scholarly journals Air Pollution Exposure Is Associated With Cognitive Performance: Results From the Einstein Aging Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 138-138
Author(s):  
Nelson Roque ◽  
Charles Hall ◽  
Mindy Katz ◽  
Martin Sliwinski
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Exposure Misclassification ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Exposure Windows

Abstract Prior research has established that those exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5) air pollution have higher levels of accumulated amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau in frontal cortex at autopsy, higher error rates on cognitive function assessments, and lower scores on memory and both verbal and non-verbal intelligence assessments. We explored the relationship between regional air quality monitoring measures (EPA AirData) and baseline cognitive performance of 312 older adults, from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS, NIA P01AG003949). Participants completed neuropsychological assessments at baseline and each followup wave (i.e., delayed free recall and total recall; Trails A & B, Digit Symbol substitution task (DSST), MoCA). For each participant, based on their zipcode, we computed average PM2.5 exposure at various exposure windows (1-15, 30-60, 60-90, 90-120 days prior to baseline). Adjusting for age, education, and gender across all models, mean of daily particulate matter exposure at various exposure windows (30-60, 60-90 days) was significantly related to performance on the MoCA and Trails A & B, in expected directions (i.e., higher pollution, worse cognitive performance - more error, slower speed). Models with memory performance as the outcome indicated that only distant time horizons were related to memory performance (i.e., 60-90, 90-120 days prior). These findings suggest that particulate matter air pollution likely affects different cognitive domains at different timescales. This methodology cannot address contributions from indoor air quality and mobility - an exposure misclassification likely resulting in significant biases towards the null in the estimation of the effects of air pollution.

scholarly journals In situ, satellite measurement and model evidence on the dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris megacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 9577-9591 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beekmann ◽  
A. S. H. Prévôt ◽  
F. Drewnick ◽  
J. Sciare ◽  
S. N. Pandis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Satellite Measurement ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Air Pollution Regulation

Abstract. A detailed characterization of air quality in the megacity of Paris (France) during two 1-month intensive campaigns and from additional 1-year observations revealed that about 70 % of the urban background fine particulate matter (PM) is transported on average into the megacity from upwind regions. This dominant influence of regional sources was confirmed by in situ measurements during short intensive and longer-term campaigns, aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from ENVISAT, and modeling results from PMCAMx and CHIMERE chemistry transport models. While advection of sulfate is well documented for other megacities, there was surprisingly high contribution from long-range transport for both nitrate and organic aerosol. The origin of organic PM was investigated by comprehensive analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), radiocarbon and tracer measurements during two intensive campaigns. Primary fossil fuel combustion emissions constituted less than 20 % in winter and 40 % in summer of carbonaceous fine PM, unexpectedly small for a megacity. Cooking activities and, during winter, residential wood burning are the major primary organic PM sources. This analysis suggests that the major part of secondary organic aerosol is of modern origin, i.e., from biogenic precursors and from wood burning. Black carbon concentrations are on the lower end of values encountered in megacities worldwide, but still represent an issue for air quality. These comparatively low air pollution levels are due to a combination of low emissions per inhabitant, flat terrain, and a meteorology that is in general not conducive to local pollution build-up. This revised picture of a megacity only being partially responsible for its own average and peak PM levels has important implications for air pollution regulation policies.

scholarly journals Pollution Characteristics and Policy Actions on Fine Particulate Matter in a Growing Asian Economy: The Case of Bangkok Metropolitan Region

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiju Narita ◽  
Nguyen Oanh ◽  
Keiichi Sato ◽  
Mingqun Huo ◽  
Didin Permadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Receptor Modeling ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Air Quality Management ◽  
Fine Particulate

Air pollution is becoming a prominent social problem in fast-growing Asian economies. Taking the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) as a case, we conducted an observational study of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and acid deposition, consisting of their continuous monitoring at two sites. To find the major contributing sources of PM2.5, the PM composition data were analyzed by a receptor modeling approach while the pollution load from BMR sources to the air was characterized by an emission inventory. Our data show generally alarming levels of PM2.5 in the region, of which transportation and biomass burning are two major sources. In this paper, we present a general overview of our observational findings, contrast the scientific information with the policy context of air quality management in BMR, and discuss policy implications. In BMR, where a set of conventional regulatory instruments on air quality management are already in place, a solution for the air pollution problem should lie in a combination of air quality regulation and other policies, such as energy and agricultural policies.

scholarly journals In-situ, satellite measurement and model evidence for a~dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris Megacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 8647-8686 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beekmann ◽  
A. S. H. Prévôt ◽  
F. Drewnick ◽  
J. Sciare ◽  
S. N. Pandis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Satellite Measurement ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Air Pollution Regulation

Abstract. A detailed characterization of air quality in Paris (France), a megacity of more than 10 million inhabitants, during two one month intensive campaigns and from additional one year observations, revealed that about 70% of the fine particulate matter (PM) at urban background is transported on average into the megacity from upwind regions. This dominant influence of regional sources was confirmed by in-situ measurements during short intensive and longer term campaigns, aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from ENVISAT, and modeling results from PMCAMx and CHIMERE. While advection of sulfate is well documented for other megacities, there was surprisingly high contribution from long-range transport for both nitrate and organic aerosol. The origin of organic PM was investigated by a comprehensive analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), radiocarbon and tracer measurements during two intensive campaigns. Primary fossil fuel combustion emissions contributed less than 20% in winter and 40% in summer to carbonaceous fine PM, unexpectedly little for a megacity. Cooking activities and, during winter, residential wood burning are the major primary organic PM sources. This analysis suggests that the major part of secondary organic aerosol is of modern origin, i.e. from biogenic precursors and from wood burning. Black carbon concentrations are on the lower end of values encountered in megacities worldwide, but still represent an issue for air quality. These comparatively low air pollution levels are due to a combination of low emissions per inhabitant, flat terrain, and a meteorology that is in general not conducive to local pollution build-up. This revised picture of a megacity only controlling part of its own average and peak PM levels has important implications for air pollution regulation policies.

scholarly journals Impact of air pollution control measures and regional transport on carbonaceous aerosols in fine particulate matter in urban Beijing, China: insights gained from long-term measurement

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 8569-8590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongsheng Ji ◽  
Wenkang Gao ◽  
Willy Maenhaut ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Fine Particulate

Abstract. As major chemical components of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) have vital impacts on air quality, climate change, and human health. Because OC and EC are closely associated with fuel combustion, it is helpful for the scientific community and policymakers assessing the efficacy of air pollution control measures to study the impact of control measures and regional transport on OC and EC levels. In this study, hourly mass concentrations of OC and EC associated with PM2.5 were semi-continuously measured from March 2013 to February 2018. The results showed that annual mean OC and EC concentrations declined from 14.0 to 7.7 µg m−3 and from 4.0 to 2.6 µg m−3, respectively, from March 2013 to February 2018. In combination with the data of OC and EC in previous studies, an obvious decreasing trend in OC and EC concentrations was found, which was caused by clean energy policies and effective air pollution control measures. However, no obvious change in the ratios of OC and EC to the PM2.5 mass (on average, 0.164 and 0.049, respectively) was recorded, suggesting that inorganic ions still contributed a lot to PM2.5. Based on the seasonal variations in OC and EC, it appeared that higher OC and EC concentrations were still observed in the winter months, with the exception of winter of 2017–2018. Traffic policies executed in Beijing resulted in nighttime peaks of OC and EC, caused by heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty diesel vehicles being permitted to operate from 00:00 to 06:00 (China standard time, UTC+8, for all times throughout the paper). In addition, the fact that there was no traffic restriction in weekends led to higher concentrations on weekends compared to weekdays. Significant correlations between OC and EC were observed throughout the study period, suggesting that OC and EC originated from common emission sources, such as exhaust of vehicles and fuel combustion. OC and EC levels increased with enhanced SO2, CO, and NOx concentrations while the O3 and OC levels were enhanced simultaneously when O3 concentrations were higher than 50 µg m−3. Non-parametric wind regression analysis was performed to examine the sources of OC and EC in the Beijing area. It was found that there were distinct hot spots in the northeast wind sector at wind speeds of approximately 0–6 km h−1, as well as diffuse signals in the southwestern wind sectors. Source areas further away from Beijing were assessed by potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis. A high-potential source area was precisely pinpointed, which was located in the northwestern and southern areas of Beijing in 2017 instead of solely in the southern areas of Beijing in 2013. This work shows that improvement of the air quality in Beijing benefits from strict control measures; however, joint prevention and control of regional air pollution in the regions is needed for further improving the air quality. The results provide a reference for controlling air pollution caused by rapid economic development in developing countries.

scholarly journals Impact of air pollution control measures and regional transport on carbonaceous aerosols in fine particulate matter in urban Beijing, China: Insights gained from long-term measurement

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongsheng Ji ◽  
Wenkang Gao ◽  
Willy Maenhaut ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Fine Particulate

Abstract. As major chemical components of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) have vital impacts on air quality, climate change, and human health. Because OC and EC are closely associated with fuel combustion, it is helpful for the scientific community and policymakers assessing the efficacy of air pollution control measures to study on the impact of the control measures and regional transport on the OC and EC levels. In this study, hourly mass concentrations of OC and EC associated with PM2.5 were semi-continuously measured from March 2013 to February 2018. The results showed that annual mean OC and EC concentrations declined from 14.0 to 7.7 μg/m3 and from 4.0 to 2.6 μg/m3, respectively, from March 2013 to February 2018. In combination with the data of OC and EC in previous studies, an obvious decreasing trend in OC and EC concentrations was found, which was caused by clean energy policies and effective air pollution control measures. However, no obvious change in the ratios of OC and EC to the PM2.5 mass (on average, 0.164 and 0.049, respectively) was recorded, suggesting that inorganic ions still contributed a lot to PM2.5. Based on the seasonal variations of OC and EC, it appeared that higher OC and EC concentrations were still observed in the winter months, with the exception of winter of 2017–2018. Traffic policies executed in Beijing resulted in nighttime peaks of OC and EC, caused by heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty diesel vehicles being permitted to operate from 0:00 to 6:00. In addition, the fact that there was no traffic restriction in weekends led to higher concentrations in weekends compared to weekdays. Significant correlations between OC and EC were observed throughout the study period, suggesting that OC and EC originated from common emission sources, such as exhaust of vehicles and fuel combustion. OC and EC levels increased with enhanced SO2, CO and NOx concentrations while the O3 and OC levels enhanced simultaneously when O3 concentrations were higher than 50 μg/m3. Nonparametric wind regression analysis was performed to examine the sources of OC and EC in the Beijing area. It was found that there were distinct hot spots in the northeast wind sector at wind speeds of approximately 5 km/h, as well as diffuse signals in the southwestern wind sectors, highlighting probable trans-boundary transport from highly industrialized regions upwind of the Hebei province, such as Baoding, Shijiazhuang and Handan, which were the most polluted cities in China. This was consistent with their higher potential as source areas, as determined by the potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis. A high-potential source area was precisely pinpointed, which was located in the northwestern and southern areas of Beijing in 2017 instead of solely in the southern areas of Beijing in 2013. This work shows that improvement of the air quality in Beijing benefits from strict control measures; however, joint prevention and control of regional air pollution in the regions is needed for further improving the air quality. The results provide a reference for controlling air pollution caused by rapid economic development in developing countries.

Chinese emissions reductions deliver reduced PM2.5-caused mortality across China during 2015-2017

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Silver ◽  
Luke Conibear ◽  
Carly Reddington ◽  
Christophe Knote ◽  
Steve Arnold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Ozone Concentrations ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
A Minor

<p>Air pollution is a serious environmental issue and leading contributor to the disease burden in China. Following severe air pollution episodes during the 2012-2013 winter, the Chinese government has prioritised efforts to reduce PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions, and established a national monitoring network to record air quality trends. Rapid reductions in fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) concentrations and increased ozone concentrations have occurred across China, during 2015 to 2017. We used measurements of particulate matter with a diameter < 2.5 µm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and Ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) from >1000 stations across China combined with similar datasets from Hong Kong and Taiwan to calculate trends in PM<sub>2.5</sub>, Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide and O<sub>3</sub> across the greater China region during 2015-2019. We then use the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) regional air quality simulations, to explore the drivers and impacts of observed trends. Using annually varying emissions from the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China, we simulate air quality across China during 2015-2017, and calculate a median PM<sub>2.5</sub> trends of -3.9 µg m<sup>-3</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>. The measured nationwide median PM<sub>2.5</sub> trend of -3.4 µg m<sup>-3</sup> year<sup>-</sup>. With anthropogenic emissions fixed at 2015-levels, the simulated trend was much weaker (-0.6 µg m<sup>-3</sup> year<sup>-1</sup>), demonstrating interannual variability in meteorology played a minor role in the observed PM<sub>2.5</sub> trend. The model simulated increased ozone concentrations in line with the measurements, but underestimated the magnitude of the observed absolute trend by a factor of 2. We combined simulated trends in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations with an exposure-response function to estimate that reductions in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations over this period have reduced PM<sub>2.5</sub>-attribrutable premature morality across China by 150 000 deaths year<sup>-1</sup>.</p>

Vicious Cycle of Economic Growth, Pm2.5 and COVID-19 Case of G7 Countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rıdvan Karacan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Panel Cointegration ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Causality Analysis ◽  
G7 Countries

<p>Today, production is carried out depending on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels pollute the air as they contain high levels of carbon. Many studies have been carried out on the economic costs of air pollution. However, in the present study, unlike the former ones, economic growth's relationship with the COVID-19 virus in addition to air pollution was examined. The COVID-19 virus, which was initially reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and affected the whole world, has caused many cases and deaths. Researchers have been going on studying how the virus is transmitted. Some of these studies suggest that the number of virus-related cases increases in regions with a high level of air pollution. Based on this fact, it is thought that air pollution will increase the number of COVID-19 cases in G7 Countries where industrial production is widespread. Therefore, the negative aspects of economic growth, which currently depends on fossil fuels, is tried to be revealed. The research was carried out for the period between 2000-2019. Panel cointegration test and panel causality analysis were used for the empirical analysis. Particulate matter known as PM2.5[1] was used as an indicator of air pollution. Consequently, a positive long-term relationship has been identified between PM2.5 and economic growth. This relationship also affects the number of COVID-19 cases.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>[1] "Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that poses the greatest risk to health globally, affecting more people than any other pollutant (WHO, 2018). Chronic exposure to PM2.5 considerably increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in particular (WHO, 2018). For these reasons, population exposure to (outdoor or ambient) PM2.5 has been identified as an OECD Green Growth headline indicator" (OECD.Stat).</p>

scholarly journals Exploring the Use of PlanetScope Data for Particulate Matter Air Quality Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2981
Author(s):  
Jeanné le Roux ◽  
Sundar Christopher ◽  
Manil Maskey
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Land Cover Types ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Geolocation Accuracy

Planet, a commercial company, has achieved a key milestone by launching a large fleet of small satellites (smallsats) that provide high spatial resolution imagery of the entire Earth’s surface on a daily basis with its PlanetScope sensors. Given the potential utility of these data, this study explores the use for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality applications. However, before these data can be utilized for air quality applications, key features of the data, including geolocation accuracy, calibration quality, and consistency in spectral signatures, need to be addressed. In this study, selected Dove-Classic PlanetScope data is screened for geolocation consistency. The spectral response of the Dove-Classic PlanetScope data is then compared to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data over different land cover types, and under varying PM2.5 and mid visible aerosol optical depth (AOD) conditions. The data selected for this study was found to fall within Planet’s reported geolocation accuracy of 10 m (between 3–4 pixels). In a comparison of top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance over a sample of different land cover types, the difference in reflectance between PlanetScope and MODIS ranged from near-zero (0.0014) to 0.117, with a mean difference in reflectance of 0.046 ± 0.031 across all bands. The reflectance values from PlanetScope were higher than MODIS 78% of the time, although no significant relationship was found between surface PM2.5 or AOD and TOA reflectance for the cases that were studied. The results indicate that commercial satellite data have the potential to address Earth-environmental issues.

scholarly journals Description and Evaluation of the Fine Particulate Matter Forecasts in the NCAR Regional Air Quality Forecasting System

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
Piyush Bhardwaj ◽  
Gabriele Pfister ◽  
Carl Drews ◽  
Shawn Honomichl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
Air Quality Forecast ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Air Quality Forecasting

This paper describes a quasi-operational regional air quality forecasting system for the contiguous United States (CONUS) developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to support air quality decision-making, field campaign planning, early identification of model errors and biases, and support the atmospheric science community in their research. This system aims to complement the operational air quality forecasts produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), not to replace them. A publicly available information dissemination system has been established that displays various air quality products, including a near-real-time evaluation of the model forecasts. Here, we report the performance of our air quality forecasting system in simulating meteorology and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the first year after our system started, i.e., 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2020. Our system shows excellent skill in capturing hourly to daily variations in temperature, surface pressure, relative humidity, water vapor mixing ratios, and wind direction but shows relatively larger errors in wind speed. The model also captures the seasonal cycle of surface PM2.5 very well in different regions and for different types of sites (urban, suburban, and rural) in the CONUS with a mean bias smaller than 1 µg m−3. The skill of the air quality forecasts remains fairly stable between the first and second days of the forecasts. Our air quality forecast products are publicly available at a NCAR webpage. We invite the community to use our forecasting products for their research, as input for urban scale (<4 km), air quality forecasts, or the co-development of customized products, just to name a few applications.

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