Suppression of the Hazardous Substances in Catalytically Upgraded Bio-heavy Oil as a Precautious Measure for Clean Air Pollution Controls

2021 ◽  
pp. 126732
Author(s):  
Sumin Pyo ◽  
Jechan Lee ◽  
Young-Min Kim ◽  
Youna Park ◽  
Im Hack Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Clean Air

Towards a sensory politics of the Anthropocene: Exploring activist-artistic approaches to politicizing air pollution

2021 ◽  
pp. 239965442098160
Author(s):  
Friederike Landau ◽  
Alexandra Toland
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Environmental Communication ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Sensory Experiences ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Antagonistic Potential

In this paper, we investigate five activist-artistic approaches to argue for a sensory politics of the Anthropocene. Our aim is to highlight the affective and speculative potentials of art by examining how artists engage with the senses to make air pollution and its political implications visible, tangible, or otherwise experiential. The paper touches on widerreaching discourses on the politics of sensing, sensible politics, and sensory studies. Rather than situating air pollution within a policy framework, such as that of the international sustainable development goals, we locate our arguments within recent scholarship on postpolitics and the Anthropocene. Despite its epistemological slipperiness, we consider the Anthropocene to be a potent heuristic as well as a rich resource of ideas, data, and collaborative and antagonistic potential for artists working on issues of air pollution. The five case studies are each grounded in an explicit engagement with at least one of the five basic senses and include works by Amy Balkin, Hanna Husberg, Zane Cerpina and Stahl Stenslie, Lingling Zhang, Kitchen Budapest and Baltan Laboratories (NL). Clustered into three lines of argumentation, we demonstrate the ways in which these works contribute to the politicization of air: first, by framing air as a contested common good that problematizes the commodification of clean air; second, by integrating artistic research and environmental communication strategies; and third, by providing sensory experiences of the complicated constellations of agency and perception in the interscalar phenomenon of air pollution. Although our analysis is not exhaustive, three particularities could be identified in the works: an openness to other forms of knowledge and communication; a potent critique of the Anthropocene; and a radical questioning of ‘the political’. In conclusion, we argue that art can mobilize a sense of urgency and empowerment towards a multi-sensory politics of the Anthropocene.

scholarly journals Pathways of China's PM2.5 air quality 2015–2060 in the context of carbon neutrality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Cheng ◽  
Dan Tong ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Yu Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Who Guideline

ABSTRACT Clean air policies in China have substantially reduced PM2.5 air pollution in recent years, primarily by curbing end-of-pipe emissions. However, further reaching the WHO guideline may instead depend upon the air quality co-benefits of ambitious climate action. Here, we assess pathways of Chinese PM2.5 air quality from 2015 to 2060 under a combination of scenarios which link Global and China's climate mitigation pathways (i.e. global 2°C- and 1.5°C-pathways, NDC pledges, and carbon neutrality goals) to local clean air policies. We find that China can achieve both its near-term climate goals (peak emissions) and PM2.5 air quality annual standard (35 μg/m3) by 2030 by fulfilling its NDC pledges and continuing air pollution control policies. However, the benefits of end-of-pipe control reductions are mostly exhausted by 2030, and reducing PM2.5 exposure of the majority of the Chinese population to below 10 μg/m3 by 2060 will likely require more ambitious climate mitigation efforts such as China's carbon neutrality goals and global 1.5°C-pathways. Our results thus highlight that China's carbon neutrality goals will play a critical role in reducing air pollution exposure to the WHO guideline and protecting public health.

CAMS-Net: The Clean Air Monitoring and Solutions Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Westervelt ◽  
Celeste McFarlane ◽  
Faye McNeill ◽  
R (Subu) Subramanian ◽  
Mike Giordano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Air Monitoring ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Calibration Methods ◽  
The World ◽  
Clean Air

<p>There is a severe lack of air pollution data around the world. This includes large portions of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as rural areas of wealthier nations as monitors tend to be located in large metropolises. Low cost sensors (LCS) for measuring air pollution and identifying sources offer a possible path forward to remedy the lack of data, though significant knowledge gaps and caveats remain regarding the accurate application and interpretation of such devices.</p><p>The Clean Air Monitoring and Solutions Network (CAMS-Net) establishes an international network of networks that unites scientists, decision-makers, city administrators, citizen groups, the private sector, and other local stakeholders in co-developing new methods and best practices for real-time air quality data collection, data sharing, and solutions for air quality improvements. CAMS-Net brings together at least 32 multidisciplinary member networks from North America, Europe, Africa, and India. The project establishes a mechanism for international collaboration, builds technical capacity, shares knowledge, and trains the next generation of air quality practitioners and advocates, including domestic and international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. </p><p>Here we present some preliminary research accelerated through the CAMS-Net project. Specifically, we present LCS calibration methodology for several co-locations in LMICs (Accra, Ghana; Kampala, Uganda; Nairobi, Kenya; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Kolkata, India), in which reference BAM-1020 PM2.5 monitors were placed side-by-side with LCS. We demonstrate that both simple multiple linear regression calibration methods for bias-correcting LCS and more complex machine learning methods can reduce bias in LCS to close to zero, while increasing correlation. For example, in Kampala, Raw PurpleAir PM2.5 data are strongly correlated with the BAM-1020 PM2.5 (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.88), but have a mean bias of approximately 12 μg m<sup>-3</sup>. Two calibration models, multiple linear regression and a random forest approach, decrease mean bias from 12 μg m<sup>-3 </sup>to -1.84 µg m<sup>-3</sup> or less and improve the the r<sup>2</sup> from 0.88 to 0.96. We find similar performance in several other regions of the world. Location-specific calibration of low-cost sensors is necessary in order to obtain useful data, since sensor performance is closely tied to environmental conditions such as relative humidity. This work is a first step towards developing a database of region-specific correction factors for low cost sensors, which are exploding in popularity globally and have the potential to close the air pollution data gap especially in resource-limited countries. </p><p> </p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Clean air in the Anthropocene

2017 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 693-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jos Lelieveld
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Clean Air

In atmospheric chemistry, interactions between air pollution, the biosphere and human health, often through reaction mixtures from both natural and anthropogenic sources, are of growing interest. Massive pollution emissions in the Anthropocene have transformed atmospheric composition to the extent that biogeochemical cycles, air quality and climate have changed globally and partly profoundly. It is estimated that mortality attributable to outdoor air pollution amounts to 4.33 million individuals per year, associated with 123 million years of life lost. Worldwide, air pollution is the major environmental risk factor to human health, and strict air quality standards have the potential to strongly reduce morbidity and mortality. Preserving clean air should be considered a human right, and is fundamental to many sustainable development goals of the United Nations, such as good health, climate action, sustainable cities, clean energy, and protecting life on land and in the water. It would be appropriate to adopt “clean air” as a sustainable development goal.

scholarly journals Clean Air Act mitigate the cognitive deterioration in older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Yao ◽  
Xiaozhen Lv ◽  
Chengxuan Qiu ◽  
Jiajianghui Li ◽  
Xiao Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mmse Score ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Clean Air Act ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cognitive Deterioration ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
The Government

Abstract Air pollution may accelerate cognitive aging, it is unclear whether large-scale interventions by Clean Air Act can mitigate the cognitive deterioration. Here, we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis based on Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey during 2014 and 2018. Intervention group came from where the government set a strict target of reducing air pollution, whereas control group lived in areas without reduction target. Global cognitive functions were measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We found the intervention group with implementing Clean Air Act had a significantly smaller decline in MMSE score compared to the control group. Interquartile increases in PM2.5 and SO2 concentrations were significantly associated with a faster decline of MMSE score by 1.78 and 0.92 points, respectively. Implementing stringent clean air policies, especially in low- and middle-income countries may mitigate the risk of cognitive aging in older people.

scholarly journals Measurement report: Effect of wind shear on PM<sub>10</sub> concentration vertical structure in urban boundary layer in a complex terrain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Sekuła ◽  
Anita Bokwa ◽  
Jakub Bartyzel ◽  
Bogdan Bochenek ◽  
Łukasz Chmura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Vertical Profile ◽  
Wind Shear ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
Model Data ◽  
Profile Modification ◽  
Low Wind Speed ◽  
Clean Air

Abstract. The paper shows wind shear impact on PM10 vertical profiles, in Kraków, southern Poland. The data used consist of background data for two cold seasons (Sep. 2018 to Apr. 2019, and Sep. 2019 to Apr. 2020), and data for several case studies from November 2019 to March 2020. The data is composed of PM10 measurements, model data, and wind speed and direction data. The background model data come from operational forecast results of AROME model. PM10 concentration in the vertical profile was measured with a sightseeing balloon. Significant spatial variability of wind field was found. The case studies represent the conditions with much lower wind speed and a much higher PM10 levels than the seasonal average. The inversions were much more frequent than on average, too. Wind shear turned out to be the most important factor in terms of PM10 vertical profile modification. It is generated due to the relief impact, i.e. the presence of a large valley, blocked on one side with the hills. The analysis of PM10 profiles from all flights allows to distinguish three vertical zones of potential air pollution hazard within the valley (about 100 m deep) and the city of Kraków: 1. up to about 60 m a.g.l. – the zone where during periods of low wind speed, air pollution is potentially the highest and the duration of such high levels is the longest, i.e. the zone with the worst aerosanitary conditions; 2. about 60–100 m a.g.l. – transitional zone where the large decrease of PM10 levels with height is observed; 3. above 100–120 m a.g.l. – the zone where air quality is significantly better than in the zone 1, either due to the increase of the wind speed, or due to the wind direction change and advection of different, clean air masses.

scholarly journals Impact of air pollution and smoking on COVID-19: a review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijaytha Vijayakumar ◽  
A. Sabu ◽  
M. Haridas
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Angiotensin System ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Severity Of The Disease ◽  
Earth Day ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Tract Infections

Abstract Background The 21st century already witnessed many deadly epidemics and pandemics. The major ones were respiratory tract infections like SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009), MERS (2012) and the most recent pandemic COVID-19 (2019). The COVID-19 story begins when pneumonia of unknown cause was reported in the WHO country office of China at the end of 2019. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent that enters the host through the receptor ACE2, a component of the renin–angiotensin system. Main body of the abstract Symptoms of COVID-19 varies from patient to patient. It is all about the immunity and health status of the individual that decides the severity of the disease. The review focuses on the significant and often prevailing factors, those that influence the lung function. The factors that compromise the lung functions which may prepare the ground for severe COVID-19 infection are interestingly looked into. Focus was more on air pollution and cigarette smoke. Short conclusion The fact that the forested areas across the world show very low COVID-19 infection rate suggests that we are in need of the “Clean Air” on the fiftieth anniversary of World Earth Day. As many policies are implemented worldwide to protect from SARS-CoV-2, one simple remedy that we forgot was clean air can save lives. SARS-CoV-2 infects our lungs, and air pollution makes us more susceptible. In this crucial situation, the focus is only on the main threat; all other conditions are only in words to console the situation.

scholarly journals A foehn-induced haze front in Beijing: observations and implications

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju Li ◽  
Zhaobin Sun ◽  
Donald H. Lenschow ◽  
Mingyu Zhou ◽  
Youjun Dou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Layer Growth ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Particulate Concentration ◽  
Weak Pressure Gradient ◽  
Bth Region

Abstract. Despite frequent foehns in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, there are only a few studies of their effects on air pollution in this region, or elsewhere. Here, we discuss a foehn-induced haze front (HF) event using observational data to document its structure and evolution. Using a dense network of comprehensive measurements in the BTH region, our analyses indicate that the foehn played an important role in the formation of the HF with significant impacts on air pollution. Northerly warm–dry foehn winds, with low particulate concentration in the northern area, collided with a cold–wet polluted air mass to the south and formed an HF in the urban area. The HF, which is associated with a surface wind convergence line and distinct contrasts of temperatures, humidity and pollutant concentrations, resulted in an explosive growth of particulate concentration. As the plains-mountain wind circulation was overpowered by the foehn, a weak pressure gradient due to the different air densities between air masses was the main factor forcing advances of the polluted air mass into the clean air mass, resulting in severe air pollution over the main urban areas. Our results show that the foehn can affect air pollution through two effects: direct wind transport of air pollutants, and altering the air mass properties to inhibit boundary-layer growth and thus indirectly aggravating air pollution. This study highlights the need to further investigate the foehn and its impacts on air pollution in the BTH region.

Mini-review of waste-to-energy related air pollution and their limit value regulations in an international comparison

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2110606
Author(s):  
Isla Hodgkinson ◽  
Roman Maletz ◽  
Franz-Georg Simon ◽  
Christina Dornack
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Waste Incineration ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Best Available Technologies ◽  
Limit Value ◽  
Anthropogenic Processes ◽  
India And China

The concept of circular economy supports mitigation of climate change and other environmental pressures to the planet. Circulating materials in anthropogenic processes come with the risk of accumulating hazardous substances and compounds. In this concept, waste incineration or waste-to-energy (WtE) is a necessary technology to remove these compounds from the life cycle. In this mini-review, contaminants of major importance in the flue gas from waste incineration plants and their environmental impact are discussed. Air pollution of WtE is often seen as the most relevant environmental impact of this treatment option. The emission values parameter set for different countries is presented and compared. The most stringent legally set of emission values could be found in parts of Europe and South Korea. Japan also permits similar strict values when authorising individual incineration plants. In North America, the values are partially less strict as the best available technologies in Europe suggest being possible. Emerging economies, such as India and China, have shown efforts to improve their environmental protection standards but still have room to improve. This could be set in relation to other industrial emitting processes and therefore could be used to assess the relevance of this industry sector to the national emission inventories.

Control and Suppression in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley during the 1960s

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 380-412
Author(s):  
OWEN TEMBY
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Policy System ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Local Air Pollution ◽  
Economic Elites ◽  
Chemical Valley ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The One

During the 1960s, Sarnia was the wealthiest city in Ontario and the one with the dirtiest air. Its economy was dominated by Chemical Valley, the city’s petrochemical industry. Chemical Valley firms and executives were civically active, donating to public causes, dominating the local chamber of commerce, and working closely with provincial and municipal officials to ensure a friendly business environment. They also maintained a monopoly on information about local air pollution levels and were not required by government to adhere to clean air regulations. However, like the rest of the chemical industry at the time, Chemical Valley was exposed to an onslaught of negative publicity, raising the threat of regulation and loss of their control over emissions data and production processes. This article illustrates how economic elites in Sarnia prevented the problematization and regulation of air pollution. In doing so, it describes the actors in the policy system and examines its recourse to suppress dissent when activists sought to raise the air pollution issue.

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