scholarly journals Modeling air pollution in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games

SURG Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
Jenni Vanos

High levels of ambient oxidant air pollution, such as ozone, have been associated with negative health effects in elite athletes. The photochemical model OzCalc was used to calculate ozone concentrations as a function of time in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. By making use of the data obtained in Hastings, Ontario in August 1993, the model was adjusted for Beijing with respect to radiation geometry and ambient levels of primary air pollutants. Ozone concentrations were calculated using three scenarios: keeping pollution levels constant, a moderate success in pollution clean-up, and a high success in pollution clean-up. Results of ozone obtained with the model predicted very high levels associated with Scenario’s 1 and 2, while Scenario 3 showed acceptable levels for athletic competition, in accordance with WHO and Chinese Standards. A high NO-to-NO2 concentration ratio showed less ozone formation, which displayed the dependence of ozone on the variable levels of NO2 and NO. The level of the hydroxyl radical formation was closely related to that of ozone. The overall results suggest that Beijing will have a difficult time bringing pollution down to an acceptable level; athletes will have to deal with an added negative physiological response.

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Kyung Hwan Kim ◽  
Kyung-Hwan Kwak ◽  
Jae Young Lee ◽  
Sung Ho Woo ◽  
Jong Bum Kim ◽  
...  

In this work, a 2-D gridded air pollution map with a high resolution of 50 × 50 m2 was proposed to help the exposure assessment studies focusing on the association between air pollutants and their health effects. To establish a reliable air pollution map in a 2 × 2 km2 urban area, a mobile monitoring procedure and a data process were developed. Among the various vehicle-related air pollutants, the particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pPAH) was chosen as a sensitive indicator. The average pPAH concentration on major roads (293.1 ng/m3) was found to be 35 times higher than that at a background location (8.4 ng/m3). Based on the cell-based pPAH concentrations, the 50 × 50 m2 cells in the air pollution map were categorized into five pollution levels. The higher air pollution levels were generally shown by the cells close to the major traffic emission points. The proposed map can be used to make various policies regarding land use and traffic flow control in urban areas. Estimation of the personal exposure level to air pollutants is possible at a reliable location using the highly resolved 2-D gridded air pollution map in exposure assessment studies.


Author(s):  
Zainab B. Mohammed ◽  
Ali Abdul Khaliq Kamal ◽  
Ali S. Resheq ◽  
Waleed M. Sh. Alabdraba

Baghdad, considered one of the most polluted and populated cities in Iraq, waschoosen for mapping the distribution of air pollutants and the overall pollution levels by using the ArcGIS techniques. Six of main observation stations werechoosen in a particular location. Then, the recorded data from these stations were spatially interpolated using two types of ArcGIS interpolation techniques. The spatial interpolation techniques used in this work were Inverse distance weighting (IDW) and fuzzy logic. This study includes measuring the main air pollutants, which were nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and nitrogen monoxide (NO) during the period from January 2018 to December 2018. The data recorded by the stations during the work period and the distribution maps of air pollutants, which resulted from spatial interpolation (IDW) method, showed that the concentration of NO2 was within the International limits of World Health Origination (WHO) which is about 0.11 ppm. SO2 concentrations were exceeding the WHO limits in all stations for the study area. The concentrations of CO ranged from 0.484 ppm to 7.027 ppm that were within acceptable limits of WHO standards that is 9 ppm. NOx concentrations ranged between 0.01506 ppm – 0.214 ppm, which were exceeding acceptable limits of WHO standards (0.01 ppm). The concentrations of NO did not exceed the WHO standard limits, which are 0.08 ppm. Finally, the fuzzsy logic method of spatial interpolation in ArcGIS was applied to evaluate the air pollution over Baghdad city.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3385-3396 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Schnitzhofer ◽  
M. Norman ◽  
A. Wisthaler ◽  
J. Vergeiner ◽  
F. Harnisch ◽  
...  

Abstract. In order to investigate the spatial distribution of air pollutants in the Inn valley (Tyrol, Austria) during wintertime, a joint field campaign of the three research projects ALPNAP (Monitoring and Minimisation of Traffic-Induced Noise and Air Pollution Along Major Alpine Transport Routes), INNAP (Boundary Layer Structure in the Inn Valley during high Air Pollution) and INNOX (NOx-structure in the Inn Valley during High Air Pollution) was carried out in January/February 2006. In addition to continuous ground based measurements, vertical profiles of various air pollutants and meteorological parameters were obtained on six selected days. For in-situ investigations, a tethered balloon was used to analyse the lowest atmospheric layers, 0–500 m above the valley bottom (a.v.b.), and a research aircraft sampled at 150–2200 m a.v.b. An aircraft equipped with an aerosol backscatter lidar performed nadir measurements at 3000 m a.v.b. Combined results from a typical day show a strongly polluted layer up to about 125 m a.v.b. in the morning. Around midday concentrations on the valley floor decrease indicating some vertical air exchange despite thermally stable conditions. Strong vertical and horizontal gradients with enhanced pollution levels along the sunny side of the valley up to 1300 m a.v.b. were observed in the afternoon. This vertical mixing due to thermally or dynamically driven slope winds reduces the concentration of air pollutants at the bottom of the valley and causes the formation of elevated pollution layers.


Finisterra ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (61) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Andrade

AIR QUALITY IN LISBON: MEAN AND EXTREME VALUES - Different aspects of the air pollution in Lisbon were analised: spatial distribution, cyclical variation (yearly, weekly and daily) and dependence on athmospheric conditions. During January 1993, when air pollution attained very high levels, we found that a very strong relationship was established between air pollution and wind speed and direction as well as between air pollution and the eight of the thermal inversion over Lisbon. During the more polluted periods, wind speed never reached 2 m/s and the thermal inversion was always under 165m. As for wind direction, pollution roses confirmed that the highest pollution levels occurred with a flux favourable to the transport of pollutants from the main emission areas.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-110

The greater area comprising the Attica peninsula and the Saronic Gulf is greatly influenced by various local circulation types. During winter months, moderately high air pollutants concentrations are observed when the prevailing condition is either stagnant or a weak southern flow. The case studied in this paper regards an episode that occurred in mid-December. This episode is characterized by very weak pressure gradient over Greece, and very little change in wind speed and direction with height, without the precedence of exceptionally strong warm advection in the lower troposphere during the days before the episode. This episode was not characterized by very high air pollution values, a rather common feature during December, that even though it presents one of the highest episode frequencies, the observed values are not high enough to require the enforcement of restrictive measures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 730-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeak-Wun Quek ◽  
Chun-Yi Chuang ◽  
Hui-Hsien Pan ◽  
Hai-Lun Sun ◽  
Ko-Huang Lue ◽  
...  

Background Studies have confirmed the detrimental effects of air pollutants on allergic disease patients. However, individuals who are most vulnerable have not been completely identified. Methods Clinical study: During 2007 to 2011, 225 children aged 6 to 15 years with allergic rhinitis (AR) were recruited from a hospital in Taichung City, Taiwan. They were classified based on sensitivity to house dust mites, such as Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis (Bt), or Dermatophagoides microceras. Correlations between Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) scores, allergen-specific immunoglobulin E levels, and air pollution levels were evaluated. Epidemiological study: Records of 9868 children with AR who were matched for study years, age, and city of the clinical study were obtained from a national database. Correlations between clinic visits for AR, topical AR drug prescriptions, and air pollution levels were evaluated. The air pollutants included sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particles <10 μm in diameter (PM10), particles <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC), and methane (CH4). Results Epidemiological study: CO, NO, NO2, and CH4 levels were significantly correlated with topical AR drug prescriptions in boys. However, in girls, only CH4 level was significantly correlated. Clinical study: Positive correlations between the PRQLQ score and air pollutants were noted in boys but not in girls. After adjusting for confounders, correlations between CO, PM2.5, and NO2 levels were noted in boys sensitized to Bt but not in those sensitized to other mites. Conclusion Boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls. Bt-sensitized boys with AR were more vulnerable to air pollutants than girls and those sensitized to other mites.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.7) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Amina Nazif ◽  
Nurul Izma Mohammed ◽  
Amirhossein Malakahmad ◽  
Motasem S. Abualqumboz

Over the years, anthropogenic activities have led to the increase in air pollution concentration levels in the atmosphere, this persistent increase in pollution levels can be influenced by meteorological parameters. These parameters assist in the formation and transportation of air pollutants in the atmosphere. Hence, this study aims at evaluating the association between meteorological parameters and air pollutants. The analysis was carried out using Ozone (O3), Particulate matter (PM10), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction data from 2006 to 2010, from two industrial air quality monitoring stations. Stepwise regression (SR) analysis was used to assess the influence of meteorological parameters in accounting for the variability of O3 concentration levels. The SR analysis showed that meteorological parameters accounted for more than 50 % of O3 variability. It can be concluded that different relationship between meteorological parameters and O3 can exist in different locations in the same region.  


2005 ◽  
Vol 277-279 ◽  
pp. 492-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Hee Kim ◽  
Ji Won Lim

Multivariate analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between air pollutants and meteorological variables measured in Seoul from January 1 to December 31, 1999. The first principal component showed the contrast effect between O3 and the other pollutants. The second principal component showed the contrast effect between CO, SO2, NO2, and O3, PM10, TSP. Based on the cluster analysis, three clusters represented different air pollution levels, seasonal characteristics of air pollutants, and meteorological conditions. Discriminant analysis with Air Environment Index (AEI) was carried out to develop an air pollution index function.


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 868-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Fiera

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of pollutants on the abundance and diversity of Collembola in urban soils. The research was carried out in three parks (Cişmigiu, Izvor and Unirea) in downtown Bucharest, where the intense car traffic accounts for 70% of the local air pollution. One site in particular (Cişmigiu park) was highly contaminated with Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu at about ten times the background levels of Pb. Collembola were sampled in 2006 (July, September, November) using the transect method: 2,475 individuals from 34 species of Collembola were collected from 210 samples of soil and litter. Numerical densities differed significantly between the studied sites.The influence of air pollutants on the springtail fauna was visible at the species richness diversity and soil pollution levels. Species richness was lowest in the most contaminated site (Cismigiu, 11 species), which presented an increase in springtails abundances, though. Some species may become resistant to pollution and occur in high numbers of individuals in polluted sites, which makes them a good bioindicator of pollutants.


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