Air pollution

Emission of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in China by County

by Raymond Coveney

Mobile Air Monitoring: Measuring Change in Air Quality in the City of Hamilton, 2005–2010

by Matthew Adams

Adams, M.D., DeLuca, P., Corr, D., Kanaroglou, P. (2012). Social Indicators Research DOI: 10.1007/s11205-012-0061-5

This paper examines the change in air pollutant concentrations between 2005 and 2010 occurring in the City of... more This paper examines the change in air pollutant concentrations between 2005 and 2010 occurring in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. After analysis of stationary air pollutant concentration data, we analyze mobile air pollutant concentration data. Air pollutants included in the analysis are CO, PM2.5, SO2, NO, NO2, and NOX. Stationary monitoring indicates a continuous reduction in air pollutant concentrations. Stationary monitors only cover a small spatial extent of Hamilton. Mobile monitoring of air pollutant concentrations, averaged over census tract boundaries, indicates both improvement and decline in air quality. These improvements and declines in air quality are spatially clustered throughout Hamilton. Mobile data indicated significant decline in median pollutant concentration for CO, SO2, PM2.5, and NO2; but significant increase for NO and NOX. Air quality change in Hamilton is spatially heterogeneous, and is not captured based on the current stationary monitoring network. Coupling of mobile and stationary air pollutant concentration monitoring provides a more accurate spatial assessment of local air quality.

The transport and mass balance of fallout radionuclides in Blelham Tarn, Cumbria (UK)

by Dan Short

Although lake sediment archives are widely used for reconstructing historical records of atmospherically delivered... more Although lake sediment archives are widely used for reconstructing historical records of atmospherically delivered pollutants, the quantitative relationship between fallout levels and their record in the sediments is complex and not well known. The original input signal from the atmosphere can be significantly distorted by mediating transport processes in the catchment, through the water column and within the sediments themselves. Since these processes also affect the fallout radionuclide 210Pb commonly used to date sediments, a better understanding of their impact is also important to improving the accuracy and reliability of sediment dating. Blelham Tarn has been the subject of a number of palaeolimnological investigations using radiometric dating techniques since the early 1970s. More recently it was the site of a major study carried out within the EU Transuranics project concerning the long-term fate of fallout radionuclides in catchment/lake systems. This paper reviews the radiometric data from this study and uses the results to determine mass balances for fallout 210Pb, 137Cs and 239+240Pu in Blelham Tarn, and their spatial distribution over the bed of the lake. Atmospheric fluxes were determined by measuring concentrations in rainwater and cumulative inventories in soil cores from non-eroding sites. Sediment records in a grid of 16 cores were used to determine the spatial distribution over the bed of the lake, and net inputs from the catchment. Mass balance calculations indicate that c. 47% of 210Pb in the sediments derives from erosive inputs from the catchment. For 239+240Pu the figure rises to 61%. Reduced amounts of 137Cs in the sediments are attributed to greater losses of this radionuclide from the water column via the outflow due to its greater solubility. Inputs of radionuclides from the catchment are concentrated near one of the major input streams. Away from this part of the lake the sediment record is dominated by direct atmospheric fallout, though the detailed pattern is influenced by sediment focussing. A one parameter catchment/lake transport model is developed that incorporates the assumption that transport rates will decline with time as fallout on the catchment diffuses into the soil and becomes less available for removal. Values of the transport parameter were calculated for 210Pb and 239+240Pu and found to be comparable. The results suggest that it will take c. 11000 years to remove 50% of 239+240Pu from the catchment to the lake.

الغذاء أولا ام الهواء؟

by Dr. Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek

Published in Arabic Transaltion & Intercultural Dialogue Association

ATIDA c/o Faissal Lghazaoui, Rue de Chantepoulet 13,
1201 Geneva, Switzerland

ظهر هذا المقال في مجلة (World Poultry) العدد 23 الصادر في عام 2007
وكاتب المقال هو الدكتور/ بيرس ليون من... more ظهر هذا المقال في مجلة (World Poultry) العدد 23 الصادر في عام 2007
وكاتب المقال هو الدكتور/ بيرس ليون من نيكولاسفيل بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
أثار موضوع الوقود الحيوي كثيراً من اللغط خلال مؤتمر(الغذاء العالمي) (International Feed Expo) الذي عقد في يناير الماضي في أطلنطا. ويذكران الرئيس (بوش) ركز في خطاب الاتحاد على ضرورة التقليل من الاعتماد على استيراد البترول لتغطية احتياجات الولايات المتحدة من الطاقة. وقد أدى ذلك الخطاب إلى إحداث بعض التغيرات في السوق العالمية للطاقة.
وكاتب هذا المقال متخصص في التخمير وصناعة الكحول وهو مؤسس ورئيس لمجموعة (Allteck) وهو وضع يمكنه من الحكم على المناظرات الجارية في موضوع استخدام المواد الخام الحيوية: هل هي لتأمين غذاء للبشر أم ستستغل في صناعة الايثانول(الكحول) كوقود نظيف للسيارات والآلات؟

Coastal Recirculation in Israel and Its Effect on the Disperssion of Air Pollutants

by Ilan Levy

PhD dissertation, Hebrew University of Israel

Air Pollution Aspects of Dhaka City

by K. M. Tanvir Ahmmed

Co-authored with Begum, D. A., pp. 129-131, Proceedings of ICEAB10, University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan, September 4, 2010. (ISBN: 978-984-33-1979-1)

Impact of Regional Cooperation on Reduction of Air and Water Pollution Level of Dhaka City

by K. M. Tanvir Ahmmed

Begum, D. A. & Ahmmed, K. M. Tanvir, pp. 38-48, Proceedings of the National Seminar, The Institution of Engineers, Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 12-17, 2012.

Households choice of residential location: a trade-off among accessibility, air pollution and noise

by marcucci edoardo

Heavy metals and trace elements in atmospheric fall-out: Their relationship with topsoil and wheat element composition

by Gonzalo Bermudez

Journal of Hazardous Materials, In press (Available online 16 February 2012)

The objectives of this study were to determine the average concentrations and deposition rates of 28 elements in... more The objectives of this study were to determine the average concentrations and deposition rates of 28 elements in atmospheric bulk deposition and to elucidate associations among topsoil, bulk deposition and wheat element composition. The fluxes of arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) deposition in Córdoba were higher than in other agro-ecosystems, which reflects both natural (geochemistry and topsoil removal) and anthropogenic sources. High lanthanide, uranium (U) and thorium (Th) concentrations revealed the impact of an open cast uranium mine. The highest enrichment factors (EF) were those of Cu, Pb, Zn and nickel (Ni), with calcium (Ca) being the most prominent in the surroundings of a cement plant. Industries and the transport of airborne urban pollutants were the main anthropogenic sources for Ca, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and antimony (Sb). The concentrations of metals in wheat grain were predicted using the topsoil and atmospheric fall-out composition with R2 = 0.90, with the latter being the best explanatory variable. The present study highlights the potential health hazards of wheat consumption (Environmental Protection Agency) by the assessment of heavy metals in bulk atmospheric deposition.

Reliance on prey derived nitrogen by the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia decreases with increasing nitrogen deposition.

by Jonathan Millett

Millett J, Svensson BM, Newton J, Rydin H. 2012. New Phytologist. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04139.x

• Carnivory in plants is presumed to be an adaptation to a low nutrient environment. Nitrogen (N) from carnivory is... more • Carnivory in plants is presumed to be an adaptation to a low nutrient environment. Nitrogen (N) from carnivory is expected to become a less important component of their N budget as root N availability increases.
• We investigated the uptake of N via roots versus prey of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia growing in ombrotrophic bogs along a latitudinal nitrogen deposition gradient through Sweden, using a natural abundance stable isotope mass balance technique.
• D. rotundifolia plants receiving the lowest level of N deposition obtained a greater proportion of N from prey (57%) than plants on bogs with higher N deposition (22% at intermediate and 33% at the highest deposition). When adjusted for differences in plant mass this pattern was also present when considering total prey N uptake (66, 26 and 26 µg prey N plant-1 at the low, intermediate and high N deposition sites respectively). The pattern of mass adjusted root N uptake was opposite to this (47, 75 and 86 µg N plant-1).
• D. rotundifolia plants in this study switched from reliance on prey N to reliance on root derived N as a result of increasing N availability due to atmospheric N deposition.

Scientists Learn not only Science but also Diplomacy: Learning Processes in the European Transboundary Air Pollution Regime

by Atsushi Ishii

Chapter contribution to Rolf LIdskog, Goran Sundqvist (eds.) (2011) Governing the Air: Science-Policy-Citizens Dynamics in International Environmental Governance. MIT Press.

Patterns of longwave radiation at the surface in the megacity of São Paulo, Brazil. –Part II: seasonal evolution and pollution impact

by Jacyra Soares

Elevated night soil temperatures result in earlier incidence and increased extent of foliar ozone injury to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

by Jennifer Albertine

Explaining changes in global sulfur emissions: an econometric decomposition approach

by David Stern

Critical review of receptor modelling for particulate matter: A case study of India

by Pallavi Pant

Coastal and synoptic recirculation affecting air pollutants dispersion: A numerical study

by Ilan Levy

Ilan Levy, Yizhak Mahrer, and Uri Dayan, “Coastal and synoptic recirculation affecting air pollutants dispersion: A numerical study,” Atmospheric Environment 43, no. 12 (2009): 1991-1999.

The use of artificial neural network (ANN) for prediction of some airborne pollutants concentration in urban areas

by Ilie Constantin

National Emissions Ceilings Directive status report 2010

by David Owain Clubb

Joint project manager with Martin Adams

Reporting by the Member States under Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October... more Reporting by the Member States under Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants

Long-range transboundary air pollution report (2011)

by David Owain Clubb

Joint project manager with Martin Adams

European Union emission inventory report 1990–2009 under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air... more European Union emission inventory report 1990–2009 under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)

Modeling the Dynamics of Air Pollutants: Trans-Boundary Impacts in the Mexicali-Imperial Valley Border Region

by Ana Yael Vanoye García