# A Fuzzy-Based Model to Detect Hotspots of Air Pollutants During Heatwaves in Urban Settlements

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a fuzzy-based model to identify urban areas with high air pollution during heatwaves, helping decision-makers prioritize critical zones for public health.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a fuzzy-based method integrated with GIS to detect pollutant hotspots and assess urban criticality during heatwaves.

## Key findings

- The method successfully identified urban hotspots with critical pollutant concentrations during heatwaves.
- Critical urban areas were determined based on high population density and exposure to health risks.
- The model provides actionable insights for decision-makers to prioritize urban areas for intervention.

## Abstract

High concentrations of pollutants in urban areas generate cardiovascular and respiratory problems in citizens; these are aggravated by the persistence of summer heatwaves. For this reason, in this research, we propose a fuzzy-based method for detecting air pollutant hotspots and determining critical urban areas for air pollution during heatwaves. After acquiring the pollutant concentration values recorded by monitoring stations during heatwaves, a spatial interpolation method is applied to obtain the distribution of the pollutant concentration during heatwaves and, subsequently, a fuzzification process is performed to determine urban hotspots in which the pollutant concentration assumes critical values. Finally, the critical urban areas are determined, consisting of the areas within hotspots with a high population density exposed to health risks. The method was implemented in a GIS platform and tested on an urban study area in the Lombardy region, Italy, to determine the urban areas with high criticality during the heatwaves that occurred in the summer months of 2024. The test results show that the method can provide valid support for decision makers and local administrators when evaluating which urban areas are most critical for the population due to the high rate of air pollution during heatwaves.