Showing papers on "Air quality index published in 1995"

Effects of Air Quality Regulation

Abstract: This paper investigates the effects of local regulatory effort on ground level ozone air quality and on industrial location. Local regulatory effort varies by annual air quality attainment status and by state attitudes towards the environment. A switch from attainment to non-attainment status induces greater regulatory effort in a county, leading to an improvement in air quality. Air quality readings for ground level ozone improve by 3-8% depending on the exact air quality measure, following a switch to non-attainment status. Pro-environment states, which ceteris paribus, spend relatively more on pollution abatement also have cleaner air. A 1% increase in typical annual state pollution abatement expenditures leads to about a .04% improvement in local ozone readings. Heavily polluting industries show a tendency to move to counties with a record of clean air, where they are less likely to be hassled. A county switching to having a three-year record of attainment experiences a 7-9% growth in the number of heavily polluting establishments. This implies polluting industries are spreading out geographically moving from non- attainment (polluted) areas to attainment (initially less polluted) areas. Finally, for ozone, localities may improve the annual hourly extreme value reading used to measure officially local air quality, without improving measures (mean, medians, medians of daily maximum) of more typical ozone conditions. This occurs by spreading out economic activity over the day to dampen peaks of ozone inducing activity and subsequent daily ozone peaks.

Effects of Air Quality Regulation

Abstract: The national strategy is to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. But much of the application, implementation and enforcement of federal guidelines and regulations is at the local level which is the focus of this paper. The author investigates effects of air quality regulation of ozone in the United States for the period 1977-1987. 26 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

Environmental Economics and Management: Theory, Policy and Applications

Abstract: Part I: Modelling Environmental Problems. The Role of Economics in Environmental Management. Modelling the Market Process: A Review of the Basics. Modelling Market Failure. Part II: Modelling Solutions to Environmental Problems. Conventional Solutions to Environmental Problems: The Command-and-Control Approach. Economic Solutions to Environmental Problems: The Market Approach. Part III: Analytical Tools for Environmental Planning. Environmental Decision Making: Public Policy Development. Environment Risk Analysis. Assessing Benefits for Environmental Decision Making. Assessing Costs for Environmental Decision Making. Benefit-Cost Analysis in Environmental Decision Making. Part IV: The Case of Air. Defining Air Quality: The Standard-Setting Process. Improving Air Quality: Controlling Mobile and Stationary Sources. Global Air Quality: Policies for Ozone Depletion and Global Warming. Part V: The Case of Water. Defining Water Quality: The US Clean Water Act. Improving Water Quality: Controlling Point and Nonpoint Sources. Protecting Drinking Water: The US Safe Drinking Water Act. Managing Hazardous Solid Waste. Managing Municipal Solid Waste. Controlling Toxic Chemicals: Production, Use and Disposal. Part VI: Environmental Management in Transition. Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development.

Short-term effects of air-pollution on health - a european approach using epidemiologic time-series data - the aphea project - background, objectives, design

Abstract: Recent studies investigating the adverse health effects of air pollution indicate that effects exist around and below the current national and international air quality guidelines and standards. However, the difficult methodological issues involved, and the diversity of analytical techniques so far applied, hinder direct between-study comparability and the drawing of clear conclusions. The APHEA (Air Pollution on Health: European Approach) project is an attempt to provide quantitative estimates of the short-term health effects of air pollution, using an extensive data base from 10 different European countries, which represent various social, environmental and air pollution situations. Within the framework of the project, the methodology of analysing epidemiological time series data, as well as that of performing meta-analysis, are further developed and standardized. Data have been collected from 15 European cities with a total population exceeding 25 million. The exposure data consist of daily measurements of black smoke, sulphur dioxide, suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone (each available in several, though not all, cities) from already existing monitoring networks. There is substantial variability in air pollution mixtures and air pollutant levels in participating cities. The mean (24 h) levels of SO2 range 27-327 micrograms.m-3 in the winter season, and those of black smoke range 15-292 micrograms.m-3. The mean (1 h) levels of ozone in the summer season range 32-166 micrograms.m-3. The outcome data are daily counts of total and cause-specific deaths and hospital emergency admissions. Data on potential confounders (mainly meteorological and chronological variables) are also used. There is large diversity in the climatic conditions in the different cities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Control system for air quality and temperature conditioning unit with high capacity filter bypass

Abstract: An air conditioning unit is provided with a high capacity filtration system for removing pollutants from supply air, typically return air which has been recirculated from the conditioned area. A filter bypass passage and suitable flow control devices are provided so that supply air, typically fresh outdoor air, may be routed around the filtration system when minimal or no filtration is required. An air quality detector samples the air quality and positions the flow control devices to effect the most cost efficient operation of the air handling unit under the given operating conditions.

Air pollution and health.

Abstract: The haze of photochemical smog that collects over cities has been seen by most people during hot summer spells. Media reports on adverse health effects abound, and in Britain last week the environment minister asked motorists to leave their cars at home. Is this wise advice or overreaction? The fact that air pollution can be harmful has been accepted in Britain since 4000 excess deaths were recorded during the smog in December 1952.1 The public outcry that followed led to the Clean Air Act of 1957. Air quality improved to the extent that the Clean Air Council was abolished in 1979, the Medical Research Council's Air Pollution Unit was closed a year later, and the monitoring network was largely disbanded. Classic industrial air pollution was made up largely of smoke and sulphur dioxide from the burning of coal and generally occurred in winter. In Britain this has mainly been replaced by pollution from the combustion of petrol and diesel, which predominantly takes place in vehicles. Vehicle exhausts emit oxides of nitrogen (particularly nitrogen dioxide), carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulates, and lead. On hot, still days these accumulate over cities, together with low concentrations of industrial pollutants, and undergo further reactions catalysed …

Energy use, emissions, and air pollution reduction strategies in Asia

Abstract: In contrast to Europe and North America, air pollution in Asia is increasing rapidly, resulting in both local air quality problems and higher acidic depositions. In 1989, an east-west group of scientists initiated a multi-institutional research project on Acid Rain and Emissions Reduction in Asia, funded for the past two years by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Phase I, covering 23 countries of Asia, focussed on the development of PC-based software called the Regional Air Pollution INformation and Simulation Model (RAINS-ASIA). A 94-region Regional Energy Scenario Generator was developed to create alternative energy/emission scenarios through the year 2020. A long-range atmospheric transport model was developed to calculate dispersion and deposition of sulfur, based upon emissions from area and large point sources, on a one-degree grid of Asia. The resulting impacts of acidic deposition on a variety of vegetation types were analyzed using the critical loads approach to test different emissions management strategies, including both energy conservation measures and sulfur abatement technologies.

Use of ozone generating devices to improve indoor air quality.

Abstract: Room ozonization has been in widespread use to “freshen” indoor air for more than 100 years. This use is sometimes promoted with the claim that ozone can oxidize airborne gases, and even particulates, to simple carbon dioxide and water vapor. Aside from whether ozone can improve indoor air quality, the potentially deleterious consequences to public health of overexposure to ozone are of concern. The literature on both allegations is reviewed. It indicates that ozone is not a practical and effective means of improving indoor air quality, especially in light of its potentially serious risk to health.

Determining temporal and spatial variations in ozone air quality.

Abstract: Unless the change in emissions is substantial, the resulting improvement in ozone air quality can be easily masked by the meteorological variability. Therefore, the meteorological and chemical signals must be separated in examining ozone trends. In this paper, we discuss the use of the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filter in evaluating the temporal and spatial variations in ozone air quality utilizing ozone concentration data from several monitoring locations in the northeastern United States. The results indicate a downward trend in the ozone concentrations during the period 1983- 1992 at most locations in the northeastern United States. The results also reveal that ozone is a regional-scale problem in the Northeast.

The Use of Nested Models for Air Pollution Studies: An Application of the EURAD Model to a SANA Episode

Abstract: A multiple-nesting version of the European Acid Deposition Model (EURAD) has been developed in order to increase the horizontal resolution in a region of enhanced pollution, namely the former German Democratic Republic. This new technique allows the ability to simulate large-scale features together with the development of smaller-scale structures in the nested regions. This multiple-nesting approach was applied to a case that occurred in October 1990, the so-called SANA 1 episode. SANA is a German acronym that stands for “scientific program for the assessment of the air pollution situation in the former German Democratic Republic.” The SANA program was established to observe the rapid change in composition of air pollutants and their concentration levels over the eastern part of Germany due to political and economical changes. Thus, within the SANA program there is a unique chance to observe and control the effect of air quality strategies. Two nested areas are embedded in a coarse domain that co...

Observations of Transport Processes for Ozone and Ozone Precursors during the 1991 Lake Michigan Ozone Study

Abstract: The Lake Michigan Air Quality Region (LMAQR) continues to experience ozone concentrations in urban and rural areas above the federal standard of 125 ppb. During the summer of 1991, the LMAQR states sponsored the Lake Michigan Ozone Study, which included a comprehensive field measurement program to gather data to understand the complex meteorology and air quality of that region and to verify predictions from air quality models. Air quality and meteorological data were collected by aircraft, surface monitors, rawinsondes, and radar wind profilers to characterize pollutant distributions and understand transport regimes. The unique meteorology of the LMAQR and the stable conditions over the lake produce several transport regimes. This paper presents observations of these transport regimes on two days with maximum surface ozone concentrations above 160 ppb in Wisconsin and Michigan. Transport of air with the highest ozone concentrations occurred in a conduction layer, which is a shallow layer of cool ...

Air conditioning apparatus

Abstract: PURPOSE:To enhance productivity of an air conditioning apparatus capable of detecting the state of air quality in a room and effectively actuating each functioning part thereof automatically on the basis of the detection of air quan tity and further improve workability in the room by simplification of mounting work and space-saving in the room CONSTITUTION:A plurality of separate air quality-related devices 7, 8 are collectively housed in a casing 1 Further, each of the devices 7, 8 housed in the easing 1 is allowed to work in conjunction with a sensor adapted to detect the state of air quality in a room and with a control part for indicating an operational mode on the basis of the state of air quality thus detected Furthermore, pipes 9, 10 of each of the devices 7, 8 housed in the casing 1 are used in common Moreover, by setting an NO2 adsorbing filter in an air flow passage of each of the devices 7, 8 in the casing 1, nitrogen dioxide contained in indoor air or in air sucked from the outside of the room is eliminated, and the indoor air quality is improved

Update and revision of the air quality guidelines for Europe.

Abstract: Clean air is considered to be a basic requirement for human health and well-being. Therefore, the World Health Organization has been concerned with air pollution and its impact on human health for 40 years. The first WHO conference on public health aspects of air pollution in Europe was held in Milan in 1957, and was followed by several activities of the Regional Office for Europe in this field, all aiming at international cooperation and harmonization of environmental policies in the European Region. These activities culminated in the development of the WHO Air Quality Guidelines for Europe.

System for providing integrated zone indoor air quality control

Abstract: A system for providing air quality control for an indoor area divided into a plurality of zones, controls air quality both centrally and at each of the zones, and includes a central controller (101), a central damper (103), a supply air stream duct (105), a return air duct (107), a plurality of zone controllers (111, 113, 115), a plurality of zone dampers (121, 123, 125), a plurality of air quality sensors (131, 133, 135) (e.g. CO₂, volatile organic compounds, humidity, etc...) and a plurality of temperature sensors (141, 143, 145). An output value of an air quality sensor (131-135) from one of the zones, is compared with a zone maximum threshold value and a zone minimum threshold value. The damper (123-125) of the corresponding zone is modulated to vary the supply air flow into the zone. These steps are repeated for each zone. A predetermined function (e.g. average, maximum, minimum, etc...) of the output values from all of the zones is compared with a central maximum threshold value and a central minimum threshold value, and the central damper is modulated to vary the flow of outside air into the supply air stream based on this comparison.

Molecular techniques and their potential application in monitoring the microbiological quality of indoor air

Abstract: Health effects associated with poor indoor air quality have created a need for accurate, reproducible methods of monitoring the microbiological content of indoor air. Improved methods of detection may allow researchers to clarify the effect of individual species present in the indoor environment on human health. This review discusses the shortcomings of current methods of identification and detection and focuses on the potential for molecular techniques in this emerging field. Probe techniques, restriction endonuclease analysis, karyotyping, and DNA and polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting methods available to detect and identify bacteria and fungi significant in the indoor air environment are discussed. Problems that may be encountered using these techniques are also considered. The authors have included a brief discussion on current air sampling techniques as well as adapting these techniques for use with molecular detection methods.Key words: indoor air microbiology, microbiological air sampling, m...

The basin of Mexico.

Abstract: This chapter in a book on environmentally threatened regions of the world which presents a case study of the Basin of Mexico illustrates that the conditions of open space water availability water and air quality and sewage treatment are pushing the region beyond the ability to sustain the present quality of life. Mexico Citys urban expansion is expected to cover 2700 sq. km by the year 2000. 30 million people will live in the Basin. The region will need a sustained source of water. This would require expensive water pumping from other regions. At the present rate of change 92% of the Basin will soon be covered by houses and roads. During the past 100 years the region has shifted from high self-sufficiency in natural resources to dependence on imports. The Basin passed its ability to supply sufficient water for its population in the 1960s. Mexico City has not solved the problems of solid waste disposal and recycling. Air quality is very low in some areas at certain times of the year due to thermal inversions that trap pollutants. Automobile emissions account for 85% of all atmospheric pollutants and the number of cars continues to increase at a rate of 7% annually. Vulnerability is dependent on reducing the number of cars on the road and on sustained emission controls. Environmental awareness occurred during the 1970s. During the 1980s environmental policy became a higher government priority. In mid-1980 the government began to act to prevent pollution. Several laws were passed during 1989-94 to prevent pollution. However the programs and laws have had minimal impact on the critical levels of pollution. Economic interests are still strong and the control measures are too small in scope to have an impact. Four major types of environmental groups are active and aim to change public opinion. The history of this region is one of growth collapse and rebirth. The government and society must find new ways to solve old problems of centralism resource dependence and pollution.

Wind erosion and its impact on off-site air quality in the Columbia Plateau ― an integrated research plan

Abstract: With the advent of the 1990 Clean Air Act came the responsibility to monitor and control fugitive air particulates with diameters less than 10 micron (10 ¥ 10–6-m, PM10). Many urban areas, particularly in the Western United States, have experienced concentrations of these particulates which exceeded the federal health standards of this legislation a sufficient number of days that costly remedial measures have been required. In several of these cases, it has been evident that a significant amount of this material was generated by wind erosion on upwind agricultural fields, entrained in the regional air mass, and impacted downwind urban areas. There is an urgent need to better define the hazards and controls of PM10 particulate material emitted by wind erosion on agricultural lands. It is not possible with current knowledge to determine the quantity of PM10 material emitted from agricultural areas or to prescribe appropriate control methods. An extensive research and evaluation plan has been developed and initiated for the Columbia Plateau of Eastern Washington State with multi-disciplinary and multi-agency involvement.

Monetary values of air pollutant emissions in various u.s. regions

Abstract: Monetary values of emissions of criteria pollutants are needed for evaluating the costs and benefits associated with technologies that have the potential to reduce emissions. Emission values can be estimated by using either a damage value method or a control cost method. With the damage value method, emission values are estimated on the basis of estimated emissions, air quality simulation, damage identification, and valuation of damages. With the control cost method, the marginal control cost--the cost of controlling the last unit of emissions for meeting a given air quality standard--is estimated; the estimated marginal cost is treated as the value of emission reductions achieved by a given control technology. Although studies have been conducted to estimate emission values in some U.S. areas, emission values are still lacking in many others. Estimating emission values for various U.S. areas by using either method can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Regression relationships are developed between emission values and air pollutant concentrations and population exposed with emission values already estimated for some U.S. areas. On the basis of the developed relationships, emission values have been estimated for various U.S. areas that lack them. These estimates can serve as interim values for these areas until detailed, original estimates become available.