Modeled Global Effects of Airborne Desert Dust on Air Quality and Premature Mortality

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1712
Author(s):  
Despina Giannadaki* ◽  
Andrea Pozzer ◽  
Jos Lelieveld
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Desert Dust

scholarly journals Aerosols in the CALIOPE air quality modelling system: evaluation and analysis of PM levels, optical depths and chemical composition over Europe

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3363-3392 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Basart ◽  
M. T. Pay ◽  
O. Jorba ◽  
C. Pérez ◽  
P. Jiménez-Guerrero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Fine Fraction ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Air Quality Modelling ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Dust Transport ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Po Valley ◽  
Limit Value ◽  
Modelling System

Abstract. The CALIOPE air quality modelling system is developed and applied to Europe with high spatial resolution (12 km × 12 km). The modelled daily-to-seasonal aerosol variability over Europe in 2004 is evaluated and analysed. Aerosols are estimated from two models, CMAQv4.5 (AERO4) and BSC-DREAM8b. CMAQv4.5 calculates biogenic, anthropogenic and sea salt aerosol and BSC-DREAM8b provides the natural mineral dust contribution from North African deserts. For the evaluation, we use daily PM10, PM2.5 and aerosol components data from 55 stations of the EMEP/CREATE network and total, coarse and fine aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from 35 stations of the AERONET sun photometer network. Annual correlations between modelled and observed values for PM10 and PM2.5 are 0.55 and 0.47, respectively. Correlations for total, coarse and fine AOD are 0.51, 0.63, and 0.53, respectively. The higher correlations of the PM10 and the coarse mode AOD are largely due to the accurate representation of the African dust influence in the forecasting system. Overall PM and AOD levels are underestimated. The evaluation of the aerosol components highlights underestimations in the fine fraction of carbonaceous matter (EC and OC) and secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA; i.e. nitrate, sulphate and ammonium). The scores of the bulk parameters are significantly improved after applying a simple model bias correction based on the observed aerosol composition. The simulated PM10 and AOD present maximum values over the industrialized and populated Po Valley and Benelux regions. SIA are dominant in the fine fraction representing up to 80% of the aerosol budget in latitudes north of 40° N. In southern Europe, high PM10 and AOD are linked to the desert dust transport from the Sahara which contributes up to 40% of the aerosol budget. Maximum seasonal ground-level concentrations (PM10 > 30 μg m−3) are found between spring and early autumn. We estimate that desert dust causes daily exceedances of the PM10 European air quality limit value (50 μg m−3) in large areas south of 45° N with more than 75 exceedances per year in the southernmost regions.

scholarly journals What do we know about effects of desert dust on air quality and human health in West Africa compared to other regions?

2010 ◽  
Vol 409 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence De Longueville ◽  
Yvon-Carmen Hountondji ◽  
Sabine Henry ◽  
Pierre Ozer
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Desert Dust

scholarly journals Reduced-complexity air quality intervention modelling over China: development of the InMAPv1.6.1-China and comparison with the CMAQv5.2 model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruili Wu ◽  
Christopher W. Tessum ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Chaopeng Hong ◽  
Yixuan Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Air Quality Model ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Reduced Complexity

Abstract. This paper presents the first development and evaluation of the reduced-complexity air quality model for China. In this study, a reduced-complexity air quality intervention model over China (InMAPv1.6.1-China, hereafter, InMAP-China) is developed by linking a regional air quality model, a reduced-complexity air quality model, an emission inventory database for China, and a health impact assessment model to rapidly estimate the air quality and health impacts of emission sources in China. The modelling system is applied over mainland China for 2017 under various emission scenarios. A comprehensive model evaluation is conducted by comparison against conventional CMAQ simulations and ground-based observations. We found that InMAP-China satisfactorily predicted total PM2.5 concentrations in terms of statistical performance. Compared with the observed PM2.5 concentrations, the mean bias (MB), normalized mean bias (NMB), and correlations of the total PM2.5 concentrations are −8.1 μg/m3, −18 %, and 0.6, respectively. The statistical performance is considered to be satisfactory for a reduced-complexity air quality model and remains consistent with that evaluated in the United States. The underestimation of total PM2.5 concentrations was mainly caused by its composition, primary PM2.5. In terms of the ability to quantify source contributions of PM2.5 concentrations, InMAP-China presents similar results in comparison with those based on the CMAQ model, the difference is mainly caused by the different mechanism and the treatment of secondary inorganic aerosols in the two models. Focusing on the health impacts, the annual PM2.5-related premature mortality estimated using InMAP-China in 2017 was 1.92 million, which was 25 ten thousand deaths lower than that estimated based on CMAQ simulations as a result of underestimation of PM2.5 concentrations. This work presents a version of the reduced-complexity air quality model over China, provides a powerful tool to rapidly assess the air quality and health impacts associated with control policy, and to quantify the source contribution attributable to many emission sources.

scholarly journals IoT Based Automatic Air Pollution Monitoring and Purification System

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1378-1383
Author(s):  
Manoj Gurung
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Air Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Air Purifier

Abstract: Degradation of air quality, like climate change and global warming, has become an all-encompassing existential hazard to humanity and natural life. Exposure to severely polluted air on a regular basis causes pulmonary disorders and contributes to severe allergies and asthma. According to studies, more than 10 million people die each year as a result of irregularities produced directly or indirectly by air pollution. The work of Lelieveld et al. [1] sheds light on the gravity of the problem. It is estimated that by 2050, the worldwide premature mortality from air pollution will exceed 6.6 million fatalities per year (358000 from ozone, the rest from PM 2.5) [1]. As a result, we decided to focus our study on improving indoor air quality. Despite the fact that there are numerous indoor air purifiers on the market, their cost belies their effectiveness, and the effective ones are far too expensive for working-class people to afford [2]. In order to address this issue, we created an automated Internet of Things (IoT) based air filtration system that uses an automated air purifier which is triggered when air quality falls below WHO criteria. Our initiative intends to improve indoor air quality by utilizing the most cost-effective and efficient modules available. Keywords: Indoor Air Pollution, Air Purifier, IAQ, Sharp Dust Sensor GP2Y1010AU0F, IoT, Particulate Matter (PM), HEPA Filter

scholarly journals Impact of Desert Dust on Air Quality: What is the Meaningfulness of Daily PM Standards in Regions Close to the Sources? The Example of Southern Tunisia

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christel Bouet ◽  
Mohamed Taieb Labiadh ◽  
Jean Louis Rajot ◽  
Gilles Bergametti ◽  
Béatrice Marticorena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
World Population ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Air Quality Standards ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Southern Tunisia ◽  
Daily Scale

Desert dust is now recognized as a major health hazard. However, there still exists a lack of measurements of desert dust atmospheric loads in regions located in the vicinity of the major desert areas, where a growing part of the world population is living. Dust emission is a sporadic and intense phenomenon so that the classical air quality standards should not be appropriate to reflect the real population exposure to desert dust. In order to give some insight to answer this question, PM10 concentrations were continuously measured at a five-minute time step in southern Tunisia from February 2014 to February 2019. The daily and annual PM10 concentrations were first discussed according to the Tunisian air quality standards: In this relatively remote area, close to dust source, these standards were respected at the annual, but no longer at the daily scale. Measurements performed at a high temporal resolution (five minutes) allowed to discriminate the different situations that led to exceed Tunisian daily standards in southern Tunisia. In particular, intense (five-minute PM10 concentrations up to more than 1500 µg m−3) and short-lived (a few hours) dust outbreaks were regularly observed. This result raises the question of the necessity of defining specific air quality standards at the sub-daily scale in countries affected by intense desert dust outbreaks.

scholarly journals Comparison of Methodologies for Assessing Desert Dust Contribution to Regional PM10 and PM2.5 Levels: A One-Year Study Over Portugal

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Gama ◽  
Casimiro Pio ◽  
Alexandra Monteiro ◽  
Michael Russo ◽  
Ana Patrícia Fernandes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
African Dust ◽  
Limit Value ◽  
Pm10 And Pm2.5 ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
One Year ◽  
Measurement Approach

Desert dust outbreaks may affect air quality. This study estimates the importance of African dust contribution to the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations observed in rural regional background sites in Portugal. Desert dust contribution is evaluated by two different approaches: A measurement-approach methodology based on the monthly moving 40th percentile, and a model-approach methodology based on WRF-CHIMERE simulations, whose performance is also assessed within this work. Several desert dust episodes affected atmospheric aerosols in the planetary boundary layer over Portugal during 2016. Their intensity was variable, with at least two events (21–22 February and 27–28 October) contributing to exceedances to the PM10 daily limit value defined in the European Air Quality Directive. African dust contributions obtained for the year 2016 with the measurement-approach methodology are higher than the ones simulated by WRF-CHIMERE. Contributions to PM10 and to PM2.5 concentrations range from 0 to 90 µg m−3 and from 0 to 30 µg m−3, respectively, in most of the regions and days. Caution must be employed when using measurement-approach methodologies to quantify dust contributions to PM levels when forest fires occur simultaneously with the long-range transport of desert dust, as happened in August 2016.

scholarly journals The impact of data assimilation on the prediction of Asian desert dust using an operational 4D-Var system

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Benedetti ◽  
Francesca Di Giuseppe ◽  
Luke Jones ◽  
Vincent-Henri Peuch ◽  
Samuel Rémy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Aerosol Optical Depth ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Asian Dust ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Deep Blue ◽  
Dust Events ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Asian Dust is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects East Asia, and has severe consequences on the air quality of China, North and South Korea and Japan. Despite the continental extent, the prediction of severe episodes and the anticipation of their consequences is challenging. Three one-year experiments were run to assess the skill of the model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in monitoring Asian dust and understand its relative contribution to air quality over China. Data used were the MODIS Dark Target and the Deep Blue Aerosol Optical Depth. In particular the experiments aimed at understanding the added value of data assimilation runs over a model run without any aerosol data. The year 2013 was chosen as representative for the availability of independent Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data from two established ground-based networks (AERONET and CARSNET), which could be used to evaluate experiments. Particulate Matter (PM) data from the China Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA) were also used in the evaluation. Results show that the assimilation of satellite AOD data is beneficial to predict the extent and magnitude of desert-dust events and to improve the forecast of such events. The availability of observations from the MODIS Deep Blue algorithm over bright surfaces is an asset, allowing for a better localization of the sources and definition of the dust events. In general both experiments constrained by data assimilation perform better that the unconstrained experiment, generally showing smaller mean normalized bias and fractional gross error with respect to the independent verification datasets. The impact of the assimilated satellite observations is larger at analysis time, but lasts well into the forecast. While assimilation is not a substitute for model development and characterization of the emission sources, results indicate that it can play a big role in delivering improved forecasts of Asian Dust.

scholarly journals Lidar Measurements for Desert Dust Characterization: An Overview

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mona ◽  
Z. Liu ◽  
D. Müller ◽  
A. Omar ◽  
A. Papayannis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Quality Monitoring ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
First Results ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Lidar Observations ◽  
Aerosol Characterization

We provide an overview of light detection and ranging (lidar) capability for describing and characterizing desert dust. This paper summarizes lidar techniques, observations, and fallouts of desert dust lidar measurements. The main objective is to provide the scientific community, including nonpractitioners of lidar observations with a reference paper on dust lidar measurements. In particular, it will fill the current gap of communication between research-oriented lidar community and potential desert dust data users, such as air quality monitoring agencies and aviation advisory centers. The current capability of the different lidar techniques for the characterization of aerosol in general and desert dust in particular is presented. Technical aspects and required assumptions of these techniques are discussed, providing readers with the pros and cons of each technique. Information about desert dust collected up to date using lidar techniques is reviewed. Lidar techniques for aerosol characterization have a maturity level appropriate for addressing air quality and transportation issues, as demonstrated by some first results reported in this paper.

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