Impact of rural residential coal combustion on air pollution in Shandong, China

Abstract. Humic-like substances (HULIS) are a mixture of high molecular weight, water-soluble organic compounds that are widely distributed in atmospheric aerosol. Their sources are rarely studied quantitatively. Biomass burning is generally accepted as a major primary source of ambient humic-like substances (HULIS) with additional secondary material formed in the atmosphere. However, the present study provides direct evidence that residential coal burning is also a significant source of ambient HULIS, especially in the heating season in northern China based on source measurements, ambient sampling and analysis, and apportionment with source-oriented CMAQ modeling. Emissions tests show that residential coal combustion produces 5 to 24 % of the emitted organic carbon (OC) as HULIS carbon (HULISc). Estimation of primary emissions of HULIS in Beijing indicated that residential biofuel and coal burning contribute about 70 % and 25 % of annual primary HULIS, respectively. Vehicle exhaust, industry, and power plants contributions are negligible. Average concentration of ambient HULIS was 7.5 μg/m3 in atmospheric PM2.5 in urban Beijing and HULIS exhibited obvious seasonal variations with the highest concentrations in winter. HULISc account for 7.2 % of PM2.5 mass, 24.5 % of OC, and 59.5 % of water-soluble organic carbon, respectively. HULIS are found to correlate well with K+, Cl−, sulfate, and secondary organic aerosol suggesting its sources include biomass burning, coal combustion and secondary aerosol formation. Source apportionment based on CMAQ modeling shows residential biofuel and coal burning, secondary formation are important annual sources of ambient HULIS, contributing 57.5 %, 12.3 %, and 25.8 %, respectively.

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Relationship between pulmonary function and indoor air pollution from coal combustion among adult residents in an inner-city area of southwest China

Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research ◽

10.1590/1414-431x20144084 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 47 (11) ◽

pp. 982-989 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Y. Jie ◽

H. Houjin ◽

M. Xun ◽

L. Kebin ◽

Y. Xuesong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Inner City ◽

Indoor Air ◽

Coal Combustion ◽

Indoor Air Pollution ◽

Southwest China ◽

City Area

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Thorium and fetal neural tube defects: an epidemiological evidence from large case-control study

Genes and Environment ◽

10.1186/s41021-021-00227-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bin Wang ◽

Yiming Pang ◽

Yali Zhang ◽

Le Zhang ◽

Rongwei Ye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Spina Bifida ◽

Indoor Air ◽

Coal Combustion ◽

Indoor Air Pollution ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Exposure Level ◽

Thorium Concentration ◽

Control Study

Abstract Background Thorium is ubiquitous in the environment and its relationship with birth defects is still under discussion. This study aimed to investigate the associations of maternal exposure to thorium with risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) by using a case–control study, as well as the relationship between thorium exposure and the indoor air pollution from coal combustion. Methods This study was conducted in 11 local healthcare hospitals during 2003–2007 in Shanxi and Hebei provinces, China. A total of 774 mothers were included as participants who delivering 263 fetuses with NTDs including 123 with anencephaly, 115 with spina bifida, 18 with encephalocele, and 7 other NTD subtypes (cases), and 511 health fetuses without NTDs (controls). Their hair samples were collected as close as to the occipital posterior scalp, of which those grew from 3 months before to 3 months after conception was cut to measure the thorium concentration by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results We found a higher hair thorium concentration in the total NTD cases with 0.901 (0.588–1.382) ng/g hair [median (inter-quartile range)] than that in the controls with a value of 0.621 (0.334–1.058) ng/g hair. Similar results were found for the three concerned NTD subtypes. Maternal hair thorium concentration above its median of the controls was associated with an increased risk of the total NTDs with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.80 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23–2.63)] by adjusting for all confounders. There was obvious dose-response relationship between maternal hair thorium concentration and the risk of total NTDs, as well as their two subtypes (i.e. anencephaly and spina bifida). Maternal hair thorium concentration was positive associated with their exposure level to indoor air pollution from coal combustion during cooking. Conclusions Overall, our findings revealed that maternal periconceptional thorium exposure was associated with the risk of NTDs in North China. Reducing the coal usage in the household cooking activities may decrease maternal thorium exposure level. Graphical abstract

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Evaluating the “2+26” regional strategy for air quality improvement during two air pollution alerts in Beijing: variations in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations, source apportionment, and the relative contribution of local emission and regional transport

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-19-6879-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 6879-6891 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Ziyue Chen ◽

Danlu Chen ◽

Wei Wen ◽

Yan Zhuang ◽

Mei-Po Kwan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Coal Combustion ◽

Emission Reduction ◽

Regional Strategy ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

Local Emission ◽

Air Quality Improvement ◽

Pollution Episodes ◽

Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. To comprehensively evaluate the effects of the recent “2+26” regional strategy for air quality improvement, we compared the variations in PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing during four pollution episodes with different emission-reduction strategies. The 2+26 strategy implemented in March 2018 led to a mean PM2.5 concentration 16.43 % lower than that during the pollution episode in March 2013, when no specific emission-reduction measures were in place. The same 2+26 strategy implemented in November 2017 led to a mean PM2.5 concentration 32.70 % lower than that during the pollution episode in November 2016, when local emission-reduction measures were implemented. The results suggested that the effects of the 2+26 regional emission-reduction measures on PM2.5 reductions were influenced by a diversity of factors and could differ significantly during specific pollution episodes. Furthermore, we found the proportions of sulfate ions decreased significantly, and nitrate ions were the dominant PM2.5 components during the two 2+26 orange alert periods. Meanwhile, the relative contribution of coal combustion to PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing during the pollution episodes in March 2013, November 2016, November 2017 and March 2018 was 40 %, 34 %, 28 % and 11 %, respectively, indicating that the recent “Coal to Gas” project and the contingent 2+26 strategy led to a dramatic decrease in coal combustion in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. On the other hand, the relative contribution of vehicle exhaust during the 2+26 orange alert periods in November 2017 and March 2018 reached 40 % and 54 %, respectively. The relative contribution of local emissions to PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing also varied significantly and ranged from 49.46 % to 89.35 % during the four pollution episodes. These results suggested that the 2+26 regional emission-reduction strategy should be implemented with red air pollution alerts during heavy pollution episodes to intentionally reduce the dominant contribution of vehicle exhausts to PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing, while specific emission-reduction measures should be implemented accordingly for different cities within the 2+26 framework.

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