Substantial degradation in Air Quality due to Saddleworth Moor Wildfire

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ailish Graham ◽  
James McQuaid ◽  
Stephen Arnold ◽  
Kirsty Pringle ◽  
Richard Pope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Short Term ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

<p>On June 24<sup>th</sup> 2018 one of the largest UK wildfires in recent history broke out on Saddleworth Moor, close to Manchester, in north-west England. June 2018 was anomalously hot and dry across the UK which led to the peat on the moor drying out and becoming suscpetible to ignition. Since wildfires close to large populations in the UK have been relatively small and rare in the past, there is little knowledge about the impacts. This has prevented the development of effective strategies to reduce them. This paper uses a high-resolution coupled atmospheric-chemistry model to assess the impact of the fires on particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) air quality (AQ) across the north-west region and the subsequent impact on health from short-term exposure. We find that the fires substantially degraded AQ across the north-west. PM<sub>2.5 </sub>concentrations increased by more than 300% in Oldham and Manchester and up to 50% in areas up to 80 km away such as Liverpool, Wigan and Warrington. This led to a third of the population (4.7 million people) in the simulation domain (-4.9-0.7°E and 53.0-54.4°N) being exposed to moderate PM<sub>2.5 </sub>concentrations on at least one day, according to the Daily Air Quality Index (36-53 µg m<sup>-3</sup>), between June 23<sup>rd</sup> and 30<sup>th </sup>2018. This equates to 4.5 million people being exposed to PM<sub>2.5 </sub>above the WHO 24-hour safe-limit exposure of 25 µg m<sup>-3</sup> on at least one day. Using a concentration-response function we calculate the short-term health impact which indicates that up to 60% of excess mortality between June 23<sup>rd</sup> and 30<sup>th</sup> 2018 was attributable to the fires. This represents up to a 165% increase in excess mortality across the region compared to a simulation with no fires. We find the impact of mortality due to PM<sub>2.5 </sub>from the fires on the economy was also substantial (£5.5m). Thus, our results indicate the need to introduce legislation and education to both reduce the likelihood of wildfires and reduce the population’s exposure to harmful air pollutants during their occurrence. This is particularly relevant given that wildfires are projected to become more common in the future through climate change and land-use change.</p>

scholarly journals 'Greenfields' and 'Brownfields': automotive industrial development in the UK and in Portugal

Finisterra ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (62) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Pike ◽  
Mário Vale
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Policy ◽  
Automobile Industry ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
North West ◽  
Demonstration Effect ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The industrial policy in the UK and in Portugal, as in most EU countries, seeks to attract new investment capacity, to create jobs and to promote the impact of the so-called "demonstration efect" of "greenfield" development strategies pursued in the new plants of inward investors on existing or "brownfield" plants. This industrial policy focus is particularly evident in the automobile industry.This paper compares the industrial policy oriented towards the automobile industry in the UK and in Portugal. Two recent "greenfield" investments are analised: Nissan in the North-East region (UK) and Ford/VW in the Setúbal Peninsula (Portugal), as well as three "brownfield" plants: Ford Halewood and GM Vauxhall Ellesmere Port in the North-West region (UK) and Renault in Setúbal (Portugal). The first part starts with a discussion of industrial policy in the automobile sector, the role of "greenfield" development strategies and the "demonstration effect" on "brownfield" plants. Then, the limits of new inward investment are pointed out, basically their problems and restrictions. Afterwards, the structural barriers to the "demonstration effect" within "brownfield" plants are outlined and some possabilities for alternative "brownfield" development strategies are presented.

scholarly journals Effects of halogens on European air-quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 75-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Sherwen ◽  
M. J. Evans ◽  
R. Sommariva ◽  
L. D. J. Hollis ◽  
S. M. Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
The North ◽  
Halogen Chemistry ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Policy

Halogens (Cl, Br) have a profound influence on stratospheric ozone (O3). They (Cl, Br and I) have recently also been shown to impact the troposphere, notably by reducing the mixing ratios of O3 and OH. Their potential for impacting regional air-quality is less well understood. We explore the impact of halogens on regional pollutants (focussing on O3) with the European grid of the GEOS-Chem model (0.25° × 0.3125°). It has recently been updated to include a representation of halogen chemistry. We focus on the summer of 2015 during the ICOZA campaign at the Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory on the North Sea coast of the UK. Comparisons between these observations together with those from the UK air-quality network show that the model has some skill in representing the mixing ratios/concentration of pollutants during this period. Although the model has some success in simulating the Weybourne ClNO2 observations, it significantly underestimates ClNO2 observations reported at inland locations. It also underestimates mixing ratios of IO, OIO, I2 and BrO, but this may reflect the coastal nature of these observations. Model simulations, with and without halogens, highlight the processes by which halogens can impact O3. Throughout the domain O3 mixing ratios are reduced by halogens. In northern Europe this is due to a change in the background O3 advected into the region, whereas in southern Europe this is due to local chemistry driven by Mediterranean emissions. The proportion of hourly O3 above 50 nmol mol−1 in Europe is reduced from 46% to 18% by halogens. ClNO2 from N2O5 uptake onto sea-salt leads to increases in O3 mixing ratio, but these are smaller than the decreases caused by the bromine and iodine. 12% of ethane and 16% of acetone within the boundary layer is oxidised by Cl. Aerosol response to halogens is complex with small (∼10%) reductions in PM2.5 in most locations. A lack of observational constraints coupled to large uncertainties in emissions and chemical processing of halogens make these conclusions tentative at best. However, the results here point to the potential for halogen chemistry to influence air quality policy in Europe and other parts of the world.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 social distancing and isolation recommendations for Muslim communities in North West England

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaima M. Hassan ◽  
Adele Ring ◽  
Naheed Tahir ◽  
Mark Gabbay
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
North West ◽  
Low Mood ◽  
The North ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Muslim Communities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction People from Minority Ethnic backgrounds living in the UK are at greater risk of not only contracting COVID-19, but also experiencing serious consequences of the virus. These emerging health inequalities mirror those already evident in UK society. Aim The aim of this study was to understand how COVID-19 and the associated imposed restrictions affected the lives of people from the Muslim community living in the North West of England. Method Twenty-five in-depth qualitative interviews and four focus groups (n = 22) explored individual experiences of COVID-19 and imposed restrictions. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The virus and associated imposed restrictions had negative impacts on the psychological wellbeing of participants, their families and the wider community. Worry and low mood were particular features of participant’s pandemic stories. Main concerns were those of contracting and transmitting the virus to others and employment-related difficulties. Low mood was particularly linked to the impact of restrictions on fundamental interactions embedded within cultural and religious practices. These practices are central to feelings of belonging and connectedness within the Muslim community. Religious beliefs were important in helping to mitigate psychological distress for some participants. Conclusion Psychological distress was associated with COVID-19 virus and impact of COVID-19 restrictions on livelihoods and fundamental human interactions. Better provision of culturally appropriate information, improving local channels of communication and practical support are important during times of pandemic when usual support systems may be disrupted.

scholarly journals The impact of monoaromatic hydrocarbons on OH reactivity in the North Sea boundary layer and free troposphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 32423-32457 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. T. Lidster ◽  
J. F. Hamilton ◽  
J. D. Lee ◽  
A. C. Lewis ◽  
J. R. Hopkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Ethyl Benzene ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
The North ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Reaction with the hydroxyl radical (OH) is the dominant removal mechanism for virtually all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere, however it can be difficult to reconcile measured OH reactivity with known sinks. Unresolved higher molecular weight VOCs contribute to OH sinks, of which monoaromatics are potentially an important sub-class. A method based on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) has been developed that extends the degree with which larger VOCs can be individually speciated from whole air samples (WAS). The technique showed excellent sensitivity, resolution and good agreement with an established GC-FID method, for compounds amenable to analysis on both instruments. Measurements have been made of VOCs within the UK east coast marine boundary layer and free troposphere, using samples collected from five aircraft flights in winter 2011. Ten monoaromatic compounds with an array of different alkyl ring substituents have been quantified, in addition to the simple aromatics, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and σm- and p-xylene. These additional compounds were then included into constrained box model simulations of atmospheric chemistry occurring at two UK rural and suburban field sites in order to assess the potential impact of these larger monoaromatics species on OH reactivity; they have been calculated to contribute an additional 2–6% to the overall modelled OH loss rate, providing a~maximum additional OH sink of ~0.9 s−1.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Prescribed Fire on PM2.5 Air Quality and Human Health: Application to Asthma-Related Emergency Room Visits in Georgia, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 2312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Huang ◽  
Yongtao Hu ◽  
Armistead G. Russell ◽  
James A. Mulholland ◽  
M. Talat Odman
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
The Impact

Short-term exposure to fire smoke, especially particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), is associated with adverse health effects. In order to quantify the impact of prescribed burning on human health, a general health impact function was used with exposure fields of PM2.5 from prescribed burning in Georgia, USA, during the burn seasons of 2015 to 2018, generated using a data fusion method. A method was developed to identify the days and areas when and where the prescribed burning had a major impact on local air quality to explore the relationship between prescribed burning and acute health effects. The results showed strong spatial and temporal variations in prescribed burning impacts. April 2018 exhibited a larger estimated daily health impact with more burned areas compared to Aprils in previous years, likely due to an extended burn season resulting from the need to burn more areas in Georgia. There were an estimated 145 emergency room (ER) visits in Georgia for asthma due to prescribed burning impacts in 2015 during the burn season, and this number increased by about 18% in 2018. Although southwestern, central, and east-central Georgia had large fire impacts on air quality, the absolute number of estimated ER asthma visits resulting from burn impacts was small in these regions compared to metropolitan areas where the population density is higher. Metro-Atlanta had the largest estimated prescribed burn-related asthma ER visits in Georgia, with an average of about 66 during the reporting years.

scholarly journals Short-Term Health Impact Assessment of Urban PM10in Bejaia City (Algeria)

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Benaissa ◽  
Cara Nichole Maesano ◽  
Rezak Alkama ◽  
Isabella Annesi-Maesano
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
World Health ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Quality Guideline ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

We used Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to analyze the impact on a given population’s health outcomes in terms of all-causes mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations attributable to short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm diameter (PM10) in Bejaia city, for which health effects of air pollution have never been investigated. Two scenarios of PM10reduction were considered: first, a scenario where the PM10annual mean is decreased by 5 µg/m3, and then a scenario where this PM10mean is decreased to 20 µg/m3(World Health Organization annual air quality guideline (WHO-AQG)). Annual mean level of PM10(81.7 µg/m3) was calculated from objective measurements assessedin situ. Each year, about 4 and 55 deaths could be postponed with the first and the second scenarios successfully. Furthermore, decreasing PM10annual mean by 5 µg/m3would avoid 5 and 3 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively, and not exceeding the PM10WHO-AQG (20 µg/m3) would result in a potential gain of 36 and 23 per 100000 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively. Lowering in current levels of PM10has a nonnegligible impact in terms of public health that it is expected to be higher in the case of long-term effects.

scholarly journals FRI0649-HPR HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE PRESCRIBING AND OPHTHALMOLOGY SCREENING WITHIN RHEUMATOLOGY DEPARTMENTS IN THE NORTH-WEST OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: A PROSPECTIVE REGIONAL AUDIT

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 928.2-929
Author(s):  
S. Juman ◽  
T. David ◽  
L. Gray ◽  
R. Hamad ◽  
S. Horton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
Service Level ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Treatment Dosage ◽  
Sd Oct

Background:Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is widely used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis and connective tissue disease. The prevalence of retinopathy in patients taking long-term HCQ is approximately 7.5%, increasing to 20-50% after 20 years of therapy. Hydroxychloroquine prescribed at ≤5 mg/kg poses a toxicity risk of <1% up to five years and <2% up to ten years, but increases sharply to almost 20% after 20 years. Risk factors for retinopathy include doses >5mg/kg/day, concomitant tamoxifen or chloroquine use and renal impairment. The UK Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) 2018 guidelines for HCQ screening recommend optimal treatment dosage and timing for both baseline and follow-up ophthalmology review for patients on HCQ, with the aim of preventing iatrogenic visual loss. This is similar to recommendations made by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (2016).Objectives:To determine adherence to the RCOphth guidelines for HCQ screening within the Rheumatology departments in the North-West of the UK.Methods:Data for patients established on HCQ and those initiated on HCQ therapy were collected over a 7 week period from 9 Rheumatology departments.Results:473 patients were included of which 56 (12%) were new starters and 417 (88%) were already established on HCQ. 79% of the patients were female, with median ages of 60.5 and 57 years for new and established patients respectively. The median (IQR) weight for new starters was 71 (27.9) kg and for established patients, 74 (24.7) kg.20% of new starters exceeded 5mg/kg daily HCQ dose. 16% were identified as high risk (9% had previously taken chloroquine, 5% had an eGFR <60ml/min/m2and 2% had retinal co-pathology). Of the high-risk group, 44% were taking <5mg/kg. In total, 36% of new starters were referred for a formal baseline Ophthalmology review.In the established patients, 74% were taking ≤5mg/kg/day HCQ dose and 16% were categorized as high risk (10% had an eGFR less than 60ml/min/m2, 3% had previous chloroquine or tamoxifen use and 2% had retinal co-pathology). In the high-risk group, 75% were not referred for spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). 41% of patients established on HCQ for <5 years, and 33% of patients on HCQ for >5 years were not referred for SD-OCT. Reasons for not referring included; awaiting 5 year review, previous screening already performed and optician review advised.Since the introduction of the RCOphth guidelines, 29% patients already established on HCQ had an alteration in the dosage of HCQ in accordance with the guidelines. In the high-risk group, 16% were not on the recommended HCQ dose.Conclusion:This audit demonstrates inconsistencies in adherence to the RCOphth guidelines for HCQ prescribing and ophthalmology screening within Rheumatology departments in the North-West of the UK for both new starters and established patients. Plans to improve this include wider dissemination of the guidelines to Rheumatology departments and strict service level agreements with ophthalmology teams to help optimize HCQ prescribing and screening for retinopathy.Acknowledgments:Drs. S Jones, E MacPhie, A Madan, L Coates & Prof L Teh. Co-1st author, T David.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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