Evaluating the impact of land use and land cover changes on air quality and human health in selected cities of West Bengal

Abstract

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are essential to air pollution dynamics, affecting atmospheric composition and urban microclimates. Previous research explored air pollution trends, but limited studies examined its spatiotemporal relationship with LULC changes in rapidly growing urban regions. This study assessed the impact of LULC changes on air quality in Asansol, Bardhhaman, and Bankura cities of West Bengal, including their buffer zones, from 1990 to 2023. LULC classification was conducted using Landsat 5 and 8 data, processed in Erdas Imagine, identifying six land-use types: water bodies, vegetation, agricultural land, built-up areas, barren land, and sand deposits. Air pollution parameters (CO, NO2, SO2, CH4, and O3) were extracted from Sentinel-5P satellite data and analysed using Google Earth Engine. The findings revealed a decline in agricultural land and vegetation, with urban expansion leading to increased pollutant concentrations. Between 1990 and 2023, agricultural land declined from 66.86 to 56.81% in Asansol and from 77.92 to 68.31% in Bardhhaman, while Bankura showed a marginal increase. Simultaneously, urban areas expanded significantly, contributing to increased CO, NO2, SO2, and O3 levels, especially in densely populated areas. The findings revealed the direct influence of LULC changes on air quality, with urbanisation increasing pollution due to vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and reducing vegetation cover. The study emphasises the urgent need for sustainable land-use planning, effective emission control strategies, and the development of urban green infrastructure to reduce the environmental degradation and health risks caused by rapid and unplanned urban expansion. This record is sourced from MEDLINE/PubMed, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine