Risk Perception of Air Pollution: A Systematic Review Focused on Particulate Matter Exposure

The adverse health eects of exposure to air pollutants, notably to particulate matter (PM),are well-known, as well as the association with measured or estimated concentration levels. The roleof perception can be relevant in exploring eects and pollution control actions. The purpose ofthis study was to explore studies that analyse people's perception, together with the measurementof air pollution, in order to elucidate the relationship between them. We conducted a systematicreview in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA) guidelines. In March 2020, PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were exploredin an attempt to search for studies published from 2000 to 2020. The review included 38 studies,most of which were conducted in China (n = 13) and the United States (n = 11) and published overthe last four years (n = 26). Three studies were multicenter investigations, while five articles werebased on a national-level survey. The air quality (AQ) was assessed by monitoring stations (n = 24)or dispersion models (n = 7). Many studies were population questionnaire-based, air monitoringand time-series studies, and web-based investigations. A direct association between exposure andperception emerged in 20 studies. This systematic review has shown that most of the studies establisha relationship between risk perception measurement. A broad spectrum of concepts and notionsrelated to perception also emerged, which is undoubtedly an indicator of the wealth of availableknowledge and is promising for future research.