6 ZEVs per 1,000 people for a zip code with 47% of the population   
   having a bachelor's degree.   
      
   Past research has shown that underserved communities, such as lower-income   
   neighborhoods, tend to face worse pollution and associated respiratory   
   problems than more affluent areas. If ZEVs replace gas-powered cars in   
   those neighborhoods, they could stand to benefit substantially.   
      
   "Should continuing research support our findings, we want to make sure   
   that those communities that are overburdened with the traffic-related   
   air pollution are truly benefiting from this climate mitigation effort,"   
   Garcia said.   
      
   More to learn While climate change is a massive health threat, mitigating   
   it offers a massive public health opportunity, Eckel said. As one of   
   the first studies to quantify the real-world environmental and health   
   benefits of ZEVs, the research can help demonstrate the power of this   
   mitigation measure, including possibly reduced health care utilization   
   and expenditures.   
      
   The findings are promising, Garcia said, but many questions remain. Future   
   studies should consider additional impacts of ZEVs, including emissions   
   related to brake and tire wear, mining of materials for their manufacture,   
   and disposal of old cars. The researchers also hope to study additional   
   types of pollutants and other classes of vehicles, in addition to   
   conducting a follow-up study of the effects of the ever-growing share   
   of ZEVs in the state.   
      
   Moving forward, transitioning to ZEVs is just one part of the solution,   
   Eckel said. Shifting to public transport and active transport, including   
   walking and biking, are other key ways to boost environmental and   
   public health.   
      
   This work was supported by the University of Southern California Office   
   of Research Strategic Directions for Research Award and the National   
   Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [P30ES007048, P2CES033433].   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Workplace_Health # Health_Policy #   
                   Public_Health_Education   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Automotive_and_Transportation # Consumer_Electronics   
                   # Electricity   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Environmental_Issues # Air_Quality #   
                   Environmental_Awareness   
             o Science_&_Society   
                   # Environmental_Policies # Public_Health # STEM_Education   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Air_pollution o Battery_electric_vehicle o   
             Alternative_fuel_vehicle o Environmental_impact_assessment   
             o Indoor_air_quality o Smog o Pollution o   
             Automobile_emissions_control   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by Keck_School_of_Medicine_of_USC. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Erika Garcia, Jill Johnston, Rob McConnell, Lawrence Palinkas,   
      Sandrah P.   
      
         Eckel. California's early transition to electric vehicles:   
         Observed health and air quality co-benefits. Science of The Total   
         Environment, 2023; 161761 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161761   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230202153549.htm   
      
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