Air pollutant concentrations

About: Air pollutant concentrations is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1652 publications have been published within this topic receiving 36138 citations.

Hazardous Air Pollutant Source Emissions for a Chemical Fiber Manufacturing Facility in Taiwan

Abstract: The chemical and fiber industries in Taiwan are very importantcontributors to economic development of Taiwan over the past several decades, but it often associated with serious air pollution problems. The study was initiated in response to odorcomplaints from residents of neighborhoods located adjacent tothe largest chemical fiber manufacturing plant in Taiwan. The purposes of this article are: (1) to characterize the source emissions; (2) to quantify some odorous components and VOCs in the ambient air around the plant; and (3) to compare measured ambient concentrations of emitted compounds with Taiwan's guidelines for Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) ambient concentrations. Gas samples were analyzed for targetsulfurous and volatile organic compounds, e.g., sulfides, mercaptans, BTX, etc. Ambient samples were collected using Tenax adsorbent tubes for mass spectrometric analysis. On-site sampling and analysis was also conducted for SO2 by Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM). The resulting measured ambient air concentrations were compared to published odor threshold limits and Taiwan's regulatory standards for hazardousair pollutants. Subsequently, a Gaussian dispersion model incorporating the measured data was applied to estimate the source emissions and provide advance warning to the affected neighborhoods. The factors controlling formation of the odors at the facility and in the residential neighborhoods were identified. Additionally, environmental conditions (wind speedand wind direction) that could affect concentrations of emission constituents were discussed.

Relationships between environmental factors and lung function of asthmatic subjects in south east Queensland, Australia.

Abstract: Few panel studies have investigated the relationships between air pollutants and air spora and lung function change in asthmatic subjects. This article examines the association of outdoor air pollutant concentrations and air spora with the decrease in lung function (measured by morning peak expiratory flow) of two groups of asthmatic subjects in the subtropical environment of South East Queensland, Australia. Lung function responses were stratified by age, allergy status, and location, and seasonal effects were examined. Allergy status and age were found to be important, with air pollutants such as ozone and particles associated with decreases in lung function in allergic individuals older than 15 years. Fungal spore counts were strongly associated with a decrease in lung function in allergic adults, especially in those over 54 years, only in seasons when these air spora peak. Analysis for the entire study period indicates that the effect of ozone on peak expiratory flow in the allergic group can sometimes be confounded by air spora effects, indicating that in a subtropical climate the impact of ozone on asthma severity can be accurately estimated only when the confounding effects of air spora are included.

Application of a parallel photochemical air quality model to the Campania region (southern Italy)

Abstract: During most of the year, the concentrations of both primary and secondary air pollutants over the Campania region (southern Italy) do not comply with the Italian air quality standards. To gain insight into the chemical and meteorological processes that lead to high air pollutant concentrations over this area, the parallel package PNAM (Parallel Naples Airshed Model) has been developed, for the numerical simulation of photosmog episodes on urban and regional scale domains. PNAM has been applied to a photosmog episode which occurred on 26 July 1995. On this day, due to the stagnant conditions and the intensive solar radiation, a high ozone concentration was reported for the Naples basin. The performance of PNAM has been assessed by comparing measured air quality data with simulated data for O3, NO, NO2 and CO. PNAM was able to reproduce temporal and spatial characteristics of measured air quality data, although some discrepancies were evident, probably mainly due to the emission inventory, which was based only on total annual emissions.