Health benefits of on-road transportation pollution control programs in China

China started to implement comprehensive measures to mitigate traffic pollution at the end of 1990s, but the comprehensive effects, especially on ambient air quality and public health, have not yet been systematically evaluated. In this study, we analyze the effects of vehicle emission control measures on ambient air pollution and associated deaths attributable to long-term exposures of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and O3based on an integrated research framework that combines scenario analysis, air quality modeling, and population health risk assessment. We find that the total impact of these control measures was substantial. Vehicular emissions during 1998–2015 would have been 2–3 times as large as they actually were, had those measures not been implemented. The national population-weighted annual average concentrations of PM2.5and O3in 2015 would have been higher by 11.7 μg/m3and 8.3 parts per billion, respectively, and the number of deaths attributable to 2015 air pollution would have been higher by 510 thousand (95% confidence interval: 360 thousand to 730 thousand) without these controls. Our analysis shows a concentration of mortality impacts in densely populated urban areas, motivating local policymakers to design stringent vehicle emission control policies. The results imply that vehicle emission control will require policy designs that are more multifaceted than traditional controls, primarily represented by the strict emission standards, with careful consideration of the challenges in coordinated mitigation of both PM2.5and O3in different regions, to sustain improvement in air quality and public health given continuing swift growth in China’s vehicle population.

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The Potential for Urban Vegetation to Mitigate Ambient Air Pollution Threats to Public Health

Topophilia ◽

10.29173/topo28 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 53-62

Author(s):

Sonak Patel

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Respiratory Morbidity ◽

Urban Vegetation ◽

Global Risk

This paper assesses the threat that ambient air pollution poses to urban public health and the potential role of urban vegetation to mitigate those threats. Air pollution is a major global risk to health, especially in urban areas. In this paper, four major air pollutants were assessed: particulate matter, tropospheric ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These pollutants were found to have several adverse effects, including increasing mortality and respiratory morbidity. These pollutants come from a variety of sources, but a major contributor in urban areas is the burning of fossil fuels in automobiles. The adverse health effects of pollution are expected to grow as climate change worsens air quality. Research and case studies find that urban vegetation can filter air and remove pollutants through deposition and stomatal uptake. The effectiveness of air pollution removal is dependent upon specific variables, including leaf characteristics, type of vegetation, and seasons. Urban vegetation may worsen air quality in some cases due to slowing ventilation and producing biological volatile organic compounds. While urban vegetation has potential to mitigate ambient air pollution, conducting site specific research is needed when implementing greenspace policies.

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Dietary antioxidants and environmental stress

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1079/pns2004388 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 579-585 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Frank J. Kelly

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Atmospheric Pollutants ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Political Agenda ◽

Antioxidant Defences ◽

The 1960S

Air is one of our most important natural resources; however, it is also in the front line for receiving environmental pollution. Air quality decreased markedly following the industrial revolution, but it was not until the great London Smog in 1952 that air quality made it onto the political agenda. The introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1956 led to dramatic decreases in black smoke and SO2 concentrations over the next two decades, as domestic and industrial coal-burning activities ceased. However, as these improvements progressed, a new threat to public health was being released into the air in ever-increasing quantities. Rapid motorisation of society from the 1960s onwards has led to the increased release of atmospheric pollutants such as tiny particles (particulate matter of &10 μm in aerodynamic diameter) and oxides of N, and the generation of the secondary pollutant O3. These primary and secondary traffic-related pollutants have all proved to be major risks factors to public health. Recently, oxidative stress has been identified as a unifying feature underlying the toxic actions of these pollutants. Fortunately, the surface of the lung is covered with a thin layer of fluid containing a range of antioxidants that appear to provide the first line of defence against oxidant pollutants. As diet is the only source of antioxidant micronutrients, a plausible link now exists between the sensitivity to air pollution and the quality of the food eaten. However, many questions remain unanswered in relation to inter-individual sensitivity to ambient air pollution, and extent to which this sensitivity is modified by airway antioxidant defences.

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Ambient air quality in an urban area and its effects on plants and human beings: a case study of Tiruchirappalli, India

Kathmandu University Journal of Science Engineering and Technology ◽

10.3126/kuset.v6i2.4007 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 13-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sirajuddin M Horaginamani ◽

M Ravichandran

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Air Quality ◽

Human Health ◽

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Control Measures ◽

Human Beings ◽

Ambient Air Quality

Though water and land pollution is very dangerous, air pollution has its own peculiarities, due to its transboundary dispersion of pollutants over the entire world. In any well planned urban set up, industrial pollution takes a back seat and vehicular emissions take precedence as the major cause of urban air pollution. Air pollution is one of the serious problems faced by the people globally, especially in urban areas of developing countries like India. All these in turn lead to an increase in the air pollution levels and have adverse effects on the health of people and plants. Western countries have conducted several studies in this area, but there are only a few studies in developing countries like India. A study on ambient air quality in Tiruchirappalli urban area and its possible effects selected plants and human health has been undertaken, which may be helpful to bring out possible control measures. Keywords: ambient air quality; respiratory disorders; APTI; human health DOI: 10.3126/kuset.v6i2.4007Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol.6. No II, November, 2010, pp.13-19

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PM2.5 Pollution in Xingtai, China: Chemical Characteristics, Source Apportionment, and Emission Control Measures

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos10030121 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 121 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jun Hu ◽

Han Wang ◽

Jingqiao Zhang ◽

Meng Zhang ◽

Hefeng Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Source Apportionment ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Emission Control ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Control Measures ◽

Ambient Air Quality ◽

Surrounding Areas ◽

Emission Control Measures

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and its surrounding areas are one of the most polluted regions in China. Xingtai, as a heavy industrial city of BTH and its surrounding areas, has been experiencing a severe PM2.5 pollution in recent years, characterized by extremely high concentrations of PM2.5. In 2014, PM2.5 mass concentrations monitored by online instruments in urban areas of Xingtai were 116, 77, 128, and 200 µg m−3 in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively, with annually average concentrations of 130 µg m−3 exhibiting 3.7 times higher than National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) value for PM2.5 (35 µg m−3). To identify PM2.5 emission sources, ambient PM2.5 samples were collected during both cold and warm periods in 2014 in urban areas of Xingtai. Organic carbon (OC), sulfate, nitrate, ammonium and elemental carbon (EC) were the dominant components of PM2.5, accounting for 13%, 11%, 12%, 11% and 8% in the cold period, respectively, and 11%, 12%, 9%, 6%, and 5% in the warm period, respectively. Source apportionment results indicated that coal combustion (24.4%) was the largest PM2.5 emission source, followed by secondary sulfate (22.2%), secondary nitrate (18.4%), vehicle exhaust dust (12.4%), fugitive dust (9.7%), construction dust (5.5%), soil dust (3.4%) and metallurgy dust (1.6%). Based on PM2.5 source apportionment results, some emission control measures, such as replacing bulk coal with clean energy sources, controlling coal consumption by coal-fired boiler upgrades, halting operations of unlicensed small polluters, and controlling fugitive and VOCs emission, were proposed to be implemented in order to improve Xingtai’s ambient air quality.

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Air Quality Studies at Ukrainian Airports

First Issue of 2019 - International Journal of Aviation Science and Technology ◽

10.23890/ijast.vm02is01.0101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol vm02 (is01) ◽

pp. 4-14

Author(s):

Kateryna Synylo ◽

Kateryna Ulianova ◽

Oleksandr Zaporozhets

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Aircraft Engine ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Complex Model ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Engine Emissions ◽

Mobile Sources ◽

International Regulations

Sustainability of aviation must be provided to limit the harmful influence and protect public health and the environment. As a rule, national and international regulations aim to reduce ambient air pollution from the aviation sector. Ukraine and other countries have historically adopted international regulations concerning air quality to protect public health and the natural environment. Local regulations also regulate it. However, these documents cover mainly stationary emission sources. In contrast, mobile sources, especially aircraft, are not considered, although, unlike most transportation modes, aircraft travel great distances at various altitudes, generating emissions that potentially impact air quality. This paper was aimed to study the principles and methods to monitor air pollution from aircraft engines at main airports of Europe, north America, and Asia. Based on measurement campaign analysis at some airports of the world and modelling results by complex model PolEmiCa (Pollution and Emission Calculation), the method and technical characteristics for measurement system detect the aircraft engine emissions. The developed practical recommendations were realised at Ukrainian airports and used for validation of model PolEmiCa. Thus, the modelling results for each engine are in good agreement with the results of measurements by the AC32M Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) analyser system due to considering the jet and plume-regime during an experimental investigation at Boryspol airport. Analysis of measured instantaneous concentration demonstrates a high correlation with the runway movements and take-off at Zhulyany airport.

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Development of Land Use Regression Model for Seasonal Variation of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Lahore, Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13094933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 4933

Author(s):

Saimar Pervez ◽

Ryuta Maruyama ◽

Ayesha Riaz ◽

Satoshi Nakai

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Regression Model ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Land Use Classification ◽

Land Use Regression ◽

Air Exposure

Ambient air pollution and its exposure has been a worldwide issue and can increase the possibility of health risks especially in urban areas of developing countries having the mixture of different air pollution sources. With the increase in population, industrial development and economic prosperity, air pollution is one of the biggest concerns in Pakistan after the occurrence of recent smog episodes. The purpose of this study was to develop a land use regression (LUR) model to provide a better understanding of air exposure and to depict the spatial patterns of air pollutants within the city. Land use regression model was developed for Lahore city, Pakistan using the average seasonal concentration of NO2 and considering 22 potential predictor variables including road network, land use classification and local specific variable. Adjusted explained variance of the LUR models was highest for post-monsoon (77%), followed by monsoon (71%) and was lowest for pre-monsoon (70%). This is the first study conducted in Pakistan to explore the applicability of LUR model and hence will offer the application in other cities. The results of this study would also provide help in promoting epidemiological research in future.

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Air Quality Assessment in the State of Kuwait during 2012 to 2017

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12060678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 678

Author(s):

Adeeba Al-Hurban ◽

Sawsan Khader ◽

Ahmad Alsaber ◽

Jiazhu Pan

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Ambient Air ◽

The State ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Northeast Monsoon ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Industrial Areas ◽

The State Of Kuwait

This study aimed to examine the trend of ambient air pollution (i.e., ozone (O3), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene (C6H6) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 microns (PM10), and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) at 10 monitoring stations located in the main residential and industrial areas in the State of Kuwait over 6 years (2012–2017). We found that the SO2 level in industrial areas (0.065 ppm) exceeded the allowable range of SO2 in residential areas (0.030 ppm). Air pollution variables were defined by the Environmental Public Authority of Kuwait (K-EPA). In this study, integrated statistical analysis was performed to compare an established air pollution database to Kuwait Ambient Air Quality Guidelines and to determine the association between pollutants and meteorological factors. All pollutants were positively correlated, with the exception of most pollutants and PM10 and O3. Meteorological factors, i.e., the ambient temperature, wind speed and humidity, were also significantly associated with the above pollutants. Spatial distribution mapping indicated that the PM10 level remained high during the southwest monsoon (the hot and dry season), while the CO level was high during the northeast monsoon (the wet season). The NO2 and O3 levels were high during the first intermonsoon season.

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Air Quality Profile in an Enclosed Car Park

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.567.3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 567 ◽

pp. 3-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nurul Izma Mohammed ◽

Nurfadhilah Othman ◽

Khairul Bariyah Baharuddin

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Health Effects ◽

Sulphur Dioxide ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Kuala Lumpur ◽

Short Supply ◽

Car Park

Complaints on poor air quality in an enclosed car park have been raised up among the public, which might cause serious health effects to the drivers, passengers, and labours who are working at the premises. Improper design of mechanical ventilation systems in a car park would result in a poor indoor environment. The exhaust emission of motor vehicle contains a variety of potentially harmful substances encompassing carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons, and fine particulates. In Kuala Lumpur, there is a great demand but a short supply of lands and building spaces. Thus, a large multi-storey underground car parks is a common solution for both, the government and developers. Although the health effects of the motor vehicle emissions and ambient air pollution are already known, but due to the nature of enclosed multi-storey car parks, these health risks are predicted to be intensified. Thus, it is crucial to investigate and evaluate the status of the air pollution in the enclosed car parks with emphasis on sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxides (NO2). Samples were collected in one of the famous shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur using a GrayWolf Advanced Sense Direct Sense; Toxic Gas Test Meters from 8 am until 5 pm on weekdays and weekends. The results demonstrate that the concentrations of SO2 and NO2 on weekends is higher than weekdays. Besides, the concentrations for both weekdays and weekends have exceeded the standard limit set by the Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Guideline (MAAQG).

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COVID-19 national lockdown in Morocco: impacts on air quality and public health

10.1101/2020.07.05.20146589 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kenza Khomsi ◽

Houda Najmi ◽

Hassan Amghar ◽

Youssef Chelhaoui ◽

Zineb Souhaili

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Pollution Reduction ◽

Industrial Activities ◽

Large Cities ◽

Almost All ◽

Quality Status

AbstractOn the 20th April 2020, the end date of the first strict lockdown period in Morocco, 2 403 410 cases of the corona Virus were confirmed globally. The number of Morocco confirmed cases attended 2990, while 12 746 were suspected and 143 deaths were recorded. Due to the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 worldwide and in Morocco, almost all avoidable activities in the country were prohibited since the kingdom announced activities reduction on March 16, 2020 and then general lockdown with reduced industrial activities on March 20, 2020.This study aims at comparing the air quality status in Casablanca and Marrakech, two large cities from Morocco, before the pandemic and during the lockdown situation to show whether COVID-19 compelled-anthropogenic activities lockdown may have saved lives by restraining ambient air pollution than by preventing infection.We found that, during the quarantine, NO2 dropped by -12 μg/m3 in Casablanca and -7 μg/m3 in Marrakech. PM2·5 dropped by -18 μg/m3 in Casablanca and -14 μg/m3 in Marrakech. CO dropped by -0.04 mg/m3 in Casablanca and -0.12 mg/m3 in Marrakech. This air pollution reduction had created human health benefits and had reduced mortality and saved lives mainly from cardiovascular diseases.

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