Showing papers on "Air pollutant concentrations published in 2013"
TL;DR: The new evidence collected supports the scientific conclusions of the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines and also provides scientific arguments for taking decisive actions to improve air quality and reduce the global burden of disease associated with air pollution.
Abstract: Particulate matter (PM) is regulated in various parts of the world based on specific size cut offs, often expressed as 10 or 2.5 µm mass median aerodynamic diameter. This pollutant is deemed one of the most dangerous to health and moreover, problems persist with high ambient concentrations. Continuing pressure to re-evaluate ambient air quality standards stems from research that not only has identified effects at low levels of PM but which also has revealed that reductions in certain components, sources and size fractions may best protect public health. Considerable amount of published information have emerged from toxicological research in recent years. Accumulating evidence has identified additional air quality metrics (e.g. black carbon, secondary organic and inorganic aerosols) that may be valuable in evaluating the health risks of, for example, primary combustion particles from traffic emissions, which are not fully taken into account with PM2.5 mass. Most of the evidence accumulated so far i...
362 citations
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present recommendations for concentration response functions for key pollutants to be included in costbenefit analysis supporting the revision of the European Union’s air quality policy and provide a response to a question posed by the European Commission in the framework of the WHO “Health risks of air pollution in Europe -HRAPIE” project.
Abstract: This document presents recommendations for concentration–response functions for key pollutants to be included in cost–benefit analysis supporting the revision of the European Union’s air quality policy. It provides a response to a question posed by the European Commission in the framework of the WHO “Health risks of air pollution in Europe – HRAPIE” project. The essential background to this response was developed through a review of evidence on health aspects of air pollutants summarized by an earlier WHO project, “Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution – REVIHAAP”. This report recommends concentration–response functions and associated background information for several mortality and morbidity effects associated with shortand long-term exposure to particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide. This publication arises from the HRAPIE project and was co-funded by the European Union.
153 citations
TL;DR: A risk-based, multi-pollutant air quality health index (AQHI) reporting system in Hong Kong, based on the Canadian approach, was developed in this paper, where the authors performed time series studies to obtain the relative risks of hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases associated with four air pollutants.
98 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of air pollution countermeasures was evaluated, and the Japanese environmental quality standard (EQS) for CO was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations, except those alongside roads.
Abstract: Air pollution trends in Japan between 1970 and 2012 were analyzed, and the impact of air pollution countermeasures was evaluated Concentrations of CO decreased from 1970 to 2012, and in 2012, the Japanese environmental quality standard (EQS) for CO was satisfied Concentrations of SO₂ dropped markedly in the 1970s, owing to use of desulfurization technologies and low-sulfur heavy oil Major reductions in the sulfur content of diesel fuel in the 1990s resulted in further decreases of SO₂ levels In 2012, the EQS for SO₂ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations Concentrations of NO₂ decreased from 1970 to 1985, but increased from 1985 to 1995 After 1995, NO₂ concentrations decreased, especially after 2006 In 2012, the EQS for NO₂ was satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations, except those alongside roads The annual mean for the daily maximum concentrations of photochemical oxidants (OX) increased from 1980 to 2010, but after 2006, the 98th percentile values of the OX concentrations decreased In 2012, the EQS for OX was not satisfied at most air quality monitoring stations Non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) concentrations generally decreased from 1976 to 2012 In 2011, NMHC concentrations near roads and in the general environment were nearly the same The concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) generally decreased In 2011, the EQS for SPM was satisfied at 692% of ambient air monitoring stations, and 729% of roadside air-monitoring stations Impacts from mineral dust from continental Asia were especially pronounced in the western part of Japan in spring, and year-round variation was large The concentration of PM 25 generally decreased, but the EQS for PM 25 is still not satisfied The air pollution trends were closely synchronized with promulgation of regulations designed to limit pollutant emissions Trans-boundary OX and PM 25 has become a big issue which contains global warming chemical species such as ozone and black carbon (so called SLCP: Short Lived Climate Pollutants) Cobeneficial reduction approach for these pollutants will be important to improve both in regional and global atmospheric environmental conditions
89 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential human health implications of climate change and N cycle interactions related to ambient air pollution are examined, and the authors conclude that changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are projected to both lengthen the ozone season and intensify high O3 episodes in some areas.
Abstract: Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are important components of ambient and indoor air pollution and are emitted from a range of combustion sources, including on-road mobile sources, electric power generators, and non-road mobile sources. While anthropogenic sources dominate, NOx is also formed by lightning strikes and wildland fires and is also emitted by soil. Reduced nitrogen (e.g., ammonia, NH3) is also emitted by various sources, including fertilizer application and animal waste decomposition. Nitrogen oxides, ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution related to atmospheric emissions of nitrogen (N) and other pollutants can cause premature death and a variety of serious health effects. Climate change is expected to impact how N-related pollutants affect human health. For example, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are projected to both lengthen the O3 season and intensify high O3 episodes in some areas. Other climate-related changes may increase the atmospheric release of N compounds through impacts on wildfire regimes, soil emissions, and biogenic emissions from terrestrial ecosystems. This paper examines the potential human health implications of climate change and N cycle interactions related to ambient air pollution.
88 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present sector-specific emissions for 2010 accounting for 62,000tons of fine PM, 55,000 kilograms of sulfur dioxide, and 89,000 kg of nitrogen oxide emissions.
Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) listed the air pollution in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) among the top 5 cities with the worst air quality in the world. Air quality in the winter season reaches highs of 750 μg/m3 for daily average fine particulates (PM) due to increased coal combustion and lower mixing heights (<200 m), coupled with the city’s geography surrounded by mountains, which further restricts the vertical and horizontal dispersion of the pollutants. The annual average concentrations in 2010–2011 ranged 136 ± 114 μg/m3 (the WHO guideline for fine PM is 10 μg/m3). The single largest source of particulate pollution in Ulaanbaatar is coal and biomass combustion in households and heat-only boilers, followed by power plants. In this paper, we present sector-specific emissions for 2010 accounting for 62,000 tons of fine PM, 55,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 89,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions. The inventory is spatially disaggregated at 0.01° resolution on a GIS platform for use in a chemical transport model (ATMoS). The modeled concentrations for the urban area ranged 153 ± 70 μg/m3, when overlaid on gridded population, resulted in estimated 1,000–1,500 premature deaths per year due to outdoor air pollution. This study also highlights the linkages between indoor and outdoor air pollution. In these harsh temperate conditions, with 50 % of the emissions originating from Ger households, they are as big a health risk for indoor air quality as they are for outdoor air quality. Any intervention improving combustion efficiency or providing clean fuel for these stoves will have a combined benefit for indoor air quality, outdoor air quality, and climate policy. The analysis shows that aggressive pollution control measures are imperative to protect the population in Ulaanbaatar from excess exposure levels, and implementation of control measures like the introduction of heat efficient stoves, clean coal for heating boilers, and urban transport planning will result in significant health benefits, which surpass any costs of institutional, technical, and economic interventions.
75 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a Generalized Additive Model was developed for predicting hourly PM10 concentrations in Makkah, and several metrics, including the coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.52), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 84), Fractional Bias (FB = −0.22), Factor of 2 (FAC2 =0.88), are calculated to assess the performance of the model.
Abstract: Particulate matter originates from a variety of sources in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Since Makkah is situated in an arid region and is a very busy city due to its religious importance in the Muslim world, PM10 concentrations here exceed the international and national air quality standards set for the protection of human health. The main aim of this paper is to model PM10 concentrations with the aid of meteorological variables (wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity) and traffic related air pollutant concentrations (carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and lag_PM10 concentrations), which are measured at the same location near Al-Haram (the Holy Mosque) in Makkah. A Generalized Additive Model was developed for predicting hourly PM10 concentrations. Predicted and observed PM10 concentrations are compared, and several metrics, including the coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.52), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 84), Fractional Bias (FB = –0.22) and Factor of 2 (FAC2 = 0.88), are calculated to assess the performance of the model. The results of these, along with a graphical comparison of the predicted and observed concentrations, show that model is able to perform well. While effects of all the covariates were significant (p-value ＜ 0.01), the meteorological variables, such as temperature and wind speed, seem to be the major controlling factors with regard to PM10 concentrations. Traffic related air pollutants showed a weak association with PM10 concentrations, suggesting road traffic is not the major source of these. No modeling study has been published with regards to air pollution in Makkah and thus this is the first work of this kind. Further work is required to characterize road traffic flow, speed and composition and quantify the contribution of each source, which is part of the ongoing project for managing the air quality in Makkah.
68 citations
TL;DR: Ambient air pollution remained a significant contributor to nonaccidental and cardiopulmonary mortalities in Beijing during 2009∼2010 and was evaluated to avoid collinearity of varied air pollutants.
Abstract: In recent decades, ambient air pollution has been an important public health issue in Beijing, but little is known about air pollution and health effects after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We conduct a time-series analysis to evaluate associations between daily mortality (nonaccidental, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality) and the major air pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter less than 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) in Beijing during the two years (2009,2010) after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We used generalized additive model to analyze relationship between daily mortality and air pollution. In single air pollutant model with two-day moving average concentrations of the air pollutants, increase in their interquartile range (IQR) associated with percent increase in nonaccidental mortality, 2.55 percent [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.99, 3.11] for CO, 2.54 percent (95% CI: 2.00, 3.08) for NO2 and 1.80 percent (95% CI: 1.21, 2.40) for PM10, respectively; increases in the IQR of air pollutant concentrations associated with percent increase in cardiovascular mortality, 2.88 percent (95% CI: 2.10,3.65) for CO, 2.63 percent (95% CI: 1.87, 3.39) for NO2 and 1.72 percent (95% CI: 0.88, 2.55) for PM10, respectively; and increase in IQR of air pollutant concentrations associated with respiratory mortality, 2.39 percent (95% CI: 0.68, 4.09) for CO, 1.79 percent (95% CI: 0.11, 3.47) for NO2 and 2.07 percent (95% CI: 0.21, 3.92) for PM10, respectively. We used the principal component analysis to avoid collinearity of varied air pollutants. In addition, the association stratified by sex and age was also examined. Ambient air pollution remained a significant contributor to nonaccidental and cardiopulmonary mortalities in Beijing during 2009,2010.
65 citations
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of an assessment model for emitted pollutants and effective strategies to reduce air pollution due to road transport in Indian context and there is an essential need to built up healthy environment and increase level of research around the world.
Abstract: Rapid urbanization and growth of motor vehicles impose a serious effect on human life and its environment in recent years. Most of the cities of India are being suffered by extremely high level of urban air pollution particularly in the form of CO, SO2, NO2, PM (Particulate Matter) and RSPM (Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter). Transport sectors contributes a major share to environmental pollution (around 70%). A among these pollutants CO is the major pollutant coming from the transport sector, contributing 90% of total emission. Hydrocarbons are next to CO .It is indeed interesting to observe that the contribution of transport sector to the particulate pollution is as less as 3-5%, most of the SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) are generated due to re-suspension of dust out of which PM10 is the most prominent air pollutant. NOx is another important air quality indicator. All these situations indicate that air pollution becoming a major problem in Indian context and there is an essential need to built up healthy environment and increase level of research around the world. The present study is a review of an assessment model for emitted pollutants and effective strategies to reduce air pollution due to road transport.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of the lichen Parmotrema reticulatum as an air pollution biomonitor of four heavy metals, namely, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), was assessed.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the temporal trends of air pollutant concentrations in the City of Makkah, near the Holy Mosque, have been assessed with the help of Theil-Sen approach and changepoint analysis, which are applicable to both normal and non-normal distributed data.
TL;DR: It is concluded that traffic and meteorological data are good predictors in estimating on-road traffic-related air pollutant concentrations and GAMs perform better for nonlinear variables, such as meteorological parameters.
Abstract: High concentrations of air pollutants on roadways, relative to ambient concentrations, contribute significantly to total personal exposure. Estimation of these exposures requires measurements or prediction of roadway concentrations. Our study develops, compares, and evaluates linear regression and nonlinear generalized additive models (GAMs) to estimate on-road concentrations of four key air pollutants, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PB-PAH), particle number count (PNC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) using traffic, meteorology, and elevation variables. Critical predictors included wind speed and direction for all the pollutants, traffic-related variables for PB-PAH, PNC, and NOx, and air temperatures and relative humidity for PM2.5. GAMs explained 50%, 55%, 46%, and 71% of the variance for log or square-root transformed concentrations of PB-PAH, PNC, NOx, and PM2.5, respectively, an improvement of 5% to over 15% over the linear models. Accounting for temporal autocorrelation in the GAMs further improved the prediction, explaining 57-89% of the variance. We concluded that traffic and meteorological data are good predictors in estimating on-road traffic-related air pollutant concentrations and GAMs perform better for nonlinear variables, such as meteorological parameters.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a bottom-up approach to estimate the amount of air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and aldehydes (RCHO), emitted by road transportation in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) from 1980 to 2010.
TL;DR: In this article, a mobile monitoring platform was used to measure real-time air pollutant concentrations in different built environments of Boyle Heights (BH), a lower-income community enclosed by several freeways, and Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA, adjacent to BH with taller buildings and surrounded by many freeways).
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors modeled traffic at individual vehicle level, estimates emissions from on-road vehicle sources accounting for drive cycles, estimates how those emissions are dispersed through the atmosphere, and finally estimates the exposed population at times of peak emissions.
Abstract: This paper models traffic at the individual vehicle level, estimates emissions from on-road vehicle sources accounting for drive cycles, estimates how those emissions are dispersed through the atmosphere; and finally estimates the exposed population at times of peak emissions. In the study area, the Toronto Waterfront Area, emissions are highest on the high capacity roadways, and higher in the peak direction of traffic. Pollutant concentrations are higher along the freeways. However, population exposure to these pollutants is highest in the central business district due to the higher population density. Evaluation of scenarios shows significant NOx and HC reduction of 12% and 4% when medium duty diesel trucks are converted to ultra-low emission vehicles.
TL;DR: In this article, the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter has been used to spectrally decompose pollutant time series into different forcings that are controlled by different atmospheric processes influencing the predicted and observed pollutant concentrations.
TL;DR: In this article, the spatio-temporal characteristics of the holiday effect, defined as the difference in air pollutant concentrations between the holiday (Chinese New Year) and non-holiday periods during 1994-2008, and its association with the degree of urbanization in Taiwan are examined.
TL;DR: The results of this study suggest that the GMDH model may be applied to PAH concentration prediction for the study area and may be applicable for other countries based on routine monitoring of air pollutant concentrations and meteorological conditions.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors investigated the relationship between winter air pollutant concentrations and ten meteorological parameters, and multiple linear regression models were developed for estimating NO2 and PM10 concentrations over urban Lanzhou, North-western China.
Abstract: Relationships between winter air pollutant concentrations and ten meteorological parameters were investigated based on observed pollutant concentrations and high-resolution meteorological data from weather research and forecast model, and multiple linear regression models were developed for estimating NO2 and PM10 concentrations over urban Lanzhou, North-western China. Results indicated that pollutant concentration correlated better with boundary layer height and potential temperature lapse rate than with other meteorological parameters. There is a lag time of 3–12 hrs for meteorology conditions to have an effect on pollutant concentrations in urban and 12–17 hrs in rural areas, with longer lag time for wind than for temperature stratification. The overall performance of the multiple linear regression models is basically comparable to the widely used comprehensive air quality models and artificial neural network models. The method used here provides another way to estimate possible spatial distributions of pollutant concentrations with less computing time and input data, and could be applied to other cities for urban planning or air quality management purposes.
TL;DR: This study demonstrates that hazardous air pollutants from industrial accidents can successfully be identified and traced back to their emission sources by applying a timely and comprehensive air-monitoring campaign and back trajectory air flow models.
01 Oct 2013
TL;DR: A meta-modelling approach based on neural network evaluation is proposed to improve the estimated spatial distribution of the pollutant concentrations and provides more reliable results of the estimation and offers better predictions of ozone concentrations than those obtained by using the TAPM-CTM model only, when compared to the measurement data collected at monitoring stations.
Abstract: Continuous measurements of the air pollutant concentrations at monitoring stations serve as a reliable basis for air quality regulations. Their availability is however limited only at locations of interest. In most situations, the spatial distribution beyond these locations still remains uncertain as it is highly influenced by other factors such as emission sources, meteorological effects, dispersion and topographical conditions. To overcome this issue, a larger number of monitoring stations could be installed, but it would involve a high investment cost. An alternative solution is via the use of a deterministic air quality model (DAQM), which is mostly adopted by regulatory authorities for prediction in the temporal and spatial domain as well as for policy scenario development. Nevertheless, the results obtained from a model are subject to some uncertainties and it requires, in general, a significant computation time. In this work, a meta-modelling approach based on neural network evaluation is proposed to improve the estimated spatial distribution of the pollutant concentrations. From a dispersion model, it is suggested that the spatially-distributed pollutant levels (i.e. ozone, in this study) across a region under consideration is a function of the grid coordinates, topographical information, solar radiation and the pollutant's precursor emission. Initially, for training the model, the input-output relationship is extracted from a photochemical dispersion model called The Air Pollution Model and Chemical Transport Model (TAPM-CTM), and some of those input-output data are correlated with the ambient measurements collected at monitoring stations. Here, improved radial basis function networks, incorporating a proposed technique for selection of the network centres, will be developed and trained by using the data obtained and the forward selection approach. The methodology is then applied to estimate the ozone concentrations in the Sydney basin, Australia. Once executed, apart from the advantage of inexpensive computation, it provides more reliable results of the estimation and offers better predictions of ozone concentrations than those obtained by using the TAPM-CTM model only, when compared to the measurement data collected at monitoring stations.
TL;DR: In this article, the trends of criteria air pollutants' concentrations over Seoul are reviewed, relative contributions of major sources are discussd, and directions for future air quality management are suggested, and it is suggested that to further reduce the concentrations of secondary air pollutants such as ozone and, understanding the major chemical pathways for them is essential.
Abstract: The trends of the criteria air pollutants` concentrations over Seoul are reviewed, relative contributions of major sources are discussd, and directions for future air quality management are suggested. It was shown that the yearly average concentrations of the criteria air pollutants except nitrogen dioxide and ozone have decreased significantly over the last three decades. Though the concentration of nitrogen dioxide has not decreased, the concentration of has decreased significantly. The major reason for the reduction of the criteria air pollutants has been strict government regulations such as establishment of strict emission standards and switch to cleaner fuels. However, it is not clear the major reason (s) for the reduction of the concentration. It is suggested that to further reduce the concentrations of secondary air pollutants such as ozone and , understanding the major chemical pathways for them is essential. In addition, influence from outside Seoul should be quantified and effectively controlled.
TL;DR: A new approach for determining the contributions of emission sources to trends in concentrations of particulate matter and gases is developed using the chemical mass balance (CMB) method and the U.S. EPA's National Emission Inventory (NEI).
Abstract: A new approach for determining the contributions of emission sources to trends in concentrations of particulate matter and gases is developed using the chemical mass balance (CMB) method and the U.S. EPA’s National Emission Inventory (NEI). The method extends our earlier analysis by using temporally varying emission profiles and includes accounting of primary and secondary particulate organic carbon with an empirical regression calculation. The model offers a potentially important tool for verifying that annual emission reductions by major source category have yielded changes in ambient pollutant concentrations. Using long-term measurements from well-instrumented monitoring sites, observed trends in ambient pollutant concentrations at urban and rural locations can be attributed to emission changes. Trends apportionment is conducted on 2000–2011 ambient monitoring data from the SEARCH network with NEI emissions data adjusted to improve interinventory consistency. The application accounts for major source c...
31 Aug 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an analytical and easy-to-use method for evaluating the presence of air pollutants in small harbor areas along the Italian shores, and the potential exposure of workers to that risk.
Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to present an analytical and easy-to-use method for evaluating the presence of air pollutants in small harbour areas along the Italian shores, and the potential exposure of workers to that risk. The research aims to highlight the possible differences in air quality characterization among different areas and periods of any analysed harbour. Therefore, the proposed method foresees a seasonal monitoring of some atmospheric pollutants within examined ports, identifying wherever possible the main source of air pollution for each zone. In particular, to pinpoint the most critical areas, the methodology foresees the monitoring of concentrations for some selected pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, particular matter and benzene. The methodology, developed within the framework of a research project supported by the Regional Authority of Lazio, has been tested in four pilot port areas. The acquired results point out that air pollutant concentrations could significantly diverge among different areas and periods of a single harbour and, consequentially, the evaluation of the results allows a spatial and temporal comparison of pollutants concentrations in each portal zone. Thus, the described method represents a useful tool for local administrations to plan best practices and the use of the best available technologies for impact mitigation, with the final goal of reducing air pollution in the most critical portal zones.
TL;DR: In this paper, a novel Air Resource Co-Benefits (ARCoB) model has been developed to assess the comprehensive social benefits of greenhouse gas GHG mitigation policy, and two cases of energy efficiency improvement in different scales are analyzed to estimate the annual co-benefits of abatements of air pollutants and greenhouse gas.
Abstract: This study examines the monetary value of social costs—private costs and negative externalities—that could be avoided by energy conservation actions. A novel Air Resource Co-Benefits (ARCoB) model has been developed in this study to assess the comprehensive social benefits of greenhouse gas GHG mitigation policy. The rollback model is used to estimate changes in air pollutant concentrations attributed to the emission reductions. Change in ozone concentration is converted from non-methane hydrocarbons based on the maximum ozone increment reactivity. In addition to saved medical expenditure, years of potential life lost (YPLL) is estimated based on the exposure-response coefficients for mortality and is calculated with abridged life table. Two cases of energy efficiency improvement in different scales are analyzed to estimate the annual co-benefits of abatements of air pollutants and greenhouse gas in 2009: 1) the energy intensity reduction in the industrial sector and 2) energy saving at Taipei Taiwan City Hall. Results indicate the saved energy cost accounted for 66 % and 70 % in the first and second case, respectively, and was a major part of the total benefit from energy conservation. The saved air pollution fee was 7.8–8.5 times lower than the averted health cost of medical expenditure, which was US$10.34 million in the first case, in which there were also averted YPLL of 3,478 person-years or averted deaths of 311 persons per year.
01 May 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present analysis of the 2008 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and comparison to previous years of inventory data, with a primary focus on the last full NEI -the 2005 NEI.
Abstract: The overarching purpose of this report is to present analysis of the 2008 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and comparison to previous years of inventory data, with a primary focus on the last full NEI - the 2005 NEI. This report describes the national and regional patterns of criteria air pollutants (CAP)/hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emission distributions in the 2008 NEI and which sources contribute to these releases. It does not assess nor predict the absolute risks to human health and ecosystems that may be associated with the presence of any of these specific air pollutants, but rather focuses on the intensity of emission releases that may pose elevated risks. Pollutants of greatest interest include not only those that contribute to ozone and particle pollution, but also HAPs that are predicted by the 2005 National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) to be the most harmful to human health. To facilitate a more concise document, the report includes just 27 pollutants. Eight of these 27 pollutants are either CAPs or precursors to CAPs, and the remaining 19 are HAPs. Criteria for selection is discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the trajectory model OZIPR (Ozone Isopleth Package for Research) and the chemical model SAPRC99 (Statewide Air Pollution Research Centre) to assess the impact on ozone formation in the troposphere of Rio de Janeiro for the next several years.
Abstract: The increase in the number of motorcycles in large Brazilian cities is due to several factors such as traffic, low cost, mobility, few parking lots and the low efficiency of public transportation, becoming an important factor in air quality deterioration. In this context, vehicle emissions monitoring is essential to understand the contribution to air pollution as a whole. In this scenario, the emissions were sampled on a motorcycle dynamometer test bench and analyzed by gas chromatography and on-line analyzers according to the EC/97/24 standard (European Commission). Emissions from motorcycles using commercial gasoline (with 22% of ethanol) were used in combination with meteorological data and ambient air pollutants for Rio de Janeiro City (Brazil) during the Winter of 2011, using the trajectory model OZIPR (Ozone Isopleth Package for Research) and the chemical model SAPRC99 (State-wide Air Pollution Research Centre) to assess the impact on the ozone formation in the troposphere of Rio de Janeiro for the next several years. The results indicate that ozone levels will exceed the established limits by national legislation within three years. The study also showed that pollutant emission rates stay in agreement with emissions recommended by the Brazilian legislation for all phases. The increase in ozone concentration occurs due to high emissions of reactive volatile organic compounds in an atmosphere with high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Given this scenario, additional measures are necessary to manage emissions from mobile sources in the future.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the short term effects of a drastic change in emissions on a national scale during the Jewish holiday of Day of Atonement (DA) in Israel.
TL;DR: The findings suggest that NO2 and O3 ambient air concentrations may adversely affect cardiovascular health, as measured by the dispensing of glyceryl trinitrates for angina pectoris, and suggest that data on the dispensed of medication may be a valuable health indicator when studying the effect of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity.
Abstract: Background: Ambient air pollution has been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In Reykjavik, Iceland, air pollutant concentrations exceed official health limits several times every year. The aim was to study the association of concentrations of NO2 ,O 3 ,P M10, and H2S in the Reykjavik capital area with the dispensing of anti-angina pectoris medication, glyceryl trinitrate to the inhabitants. Methods: Data on daily dispensing of glyceryl trinitrate, were retrieved from the Icelandic Medicines Registry. Data on hourly concentrations of NO2 ,O 3 ,P M10, and H2S were obtained from the Environment Agency of Iceland. A case-crossover design was used, based on the dispensing of glyceryl trinitrate to 5,246 individuals (≥18 years) between 2005 and 2009. Results: For every 10 μg/m 3 increase of NO2 and O3 3-day mean concentrations, the odds ratio (OR) for daily dispensing of glyceryl trinitrates was 1.136 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.069-1.207) and 1.094 (95% CI 1.029-1.163) at lag 0, and OR was 1.096 (95% CI 1.029-1.168) and 1.094 (95% CI 1.028-1.166) at lag 1, respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that NO2 and O3 ambient air concentrations may adversely affect cardiovascular health, as measured by the dispensing of glyceryl trinitrates for angina pectoris. Further, the findings suggest that data on the dispensing of medication may be a valuable health indicator when studying the effect of air pollution on cardiovascular morbidity.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the variations of ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in different months at three stations and also explored the correlations between pollutants.
Abstract: Background: Today, air pollution is one of the major problems in large cities including Isfahan. Methods: The objective of this study was to investigate the variations of ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in different months at three stations and also to explore the correlations between pollutants. Monthly averages of air pollutant concentrations recorded in three pollution monitoring stations (Bozorgmehr, Azadi, and Laleh) were obtained in 2008 and 2009. Results: There were significant monthly variations in the concentrations of air quality parameters. Results showed that there was a correlation between ozone and particle matter (p<0.05), and between nitric oxide and nitrogen oxides (p<0.01). The statistical analysis indicated that there were significant differences in the O3, NO, NOx and PM10 concentrations. Conclusion: The air quality monitoring data collected in city center of Isfahan showed seasonal variations for O3, CO, NO, NO2, NOx, SO2, and PM10.