A newly published study in Environmental Pollution identified better air quality in terms of lower PM2.5 concentrations in 3 Asian cities (Taipei, Osaka, and Seoul) for cycling using a computer modeling approach (random forest algorithm). The study reported over 30% reduction in PM2.5 exposure by adhering to alternative cycling routes and potentially leading to improvements in cycler’s health, especially over time.

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Tzong-Gang Wu, Yan-Da Chen, Bang-Hua Chen, Kouji H. Harada, Kiyoung Lee, Furong Deng, Mark J. Rood, Chu-Chih Chen, Cong-Thanh Tran, Kuo-Liong Chien, Tzai-Hung Wen, Chang-Fu Wu, Identifying low-PM2.5 exposure commuting routes for cyclists through modeling with the random forest algorithm based on low-cost sensor measurements in three Asian cities, Environmental Pollution, Volume 294, 2022, 118597, ISSN 0269-7491, https://doi.org/10.1016j.envpol.2021.118597