Showing papers on "Air quality index published in 2006"
TL;DR: A modeling study using hourly meteorological and pollution concentration data from across the coterminous United States demonstrates that urban trees remove large amounts of air pollution that consequently improve urban air quality.
1,865 citations
Book•
31 Dec 2006
1,591 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the development and current status of the major environmental problems caused by city clusters, focusing on water and air pollution, and suggest possi-ble strategies for solving these problems.
Abstract: City clusters are made up of groups of large, nearly contiguous cities with many adjoining satellite cities and towns. Over the past two decades, such clusters have played a leading role in the economic growth of China, owing to their collective economic capacity and interdependency. However, the economic boom has led to a general decline in environmental quality. This paper will review the development and current status of the major environmental problems caused by city clusters, focusing on water and air pollution, and suggest possi- ble strategies for solving these problems. Currently, deteriorating water quality is of major concern to the pub- lic and decision makers alike, and more than three-quarters of the urban population are exposed to air quality that does not meet the national ambient air quality standards of China. Furthermore, this pollution is charac- terized by high concentrations of both primary and secondary pollutants. Environmental pollution issues are therefore much more complex in China than in western countries. China is expected to quadruple its GDP by 2020 (using 2000 as the base year for comparison) and, consequently, will face even more serious environmen- tal challenges. Improving energy efficiency and moderating the consumption of natural resources are essential if China is to achieve a balance between economic development and environmental health.
621 citations
TL;DR: Exposure assessment studies carried out in the developing world on several traffic-related air pollutants are reviewed and advantages and disadvantages of various monitoring methods for these pollutants in exposure assessment studies are discussed.
579 citations
TL;DR: Using 1 year of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrievals from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) on board NASA's Terra and Aqua satellite along with ground measurements of PM2.5 mass concentration, the authors assess particulate matter air quality over different locations across the global urban areas spread over 26 locations in Sydney, Delhi, Hong Kong, New York City and Switzerland.
550 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the relationship between pollution and reported subjective well-being (happiness) in ten European countries and found that air pollution plays a statistically significant role as a predictor of inter-country and inter-temporal differences in subjective wellbeing.
528 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: This article developed an alternative discrete-choice approach that models the household location decision directly, and applied it to the case of air quality in U.S. metro areas in 1990 and 2000.
Abstract: Conventional hedonic techniques for estimating the value of local amenities rely on the assumption that households move freely among locations. We show that when moving is costly, the variation in housing prices and wages across locations may no longer reflect the value of differences in local amenities. We develop an alternative discrete-choice approach that models the household location decision directly, and we apply it to the case of air quality in U.S. metro areas in 1990 and 2000. Because air pollution is likely to be correlated with unobservable local characteristics such as economic activity, we instrument for air quality using the contribution of distant sources to local pollution %u2013 excluding emissions from local sources, which are most likely to be correlated with local conditions. Our model yields an estimated elasticity of willingness to pay with respect to air quality of 0.34 to 0.42. These estimates imply that the median household would pay $149 to $185 (in constant 1982-1984 dollars) for a one-unit reduction in average ambient concentrations of particulate matter. These estimates are three times greater than the marginal willingness to pay estimated by a conventional hedonic model using the same data. Our results are robust to a range of covariates, instrumenting strategies, and functional form assumptions. The findings also confirm the importance of instrumenting for local air pollution.
418 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a modeling framework to estimate the emissions from fires in North and parts of Central America by taking advantage of a combination of complementary satellite and ground-based data to refine estimates of fuel loadings.
368 citations
TL;DR: This study shows the importance of enforcing current worldwide air quality legislation and the major benefits of going further, using 26 state-of-the-art global atmospheric chemistry models and three different emissions scenarios using the more pessimistic IPCC SRES A2 scenario.
Abstract: Air quality, ecosystem exposure to nitrogen deposition, and climate change are intimately coupled problems: we assess changes in the global atmospheric environment between 2000 and 2030 using 26 state-of-the-art global atmospheric chemistry models and three different emissions scenarios. The first (CLE) scenario reflects implementation of current air quality legislation around the world, while the second (MFR) represents a more optimistic case in which all currently feasible technologies are applied to achieve maximum emission reductions. We contrast these scenarios with the more pessimistic IPCC SRES A2 scenario. Ensemble simulations for the year 2000 are consistent among models and show a reasonable agreement with surface ozone, wet deposition, and NO2 satellite observations. Large parts of the world are currently exposed to high ozone concentrations and high deposition of nitrogen to ecosystems. By 2030, global surface ozone is calculated to increase globally by 1.5 +/- 1.2 ppb (CLE) and 4.3 +/- 2.2 ppb (A2), using the ensemble mean model results and associated +/- 1 sigma standard deviations. Only the progressive MFR scenario will reduce ozone, by -2.3 +/- 1.1 ppb. Climate change is expected to modify surface ozone by -0.8 +/- 0.6 ppb, with larger decreases over sea than over land. Radiative forcing by ozone increases by 63 +/- 15 and 155 +/- 37 mW m(-2) for CLE and A2, respectively, and decreases by -45 +/- 15 mW m(-2) for MFR. We compute that at present 10.1% of the global natural terrestrial ecosystems are exposed to nitrogen deposition above a critical load of 1 g N m(-2) yr(-1). These percentages increase by 2030 to 15.8% (CLE), 10.5% (MFR), and 25% (A2). This study shows the importance of enforcing current worldwide air quality legislation and the major benefits of going further. Nonattainment of these air quality policy objectives, such as expressed by the SRES-A2 scenario, would further degrade the global atmospheric environment.
362 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors explored Shanghai's land use and land cover changes, focusing on the impacts of the urbanization process on air and water quality, local climate, and biodiversity.
Abstract: Since China's economic reform in the late 1970s, Shanghai, the country's largest and most modern city, has experienced rapid expansion and urbanization. Here, we explore its land‐use and land‐cover changes, focusing on the impacts of the urbanization process on air and water quality, local climate, and biodiversity. Over the past 30 years, Shanghai's urban area and green land (eg urban parks, street trees, lawns) have increased dramatically, at the expense of cropland. Concentrations of major air pollutants (eg SO₂, NOₓ, and total suspended particles) were higher in urban areas than in suburban and rural areas. Overall, however, concentrations have decreased (with the exception of NOₓ), due primarily to a decline in coal consumption by industry and in private households. Increased NOₓ pollution was mainly attributed to the huge increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. Water quality changes showed a pattern similar to that of air quality, with the most severe pollution occurring in urban areas. Differences in mean air temperatures between urban and rural areas also increased, in line with the rapid pace of urban expansion, indicating an accelerating “urban heat island” effect. Urban expansion also led to a decrease in native plant species. Despite its severe environmental problems, Shanghai has also seen major economic development. Managing the tradeoffs between urbanization and environmental protection will be a major challenge for Chinese policy makers. [Formula: see text]
296 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present results of over 34,000 survey responses to air quality and thermal comfort questions in 215 buildings in US, Canada, and Finland, and show that 80% or more of the occupants expressed satisfaction with their thermal comfort in only 11% of the buildings surveyed.
Abstract: Summary: This paper presents results of over 34,000 survey responses to air quality and thermal comfort questions in 215 buildings in US, Canada, and Finland. Results show that 80% or more of the occupants expressed satisfaction with their thermal comfort in only 11% of the buildings surveyed. Air quality scores were somewhat higher, with 26% of buildings having 80% or occupant satisfaction. With respect to thermal comfort and air quality performance goals set out by standards, most buildings appear to be falling far short. Occupant surveys offer a means to systematically measure this performance, and also to provide diagnostic information for building designers and operators.
TL;DR: In this paper, the sensitivity of hedonic models of house prices to the spatial interpolation of measures of air quality was investigated, using a sample of 115,732 individual house sales for 1999 in the South Coast Air Quality Management District of Southern California.
Abstract: This paper investigates the sensitivity of hedonic models of house prices to the spatial interpolation of measures of air quality. We consider three aspects of this question: the interpolation technique used, the inclusion of air quality as a continuous vs discrete variable in the model, and the estimation method. Using a sample of 115,732 individual house sales for 1999 in the South Coast Air Quality Management District of Southern California, we compare Thiessen polygons, inverse distance weighting, Kriging and splines to carry out spatial interpolation of point measures of ozone obtained at 27 air quality monitoring stations to the locations of the houses. We take a spatial econometric perspective and employ both maximum-likelihood and general method of moments techniques in the estimation of the hedonic. A high degree of residual spatial autocorrelation warrants the inclusion of a spatially lagged dependent variable in the regression model. We find significant differences across interpolators...
TL;DR: Methane mitigation offers a unique opportunity to improve air quality globally and can be a cost-effective component of international ozone management, bringing multiple benefits for air quality, public health, agriculture, climate, and energy.
Abstract: Methane (CH4) contributes to the growing global background concentration of tropospheric ozone (O3), an air pollutant associated with premature mortality. Methane and ozone are also important greenhouse gases. Reducing methane emissions therefore decreases surface ozone everywhere while slowing climate warming, but although methane mitigation has been considered to address climate change, it has not for air quality. Here we show that global decreases in surface ozone concentrations, due to methane mitigation, result in substantial and widespread decreases in premature human mortality. Reducing global anthropogenic methane emissions by 20% beginning in 2010 would decrease the average daily maximum 8-h surface ozone by ≈1 part per billion by volume globally. By using epidemiologic ozone-mortality relationships, this ozone reduction is estimated to prevent ≈30,000 premature all-cause mortalities globally in 2030, and ≈370,000 between 2010 and 2030. If only cardiovascular and respiratory mortalities are considered, ≈17,000 global mortalities can be avoided in 2030. The marginal cost-effectiveness of this 20% methane reduction is estimated to be ≈$420,000 per avoided mortality. If avoided mortalities are valued at $1 million each, the benefit is ≈$240 per tonne of CH4 (≈$12 per tonne of CO2 equivalent), which exceeds the marginal cost of the methane reduction. These estimated air pollution ancillary benefits of climate-motivated methane emission reductions are comparable with those estimated previously for CO2. Methane mitigation offers a unique opportunity to improve air quality globally and can be a cost-effective component of international ozone management, bringing multiple benefits for air quality, public health, agriculture, climate, and energy.
TL;DR: This work draws together recent results and explores the increasing opportunities for synergistic research that will lead to improved confidence in the impact of black carbon on climate change, air quality and human health.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the effects of variables associated with future changes in climate and ozone precursor emissions, including increasing temperature, increasing atmospheric water vapor, increasing biogenic VOC emissions due to temperature, projected decreases in anthropogenic NOx, VOC, and CO emissions in California for 2050, and the influence of changing ozone, CO, and methane at the western boundary.
Abstract: [1] Using a chemical transport model simulating ozone concentrations in central California, we evaluate the effects of variables associated with future changes in climate and ozone precursor emissions, including (1) increasing temperature; (2) increasing atmospheric water vapor; (3) increasing biogenic VOC emissions due to temperature; (4) projected decreases in anthropogenic NOx, VOC, and CO emissions in California for 2050; and (5) the influence of changing ozone, CO, and methane at the western boundary. Climatic changes expected for temperature, atmospheric water vapor, and biogenic VOC emissions each individually cause a 1–5% increase in the daily peak ozone. Projected reductions in anthropogenic emissions of 10–50% in NOx and 50–70% in VOCs and CO have the greatest single effect, reducing ozone by 8–15% in urban areas. Changes to the chemical boundary conditions lead to ozone increases of 6% in the San Francisco Bay area and along the west coast but only 1–2% inland. Simulations combining climate effects predict that ozone will increase 3–10% in various regions of California. This increase is partly offset by projected future emissions reductions, and a combined climate and emissions simulation yields ozone reductions of 3–9% in the Central Valley and almost no net change in the San Francisco Bay area. We find that different portions of the model domain have widely varying sensitivity to climate parameters. In particular, the San Francisco Bay region is more strongly influenced by temperature changes than inland regions, indicating that air quality in this region may worsen under future climate regimes.
TL;DR: A willingness-to-pay (WTP) study using contingent valuation (CV) methods in Chongqing, China to estimate the economic value of saving one statistical life through improving air quality and found clean air may still be considered as a "luxury" good in China based on the estimation of income elasticity.
TL;DR: Simulation results indicate that more compact cities with mixed land use provide better urban air quality compared to disperse and network cities.
Abstract: Despite the progress made in controlling local air pollution, urban areas show increasing signs of environmental stress and air quality is one of the major concerns. The findings of several studies provide evidence that the shape of a city and the land use distribution determine the location of emission sources and the pattern of urban traffic, affecting urban air quality. This work focuses on the potential impacts of different land use patterns on urban air quality. Three imaginary cities were created, based on alternative urban planning strategies, considering different land use patterns: from the scenario of urban sprawl to the opposite scenario of a compact city with mixed land use. The mesoscale photochemical system MEMO/MARS was applied to evaluate the urban air quality in each of the idealized city structures. Simulation results indicate that more compact cities with mixed land use provide better urban air quality compared to disperse and network cities.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors use an integrated assessment approach, utilizing state-of-the-science air quality and meteorological models, engineering, epidemiology, and economics, to quantify the impacts that air pollution in eastern China had on public health in 2000 and the benefits in improved air quality, and health that could be obtained by 2020, relative to business-as-usual (BAU), through the implementation of best available emission control technology (BACT) and advanced coal gasification technologies (ACGT).
Patent•
10 Mar 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, a system for monitoring air quality conditions, comprising, a plurality of sensors for collecting air quality data from at least partially enclosed areas, one or more data processing units for processing one or multiple air quality parameters based on the collected air quality measurements, and one communication device for communicating the data from the sensor to the processing unit, is described.
Abstract: A system for monitoring air quality conditions, comprising, a multi-point air monitoring system comprising, a plurality of sensors for collecting air quality data from a plurality of at least partially enclosed areas; one or more data processing units for processing one or more air quality parameters based on the collected air quality data; and one or more communication devices for communicating the data from the sensor to the processing unit; and a signal processing controller that generates one or more blended air quality parameter signals via the multi-point air monitoring system based at least in part on one or more of the processed air quality parameters representative of data from a plurality of the sensors.
TL;DR: In this article, the role of urban vegetation in improving environmental quality will increase in importance as urban areas expand, and the authors show that urban forests can provide multiple environmental benefits, such as water quality improvement, carbon sequestration, and water saving.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a novel approach to study Nasal Responses to Air Pollution, L. Calderon-Garciduenas, T.M. Chadwick, A.J. Mooney, and A.E. Jackson.
Abstract: Introduction, D.V. Bates. Air Pollution and Health History, P. Brimblecombe. Geographical, Atmospheric and Ground Determinants of Air Pollution: Basic Meterology, G.R. McGregor. Atmospheric Chemistry, R.G. Derwent. Measurements of Concentrations of Air Pollutants, R.M. Harrison. Patterns of Air Pollution in Developing Countries, M. Krzyzanowski and D. Schwella. Sources of Air Pollution, C. Holman. Exposure Assessment, H. Ozkaynak. Respiratory Tract Determinants of Air Pollution Effects: Animal Models to Study for Pollutant Effects, U.P. Kodavantri and D.L. Costa. Novel Approaches to Study Nasal Responses to Air Pollution, L. Calderon-Garciduenas, T.L. Noah and H.S. Koren. Effects of Cigarette Smoke and Air Pollutants on the Lower Respiratory Tract, P.K. Jeffrey. Structure-Function Relationships, P.A. Bromberg. Deposition and Clearance of Inhaled Particles, W.M. Foster. Respiratory Reflexes, J. Widdicombe. Antioxidant Defences in the Extracellular Compartment of the Human Lung, F.J. Kelly and R. Richards. Air Pollutants: Modulators of Pulmonary Host Resistance Against Infection, P.T. Thomas and J.T. Zelikoff. Carcinogenic Responses to Air Pollutants, R.O. McClellan and T.E. Jackson. General Methodological Agents of Air Pollutant Health Effects: Biomarkers of Exposure, M.C. Madden and J.E. Gallagher. The Epidemiological Approach to Investigating Outdoor Air Pollution, J.M. Samet and J.J.K. Jaakkola. Health Effects of Air Pollution Episodes, H.R. Anderson. Ozone: Epidemiological Studies of Ozone Exposure Effects, G.D. Thurston and K. Ito. Controlled Exposure to Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides and Acids, M.J. Hazucha. Acute and Chronic Effects of Ozone in Animal Models, R.C. Paige and C.G. Plopper. Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur: Epidemiological Effects of Oxides of Nitrogen, Especially NO2, U. Ackermann-Liebrich and R. Rapp. Toxicology of Sulfur Oxides, R.B. Schleisinger. Acid Sulfate Aerosols and Health, F.E. Speizer. Suspended Particulates: Composition of Air Pollution Particles, F.D. Pooley and M. Milne. Metals and Air Pollution Particles, A.J. Ghio and J.M. Samet. Particulate Air Pollution: Injurious and Protective Mechanisms in the Lungs, W. MacNee and K. Donaldson. Epidemiology of Particle Effects, C.A. Pope III and D.W. Dockery. The Health Effects of Diesel Exhaust: Laboratory and Epidemiologic Studies, A.J. Cohen and K. Nikula. Carbon Monoxide, Lead and Air Toxics: Carbon Monoxide, R.L. Maynard and R. Waller. Lead, A. Wadge. Selected Organic Chemicals, L. Rushton and K. Cameron. Estimating Health and Cost Impacts: Air Pollution and Lung Cancer, J.M. Samet and A.J. Cohen. Controlled Exposures of Asthmatics to Air Pollutants, D.B. Peden. Risk Assessment and Air Pollution, J.M. Samet. Estimating the Effects of Air Pollutants on the Population: Human Health Benefits of Sulfate Aerosol Reductions Under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment, B.D. Ostro, L.G. Chestnut, D.M. Mills, and A.M. Watkins. Costing the Health Effects of Poor Air Quality, D. Maddison and D. Pearce. Air Quality Standards and Information Networks: Technology and Costing of Air Pollution Abatement, W.F. Dimmick and A.H. Wehe. United States and International Approaches to Establishing Air Standards and Guidelines, L.D. Grant, C.R. Shoaf and J.M. Davis. Air Quality Guidelines and Standards, M. Lippman and R.L. Maynard. Informing the Public about Air Pollution, R.L. Maynard and S.M. Coster. Index.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated two one-atmosphere regional models for the full calendar year 2002 in support of regional haze regulatory applications in the eastern US, using consistent emissions, meteorological and air quality data sets.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the PM10 and O3 data generated by this network in the year 2000 in order to determine the seasonal trends and spatial distribution of these pollutants over a year's period.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the spatial variability of PM2.5, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and carbonaceous material on annual, seasonal, and episodic timescales.
Abstract: [1] The 14-month-long (December 1999 to February 2001) Central California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) consisted of acquiring speciated PM2.5 measurements at 38 sites representing urban, rural, and boundary environments in the San Joaquin Valley air basin. The study's goal was to understand the development of widespread pollution episodes by examining the spatial variability of PM2.5, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and carbonaceous material on annual, seasonal, and episodic timescales. It was found that PM2.5 and NH4NO3 concentrations decrease rapidly as altitude increases, confirming that topography influences the ventilation and transport of pollutants. High PM2.5 levels from November 2000 to January 2001 contributed to 50–75% of annual average concentrations. Contributions from organic matter differed substantially between urban and rural areas. Winter meteorology and intensive residential wood combustion are likely key factors for the winter-nonwinter and urban-rural contrasts that were observed. Short-duration measurements during the intensive operating periods confirm the role of upper air currents on valley-wide transport of NH4NO3. Zones of representation for PM2.5 varied from 5 to 10 km for the urban Fresno and Bakersfield sites, and increased to 15–20 km for the boundary and rural sites. Secondary NH4NO3 occurred region-wide during winter, spreading over a much wider geographical zone than carbonaceous aerosol.
TL;DR: This work demonstrates the use of air quality modeling to generate higher spatial and temporal resolution exposure estimates, and compares the advantages of this approach to traditional methods that use monitoring data alone.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an approach that integrates the latest developments in meteorological, air quality, and population exposure modelling into Urban Air Quality Information and Forecasting Systems (UAQIFS) in the context of the European Union FUMAPEX project.
Abstract: . Urban air pollution is associated with significant adverse health effects. Model-based abatement strategies are required and developed for the growing urban populations. In the initial development stage, these are focussed on exceedances of air quality standards caused by high short-term pollutant concentrations. Prediction of health effects and implementation of urban air quality information and abatement systems require accurate forecasting of air pollution episodes and population exposure, including modelling of emissions, meteorology, atmospheric dispersion and chemical reaction of pollutants, population mobility, and indoor-outdoor relationship of the pollutants. In the past, these different areas have been treated separately by different models and even institutions. Progress in computer resources and ensuing improvements in numerical weather prediction, air chemistry, and exposure modelling recently allow a unification and integration of the disjunctive models and approaches. The current work presents a novel approach that integrates the latest developments in meteorological, air quality, and population exposure modelling into Urban Air Quality Information and Forecasting Systems (UAQIFS) in the context of the European Union FUMAPEX project. The suggested integrated strategy is demonstrated for examples of the systems in three Nordic cities: Helsinki and Oslo for assessment and forecasting of urban air pollution and Copenhagen for urban emergency preparedness.
TL;DR: In this paper, the problem of air quality forecasting of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) based on some meteorological factors has been discussed and three statistical models were used to forecast daily averaged concentration of RSPM in urban Delhi and Hong Kong.
TL;DR: In this article, the airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and ammonia concentrations as well as temperature, relative humidity, and the air exchange rate were determined in newly finished buildings and after 6 and 12 months.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of potted plant presence on total VOC (TVOC) levels, measured in 60 offices (12 per treatment), over two 5-9 week periods, using three planting regimes, with two ‘international indoor-plant’ species.
Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major contaminants of indoor air, with concentrations often several times higher than outdoors. They are recognized as causative agents of “building-related illness” or “sick-building syndrome”. Our previous laboratory test-chamber studies have shown that the potted-plant/root-zone microorganism microcosm can eliminate high concentrations of air-borne VOCs within 24 hours, once the removal response has been induced by an initial dose. However, the effectiveness of the potted-plant microcosm in ‘real-world’ indoor spaces has never previously been tested experimentally. This paper reports the results of a field-study on the effects of potted-plant presence on total VOC (TVOC) levels, measured in 60 offices (12 per treatment), over two 5–9 week periods, using three planting regimes, with two ‘international indoor-plant’ species. Fourteen VOCs were identified in the office air. When TVOC loads in reference offices rose above 100 ppb, large reductions, of from 50 to 75% (to <100 ppb), were found in planted offices, under all planting regimes The results indicate that air-borne TVOC levels above a threshold of about 100 ppb stimulate the graded induction of an efficient metabolic VOC-removal mechanism in the microcosm. Follow-up laboratory dose-response experiments, reported in the following paper, confirm the graded induction response, over a wide range of VOC concentrations. The findings together demonstrate that potted-plants can provide an efficient, self-regulating, low-cost, sustainable, bioremediation system for indoor air pollution, which can effectively complement engineering measures to reduce indoor air pollution, and hence improve human wellbeing and productivity.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated two photochemical grid models, the community multi-scale air quality (CMAQ) and the comprehensive air quality model with extensions (CAMx), at a 36 km resolution for the continental US and at 12 km resolution in the eastern US.