scholarly journals Consequences of human modification of the global nitrogen cycle

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1621) ◽  
pp. 20130116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Willem Erisman ◽  
James N. Galloway ◽  
Sybil Seitzinger ◽  
Albert Bleeker ◽  
Nancy B. Dise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Single Atom ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
Human Modification ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Nitrogen Cycle

The demand for more food is increasing fertilizer and land use, and the demand for more energy is increasing fossil fuel combustion, leading to enhanced losses of reactive nitrogen (N r ) to the environment. Many thresholds for human and ecosystem health have been exceeded owing to N r pollution, including those for drinking water (nitrates), air quality (smog, particulate matter, ground-level ozone), freshwater eutrophication, biodiversity loss, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change and coastal ecosystems (dead zones). Each of these environmental effects can be magnified by the ‘nitrogen cascade’: a single atom of N r can trigger a cascade of negative environmental impacts in sequence. Here, we provide an overview of the impact of N r on the environment and human health, including an assessment of the magnitude of different environmental problems, and the relative importance of N r as a contributor to each problem. In some cases, N r loss to the environment is the key driver of effects (e.g. terrestrial and coastal eutrophication, nitrous oxide emissions), whereas in some other situations nitrogen represents a key contributor exacerbating a wider problem (e.g. freshwater pollution, biodiversity loss). In this way, the central role of nitrogen can remain hidden, even though it actually underpins many trans-boundary pollution problems.

scholarly journals The ground-level ozone concentration is inversely correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases in Warsaw, Poland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Wiśniewski ◽  
Wiesław Kozak ◽  
Maciej Wiśniewski
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Ozone Concentration ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Viral Agent ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Weather Factors ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCOVID-19, which is a consequence of infection with the novel viral agent SARS-CoV-2, first identified in China (Hubei Province), has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. As of September 10, 2020, over 70,000 cases and over 2000 deaths have been recorded in Poland. Of the many factors contributing to the level of transmission of the virus, the weather appears to be significant. In this work, we analyze the impact of weather factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and ground-level ozone concentration on the number of COVID-19 cases in Warsaw, Poland. The obtained results show an inverse correlation between ground-level ozone concentration and the daily number of COVID-19 cases.

Atmospheric impacts of short-lived chlorinated species over the recent past: a chemistry-climate perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Bednarz ◽  
Ryan Hossaini ◽  
Luke Abraham ◽  
Peter Braesicke ◽  
Martyn Chipperfield
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
Montreal Protocol ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Ozone Depleting Substances ◽  
The Impact

<p>The emissions of most long-lived halogenated ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) are now decreasing, owing to controls on their production introduced by Montreal Protocol and its amendments. However, short-lived halogenated compounds can also have substantial impact on atmospheric chemistry, including stratospheric ozone, particularly if emitted near climatological uplift regions. It has recently become evident that emissions of some chlorinated very short-lived species (VSLSs), such as chloroform (CHCl<sub>3</sub>) and dichloromethane (CH<sub>2</sub>Cl<sub>2</sub>), could be larger than previously believed and increasing, particularly in Asia. While these may exert a significant influence on atmospheric chemistry and climate, their impacts remain poorly characterised. </p><p> </p><p>We address this issue using the UM-UKCA chemistry-climate model (CCM). While not only the first, to our knowledge, model study addressing this problem using a CCM, it is also the first such study employing a whole atmosphere model, thereby simulating the tropospheric Cl-VSLSs emissions and the resulting stratospheric impacts in a fully consistent manner. We use a newly developed Double-Extended Stratospheric-Tropospheric (DEST) chemistry scheme, which includes emissions of all major chlorinated and brominated VSLSs alongside an extended treatment of long-lived ODSs.</p><p> </p><p>We examine the impacts of rising Cl-VSLSs emissions on atmospheric chlorine tracers and ozone, including their long-term trends. We pay particular attention to the role of ‘nudging’, as opposed to the free-running model set up, for the simulated Cl-VSLSs impacts, thereby demostrating the role of atmospheric dynamics in modulating the atmospheric responses to Cl-VSLSs. In addition, we employ novel estimates of Cl-VSLS emissions over the recent past and compare the results with the simulations that prescribe Cl-VSLSs using simple lower boundary conditions. This allows us to demonstrate the impact such choice has on the dominant location and seasonality of the Cl-VSLSs transport into the stratosphere.</p>

scholarly journals Brominated VSLS and their influence on ozone under a changing climate

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 11313-11329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Falk ◽  
Björn-Martin Sinnhuber ◽  
Gisèle Krysztofiak ◽  
Patrick Jöckel ◽  
Phoebe Graf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Very short-lived substances (VSLS) contribute as source gases significantly to the tropospheric and stratospheric bromine loading. At present, an estimated 25 % of stratospheric bromine is of oceanic origin. In this study, we investigate how climate change may impact the ocean–atmosphere flux of brominated VSLS, their atmospheric transport, and chemical transformations and evaluate how these changes will affect stratospheric ozone over the 21st century. Under the assumption of fixed ocean water concentrations and RCP6.0 scenario, we find an increase of the ocean–atmosphere flux of brominated VSLS of about 8–10 % by the end of the 21st century compared to present day. A decrease in the tropospheric mixing ratios of VSLS and an increase in the lower stratosphere are attributed to changes in atmospheric chemistry and transport. Our model simulations reveal that this increase is counteracted by a corresponding reduction of inorganic bromine. Therefore the total amount of bromine from VSLS in the stratosphere will not be changed by an increase in upwelling. Part of the increase of VSLS in the tropical lower stratosphere results from an increase in the corresponding tropopause height. As the depletion of stratospheric ozone due to bromine depends also on the availability of chlorine, we find the impact of bromine on stratospheric ozone at the end of the 21st century reduced compared to present day. Thus, these studies highlight the different factors influencing the role of brominated VSLS in a future climate.

scholarly journals The ground level ozone concentration is inversely correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases in Warsaw, Poland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Wisniewski ◽  
Wieslaw Kozak ◽  
Maciej Wisniewski
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Ozone Concentration ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Viral Agent ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Weather Factors ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19, which is a consequence of infection with the novel viral agent SARS-CoV-2, first identified in China (Hubei Province), has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. As of September 10, 2020, over 70,000 cases and over 2,000 deaths have been recorded in Poland. Of the many factors contributing to the level of transmission of the virus, the weather appears to be significant. In this work we analyse the impact of weather factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and ground level ozone concentration on the number of COVID-19 cases in Warsaw, Poland. The obtained results show an inverse correlation between ground level ozone concentration and the daily number of COVID-19 cases.

Association of Air Pollutant Exposure and Sinonasal Histopathology Findings in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

2021 ◽  
pp. 194589242199365
Author(s):  
Tirth R. Patel ◽  
Bobby A. Tajudeen ◽  
Hannah Brown ◽  
Paolo Gattuso ◽  
Phillip LoSavio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Chronic Rhinosinusitis ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ozone Exposure ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Sinus Surgery ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
The Impact

Background Ambient air pollution is well known to cause inflammatory change in respiratory epithelium and is associated with exacerbations of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, limited work has been done on the impact of air pollution on pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis and there are no reports in the literature of how pollutant exposure may impact sinonasal histopathology in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Objective This study aims to identify associations between certain histopathologic characteristics seen in sinus tissue of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and levels of particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone in their place of residence. Methods A structured histopathology report was created to characterize the tissues of CRS patients undergoing sinus surgery. An estimate for each patient’s exposure to air pollutants including small particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone was obtained using the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJSCREEN). Mean pollutant exposures for patients whose tissues exhibited varying histopathologic features were compared using logistic regression models. Results Data from 291 CRS patients were analyzed. Higher degree of inflammation was significantly associated with increased ozone exposure (p = 0.031). Amongst the patients with CRSwNP (n=131), presence of eosinophilic aggregates (p = 0.018) and Charcot-Leyden crystals (p = 0.036) was associated with increased ozone exposure. Conclusion Exposure to ambient air pollutants may contribute to pathogenesis of CRS. Increasing ozone exposure was linked to both higher tissue inflammation and presence of eosinophilic aggregates and Charcot-Leyden crystals in CRSwNP patients.

scholarly journals Determining the Impact of Wildland Fires on Ground Level Ambient Ozone Levels in California

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1131
Author(s):  
Ricardo Cisneros ◽  
Haiganoush K. Preisler ◽  
Donald Schweizer ◽  
Hamed Gharibi
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Ozone Level ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
Sensing Technology ◽  
Smoke Plumes ◽  
Fire Smoke ◽  
The Impact

Wildland fire smoke is visible and detectable with remote sensing technology. Using this technology to assess ground level pollutants and the impacts to human health and exposure is more difficult. We found the presence of satellite derived smoke plumes for more than a couple of hours in the previous three days has significant impact on the chances of ground level ozone values exceeding the norm. While the magnitude of the impact will depend on characteristics of fires such as size, location, time in transport, or ozone precursors produced by the fire, we demonstrate that information on satellite derived smoke plumes together with site specific regression models provide useful information for supporting causal relationship between smoke from fire and ozone exceedances of the norm. Our results indicated that fire seasons increasing the median ozone level by 15 ppb. However, they seem to have little impact on the metric used for regulatory compliance, in particular at urban sites, except possibly during the 2008 forest fires in California.

Impact on ozone of high-speed stratospheric aircraft: effects of the emission scenario

1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (10/11) ◽  
pp. 996-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Pitari ◽  
S. Palermi ◽  
G. Visconti
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Relative Role ◽  
Nitric Oxides ◽  
Emissions Scenarios ◽  
Odd Nitrogen ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Emission Index

Abstract. A photochemical-transport two-dimensional model has been used to assess the impact of a projected fleet of high-speed stratospheric aircraft using different emissions scenarios. It is shown that the presence in the background atmosphere of nitric acid trihydrate aerosols is responsible for a lower stratospheric denoxification in addition to that caused by the sulfate aerosol layer. This has the effect of further decreasing the relative role of the odd nitrogen catalytic cycle for ozone destruction, so that the lower stratosphere is primarily controlled by chlorine species. The effect of aircraft injection of nitric oxides is that of decreasing the level of ClO, so that the lower stratospheric ozone (below about 20-25 km altitude) increases. The net effect on global ozone is that of a small increase even at Mach 2.4, and is enhanced by adopting emission scenarios including altitude restriction at 15 or 18 km. Reductions of the emission index (EI) of nitric oxides below relatively small values (about 15) are shown to reduce the aircraft-induced ozone increase, because of the associated smaller decrease of ClO. This conclusion is no more valid when the emission index is raised at the present values (about 45).

scholarly journals Brominated VSLS and their influence on ozone under a changing climate

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Falk ◽  
Björn-Martin Sinnhuber ◽  
Gisèle Krysztofiak ◽  
Patrick Jöckel ◽  
Phoebe Graf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Very short-lived source gases (VSLS) contribute significantly to the tropospheric and stratospheric bromine loading. At present, an estimated 25 % of stratospheric bromine is of oceanic origin. In this study, we investigate how climate change may impact the ocean-atmosphere flux of brominated VSLS, their atmospheric transport, chemical transformations, and evaluate how these changes will affect stratospheric ozone over the 21st century. Under the assumption of fixed ocean water concentrations and RCP6.0 scenario, we find an increase of the ocean-atmosphere flux of brominated VSLS of about 8–10 % by the end of the 21st century compared to present day. A decrease in the tropospheric mixing ratios of VSLS and an increase in the lower stratosphere are attributed to changes in atmospheric chemistry and transport. Our model simulations reveal that, in line with the reduction in the troposphere, the total amount of bromine from VSLS in the stratosphere will decrease during the 21st century. Part of the apparent increase of VSLS in the tropical lower stratosphere results from an increase in the corresponding tropopause height. As the depletion of stratospheric ozone due to bromine depends also on the availability of chlorine, we find the impact of bromine on stratospheric ozone at the end of the 21st century reduced compared to present day. Thus, these studies highlight the different factors influencing the role of brominated VSLS in a future climate.

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