How do taxi drivers expose to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in a Chinese megacity: a rapid assessment incorporating with satellite-derived information and urban mobility data

Background: Taxi drivers in a Chinese megacity are frequently exposed to traffic-related particulate matter (PM_2.5) due to their job nature, busy road traffic, and urban density. A robust method to quantify dynamic population exposure to PM_2.5 among taxi drivers is important for occupational risk prevention, however, it is limited by data availability. Methods: This study proposed a rapid assessment of dynamic exposure to PM_2.5 among drivers based on satellite-derived information, air quality data from monitoring stations, and GPS-based taxi trajectory data. An empirical study was conducted in Wuhan, China, to examine spatial and temporal variability of dynamic exposure and compare whether drivers’ exposure exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) and China air quality guideline thresholds. Kernel density estimation was conducted to further explore the relationship between dynamic exposure and taxi drivers’ activities. Results: The taxi drivers’ weekday and weekend 24-h PM_2.5 exposure was 83.60 μg/m³ and 55.62 μg/m³ respectively, 3.4 and 2.2 times than the WHO’s recommended level of 25 µg/m³. Specifically, drivers with high PM_2.5 exposure had a higher average trip distance and smaller activity areas. Although major transportation interchanges/terminals were the common activity hotspots for both taxi drivers with high and low exposure, activity hotspots of drivers with high exposure were mainly located in busy riverside commercial areas within historic and central districts bounded by the “Inner Ring Road”, while hotspots of drivers with low exposure were new commercial areas in the extended urbanized area bounded by the “Third Ring Road”. Conclusion: These findings emphasized the need for air quality management and community planning to mitigate the potential health risks of taxi drivers.