scholarly journals The Improvement of Air Quality and Associated Mortality during the COVID-19 Lockdown in One Megacity of China: An Empirical Strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8702
Author(s):  
Zhihu Xu ◽  
Ru Cao ◽  
Xin Hu ◽  
Wenxing Han ◽  
Yuxin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Real Effects ◽  
Green Transportation ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Relative Change

Although the lockdown policy implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic indeed improved the air quality and reduced the related health risks, the real effects of the lockdown and its resulting health risks remain unclear considering the effects of unobserved confounders and the longstanding efforts of the government regarding air pollution. We compared air pollution between the lockdown period and the period before the lockdown using a difference-in-differences (DID) model and estimated the mortality burden caused by the number of deaths related to air pollution changes. The NO2 and CO concentrations during the lockdown period (17 days) declined by 8.94 μg/m3 (relative change: 16.94%; 95% CI: 3.71, 14.16) and 0.20 mg/m3 (relative change: 16.95%; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.35) on an average day, respectively, and O3 increased by 8.41 μg/m3 (relative change: 32.80%; 95% CI: 4.39, 12.43); no meaningful impacts of the lockdown policy on the PM2.5, PM10, SO2, or the AQI values were observed. Based on the three clearly changed air pollutants, the lockdown policy prevented 8.22 (95% CI: 3.97, 12.49) all-cause deaths. Our findings suggest that the overall excess deaths caused by air pollution during the lockdown period declined. It is beneficial for human health when strict control measures, such as upgrading industry structure and promoting green transportation, are taken to reduce emissions, especially in cities with serious air pollution in China, such as Shijiazhuang.

scholarly journals Air Quality Index Estimation Based on Image Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (05) ◽  
pp. 172-177
Author(s):  
Mohd Ashraf., Niket., Devender & Dr. Vinod Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Air Quality Index ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
Index Estimation ◽  
Harmful Effects

Air pollution is an issue that is out of the control of an average citizen. Controlling air pollution requires preventive and control measures on a large scale implemented by the government. However, what an individual can dois protect him/her from the harmful effects of pollution by taking precautions such as not going out in times of severe pollution or wearing an air mask when travelling out. It will be very helpful if a person is able to find out the pollution level around him. Government provides measures of pollution in terms of AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI). However this is provided only at certain centre places. AQI may change drastically between these centres. In this report, an effort was made to solve this problem by enabling an individual to find an estimate of the Air Quality Index near them with their smartphone, even without an Internet connection, by simply clicking an image of their surroundings. Using this information a person can take preventive measures to take care of his health. This will not only spread awareness about air pollution but also protect people from the harmful effects of air pollution. We have used Machine Learning to achieve this goal. We prepared a dataset of images of sky and trained a model using several algorithms and compared them. We then used this model to recognise almost accurate AQI of the surroundings.

scholarly journals Using Costs and Health Benefits to Estimate the Priority of Air Pollution Control Action Plan: A Case Study in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 5970
Author(s):  
Hsin-Chih Lai ◽  
Min-Chuan Hsiao ◽  
Je-Liang Liou ◽  
Li-Wei Lai ◽  
Pei-Chih Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Kriging Method ◽  
Quality Modeling

A comparative analysis was conducted between the costs and health benefits of the Air Pollution Control Action Plan (APCAP), which can be implemented in any country to improve air quality and human health. In this study, air quality modeling was used to simulate several scenarios and implement the Kriging method to describe the PM2.5 reduction concentration instantly. Then, health benefits were estimated using the environmental benefit mapping and analysis program (BenMAP) with results from the air quality modeling and Kriging method. To estimate the priority of APCAP, 14 pollution control measures that cover point, mobile, and area sources of air pollution in Taiwan were analyzed. The results indicate that the health benefits of the Taiwan APCAP (TAPCAP) are generally greater than the technical costs. Thus, the implementation of this strategy may result in net benefits. In addition, the benefit-to-control cost ratio for health for the 14 pollution control measures was calculated. The results provide evidence to prioritize the implementation of air quality policies with a higher benefit-cost ratio.

scholarly journals Is a Regional Coordination Approach to Air Pollution Management Helpful? Evidence from China

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuehui Zhang ◽  
Zhidong Tan ◽  
Bao-Guang Chang ◽  
Kam C. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Administrative Management ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Regional Coordination ◽  
Pollution Management ◽  
Local Officials ◽  
The Government

In February 2017 China began to require the regional coordination of four ministries and 28 cities surrounding Beijing to manage air pollution. The Coordination attempts to unify air pollution standards and implements various new methods to monitor air pollution. Leveraging the natural experiment and using a difference-in-differences research design, we note that firms located in the treatment cities invest more in the environment than those in the control cities. In addition, we find that non-state-owned firms (non-SOEs) respond more strongly than SOEs. The findings remain qualitatively the same after accounting for selection bias in the cities included in the Coordination. Most importantly, air quality improves for treatment cities after the implementation of the Coordination. Our findings offer lessons to other emerging markets for implementing their air pollution management programs. Specifically, we sharpen our knowledge of the administrative management needed to improve coordination among government agencies and local officials in the management of air pollution and suggest that the government can play an active role in enhancing air pollution management.

scholarly journals The Impact of “Coal to Gas” Policy on Air Quality: Evidence from Beijing, China

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Liu ◽  
Xueli Chen ◽  
Jinyang Cai ◽  
Tomas Baležentis ◽  
Yue Li
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Beijing China

Air pollution has become an increasingly serious environmental problem in China. Especially in winter, the air pollution in northern China becomes even worse due to winter heating. The “coal to gas” policy, which uses natural gas to replace coal in the heating system in winter, was implemented in Beijing in the year 2013. However, the effects of this policy reform have not been examined. Using a panel dataset of 16 districts in Beijing, this paper employs a first difference model to examine the impact of the “coal to gas” policy on air quality. Strong evidence shows that the “coal to gas” policy has significantly improved the air quality in Beijing. On average, the “coal to gas” policy reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter smaller than 10 µm (PM10), particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) by 12.08%, 4.89%, 13.07%, 11.94% and 11.10% per year, respectively. We find that the “coal to gas” policy is more effective in areas with less energy use efficiency. The finding of this paper suggests that the government should continue to implement the “coal to gas” policy, so as to alleviate the air pollution in Beijing, China.

scholarly journals Examining Patterns of Air Quality Perception: A Cluster Analysis for Southern Chilean Cities

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401986356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àlex Boso ◽  
Boris Álvarez ◽  
Christian Oltra ◽  
Álvaro Hofflinger ◽  
Arturo Vallejos-Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Southern Chile ◽  
Las Casas

Various medium-sized cities in southern Chile are saturated by air pollution caused by woodsmoke. In this study, we developed a segmentation model to assess the public’s perceptions, understanding of health risks and emotional responses to poor air quality. To date, this is the first segmentation model dealing with public perception in cities contaminated by woodsmoke. A survey ( N = 489) was conducted in Temuco and Padre las Casas, Chile, which included questions regarding attitudes, sociodemographic factors, and health care behaviors, to obtain information for mitigation initiatives. Through a cluster analysis, three population segments were identified that related differently to environmental pollution, which were constructed based on seven psychosocial variables. Different sociodemographic profiles and self-reported behavioral patterns were found, which should guide policies aimed at improving air quality in cities contaminated by pollution from wood-burning stoves.

scholarly journals Effects of air pollution control measures on air quality improvement in Guangzhou, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 127-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meifang Yu ◽  
Yun Zhu ◽  
Che-Jen Lin ◽  
Shuxiao Wang ◽  
Jia Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Air Quality Improvement

scholarly journals Ambient air quality in an urban area and its effects on plants and human beings: a case study of Tiruchirappalli, India

1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirajuddin M Horaginamani ◽  
M Ravichandran
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Ambient Air Quality

Though water and land pollution is very dangerous, air pollution has its own peculiarities, due to its transboundary dispersion of pollutants over the entire world. In any well planned urban set up, industrial pollution takes a back seat and vehicular emissions take precedence as the major cause of urban air pollution. Air pollution is one of the serious problems faced by the people globally, especially in urban areas of developing countries like India. All these in turn lead to an increase in the air pollution levels and have adverse effects on the health of people and plants. Western countries have conducted several studies in this area, but there are only a few studies in developing countries like India. A study on ambient air quality in Tiruchirappalli urban area and its possible effects selected plants and human health has been undertaken, which may be helpful to bring out possible control measures. Keywords: ambient air quality; respiratory disorders; APTI; human health DOI: 10.3126/kuset.v6i2.4007Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol.6. No II, November, 2010, pp.13-19

Energy and air pollution benefits of household fuel policies in northern China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Meng ◽  
Qirui Zhong ◽  
Yilin Chen ◽  
Huizhong Shen ◽  
Shu Tao
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Solid Fuels ◽  
Reduce Emissions

<p>In addition to many recent actions taken to reduce emissions from energy production, industry, and transportation, a new campaign substituting residential solid fuels with electricity or natural gas has been launched in Beijing, Tianjin, and other 26 municipalities in northern China, aiming at solving severe ambient air pollution in the region. Quantitative analysis shows that the campaign can accelerate residential energy transition significantly, and if the planned target can be achieved, more than 60% of households are projected to remove solid fuels by 2021, compared with less than 20% without the campaign. Emissions of major air pollutants will be reduced substantially. With 60% substitution realized, emission of primary PM2.5 and contribution to ambient PM2.5 concentration in 2021 are projected to be 30% and 41% of those without the campaign. With 60% substitution, average indoor PM2.5 concentrations in living rooms in winter are projected to be reduced from 209 (190-230) μg/m3 to 125 (99-150) μg/m3. The population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations can be reduced from 140 μg/m3 in 2014 to 78 μg/m3 or 61 μg/m3 in 2021 given that 60% or 100% substitution can be accomplished. Although the original focus of the campaign was to address ambient air quality, exposure reduction comes more from improved indoor air quality because approximately 90% of daily exposure of the population is attributable to indoor air pollution. Women benefit more than men.</p>

scholarly journals Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (10) ◽  
pp. 3038-3072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Greenstone ◽  
Rema Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Environmental Regulations ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Institutional Settings

Using the most comprehensive developing country dataset ever compiled on air and water pollution and environmental regulations, the paper assesses India's environmental regulations with a difference-in-differences design. The air pollution regulations are associated with substantial improvements in air quality. The most successful air regulation resulted in a modest but statistically insignificant decline in infant mortality. In contrast, the water regulations had no measurable benefits. The available evidence leads us to cautiously conclude that higher demand for air quality prompted the effective enforcement of air pollution regulations, indicating that strong public support allows environmental regulations to succeed in weak institutional settings. (JEL I12, J13, O13, Q53, Q58)

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