Updated national emission inventory and comparison with the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR): case of Lebanon

Physically based computational modeling is an effective tool for estimating and predicting the spatial distribution of pollutant concentrations in complex environments. A detailed and up-to-date emission inventory is one of the most important components of atmospheric modeling and a prerequisite for achieving high model performance. Lebanon lacks an accurate inventory of anthropogenic emission fluxes. In the absence of a clear emission standard and standardized activity datasets in Lebanon, this work serves to fill this gap by presenting the first national effort to develop a national emission inventory by exhaustively quantifying detailed multisector, multi-species pollutant emissions in Lebanon for atmospheric pollutants that are internationally monitored and regulated as relevant to air quality. Following the classification of the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), we present the methodology followed for each subsector based on its characteristics and types of fuels consumed. The estimated emissions encompass gaseous species (CO, NOx, SO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). We compare totals per sector obtained from the newly developed national inventory with the international EDGAR inventory and previously published emission inventories for the country for base year 2010 presenting current discrepancies and analyzing their causes. The observed discrepancies highlight the fact that emission inventories, especially for data-scarce settings, are highly sensitive to the activity data and their underlying assumptions, and to the methodology used to estimate the emissions.

Analysis of air pollution in Primorsky Krai in 2019-2020 according to GMAO/NASA satellite monitoring

The results of modeling variations in atmospheric pollutants over Primorsky Krai in 2019 and 2020 based on GMAO/NASA satellite monitoring data are analyzed. It is shown that average annual concentrations of pollutants in 2020 decreased as compared to 2019: by 20–35% for sulfur dioxide; by 5–20% for sulfates; by 8–20% for carbon monoxide; by 25–40 % for particulate matter PM (1, 2.5, and 10 μm). One of the reasons for the air pollution decline in Primorsky Krai in 2020 is the reduction of anthropogenic load in the context of a decrease in industrial activity and traffic flows both in Primorye and in the adjacent areas of China. Episodes of high pollution in 2019 were formed under influence of the transboundary transport of polluted air masses. Keywords: air pollution, aerosol and chemical elements, transboundary transport, satellite monitoring, Primorsky Krai

Full-Scale Odor Abatement Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs): A Review

The release of air pollutants from the operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is often a cause of odor annoyance for the people living in the surrounding area. Odors have been indeed recently classified as atmospheric pollutants and are the main cause of complaints to local authorities. In this context, the implementation of effective treatment solutions is of key importance for urban water cycle management. This work presents a critical review of the state of the art of odor treatment technologies (OTTs) applied in full-scale WWTPs to address this issue. An overview of these technologies is given by discussing their strengths and weaknesses. A sensitivity analysis is presented, by considering land requirements, operational parameters and efficiencies, based on data of full-scale applications. The investment and operating costs have been reviewed with reference to the different OTTs. Biofilters and biotrickling filters represent the two most applied technologies for odor abatement at full-scale plants, due to lower costs and high removal efficiencies. An analysis of the odors emitted by the different wastewater treatment units is reported, with the aim of identifying the principal odor sources. Innovative and sustainable technologies are also presented and discussed, evaluating their potential for full-scale applicability.

The Impact of Atmospheric Pollutants on Human Health and Economic Loss Assessment

The impact of air pollution on human health is becoming increasingly severe, and economic losses are a significant impediment to economic and social development. This paper investigates the impact of air pollutants on the respiratory system and its action mechanism by using information on inpatients with respiratory diseases from two IIIA (highest) hospitals in Wuhan from 2015 to 2019, information on air pollutants, and meteorological data, as well as relevant demographic and economic data in China. This paper describes the specific conditions of air pollutant concentrations and respiratory diseases, quantifies the degree of correlation between the two, and then provides a more comprehensive assessment of the economic losses using descriptive statistical methods, the generalized additive model (GAM), cost of illness approach (COI), and scenario analysis. According to the findings, the economic losses caused by PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO exposure are USD 103.17 million, USD 70.54 million, USD 98.02 million, USD 40.35 million, and USD 142.38 million, for a total of USD 454.46 billion, or approximately 0.20% of Wuhan’s GDP in 2019. If the government tightens control of major air pollutants and meets the WHO-recommended criterion values, the annual evitable economic losses would be approximately USD 69.4 million or approximately 0.03% of Wuhan’s GDP in 2019. As a result, the relevant government departments must strengthen air pollution control to mitigate the impact of air pollution on population health and the associated economic losses.

Characterization of Air Pollution in Pre-COVID 19 Time Using the IVE Model Applied to Mobile Sources in Urban Areas

In this article we present the design of effective control strategies (IVE Model), to predict atmospheric pollutants, greenhouse gases and toxins, from mobile sources, made up of 800 motorized vehicles, obtained from the records of the transport office of the Provincial Municipality of Ica. through an inventory of emissions from mobile sources, emission factors, activity and distribution of the vehicle fleet. The results obtained are Carbon Monoxide (CO, 23235.23 t/year), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC: 12123.55 t / year), Nitrogen Oxides (Nox: 361.76 t/year), Evaporative Volatile Organic Compounds (COVevap: 455.2 t / year), Particulate Material (PM: 361.76 t / year) and Sulfur Oxides (Sox: 50.75 t / year). Where the highest CO emissions are cars and motorcycles, representing 45.72% and 36% of the total CO emissions released in the study area. It is concluded that prevention measures and actions such as transport management, control of vehicular emissions, promotion of the use of clean fuels, as a way of mitigating the atmospheric pollutants that could be generated, be established.

Role of Defect Engineering and Surface Functionalization in the Design of Carbon Nanotube-Based Nitrogen Oxide Sensors

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are among the main atmospheric pollutants; therefore, it is important to monitor and detect their presence in the atmosphere. To this end, low-dimensional carbon structures have been widely used as NOx sensors for their outstanding properties. In particular, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used as toxic-gas sensors owing to their high specific surface area and excellent mechanical properties. Although pristine CNTs have shown promising performance for NOx detection, several strategies have been developed such as surface functionalization and defect engineering to improve the NOx sensing of pristine CNT-based sensors. Through these strategies, the sensing properties of modified CNTs toward NOx gases have been substantially improved. Therefore, in this review, we have analyzed the defect engineering and surface functionalization strategies used in the last decade to modify the sensitivity and the selectivity of CNTs to NOx. First, the different types of surface functionalization and defect engineering were reviewed. Thereafter, we analyzed experimental, theoretical, and coupled experimental–theoretical studies on CNTs modified through surface functionalization and defect engineering to improve the sensitivity and selectivity to NOx. Finally, we presented the conclusions and the future directions of modified CNTs as NOx sensors.