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Global Patterns of Urban Air Pollution: A Multivariate and Cluster-based Analysis Across Six Continents
| International Journal of Applied Information Systems |
| Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA |
| Volume 12 - Number 47 |
| Year of Publication: 2025 |
| Authors: Anika Rahman, Mst. Taskia Khatun |
10.5120/ijais2025452024
|
Anika Rahman, Mst. Taskia Khatun . Global Patterns of Urban Air Pollution: A Multivariate and Cluster-based Analysis Across Six Continents. International Journal of Applied Information Systems. 12, 47 ( Aug 2025), 47-69. DOI=10.5120/ijais2025452024
Abstract
This study investigates global urban air pollution patterns across six continents using an extended version of the Global Air Pollution Data, covering major cities in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America. Building on our previously published work at the FMLDS2024 Conference, which focused exclusively on Asian cities, this research broadens the geographic scope and integrates multivariate statistical techniques alongside six clustering algorithms: K-Means, Hierarchical Clustering, DBSCAN, Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM), Agglomerative Clustering, and Spectral Clustering. Cluster performance is evaluated using multiple metrics, including Silhouette Score, Davies-Bouldin Index, Calinski-Harabasz Index, WCSS, Cohesion, and Separation. The analysis identifies three distinct pollution clusters: ‘High Pollution,’ ‘Low Pollution,’ and ‘Ozone-Dominated Pollution.’ South Asia and East Asia exhibit the highest concentration of cities with ozone-dominated pollution, while Western Europe shows the greatest prevalence of low pollution cities. North America has the largest number of cities classified in the high pollution cluster, primarily driven by particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Additionally, a focused analysis of capital cities provides further insight into regional urban air quality variations. This global analysis offers critical understanding of spatial disparities in urban pollution and underscores the necessity for region-specific strategies to mitigate pollution sources. The findings aim to support policymakers and environmental agencies in developing targeted air quality management plans.
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