scholarly journals Effects of COVID-Induced Mobility Restrictions and Weather Conditions on Air Quality in Hungary

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 561
Author(s):  
Adrienn Varga-Balogh ◽  
Ádám Leelőssy ◽  
Róbert Mészáros
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Traffic Regulation ◽  
Traffic Reduction ◽  
Quality Response

Similarly to other countries, the first wave of the COVID pandemic induced a collapse of mobility in Hungary during the spring of 2020. From the environmental perspective, the obtained road traffic reduction of 20–50% could be regarded as an undesired traffic regulation experiment. Air quality impacts within Hungary were evaluated based on data from 52 monitoring sites measuring concentrations of pollutants NOx, O3, and PM10. Air pollution during the lockdown was compared to the same period (February–June) in the reference years 2014–2019. The large spatial heterogeneity of the air quality response was explored. The emission reduction coincided with the extreme weather of 2020, characterized by unusually warm pre-lockdown February and spring drought. The anomalously low pre-lockdown air pollution was further reduced (NOx) or increased (PM10) during the restrictions. Compared to the previous years, NOx concentrations during the curfew were found to differ between −4.1 and +0.2 standard deviations (median −1.55 SD), or −45% and +3% (median −18%) among different monitoring locations. Ozone concentrations were unusually high due to both weather and chemical reasons (median +11% or +0.8 SD), while the PM10 response was modest and largely weather-driven (median +7% or +0.4 SD).

scholarly journals Extreme weather conditions and dengue outbreak in Guangdong, China: spatial heterogeneity based on climate variability

2021 ◽  
pp. 110900
Author(s):  
Jian Cheng ◽  
Hilary Bambrick ◽  
Laith Yakob ◽  
Gregor Devine ◽  
Francesca D. Frentiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Dengue Outbreak

Early Warning System and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Extreme Weather Conditions and Air Pollution

2015 ◽  
pp. 265-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan Bogdanović ◽  
Konstansa Lazarević
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
General Population ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Internet Service ◽  
Wind Chill ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Index Value ◽  
Sensitive Population

The authors developed a multi-site Internet service to provide the public with real time information about local weather and air quality, how they may affect health, and how general population and different sensitive population groups can protect their health during periods of extreme weather conditions or increased air pollution levels. The information service is based on data obtained from the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia and Serbian Environment Protection Agency. Health warnings and recommendations are given separately for each AIQ and heat index or wind chill index value, for each sensitive population group, as well as for the general population. The project is currently implemented on the website of the Institute of Occupational Health Niš and will be offered to other healthcare institutions in Serbia. Evaluation of the system should enable redefinition of heat and wind chill indices and air pollution threshold values if necessary. This chapter explores the service.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Effect of the Three-Year Action Plan to Fight Air Pollution on Air Quality and Associated Health Benefits in Sichuan Basin, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10968
Author(s):  
Juihui Chen ◽  
Xiaoqiong Feng ◽  
Yonghui Zhu ◽  
Ling Huang ◽  
Min He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Sichuan Basin ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Pm2.5 Concentration

To continuously improve air quality, after implementation of the “Clean Air Action Plan, 2013–2017” (CAAP), the “Three-year Action Plan to Fight Air Pollution” (TYP) was further conducted from 2018 to 2020. However, the effectiveness of the TYP remains unclear in one of the major city-clusters of China, the Sichuan Basin. In this study, the bottom-up method was used to quantify the emission reduction during TYP based on the emissions inventory in Sichuan Basin in 2017 and the air pollution control measures adopted from 2018 to 2020 in each city. The reduction of PM2.5 concentration and the avoided premature deaths due to implementation of air pollution control measures were assessed by using an integrated meteorology and air quality modeling system and a concentration-response algorithm. Emissions of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and VOCs in the Sichuan Basin have been reduced by 42.6, 105.2, 40.2, and 136.6 Gg, respectively. The control of non-electricity industry contributed significantly to the emission reduction of all pollutants, accounting for 26–49%. In addition, the control of mobile sources contributes the most to NOx reductions, accounting for 57%. The results illustrate that the focus of air pollution control in Sichuan Basin is still industrial sources. We also found that the emission reduction of NOx, PM2.5, and VOCs in Chengdu is significantly higher than that of other cities, which were about 3.4~15.4 times, 2.2~40.1 times, and 4.3~24.4 times that of other cities, respectively. In Sichuan Basin, the average reduction rate of PM2.5 concentration due to air pollution control measures was 5% on average, with the highest contributions from industry, mobile source, and dust emission control. The decrease rate in each city ranges between 1~10%, and the decreasing ratios in Dazhou (10%), Chengdu (8%), and Zigong (7%) are relatively higher. The number of premature deaths avoided due to air pollution control measures in Sichuan Basin is estimated to be 22,934. Chengdu and Dazhou have benefitted most from the air pollution control measures, with 6043 and 2713 premature deaths avoided, respectively. Our results indicate that the implementation of TYP has achieved remarkable environmental and health benefits.

scholarly journals Impact of Vehicle Fleet Modernization on the Traffic-Originated Air Pollution in an Urban Area—A Case Study

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1581
Author(s):  
Piotr Holnicki ◽  
Zbigniew Nahorski ◽  
Andrzej Kałuszko
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Passenger Cars ◽  
Emission Mitigation ◽  
Emission Standards ◽  
Vehicle Fleet ◽  
Co Concentrations

The main subject of this paper is an analysis of the influence of changes in the air pollution caused by road traffic, due to its modernization, on the air quality in Warsaw conurbation, Poland. Using the Calpuff model, simulations of the yearly averaged concentrations of NOx, CO, PM10, and PM2.5 were performed, together with an assessment of the population exposure to individual pollutions. Source apportionment analysis indicates that traffic is the main source of NOx and CO concentrations in the city atmosphere. Utilizing the Euro norms emission standards, a scenario of vehicle emission abatement is formulated based on the assumed general vehicle fleet modernization and transition to Euro 6 emission standards. Computer simulations show a reduction in NOx concentrations attributed to emission mitigation of passenger cars, trucks and vans, and public transport buses, respectively. On the other hand, improving air quality in terms of CO concentrations depends almost exclusively on gasoline vehicle modernization. The implementation of the considered scenario causes an adequate reduction in the population exposure and related health effects. In particular, implementation of the scenario discussed results in a 47% reduction (compared with the baseline value) in the attributable yearly deaths related to NOx pollution. In spite of a substantial contribution of vehicle traffic to the overall PM pollution, modernization of the fuel combustion causes only minor final effects because the dominant share of PM pollution in Warsaw originates from the municipal sector and the transboundary inflow.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the effect of regional joint-control measures on changing photochemical transformation: a comprehensive study of the optimization scenario analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 9037-9060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Li ◽  
Shuhui Zhu ◽  
Jingyu An ◽  
Min Zhou ◽  
Hongli Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Joint Control ◽  
Emission Reductions ◽  
The Yrd ◽  
Comprehensive Study

Abstract. Heavy haze usually occurs in winter in eastern China. To control the severe air pollution during the season, comprehensive regional joint-control strategies were implemented throughout a campaign. To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and to provide some insights into strengthening the regional joint-control mechanism, the influence of control measures on levels of air pollution was estimated with an integrated measurement-emission-modeling method. To determine the influence of meteorological conditions, and the control measures on the air quality, in a comprehensive study, the 2nd World Internet Conference was held during 16–18 December 2015 in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang province, in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. We first analyzed the air quality changes during four meteorological regimes and then compared the air pollutant concentrations before, during, and after the regulation under static meteorological conditions. Next, we conducted modeling scenarios to quantify the effects caused due to the air pollution control measures. We found that total emissions of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Jiaxing were reduced by 56 %, 58 %, 64 %, and 80 %, respectively, while total emission reductions of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and VOCs over the YRD region are estimated to be 10 %, 9 %, 10 %, and 11 %, respectively. Modeling results suggest that during the campaign from 8 to 18 December, PM2.5 daily average concentrations decreased by 10 µg m−3 with an average decrease of 14.6 %. Our implemented optimization analysis compared with previous studies also reveals that local emission reductions play a key role in air quality improvement, although it shall be supplemented by regional linkage. In terms of regional joint control, implementing pollution channel control 48 h before the event is of most benefit in getting similar results. Therefore, it is recommended that a synergistic emission reduction plan between adjacent areas with local pollution emission reductions as the core part should be established and strengthened, and emission reduction plans for different types of pollution through a stronger regional linkage should be reserved.

scholarly journals Relationships between Vertical Temperature Gradients and PM10 Concentrations during Selected Weather Conditions in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland)

Atmosphere ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Ewa Bożena Łupikasza ◽  
Tadeusz Niedźwiedź
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Temperature Inversion ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Upper Silesia ◽  
Southern Poland

This paper studies surface air temperature inversions and their impact on air pollution under the background of meteorological conditions in southern Poland. The relationship of temperature gradients and air quality classes with weather conditions in the most urbanized and polluted part of Poland as represented by the Upper Silesia region (USR) within the administrative boundaries of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM) is presented. Based on probability analysis this study hierarchized the role of the selected weather elements in the development of surface-based temperature inversion (SBI) and air quality (AQ). The thresholds of weather elements for a rapid increase in the probability of oppressive air pollution episodes were distinguished. Although most SBI occurred in summer winter SBIs were of great importance. In that season a bad air quality occurred during >70% of strong inversions and >50% of moderate inversions. Air temperature more strongly triggered AQ than SBI development. Wind speed was critical for SBI and significant for AQ development. A low cloudiness favored SBI occurrence altered air quality in winter and spring during SBI and favored very bad AQ5 (>180 µg/m3) occurrence. The probability of high air pollution enhanced by SBI rapidly increased in winter when the air temperature dropped below −6 °C the wind speed decreased below 1.5 m/s and the sky was cloudless. Changes in the relative humidity did not induce rapid changes in the occurrence of bad AQ events during SBI

scholarly journals Do Rail Transits Improve Local Air Quality? Take Chengdu-Nanchang for Example

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyuan Wang ◽  
Yuping Wang ◽  
Zhijian Zhang ◽  
Jingwei Li
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Urban Air Pollution ◽  
Point Estimate ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Transit System

Abstract Many cities in China have invested the city’s rail transit system to reduce urban air pollution and traffic congestion. Earlier studies rarely compare the effects of rail transit on urban air quality in different cities, providing little guidance to urban planners in solving traffic congestion and air quality. By using the rail transit lines in Chengdu and Nanchang as case studies, this paper attempts to examine the effect of rail transit on air pollution. Data were collected from 18 monitoring stations distributed along the chosen rail transit lines in both cities during the period 2014 to 2016 and analyzed using the regression discontinuity design to address the potential endogenous location of subway stations. The results show that subway opening in Nanchang has a better reductions from automobile exhaust than that in Chengdu, specifically, carbon monoxide pollution, one key tailpipe pollutant, experienced a 10.23% greater reduction after Nanchang Metro Line 1 opened. On the contrary, the point estimate for carbon monoxide in Chengdu is 22.42% and statistically significant at the 1% level. Nanchang Metro Line 1 does play an important role in road traffic externalities, but the benefit was not huge enough to change the overall air quality. On the contrary, the opening of the Chengdu Metro Line 4 is unlikely to yield improvements in air quality.

scholarly journals Critical air pollution events analysis in Itabira – Minas Gerais, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e51610110587
Author(s):  
Higor dos Santos Alves ◽  
Ana Carolina Vasques Freitas
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Minas Gerais ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
The City ◽  
Pollution Events

The rates of atmospheric pollution are increasing in world over the years, which makes this topic more and more concerning. Weather conditions, associated with anthropogenic factors, play a fundamental role in modifying the air quality. In this context, this article aims to analyze the influence of meteorological factors during critical episodes of air pollution in the city of Itabira – Minas Gerais. Hourly air quality and meteorological data, provided by the Municipal Environment Secretariat (SMMA) of the Itabira City Hall, were used in this analysis. A selection of the critical events was made and, after that, the composites and daily anomalies for each event were calculated. The results obtained showed that in the critical days of pollution negative anomalies of precipitation, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and wind speed were observed. For temperature, solar radiation and wind direction the anomalies are positive during critical days. In terms of emitting sources, there has been an increase in the vehicle fleet since 2014, presenting a positive trend of 1.151 vehicles per year. In addition, a number of 111 fire outbreaks were observed on the most critical day of all events. It is important to highlight the role of air quality control and monitoring, together with the analysis of meteorological conditions, as, currently, the maximum values established by legislation do not include changes in weather conditions, that can worsen air quality and harm the health of the population.

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