Urban pollution impact assessment in six lithuanian cities with a focus on road traffic emissions - integrated framework for environmental health studies.

An integrated framework is introduced and applied to assess the health impact of airborne pollution with greater physiological relevance, moving beyond conventional exposure metrics. Measured particle number size distribution data was integrated with a regional respiratory tract deposition fractions to estimate total and alveolar deposited particle surface area concentrations. Land use regression modeling, combined with randomized commuting patterns, enabled the evaluation of city-specific alveolar surface area deposition doses, providing new insight into localized average exposure and its implications for public health. The results showed that although the mean street-level air pollution in Lithuania is higher than in other European cities, the urban background levels are on the same level. We found that the total respiratory deposited surface area concentration is up to 18-fold higher due to coarse particles, which also determines alveolar deposited particle surface area dose. Our findings advocate for using integrated pollution assessments and region-specific policies rather than broad diesel vehicle-targeted bans. The proposed methodology is expected to enhance traditional exposure assessments by switching to lung deposited surface area, which can be further refined by incorporating daytime activity patterns, socio-economic status, and personal health conditions.