scholarly journals The impacts of three PBL schemes on the simulation of boundary layer meteorological factors and air pollutants in Northern China

Author(s):  
Jikang Wang ◽  
Bihui Zhang ◽  
Hengde Zhang ◽  
Mengyao Lv
2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 13233-13263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uri Dayan ◽  
Philippe Ricaud ◽  
Régina Zbinden ◽  
François Dulac

Abstract. The eastern Mediterranean (EM) is one of the regions in the world where elevated concentrations of primary and secondary gaseous air pollutants have been reported frequently, mainly in summer. This review discusses published studies of the atmospheric dispersion and transport conditions characterizing this region during the summer, followed by a description of some essential studies dealing with the corresponding concentrations of air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, total reactive nitrogen, methane, and sulfate aerosols observed there. The interlaced relationship between the downward motion of the subsiding air aloft induced by global circulation systems affecting the EM and the depth of the Persian Trough, a low-pressure trough that extends from the Asian monsoon at the surface controlling the spatiotemporal distribution of the mixed boundary layer during summer, is discussed. The strength of the wind flow within the mixed layer and its depth affect much the amount of pollutants transported and determine the potential of the atmosphere to disperse contaminants off their origins in the EM. The reduced mixed layer and the accompanying weak westerlies, characterizing the summer in this region, led to reduced ventilation rates, preventing an effective dilution of the contaminants. Several studies pointing at specific local (e.g., ventilation rates) and regional peculiarities (long-range transport) enhancing the build-up of air pollutant concentrations are presented. Tropospheric ozone (O3) concentrations observed in the summer over the EM are among the highest over the Northern Hemisphere. The three essential processes controlling its formation (i.e., long-range transport of polluted air masses, dynamic subsidence at mid-tropospheric levels, and stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange) are reviewed. Airborne campaigns and satellite-borne initiatives have indicated that the concentration values of reactive nitrogen identified as precursors in the formation of O3 over the EM were found to be 2 to 10 times higher than in the hemispheric background troposphere. Several factors favor sulfate particulate abundance over the EM. Models, aircraft measurements, and satellite-derived data have clearly shown that sulfate has a maximum during spring and summer over the EM. The carbon monoxide (CO) seasonal cycle, as obtained from global background monitoring sites in the EM, is mostly controlled by the tropospheric concentration of the hydroxyl radical (OH) and therefore demonstrates high concentrations over winter months and the lowest concentrations during summer when photochemistry is active. Modeling studies have shown that the diurnal variations in CO concentration during the summer result from long-range CO transport from European anthropogenic sources, contributing 60 to 80 % of the boundary-layer CO over the EM. The values retrieved from satellite data enable us to derive the spatial distribution of methane (CH4), identifying August as the month with the highest levels over the EM. The outcomes of a recent extensive examination of the distribution of methane over the tropospheric Mediterranean Basin, as part of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx) program, using model simulations and satellite measurements, are coherent with other previous studies. Moreover, this methane study provides some insight into the role of the Asian monsoon anticyclone in controlling the variability of CH4 pollutant within mid-to-upper tropospheric levels above the EM in summer.


1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J. Crutzen ◽  
M.T. Coffey ◽  
A.C. Delany ◽  
J. Greenberg ◽  
P. Haagenson ◽  
...  

Field measurement programs in Brazil during the dry season months of August and September in 1979 and 1980 have demonstrated the great importance of the continental tropics in global air chemistry. Especially in the mixed layer, the air composition over land is much different from that over the ocean and the land areas are clearly longe scale sources of many inportant trace gases. During the dry season much biomass, burning takes place especially in the cerrado regions leading to substantial emission of air pollutants, such as CO, NOx, N2O, CH4 and other hydrocarbons. Ozone concentrations are alsoenhanced due to photochemical reactions. Biogenic organic emissions from tropical forests play likewise an important role in the photochemistry of the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide was found to be present in high concentrations in the boundary layer of the tropical forest, but ozone concentrations were much lower than in the cerrado.


Author(s):  
Han Cao ◽  
Bingxiao Li ◽  
Tianlun Gu ◽  
Xiaohui Liu ◽  
Kai Meng ◽  
...  

Evidence regarding the effects of environmental factors on COVID-19 transmission is mixed. We aimed to explore the associations of air pollutants and meteorological factors with COVID-19 confirmed cases during the outbreak period throughout China. The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, air pollutant concentrations, and meteorological factors in China from January 25 to February 29, 2020, (36 days) were extracted from authoritative electronic databases. The associations were estimated for a single-day lag as well as moving averages lag using generalized additive mixed models. Region-specific analyses and meta-analysis were conducted in 5 selected regions from the north to south of China with diverse air pollution levels and weather conditions and sufficient sample size. Nonlinear concentration–response analyses were performed. An increase of each interquartile range in PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO at lag4 corresponded to 1.40 (1.37–1.43), 1.35 (1.32–1.37), 1.01 (1.00–1.02), 1.08 (1.07–1.10), 1.28 (1.27–1.29), and 1.26 (1.24–1.28) ORs of daily new cases, respectively. For 1°C, 1%, and 1 m/s increase in temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity, the ORs were 0.97 (0.97–0.98), 0.96 (0.96–0.97), and 0.94 (0.92–0.95), respectively. The estimates of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and all meteorological factors remained significantly after meta-analysis for the five selected regions. The concentration–response relationships showed that higher concentrations of air pollutants and lower meteorological factors were associated with daily new cases increasing. Higher air pollutant concentrations and lower temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity may favor COVID-19 transmission. Controlling ambient air pollution, especially for PM2.5, PM10, NO2, may be an important component of reducing risk of COVID-19 infection. In addition, as winter months are arriving in China, the meteorological factors may play a negative role in prevention. Therefore, it is significant to implement the public health control measures persistently in case another possible pandemic.


1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bischoff-Gauß ◽  
N. Kalthoff ◽  
F. Fiedler

Abstract The area between the Atlantic Ocean and São Paulo is highly polluted due to high emission rates at Cubatão, a city situated 15 km inland at a steep slope. It was expected that secondary circulations would develop caused by the land–sea contrast and strong orographic changes, which influence the transport and diffusion of air pollutants. In 1994–95, surface stations were operated and radiosonde ascents were performed to analyze the characteristic features of the land–sea-breeze circulation. The stations make evident a land–sea-breeze system that arrived in the suburbs of São Paulo in the early afternoon. The upslope winds favor the propagation of the sea breeze at the steep slope. During the measurement period, large-scale northwesterly winds prevailed that advected warm air from the plateau to the coastal area in the afternoon and resulted in a limitation of the boundary layer growth. The data were used to initialize a three-dimensional mesoscale model for calculation of the transport and deposition of SO2 emitted at Cubatão. The boundary layer height was found to be a limitation for vertical mixing of the air pollutants. However, a step between the coastal boundary layer and the boundary layer over the plateau causes SO2 to be vented into the free atmosphere at the slope and then transported toward the Atlantic Ocean with the large-scale northwesterly winds. Thus, over the coastal area, the SO2 concentrations in the free atmosphere were even higher than within the mixed layer. The deposition, summed up over a day, was calculated and found to be strongest at the slope and over the Atlantic Ocean.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Yao Lin ◽  
Saijun Zhou ◽  
Hongyan Liu ◽  
Zhuang Cui ◽  
Fang Hou ◽  
...  

Background. Research investigating the effect of air pollution on diabetes incidence is mostly conducted in Europe and the United States and often produces conflicting results. The link between meteorological factors and diabetes incidence remains to be explored. We aimed to explore associations between air pollution and diabetes incidence and to estimate the nonlinear and lag effects of meteorological factors on diabetes incidence. Methods. Our study included 19,000 people aged ≥60 years from the Binhai New District without diabetes at baseline. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to explore the effect of air pollutants and meteorological factors on the incidence of diabetes. In the model combining the GAM and DLNM, the impact of each factor (delayed by 30 days) was first observed separately to select statistically significant factors, which were then incorporated into the final multivariate model. The association between air pollution and the incidence of diabetes was assessed in subgroups based on age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results. We found that cumulative RRs for diabetes incidence were 1.026 (1.011-1.040), 1.019 (1.012-1.026), and 1.051 (1.019-1.083) per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, respectively, as well as 1.156 (1.058-1.264) per 1 mg/m3 increase in CO in a single-pollutant model. Increased temperature, excessive humidity or dryness, and shortened sunshine duration were positively correlated with the incidence of diabetes in single-factor models. After adjusting for temperature, humidity, and sunshine, the risk of diabetes increased by 9.2% (95% confidence interval (CI):2.1%-16.8%) per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. We also found that women, the elderly (≥75 years), and obese subjects were more susceptible to the effect of PM2.5. Conclusion. Our data suggest that PM2.5 is positively correlated with the incidence of diabetes in the elderly, and the relationship between various meteorological factors and diabetes in the elderly is nonlinear.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uri Dayan ◽  
Philippe Ricaud ◽  
Regina Zbinden ◽  
Francois Dulac

Abstract. The Eastern Mediterranean (EM) is one of the regions in the world where elevated concentrations of primary and secondary gaseous air pollutants have been reported frequently, mainly in summer. This review discusses published studies of the atmospheric dispersion and transport conditions characterizing this region during the summer, followed by a description of some essential studies dealing with the corresponding concentrations of air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, total reactive nitrogen, methane and sulfate aerosols observed there. The interlaced relationship between the downward motion of the subsiding air aloft induced by global circulation systems affecting the EM and the depth of the Persian Trough, a low-pressure trough that extends from the Asian monsoon at the surface controlling the spatio-temporal distribution of the mixed boundary layer during summer is discussed. The strength of the wind flow within the mixed layer and its depth affect much the amount of pollutants transported and determine the potential of the atmosphere to disperse contaminants off their origins in the EM. The reduced mixed layer and the accompanying weak westerlies, characterizing the summer in this region, lead to reduced ventilation rates, preventing an effective dilution of the contaminants. Several studies pointing at specific local (e.g. ventilation rates) and regional peculiarities (long-range transport) enhancing the building up of pollutant concentrations are presented. Tropospheric ozone concentrations observed in the summer over the EM are among the highest over the Northern Hemisphere. The three essential processes controlling its formation (i.e., long- range transport of polluted air masses, dynamic subsidence at mid-tropospheric levels, and stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange) are reviewed. Airborne campaigns and satellite-borne initiatives have indicated that the concentration values of reactive nitrogen identified as precursors in the formation of ozone over the EM were found to be 2 to 10 times higher than in the hemispheric background troposphere. Several factors favor sulfate particulate abundance over the EM. Models, aircraft measurements, and satellite derived data, have clearly shown that sulfate has a maximum during spring and summer over the EM. The carbon monoxide (CO) seasonal cycle, as obtained from global background monitoring sites in the EM is mostly controlled by the tropospheric concentration of the hydroxyl radical (OH), and therefore demonstrates high concentrations over winter months and the lowest during summer when photochemistry is active. Modeling studies have shown that the diurnal variations in CO concentration during the summer result from long-range CO transport from European anthropogenic sources, contributing 60 to 80 % of the boundary-layer CO over the EM. The values retrieved from satellite data enable us to derive the spatial distribution of methane (CH4), identifying August as the month with the highest levels over the EM. The outcomes of a recent extensive examination of the distribution of methane over the tropospheric Mediterranean Basin, as part of the Chemical and Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx) program, using model simulations and satellite measurements is coherent with other previous studies. Moreover, this methane study provides some insights on the role of the Asian monsoon anticyclone in controlling the variability of CH4 pollutant within mid-to-upper tropospheric levels above the EM in summer.


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