A shift in emission time profiles of fossil fuel combustion due to energy transitions impacts source receptor matrices for air quality

The impact of a shift in time of air pollutant emissions on ambient concentrations and derived source receptor relations should be included when studying impacts of energy transitions on air quality and climate.

Download Full-text

Assessing the Impact of Road Traffic Reorganization on Air Quality: A Street Canyon Case Study

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11070695 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 695

Author(s):

Marek Bogacki ◽

Robert Oleniacz ◽

Mateusz Rzeszutek ◽

Paulina Bździuch ◽

Adriana Szulecka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Road Transport ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Maximum Speed ◽

Commercial Vehicles ◽

The Road ◽

Management Changes ◽

The Impact

One of the elements of strategy aimed at minimizing the impact of road transport on air quality is the introduction of its reorganization resulting in decreased pollutant emissions to the air. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal strategy of corrective actions in terms of the air pollutant emissions from road transport. The study presents the assessment results of the emission reduction degree of selected pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, and NOx) as well as the impact evaluation of this reduction on their concentrations in the air for adopted scenarios of the road management changes for one of the street canyons in Krakow (Southern Poland). Three scenarios under consideration of the city authorities were assessed: narrowing the cross-section of the street by eliminating one lane in both directions, limiting the maximum speed from 70 km/h to 50 km/h, and allowing only passenger and light commercial vehicles on the streets that meet the Euro 4 standard or higher. The best effects were obtained for the variant assuming banning of vehicles failing to meet the specified Euro standard. It would result in a decrease of the yearly averaged PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by about 8–9% and for NOx by almost 30%.

Download Full-text

Modeling the impact of COVID-19 on air quality in southern California: implications for future control policies

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-21-8693-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 8693-8708

Author(s):

Zhe Jiang ◽

Hongrong Shi ◽

Bin Zhao ◽

Yu Gu ◽

Yifang Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Southern California ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Activity Level ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Emission Reductions ◽

The Impact ◽

Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. In response to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), California issued statewide stay-at-home orders, bringing about abrupt and dramatic reductions in air pollutant emissions. This crisis offers us an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of emission reductions in terms of air quality. Here we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) in combination with surface observations to study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown measures on air quality in southern California. Based on activity level statistics and satellite observations, we estimate the sectoral emission changes during the lockdown. Due to the reduced emissions, the population-weighted concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decrease by 15 % in southern California. The emission reductions contribute 68 % of the PM2.5 concentration decrease before and after the lockdown, while meteorology variations contribute the remaining 32 %. Among all chemical compositions, the PM2.5 concentration decrease due to emission reductions is dominated by nitrate and primary components. For O3 concentrations, the emission reductions cause a decrease in rural areas but an increase in urban areas; the increase can be offset by a 70 % emission reduction in anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These findings suggest that a strengthened control on primary PM2.5 emissions and a well-balanced control on nitrogen oxides and VOC emissions are needed to effectively and sustainably alleviate PM2.5 and O3 pollution in southern California.

Download Full-text

European atmosphere in 2050, a regional air quality and climate perspective under CMIP5 scenarios

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-13-7451-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 7451-7471 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

A. Colette ◽

B. Bessagnet ◽

R. Vautard ◽

S. Szopa ◽

S. Rao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

External Factors ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Reference Scenario ◽

Regional Air Quality ◽

The Impact

Abstract. To quantify changes in air pollution over Europe at the 2050 horizon, we designed a comprehensive modelling system that captures the external factors considered to be most relevant, and that relies on up-to-date and consistent sets of air pollution and climate policy scenarios. Global and regional climate as well as global chemistry simulations are based on the recent representative concentration pathways (RCP) produced for the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) whereas regional air quality modelling is based on the updated emissions scenarios produced in the framework of the Global Energy Assessment. We explored two diverse scenarios: a reference scenario where climate policies are absent and a mitigation scenario which limits global temperature rise to within 2 °C by the end of this century. This first assessment of projected air quality and climate at the regional scale based on CMIP5 (5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) climate simulations is in line with the existing literature using CMIP3. The discrepancy between air quality simulations obtained with a climate model or with meteorological reanalyses is pointed out. Sensitivity simulations show that the main factor driving future air quality projections is air pollutant emissions, rather than climate change or intercontinental transport of pollution. Whereas the well documented "climate penalty" that weights upon ozone (increase of ozone pollution with global warming) over Europe is confirmed, other features appear less robust compared to the literature, such as the impact of climate on PM2.5. The quantitative disentangling of external factors shows that, while several published studies focused on the climate penalty bearing upon ozone, the contribution of the global ozone burden is somewhat overlooked in the literature.

Download Full-text

The impact of motor vehicles on air pollutant emissions and air quality in the UK — An overview

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/0048-9697(87)90430-x ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 59 ◽

pp. 47-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

M.L. Williams

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Motor Vehicles ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

European atmosphere in 2050, a regional air quality and climate perspective under CMIP5 scenarios

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-13-6455-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 6455-6499 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Colette ◽

B. Bessagnet ◽

R. Vautard ◽

S. Szopa ◽

S. Rao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Climate Model ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Reference Scenario ◽

Regional Air Quality ◽

The Impact

Abstract. To quantify changes in air pollution in Europe at the 2050 horizon, we designed a comprehensive modelling system that captures the external factors considered to be most relevant and relies on up-to-date and consistent sets of air pollution and climate policy scenarios. Global and regional climate as well as global chemistry simulations are based on the recent Representative Concentrations Pathways (RCP) produced for the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of IPCC whereas regional air quality modelling is based on the updated emissions scenarios produced in the framework of the Global Energy Assessment. We explored two diverse scenarios: a reference scenario where climate policies are absent and a mitigation scenario which limits global temperature rise to within 2 °C by the end of this century. This first assessment of projected air quality and climate at the regional scale based on CMIP5 (5th Climate Model Intercomparison Project) climate simulations is in line with the existing literature using CMIP3. The discrepancy between air quality simulations obtained with a climate model or with meteorological reanalyses is pointed out. Sensitivity simulations show that the main factor driving future air quality projections is air pollutant emissions, rather than climate change or long range transport. Whereas the well documented "climate penalty" bearing upon ozone over Europe is confirmed, other features appear less robust compared to the literature: such as the impact of climate on PM2.5. The quantitative disentangling of each contributing factor shows that the magnitude of the ozone climate penalty has been overstated in the past while on the contrary the contribution of the global ozone burden is overlooked in the literature.

Download Full-text

Modeling the Impact of COVID-19 on Air Quality in Southern California: Implications for Future Control Policies

10.5194/acp-2020-1197 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhe Jiang ◽

Hongrong Shi ◽

Bin Zhao ◽

Yu Gu ◽

Yifang Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Southern California ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Activity Level ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Emission Reductions ◽

The Impact ◽

Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), California issued statewide stay-at-home orders, bringing about abrupt and dramatic reductions in air pollutant emissions. This crisis offers us an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of emission reductions on air quality. Here we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) in combination with surface observations to study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown measures on air quality in southern California. Based on activity level statistics and satellite observations, we estimate the sectoral emission changes during the lockdown. Due to the reduced emissions, the population-weighted concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decrease by 15 % in southern California. The emission reductions contribute 68 % of the PM2.5 concentration decrease before and after the lockdown, while meteorology variations contribute the remaining 32 %. Among all chemical compositions, the PM2.5 concentration decrease due to emission reductions is dominated by nitrate and primary components. For O3 concentrations, the emission reductions cause a decrease in rural areas but an increase in urban areas; the increase can be offset by a 70 % emission reduction in anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC). These findings suggest that a strengthened control on primary PM2.5 emissions and a well-balanced control on nitrogen oxides and VOC emissions are needed to effectively and sustainably alleviate PM2.5 and O3 pollution in southern California.

Download Full-text

Response of atmospheric composition to COVID-19 lockdown measures during spring in the Paris region (France)

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-21-17167-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (22) ◽

pp. 17167-17183

Author(s):

Jean-Eudes Petit ◽

Jean-Charles Dupont ◽

Olivier Favez ◽

Valérie Gros ◽

Yunjiang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Atmospheric Composition ◽

Carbonaceous Aerosols ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Atmospheric Pollutant ◽

Ambient Concentrations ◽

The Impact ◽

Mitigation Policies

Abstract. Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to lockdowns at national scales. These lockdowns resulted in large cuts of atmospheric pollutant emissions, notably related to the vehicular traffic source, especially during spring 2020. As a result, air quality changed in manners that are still currently under investigation. The robust quantitative assessment of the impact of lockdown measures on ambient concentrations is however hindered by weather variability. In order to circumvent this difficulty, an innovative methodology has been developed. The Analog Application for Air Quality (A3Q) method is based on the comparison of each day of lockdown to a group of analog days having similar meteorological conditions. The A3Q method has been successfully evaluated and applied to a comprehensive in situ dataset of primary and secondary pollutants obtained at the SIRTA observatory, a suburban background site of the megacity of Paris (France). The overall slight decrease of submicron particulate matter (PM1) concentrations (−14 %) compared to business-as-usual conditions conceals contrasting behaviors. Primary traffic tracers (NOx and traffic-related carbonaceous aerosols) dropped by 42 %–66 % during the lockdown period. Further, the A3Q method enabled us to characterize changes triggered by NOx decreases. Particulate nitrate and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), two of the main springtime aerosol components in northwestern Europe, decreased by −45 % and −25 %, respectively. A NOx relationship emphasizes the interest of NOx mitigation policies at the regional (i.e., city) scale, although long-range pollution advection sporadically overcompensated for regional decreases. Variations of the oxidation state of SOA suggest discrepancies in SOA formation processes. At the same time, the expected ozone increase (+20 %) underlines the negative feedback of NO titration. These results provide a quasi-comprehensive observation-based insight for mitigation policies regarding air quality in future low-carbon urban areas.

Download Full-text

Abrupt but smaller than expected changes in surface air quality attributable to COVID-19 lockdowns

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.abd6696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. eabd6696

Author(s):

Zongbo Shi ◽

Congbo Song ◽

Bowen Liu ◽

Gongda Lu ◽

Jingsha Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Quality Improvements ◽

Learning Technique ◽

Emission Changes ◽

Almost All ◽

Gaseous Oxidant ◽

Sophisticated Analysis ◽

Limited Change

The COVID-19 lockdowns led to major reductions in air pollutant emissions. Here, we quantitatively evaluate changes in ambient NO2, O3, and PM2.5 concentrations arising from these emission changes in 11 cities globally by applying a deweathering machine learning technique. Sudden decreases in deweathered NO2 concentrations and increases in O3 were observed in almost all cities. However, the decline in NO2 concentrations attributable to the lockdowns was not as large as expected, at reductions of 10 to 50%. Accordingly, O3 increased by 2 to 30% (except for London), the total gaseous oxidant (Ox = NO2 + O3) showed limited change, and PM2.5 concentrations decreased in most cities studied but increased in London and Paris. Our results demonstrate the need for a sophisticated analysis to quantify air quality impacts of interventions and indicate that true air quality improvements were notably more limited than some earlier reports or observational data suggested.

Download Full-text

Gender Differences in Association between Air Pollution and Daily Mortality in the Capital of the Green Lungs of Poland–Population-Based Study with 2,953,000 Person-Years of Follow-Up

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9082351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2351

Author(s):

Łukasz Kuźma ◽

Krzysztof Struniawski ◽

Szymon Pogorzelski ◽

Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽

Sławomir Dobrzycki

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

World Health ◽

The European Union ◽

Daily Mortality ◽

Male Population ◽

The Impact

(1) Introduction: air pollution is considered to be one of the main risk factors for public health. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of approximately 500,000 citizens of the European Union (EU), including almost 5000 inhabitants of Poland every year. (2) Purpose: to assess the gender differences in the impact of air pollution on the mortality in the population of the city of Bialystok—the capital of the Green Lungs of Poland. (3) Materials and Methods: based on the data from the Central Statistical Office, the number—and causes of death—of Białystok residents in the period 2008–2017 were analyzed. The study utilized the data recorded by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection station and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management during the analysis period. Time series regression with Poisson distribution was used in statistical analysis. (4) Results: A total of 34,005 deaths had been recorded, in which women accounted for 47.5%. The proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths was 48% (n = 16,370). An increase of SO2 concentration by 1-µg/m3 (relative risk (RR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.12; p = 0.005) and a 10 °C decrease of temperature (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05; p = 0.005) were related to an increase in the number of daily deaths. No gender differences in the impact of air pollution on mortality were observed. In the analysis of the subgroup of cardiovascular deaths, the main pollutant that was found to have an effect on daily mortality was particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5); the RR for 10-µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was 1.07 (95% CI 1.02–1.12; p = 0.01), and this effect was noted only in the male population. (5) Conclusions: air quality and atmospheric conditions had an impact on the mortality of Bialystok residents. The main air pollutant that influenced the mortality rate was SO2, and there were no gender differences in the impact of this pollutant. In the male population, an increased exposure to PM2.5 concentration was associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality. These findings suggest that improving air quality, in particular, even with lower SO2 levels than currently allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, may benefit public health. Further studies on this topic are needed, but our results bring questions whether the recommendations concerning acceptable concentrations of air pollutants should be stricter, or is there a safe concentration of SO2 in the air at all.

Download Full-text

To what extent does the environmental magnetism technique acts as a way of assessing the uptake of atmospheric particles by plants?

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8263 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Letaïef ◽

Pierre Camps ◽

Thierry Poidras ◽

Patrick Nicol ◽

Delphine Bosch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Magnetic Measurements ◽

Deposition Velocity ◽

Environmental Magnetism ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Atmospheric Pollutants ◽

Area Index ◽

The Impact

Numerous studies have already shown the possibility of tracing the sources, the compositions, and the concentration of atmospheric pollutants deposited on plant leaves. In environmental geochemistry, inter-element and isotope ratios from chemical element assays have been used for these purposes. Alternatively, environmental magnetism represents a quick and inexpensive asset that is increasingly used as a relative indicator for concentrations of air pollutant on bio accumulator surfaces such as plants. However, a fundamental issue is still pending: Do plants in urban areas represent a sink for fine particles that is sufficiently effective to improve air quality? This is a very topical issue because some studies have shown that the foliage can trap fine particles by different dry deposition processes, while other studies based on CFD models indicate that plant hedges in cities can hinder the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants and therefore increase pollution at the level of emission sources such as traffic. To date, no consensus was made because several factors not necessary well known must be taken into account, such as, PM concentration and size, prevailing wind, surface structures, epicuticular wax, to mention just a few examples. A first step toward the understanding of the impact of urban greens on air quality is the precise determination of the deposition velocity (Vd) parameter. This latter is specific for each species and it is most of the time underestimated in modeling-based studies by taking standard values. In that perspective, we built a wind tunnel (6 m long, 86 cm wide and 86 cm high) to perform analogical experiments on different endemic species. All parameters are controlled, i.e, the wind speed, the nature and the injection time of pollutants (Gasoline or Diesel exhausts, brakes or tires dust, etc&#8230;). We can provide the PM concentrations upwind and downwind of natural reconstituted hedges by two dustmeters (LOACs - M&#233;t&#233;oModem). Beforehand, parameters such as the hedge resistance (%) or the leaf area index (LAI) have been estimated for each studied specie to allow comparability between plants removal potential. The interest would ultimately combine PM concentration measured by size bins from the LOACs with magnetic measurements (ARM, IRM100mT, IRM300mT and SIRM) of plant leaves. The idea is to check whether it would be possible to precisely determine in situ the dust removal rate by urban greens with environmental magnetism measurements. Up to now, we have carried out on different endemic species such as Elaeagnus x ebbingei leaves and Mediterranean pine needles, the results of which will be presented.

Download Full-text