Well-being and environmental quality: Does pollution affect life satisfaction?
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to explore the effect of ambient air pollution on individual persons' levels of subjective well-being. Our research question was: to what extent is an individual's life satisfaction shaped by exposure to PM10?


METHODS
We used regression models to analyse data on subjective well-being indicators from the last two waves of the European social survey (ESS) and detailed information on local levels of the air pollutant PM10.


RESULTS
An increase in PM10 annual concentrations by 1 μg/m(3) was associated with a significant reduction in life satisfaction of .017 points on the ESS 10-point life satisfaction scale.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that even in cases of relatively low levels of PM10 air pollution (mean annual concentration of 8.3 ± 3.9 μg/m(3)), in addition to the effects on physical health, exposure negatively affects subjective assessments of well-being.
Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36-401, 51003, Tartu, Estonia. kati.orru@ut.ee.
Kati
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0616-9870
K
Orru
Department of Public Health, University of Tartu, Ravila 19, Tartu, Estonia.
Hans
H
Orru
Estonian Environmental Research Centre, Marja 4D, Tallinn, Estonia.
Marek
M
Maasikmets
Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36-401, 51003, Tartu, Estonia.
Reigo
R
Hendrikson
Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36-401, 51003, Tartu, Estonia.
Mare
M
Ainsaar
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
Air quality; Environmental pollution; Life satisfaction; Subjective health assessment