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Popular for their non-polluting aspect, electric cars could also have a positive impact on the respiratory health of city dwellers, according to a recent study carried out in California. This positive impact, however, is seen more among affluent populations, the research notes.
Since the advent of electric cars, often sold “as the future of mobility”, the evidence demonstrating a reduction in air pollution linked to the use of this type of vehicle is increasing. But few studies have focused on the effects on respiratory health, point out researchers from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California who carried out this study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
What impact on pollution and asthma attacks?
They focused on publicly available datasets to analyze several factors in several cities in the state of California between 2013 and 2019. The researchers started by studying the evolution of vehicle use at zero or low emission (electric cars, hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel cell cars), before moving on to air pollution levels and finally to asthma-related emergency room visits.
Noticeable effects at the local level
The study demonstrates that as adoption of zero-emission vehicles increases within a city or neighborhood, local air pollution levels and emergency room visits decrease. At the postcode level (for every additional 20 electric cars per 1,000 people), the researchers note, for example, a 3.2% drop in the rate of asthma-related emergency visits and a suggestively small reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels.
More electric vehicles in affluent neighborhoods
“The adoption gap for zero-emission vehicles threatens the equitable distribution of co-benefits”, notes the study, however. The researchers found that while the total number of electric vehicles has increased over time, the shift seems slower in low-income neighborhoods.
“This disparity holds out the possibility of restoring environmental justice in communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution and related health issues”point out the authors of the work in a press release.