Assessment of Air Pollution over Baghdad City Using Fixed Annual Stations and GIS Techniques

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.

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Poor Air Quality and Its Association with Mortality in Ho Chi Minh City: Case Study

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11070750 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 750

Author(s):

Hoang Ngoc Khue Vu ◽

Quang Phuc Ha ◽

Duc Hiep Nguyen ◽

Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽

Thoai Tam Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Air Quality Modeling ◽

World Health ◽

Ho Chi Minh City ◽

Annual Average ◽

Quality Modeling ◽

Concentration Of Air Pollutants

Along with its rapid urban development, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in recent years has suffered a high concentration of air pollutants, especially fine particulate matters or PM2.5. A comprehensive study is required to evaluate the air quality conditions and their health impact in this city. Given the lack of adequate air quality monitoring data over a large area of the size of HCMC, an air quality modeling methodology is adopted to address the requirement. Here, by utilizing a corresponding emission inventory in combination with The Air Pollution Model-Chemical Transport Model (TAPM-CTM), the predicted concentration of air pollutants is first obtained for PM2.5, NOx, and SO2. Then by associating the pollutants exposed with the mortality rate from three causes, namely Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), cardiopulmonary, and lung cancer, the impact of air pollution on human health is obtained for this purpose. Spatial distribution has shown a high amount of pollutants concentrated in the central city with a high density of combustion vehicles (motorcycles and automobiles). In addition, a significant amount of emissions can be observed from stevedoring and harbor activities, including ferries and cargo handling equipment located along the river. Other sources such as household activities also contribute to an even distribution of emission across the city. The results of air quality modeling showed that the annual average concentrations of NO2 were higher than the standard of Vietnam National Technical Regulation on Ambient Air Quality (QCVN 05: 2013 40 µg/m3) and World Health Organization (WHO) (40 µg/m3). The annual average concentrations of PM2.5 were 23 µg/m3 and were also much higher than the WHO (10 µg/m3) standard by about 2.3 times. In terms of public health impacts, PM2.5 was found to be responsible for about 1136 deaths, while the number of mortalities from exposure to NO2 and SO2 was 172 and 89 deaths, respectively. These figures demand some stringent measures from the authorities to potentially remedy the alarming situation of air pollution in HCM City.

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Spatial Mapping of a Highly Non-Uniform Distribution of Particle-Bound PAH in a Densely Populated Urban Area

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11050496 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 496

Author(s):

Kyung Hwan Kim ◽

Kyung-Hwan Kwak ◽

Jae Young Lee ◽

Sung Ho Woo ◽

Jong Bum Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Exposure Assessment ◽

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Personal Exposure ◽

Exposure Level ◽

Traffic Emission ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Monitoring Procedure

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.

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Ambient air pollution exposure and lung function assessment of filling station attendants in Ibadan, Nigeria

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2018-0027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 211-218

Author(s):

Toluwanimi Mobolade Oni ◽

Godson R.E.E. Ana

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Lung Function ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Forced Expiratory Volume ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

World Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Filling Station

Abstract Background There is an increasing range of adverse health effects associated with air pollution at very low concentrations. Few studies have assessed respiratory parameters among filling station attendants. Objectives This study assessed air pollutants; particulate matter (PM10) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations at filling stations as well as determined forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) levels among filling station attendants. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess PM10 and TVOC concentrations at 20 systematically selected filling stations in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan for 2 months using a Thermo Scientific pDR 1500 PM10 monitor and SF2000-TVOC meter. FEV1 and PEFR levels were measured in order to assess the effect of exposure to PM10 and TVOC on lung function of 100 filling station attendants using a PIKO-1 Electronic peakflow/FEV1 meter. Results Total mean PM10 concentrations (μg/m3) in the morning (43.7±16.5) and afternoon (27.8±7.9) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limit (50 μg/m3). Total mean TVOC concentrations (ppm) in the morning (12.0±3.4) and afternoon (5.6±2.4) were however significantly higher (p<0.01) than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline limit (3 ppm). Mean FEV1 for filling station attendants was 1.63±0.39 and PEFR was 171.7±45.9. Conclusion Filling stations are hotspots for the emission of VOCs and PM10. However, filling station attendants in this study are at risk of exposure to high concentrations of VOCs but not PM10. FEV1 and PEFR values among filling station attendants were very low which could possibly be attributed to extended exposure to air pollutants. Regular medical examinations should also be conducted on filling station attendants in order to aid early detection of deviations in their health status.

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Long-term exposure to road traffic noise and stroke incidence: a Danish Nurse Cohort study

Environmental Health ◽

10.1186/s12940-021-00802-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tom Cole-Hunter ◽

Christian Dehlendorff ◽

Heresh Amini ◽

Amar Mehta ◽

Youn-Hee Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Traffic Noise ◽

World Health ◽

Road Traffic Noise ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Road traffic noise has been linked to increased risk of ischemic heart disease, yet evidence on stroke shows mixed results. We examine the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and incidence of stroke, overall and by subtype (ischemic or hemorrhagic), after adjustment for air pollution. Methods Twenty-five thousand six hundred and sixty female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort recruited in 1993 or 1999 were followed for stroke-related first-ever hospital contact until December 31st, 2014. Full residential address histories since 1970 were obtained and annual means of road traffic noise (Lden [dB]) and air pollutants (particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm and < 10 μm [PM2.5 and PM10], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], nitrogen oxides [NOx]) were determined using validated models. Time-varying Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for the associations of one-, three-, and 23-year running means of Lden preceding stroke (all, ischemic or hemorrhagic), adjusting for stroke risk factors and air pollutants. The World Health Organization and the Danish government’s maximum exposure recommendations of 53 and 58 dB, respectively, were explored as potential Lden thresholds. Results Of 25,660 nurses, 1237 developed their first stroke (1089 ischemic, 148 hemorrhagic) during 16 years mean follow-up. For associations between a 1-year mean of Lden and overall stroke incidence, the estimated HR (95% CI) in the fully adjusted model was 1.06 (0.98–1.14) per 10 dB, which attenuated to 1.01 (0.93–1.09) and 1.00 (0.91–1.09) in models further adjusted for PM2.5 or NO2, respectively. Associations for other exposure periods or separately for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were similar. There was no evidence of a threshold association between Lden and stroke. Conclusions Long-term exposure to road traffic noise was suggestively positively associated with the risk of overall stroke, although not after adjusting for air pollution.

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Air Pollution, Vietnames Legal Finalization for Environmental Protection

VNU Journal of Science Legal Studies ◽

10.25073/2588-1167/vnuls.4281 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mai Hai Dang

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Environmental Protection ◽

Human Health ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Burden Of Disease ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

World Health ◽

Motor Vehicles ◽

Parkinson’S Diseases

Air pollution has been a growing concern for decades, which has a serious toxicological impact on human health and the environment. It has a number of different emission sources, but motor vehicles and industrial processes contribute the major part of air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, six major air pollutants include particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. Air pollution is considered as the major environmental risk factor in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight. This article aims to discuss toxicology of major air pollutants, sources of emission, and their impact on human health. We have also proposed practical measures to reduce air pollution in VietNam. Keywords: Air pollution, cardiovascular diseases, environment, human health, Vietnam. References: [1] http://www.healthdata.org/infograp hic/global-burden-air-pollution.[2] http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/781521473177013155/pdf/108141-REVISED-Cost-of-PollutionWebCORRECTEDfile.pdf.[3] https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/epi-topline.[4] https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-su/khong-khi-ha-noi-lai-vuon-len-muc-o-nhiem-nhat-the-gioi-1185769.html.[5] Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (adopted 13 November 1979, entered into force 16 March 1983).[6] United States Environmental Protection Agency (2007), “Terms of Environment: Glossary, Abbreviations and Acronyms.[7] Trường Đại học Luật Hà Nội, Giáo trình luật môi trường, NXB. Công an Nhân dân, Hà Nội, 2014, tr.165.[8] WHO, ‘A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Disease: FAQs’ http://www. who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/global-exposure-assessment-faq/en.[9] https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/what-causes-air-pollution#agriculture.[10] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health.[11] WHO, “Household Air Pollution and Health” (February 2016).http://www.who.int/ mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/.[12] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health.[13] M. Sand et al, “Response of Arctic Temperature to Changes in Emissions of Short-Lived Climate Forcers” (2016) 6 Nature Climate Change 286.[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6862654/#B2-ijerph-16-04296.[15] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749114000062.[16] Kết luận số 56-KL/TW, ngày 23/8/2019 của Bộ Chính trị về tiếp tục thực hiện Nghị quyết Trung ương 7 khoá XI về chủ động ứng phó với biến đổi khí hậu, tăng cường quản lí tài nguyên và bảo vệ môi trường.[17] Quyết định số 79/QĐ-BTNMT, ngày 09/01/2020 của Bộ trưởng Bộ Tài nguyên và Môi trường về việc công bố 10 sự kiện ngành tài nguyên và môi trường năm 2019.[18] https://www.thiennhien.net/2020/02/25/chat-luong-khong-khi-do-thi-dien-bien-xau-trong-2-thang-dau-nam/.[19] https://vietnamnet.vn/vn/thoi-su/moi-truong/khong-khi-ha-noi-o-nguong-rat-co-hai-ngay-thu-7-lien-tiep-599095.html.[20] https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-su/khong-khi-ha-noi-lai-vuon-len-muc-o-nhiem-nhat-the-gioi-1185769.html.[21] Shannon N. Koplitz và cộng sự, Burden of Disease from Rising Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions in Southeast Asia (2017), https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.6b03731. [22] Nguyễn Quang Dy, Câu chuyện đầu năm: Nguy cơ khủng hoảng môi trường, http://www.viet-studies.net/kinhte/NQuangDy_KhungHoangMoiTruong.html.

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Observation of NO2 air pollution distribution maps in cities with mobile ICAD bicycle measurements

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11337 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Denis Pöhler ◽

Oliver Fischer ◽

Martin Weinreich ◽

Sven Riedner ◽

Martin Horbanski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Time Resolution ◽

Passive Samplers ◽

West Germany ◽

Industrial Facilities ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Spatial Coverage ◽

Mobile Measurements ◽

Pollution Distribution

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is currently the most critical air pollutant in Europe. The main source is traffic, especially diesel engines, and its concentration is highly variable. However, NO2 levels are only measured in larger cities at few measurement points. Passive samplers can provide a better spatial coverage but contain no temporal information about the NO2 variability at that location. Electrochemical sensors require a lot of manpower and additional parameters to be measured simultaneously to achieve sufficient accuracy and are thus not practical. We apply the mobile, low power and high precision ICAD NO2 / NOx instrument (Airyx GmbH) to observe the distribution of NO2 concentration in a city or in industrial facilities. For example, smaller cities are of interest where so far no information about air pollution levels and possible hot spots are available. Measurements are conducted on a bicycle at ~1.6m height and beside the road-line (with a time resolution of 2s and 1ppb accuracy) to be comparable to data from permanent measurement stations. Along a predefined route through the city, covering different street types, repeated measurements at different days and times are performed. We present results from measurements in multiple cities with focus on the small city of Walldorf in South-West Germany. An NO2 distribution map was derived from mobile bicycle measurements over a period of 3 months. Locations with increased air pollution levels are clearly identified. Additionally, extrapolated annual average NO2 level and its distribution were estimated by comparison with an urban air monitoring station in 6km distance. The method for this annual mean extrapolation will be described. For two hot spot locations the derived extrapolated annual mean concentration was validated in a second campaign with intensive stationary measurements using the same instrument in a small trailer. The annual mean concentrations agreed within ~10% and prove the mobile measurement results, not only for these locations, but also in general for this method. Due to the high time resolution of the data additional emission sources can be identified.This example shows that it is possible to derive reliably annual mean NO2 air pollution distribution maps with few repeated mobile measurements and thus increase our understanding of real air pollution levels on a broad scale in a city. Mobile measurements were also performed in industrial facilities like mines. An example of such measurements will be presented.

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Ambient and household air pollution: complex triggers of disease

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.00235.2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 307 (4) ◽

pp. H467-H476 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Stephen A. Farmer ◽

Timothy D. Nelin ◽

Michael J. Falvo ◽

Loren E. Wold

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Health Effects ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

World Health ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Adverse Health Effects ◽

Adverse Health ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

Concentrations of outdoor air pollution are on the rise, particularly due to rapid urbanization worldwide. Alternatively, poor ventilation, cigarette smoke, and other toxic chemicals contribute to rising concentrations of indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization recently reported that deaths attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollutant exposure are more than double what was originally documented. Epidemiological, clinical, and animal data have demonstrated a clear connection between rising concentrations of air pollution (both indoor and outdoor) and a host of adverse health effects. During the past five years, animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies have explored the adverse health effects associated with exposure to both indoor and outdoor air pollutants throughout the various stages of life. This review provides a summary of the detrimental effects of air pollution through examination of current animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies and exposure during three different periods: maternal (in utero), early life, and adulthood. Additionally, we recommend future lines of research while suggesting conceivable strategies to curb exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants.

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Exercising in Air Pollution: The Cleanest versus Dirtiest Cities Challenge

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15071502 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (7) ◽

pp. 1502 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Leonardo Pasqua ◽

Mayara Damasceno ◽

Ramon Cruz ◽

Monique Matsuda ◽

Marco Garcia Martins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Relative Risk ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Minute Ventilation ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Developed Countries ◽

World Health ◽

Exercise Session ◽

All Cause Mortality

Background: Aerobic exercise is recommended to improve health. However, the increased ventilation might increase the doses of inhaled air pollutants, negating the health benefits in highly polluted areas. Our objective was to estimate the inhaled dose of air pollutants during two simulated exercise sessions at cleanest and dirtiest cities reported by World Health Organization (WHO) considering air quality. Methods: Minute ventilation data were extracted from laboratory-based exercise of 116 incremental running tests and used to calculate total ventilation of a hypothetical 30-min moderate continuous exercise routine. Afterwards, total ventilation values were combined with particulate matter (PM) data reported by the WHO for the 10 cleanest and 10 dirtiest cities, to calculate inhaled doses and the relative risk of all-cause mortality by exercising in different air pollution concentrations. Findings: The dirtiest cities are located at less developed countries compared to cleanest cities. The inhaled dose of PM2.5 and PM10 were significantly higher in the dirtiest cities compared to the cleanest cities at rest and exercise, and significantly higher during exercise compared to the rest at dirtiest cities. The relative risk of all-cause mortality analysis showed that, while exercise in the cleanest cities improved health benefits throughout up to 90 min, there were no further health benefits after 15 min of exercise in the dirtiest cities, and the air pollution health risks surpassed the exercise benefits after 75 min. Interpretation: Our findings suggest that a traditional 30-min of moderate aerobic exercise session might induce inhalation of high levels of pollutants when performed at dirtiest cities. Considering several adverse health effects from air pollutants inhalation, so the results suggest that the air pollution levels of the cities should be taken into account for physical exercise recommendations.

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A multimethodological approach to study the spatial distribution of air pollution in an Alpine valley during wintertime

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-9-3385-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 3385-3396 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

R. Schnitzhofer ◽

M. Norman ◽

A. Wisthaler ◽

J. Vergeiner ◽

F. Harnisch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Layer Structure ◽

Vertical Mixing ◽

Valley Bottom ◽

Alpine Valley ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Stable Conditions ◽

Typical Day

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.

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Modeling air pollution in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games

SURG Journal ◽

10.21083/surg.v1i2.404 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 26-34

Author(s):

Jenni Vanos

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Physiological Response ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Elite Athletes ◽

Athletic Competition ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Ozone Concentrations ◽

Difficult Time ◽

Very High ◽

Ambient Levels

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.

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