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Summary of dissertation

Air pollution and traffic noise are major environmental risks that significantly impact human health, particularly in urban areas. To better understand how these factors affect health, consistent and reliable data across countries is essential. In this research, new enhanced European models were developed to estimate population exposure to both air and noise pollution.

High-resolution air pollution maps were produced using a combination of satellite data, ground-based measurements, and land use information, capturing monthly and annual levels of several regulated air pollutants across Europe over the past 20 years. Notably, air pollution from ultrafine particles—an unregulated but critical pollutant—had not previously been mapped at a fine resolution on a European scale. By using unique mobile measurement data from nine European cities, we developed the first street-level, Europe-wide models for ultrafine particles. This advancement enables, for the first time, pan-European health studies focused on these priority pollutants identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In addition, new models were developed to estimate road traffic noise at the level of individual buildings across Europe, addressing gaps in official national data. These comprehensive exposure maps are essential for studying the long-term effects of air and noise pollution, both separately and in combination, on health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses.

Overall, this research supports large-scale environmental health studies and provides a crucial foundation for investigating the health effects of multiple environmental exposures.

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