Sample records for air pollutant ozone

  1. Ozone, air pollution, and respiratory health.

    PubMed Central

    Beckett, W. S.

    1991-01-01

    Of the outdoor air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act of 1970 (and recently revised in 1990), ozone has been the one pollutant most difficult to control within the federal standards. The known human health effects are all on the respiratory system. At concentrations of ozone which occur during summer air-pollution episodes in many urban metropolitan areas of the United States, a portion of the healthy population is likely to experience symptoms and reversible effects on lung function, particularly if exercising heavily outdoors. More prolonged increase in airway responsiveness and the presence of inflammatory cells and mediators in the airway lining fluid may also result from these naturally occurring exposures. Serial exposures to peak levels of ozone on several consecutive days are more characteristic of pollution episodes in the Northeast United States and may be associated with recurrent symptoms. No "high-risk" or more sensitive group has been found, in contrast to the case of sulfur dioxide, to which asthmatics are more susceptible than normals. The occurrence of multiple exposure episodes within a single year over many years in some areas of California has led to studies looking for chronic effects of ozone exposure on the lung. To date, no conclusive studies have been reported, although further work is under way. Much of what we know about the effects of this gas on the lung are based on controlled exposures to pure gas within an environmental exposure laboratory. Interactions between substances which commonly co-occur in air-pollution episodes are also under investigation. PMID:1750227

  2. Air Pollution

    MedlinePlus

    Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals from factories, ... Ozone, a gas, is a major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's ...

  3. The characterization of an air pollution episode using satellite total ozone measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, Jack; Shipham, Mark C.; Vukovich, Fred M.; Cahoon, Donald R.

    1987-01-01

    A case study is presented which demonstrates that measurements of total ozone from a space-based platform can be used to study a widespread air pollution episode over the southeastern U.S. In particular, the synoptic-scale distribution of surface-level ozone obtained from an independent analysis of ground-based monitoring stations appears to be captured by the synoptic-scale distribution of total ozone, even though about 90 percent of the total ozone is in the stratosphere. Additional analyses of upper air meteorological data, other satellite imagery, and in situ aircraft measurements of ozone likewise support the fact that synoptic-scale variability of tropospheric ozone is primarily responsible for the observed variability in total ozone under certain conditions. The use of the type of analysis discussed in this study may provide an important technique for understanding the global budget of tropospheric ozone.

  4. Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Proposal

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In this technical support document (TSD) we describe the air quality modeling performed to support the proposed Cross-State Air Pollution Rule for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

  5. PHOTOCHEMICAL AIR POLLUTION IN THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL: A HIGH TROPOSHERIC OZONE EPISODE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monteiro, A.; Carvalho, A.; Tchepel, O.; Ferreira, J.; Martins, H.; Miranda, A.; Borrego, C.; Saavedra, S.; Rodríguez, A.; Souto, J. A.

    2009-12-01

    Very high concentrations of ozone are continuously measured at the monitoring station at Lamas d’Olo, located at the North of Portugal,. A particular high photochemical episode occurred between 11 and 13 of July 2005, registering ozone hourly maximum values above 350 µg.m-3. This ozone-rich episode is investigated in this paper, in order to identify its origin and formation. Besides the analysis of both meteorological and air quality monitoring datasets, a numerical modelling approach, based on MM5-CAMx system, was used to simulate the dispersion and transport (horizontal and vertical) of the photochemical pollutants and its precursors. A cross spectrum analysis of the meteorological and air quality time series was performed, in the frequency domain, to establish the relationships between ozone data measured at Lamas d’Olo with air quality data from neighbourhood stations and meteorological parameters. Results point out different behaviour/contribution between the analysed sites. Moreover, different contributions of the u and v wind component on the ozone concentration fluctuations were found suggesting the presence a mountain breeze circulation and a north synoptic transport. The preliminary modelling results pointed out that the vertical transport of pollutants are responsible for the measured high concentrations, combined with particular meteorological conditions, related to the planetary boundary layer (PBL) development. The pollutants transported and existent at high vertical levels are captured/trapped when the PBL height reaches its daily maximum, and extremely high ozone ground level concentrations are consequently measured.

  6. Air pollution and watershed research in the central Sierra Nevada of California: nitrogen and ozone

    Treesearch

    Carolyn Hunsaker; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Jessica Auman; Ricardo Cisneros

    2007-01-01

    Maintaining healthy forests is the major objective for the Forest Service scientists and managers working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Air pollution, specifically ozone (O3) and nitrogenous (N) air pollutants, may severely affect the health of forest ecosystems in the western U.S. Thus, the monitoring of air pollution concentration and...

  7. Air pollution: Tropospheric ozone, and wet deposition of sulfate and inorganic nitrogen

    Treesearch

    John W. Coulston

    2009-01-01

    The influence of air pollutants on ecosystems in the United States is an important environmental issue. The term “air pollution” encompasses a wide range of topics, but acid deposition and ozone are primary concerns in the context of forest health. Acid deposition partially results from emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ammonia that are deposited in wet...

  8. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In February 2006, EPA released the final document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Other Photochemical Oxidants. Tropospheric or surface-level ozone (O3) is one of six major air pollutants regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under the U.S. Clean Air Act. As mandated by the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must periodically review the scientific bases (or criteria) for the various NAAQS by assessing newly available scientific information on a given criteria air pollutant. This document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Other Photochemical Oxidants, is an updated revision of the 1996 Ozone Air Quality Criteria Document (O3 AQCD) that provided scientific bases for the current O3 NAAQS set in 1997. The Clean Air Act mandates periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants, also referred to as criteria pollutants, including ozone.

  9. Economic damages of ozone air pollution to crops using combined air quality and GIS modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlachokostas, Ch.; Nastis, S. A.; Achillas, Ch.; Kalogeropoulos, K.; Karmiris, I.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Chourdakis, E.; Banias, G.; Limperi, N.

    2010-09-01

    This study aims at presenting a combined air quality and GIS modelling methodological approach in order to estimate crop damages from photochemical air pollution, depict their spatial resolution and assess the order of magnitude regarding the corresponding economic damages. The analysis is conducted within the Greater Thessaloniki Area, Greece, a Mediterranean territory which is characterised by high levels of photochemical air pollution and considerable agricultural activity. Ozone concentration fields for 2002 and for specific emission reduction scenarios for the year 2010 were estimated with the Ozone Fine Structure model in the area under consideration. Total economic damage to crops turns out to be significant and estimated to be approximately 43 M€ for the reference year. Production of cotton presents the highest economic loss, which is over 16 M€, followed by table tomato (9 M€), rice (4.2 M€), wheat (4 M€) and oilseed rape (2.8 M€) cultivations. Losses are not spread uniformly among farmers and the major losses occur in areas with valuable ozone-sensitive crops. The results are very useful for highlighting the magnitude of the total economic impacts of photochemical air pollution to the area's agricultural sector and can potentially be used for comparison with studies worldwide. Furthermore, spatial analysis of the economic damage could be of importance for governmental authorities and decision makers since it provides an indicative insight, especially if the economic instruments such as financial incentives or state subsidies to farmers are considered.

  10. Ozone Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Known as tropospheric or ground-level ozone, this gas is harmful to human heath and the environment. Since it forms from emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), these pollutants are regulated under air quality standards.

  11. High Concentrations of Ozone Air Pollution on Mount Everest: Health Implications for Sherpa Communities and Mountaineers.

    PubMed

    Semple, John L; Moore, G W Kent; Koutrakis, Petros; Wolfson, Jack M; Cristofanelli, Paolo; Bonasoni, Paolo

    2016-12-01

    Semple, John L., G.W. Kent Moore, Petros Koutrakis, Jack M. Wolfson, Paolo Cristofanelli, and Paolo Bonasoni. High concentrations of ozone air pollution on Mount Everest: health implications for Sherpa communities and mountaineers. High Alt Med Biol. 17:365-369, 2016.-Introduction: Populations in remote mountain regions are increasingly vulnerable to multiple climate mechanisms that influence levels of air pollution. Few studies have reported on climate-sensitive health outcomes unique to high altitude ecosystems. In this study, we report on the discovery of high-surface ozone concentrations and the potential impact on health outcomes on Mount Everest and the high Himalaya. Surface ozone measurements were collected during ascending transects in the Mount Everest region of Nepal with passive nitrite-coated Ogawa filter samplers to obtain 8-hour personal exposures (2860-5364 m asl). In addition, the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid, a GAW-WMO Global Station sited in the Khumbu Valley (5079 m asl), collected ozone mixing ratios with photometric gas analyzer. Surface ozone measurements increased with altitude with concentrations that exceed 100 ppb (8-hour exposure). Highest values were during the spring season and the result of diverse contributions: hemispheric background values, the descent of ozone-rich stratospheric air, and the transport of tropospheric pollutants occurring at different spatial scales. Multiple climate factors, including descending stratospheric ozone and imported anthropogenic air masses from the Indo-Gangetic Plain, contribute to ambient ozone exposure levels in the vicinity of Mount Everest that are similar to if not higher than those reported in industrialized cities.

  12. Health Effects of Ozone Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Inhaling ozone can cause coughing, shortness of breath, worse asthma or bronchitis symptoms, and irritation and damage to airways.You can reduce your exposure to ozone pollution by checking air quality where you live.

  13. Threat to future global food security from climate change and ozone air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, Amos P. K.; Martin, Maria Val; Heald, Colette L.

    2014-09-01

    Future food production is highly vulnerable to both climate change and air pollution with implications for global food security. Climate change adaptation and ozone regulation have been identified as important strategies to safeguard food production, but little is known about how climate and ozone pollution interact to affect agriculture, nor the relative effectiveness of these two strategies for different crops and regions. Here we present an integrated analysis of the individual and combined effects of 2000-2050 climate change and ozone trends on the production of four major crops (wheat, rice, maize and soybean) worldwide based on historical observations and model projections, specifically accounting for ozone-temperature co-variation. The projections exclude the effect of rising CO2, which has complex and potentially offsetting impacts on global food supply. We show that warming reduces global crop production by >10% by 2050 with a potential to substantially worsen global malnutrition in all scenarios considered. Ozone trends either exacerbate or offset a substantial fraction of climate impacts depending on the scenario, suggesting the importance of air quality management in agricultural planning. Furthermore, we find that depending on region some crops are primarily sensitive to either ozone (for example, wheat) or heat (for example, maize) alone, providing a measure of relative benefits of climate adaptation versus ozone regulation for food security in different regions.

  14. Impact of intercontinental pollution transport on North American ozone air pollution: an HTAP phase 2 multi-model study

    EPA Science Inventory

    The recent update on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the ground-level ozone (O3/ can benefit from a better understanding of its source contributions in different US regions during recent years. In the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution experiment phas...

  15. Indoor secondary pollutants from cleaning product and air freshener use in the presence of ozone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singer, Brett C.; Coleman, Beverly K.; Destaillats, Hugo; Hodgson, Alfred T.; Lunden, Melissa M.; Weschler, Charles J.; Nazaroff, William W.

    This study investigated the formation of secondary pollutants resulting from household product use in the presence of ozone. Experiments were conducted in a 50-m 3 chamber simulating a residential room. The chamber was operated at conditions relevant to US residences in polluted areas during warm-weather seasons: an air exchange rate of 1.0 h -1 and an inlet ozone concentration of approximately 120 ppb, when included. Three products were used in separate experiments. An orange oil-based degreaser and a pine oil-based general-purpose cleaner were used for surface cleaning applications. A plug-in scented-oil air freshener (AFR) was operated for several days. Cleaning products were applied realistically with quantities scaled to simulate residential use rates. Concentrations of organic gases and secondary organic aerosol from the terpene-containing consumer products were measured with and without ozone introduction. In the absence of reactive chemicals, the chamber ozone level was approximately 60 ppb. Ozone was substantially consumed following cleaning product use, mainly by homogeneous reaction. For the AFR, ozone consumption was weaker and heterogeneous reaction with sorbed AFR-constituent VOCs was of similar magnitude to homogeneous reaction with continuously emitted constituents. Formaldehyde generation resulted from product use with ozone present, increasing indoor levels by the order of 10 ppb. Cleaning product use in the presence of ozone generated substantial fine particle concentrations (more than 100 μg m -3) in some experiments. Ozone consumption and elevated hydroxyl radical concentrations persisted for 10-12 h following brief cleaning events, indicating that secondary pollutant production can persist for extended periods.

  16. Outdoor air pollutants and patient health.

    PubMed

    Laumbach, Robert J

    2010-01-15

    Almost 160 million persons live in areas of the United States that exceed federal health-based air pollution standards. The two air pollutants that most commonly exceed standards are ozone and particulate matter. Ozone and particulate matter can harm anyone if levels are sufficiently elevated, but health risk from air pollution is greatest among vulnerable populations. Both ozone and particulate matter can cause pulmonary inflammation, decreased lung function, and exacerbation of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Particulate matter is also strongly associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Children, older adults, and other vulnerable persons may be sensitive to lower levels of air pollution. Persons who are aware of local air pollution levels, reported daily by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Air Quality Index, can take action to reduce exposure. These actions include simple measures to limit exertion and time spent outdoors when air pollution levels are highest, and to reduce the infiltration of outdoor air pollutants into indoor spaces.

  17. Ozone Atmospheric Pollution and Alzheimer's Disease: From Epidemiological Facts to Molecular Mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Croze, Marine L; Zimmer, Luc

    2018-01-01

    Atmospheric pollution is a well-known environmental hazard, especially in developing countries where millions of people are exposed to airborne pollutant levels above safety standards. Accordingly, several epidemiological and animal studies confirmed its role in respiratory and cardiovascular pathologies and identified a strong link between ambient air pollution exposure and adverse health outcomes such as hospitalization and mortality. More recently, the potential deleterious effect of air pollution inhalation on the central nervous system was also investigated and mounting evidence supports a link between air pollution exposure and neurodegenerative pathologies, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). The focus of this review is to highlight the possible link between ozone air pollution exposure and AD incidence. This review's approach will go from observational and epidemiological facts to the proposal of molecular mechanisms. First, epidemiological and postmortem human study data concerning residents of ozone-severely polluted megacities will be presented and discussed. Then, the more particular role of ozone air pollution in AD pathology will be described and evidenced by toxicological studies in rat or mouse with ozone pollution exposure only. The experimental paradigms used to reproduce in rodent the human exposure to ozone air pollution will be described. Finally, current insights into the molecular mechanisms through which ozone inhalation can affect the brain and play a role in AD development or progression will be recapitulated.

  18. Evaluating ozone air pollution effects on pines in the western United States

    Treesearch

    Paul R. Miller; Kenneth W. Stolte; Daniel M. Duriscoe; John Pronos

    1996-01-01

    Historical and technical background is provided about ozone air pollution effects on ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws) and Jeffrey (P. jeffreyi Grev. and Balf.) pines in forests of the western United States. The principal aim is to document the development of field survey methods to be applied to assessment of chronic...

  19. Ozone - Current Air Quality Index

    MedlinePlus

    GO! Local Air Quality Conditions Zip Code: State : My Current Location Current AQI Forecast AQI Loop More Maps AQI: Good (0 - 50) ... resources for Hawaii residents and visitors more announcements Air Quality Basics Air Quality Index | Ozone | Particle Pollution | Smoke ...

  20. Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution

    DOE PAGES

    Gaffney, Jeffrey S.; Marley, Nancy A.

    2003-01-01

    Atmospheric chemistry is an important discipline for understanding air pollution and its impacts. This mini-review gives a brief history of air pollution and presents an overview of some of the basic photochemistry involved in the production of ozone and other oxidants in the atmosphere. Urban air quality issues are reviewed with a specific focus on ozone and other oxidants, primary and secondary aerosols, alternative fuels, and the potential for chlorine releases to amplify oxidant chemistry in industrial areas. Regional air pollution issues such as acid rain, long-range transport of aerosols and visibility loss, and the connections of aerosols to ozonemore » and peroxyacetyl nitrate chemistry are examined. Finally, the potential impacts of air pollutants on the global-scale radiative balances of gases and aerosols are discussed briefly.« less

  1. Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), requires states to significantly improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particle pollution in other states.

  2. Intercontinental Transport of Air Pollution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rogers, David; Whung, Pai-Yei; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The development of the global economy goes beyond raising our standards of living. We are in an ear of increasing environmental as well as economic interdependence. Long-range transport of anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants such as ozone, ozone precursors, airborne particles, heavy metals (such as mercury) and persistent organic pollutants are the four major types of pollution that are transported over intercontinental distances and have global environmental effects. The talk includes: 1) an overview of the international agreements related to intercontinental transport of air pollutants, 2) information needed for decision making, 3) overview of the past research on intercontinental transport of air pollutants - a North American's perspective, and 4) future research needs.

  3. Air Pollution: Current and Future Challenges

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Despite the dramatic progress to date, air pollution continues to threaten Americans’ health and welfare. The main obstacles are climate change, conventional air pollution, and ozone layer depletion.

  4. Evaluation of emission control strategies to reduce ozone pollution in the Paso del Norte region using a photochemical air quality modeling system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valenzuela, Victor Hugo

    Air pollution emissions control strategies to reduce ozone precursor pollutants are analyzed by applying a photochemical modeling system. Simulations of air quality conditions during an ozone episode which occurred in June, 2006 are undertaken by increasing or reducing area source emissions in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Two air pollutants are primary drivers in the formation of tropospheric ozone. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) undergo multiple chemical reactions under favorable meteorological conditions to form ozone, which is a secondary pollutant that irritates respiratory systems in sensitive individuals especially the elderly and young children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to limit ambient air pollutants such as ozone by establishing an 8-hour average concentration of 0.075 ppm as the threshold at which a violation of the standard occurs. Ozone forms primarily due reactions in the troposphere of NOx and VOC emissions generated primarily by anthropogenic sources in urban regions. Data from emissions inventories indicate area sources account for ˜15 of NOx and ˜45% of regional VOC emissions. Area sources include gasoline stations, automotive paint bodyshops and nonroad mobile sources. Multiplicity of air pollution emissions sources provides an opportunity to investigate and potentially implement air quality improvement strategies to reduce emissions which contribute to elevated ozone concentrations. A baseline modeling scenario was established using the CAMx photochemical air quality model from which a series of sensitivity analyses for evaluating air quality control strategies were conducted. Modifications to area source emissions were made by varying NOx and / or VOC emissions in the areas of particular interest. Model performance was assessed for each sensitivity analysis. Normalized bias (NB) and normalized error (NE) were used to identify

  5. China's air pollution reduction efforts may result in an increase in surface ozone levels in highly polluted areas.

    PubMed

    Anger, Annela; Dessens, Olivier; Xi, Fengming; Barker, Terry; Wu, Rui

    2016-03-01

    China, as a fast growing fossil-fuel-based economy, experiences increasing levels of air pollution. To tackle air pollution, China has taken the first steps by setting emission-reduction targets for nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans. This paper uses two models-the Energy-Environment-Economy Model at the Global level (E3MG) and the global Chemistry Transport Model pTOMCAT-to test the effects of these policies. If the policy targets are met, then the maximum values of 32 % and 45 % reductions below 'business as usual' in the monthly mean NO x and SO2 concentrations, respectively, will be achieved in 2015. However, a decrease in NO x concentrations in some highly polluted areas of East, North-East and South-East China can lead to up to a 10% increase in the monthly mean concentrations in surface ozone in 2015. Our study demonstrates an urgent need for the more detailed analysis of the impacts and designs of air pollution reduction guidelines for China.

  6. Setting and Reviewing Standards to Control Ozone Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Ozone standards are part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which limit air pollution to protect health and the environment. Standards are periodically reviewed and updated, and air quality across the U.S. is measured against them.

  7. Particulate matter air pollution may offset ozone damage to global crop production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schiferl, Luke D.; Heald, Colette L.

    2018-04-01

    Ensuring global food security requires a comprehensive understanding of environmental pressures on food production, including the impacts of air quality. Surface ozone damages plants and decreases crop production; this effect has been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere can be beneficial to crops given that enhanced light scattering leads to a more even and efficient distribution of photons which can outweigh total incoming radiation loss. This study quantifies the impacts of ozone and PM on the global production of maize, rice, and wheat in 2010 and 2050. We show that accounting for the growing season of these crops is an important factor in determining their air pollution exposure. We find that the effect of PM can offset much, if not all, of the reduction in yield associated with ozone damage. Assuming maximum sensitivity to PM, the current (2010) global net impact of air quality on crop production varies by crop (+5.6, -3.7, and +4.5 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively). Future emissions scenarios indicate that attempts to improve air quality can result in a net negative effect on crop production in areas dominated by the PM effect. However, we caution that the uncertainty in this assessment is large, due to the uncertainty associated with crop response to changes in diffuse radiation; this highlights that a more detailed physiological study of this response for common cultivars is crucial.

  8. Effects of trans-Eurasian transport of air pollutants on surface ozone concentrations over Western China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaoyuan; Liu, Junfeng; Mauzerall, Denise L.; Emmons, Louisa K.; Walters, Stacy; Horowitz, Larry W.; Tao, Shu

    2014-11-01

    Due to a lack of industrialization in Western China, surface air there was, until recently, believed to be relatively unpolluted. However, recent measurements and modeling studies have found high levels of ozone (O3) there. Based on the state-of-the-science global chemical transport model MOZART-4, we identify the origin, pathway, and mechanism of trans-Eurasian transport of air pollutants to Western China in 2000. MOZART-4 generally simulates well the observed surface O3 over inland areas of China. Simulations find surface ozone concentrations over Western China on average to be about 10 ppbv higher than Eastern China. Using sensitivity studies, we find that anthropogenic emissions from all Eurasian regions except China contribute 10-15 ppbv surface O3 over Western China, superimposed upon a 35-40 ppbv natural background. Transport from European anthropogenic sources to Northwestern China results in 2-6 ppbv O3 enhancements in spring and summer. Indian anthropogenic sources strongly influence O3 over the Tibetan Plateau during the summer monsoon. Transport of O3 originating from emissions in the Middle East occasionally reach Western China and increase surface ozone there by about 1-4 ppbv. These influences are of similar magnitude as trans-Pacific and transatlantic transport of O3 and its precursors, indicating the significance of trans-Eurasian ozone transport in hemispheric transport of air pollution. Our study further indicates that mitigation of anthropogenic emissions from Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East could benefit public health and agricultural productivity in Western China.

  9. Linking North American Summer Ozone Pollution Episodes to Subseasonal Atmospheric Variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, E. C.; Watt-Meyer, O.; Kushner, P. J.; Jones, D. B. A.

    2017-12-01

    Ozone concentrations in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are positively correlated with surface air temperature due to shared influences including incident solar radiation and PBL stagnancy, as well as the temperature-sensitive emission of ozone precursor compounds. While previous studies have linked heat waves in North America to modes of subseasonal atmospheric variability, such analyses have not been applied to summertime ozone pollution episodes. This study investigates a possible link between subseasonal atmospheric variability in reanalysis data and summertime ozone pollution episodes identified in almost thirty years of in-situ measurements from the Air Quality System (AQS) network in the United States. AQS stations are grouped into regions likely to experience simultaneous extreme ozone concentrations using statistical clustering methods. Composite meteorological patterns are calculated for ozone episodes in each of these regions. The same analysis is applied to heat waves identified in AQS temperature records for comparison. Local meteorological features during typical ozone episodes include extreme temperatures and reduced cloud cover related to anomalous synoptic-scale anticyclonic circulation aloft. These anticyclonic anomalies are typically embedded in wave trains extending from the North Pacific to North Atlantic. Spectral analysis of these wave trains reveals that low-frequency standing waves play a prominent role. These long-lived circulation patterns may provide a means to increase air quality prediction lead-times and to estimate the frequency of ozone pollution episodes under climate change.

  10. Plants as air-pollution indicators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meeuse, B.J.D.

    This paper deals with the use of plants as biological indicators of air pollution. The author acquaints the reader with some sensitive methods of air pollution monitoring which are based on the use of plants. Some of the pollutants considered are sulfur dioxide, ozone, fluorides, chlorine, ethylene, and carbon dioxide. Some of the indicator plants discussed are alfalfa, buckwheat, clovers, gladiolus, june grass, petunia, nettle, rye grass, spinach, tobacco, and tulips.

  11. Impact of wildfires on regional air pollution

    EPA Science Inventory

    We examine the impact of wildfires and agricultural/prescribed burning on regional air pollution and Air Quality Index (AQI) between 2006 and 2013. We define daily regional air pollution using monitoring sites for ozone (n=1595), PM2.5 collected by Federal Reference Method (n=10...

  12. The Interplay of Climate Change and Air Pollution on Health.

    PubMed

    Orru, H; Ebi, K L; Forsberg, B

    2017-12-01

    Air pollution significantly affects health, causing up to 7 million premature deaths annually with an even larger number of hospitalizations and days of sick leave. Climate change could alter the dispersion of primary pollutants, particularly particulate matter, and intensify the formation of secondary pollutants, such as near-surface ozone. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the recent evidence on the impacts of climate change on air pollution and air pollution-related health impacts and identify knowledge gaps for future research. Several studies modelled future ozone and particulate matter concentrations and calculated the resulting health impacts under different climate scenarios. Due to climate change, ozone- and fine particle-related mortalities are expected to increase in most studies; however, results differ by region, assumed climate change scenario and other factors such as population and background emissions. This review explores the relationships between climate change, air pollution and air pollution-related health impacts. The results highly depend on the climate change scenario used and on projections of future air pollution emissions, with relatively high uncertainty. Studies primarily focused on mortality; projections on the effects on morbidity are needed.

  13. Committee on air pollution effects research: 40 years of UK air pollution.

    PubMed

    Fowler, David; Dise, Nancy; Sheppard, Lucy

    2016-01-01

    The UK Committee on Air Pollution Effects Research (CAPER) was established 40 years ago. This special section was compiled to mark this anniversary. During this time there have been dramatic changes in the composition of the air over the UK. The four papers in this special section of Environmental Pollution represent the current air pollution effects research focus on ozone and nitrogen deposition, two related issues and are proving from a policy perspective to be quite intractable issues. The UK CAPER research community continues to advance the underpinning science and engages closely with the user community in government departments. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Foreign and Domestic Contributions to Springtime Ozone Pollution over China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, R.; Lin, J.; Yan, Y.; Lin, W.; Chen, H.

    2017-12-01

    Ozone is a critical air pollutant that damages human health and vegetation. Previous studies for the United States and Europe have shown large influences of foreign emissions on domestic ozone levels, whereas the relative contributions of foreign versus domestic emissions are much less clear for China. Here, we use a global-regional two-way coupled model system based on GEOS-Chem to quantify the contributions to springtime ozone over China from anthropogenic emissions in major source regions across the globe. Our results indicate considerable influences of foreign anthropogenic pollution on China's ozone pollution. Together, foreign anthropogenic emissions enhance springtime surface ozone over China by 3 12 ppb. Of all ozone over China produced by global anthropogenic emissions, foreign emissions contribute 40% near the surface, and the contribution increases with altitude until a value of 80% in the upper troposphere. Impact from Japan and Korea is 1 2 ppb over east coastal regions, and negligible in inland. Anthropogenic emissions of South and South-East Asia increase ozone over Tibet and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau by up to 5 ppb, and their contribution increases with height due to strong vertical transport. Pollution from North America and Europe mainly accompanies strong westerly winds and frequent cyclonic activities that are favorable to long-range transport. European anthropogenic pollution enhances surface ozone by 1 3 ppb over West and North China. Despite a much longer transport distance, the contribution from North America is greater than European contribution due to the nearly doubled amount of anthropogenic NMVOC emissions. The high percentage contribution of foreign anthropogenic emissions to China's ozone pollution can be partly explained by excessive domestic NOx emissions that suppress ozone production efficiency and even destroy ozone. Our study is relevant to Chinese ozone pollution control and global environmental protection collaboration.

  15. Air pollution and gastrointestinal diseases in Utah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maestas, Melissa May

    The valleys of northern Utah, where most of Utah's population resides, experience episodic air pollution events well in excess of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Most of the events are due to an accumulation of particulate matter during persistent cold air pools in winter from both direct emissions and secondary chemical reactions in the atmosphere. High wintertime ozone concentrations are occasionally observed in the Uintah Basin, in addition to particulate matter. At other times of the year, blowing dust, wildland fires, fireworks, and summertime ozone formation contribute to local air pollution. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate one facet of the health effects of Utah's air pollution on its residents: the acute impacts of air pollution on gastrointestinal (GI) disease. To study the health effects of these episodic pollution events, some measure of air pollution exposure must be matched to the health data. Time and place are used to link the health data for a person with the pollution data. This dissertation describes the method of kriging data from the sparse pollution monitoring network to estimate personal air pollution history based on the zip code of residence. This dissertation then describes the application of these exposure estimates to a health study on GI disease. The purpose of the GI study is to retrospectively look at two groups of patients during 2000-2014: those with autoimmune disease of the GI tract (inflammatory bowel disease, IBD) and those with allergic disease of the GI tract (eosinophilic esophagitis, EoE) to determine whether disease exacerbations occur more commonly during and following periods of poor air quality compared to periods of good air quality. The primary analysis method is case crossover design. In addition to using the kriged air pollution estimates, the analysis was repeated using simpler empirical estimation methods to assess whether the odds ratios are sensitive to the air pollution estimation

  16. Stratospheric Intrusion-Influenced Ozone Air Quality Exceedences Investigated in MERRA-2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knowland, K. Emma; Ott, Lesley; Duncan, Bryan; Wargan, Krzysztof

    2017-01-01

    Ozone near the surface is harmful to human health and is a result of the photochemical reaction with both man-made and natural precursor pollutant sources. Therefore, in order to reduce near surface ozone concentrations, communities must reduce anthropogenic pollution sources. However, the injection of stratospheric ozone into the troposphere, known as a stratospheric intrusion, can also lead to concentrations of ground-level ozone exceeding air quality standards. Stratospheric intrusions are dynamical atmospheric features, however, these intrusions have been misrepresented in models and reanalyses until recently, as the features of a stratospheric intrusion are best identified in horizontal resolutions of approximately 50 km or smaller. NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version-2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis is a publicly-available high-resolution dataset (50 km) with assimilated ozone that characterizes stratospheric ozone on the same spatiotemporal resolution as the meteorology. We show that stratospheric intrusions that impact surface air quality are well represented in the MERRA-2 reanalysis. This is demonstrated through a case study analysis of stratospheric intrusion events which were identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impact surface ozone air quality in spring 2012 in Colorado. The stratospheric intrusions are identified in MERRA-2 by the folding of the dynamical tropopause under the jet stream and subsequent isentropic descent of dry, O3-rich stratospheric air towards the surface where ozone air quality exceedences were observed. The MERRA-2 reanalysis can support air quality agencies for more rapid identification of the impact of stratospheric air on ground-level ozone.

  17. Allergic diseases and air pollution.

    PubMed

    Lee, Suh-Young; Chang, Yoon-Seok; Cho, Sang-Heon

    2013-07-01

    The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing rapidly, especially in developing countries. Various adverse health outcomes such as allergic disease can be attributed to rapidly increasing air pollution levels. Rapid urbanization and increased energy consumption worldwide have exposed the human body to not only increased quantities of ambient air pollution, but also a greater variety of pollutants. Many studies clearly demonstrate that air pollutants potently trigger asthma exacerbation. Evidence that transportation-related pollutants contribute to the development of allergies is also emerging. Moreover, exposure to particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide contributes to the increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. This article focuses on the current understanding of the detrimental effects of air pollutants on allergic disease including exacerbation to the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema as well as epigenetic regulation.

  18. Outdoor air pollution and asthma

    PubMed Central

    Guarnieri, Michael; Balmes, John R.

    2015-01-01

    Traffic and power generation are the main sources of urban air pollution. The idea that outdoor air pollution can cause exacerbations of pre-existing asthma is supported by an evidence base that has been accumulating for several decades, with several studies suggesting a contribution to new-onset asthma as well. In this Series paper, we discuss the effects of particulate matter (PM), gaseous pollutants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide), and mixed traffic-related air pollution. We focus on clinical studies, both epidemiological and experimental, published in the previous 5 years. From a mechanistic perspective, air pollutants probably cause oxidative injury to the airways, leading to inflammation, remodelling, and increased risk of sensitisation. Although several pollutants have been linked to new-onset asthma, the strength of the evidence is variable. We also discuss clinical implications, policy issues, and research gaps relevant to air pollution and asthma. PMID:24792855

  19. Air pollution and watershed research in the central Sierra Nevada of California: nitrogen and ozone.

    PubMed

    Hunsaker, Carolyn; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Auman, Jessica; Cisneros, Ricardo

    2007-03-21

    Maintaining healthy forests is the major objective for the Forest Service scientists and managers working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Air pollution, specifically ozone (O3) and nitrogenous (N) air pollutants, may severely affect the health of forest ecosystems in the western U.S. Thus, the monitoring of air pollution concentration and deposition levels, as well as studies focused on understanding effects mechanisms, are essential for evaluation of risks associated with their presence. Such information is essential for development of proper management strategies for maintaining clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems on land managed by the Forest Service. We report on two years of research in the central Sierra Nevada of California, a semi-arid forest at elevations of 1100-2700 m. Information on O3 and N air pollutants is obtained from a network of 18 passive samplers. We relate the atmospheric N concentration to N concentrations in streams, shallow soil water, and bulk deposition collectors within the Kings River Experimental Watershed. This watershed also contains an intensive site that is part of a recent Forest Service effort to calculate critical loads for N, sulfur, and acidity to forest ecosystems. The passive sampler design allows for extensive spatial measurements while the watershed experiment provides intensive spatial data for future analysis of ecosystem processes.

  20. Diagnosing forest vegetation for air pollution injury

    Treesearch

    Keith F. Jensen

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this Note is to help you become more technically informed about air pollution when serious problems need to be diagnosed by pollution specialists. (Except for ozone, most of the information discussed does not attempt to describe possible air pollution damage caused by long distance transport. This complex problem is currently under intense study.)

  1. Managing respiratory effects of air pollution.

    PubMed

    Watson, Bianca K; Sheppeard, Vicky

    2005-12-01

    Exposure to air pollution (both indoor and outdoor) has many potential adverse effects on human health. This article looks at the adverse respiratory health effects of air pollution and gives some guidance about management of exposure in susceptible individuals. Motor vehicle and industrial emissions are the primary contributors to outdoor air pollution in Australia. High levels of ozone and other pollutants can cause respiratory symptoms in susceptible individuals. Air quality advisory systems exist in most states. Clinicians can incorporate the health effects of air pollution, and awareness of advisory systems in the education of their susceptible patients and their carers. Asthma and chronic airways disease management plans should include provision for possible exposure to high pollution events and steps that can be taken to reduce exposure.

  2. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Final Report, 2006)

    EPA Science Inventory

    In February 2006, EPA released the final document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Other Photochemical Oxidants. Tropospheric or surface-level ozone (O3) is one of six major air pollutants regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under the U.S...

  3. Global health benefits of mitigating ozone pollution with methane emission controls.

    PubMed

    West, J Jason; Fiore, Arlene M; Horowitz, Larry W; Mauzerall, Denise L

    2006-03-14

    Methane (CH(4)) contributes to the growing global background concentration of tropospheric ozone (O(3)), an air pollutant associated with premature mortality. Methane and ozone are also important greenhouse gases. Reducing methane emissions therefore decreases surface ozone everywhere while slowing climate warming, but although methane mitigation has been considered to address climate change, it has not for air quality. Here we show that global decreases in surface ozone concentrations, due to methane mitigation, result in substantial and widespread decreases in premature human mortality. Reducing global anthropogenic methane emissions by 20% beginning in 2010 would decrease the average daily maximum 8-h surface ozone by approximately 1 part per billion by volume globally. By using epidemiologic ozone-mortality relationships, this ozone reduction is estimated to prevent approximately 30,000 premature all-cause mortalities globally in 2030, and approximately 370,000 between 2010 and 2030. If only cardiovascular and respiratory mortalities are considered, approximately 17,000 global mortalities can be avoided in 2030. The marginal cost-effectiveness of this 20% methane reduction is estimated to be approximately 420,000 US dollars per avoided mortality. If avoided mortalities are valued at 1 US dollars million each, the benefit is approximately 240 US dollars per tone of CH(4) ( approximately 12 US dollars per tone of CO(2) equivalent), which exceeds the marginal cost of the methane reduction. These estimated air pollution ancillary benefits of climate-motivated methane emission reductions are comparable with those estimated previously for CO(2). Methane mitigation offers a unique opportunity to improve air quality globally and can be a cost-effective component of international ozone management, bringing multiple benefits for air quality, public health, agriculture, climate, and energy.

  4. Controlling Urban Air Pollution: A Benefit-Cost Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krupnick, Alan J.; Portney, Paul R.

    1991-01-01

    The pros and cons of air pollution control efforts are discussed. Both national and regional air pollution control plans are described. Topics of discussion include benefit-cost analysis, air quality regulation, reducing ozone in the urban areas, the Los Angeles plan, uncertainties, and policy implications. (KR)

  5. Ozone concentrations and damage for realistic future European climate and air quality scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendriks, Carlijn; Forsell, Nicklas; Kiesewetter, Gregor; Schaap, Martijn; Schöpp, Wolfgang

    2016-11-01

    Ground level ozone poses a significant threat to human health from air pollution in the European Union. While anthropogenic emissions of precursor substances (NOx, NMVOC, CH4) are regulated by EU air quality legislation and will decrease further in the future, the emissions of biogenic NMVOC (mainly isoprene) may increase significantly in the coming decades if short-rotation coppice plantations are expanded strongly to meet the increased biofuel demand resulting from the EU decarbonisation targets. This study investigates the competing effects of anticipated trends in land use change, anthropogenic ozone precursor emissions and climate change on European ground level ozone concentrations and related health and environmental impacts until 2050. The work is based on a consistent set of energy consumption scenarios that underlie current EU climate and air quality policy proposals: a current legislation case, and an ambitious decarbonisation case. The Greenhouse Gas-Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) integrated assessment model was used to calculate air pollutant emissions for these scenarios, while land use change because of bioenergy demand was calculated by the Global Biosphere Model (GLOBIOM). These datasets were fed into the chemistry transport model LOTOS-EUROS to calculate the impact on ground level ozone concentrations. Health damage because of high ground level ozone concentrations is projected to decline significantly towards 2030 and 2050 under current climate conditions for both energy scenarios. Damage to plants is also expected to decrease but to a smaller extent. The projected change in anthropogenic ozone precursor emissions is found to have a larger impact on ozone damage than land use change. The increasing effect of a warming climate (+2-5 °C across Europe in summer) on ozone concentrations and associated health damage, however, might be higher than the reduction achieved by cutting back European ozone precursor emissions. Global

  6. High winter ozone pollution from carbonyl photolysis in an oil and gas basin.

    PubMed

    Edwards, Peter M; Brown, Steven S; Roberts, James M; Ahmadov, Ravan; Banta, Robert M; deGouw, Joost A; Dubé, William P; Field, Robert A; Flynn, James H; Gilman, Jessica B; Graus, Martin; Helmig, Detlev; Koss, Abigail; Langford, Andrew O; Lefer, Barry L; Lerner, Brian M; Li, Rui; Li, Shao-Meng; McKeen, Stuart A; Murphy, Shane M; Parrish, David D; Senff, Christoph J; Soltis, Jeffrey; Stutz, Jochen; Sweeney, Colm; Thompson, Chelsea R; Trainer, Michael K; Tsai, Catalina; Veres, Patrick R; Washenfelder, Rebecca A; Warneke, Carsten; Wild, Robert J; Young, Cora J; Yuan, Bin; Zamora, Robert

    2014-10-16

    The United States is now experiencing the most rapid expansion in oil and gas production in four decades, owing in large part to implementation of new extraction technologies such as horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing. The environmental impacts of this development, from its effect on water quality to the influence of increased methane leakage on climate, have been a matter of intense debate. Air quality impacts are associated with emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), whose photochemistry leads to production of ozone, a secondary pollutant with negative health effects. Recent observations in oil- and gas-producing basins in the western United States have identified ozone mixing ratios well in excess of present air quality standards, but only during winter. Understanding winter ozone production in these regions is scientifically challenging. It occurs during cold periods of snow cover when meteorological inversions concentrate air pollutants from oil and gas activities, but when solar irradiance and absolute humidity, which are both required to initiate conventional photochemistry essential for ozone production, are at a minimum. Here, using data from a remote location in the oil and gas basin of northeastern Utah and a box model, we provide a quantitative assessment of the photochemistry that leads to these extreme winter ozone pollution events, and identify key factors that control ozone production in this unique environment. We find that ozone production occurs at lower NOx and much larger VOC concentrations than does its summertime urban counterpart, leading to carbonyl (oxygenated VOCs with a C = O moiety) photolysis as a dominant oxidant source. Extreme VOC concentrations optimize the ozone production efficiency of NOx. There is considerable potential for global growth in oil and gas extraction from shale. This analysis could help inform strategies to monitor and mitigate air quality impacts

  7. High winter ozone pollution from carbonyl photolysis in an oil and gas basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edwards, Peter M.; Brown, Steven S.; Roberts, James M.; Ahmadov, Ravan; Banta, Robert M.; Degouw, Joost A.; Dubé, William P.; Field, Robert A.; Flynn, James H.; Gilman, Jessica B.; Graus, Martin; Helmig, Detlev; Koss, Abigail; Langford, Andrew O.; Lefer, Barry L.; Lerner, Brian M.; Li, Rui; Li, Shao-Meng; McKeen, Stuart A.; Murphy, Shane M.; Parrish, David D.; Senff, Christoph J.; Soltis, Jeffrey; Stutz, Jochen; Sweeney, Colm; Thompson, Chelsea R.; Trainer, Michael K.; Tsai, Catalina; Veres, Patrick R.; Washenfelder, Rebecca A.; Warneke, Carsten; Wild, Robert J.; Young, Cora J.; Yuan, Bin; Zamora, Robert

    2014-10-01

    The United States is now experiencing the most rapid expansion in oil and gas production in four decades, owing in large part to implementation of new extraction technologies such as horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing. The environmental impacts of this development, from its effect on water quality to the influence of increased methane leakage on climate, have been a matter of intense debate. Air quality impacts are associated with emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), whose photochemistry leads to production of ozone, a secondary pollutant with negative health effects. Recent observations in oil- and gas-producing basins in the western United States have identified ozone mixing ratios well in excess of present air quality standards, but only during winter. Understanding winter ozone production in these regions is scientifically challenging. It occurs during cold periods of snow cover when meteorological inversions concentrate air pollutants from oil and gas activities, but when solar irradiance and absolute humidity, which are both required to initiate conventional photochemistry essential for ozone production, are at a minimum. Here, using data from a remote location in the oil and gas basin of northeastern Utah and a box model, we provide a quantitative assessment of the photochemistry that leads to these extreme winter ozone pollution events, and identify key factors that control ozone production in this unique environment. We find that ozone production occurs at lower NOx and much larger VOC concentrations than does its summertime urban counterpart, leading to carbonyl (oxygenated VOCs with a C = O moiety) photolysis as a dominant oxidant source. Extreme VOC concentrations optimize the ozone production efficiency of NOx. There is considerable potential for global growth in oil and gas extraction from shale. This analysis could help inform strategies to monitor and mitigate air quality impacts

  8. Understanding and improving global crop response to ozone pollution

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Concentrations of ground-level ozone ([O3]) over much of the Earth’s land surface have more than doubled since pre-industrial times. The air pollutant is highly variable over time and space, which makes it difficult to assess the average agronomic and economic impacts of the pollutant as well as to ...

  9. Interactions of Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Human Health.

    PubMed

    Kinney, Patrick L

    2018-03-01

    I review literature on the impacts of climate change on air quality and human health, with a focus on articles published from 2013 on ozone and airborne particles. Selected previous literature is discussed where relevant in tracing the origins of our current knowledge. Climate and weather have strong influences on the spatial and temporal distribution of air pollution concentrations. Emissions of ozone and PM 2.5 precursors increase at higher ambient temperatures. The reactions that form ozone occur faster with greater sunlight and higher temperatures. Weather systems influence the movement and dispersion of air pollutants in the atmosphere through the action of winds, vertical mixing, and precipitation, all of which are likely to alter in a changing climate. Recent studies indicate that, holding anthropogenic air pollution emissions constant, ozone concentrations in populated regions will tend to increase in future climate scenarios. For the USA, the climate impact on ozone is most consistently seen in north-central and north-eastern states, with the potential for many thousands of additional ozone-related deaths. The sensitivity of anthropogenic PM 2.5 to climate is more variable across studies and regions, owing to the varied nature of PM constituents, as well as to less complete characterization of PM reaction chemistry in available atmospheric models. However, PM emitted by wildland fires is likely to become an increasing health risk in many parts of the world as climate continues to change. The complex interactions between climate change and air quality imply that future policies to mitigate these twin challenges will benefit from greater coordination. Assessing the health implications of alternative policy approaches towards climate and pollution mitigation will be a critical area of future work.

  10. Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Transport Traced from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) Instrument During the Nashville-1999 Campaign

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.; Frolov, A. D.; Hudson, R. D.; Witte, J. C.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Over the past several years, we have developed two new tropospheric ozone retrievals from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite instrument that are of sufficient resolution to follow pollution episodes. The modified-residual technique [Hudson and Thompson, 1998; Thompson and Hudson, 1999] uses v. 7 TOMS total ozone and is applicable to tropical regimes in which the wave-one pattern in total ozone is observed. The TOMS-direct method [("TDOT" = TOMS Direct Ozone in the Troposphere; Frolov et al., 2000] represents a new algorithm that uses TOMS radiances directly (i.e., not previously processed for TOMS ozone) to extract tropospheric ozone in regions of constant stratospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone displaying high mixing ratios and variability characteristic of pollution. These events tend to occur in certain meteorological regimes. For example, mid-latitude pollution usually occurs on the backside of subtropical fronts, as low pv, usually moist air intrudes to the extra-tropics. July 1999 was a month characterized by robust pollution in the eastern US, with high ozone, as detected by TOMS, originating over south central states and moving up the Atlantic seaboard. This corresponds to 50-80 DU in tropospheric ozone column depth. In most cases, further transport occurred to the North Atlantic, with ozone plumes traveling to western Europe in 4-5 days. Examples of high ozone and transit across boundaries within the US, as well as US->Europe, give a regional context for model results and field measurements taken in the SE US during the Nashville-1999 campaign period. Validation of the TDOT maps is made with ozonesondes taken during that time. TDOT maps also show ozone pollution from Asia traveling to the western US in July 1999.

  11. AIR POLLUTION AND HUMMINGBIRDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    A multidisciplinary team of EPA-RTP ORD pulmonary toxicologists, engineers, ecologists, and statisticians have designed a study of how ground-level ozone and other air pollutants may influence feeding activity of the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). Be...

  12. Growth of ponderosa pine seedlings as affected by air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Momen, B.; Anderson, P. D.; Houpis, J. L. J.; Helms, J. A.

    The effect of air pollution on seedling survival and competitive ability is important to natural and artificial regeneration of forest trees. Although biochemical and physiological processes are sensitive indicators of pollution stress, the cumulative effects of air pollutants on seedling vigor and competitive ability may be assessed directly from whole-plant growth characteristics such as diameter, height, and photosynthetic area. A few studies that have examined intraspecific variation in seedling response to air pollution indicate that genotypic differences are important in assessing potential effects of air pollution on forest regeneration. Here, we studied the effects of acid rain (no-rain, pH 5.1 rain, pH 3.0 rain) and ozone (filtered, ambient, twice-ambient) in the field on height, diameter, volume, the height:diameter ratio, maximum needle length, and time to reach maximum needle length in seedlings of three families of ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws). Seedling diameter, height, volume, and height:diameter ratio related significantly to their pre-treatment values. Twice-ambient ozone decreased seedling diameter compared with ozone-filtered air. A significant family-by-ozone interaction was detected for seedling height, as the height of only one of the three families was decreased by twice-ambient ozone compared with the ambient level. Seedling diameter was larger and the height:diameter ratio was smaller under pH 3.0 rain compared to either the no-rain or the pH 5.1-rain treatment. This suggests greater seedling vigor, perhaps due to a foliar fertilization effect of the pH 3.0 rain.

  13. Consideration of air quality standards for vegetation with respect to ozone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heggestad, H.E.

    1969-06-01

    Present evidence suggests that ozone is the most damaging of all air pollutants affecting vegetation. It is the principal oxidant in the photochemical smog complex. Concentrations of ozone have exceeded 0.5 part per million (ppm) in the Los Angeles area. One-tenth of this level for 8 hours is known to injure very sensitive tobacco varieties. Many plant species are visibly affected after a few hours exposure at concentrations much lower than 0.5 ppm. There is also some evidence that ozone reduces plant growth. Many factors must be taken into account when considering standards to protect vegetation from ozone damage. Thesemore » include ozone concentration and methods of measurement, time of exposure, possible additive effects of other pollutants, sensitivity of plant species, their economic value, and the extent of injury which can be tolerated. The response of a species to the pollutant is conditioned by genetic factors and environmental conditions. Lack of specific routine methods for measuring ozone in ambient air is a handicap. California and Colorado established standards for oxidants at 0.15 and 0.10 ppm, respectively, for 1 hour. How these standards relate to the ozone dosage causing acute and chronic injury to various plant species is discussed.« less

  14. Ozone pollution in China: A review of concentrations, meteorological influences, chemical precursors, and effects.

    PubMed

    Wang, Tao; Xue, Likun; Brimblecombe, Peter; Lam, Yun Fat; Li, Li; Zhang, Li

    2017-01-01

    High concentrations of ozone in urban and industrial regions worldwide have long been a major air quality issue. With the rapid increase in fossil fuel consumption in China over the past three decades, the emission of chemical precursors to ozone-nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds-has increased sharply, surpassing that of North America and Europe and raising concerns about worsening ozone pollution in China. Historically, research and control have prioritized acid rain, particulate matter, and more recently fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). In contrast, less is known about ozone pollution, partly due to a lack of monitoring of atmospheric ozone and its precursors until recently. This review summarizes the main findings from published papers on the characteristics and sources and processes of ozone and ozone precursors in the boundary layer of urban and rural areas of China, including concentration levels, seasonal variation, meteorology conducive to photochemistry and pollution transport, key production and loss processes, ozone dependence on nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, and the effects of ozone on crops and human health. Ozone concentrations exceeding the ambient air quality standard by 100-200% have been observed in China's major urban centers such as Jing-Jin-Ji, the Yangtze River delta, and the Pearl River delta, and limited studies suggest harmful effect of ozone on human health and agricultural corps; key chemical precursors and meteorological conditions conductive to ozone pollution have been investigated, and inter-city/region transport of ozone is significant. Several recommendations are given for future research and policy development on ground-level ozone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Ozone pollution around a coastal region of South China Sea: interaction between marine and continental air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hao; Lyu, Xiaopu; Guo, Hai; Wang, Yu; Zou, Shichun; Ling, Zhenhao; Wang, Xinming; Jiang, Fei; Zeren, Yangzong; Pan, Wenzhuo; Huang, Xiaobo; Shen, Jin

    2018-03-01

    Marine atmosphere is usually considered to be a clean environment, but this study indicates that the near-coast waters of the South China Sea (SCS) suffer from even worse air quality than coastal cities. The analyses were based on concurrent field measurements of target air pollutants and meteorological parameters conducted at a suburban site (Tung Chung, TC) and a nearby marine site (Wan Shan, WS) from August to November 2013. The observations showed that the levels of primary air pollutants were significantly lower at WS than those at TC, while the ozone (O3) value was greater at WS. Higher O3 levels at WS were attributed to the weaker NO titration and higher O3 production rate because of stronger oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. However, O3 episodes were concurrently observed at both sites under certain meteorological conditions, such as tropical cyclones, continental anticyclones and sea-land breezes (SLBs). Driven by these synoptic systems and mesoscale recirculations, the interaction between continental and marine air masses profoundly changed the atmospheric composition and subsequently influenced the formation and redistribution of O3 in the coastal areas. When continental air intruded into marine atmosphere, the O3 pollution was magnified over the SCS, and the elevated O3 ( > 100 ppbv) could overspread the sea boundary layer ˜ 8 times the area of Hong Kong. In some cases, the exaggerated O3 pollution over the SCS was recirculated to the coastal inshore by sea breeze, leading to aggravated O3 pollution in coastal cities. The findings are applicable to similar mesoscale environments around the world where the maritime atmosphere is potentially influenced by severe continental air pollution.

  16. Co-Mitigation of Ozone and PM2.5 Pollution over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, J.; Xiang, S.; Yi, K.; Tao, W.

    2017-12-01

    With the rapid industrialization and urbanization, emissions of air pollutants in China were increasing rapidly during the past few decades, causing severe particulate matter and ozone pollution in many megacities. Facing these knotty environmental problems, China has released a series of pollution control policies to mitigate air pollution emissions and optimize energy supplement structure. Consequently, fine particulate matters (PM2.5) decrease recently. However, the concentrations of ambient ozone have been increasing, especially during summer time and over megacities. In this study, we focus on the opposite trends of ozone and PM2.5 over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) to simulate and analyze the best emission reduction strategies, and adopt the Empirical Kinetics Modeling Approach (EKMA) to depict the influences of mitigating NOx and VOCs. We also incorporate the abatement costs for NOx and VOCs in our analysis to explore the most cost-effective mitigation strategies for both ozone and PM2.5.

  17. Cleaning products and air fresheners: exposure to primary and secondary air pollutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nazaroff, William W.; Weschler, Charles J.

    Building occupants, including cleaning personnel, are exposed to a wide variety of airborne chemicals when cleaning agents and air fresheners are used in buildings. Certain of these chemicals are listed by the state of California as toxic air contaminants (TACs) and a subset of these are regulated by the US federal government as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). California's Proposition 65 list of species recognized as carcinogens or reproductive toxicants also includes constituents of certain cleaning products and air fresheners. In addition, many cleaning agents and air fresheners contain chemicals that can react with other air contaminants to yield potentially harmful secondary products. For example, terpenes can react rapidly with ozone in indoor air generating many secondary pollutants, including TACs such as formaldehyde. Furthermore, ozone-terpene reactions produce the hydroxyl radical, which reacts rapidly with organics, leading to the formation of other potentially toxic air pollutants. Indoor reactive chemistry involving the nitrate radical and cleaning-product constituents is also of concern, since it produces organic nitrates as well as some of the same oxidation products generated by ozone and hydroxyl radicals. Few studies have directly addressed the indoor concentrations of TACs that might result from primary emissions or secondary pollutant formation following the use of cleaning agents and air fresheners. In this paper, we combine direct empirical evidence with the basic principles of indoor pollutant behavior and with information from relevant studies, to analyze and critically assess air pollutant exposures resulting from the use of cleaning products and air fresheners. Attention is focused on compounds that are listed as HAPs, TACs or Proposition 65 carcinogens/reproductive toxicants and compounds that can readily react to generate secondary pollutants. The toxicity of many of these secondary pollutants has yet to be evaluated. The inhalation

  18. Redox Toxicology of Ambient Air Pollution

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ambient air pollution is a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality. Millions of Americans live in areas in which levels of tropospheric ozone exceed air quality standards, while exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) alone results in 3.2 million excess deaths annually wor...

  19. Emulation and Sensitivity Analysis of the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model for a UK Ozone Pollution Episode.

    PubMed

    Beddows, Andrew V; Kitwiroon, Nutthida; Williams, Martin L; Beevers, Sean D

    2017-06-06

    Gaussian process emulation techniques have been used with the Community Multiscale Air Quality model, simulating the effects of input uncertainties on ozone and NO 2 output, to allow robust global sensitivity analysis (SA). A screening process ranked the effect of perturbations in 223 inputs, isolating the 30 most influential from emissions, boundary conditions (BCs), and reaction rates. Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) simulations of a July 2006 ozone pollution episode in the UK were made with input values for these variables plus ozone dry deposition velocity chosen according to a 576 point Latin hypercube design. Emulators trained on the output of these runs were used in variance-based SA of the model output to input uncertainties. Performing these analyses for every hour of a 21 day period spanning the episode and several days on either side allowed the results to be presented as a time series of sensitivity coefficients, showing how the influence of different input uncertainties changed during the episode. This is one of the most complex models to which these methods have been applied, and here, they reveal detailed spatiotemporal patterns of model sensitivities, with NO and isoprene emissions, NO 2 photolysis, ozone BCs, and deposition velocity being among the most influential input uncertainties.

  20. Summary of air pollution impacts on forests in the Mexico City air basin

    Treesearch

    Mark E. Fenn; L.I. de Bauer; Tomás Hernández-Tejeda

    2002-01-01

    Oxidant air pollution symptoms were first reported in bioindicator plants in the Mexico City Air Basin (MCAB) in 1971 (de Bauer 1972). Classic injury symptoms on well-known bioindicator plants strongly supported the presumption that symptoms were caused by photochemical oxidants, of which ozone (O3) is the primary pollutant. Symptoms in indicator...

  1. Air pollution and asthma severity in adults

    PubMed Central

    Rage, Estelle; Siroux, Valérie; Künzli, Nino; Pin, Isabelle; Kauffmann, Francine

    2009-01-01

    Objectives There is evidence that exposure to air pollution affects asthma, but the effect of air pollution on asthma severity has not been addressed. The aim was to assess the relation between asthma severity during the past 12 months and home outdoor concentrations of air pollution. Methods Asthma severity over the last 12 months was assessed in two complementary ways among 328 adult asthmatics from the French Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA) examined between 1991 and 1995. The 4-class severity score integrated clinical events and type of treatment. The 5-level asthma score is based only on the occurrence of symptoms. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations were assigned to each residence using two different methods. The first was based on the closest monitor data from 1991–1995. The second consisted in spatial models that used geostatistical interpolations and then assigned air pollutants to the geo-coded residences (1998). Results Higher asthma severity score was significantly related to the 8-hour average of ozone during April-September (O3-8hr) and the number of days (O3-days) with 8-hour ozone averages above 110 μg.m−3 (for a 36-day increase, equivalent to the inter quartile range, in O3-days, odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 2.22 (1.61–3.07) for one class difference in score). Adjustment for age, sex, smoking habits, occupational exposure, and educational level did not alter results. Asthma severity was unrelated to NO2. Both exposure assessment methods and severity scores resulted in very similar findings. SO2 correlated with severity but reached statistical significance only for the model based assignment of exposure. Conclusions The observed associations between asthma severity and air pollution, in particular O3, support the hypothesis that air pollution at levels far below current standards increases asthma severity. PMID:19017701

  2. Air quality during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: secondary pollutants and regional impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, T.; Nie, W.; Gao, J.; Xue, L. K.; Gao, X. M.; Wang, X. F.; Qiu, J.; Poon, C. N.; Meinardi, S.; Blake, D.; Wang, S. L.; Ding, A. J.; Chai, F. H.; Zhang, Q. Z.; Wang, W. X.

    2010-08-01

    This paper presents the first results of the measurements of trace gases and aerosols at three surface sites in and outside Beijing before and during the 2008 Olympics. The official air pollution index near the Olympic Stadium and the data from our nearby site revealed an obvious association between air quality and meteorology and different responses of secondary and primary pollutants to the control measures. Ambient concentrations of vehicle-related nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at an urban site dropped by 25% and 20-45% in the first two weeks after full control was put in place, but the levels of ozone, sulfate and nitrate in PM2.5 increased by 16%, 64%, 37%, respectively, compared to the period prior to the full control; wind data and back trajectories indicated the contribution of regional pollution from the North China Plain. Air quality (for both primary and secondary pollutants) improved significantly during the Games, which were also associated with the changes in weather conditions (prolonged rainfall, decreased temperature, and more frequent air masses from clean regions). A comparison of the ozone data at three sites on eight ozone-pollution days, when the air masses were from the southeast-south-southwest sector, showed that regional pollution sources contributed >34-88% to the peak ozone concentrations at the urban site in Beijing. Regional sources also contributed significantly to the CO concentrations in urban Beijing. Ozone production efficiencies at two sites were low (~3 ppbv/ppbv), indicating that ozone formation was being controlled by VOCs. Compared with data collected in 2005 at a downwind site, the concentrations of ozone, sulfur dioxide (SO2), total sulfur (SO2+PM2.5 sulfate), carbon monoxide (CO), reactive aromatics (toluene and xylenes) sharply decreased (by 8-64%) in 2008, but no significant changes were observed for the concentrations of PM2.5, fine sulfate, total odd reactive nitrogen (NOy), and longer

  3. Impact of wildfires on regional air pollution | Science Inventory ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    We examine the impact of wildfires and agricultural/prescribed burning on regional air pollution and Air Quality Index (AQI) between 2006 and 2013. We define daily regional air pollution using monitoring sites for ozone (n=1595), PM2.5 collected by Federal Reference Method (n=1058), and constituents of PM2.5 from the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) network (n=264) and use satellite image analysis from the NOAA Hazard Mapping System (HMS) to determine days on which visible smoke plumes are detected in the vertical column of the monitoring site. To examine the impact of smoke from these fires on regional air pollution we use a two stage approach, accounting for within site (1st stage) and between site (2nd stage) variations. At the first stage we estimate a monitor-specific plume day effect describing the relative change in pollutant concentrations on the days impacted by smoke plume while accounting for confounding effects of season and temperature_. At the second stage we combine monitor-specific plume day effects with a Bayesian hierarchical model and estimate a pooled nationally-averaged effect. HMS visible smoke plumes were detected on 6% of ozone, 8% of PM2.5 and 6% of IMPROVE network monitoring days. Our preliminary results indicate that the long range transport of air pollutants from wildfires and prescribed burns increase ozone concentration by 11% and PM2.5 mass by 34%. On all of the days where monitoring sites were AQI

  4. Ozone and nitrogen oxides in surface air in Russia: TROICA experiments.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pankratova, N.; Elansky, N.; Belikov, I.; Shumskiy, R.

    2009-04-01

    The results of measurements of surface ozone and nitrogen oxides concentrations over the continental regions of Russia are discussed. The measurements were done during 10 TROICA experiments (Transcontinental Observations Into the Chemistry of the Atmosphere). The TROICA experiment started in 1995. By the present moment ten expeditions along the Trans-Siberian railroad from Moscow to Vladivostok (around 9300 km) are carried out. We separate data sets into unpolluted and polluted areas to study temporal and spatial features. Moreover we analyzed cities (more then 100 cities). About 50% of all data corresponds to unpolluted conditions. The data collected are used in an analysis of the physical and chemical processes occurring over continental Russia. In this work the estimations of seasonal and daily ozone and NOx distribution were made. The seasonal distribution of ozone for TROICA experiments concentration considerably differs from ozone distribution at Mace Head (Ireland) and Hohenpeissenberg (Germany) stations and well agrees with the ozone distribution at Zotino (Russia, East Siberia). The same concerns also a daily variability. The ozone concentration gradient is presented. Ozone concentration gradually increases in the eastward direction. Its result of the air transport from polluted regions of Europe and ozone depletions, oxidations of CH4 in Siberia, forest fires in Siberia and around Baikal Lake, regional transport of burning products from Northern China. Significant factor of ozone increasing is stratospheric-tropospheric exchange. It appears in TROICA-3 experiment. During several hours ozone concentration was more then 60 ppbv. The areas of photochemical ozone generation in polluted air are also detected. We estimate anthropogenic and natural factors, which are responsible for sharp ozone concentration increasing. Acknowledgments. The work was supported by International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) under contract No. 2770 and by Russian Basic

  5. Methodological issues in studies of air pollution and reproductive health

    EPA Science Inventory

    In the past decade there have been an increasing number of scientific studies describing possible effects of air pollution on perinatal health. These papers have mostly focused on commonly monitored air pollutants, primarily ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (S...

  6. Ozone and haze pollution effects on the contemporary land carbon cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Unger, N.

    2016-12-01

    Atmospheric pollutants have both beneficial and detrimental effects on carbon uptake by land ecosystems. Surface ozone damages leaf photosynthesis by oxidizing plant cells, while aerosols promote carbon uptake by increasing diffuse radiation and exert additional influences through concomitant perturbations to meteorology and hydrology. Here, I present new results from three assessment studies that employ Earth system modeling and multiple measurement datasets. First, we quantify the separate and combined effects of anthropogenic ozone and aerosol pollution on the global land carbon uptake. Second, we evaluate benefits to land ecosystem health from selective emission reductions in specific pollution sources and sectors. Finally, I show that the long-term climatic effects of mid-latitude air pollution boosts plant productivity in the Amazon by 10% on the annual average today.

  7. [The effects of air pollution and climate change on pulmonary diseases].

    PubMed

    Rohde, G

    2008-04-01

    From as early as 1930 there has been evidence for effects on health of air pollution. Ozone, particulates and nitrogen dioxide are the most important pollutants today. The acute increase in air pollution leads to a significant raise in morbidity and mortality. Hospital admissions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma are more frequent during these periods. Chronic exposure to pollution causes bronchitis, accelerated decline of lung function and impaired maturing of the lungs. Ozone and a residence in proximity to major roads seem to play a role in the development of asthma. A further important environmental factor is climate change, which has an impact on air pollution but also on distribution and quality of aero-allergens and the dissemination and transmission of respiratory pathogens.

  8. Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document for the Final Cross State Air Pollution Rule Update

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In this technical support document (TSD) we describe the air quality modeling performed to support the final Cross State Air Pollution Rule for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

  9. Consideration of air quality standards for vegetation with respect to ozone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heggestad, H.E.

    1968-01-01

    There is an increasing body of evidence that ozone is the most damaging of all air pollutants affecting vegetation. It is the principal oxidant in the photochemical smog complex. Concentrations measured with an ultraviolet photometer, considered specific for ozone, have exceeded 0.5 part per million (ppM) in the Los Angeles area. Only one-tenth of this level, or 0.05 ppM, for 8 hours is known to injure very sensitive tobacco varieties. Studies in several laboratories show that a broad spectrum of plant species is visibly affected after a few hours exposure at concentrations much lower than 0.5 ppM. There is alsomore » some evidence that ozone reduces plant growth. Many factors must be taken into account in considering standards for possible use in the protection of vegetation from ozone damage. These include ozone concentration and methods of measurement, time of exposure, possible additive effects of other pollutants, sensitivity of species to ozone, their economic value, and the extent of injury which can be tolerated. The response of a species to the pollutant is conditioned by genetic factors and environmental conditions. The lack of routine, specific methods for measuring ozone in ambient air is a handicap. California and Colorado established standards for oxidants at 0.15 ppM and 0.10 ppM, respectively, for 1 hour. How these standards relate to the dosage of ozone that causes acute and chronic injury to various plant species is discussed. 28 references.« less

  10. Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Esswein, E.J.; Boeniger, M.F.

    1994-02-01

    Formaldehyde, an air contaminant found in many indoor air investigations, poses distinct occupational exposure hazards in certain job categories (e.g., mortuary science) but is also of concern when found or suspected in office buildings and homes. A variety of air-purifying devices (APDs) are currently available or marketed for application to reduce or remove concentrations of a variety of indoor air pollutants through the use of ozone as a chemical oxidant. An investigation was conducted to determine if concentrations of formaldehyde similar to those found in industrial hygiene evaluations of funeral homes could be reduced with the use of an ozone-generatingmore » APD. An ozone-generating APD was placed in an exposure chamber and formaldehyde-containing embalming solution was allowed to evaporate naturally, creating peak and mean chamber concentrations of 2.5 and 1.3 ppm, respectively. Continuous-reading instruments were used to sample for formaldehyde and ozone. Active sampling methods were also used to sample simultaneously for formaldehyde and a possible reactant product, formic acid. Triplicate measurements were made in each of three evaluations: formaldehyde alone, ozone alone, and formaldehyde and ozone combined. Concentrations of formaldehyde were virtually identical with and without 0.5 ppm ozone. No reduction in formaldehyde concentration was found during a 90-minute evaluation using ozone at this concentration with peak and average concentrations of approximately 2.5 and 1.3 ppm formaldehyde, respectively. The results of this investigation suggest that the use of ozone is ineffective in reducing concentrations of formaldehyde. Because ozone has demonstrated health hazards, and is a regulated air contaminant in both the occupational and ambient environment, the use of ozone as an air purification agent in indoor air does not seem warranted. 25 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  11. Cardiovascular effects of air pollution

    PubMed Central

    Bourdrel, Thomas; Bind, Marie-Abèle; Béjot, Yannick; Morel, Olivier; Argacha, Jean-François

    2018-01-01

    Summary Air pollution is composed of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone. PM is classified according to size into coarse particles (PM10), fine particles (PM2.5) and ultrafine particles. We aim to provide an original review of the scientific evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies examining the cardiovascular effects of outdoor air pollution. Pooled epidemiological studies reported that a 10 μg/m3 increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an 11% increase in cardiovascular mortality. Increased cardiovascular mortality was also related to long-term and short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide. Exposure to air pollution and road traffic was associated with an increased risk of arteriosclerosis, as shown by premature aortic and coronary calcification. Short-term increases in air pollution were associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and acute heart failure. The risk was increased even when pollutant concentrations were below European standards. Reinforcing the evidence from epidemiological studies, numerous experimental studies demonstrated that air pollution promotes a systemic vascular oxidative stress reaction. Radical oxygen species induce endothelial dysfunction, monocyte activation and some proatherogenic changes in lipoproteins, which initiate plaque formation. Furthermore, air pollution favours thrombus formation, because of an increase in coagulation factors and platelet activation. Experimental studies also indicate that some pollutants have more harmful cardiovascular effects, such as combustion-derived PM2.5 and ultrafine particles. Air pollution is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases. Promotion of safer air quality appears to be a new challenge in cardiovascular disease prevention. PMID:28735838

  12. Effects of ozone-vegetation coupling on surface ozone air quality via biogeochemical and meteorological feedbacks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadiq, Mehliyar; Tai, Amos P. K.; Lombardozzi, Danica; Martin, Maria Val

    2017-02-01

    Tropospheric ozone is one of the most hazardous air pollutants as it harms both human health and plant productivity. Foliage uptake of ozone via dry deposition damages photosynthesis and causes stomatal closure. These foliage changes could lead to a cascade of biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects that not only modulate the carbon cycle, regional hydrometeorology and climate, but also cause feedbacks onto surface ozone concentration itself. In this study, we implement a semi-empirical parameterization of ozone damage on vegetation in the Community Earth System Model to enable online ozone-vegetation coupling, so that for the first time ecosystem structure and ozone concentration can coevolve in fully coupled land-atmosphere simulations. With ozone-vegetation coupling, present-day surface ozone is simulated to be higher by up to 4-6 ppbv over Europe, North America and China. Reduced dry deposition velocity following ozone damage contributes to ˜ 40-100 % of those increases, constituting a significant positive biogeochemical feedback on ozone air quality. Enhanced biogenic isoprene emission is found to contribute to most of the remaining increases, and is driven mainly by higher vegetation temperature that results from lower transpiration rate. This isoprene-driven pathway represents an indirect, positive meteorological feedback. The reduction in both dry deposition and transpiration is mostly associated with reduced stomatal conductance following ozone damage, whereas the modification of photosynthesis and further changes in ecosystem productivity are found to play a smaller role in contributing to the ozone-vegetation feedbacks. Our results highlight the need to consider two-way ozone-vegetation coupling in Earth system models to derive a more complete understanding and yield more reliable future predictions of ozone air quality.

  13. Testing the air pollution tolerances of shade tree cultivars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karnosky, D.J.

    1978-01-01

    A program in progress to test the relative air pollution tolerances of some commonly planted shade tree cultivars is described. The relative sulfur dioxide and ozone tolerances of several cultivars of acer, fagus, fraxinus, ginkgo, gleditsia, platanus, and quercus species are being determined by examination of foliar response to short-term, high-concentration fumigations. In a follow-up study, the extent of foliar injury, growth reduction, and mortality caused by air pollution will be examined for the same cultivars grown in test plantings in and around New York City. The correlation of the relative sulfur dioxide and ozone tolerances, as determined by themore » controlled-fumigation tests, with urban survival and growth will be useful in determining the adequacy of acute exposure fumigations in testing the air pollution tolerances of the tree species under study.« less

  14. Impacts of ozone air pollution and temperature extremes on crop yields: Spatial variability, adaptation and implications for future food security

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, Amos P. K.; Val Martin, Maria

    2017-11-01

    Ozone air pollution and climate change pose major threats to global crop production, with ramifications for future food security. Previous studies of ozone and warming impacts on crops typically do not account for the strong ozone-temperature correlation when interpreting crop-ozone or crop-temperature relationships, or the spatial variability of crop-to-ozone sensitivity arising from varietal and environmental differences, leading to potential biases in their estimated crop losses. Here we develop an empirical model, called the partial derivative-linear regression (PDLR) model, to estimate the spatial variations in the sensitivities of wheat, maize and soybean yields to ozone exposures and temperature extremes in the US and Europe using a composite of multidecadal datasets, fully correcting for ozone-temperature covariation. We find generally larger and more spatially varying sensitivities of all three crops to ozone exposures than are implied by experimentally derived concentration-response functions used in most previous studies. Stronger ozone tolerance is found in regions with high ozone levels and high consumptive crop water use, reflecting the existence of spatial adaptation and effect of water constraints. The spatially varying sensitivities to temperature extremes also indicate stronger heat tolerance in crops grown in warmer regions. The spatial adaptation of crops to ozone and temperature we find can serve as a surrogate for future adaptation. Using the PDLR-derived sensitivities and 2000-2050 ozone and temperature projections by the Community Earth System Model, we estimate that future warming and unmitigated ozone pollution can combine to cause an average decline in US wheat, maize and soybean production by 13%, 43% and 28%, respectively, and a smaller decline for European crops. Aggressive ozone regulation is shown to offset such decline to various extents, especially for wheat. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering ozone regulation

  15. Winds of change: reducing transboundary air pollutants.

    PubMed

    Reuther, C G

    2000-04-01

    Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, persistent organic pollutants, particulate matter, and heavy metals---air pollutants once thought to be problems that could be solved locally, where the effects occur---are all currently being discussed in international forums. A spate of meetings and agreements in recent months has shown many international governments to be more willing than ever to try to limit the amount of their air pollution that drifts into other countries. Prompting this policy shift are increasing emissions in some parts of the world, better monitoring, and an improved understanding of air pollution transport and the effects of air pollution. In most regions of the world, however, no international agreements on air pollution exist at all, while in others, many overlapping local, multilateral, and global agreements address the problem simultaneously. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes nearly 3 million deaths per year, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that ground-level ozone causes damage to U.S. crops totaling $1-2 billion each year.

  16. A novel air pollution index based on the relative risk of daily mortality associated with short-term exposure to common air pollutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cairncross, Eugene K.; John, Juanette; Zunckel, Mark

    Communication of the complex relationship between air pollutant exposure and ill health is essential to an air pollution information system. We propose a novel air pollution index (API) system based on the relative risk of the well-established increased daily mortality associated with short-term exposure to common air pollutants: particulate matter (PM 10, PM 2.5), sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. To construct our index system, the total incremental daily mortality risk of exposure to these pollutants was associated with an index value ranging from 0 to 10. The index scale is linear with respect to incremental risk. The index is open ended, although, for convenience, an index of 10 is assigned for exposures yielding indices ⩾10. To illustrate the application of this API system, a set of published relative risk factors are used to calculate sub-index values for each pollutant, in the range of air pollutant concentrations commonly experienced in urban areas. To account for the reality of ubiquitous simultaneous exposure to a mixture of the common air pollutants, the final API is the sum of the normalised values of the individual indices for PM 10, PM 2.5, sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. This establishes a self-consistent index system where a given index value corresponds to the same daily mortality risk associated with the combined exposure to the common air pollutants. To facilitate health-risk communication, index values are colour coded and associated with broad health-risk descriptors. The utility of the proposed API is illustrated by applying it to monitored ambient concentration data for the City of Cape Town, South Africa.

  17. Urban Air Pollution: State of the Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seinfeld, John H.

    1989-01-01

    Describes the highly complex mixture of gaseous and particulate matter found in urban air. Explains progress made in the understanding of the physics and chemistry of air pollution, the effects of precursors on ozone, the role of biogenic hydrocarbons, and the principal benefit of methanol-fueled vehicles. (RT)

  18. Air quality during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: secondary pollutants and regional impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, T.; Nie, W.; Gao, J.; Xue, L. K.; Gao, X. M.; Wang, X. F.; Qiu, J.; Poon, C. N.; Meinardi, S.; Blake, D.; Ding, A. J.; Chai, F. H.; Zhang, Q. Z.; Wang, W. X.

    2010-05-01

    This paper presents the first results of the atmospheric measurements of trace gases and aerosols at three surface sites in and around Beijing before and during the 2008 Olympics. We focus on secondary pollutants including ozone, fine sulfate and nitrate, and the contribution of regional sources in summer 2008. The results reveal different responses of secondary pollutants to the control measures from primary pollutants. Ambient concentrations of vehicle-related nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at an urban site dropped by 25% and 20-45% in the first two weeks after full control was put in place, but the levels of ozone, sulfate and nitrate in PM2.5 increased by 16%, 64%, 37%, respectively, compared to the period prior to the full control; wind data and back trajectories indicated the contribution of regional pollution from the North China Plain. Air quality (for both primary and secondary pollutants) improved significantly during the Games, which were also associated with the changes in weather conditions (prolonged rainfall, decreased temperature, and more frequent air masses from clean regions). A comparison of the ozone data at three sites on eight ozone-pollution days, when the air masses were from the southeast-south-southwest sector, showed that regional pollution sources contributed 34%-88% to the peak ozone concentrations in urban Beijing. Ozone production efficiencies at two sites were low (~3 ppbv/ppbv), indicating that ozone formation was being controlled by VOCs. Compared with data collected in 2005 at a downwind site, the concentrations of ozone, sulfur dioxide (SO2), total sulfur (SO2+PM2.5 sulfate), carbon monoxide (CO), reactive aromatics (toluene and xylenes) sharply decreased (by 8-64%) in 2008, but no significant changes were observed for the concentrations of PM2.5, fine sulfate, total odd reactive nitrogen (NOy), and longer lived alkanes and benzene. We suggest that these results indicate the success of the government

  19. Modelling and analysis of ozone concentration by artificial intelligent techniques for estimating air quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylan, Osman

    2017-02-01

    High ozone concentration is an important cause of air pollution mainly due to its role in the greenhouse gas emission. Ozone is produced by photochemical processes which contain nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the lower atmospheric level. Therefore, monitoring and controlling the quality of air in the urban environment is very important due to the public health care. However, air quality prediction is a highly complex and non-linear process; usually several attributes have to be considered. Artificial intelligent (AI) techniques can be employed to monitor and evaluate the ozone concentration level. The aim of this study is to develop an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy inference approach (ANFIS) to determine the influence of peripheral factors on air quality and pollution which is an arising problem due to ozone level in Jeddah city. The concentration of ozone level was considered as a factor to predict the Air Quality (AQ) under the atmospheric conditions. Using Air Quality Standards of Saudi Arabia, ozone concentration level was modelled by employing certain factors such as; nitrogen oxide (NOx), atmospheric pressure, temperature, and relative humidity. Hence, an ANFIS model was developed to observe the ozone concentration level and the model performance was assessed by testing data obtained from the monitoring stations established by the General Authority of Meteorology and Environment Protection of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The outcomes of ANFIS model were re-assessed by fuzzy quality charts using quality specification and control limits based on US-EPA air quality standards. The results of present study show that the ANFIS model is a comprehensive approach for the estimation and assessment of ozone level and is a reliable approach to produce more genuine outcomes.

  20. Air pollution problem in the Mexico City metropolitan zone: Photochemical pollution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alvarez, H.B.; Alvarez, P.S.; Echeverria, R.S.

    1997-12-31

    Mexico City Metropolitan Zone (MCMZ) represents an example of a megacity where the air pollution problem has reached an important evolution in a very short time, causing a risk in the health of a population of more than 20 million inhabitants. The atmospheric pollution problem in the MCMZ, began several decades ago, but it increased drastically in the middle of the 80`s. It is important to recognize that in the 60`s, 70`s and the first half of the 80`s the main pollutants were sulfur dioxide and total suspended particles. However since the second half of the 80`s until now, ozonemore » is the most important air pollutant besides of the suspended particles (PM{sub 10}) and other toxic pollutants (1--8). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the ozone atmospheric pollution problem in the MCMZ, as well as to analyze the results of several implemented air pollution control strategies.« less

  1. Cardiovascular effects of air pollution.

    PubMed

    Bourdrel, Thomas; Bind, Marie-Abèle; Béjot, Yannick; Morel, Olivier; Argacha, Jean-François

    2017-11-01

    Air pollution is composed of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone. PM is classified according to size into coarse particles (PM 10 ), fine particles (PM 2.5 ) and ultrafine particles. We aim to provide an original review of the scientific evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies examining the cardiovascular effects of outdoor air pollution. Pooled epidemiological studies reported that a 10μg/m 3 increase in long-term exposure to PM 2.5 was associated with an 11% increase in cardiovascular mortality. Increased cardiovascular mortality was also related to long-term and short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide. Exposure to air pollution and road traffic was associated with an increased risk of arteriosclerosis, as shown by premature aortic and coronary calcification. Short-term increases in air pollution were associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke and acute heart failure. The risk was increased even when pollutant concentrations were below European standards. Reinforcing the evidence from epidemiological studies, numerous experimental studies demonstrated that air pollution promotes a systemic vascular oxidative stress reaction. Radical oxygen species induce endothelial dysfunction, monocyte activation and some proatherogenic changes in lipoproteins, which initiate plaque formation. Furthermore, air pollution favours thrombus formation, because of an increase in coagulation factors and platelet activation. Experimental studies also indicate that some pollutants have more harmful cardiovascular effects, such as combustion-derived PM 2.5 and ultrafine particles. Air pollution is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases. Promotion of safer air quality appears to be a new challenge in cardiovascular disease prevention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. Long-term Changes in Extreme Air Pollution Meteorology and the Implications for Air Quality.

    PubMed

    Hou, Pei; Wu, Shiliang

    2016-03-31

    Extreme air pollution meteorological events, such as heat waves, temperature inversions and atmospheric stagnation episodes, can significantly affect air quality. Based on observational data, we have analyzed the long-term evolution of extreme air pollution meteorology on the global scale and their potential impacts on air quality, especially the high pollution episodes. We have identified significant increasing trends for the occurrences of extreme air pollution meteorological events in the past six decades, especially over the continental regions. Statistical analysis combining air quality data and meteorological data further indicates strong sensitivities of air quality (including both average air pollutant concentrations and high pollution episodes) to extreme meteorological events. For example, we find that in the United States the probability of severe ozone pollution when there are heat waves could be up to seven times of the average probability during summertime, while temperature inversions in wintertime could enhance the probability of severe particulate matter pollution by more than a factor of two. We have also identified significant seasonal and spatial variations in the sensitivity of air quality to extreme air pollution meteorology.

  3. Measurements of ozone and nonmethane hydrocarbons at Chichi-jima island, a remote island in the western Pacific: long-range transport of polluted air from the Pacific rim region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kato, Shungo; Pochanart, Pakpong; Kajii, Yoshizumi

    Chichi-jima island is located in the Pacific about 1000 km from the Japanese main island and is an ideal remote observatory from which to assess the long-range transport of polluted air from East Asia. The ozone concentration was measured from August 1997 to August 1998. Owing to the air mass change, the seasonal variation of ozone shows a distinct character: low concentration (about 13 ppbv) for the maritime air mass during the summer, and high concentration (about 40 ppbv) for the continental air mass during the winter. To assess the contribution of the long-range transport of polluted air during winter, nonmethane hydrocarbons were also measured in December 1999. Using backward trajectory analysis, the transport time of the air mass from the source area in the Pacific rim region was calculated for each sample. The concentration of hydrocarbons shows a clear negative correlation against the transport time. This analysis clearly shows the transport of polluted air, emitted in East Asia, to the Pacific during the winter. The plots of suitable hydrocarbon pairs showed that the decrease of hydrocarbon concentrations during winter is mainly caused by the mixing with clean background air.

  4. Measurement of Ozone Emission and Particle Removal Rates from Portable Air Purifiers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mang, Stephen A.; Walser, Maggie L.; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.; Laux, John M.

    2009-01-01

    Portable air purifiers are popular consumer items, especially in areas with poor air quality. Unfortunately, most users of these air purifiers have minimal understanding of the factors affecting their efficiency in typical indoor settings. Emission of the air pollutant ozone (O[subscript 3]) by certain air purifiers is of particular concern. In an…

  5. Tropospheric Ozone Pollution from Space: New Views from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) Instrument

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.; Hudson, Robert D.; Frolov, Alexander D.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Kucsera, Tom L.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    ("paradoxes") in tropical tropospheric ozone and smoke aerosol in regions of greatest tropical biomass burning [Thompson et at., 1996;2000b]. (4) Trans-boundary pollution tracking. With an air parcel (trajectory) model, smoke aerosol and ozone and dust plumes can be tracked across oceans (e.g., Asia to North America; North America to Europe) and national boundaries, e.g. Indonesia to Singapore and Malaysia during the 1997 ENSO fires.

  6. The impact of past and future climate change on global human mortality due to ozone and PM2.5 outdoor air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, R.; West, J.; Anenberg, S.; Lamarque, J.; Shindell, D. T.; Bergmann, D. J.; Berntsen, T.; Cameron-Smith, P. J.; Collins, B.; Ghan, S. J.; Josse, B.; Nagashima, T.; Naik, V.; Plummer, D.; Rodriguez, J. M.; Szopa, S.; Zeng, G.

    2012-12-01

    Climate change can adversely affect air quality, through changes in meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and emissions. Future changes in air pollutant emissions will also profoundly influence air quality. These changes in air quality can affect human health, as exposure to ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with premature human mortality. Here we will quantify the global mortality impacts of past and future climate change, considering the effects of climate change on air quality isolated from emission changes. The Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) has simulated the past and future surface concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 from each of several GCMs, for emissions from 1850 ("preindustrial") to 2000 ("present-day"), and for the IPCC AR5 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios to 2100. We will use ozone and PM2.5 concentrations from simulations from five or more global models of atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, for a base year (present-day), pre-industrial conditions, and future scenarios, considering changes in climate and emissions. We will assess the mortality impacts of past climate change by using one simulation ensemble with present emissions and climate and one with present emissions but 1850 climate. We will similarly quantify the potential impacts of future climate change under the four RCP scenarios in 2030, 2050 and 2100. All model outputs will be regridded to the same resolution to estimate multi-model medians and range in each grid cell. Resulting premature deaths will be calculated using these medians along with epidemiologically-derived concentration-response functions, and present-day or future projections of population and baseline mortality rates, considering aging and transitioning disease rates over time. The spatial distributions of current and future global premature mortalities due to ozone and PM2.5 outdoor air pollution will be presented separately

  7. Air Pollution and Its Effects on an Individual's Health and Exercise Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, A. I. Clifford

    1988-01-01

    Air Pollution is a common environmental stressor affecting the training and competitive performance of athletes, commonly irritating the eyes, nose, and throat. The health and exercise effects of such primary and secondary air pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, air particulates, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide are discussed. (CB)

  8. Ozone Bioindicator Gardens: an Educational Tool to Raise Awareness about Environmental Pollution and its Effects on Living Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lapina, K.; Lombardozzi, D.

    2014-12-01

    High concentrations of ground-level ozone cause health problems in humans and a number of negative effects on plants, from reduced yield for major agricultural crops to reduced amounts of carbon stored in trees. The Denver Metro/Colorado Front Range is exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone on a regular basis in summer and the efforts to reduce the ozone levels are hampered by the presence of diverse pollution sources and complex meteorology in the region. To raise public awareness of air quality in the Colorado Front Range and to educate all age groups about ground-level ozone, two ozone bioindicator gardens were planted in Boulder in Spring 2014. The gardens contain ozone-sensitive plants that develop a characteristic ozone injury when exposed to high levels of ozone. The ozone gardens are providing the general public with a real-life demonstration of the negative effects of ozone pollution through observable plant damage. Additionally, the gardens are useful in teaching students how to collect and analyze real-world scientific data.

  9. Sensitive subgroups and normal variation in pulmonary function response to air pollution episodes.

    PubMed Central

    Brunekreef, B; Kinney, P L; Ware, J H; Dockery, D; Speizer, F E; Spengler, J D; Ferris, B G

    1991-01-01

    The Clean Air Act requires that sensitive subgroups of exposed populations be protected from adverse health effects of air pollution exposure. Hence, data suggesting the existence of sensitive subgroups can have an important impact on regulatory decisions. Some investigators have interpreted differences among individuals in observed pulmonary function response to air pollution episodes as evidence that individuals differ in their sensitivity. An alternative explanation is that the differences are due entirely to normal variation in repeated pulmonary function measurements. This paper investigates this question by reanalyzing data from three studies of children exposed to air pollution episodes to determine whether the observed variability in pulmonary function response indicates differences in sensitivity or natural interoccasion variability. One study investigated exposures to total suspended particulates (TSP), the other two investigated exposure to ozone. In all studies, each child's response to air pollution exposures was summarized by regressing that child's set of pulmonary function measurements on the air pollution concentrations on the day or days before measurement. The within-child and between-child variances of these slopes were used to test the hypothesis of variable sensitivity. Regression slopes did not vary significantly among children exposed to episodes of high TSP concentration, but there was evidence of heterogeneity in both studies of ozone exposures. The finding of heterogeneous response to ozone exposure is consistent with the epidemiologic and chamber studies of ozone exposures, but the lack of evidence for heterogeneous response to TSP exposures implies that observed variation in response can be explained by sampling variability rather than the presence of sensitive subgroup. PMID:2050060

  10. An Integrated Approach to Economic and Environmental Aspects of Air Pollution and Climate Interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarofim, M. C.

    2007-12-01

    Emissions of greenhouses gases and conventional pollutants are closely linked through shared generation processes and thus policies directed toward long-lived greenhouse gases affect emissions of conventional pollutants and, similarly, policies directed toward conventional pollutants affect emissions of greenhouse gases. Some conventional pollutants such as aerosols also have direct radiative effects. NOx and VOCs are ozone precursors, another substance with both radiative and health impacts, and these ozone precursors also interact with the chemistry of the hydroxyl radical which is the major methane sink. Realistic scenarios of future emissions and concentrations must therefore account for both air pollution and greenhouse gas policies and how they interact economically as well as atmospherically, including the regional pattern of emissions and regulation. We have modified a 16 region computable general equilibrium economic model (the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis model) by including elasticities of substitution for ozone precursors and aerosols in order to examine these interactions between climate policy and air pollution policy on a global scale. Urban emissions are distributed based on population density, and aged using a reduced form urban model before release into an atmospheric chemistry/climate model (the earth systems component of the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model). This integrated approach enables examination of the direct impacts of air pollution on climate, the ancillary and complementary interactions between air pollution and climate policies, and the impact of different population distribution algorithms or urban emission aging schemes on global scale properties. This modeling exercise shows that while ozone levels are reduced due to NOx and VOC reductions, these reductions lead to an increase in methane concentrations that eliminates the temperature effects of the ozone reductions. However, black carbon reductions do have

  11. Health Impacts of Air Pollution Under a Changing Climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinney, P. L.; Knowlton, K.; Rosenthal, J.; Hogrefe, C.; Rosenzweig, C.; Solecki, W.

    2003-12-01

    Outdoor air pollution remains a serious public health problem in cities throughout the world. In the US, despite considerable progress in reducing emissions over the past 30 years, as many as 50,000 premature deaths each year have been attributed to airborne particulate matter alone. Tropospheric ozone has been associated with increased daily mortality and hospitalization rates, and with a variety of related respiratory problems. Weather plays an important role in the transport and transformation of air pollution. In particular, a warming climate is likely to promote the atmospheric reactions that are responsible for ozone and secondary aerosol production, as well as increasing emissions of many of their volatile precursors. Increasingly, efforts to address urban air pollution problems throughout the world will be complicated by trends and variability in climate. The New York Climate and Health Project (NYCHP) is developing and applying tools for integrated assessment of health impacts from air pollution and heat associated with climate and land-use changes in the New York City metropolitan region. Global climate change is modeled over the 21st century based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A2 greenhouse gas emissions scenario using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Global Atmosphere-Ocean Model (GCM). Meteorological fields are downscaled to a 36 km grid over the eastern US using the Penn State/NCAR MM5 mesoscale meteorological model. MM5 results are then used as input to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model for simulating air quality, with emissions based on the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions Modeling System (SMOKE). To date, simulations have been performed for five summer seasons each during the 1990s and the 2050s. An evaluation of the present-day climate and air quality predictions indicates that the modeling system largely captures the observed climate-ozone system. Analysis of future-year predictions

  12. Large-scale monitoring of air pollution in remote and ecologically important areas

    Treesearch

    Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Witold Fraczek

    2013-01-01

    New advances in air quality monitoring techniques, such as passive samplers for nitrogenous (N) or sulphurous (S) pollutants and ozone (O3), have allowed for an improved understanding of concentrations of these pollutants in remote areas. Mountains create special problems with regard to the feasibility of establishing and maintaining air pollution monitoring networks,...

  13. Main air pollutants and myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Mustafic, Hazrije; Jabre, Patricia; Caussin, Christophe; Murad, Mohammad H; Escolano, Sylvie; Tafflet, Muriel; Périer, Marie-Cécile; Marijon, Eloi; Vernerey, Dewi; Empana, Jean-Philippe; Jouven, Xavier

    2012-02-15

    Short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may trigger myocardial infarction (MI), but this association remains unclear. To assess and quantify the association between short-term exposure to major air pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter ≤10 μm [PM(10)] and ≤2.5 μm [PM(2.5)] in diameter) on MI risk. EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE in-process and other nonindexed citations, and Ovid MEDLINE (between 1948 and November 28, 2011), and EBM Reviews-Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EBM Reviews-Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (between 2005 and November 28, 2011) were searched for a combination of keywords related to the type of exposure (air pollution, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, PM(10), and PM(2.5)) and to the type of outcome (MI, heart attack, acute coronary syndrome). Two independent reviewers selected studies of any study design and in any language, using original data and investigating the association between short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to 1 or more air pollutants and subsequent MI risk. Selection was performed from abstracts and titles and pursued by reviewing the full text of potentially eligible studies. Descriptive and quantitative information was extracted from each selected study. Using a random effects model, relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated for each increment of 10 μg/m(3) in pollutant concentration, with the exception of carbon monoxide, for which an increase of 1 mg/m(3) was considered. After a detailed screening of 117 studies, 34 studies were identified. All the main air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, were significantly associated with an increase in MI risk (carbon monoxide: 1.048; 95% CI, 1.026-1.070; nitrogen dioxide: 1.011; 95% CI, 1.006-1.016; sulfur dioxide: 1.010; 95% CI, 1.003-1.017; PM(10): 1.006; 95% CI, 1.002-1.009; and PM(2.5): 1.025; 95% CI, 1.015-1.036). For ozone, the RR was 1.003 (95% CI

  14. Exposure information in environmental health research: Current opportunities and future directions for particulate matter, ozone, and toxic air pollutants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McKone, Thomas E.; Ryan, P. Barry; Ozkaynak, Haluk

    2007-02-01

    Understanding and quantifying outdoor and indoor sources of human exposure are essential but often not adequately addressed in health-effects studies for air pollution. Air pollution epidemiology, risk assessment, health tracking and accountability assessments are examples of health-effects studies that require but often lack adequate exposure information. Recent advances in exposure modeling along with better information on time-activity and exposure factors data provide us with unique opportunities to improve the assignment of exposures for both future and ongoing studies linking air pollution to health impacts. In September 2006, scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Diseasemore » Control and Prevention (CDC) along with scientists from the academic community and state health departments convened a symposium on air pollution exposure and health in order to identify, evaluate, and improve current approaches for linking air pollution exposures to disease. This manuscript presents the key issues, challenges and recommendations identified by the exposure working group, who used cases studies of particulate matter, ozone, and toxic air pollutant exposure to evaluate health-effects for air pollution. One of the over-arching lessons of this workshop is that obtaining better exposure information for these different health-effects studies requires both goal-setting for what is needed and mapping out the transition pathway from current capabilities to meeting these goals. Meeting our long-term goals requires definition of incremental steps that provide useful information for the interim and move us toward our long-term goals. Another over-arching theme among the three different pollutants and the different health study approaches is the need for integration among alternate exposure assessment approaches. For example, different groups may advocate exposure indicators, biomonitoring, mapping methods (GIS), modeling, environmental

  15. 75 FR 45082 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-02

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... limited disapproval of revisions to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD... Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting...

  16. The Influence of European Pollution on Ozone in the Near East and Northern Africa

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duncan, B. N.; West, J. J.; Yoshida, Y.; Fiore, A. M.; Ziemke, J. R.

    2008-01-01

    We present a modeling study of the long-range transport of pollution from Europe, showing that European emissions regularly elevate surface ozone by as much as 20 ppbv in summer in northern Africa and the Near East. European emissions cause 50-150 additional violations per year (i.e. above those that would occur without European pollution) of the European health standard for ozone (8-h average greater than 120 micrograms per cubic meters or approximately 60 ppbv) in northern Africa and the Near East. We estimate that European ozone pollution is responsible for 50 000 premature mortalities globally each year, of which the majority occurs outside of Europe itself, including 37% (19 000) in northern Africa and the Near East. Much of the pollution from Europe is exported southward at low altitudes in summer to the Mediterranean Sea, northern Africa and the Near East, regions with favorable photochemical environments for ozone production. Our results suggest that assessments of the human health benefits of reducing ozone precursor emissions in Europe should include effects outside of Europe, and that comprehensive planning to improve air quality in northern Africa and the Near East likely needs to address European emissions.

  17. Fractional kalman filter to estimate the concentration of air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vita Oktaviana, Yessy; Apriliani, Erna; Khusnul Arif, Didik

    2018-04-01

    Air pollution problem gives important effect in quality environment and quality of human’s life. Air pollution can be caused by nature sources or human activities. Pollutant for example Ozone, a harmful gas formed by NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from various sources. The air pollution problem can be modeled by TAPM-CTM (The Air Pollution Model with Chemical Transport Model). The model shows concentration of pollutant in the air. Therefore, it is important to estimate concentration of air pollutant. Estimation method can be used for forecast pollutant concentration in future and keep stability of air quality. In this research, an algorithm is developed, based on Fractional Kalman Filter to solve the model of air pollution’s problem. The model will be discretized first and then it will be estimated by the method. The result shows that estimation of Fractional Kalman Filter has better accuracy than estimation of Kalman Filter. The accuracy was tested by applying RMSE (Root Mean Square Error).

  18. 76 FR 33181 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve a revision to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of..., Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements...

  19. [Effects of air pollution on human health and their importance in Mexico City].

    PubMed

    Vallejo, Maite; Jáuregui-Renaud, Kathrine; Hermosillo, Antonio G; Márquez, Manlio F; Cárdenas, Manuel

    2003-01-01

    The impact of air pollution on human health is a complicated problem. In this review, we describe the main health effects of exposure to ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead and particulate matter. Geographical characteristics of the metropolitan area of Mexico City that favor pollutant persistence with adverse effects on the population are described; the use of the Indice Metropolitano de la Calidad del Aire (IMECA), current norms, and present programs to diminish this problem are discussed. Evidence shows that through these actions, air quality has improved. However, some pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter, still exceed the standard. To further improve air quality in the city, existing programs should continue and multidisciplinary research, both basic and applied, is required.

  20. Characterizing climate change impacts on human exposures to air pollutants

    EPA Science Inventory

    Human exposures to air pollutants such as ozone (O3) have the potential to be altered by changes in climate through multiple factors that drive population exposures, including: ambient pollutant concentrations, human activity patterns, population sizes and distributions, and hous...

  1. The health effects of exercising in air pollution.

    PubMed

    Giles, Luisa V; Koehle, Michael S

    2014-02-01

    The health benefits of exercise are well known. Many of the most accessible forms of exercise, such as walking, cycling, and running often occur outdoors. This means that exercising outdoors may increase exposure to urban air pollution. Regular exercise plays a key role in improving some of the physiologic mechanisms and health outcomes that air pollution exposure may exacerbate. This problem presents an interesting challenge of balancing the beneficial effects of exercise along with the detrimental effects of air pollution upon health. This article summarizes the pulmonary, cardiovascular, cognitive, and systemic health effects of exposure to particulate matter, ozone, and carbon monoxide during exercise. It also summarizes how air pollution exposure affects maximal oxygen consumption and exercise performance. This article highlights ways in which exercisers could mitigate the adverse health effects of air pollution exposure during exercise and draws attention to the potential importance of land use planning in selecting exercise facilities.

  2. IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOREST ECOSYSTEMS - EMERGING RESEARCH NEEDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Outcomes from the 22nd meeting for Specialists in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Ecosystems "Forests under Anthropogenic Pressure - Effects of Air Pollution, Climate Change and Urban Development", September 10-16, 2006, Riverside, CA, USA are summarized. Tropospheric ozone is st...

  3. Effects of heat waves on mortality: effect modification and confounding by air pollutants.

    PubMed

    Analitis, Antonis; Michelozzi, Paola; D'Ippoliti, Daniela; De'Donato, Francesca; Menne, Bettina; Matthies, Franziska; Atkinson, Richard W; Iñiguez, Carmen; Basagaña, Xavier; Schneider, Alexandra; Lefranc, Agnès; Paldy, Anna; Bisanti, Luigi; Katsouyanni, Klea

    2014-01-01

    Heat waves and air pollution are both associated with increased mortality. Their joint effects are less well understood. We explored the role of air pollution in modifying the effects of heat waves on mortality, within the EuroHEAT project. Daily mortality, meteorologic, and air pollution data from nine European cities for the years 1990-2004 were assembled. We defined heat waves by taking both intensity and duration into account. The city-specific effects of heat wave episodes were estimated using generalized estimating equation models, adjusting for potential confounders with and without inclusion of air pollutants (particles, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide). To investigate effect modification, we introduced an interaction term between heat waves and each single pollutant in the models. Random effects meta-analysis was used to summarize the city-specific results. The increase in the number of daily deaths during heat wave episodes was 54% higher on high ozone days compared with low, among people age 75-84 years. The heat wave effect on high PM10 days was increased by 36% and 106% in the 75-84 year and 85+ year age groups, respectively. A similar pattern was observed for effects on cardiovascular mortality. Effect modification was less evident for respiratory mortality, although the heat wave effect itself was greater for this cause of death. The heat wave effect was smaller (15-30%) after adjustment for ozone or PM10. The heat wave effect on mortality was larger during high ozone or high PM10 days. When assessing the effect of heat waves on mortality, lack of adjustment for ozone and especially PM10 overestimates effect parameters. This bias has implications for public health policy.

  4. Trans-Pacific Air Pollution and NAAQS Attainment: Domestic and International Policy Options

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dolsak, N.; Jaegle, L.

    2002-12-01

    Observational data and models of global air pollution increasingly indicate that Asian air pollution caused by fossil fuel burning is transported across the Pacific, thereby affecting local air quality in the United States. This may have policy ramifications for a number of counties in the U.S. struggling to meet the NAAQS. This problem will be exacerbated as the EPA tightens the standards for Ozone and PM. As the new 8-hour, 80 ppb ozone standard and the new PM2.5 standards are implemented, the number of counties considered to be in non-attainment is estimated to double (for ozone) and quadruple (for PM2.5), respectively. State Implementation Plans that rely only on local emission reductions may not be enough to meet the new NAAQS if a considerable proportion of the background concentrations come from Asia or other distant sources. Further, reducing emissions locally may not be the most cost-effective way of meeting the new EPA standards. This presentation will draw on observational data in the western U.S. and global models, such as GEOS-CHEM, to examine the significance of trans-pacific pollution (background pollution as well as episodic impacts) to air quality in the Western United States in their attempts to meet the new NAAQS for Ozone and Particulate Matter. The size of Asian economies, their reliance on fossil fuels, and their rapid industrialization suggests that the importance of trans-pacific air pollution will increase. This presentation will examine policy implications of Asian emissions under three of the IPCC future emission scenarios. We will also identify an array of domestic policies that States and counties in non-attainment areas may consider to reduce the concentrations of ozone and PM. Further, we will examine the potential for reducing local concentrations by devising policy instruments for reducing emissions where they can be reduced at a lower cost. For this work, we will draw on policy experience from regional air pollution in the European

  5. Air Pollution Prevention and Control Policy in China.

    PubMed

    Huang, Cunrui; Wang, Qiong; Wang, Suhan; Ren, Meng; Ma, Rui; He, Yiling

    2017-01-01

    With rapid urbanization and development of transport infrastructure, air pollution caused by multiple-pollutant emissions and vehicle exhaust has been aggravated year by year in China. In order to improve air quality, the Chinese authorities have taken a series of actions to control air pollution emission load within a permissible range. However, although China has made positive progress on tackling air pollution, these actions have not kept up with its economy growth and fossil-fuel use. The traditional single-pollutant approach is far from enough in China now, and in the near future, air pollution control strategies should move in the direction of the multiple-pollutant approach. In addition, undesirable air quality is usually linked with the combination of high emissions and adverse weather conditions. However, few studies have been done on the influence of climate change on atmospheric chemistry in the global perspective. Available evidence suggested that climate change is likely to exacerbate certain kinds of air pollutants including ozone and smoke from wildfires. This has become a major public health problem because the interactions of global climate change, urban heat islands, and air pollution have adverse effects on human health. In this chapter, we first review the past and current circumstances of China's responses to air pollution. Then we discuss the control challenges and future options for a better air quality in China. Finally, we begin to unravel links between air pollution and climate change, providing new opportunities for integrated research and actions in China.

  6. Direct Measurements of the Ozone Production Rate: Methods, Measurements, and Implications for Air Quality Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brune, W. H.; Baier, B.; Miller, D. O.; Apel, E. C.; Wisthaler, A.; Fried, A.; Cantrell, C. A.; Blake, D. R.; Brown, S. S.; McDuffie, E. E.; Kaser, L.; Long, R.; Weinheimer, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    Ground level ozone pollution remains a health hazard in the United States despite dramatic reductions due to regulatory actions over the past three decades. The key to understanding the link between the ozone precursor gases, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ozone pollution is the ozone production rate. However, in air quality models, uncertainties in emissions and meteorology hide the true sensitivity of modeled ozone to the chemistry of the ozone production rate. A better way to understand the ozone production rate is to measure it directly. We devised a method for measuring the ozone production rate directly and have deployed it in a few field studies. In this presentation, we will discuss some fairly recent observations, the strengths and weaknesses of the current method, and a path toward routine monitoring of the ozone production rate.

  7. Meteorological Drivers of Extreme Air Pollution Events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horton, D. E.; Schnell, J.; Callahan, C. W.; Suo, Y.

    2017-12-01

    The accumulation of pollutants in the near-surface atmosphere has been shown to have deleterious consequences for public health, agricultural productivity, and economic vitality. Natural and anthropogenic emissions of ozone and particulate matter can accumulate to hazardous concentrations when atmospheric conditions are favorable, and can reach extreme levels when such conditions persist. Favorable atmospheric conditions for pollutant accumulation include optimal temperatures for photochemical reaction rates, circulation patterns conducive to pollutant advection, and a lack of ventilation, dispersion, and scavenging in the local environment. Given our changing climate system and the dual ingredients of poor air quality - pollutants and the atmospheric conditions favorable to their accumulation - it is important to characterize recent changes in favorable meteorological conditions, and quantify their potential contribution to recent extreme air pollution events. To facilitate our characterization, this study employs the recently updated Schnell et al (2015) 1°×1° gridded observed surface ozone and particulate matter datasets for the period of 1998 to 2015, in conjunction with reanalysis and climate model simulation data. We identify extreme air pollution episodes in the observational record and assess the meteorological factors of primary support at local and synoptic scales. We then assess (i) the contribution of observed meteorological trends (if extant) to the magnitude of the event, (ii) the return interval of the meteorological event in the observational record, simulated historical climate, and simulated pre-industrial climate, as well as (iii) the probability of the observed meteorological trend in historical and pre-industrial climates.

  8. Evaluating the Vertical Distribution of Ozone and its Relationship to Pollution Events in Air Quality Models using Satellite Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osterman, G. B.; Neu, J. L.; Eldering, A.; Pinder, R. W.; Tang, Y.; McQueen, J.

    2014-12-01

    Most regional scale models that are used for air quality forecasts and ozone source attribution do not adequately capture the distribution of ozone in the mid- and upper troposphere, but it is unclear how this shortcoming relates to their ability to simulate surface ozone. We combine ozone profile data from the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and a new joint product from TES and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument along with ozonesonde measurements and EPA AirNow ground station ozone data to examine air quality events during August 2006 in the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) and National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) models. We present both aggregated statistics and case-study analyses with the goal of assessing the relationship between the models' ability to reproduce surface air quality events and their ability to capture the vertical distribution of ozone. We find that the models lack the mid-tropospheric ozone variability seen in TES and the ozonesonde data, and discuss the conditions under which this variability appears to be important for surface air quality.

  9. Indoor Secondary Pollutants from Household Product Emissions inthe Presence of Ozone: A Bench-Scale Chamber Study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Destaillats, Hugo; Lunden, Melissa M.; Singer, Brett C.

    2005-10-01

    Ozone-driven chemistry is a major source of indoor secondary pollutants of health concern. This study investigates secondary air pollutants formed from reactions between constituents of household products and ozone. Gas-phase product emissions were introduced along with ozone at constant rates into a 198-L Teflon-lined reaction chamber. Gas-phase concentrations of reactive terpenoids and oxidation products were measured. Formaldehyde was a predominant oxidation byproduct for the three studied products, with yields under most conditions of 20-30% with respect to ozone consumed. Acetaldehyde, acetone, glycolaldehyde, formic acid and acetic acid were each also detected for two or three of the products. Immediately uponmore » mixing of reactants, a scanning mobility particle sizer detected particle nucleation events that were followed by a significant degree of ultrafine particle growth. The production of secondary gaseous pollutants and particles depended primarily on the ozone level and was influenced by other parameters such as the air-exchange rate. Hydroxyl radical concentrations in the range 0.04-200 x 10{sup 5} molecules cm{sup -3} were measured. OH concentrations were observed to vary strongly with residual ozone level in the chamber, which was in the range 1-25 ppb, as is consistent with expectations from a simplified kinetic model. In a separate test, we exposed the dry residue of two products to ozone in the chamber and observed the formation of gas-phase and particle-phase secondary oxidation products.« less

  10. Effects of future anthropogenic pollution emissions on global air quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pozzer, A.; Zimmermann, P.; Doering, U.; van Aardenne, J.; Dentener, F.; Lelieveld, J.

    2012-04-01

    The atmospheric chemistry general circulation model EMAC is used to estimate the impact of anthropogenic emission changes on global and regional air quality in recent and future years (2005, 2010, 2025 and 2050). The emission scenario assumes that population and economic growth largely determine energy consumption and consequent pollution sources ("business as usual"). By comparing with recent observations, it is shown that the model reproduces the main features of regional air pollution distributions though with some imprecision inherent to the coarse horizontal resolution (around 100 km). To identify possible future hot spots of poor air quality, a multi pollutant index (MPI) has been applied. It appears that East and South Asia and the Arabian Gulf regions represent such hotspots due to very high pollutant concentrations. In East Asia a range of pollutant gases and particulate matter (PM2.5) are projected to reach very high levels from 2005 onward, while in South Asia air pollution, including ozone, will grow rapidly towards the middle of the century. Around the Arabian Gulf, where natural PM2.5 concentrations are already high (desert dust), ozone levels will increase strongly. By extending the MPI definition, we calculated a Per Capita MPI (PCMPI) in which we combined population projections with those of pollution emissions. It thus appears that a rapidly increasing number of people worldwide will experience reduced air quality during the first half of the 21st century. It is projected that air quality for the global average citizen in 2050 will be comparable to the average in East Asia in the year 2005.

  11. An Investigation on the Elementary Teachers' Knowledge about Air Pollution Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yilmaz-Tuzun, Ozgul; Tuncer, Gaye Teksoz; Aydemir, Murat

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the elementary teachers' knowledge about air pollution. Ozone depletion, global warming, acid rain, and renewable energy were also addressed in this study to get holistic picture about air pollution. A total of 183 teachers from the 91 schools in Ankara participated to the study. The data obtained were…

  12. Air pollution and Parkinson's disease - evidence and future directions.

    PubMed

    Palacios, Natalia

    2017-12-20

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology that is thought to be caused by a complex combination of environmental and/or genetic factors. Air pollution exposure is linked to numerous adverse effects on human health, including brain inflammation and oxidative stress, processes that are believed to contribute to the development and progression of PD. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the epidemiology of air pollution and PD, including evidence of the effects of various pollutants (ozone, PM10, PM2.5, PM2.5-10, NOx, NO2, CO, traffic air pollution, second-hand smoking) on PD risk. Based on this evidence, promising opportunities for future research are outlined, including: (1) studies of smaller particle sizes that cross the blood-brain barrier, (2) studies of the effects of air pollution on PD mortality and/or progression; (3) studies of interactions of air pollution with gene environment and other environmental factors.

  13. The health benefits of reducing air pollution in Sydney, Australia.

    PubMed

    Broome, Richard A; Fann, Neal; Cristina, Tina J Navin; Fulcher, Charles; Duc, Hiep; Morgan, Geoffrey G

    2015-11-01

    Among industrialised countries, fine particle (PM2.5) and ozone levels in the Sydney metropolitan area of Australia are relatively low. Annual mean PM2.5 levels have historically remained below 8 μg/m(3) while warm season (November-March) ozone levels occasionally exceed the Australian guideline value of 0.10 ppm (daily 1 h max). Yet, these levels are still below those seen in the United States and Europe. This analysis focuses on two related questions: (1) what is the public health burden associated with air pollution in Sydney; and (2) to what extent would reducing air pollution reduce the number of hospital admissions, premature deaths and number of years of life lost (YLL)? We addressed these questions by applying a damage function approach to Sydney population, health, PM2.5 and ozone data for 2007 within the BenMAP-CE software tool to estimate health impacts and economic benefits. We found that 430 premature deaths (90% CI: 310-540) and 5800 YLL (95% CI: 3900-7600) are attributable to 2007 levels of PM2.5 (about 2% of total deaths and 1.8% of YLL in 2007). We also estimate about 630 (95% CI: 410-840) respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions attributable to 2007 PM2.5 and ozone exposures. Reducing air pollution levels by even a small amount will yield a range of health benefits. Reducing 2007 PM2.5 exposure in Sydney by 10% would, over 10 years, result in about 650 (95% CI: 430-850) fewer premature deaths, a gain of 3500 (95% CI: 2300-4600) life-years and about 700 (95% CI: 450-930) fewer respiratory and cardiovascular hospital visits. These results suggest that substantial health benefits are attainable in Sydney with even modest reductions in air pollution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Potential impact of climate change on air pollution-related human health effects.

    PubMed

    Tagaris, Efthimios; Liao, Kuo-Jen; Delucia, Anthony J; Deck, Leland; Amar, Praveen; Russell, Armistead G

    2009-07-01

    The potential health impact of ambient ozone and PM2.5 concentrations modulated by climate change over the United States is investigated using combined atmospheric and health modeling. Regional air quality modeling for 2001 and 2050 was conducted using CMAQ Modeling System with meteorology from the GISS Global Climate Model, downscaled regionally using MM5,keeping boundary conditions of air pollutants, emission sources, population, activity levels, and pollution controls constant. BenMap was employed to estimate the air pollution health outcomes at the county, state, and national level for 2050 caused by the effect of meteorology on future ozone and PM2.5 concentrations. The changes in calculated annual mean PM2.5 concentrations show a relatively modest change with positive and negative responses (increasing PM2.5 levels across the northeastern U.S.) although average ozone levels slightly decrease across the northern sections of the U.S., and increase across the southern tier. Results suggest that climate change driven air quality-related health effects will be adversely affected in more then 2/3 of the continental U.S. Changes in health effects induced by PM2.5 dominate compared to those caused by ozone. PM2.5-induced premature mortality is about 15 times higher then that due to ozone. Nationally the analysis suggests approximately 4000 additional annual premature deaths due to climate change impacts on PM2.5 vs 300 due to climate change-induced ozone changes. However, the impacts vary spatially. Increased premature mortality due to elevated ozone concentrations will be offset by lower mortality from reductions in PM2.5 in 11 states. Uncertainties related to different emissions projections used to simulate future climate, and the uncertainties forecasting the meteorology, are large although there are potentially important unaddressed uncertainties (e.g., downscaling, speciation, interaction, exposure, and concentration-response function of the human health studies).

  15. Impact of intercontinental pollution transport on North American ozone air pollution: an HTAP phase 2 multi-model study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Min; Carmichael, Gregory R.; Pierce, R. Bradley; Jo, Duseong S.; Park, Rokjin J.; Flemming, Johannes; Emmons, Louisa K.; Bowman, Kevin W.; Henze, Daven K.; Davila, Yanko; Sudo, Kengo; Eiof Jonson, Jan; Tronstad Lund, Marianne; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Dentener, Frank J.; Keating, Terry J.; Oetjen, Hilke; Payne, Vivienne H.

    2017-05-01

    The recent update on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the ground-level ozone (O3) can benefit from a better understanding of its source contributions in different US regions during recent years. In the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution experiment phase 1 (HTAP1), various global models were used to determine the O3 source-receptor (SR) relationships among three continents in the Northern Hemisphere in 2001. In support of the HTAP phase 2 (HTAP2) experiment that studies more recent years and involves higher-resolution global models and regional models' participation, we conduct a number of regional-scale Sulfur Transport and dEposition Model (STEM) air quality base and sensitivity simulations over North America during May-June 2010. STEM's top and lateral chemical boundary conditions were downscaled from three global chemical transport models' (i.e., GEOS-Chem, RAQMS, and ECMWF C-IFS) base and sensitivity simulations in which the East Asian (EAS) anthropogenic emissions were reduced by 20 %. The mean differences between STEM surface O3 sensitivities to the emission changes and its corresponding boundary condition model's are smaller than those among its boundary condition models, in terms of the regional/period-mean (< 10 %) and the spatial distributions. An additional STEM simulation was performed in which the boundary conditions were downscaled from a RAQMS (Realtime Air Quality Modeling System) simulation without EAS anthropogenic emissions. The scalability of O3 sensitivities to the size of the emission perturbation is spatially varying, and the full (i.e., based on a 100 % emission reduction) source contribution obtained from linearly scaling the North American mean O3 sensitivities to a 20 % reduction in the EAS anthropogenic emissions may be underestimated by at least 10 %. The three boundary condition models' mean O3 sensitivities to the 20 % EAS emission perturbations are ˜ 8 % (May-June 2010)/˜ 11 % (2010 annual) lower than

  16. Impact of intercontinental pollution transport on North American ozone air pollution: an HTAP phase 2 multi-model study

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Min; Carmichael, Gregory R.; Pierce, R. Bradley; Jo, Duseong S.; Park, Rokjin J.; Flemming, Johannes; Emmons, Louisa K.; Bowman, Kevin W.; Henze, Daven K.; Davila, Yanko; Sudo, Kengo; Jonson, Jan Eiof; Lund, Marianne Tronstad; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Dentener, Frank J.; Keating, Terry J.; Oetjen, Hilke; Payne, Vivienne H.

    2018-01-01

    The recent update on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the ground-level ozone (O3/ can benefit from a better understanding of its source contributions in different US regions during recent years. In the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution experiment phase 1 (HTAP1), various global models were used to determine the O3 source–receptor (SR) relationships among three continents in the Northern Hemisphere in 2001. In support of the HTAP phase 2 (HTAP2) experiment that studies more recent years and involves higher-resolution global models and regional models’ participation, we conduct a number of regional-scale Sulfur Transport and dEposition Model (STEM) air quality base and sensitivity simulations over North America during May–June 2010. STEM’s top and lateral chemical boundary conditions were downscaled from three global chemical transport models’ (i.e., GEOS-Chem, RAQMS, and ECMWF C-IFS) base and sensitivity simulations in which the East Asian (EAS) anthropogenic emissions were reduced by 20 %. The mean differences between STEM surface O3 sensitivities to the emission changes and its corresponding boundary condition model’s are smaller than those among its boundary condition models, in terms of the regional/period-mean (<10 %) and the spatial distributions. An additional STEM simulation was performed in which the boundary conditions were downscaled from a RAQMS (Realtime Air Quality Modeling System) simulation without EAS anthropogenic emissions. The scalability of O3 sensitivities to the size of the emission perturbation is spatially varying, and the full (i.e., based on a 100% emission reduction) source contribution obtained from linearly scaling the North American mean O3 sensitivities to a 20% reduction in the EAS anthropogenic emissions may be underestimated by at least 10 %. The three boundary condition models’ mean O3 sensitivities to the 20% EAS emission perturbations are ~8% (May–June 2010)/~11% (2010 annual) lower

  17. Impact of intercontinental pollution transport on North American ozone air pollution: an HTAP phase 2 multi-model study.

    PubMed

    Huang, Min; Carmichael, Gregory R; Pierce, R Bradley; Jo, Duseong S; Park, Rokjin J; Flemming, Johannes; Emmons, Louisa K; Bowman, Kevin W; Henze, Daven K; Davila, Yanko; Sudo, Kengo; Jonson, Jan Eiof; Lund, Marianne Tronstad; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Dentener, Frank J; Keating, Terry J; Oetjen, Hilke; Payne, Vivienne H

    2017-05-08

    The recent update on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the ground-level ozone (O 3 / can benefit from a better understanding of its source contributions in different US regions during recent years. In the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution experiment phase 1 (HTAP1), various global models were used to determine the O 3 source-receptor (SR) relationships among three continents in the Northern Hemisphere in 2001. In support of the HTAP phase 2 (HTAP2) experiment that studies more recent years and involves higher-resolution global models and regional models' participation, we conduct a number of regional-scale Sulfur Transport and dEposition Model (STEM) air quality base and sensitivity simulations over North America during May-June 2010. STEM's top and lateral chemical boundary conditions were downscaled from three global chemical transport models' (i.e., GEOS-Chem, RAQMS, and ECMWF C-IFS) base and sensitivity simulations in which the East Asian (EAS) anthropogenic emissions were reduced by 20 %. The mean differences between STEM surface O 3 sensitivities to the emission changes and its corresponding boundary condition model's are smaller than those among its boundary condition models, in terms of the regional/period-mean (<10 %) and the spatial distributions. An additional STEM simulation was performed in which the boundary conditions were downscaled from a RAQMS (Realtime Air Quality Modeling System) simulation without EAS anthropogenic emissions. The scalability of O 3 sensitivities to the size of the emission perturbation is spatially varying, and the full (i.e., based on a 100% emission reduction) source contribution obtained from linearly scaling the North American mean O 3 sensitivities to a 20% reduction in the EAS anthropogenic emissions may be underestimated by at least 10 %. The three boundary condition models' mean O 3 sensitivities to the 20% EAS emission perturbations are ~8% (May-June 2010)/~11% (2010 annual) lower than those

  18. Degradation and rearrangement of a lung surfactant lipid at the air-water interface during exposure to the pollutant gas ozone.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Katherine C; Jones, Stephanie H; Rennie, Adrian R; King, Martin D; Ward, Andrew D; Hughes, Brian R; Lucas, Claire O M; Campbell, Richard A; Hughes, Arwel V

    2013-04-09

    The presence of unsaturated lipids in lung surfactant is important for proper respiratory function. In this work, we have used neutron reflection and surface pressure measurements to study the reaction of the ubiquitous pollutant gas-phase ozone, O3, with pure and mixed phospholipid monolayers at the air-water interface. The results reveal that the reaction of the unsaturated lipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, POPC, with ozone leads to the rapid loss of the terminal C9 portion of the oleoyl strand of POPC from the air-water interface. The loss of the C9 portion from the interface is accompanied by an increase in the surface pressure (decrease in surface tension) of the film at the air-water interface. The results suggest that the portion of the oxidized oleoyl strand that is still attached to the lipid headgroup rapidly reverses its orientation and penetrates the air-water interface alongside the original headgroup, thus increasing the surface pressure. The reaction of POPC with ozone also leads to a loss of material from the palmitoyl strand, but the loss of palmitoyl material occurs after the loss of the terminal C9 portion from the oleoyl strand of the molecule, suggesting that the palmitoyl material is lost in a secondary reaction step. Further experiments studying the reaction of mixed monolayers composed of unsaturated lipid POPC and saturated lipid dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, DPPC, revealed that no loss of DPPC from the air-water interface occurs, eliminating the possibility that a reactive species such as an OH radical is formed and is able to attack nearby lipid chains. The reaction of ozone with the mixed films does cause a significant change in the surface pressure of the air-water interface. Thus, the reaction of unsaturated lipids in lung surfactant changes and impairs the physical properties of the film at the air-water interface.

  19. Industrial air pollution is a threat to NY's grape industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jordan, T.D.

    1977-01-01

    Air pollution has become a serious problem for the grape industry in New York's Great Lakes region. Ozone is discussed in relation to crop damage. There are several by-products of coal-combustion and steel manufacture that may cause serious plant injury. They include: sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrous oxide, and several of the heavy metals, such as arsenic, mercury, and lead. A leaf injury, called Brown Leaf, has been identified as oxidant stipple, which is caused by excessive ozone. It is evident that excessive soil moisture results in more oxidant stipple. In 1977, an expanded research effort has been undertaken tomore » determine the effects of other air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide.« less

  20. Urban air pollution and solar energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gammon, R. B.; Huning, J. R.; Reid, M. S.; Smith, J. H.

    1981-01-01

    The design and performance of solar energy systems for many potential applications (industrial/residential heat, electricity generation by solar concentration and photovoltaics) will be critically affected by local insolation conditions. The effects of urban air pollution are considered and reviewed. A study of insolation data for Alhambra, California (9 km south of Pasadena) shows that, during a recent second-stage photochemical smog alert (greater than or equal to 0.35 ppm ozone), the direct-beam insolation at solar noon was reduced by 40%, and the total global by 15%, from clean air values. Similar effects have been observed in Pasadena, and are attributable primarily to air pollution. Effects due to advecting smog have been detected 200 km away, in the Mojave Desert. Preliminary performance and economic simulations of solar thermal and photovoltaic power systems indicate increasing nonlinear sensitivity of life cycle plant cost to reductions in insolation levels due to pollution.

  1. 77 FR 5709 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-06

    ... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone...

  2. Linking air pollution data and adverse birth outcomes: environmental public health tracking in New York State.

    PubMed

    Brown, Jessica M; Harris, Gerald; Pantea, Cristian; Hwang, Syni-An; Talbot, Thomas O

    2015-01-01

    Studies investigating associations between ambient air pollution and fetal growth and gestational duration have reported inconclusive findings. The study goal was to use the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to describe the association between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone and term low birth weight (TLBW) in New York State. Birth data for the years 2001-2006 were linked to Census data and hierarchical Bayesian modeled air pollution data. Daily 8-hour maximums for ozone and daily average PM2.5 estimates were averaged by trimester and exposure quartiles. The Environmental Public Health Tracking Academic Center for Excellence at Rutgers University partnered with New York and several other states to create a statistical program that uses logistic regression to determine the association between air pollution exposure and TLBW. There were no consistent dose-response relationships between the pollutants and TLBW. Ozone exposure was associated with a higher risk of TLBW only in the first trimester, but these results were not statistically significant. Exposure to the third quartile of ozone for the full gestational period had negative associations with TLBW (odds ratio = 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.92). Collaboration within the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to share methods and data for research proved feasible and efficient in assessing the relationship of air pollutants to adverse birth outcomes. This study finds little evidence to support positive associations between exposure to ozone or PM2.5 and TLBW in New York State.

  3. Three-dimensional investigation of ozone pollution in the lower troposphere using an unmanned aerial vehicle platform.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiao-Bing; Wang, Dong-Sheng; Lu, Qing-Chang; Peng, Zhong-Ren; Lu, Si-Jia; Li, Bai; Li, Chao

    2017-05-01

    Potential utilities of instrumented lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to quickly characterize tropospheric ozone pollution and meteorological factors including air temperature and relative humidity at three-dimensional scales are highlighted in this study. Both vertical and horizontal variations of ozone within the 1000 m lower troposphere at a local area of 4 × 4 km 2 are investigated during summer and autumn times. Results from field measurements show that the UAV platform has a sufficient reliability and precision in capturing spatiotemporal variations of ozone and meteorological factors. The results also reveal that ozone vertical variation is mainly linked to the vertical distribution patterns of air temperature and the horizontal transport of air masses from other regions. In addition, significant horizontal variations of ozone are also observed at different levels. Without major exhaust sources, ozone horizontal variation has a strong correlation with the vertical convection intensity of air masses within the lower troposphere. Higher air temperatures are usually related to lower ozone horizontal variations at the localized area, whereas underlying surface diversity has a week influence. Three-dimensional ozone maps are obtained using an interpolation method based on UAV collected samples, which are capable of clearly demonstrating the diurnal evolution processes of ozone within the 1000 m lower troposphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Impact of surface ozone interactions on indoor air chemistry: A modeling study.

    PubMed

    Kruza, M; Lewis, A C; Morrison, G C; Carslaw, N

    2017-09-01

    An INdoor air Detailed Chemical Model was developed to investigate the impact of ozone reactions with indoor surfaces (including occupants), on indoor air chemistry in simulated apartments subject to ambient air pollution. The results are consistent with experimental studies showing that approximately 80% of ozone indoors is lost through deposition to surfaces. The human body removes ozone most effectively from indoor air per square meter of surface, but the most significant surfaces for C 6 -C 10 aldehyde formation are soft furniture and painted walls owing to their large internal surfaces. Mixing ratios of between 8 and 11 ppb of C 6 -C 10 aldehydes are predicted to form in apartments in various locations in summer, the highest values are when ozone concentrations are enhanced outdoors. The most important aldehyde formed indoors is predicted to be nonanal (5-7 ppb), driven by oxidation-derived emissions from painted walls. In addition, ozone-derived emissions from human skin were estimated for a small bedroom at nighttime with concentrations of nonanal, decanal, and 4-oxopentanal predicted to be 0.5, 0.7, and 0.7 ppb, respectively. A detailed chemical analysis shows that ozone-derived surface aldehyde emissions from materials and people change chemical processing indoors, through enhanced formation of nitrated organic compounds and decreased levels of oxidants. © 2017 The Authors. Indoor Air Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Comparison of NASA OMI and MLS Ozone Products with US Forest Service Ground-based Ozone Monitoring Data for US Forest Service Air Quality / Forest Management Decision Support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barrett, S.; Brooks, A.; Moussa, Y.; Spencer, T.; Thompson, J.

    2013-12-01

    Tropospheric ozone, formed when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with sunlight, is a significant threat to the health of US National Forests. Approximately one third of ozone is absorbed by plants during the uptake of carbon dioxide. This increases the vegetation's susceptibility to drought, beetle infestation, and wildfire. Currently the US Forest Service has ground monitoring stations sparsely located across the country. This project looks specifically at the area surrounding several Class I Wilderness Areas in the Appalachian region. These areas are the highest priority for protection from air pollutants. The Forest Service must interpolate ozone concentrations for areas between these monitoring stations. Class I Wilderness Areas are designated by the Forest Service and are defined as a total 5000 acres or greater when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1977. This Act mandated that the EPA create national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for six major air pollutants including ground-level ozone. This project assessed the feasibility of incorporating NASA ozone data into Forest Service ozone monitoring in an effort to enhance the accuracy and precision of ozone exposure measurements in Class I Wilderness Areas and other federally managed lands in order to aid in complying with the Clean Air Act of 1977. This was accomplished by establishing a method of comparison between a preliminary data product produced at the Goddard Space Flight Center that uses OMI/MLS data to derive global tropospheric ozone measurements and Forest Service ozone monitoring station measurements. Once a methodology for comparison was established, statistical comparisons of these data were performed to assess the quantitative differences.

  6. Review of air pollution and health impacts in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Afroz, Rafia; Hassan, Mohd Nasir; Ibrahim, Noor Akma

    2003-06-01

    In the early days of abundant resources and minimal development pressures, little attention was paid to growing environmental concerns in Malaysia. The haze episodes in Southeast Asia in 1983, 1984, 1991, 1994, and 1997 imposed threats to the environmental management of Malaysia and increased awareness of the environment. As a consequence, the government established Malaysian Air Quality Guidelines, the Air Pollution Index, and the Haze Action Plan to improve air quality. Air quality monitoring is part of the initial strategy in the pollution prevention program in Malaysia. Review of air pollution in Malaysia is based on the reports of the air quality monitoring in several large cities in Malaysia, which cover air pollutants such as Carbon monoxide (CO), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3), and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM). The results of the monitoring indicate that Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) are the predominant pollutants. Other pollutants such as CO, O(x), SO2, and Pb are also observed in several big cities in Malaysia. The air pollution comes mainly from land transportation, industrial emissions, and open burning sources. Among them, land transportation contributes the most to air pollution. This paper reviews the results of the ambient air quality monitoring and studies related to air pollution and health impacts.

  7. Air Pollution and Epigenetics: Effects on SP-A and Innate Host Defense in the Lung

    PubMed Central

    Silveyra, Patricia; Floros, Joanna

    2013-01-01

    Summary An appropriate immune and inflammatory response is key to defend against harmful agents present in the environment such as pathogens, allergens, and inhaled pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter. Air pollution is a serious public health concern worldwide, and cumulative evidence revealed that air pollutants contribute to epigenetic variation in several genes, and this in turn can contribute to disease susceptibility. Several groups of experts have recently reviewed findings on epigenetics and air pollution [1–6]. Surfactant proteins play a central role in pulmonary host defense by mediating pathogen clearance, modulating allergic responses and facilitating the resolution of lung inflammation. Recent evidence indicates that surfactant proteins are subject to epigenetic regulation under hypoxia and other conditions. Oxidative stress caused by ozone, and exposure to particulate matter have been shown to affect the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A), an important lung host defense molecule, as well as alter its functions. In this review, we discuss recent findings in the fields of epigenetics and air pollution effects on innate immunity, with focus on SP-A, and the human SP-A variants in particular. Their function may be differentially affected by pollutants and specifically by ozone-induced oxidative stress, and this in turn may differentially affect susceptibility to lung disease. PMID:22553125

  8. Indoor secondary pollutants from household product emissions in the presence of ozone: A bench-scale chamber study.

    PubMed

    Destaillats, Hugo; Lunden, Melissa M; Singer, Brett C; Coleman, Beverly K; Hodgson, Alfred T; Weschler, Charles J; Nazaroff, William W

    2006-07-15

    Ozone-driven chemistry is a source of indoor secondary pollutants of potential health concern. This study investigates secondary air pollutants formed from reactions between constituents of household products and ozone. Gas-phase product emissions were introduced along with ozone at constant rates into a 198-L Teflon-lined reaction chamber. Gas-phase concentrations of reactive terpenoids and oxidation products were measured. Formaldehyde was a predominant oxidation byproduct for the three studied products, with yields for most conditions of 20-30% with respect to ozone consumed. Acetaldehyde, acetone, glycolaldehyde, formic acid, and acetic acid were each also detected for two or three of the products. Immediately upon mixing of reactants, a scanning mobility particle sizer detected particle nucleation events that were followed by a significant degree of secondary particle growth. The production of secondary gaseous pollutants and particles depended primarily on the ozone level and was influenced by other parameters such as the air-exchange rate. Hydroxyl radical concentrations in the range 0.04-200 x 10(5) molecules cm(-3) were determined by an indirect method. OH concentrations were observed to vary strongly with residual ozone level in the chamber, which was in the range 1-25 ppb, as is consistent with expectations from a simplified kinetic model. In a separate chamber study, we exposed the dry residue of two products to ozone and observed the formation of gas-phase and particle-phase secondary oxidation products.

  9. Effects of Air Pollutants on Development of Allergic Immune Responses in the Respiratory Tract

    PubMed Central

    Gershwin, Laurel J.

    2003-01-01

    The increased incidence of allergic asthma in the human population worldwide has stimulated many explanatory theories. A concomitant decrease in air quality leads to epidemiological and laboratory-based studies to demonstrate a link between air pollutants and asthma. Specifically, ozone, environmental tobacco smoke, and diesel exhaust are associated with enhancement of respiratory allergy to inhaled allergens. This review summarizes the state of the knowledge, both human epidemiology and laboratory animal experiments, linking air pollution to allergy. Critical issues involve development of the lung and the fetal immune response, and the potential for substances like ozone and ETS in the air to modulate early immune responses with lifelong consequences. PMID:14768942

  10. Association of weather and air pollution interactions on daily mortality in 12 Canadian cities.

    PubMed

    Vanos, J K; Cakmak, S; Kalkstein, L S; Yagouti, Abderrahmane

    It has been well established that both meteorological attributes and air pollution concentrations affect human health outcomes. We examined all cause nonaccident mortality relationships for 28 years (1981-2008) in relation to air pollution and synoptic weather type (encompassing air mass) data in 12 Canadian cities. This study first determines the likelihood of summertime extreme air pollution events within weather types using spatial synoptic classification. Second, it examines the modifying effect of weather types on the relative risk of mortality (RR) due to daily concentrations of air pollution (nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter <2.5 μm). We assess both single- and two-pollutant interactions to determine dependent and independent pollutant effects using the relatively new time series technique of distributed lag nonlinear modeling (DLNM). Results display dry tropical (DT) and moist tropical plus (MT+) weathers to result in a fourfold and twofold increased likelihood, respectively, of an extreme pollution event (top 5 % of pollution concentrations throughout the 28 years) occurring. We also demonstrate statistically significant effects of single-pollutant exposure on mortality ( p  < 0.05) to be dependent on summer weather type, where stronger results occur in dry moderate (fair weather) and DT or MT+ weather types. The overall average single-effect RR increases due to pollutant exposure within DT and MT+ weather types are 14.9 and 11.9 %, respectively. Adjusted exposures (two-way pollutant effect estimates) generally results in decreased RR estimates, indicating that the pollutants are not independent. Adjusting for ozone significantly lowers 67 % of the single-pollutant RR estimates and reduces model variability, which demonstrates that ozone significantly controls a portion of the mortality signal from the model. Our findings demonstrate the mortality risks of air pollution exposure to differ by weather type, with

  11. Air pollution and population health: a global challenge.

    PubMed

    Chen, Bingheng; Kan, Haidong

    2008-03-01

    "Air pollution and population health" is one of the most important environmental and public health issues. Economic development, urbanization, energy consumption, transportation/motorization, and rapid population growth are major driving forces of air pollution in large cities, especially in megacities. Air pollution levels in developed countries have been decreasing dramatically in recent decades. However, in developing countries and in countries in transition, air pollution levels are still at relatively high levels, though the levels have been gradually decreasing or have remained stable during rapid economic development. In recent years, several hundred epidemiological studies have emerged showing adverse health effects associated with short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants. Time-series studies conducted in Asian cities also showed similar health effects on mortality associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) to those explored in Europe and North America. The World Health Organization (WHO) published the "WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs), Global Update" in 2006. These updated AQGs provide much stricter guidelines for PM, NO(2), SO(2) and O(3). Considering that current air pollution levels are much higher than the WHO-recommended AQGs, interim targets for these four air pollutants are also recommended for member states, especially for developing countries in setting their country-specific air quality standards. In conclusion, ambient air pollution is a health hazard. It is more important in Asian developing countries within the context of pollution level and population density. Improving air quality has substantial, measurable and important public health benefits.

  12. Ambient air pollution exposure and blood pressure changes during pregnancy

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Pei-Chen; Talbott, Evelyn O.; Roberts, James M.; Catov, Janet M.; Bilonick, Richard A.; Stone, Roslyn A.; Sharma, Ravi K.; Ritz, Beate

    2013-01-01

    Background Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as preterm delivery. However, only one study to date has linked air pollution to blood pressure changes during pregnancy, a period of dramatic cardiovascular function changes. Objectives We examined whether maternal exposures to criteria air pollutants, including particles of less than 10 µm (PM10) or 2.5 µm diameter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), in each trimester of pregnancy are associated with magnitude of rise of blood pressure between the first 20 weeks of gestation and late pregnancy in a prospectively followed cohort of 1684 pregnant women in Allegheny County, PA. Methods Air pollution measures for maternal ZIP code areas were derived using Kriging interpolation. Using logistic regression analysis, we evaluated the associations between air pollution exposures and blood pressure changes between the first 20 weeks of gestation and late pregnancy. Results First trimester PM10 and ozone exposures were associated with blood pressure changes between the first 20 weeks of gestation and late pregnancy, most strongly in non-smokers. Per interquartile increases in first trimester PM10 and O3 concentrations were associated with mean increases in systolic blood pressure of 1.88 mmHg (95% CI = 0.84 to 2.93) and 1.84 (95% CI = 1.05 to 4.63), respectively, and in diastolic blood pressure of 0.63 mmHg (95% CI= −0.50 to 1.76) and 1.13 (95% CI= −0.46 to 2.71) in non-smokers. Conclusions Our novel finding suggests that first trimester PM10 and O3 air pollution exposures increase blood pressure in the later stages of pregnancy. These changes may play a role in mediating the relationships between air pollution and adverse birth outcomes. PMID:22835955

  13. Temporal variability of air-pollutants over Abu Dhabi, UAE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghedira, H.; Ben Romdhane, H.; Beegum S, N.

    2013-12-01

    Air quality, the measure of the concentrations of gaseous pollutants and size or number of particulate matter, is one of the most important problems worldwide and has strong implications on human health, ecosystems, as well as regional and global climate. The levels of air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matters (PM10, PM2.5), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), etc. show an alarming increase in urban cities across the world and in many cases, the concentrations have grown well above the World Health Organization's guidelines for ambient air-quality standards. Here, we present the periodic fluctuations observed in the concentrations of air pollutants such as SO2, NO2, O3, CO, H2S, NMHC (Non methane Hydro Carbon) and VOC (volatile organic compounds) based on the measurements collected during the period 2008-2010 at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi (24.42oN, 54.61oE, 7m MSL). The measurements were carried out using an Air Quality Monitoring System (AQM60). All these pollutant species showed statistical periodic: diurnal, monthly, seasonal and annual variations. Diurnally, all the species, except ozone, depicted an afternoon low and nighttime/early morning high, attributed to the dynamics of the local atmospheric boundary layer. Whereas, an opposite pattern with daytime high and nighttime low was observed for O3, as the species is formed in the troposphere by catalytic photochemical reactions of NOx with CO, CH4 and other VOCs. Seasonally, the pollutants depicted higher values during summer and relatively lower values during winter, associated with changes in synoptic airmass types and/or removal processes. Concentrations of all the gaseous pollutants are within the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) throughout the year, whereas the PM10 often exceeded the limits, especially during dust storm episodes.

  14. Tropospheric Ozone and Photochemical Smog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sillman, S.

    2003-12-01

    The question of air quality in polluted regions represents one of the issues of geochemistry with direct implications for human well-being. Human health and well-being, along with the well-being of plants, animals, and agricultural crops, are dependent on the quality of air we breathe. Since the start of the industrial era, air quality has become a matter of major importance, especially in large cities or urbanized regions with heavy automobile traffic and industrial activity.Concern over air quality existed as far back as the 1600s. Originally, polluted air in cities resulted from the burning of wood or coal, largely as a source of heat. The industrial revolution in England saw a great increase in the use of coal in rapidly growing cities, both for industrial use and domestic heating. London suffered from devastating pollution events during the late 1800s and early 1900s, with thousands of excess deaths attributed to air pollution (Brimblecombe, 1987). With increasing use of coal, other instances also occurred in continental Europe and the USA. These events were caused by directly emitted pollutants (primary pollutants), including sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulates. They were especially acute in cities with northerly locations during fall and winter when sunlight is at a minimum. These original pollution events gave rise to the term "smog" (a combination of smoke and fog). Events of this type have become much less severe since the 1950s in Western Europe and the US, as natural gas replaced coal as the primary source of home heating, industrial smokestacks were designed to emit at higher altitudes (where dispersion is more rapid), and industries were required to install pollution control equipment.Beginning in the 1950s, a new type of pollution, photochemical smog, became a major concern. Photochemical smog consists of ozone (O3) and other closely related species ("secondary pollutants") that are produced photochemically from directly

  15. Air Pollution and Mortality in the Medicare Population.

    PubMed

    Di, Qian; Wang, Yan; Zanobetti, Antonella; Wang, Yun; Koutrakis, Petros; Choirat, Christine; Dominici, Francesca; Schwartz, Joel D

    2017-06-29

    Studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution increases mortality. However, evidence is limited for air-pollution levels below the most recent National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Previous studies involved predominantly urban populations and did not have the statistical power to estimate the health effects in underrepresented groups. We constructed an open cohort of all Medicare beneficiaries (60,925,443 persons) in the continental United States from the years 2000 through 2012, with 460,310,521 person-years of follow-up. Annual averages of fine particulate matter (particles with a mass median aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm [PM 2.5 ]) and ozone were estimated according to the ZIP Code of residence for each enrollee with the use of previously validated prediction models. We estimated the risk of death associated with exposure to increases of 10 μg per cubic meter for PM 2.5 and 10 parts per billion (ppb) for ozone using a two-pollutant Cox proportional-hazards model that controlled for demographic characteristics, Medicaid eligibility, and area-level covariates. Increases of 10 μg per cubic meter in PM 2.5 and of 10 ppb in ozone were associated with increases in all-cause mortality of 7.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1 to 7.5) and 1.1% (95% CI, 1.0 to 1.2), respectively. When the analysis was restricted to person-years with exposure to PM 2.5 of less than 12 μg per cubic meter and ozone of less than 50 ppb, the same increases in PM 2.5 and ozone were associated with increases in the risk of death of 13.6% (95% CI, 13.1 to 14.1) and 1.0% (95% CI, 0.9 to 1.1), respectively. For PM 2.5 , the risk of death among men, blacks, and people with Medicaid eligibility was higher than that in the rest of the population. In the entire Medicare population, there was significant evidence of adverse effects related to exposure to PM 2.5 and ozone at concentrations below current national standards. This effect was most pronounced among self

  16. Ground-level ozone pollution and its health impacts in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Huan; Liu, Shuai; Xue, Boru; Lv, Zhaofeng; Meng, Zhihang; Yang, Xiaofan; Xue, Tao; Yu, Qiao; He, Kebin

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, ground-level ozone pollution in China has become an increasingly prominent problem. This study simulated and analyzed spatiotemporal distribution of ozone and exposure level by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models and monitoring data from 1516 national air quality monitoring stations in China during 2015. The simulation results show that the Sichuan Basin, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region had relatively high average annual concentrations of ozone. The regions with more than 10% nonattainment days of 160 μg/m3 (daily maximum 8-h) are mainly concentrated in BTH, Shandong Peninsula and YRD, where large seasonal variations were also found. Exposure levels were calculated based on population data and simulated ozone concentrations. The cumulative population exposed to daily maximum 8-h concentration greater than or equal to 100 μg/m3 was 816.04 million, 61.17% of the total. Three methods were used to estimate the mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attributable to ozone. A comparative study using different exposure concentrations and threshold concentrations found large variations among these methods, although they were all peer-reviewed methods. The estimated mortality of COPD caused by ozone in China in 2015 ranged from 55341 to 80280, which mainly distributed in Beijing, Shandong, Henan, Hubei and Sichuan Province, the YRD and PRD region.

  17. Parameterizing the impacts of ozone-vegetation coupling and feedbacks on ozone air quality in a chemical transport model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, S.; Tai, A. P. K.; Lombardozzi, D.

    2016-12-01

    Apart from being an important greenhouse gas, tropospheric ozone is a significant air pollutant that is shown to have harmful effects both on human health and vegetation. Ozone damages vegetation mainly through reducing plant photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. Meanwhile, ozone is also strongly dependent on vegetation via various biogeochemical and physical processes. These interdependences between ozone and vegetation would constitute feedback mechanisms that can potentially alter ozone concentration itself, and should be considered in future climate and air quality projections. In this study, we first implement an empirical scheme for ozone damage on vegetation in the Community Land Model (CLM), and simulate the relative changes in leaf area indices (LAI) and stomatal conductance for three plant groups (consolidated from 15 plant functional types) at various prescribed ozone levels (from 0 ppb to 100 ppb). We find that all plant groups suffer the greatest decreases in LAI and stomatal conductance in regions with their greatest abundance, and grasses and crops show the most severe damage from ozone exposure compared with broadleaf and needleleaf groups, with an LAI reduction of as much as 50% in some areas even at an ozone level of 30 ppb. Using the CLM-simulated results, we develop a semi-empirical parameterization scheme to link prescribed ozone levels to the spatially varying simulated relative changes in LAI and stomatal conductance at model steady state. We implement the scheme in the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model so that ozone-vegetation chemical coupling via ozone dry deposition and biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions can be simulated online. Model simulations indicate that ozone effect on stomatal conductance (which modifies dry deposition) appears to be the dominant feedback pathway influencing surface ozone, whereas ozone-mediated LAI changes (which affects biogenic VOC emissions) appear to play a lesser role. This work is the

  18. Lusaka, Zambia, during SAFARI-2000: Convergence of local and imported ozone pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Freiman, M. Tal; Phahlane, N. Agnes; Coetzee, Gert J. R.

    2002-10-01

    In August and September, throughout south central Africa, seasonal clearing of dry vegetation and other fire-related activities lead to intense smoke haze and ozone formation. The first ozone soundings in the heart of the southern African burning region were taken at Lusaka, Zambia (15.5S, 28E) in early September 2000. Maximum surface ozone was over 90 ppbv and column tropospheric ozone exceeded 50 DU. These values are higher than concurrent measurements over Nairobi (1S, 38E) and Irene (25S, 28E, near Pretoria). At least 30% of Lusaka surface ozone appears to be from local sources. A layer at 800-500 hPa has ozone >120 ppbv and originates from trans-boundary recirculation. Starting out over Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, ozone-rich air travels east to the Indian Ocean, before heading back toward Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Thus, Lusaka collects local and imported pollution, consistent with its location within the southern African gyre.

  19. The association between air pollution and mortality in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Guo, Yuming; Li, Shanshan; Tawatsupa, Benjawan; Punnasiri, Kornwipa; Jaakkola, Jouni J K; Williams, Gail

    2014-07-01

    Bayesian statistical inference with a case-crossover design was used to examine the effects of air pollutants {Particulate matter <10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone (O₃)} on mortality. We found that all air pollutants had significant short-term impacts on non-accidental mortality. An increase of 10 μg/m(3) in PM10, 10 ppb in O₃, 1 ppb in SO₂ were associated with a 0.40% (95% posterior interval (PI): 0.22, 0.59%), 0.78% (95% PI: 0.20, 1.35%) and 0.34% (95% PI: 0.17, 0.50%) increase of non-accidental mortality, respectively. O₃ air pollution is significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality, while PM10 is significantly related to respiratory mortality. In general, the effects of all pollutants on all mortality types were higher in summer and winter than those in the rainy season. This study highlights the effects of exposure to air pollution on mortality risks in Thailand. Our findings support the Thailand government in aiming to reduce high levels of air pollution.

  20. PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE ON ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR SETTING NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Clean Air Act provides for establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare (including crops, forests, ecosystems, and soils) from adverrse effects of air pollutants, including tropospheric ozone. The formulation of policies is science-bas...

  1. Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA): A Multicity Study of Short-Term Effects of Air Pollution on Mortality

    PubMed Central

    Wong, Chit-Ming; Vichit-Vadakan, Nuntavarn; Kan, Haidong; Qian, Zhengmin

    2008-01-01

    Background and objectives Although the deleterious effects of air pollution from fossil fuel combustion have been demonstrated in many Western nations, fewer studies have been conducted in Asia. The Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) project assessed the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on daily mortality in Bangkok, Thailand, and in three cities in China: Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Wuhan. Methods Poisson regression models incorporating natural spline smoothing functions were used to adjust for seasonality and other time-varying covariates that might confound the association between air pollution and mortality. Effect estimates were determined for each city and then for the cities combined using a random effects method. Results In individual cities, associations were detected between most of the pollutants [nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), and ozone] and most health outcomes under study (i.e., all natural-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality). The city-combined effects of the four pollutants tended to be equal or greater than those identified in studies conducted in Western industrial nations. In addition, residents of Asian cities are likely to have higher exposures to air pollution than those in Western industrial nations because they spend more time outdoors and less time in air conditioning. Conclusions Although the social and environmental conditions may be quite different, it is reasonable to apply estimates derived from previous health effect of air pollution studies in the West to Asia. PMID:18795163

  2. Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA): a multicity study of short-term effects of air pollution on mortality.

    PubMed

    Wong, Chit-Ming; Vichit-Vadakan, Nuntavarn; Kan, Haidong; Qian, Zhengmin

    2008-09-01

    Although the deleterious effects of air pollution from fossil fuel combustion have been demonstrated in many Western nations, fewer studies have been conducted in Asia. The Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) project assessed the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on daily mortality in Bangkok, Thailand, and in three cities in China: Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Wuhan. Poisson regression models incorporating natural spline smoothing functions were used to adjust for seasonality and other time-varying covariates that might confound the association between air pollution and mortality. Effect estimates were determined for each city and then for the cities combined using a random effects method. In individual cities, associations were detected between most of the pollutants [nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter < or = 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)), and ozone] and most health outcomes under study (i.e., all natural-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality). The city-combined effects of the four pollutants tended to be equal or greater than those identified in studies conducted in Western industrial nations. In addition, residents of Asian cities are likely to have higher exposures to air pollution than those in Western industrial nations because they spend more time outdoors and less time in air conditioning. Although the social and environmental conditions may be quite different, it is reasonable to apply estimates derived from previous health effect of air pollution studies in the West to Asia.

  3. Effects of stratospheric ozone recovery on photochemistry and ozone air quality in the troposphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, H.; Wu, S.; Huang, Y.; Wang, Y.

    2014-04-01

    There has been significant stratospheric ozone depletion since the late 1970s due to ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). With the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments and adjustments, stratospheric ozone is expected to recover towards its pre-1980 level in the coming decades. In this study, we examine the implications of stratospheric ozone recovery for the tropospheric chemistry and ozone air quality with a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). With a full recovery of the stratospheric ozone, the projected increases in ozone column range from 1% over the low latitudes to more than 10% over the polar regions. The sensitivity factor of troposphere ozone photolysis rate, defined as the percentage changes in surface ozone photolysis rate for 1% increase in stratospheric ozone column, shows significant seasonal variation but is always negative with absolute value larger than one. The expected stratospheric ozone recovery is found to affect the tropospheric ozone destruction rates much more than the ozone production rates. Significant decreases in surface ozone photolysis rates due to stratospheric ozone recovery are simulated. The global average tropospheric OH decreases by 1.7%, and the global average lifetime of tropospheric ozone increases by 1.5%. The perturbations to tropospheric ozone and surface ozone show large seasonal and spatial variations. General increases in surface ozone are calculated for each season, with increases by up to 0.8 ppbv in the remote areas. Increases in ozone lifetime by up to 13% are found in the troposphere. The increased lifetimes of tropospheric ozone in response to stratospheric ozone recovery enhance the intercontinental transport of ozone and global pollution, in particular for the summertime. The global background ozone attributable to Asian emissions is calculated to increase by up to 15% or 0.3 ppbv in the Northern Hemisphere in response to the projected stratospheric ozone recovery.

  4. Impacts of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems - emerging research needs

    Treesearch

    Elena Paoletti; Bytnerowicz; Chris Andersen; Algirdas Augustaitis; Marco Ferretti; Nancy Grulke; Madeleine S. Gunthardt-goerg; John Innes; Dale Johnson; Dave Karnosky; Jessada Luangjame; Rainer Matyssek; Steven McNulty; Gerhard Muller-Starck; Robert Musselman; Kevin Percy

    2007-01-01

    Outcomes from the 22nd meeting for Specialists in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Ecosystems "Forests under Anthropogenic Pressure – Effects of Air Pollution, Climate Change and Urban Development", September 10–16, 2006, Riverside, CA, are summarized. Tropospheric or ground-level ozone (O3) is still the phytotoxic...

  5. EPA scientists develop Federal Reference & Equivalent Methods for measuring key air pollutants

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA operates a nationwide air monitoring network to measure six primary air pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter as part of its mission to protect human health and the environment.

  6. Impact of air pollutants on athletic performance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pierson, W.E.

    Human controlled and observational studies both lead to the conclusion of air pollution adversely affecting athletic performance during training and competition. The dosage of various air pollutants during exercise is much higher due to the marked increase in ventilatory rate and concomitant nasal and oral breathing. This is particularly true for sulfur dioxide which is a highly water-soluble gas and is normally absorbed in the upper airway during nasal breathing. With heavy exercise, oral pharyngeal breathing is the predominant mode of breathing and much larger amounts of sulfur dioxide are delivered to the lower airway resulting in significant impact uponmore » the lower respiratory tract. More recently, several controlled human studies have shown that a combination of exercise and air pollutants such as ozone (O3) or sulfur dioxides (SO2) cause a significant increase in bronchoconstriction and air flow obstruction when compared to the same exposure at rest. In strenuous athletic competition such as the Olympic Games where small increments of time often determine the ultimate success of athletes, the impact of air pollutants and subsequent adverse ventilatory changes can affect athletic performance. 62 references.« less

  7. Air pollution with relation to agronomic crops. V. Oxidant stipple of grape

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Richards, B.L.; Middleton, J.T.; Hewitt, W.B.

    1958-01-01

    Small, brown to black, discrete, punctate lesions occur on the upper leaf surface of grape grown in areas polluted by air-borne oxidants. The lesions are typically restricted to the palisade layer and may be easily distinguished from other grape disorders because of their stippled appearance. The disease can be incited in grape by fumigation with ozone. Toxic ozone leaves occur in the polluted air mass above the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas where oxidant stipple is found. Stipple has not yet been seen in the grape producing areas in the Coachella, Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin valleys of California.more » 4 references, 3 figures.« less

  8. Association between air pollutants and dementia risk in the elderly.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yun-Chun; Lin, Yuan-Chien; Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chen, Jen-Hau; Chen, Ta-Fu; Sun, Yu; Wen, Li-Li; Yip, Ping-Keung; Chu, Yi-Min; Chen, Yen-Ching

    2015-06-01

    The aging rate in Taiwan is the second highest in the world. As the population ages quickly, the prevalence of dementia increases rapidly. There are some studies that have explored the association between air pollution and cognitive decline, but the association between air pollution and dementia has not been directly evaluated. This was a case-control study comprising 249 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, 125 vascular dementia (VaD) patients, and 497 controls from three teaching hospitals in northern Taiwan from 2007 to 2010. Data of particulate matter <10 μm in diameter (PM10) and ozone were obtained from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration for 12 and 14 years, respectively. Blood samples were collected to determine the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 haplotype. Bayesian maximum entropy was used to estimate the individual exposure level of air pollutants, which was then tertiled for analysis. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals between the association of PM10 and ozone exposure with AD and VaD risk. The highest tertile of PM10 (≥49.23 μg/m(3)) or ozone (≥21.56 ppb) exposure was associated with increased AD risk (highest vs. lowest tertile of PM10: AOR = 4.17; highest vs. lowest tertile of ozone: AOR = 2.00). Similar finding was observed for VaD. The association with AD and VaD risk remained for the highest tertile PM10 exposure after stratification by APOE ɛ4 status and gender. Long-term exposure to the highest tertile of PM10 or ozone was significantly associated with an increased risk of AD and VaD.

  9. Ozone Levels in the North and South of Jordan: Effects of Transboundary Air Pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alsawair, Jihad Khalaf

    The first phase of this work sought to assess the causes of air quality deterioration in the south of the region over the Red Sea near the resort areas of Eilat and Aqaba. Accordingly, a coordinated Jordanian-Israeli study was performed during the month of November 2007 along the boarder of the two countries. The Jordanian measurements were made at a fixed monitoring location in the city of Aqaba, while the Israeli measurements were made using a mobile laboratory at kibbutz Eilot some 3 km north of the coastal city of Eilat. The results indicated that pollution episodes are highly dependent on wind direction, where southerly winds carry local transportation (i.e., ship, trucks) and possibly some industrial emissions towards the north end of the Red Sea, while northerly winds are associated with the transport of regional O 3. The results revealed that under the prevailing (˜90% of the time) northerly wind flows, the quality of the air is relatively good for all primary pollutants but O3 was elevated, indicative of the downwind regional transport of this secondary species from the Mediterranean coast. However, during days with southerly air flow the air quality was significantly deteriorated with elevated levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The second phase of this work, which also involved Jordanian and Israeli scientists, was undertaken in the northern part of the region for a two-week period in May/June 2009. This part of the research was aimed at examining previous modeling results that indicated that elevated O3 levels should occur in Northern Jordan from emissions in Northern Israel that are transported a distance of more than 100 km. Ozone and other pollutants were monitored at five sites in Israel (Haifa, Neve Shanan, Kiryat Tivon, Afula, and Maoz Haim) and two in Jordan (Taiba and Irbid). The sites were located along the prevailing wind direction that presumably moves air-masses eastward from the Mediterranean coast, over the Israel

  10. Managing air pollution impacted forests of California

    Treesearch

    Michael J. Arbaugh; Trent Proctor; Annie Esperanza

    2009-01-01

    Fuel treatments (prescribed fire and mechanical removal) on public lands in California are critical for reducing fuel accumulation and wildfire frequency and severity and protecting private property located in the wildland–urban interface. Treatments are especially needed in forests impacted by air pollution and subject to climate change. High ambient ozone (O

  11. Athletic performance and urban air pollution.

    PubMed Central

    Shephard, R J

    1984-01-01

    Air pollution may affect athletic performance. In Los Angeles, contaminants include carbon monoxide, ozone, peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) and nitrogen oxides, whereas in older European cities, such as Sarajevo, "reducing smog" of sulfur dioxide is the main hazard. The carbon monoxide and ozone levels expected in Los Angeles this summer could affect the athletes' performance in endurance events at the Olympic Games. Carbon monoxide may also impair psychomotor abilities, and PAN causes visual disturbances. The only likely physiologic consequence from reducing smog is an increase in the workload of the respiratory system and thus a decrease in endurance performance. While carbon monoxide has been blamed for myocardial infarctions, nitrogen oxides for pulmonary edema and sulfur dioxide for deaths due to respiratory failure, the only illnesses that are likely to be more frequent than usual among young athletes exposed to high levels of these pollutants are upper respiratory tract infections. Therapeutic tactics include the avoidance of pollution, the administration of oxygen, vitamin C and vitamin E, and general reassurance. PMID:6744156

  12. Healthy neighborhoods: walkability and air pollution.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Julian D; Brauer, Michael; Frank, Lawrence D

    2009-11-01

    The built environment may influence health in part through the promotion of physical activity and exposure to pollution. To date, no studies have explored interactions between neighborhood walkability and air pollution exposure. We estimated concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), a marker for direct vehicle emissions), and ozone (O(3)) and a neighborhood walkability score, for 49,702 (89% of total) postal codes in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. NO concentrations were estimated from a land-use regression model, O(3) was estimated from ambient monitoring data; walkability was calculated based on geographic attributes such as land-use mix, street connectivity, and residential density. All three attributes exhibit an urban-rural gradient, with high walkability and NO concentrations, and low O(3) concentrations, near the city center. Lower-income areas tend to have higher NO concentrations and walkability and lower O(3) concentrations. Higher-income areas tend to have lower pollution (NO and O(3)). "Sweet-spot" neighborhoods (low pollution, high walkability) are generally located near but not at the city center and are almost exclusively higher income. Increased concentration of activities in urban settings yields both health costs and benefits. Our research identifies neighborhoods that do especially well (and especially poorly) for walkability and air pollution exposure. Work is needed to ensure that the poor do not bear an undue burden of urban air pollution and that neighborhoods designed for walking, bicycling, or mass transit do not adversely affect resident's exposure to air pollution. Analyses presented here could be replicated in other cities and tracked over time to better understand interactions among neighborhood walkability, air pollution exposure, and income level.

  13. Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants: Issues, Progress, and Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keating, T.

    2007-12-01

    Once thought of as only a local or regional issue, air quality is now understood to be influenced by local, regional, hemispheric, and global phenomena. There is well-documented evidence from ground-, aircraft-, and satellite- based observations for the intercontinental transport of ozone, aerosols, mercury, and some persistent organic pollutants. Global and regional models have provided a range of estimates of the influence of emissions on one continent on concentrations and deposition levels on another continent. These estimates have been difficult to compare and the significance of this intercontinental influence for the design of air pollution control policies is not well understood. The Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants organized under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution is developing the first systematic assessment of intercontinental transport and hemispheric pollution in the Northern Hemisphere. This presentation by one of the co-chairs of the Task Force will explore the motivations behind the creation of the Task Force, review its progress, and discuss the implications of its work for the development of domestic and international air quality management policies.

  14. Changes in tropospheric composition and air quality due to stratospheric ozone depletion.

    PubMed

    Solomon, Keith R; Tang, Xiaoyan; Wilson, Stephen R; Zanis, Prodromos; Bais, Alkiviadis F

    2003-01-01

    Increased UV-B through stratospheric ozone depletion leads to an increased chemical activity in the lower atmosphere (the troposphere). The effect of stratospheric ozone depletion on tropospheric ozone is small (though significant) compared to the ozone generated anthropogenically in areas already experiencing air pollution. Modeling and experimental studies suggest that the impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion on tropospheric ozone are different at different altitudes and for different chemical regimes. As a result the increase in ozone due to stratospheric ozone depletion may be greater in polluted regions. Attributable effects on concentrations are expected only in regions where local emissions make minor contributions. The vertical distribution of NOx (NO + NO2), the emission of volatile organic compounds and the abundance of water vapor, are important influencing factors. The long-term nature of stratospheric ozone depletion means that even a small increase in tropospheric ozone concentration can have a significant impact on human health and the environment. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and chlorodifluoroacetic acid (CDFA) are produced by the atmospheric degradation of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). TFA has been measured in rain, rivers, lakes, and oceans, the ultimate sink for these and related compounds. Significant anthropogenic sources of TFA other than degradation HCFCs and HFCs have been identified. Toxicity tests under field conditions indicate that the concentrations of TFA and CDFA currently produced by the atmospheric degradation of HFCs and HCFCs do not present a risk to human health and the environment. The impact of the interaction between ozone depletion and future climate change is complex and a significant area of current research. For air quality and tropospheric composition, a range of physical parameters such as temperature, cloudiness and atmospheric transport will modify the impact of UV-B. Changes in the

  15. Is ozone, rather than PM2.5, actually the largest contributor to premature deaths associated with trans-continental transport of air pollution?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henze, D. K.; Davila, Y.; Anenberg, S.; Malley, C.; Kuylenstierna, J. C. I.; Vallack, H.; Ashmore, M. R.; Turner, M.; Sudo, K.; Jonson, J. E.; Chin, M.; Doherty, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    While both ozone and PM2.5 contribute to a range of deleterious human health impacts, evaluations of regional and global burdens of disease associated with exposure to these pollutants have concluded that PM2.5 is the larger driver of premature deaths from degraded air quality. This is owing to both high PM2.5 concentrations in heavily populated areas and stronger concentration-response relationships between PM2.5 exposure and increased mortality risk. Meanwhile, both PM2.5 and O3 are formed and/or advected far downwind of their sources and contribute to long-range (trans-continental) pollution transport. Ozone most often makes greater contributions to long-range pollution transport in terms of percent changes in surface-level concentrations given its longer tropospheric lifetime than PM2.5. Combining these factors, previous works have identified PM2.5 as more frequently being the dominant long-range source of air pollution related premature deaths, closely followed by O3. Here we re-evaluate this question using several updates, drawing from ensembles of model simulations performed as part of Phase 2 of the Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants (HTAP) project. Most importantly, we use recently revised concentration-response relationships for respiratory (and, less confidently, cardiovascular) disease associated with long-term O3 exposure, which we have shown increases estimates of premature death owing to O3 several-fold, and integrated exposure response (IER) functions for PM2.5. Further, we attempt to overcome well-recognized biases in estimating PM2.5 exposure with global-scale models via assimilation of high resolution (0.1 x 0.1) maps of surface PM2.5 derived from satellite observations. Overall, we find that our revised estimates of long-range O3 and PM2.5 related premature deaths are most often dominated by O3. These findings provide additional incentives for considering the global-scale consequences of regional emissions controls of O3 precursors.

  16. Air pollution and activation of mobile medical team for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

    PubMed

    Pradeau, Catherine; Rondeau, Virginie; Lévèque, Emilie; Guernion, Pierre-Yves; Tentillier, Eric; Thicoipé, Michel; Brochard, Patrick

    2015-03-01

    The association between air pollution exposure and cardiovascular events is well established, and the effect of short-term exposure on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has received some attention. The effect of air pollution exposure and the activation of mobile intensive care units (MICUs) for cardiac arrest have never been studied. We analyzed associations between air pollutants and MICU activation for OHCA. This is a retrospective study including 4558 patients with OHCA and MICU activation from 2007 to 2012. A time-stratified case crossover design was used. Particulate matter (PM) of median aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), less than 10 μm, and ozone were the 3 main pollutants used to determine the effects of pollution exposure on the event. A daily average increase of 27.6 μg/m(3) in ozone was associated with an increase of MICU activation for OHCA the following day (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.22). For women, a daily average increase of 27.6 μg/m(3) in ozone was associated with an increase of MICU activation for OHCA the following day (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01-1.37). An hourly average increase of 10.5 μg/m(3) in PM2.5 was associated with an increase of MICU activation for OHCA in the current hour (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19). For men, an increase in PM2.5 was associated with an increase in MICU activation for OHCA the current hour (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.20). No association was found with PM of median aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm. An association was found between air pollution and MICU activation for OHCA (ozone and PM2.5). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Air pollution, avoidance behaviour and children's respiratory health: evidence from England.

    PubMed

    Janke, Katharina

    2014-12-01

    Despite progress in air pollution control, concerns remain over the health impact of poor air quality. Governments increasingly issue air quality information to enable vulnerable groups to avoid exposure. Avoidance behaviour potentially biases estimates of the health effects of air pollutants. But avoidance behaviour imposes a cost on individuals and therefore may not be taken in all circumstances. This paper exploits panel data at the English local authority level to estimate the relationship between children's daily hospital emergency admissions for respiratory diseases and common air pollutants, while allowing for avoidance behaviour in response to air pollution warnings. A 1% increase in nitrogen dioxide or ozone concentrations increases hospital admissions by 0.1%. For the subset of asthma admissions - where avoidance is less costly - there is evidence of avoidance behaviour. Ignoring avoidance behaviour, however, does not result in statistically significant underestimation of the health effect of air pollution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Ozone pollution will compromise efforts to increase global wheat production.

    PubMed

    Mills, Gina; Sharps, Katrina; Simpson, David; Pleijel, Håkan; Broberg, Malin; Uddling, Johan; Jaramillo, Fernando; Davies, William J; Dentener, Frank; Van den Berg, Maurits; Agrawal, Madhoolika; Agrawal, Shahibhushan B; Ainsworth, Elizabeth A; Büker, Patrick; Emberson, Lisa; Feng, Zhaozhong; Harmens, Harry; Hayes, Felicity; Kobayashi, Kazuhiko; Paoletti, Elena; Van Dingenen, Rita

    2018-03-31

    Introduction of high-performing crop cultivars and crop/soil water management practices that increase the stomatal uptake of carbon dioxide and photosynthesis will be instrumental in realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of achieving food security. To date, however, global assessments of how to increase crop yield have failed to consider the negative effects of tropospheric ozone, a gaseous pollutant that enters the leaf stomatal pores of plants along with carbon dioxide, and is increasing in concentration globally, particularly in rapidly developing countries. Earlier studies have simply estimated that the largest effects are in the areas with the highest ozone concentrations. Using a modelling method that accounts for the effects of soil moisture deficit and meteorological factors on the stomatal uptake of ozone, we show for the first time that ozone impacts on wheat yield are particularly large in humid rain-fed and irrigated areas of major wheat-producing countries (e.g. United States, France, India, China and Russia). Averaged over 2010-2012, we estimate that ozone reduces wheat yields by a mean 9.9% in the northern hemisphere and 6.2% in the southern hemisphere, corresponding to some 85 Tg (million tonnes) of lost grain. Total production losses in developing countries receiving Official Development Assistance are 50% higher than those in developed countries, potentially reducing the possibility of achieving UN SDG2. Crucially, our analysis shows that ozone could reduce the potential yield benefits of increasing irrigation usage in response to climate change because added irrigation increases the uptake and subsequent negative effects of the pollutant. We show that mitigation of air pollution in a changing climate could play a vital role in achieving the above-mentioned UN SDG, while also contributing to other SDGs related to human health and well-being, ecosystems and climate change. © 2018 The Authors. Global Change Biology

  19. Discoveries about Tropospheric Ozone Pollution from Satellite and Soundings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.

    2004-01-01

    We have been producing near-red time tropospheric ozone satellite maps from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) sensor since 1997. Maps for 1996-2000 for the operational Earth-Probe instrument are at:. Pollution in the tropics is influenced by biomass burning and by transport patterns that favor recirculation and in other cases reflect climate variability like the El-Nino-Southern Oscillation [Thompson et al., 2001]. The satellite view of chemical-dynamical interactions in tropospheric ozone is not adequate to capture vertical gradients in pollution. Thus, in 1998, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a team of international sponsors established the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) project to address the gap in tropical ozone soundings. SHADOZ augments launches and provides a public archive of ozonesonde data from twelve tropical stations at http://croc.gsfc.nasa.gov/shadoz. Further insights into the role of chemical and dynamical influences have emerged from the first 4-5 years of SHADOZ data (more than 2000 ozone profiles). Highly variable tropospheric ozone and a zonal wave-one pattern in tropospheric ozone suggest that dynamics is as important as pollution in determining tropical ozone distributions.

  20. The Effects of a Blizzard on Urban Air Pollution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    da Silva, Armando; Bein, Frederick L.

    1981-01-01

    The chronology and effects of a 1978 blizzard on Indianapolis' air pollution levels (ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide) are used as a case study for geography classes. Photographs, graphs, and maps are provided as examples of meteorological data collection and interpretation. (AM)

  1. The effect of future outdoor air pollution on human health and the contribution of climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, R.; West, J. J.; Lamarque, J.; Shindell, D.; Collins, W.; Dalsoren, S. B.; Faluvegi, G. S.; Folberth, G.; Horowitz, L. W.; Nagashima, T.; Naik, V.; Rumbold, S.; Skeie, R.; Sudo, K.; Takemura, T.; Bergmann, D. J.; Cameron-Smith, P. J.; Cionni, I.; Doherty, R. M.; Eyring, V.; Josse, B.; MacKenzie, I. A.; Plummer, D.; Righi, M.; Stevenson, D. S.; Strode, S. A.; Szopa, S.; Zeng, G.

    2013-12-01

    At present, exposure to outdoor air pollution from ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) causes over 2 million deaths per year, due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Future ambient concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 will be affected by both air pollutant emissions and climate change. Here we estimate the potential impact of future outdoor air pollution on premature human mortality, and isolate the contribution of future climate change due to its effect on air quality. We use modeled present-day (2000) and future global ozone and PM2.5 concentrations from simulations with an ensemble of chemistry-climate models from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP). Future air pollution was modeled for global greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions in the four IPCC AR5 Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios, for 2030, 2050 and 2100. All model outputs are regridded to a common 0.5°x0.5° horizontal resolution. Future premature mortality is estimated for each RCP scenario and year based on changes in concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 relative to 2000. Using a health impact function, changes in concentrations for each RCP scenario are combined with future population and cause-specific baseline mortality rates as projected by a single independent scenario in which the global incidence of cardiopulmonary diseases is expected to increase. The effect of climate change is isolated by considering the difference between air pollutant concentrations from simulations with 2000 emissions and a future year climate and simulations with 2000 emissions and climate. Uncertainties in the results reflect the uncertainty in the concentration-response function and that associated with variability among models. Few previous studies have quantified the effects of future climate change on global human health via changes in air quality, and this is the first such study to use an ensemble of global models.

  2. The association between air pollution and mortality in Thailand

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Yuming; Li, Shanshan; Tawatsupa, Benjawan; Punnasiri, Kornwipa; Jaakkola, Jouni J. K.; Williams, Gail

    2014-01-01

    Bayesian statistical inference with a case-crossover design was used to examine the effects of air pollutants {Particulate matter <10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3)} on mortality. We found that all air pollutants had significant short-term impacts on non-accidental mortality. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM10, 10 ppb in O3, 1 ppb in SO2 were associated with a 0.40% (95% posterior interval (PI): 0.22, 0.59%), 0.78% (95% PI: 0.20, 1.35%) and 0.34% (95% PI: 0.17, 0.50%) increase of non-accidental mortality, respectively. O3 air pollution is significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality, while PM10 is significantly related to respiratory mortality. In general, the effects of all pollutants on all mortality types were higher in summer and winter than those in the rainy season. This study highlights the effects of exposure to air pollution on mortality risks in Thailand. Our findings support the Thailand government in aiming to reduce high levels of air pollution. PMID:24981315

  3. China's international trade and air pollution in the United States.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jintai; Pan, Da; Davis, Steven J; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin; Wang, Can; Streets, David G; Wuebbles, Donald J; Guan, Dabo

    2014-02-04

    China is the world's largest emitter of anthropogenic air pollutants, and measurable amounts of Chinese pollution are transported via the atmosphere to other countries, including the United States. However, a large fraction of Chinese emissions is due to manufacture of goods for foreign consumption. Here, we analyze the impacts of trade-related Chinese air pollutant emissions on the global atmospheric environment, linking an economic-emission analysis and atmospheric chemical transport modeling. We find that in 2006, 36% of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide, 27% of nitrogen oxides, 22% of carbon monoxide, and 17% of black carbon emitted in China were associated with production of goods for export. For each of these pollutants, about 21% of export-related Chinese emissions were attributed to China-to-US export. Atmospheric modeling shows that transport of the export-related Chinese pollution contributed 3-10% of annual mean surface sulfate concentrations and 0.5-1.5% of ozone over the western United States in 2006. This Chinese pollution also resulted in one extra day or more of noncompliance with the US ozone standard in 2006 over the Los Angeles area and many regions in the eastern United States. On a daily basis, the export-related Chinese pollution contributed, at a maximum, 12-24% of sulfate concentrations over the western United States. As the United States outsourced manufacturing to China, sulfate pollution in 2006 increased in the western United States but decreased in the eastern United States, reflecting the competing effect between enhanced transport of Chinese pollution and reduced US emissions. Our findings are relevant to international efforts to reduce transboundary air pollution.

  4. Air Quality Guide for Ozone

    MedlinePlus

    ... outdoors. Note: If you don't have an air conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelter. Key Facts to Know About Ozone: Ozone in the air we breathe can cause serious health problems, including ...

  5. Review of plants to mitigate particulate matter, ozone as well as nitrogen dioxide air pollutants and applicable recommendations for green roofs in Montreal, Quebec.

    PubMed

    Gourdji, Shannon

    2018-05-28

    In urbanized regions with expansive impervious surfaces and often low vegetation cover, air pollution due to motor vehicles and other combustion sources, is a problem. The poor air quality days in Montreal, Quebec are mainly due to fine particulate matter and ozone. Businesses using wood ovens are a source of particulates. Careful vegetation selection and increased green roof usage can improve air quality. This paper reviews different green roofs and the capability of plants in particulate matter (PM), ozone (O 3 ) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) level reductions. Both the recommended green roof category and plants to reduce these pollutants in Montreal's zone 5 hardiness region are provided. Green roofs with larger vegetation including shrubs and trees, or intensive green roofs, remove air pollutants to a greater extent and are advisable to implement on existing, retrofitted or new buildings. PM is most effectively captured by pines. The small Pinus strobus 'Nana', Pinus mugho var. pumilio, Pinus mugho 'Slowmound' and Pinus pumila 'Dwarf Blue' are good candidates for intensive green roofs. Drought tolerant, deciduous broadleaved trees with low biogenic volatile organic compound emissions including Japanese Maple or Acer palmatum 'Shaina' and 'Mikawa-Yatsubusa' are options to reduce O 3 levels. Magnolias are tolerant to NO 2 and it is important in their metabolic pathways. The small cold-tolerant Magnolia 'Genie' is a good option to remove NO 2 in urban settings and to indirectly reduce O 3 formation. Given the emissions by Montreal businesses' wood ovens, calculations performed based on their respective complex roof areas obtained via Google Earth Pro indicates 88% Pinus mugho var. pumilio roof coverage can annually remove 92.37 kg of PM 10 of which 35.10 kg is PM 2.5 . The removal rates are 4.00 g/m 2 and 1.52 g/m 2 for PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively. This paper provides insight to addressing air pollution through urban rooftop greening. Copyright

  6. Using Google Location History to track personal exposure to air pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marais, E. A.; Wiedinmyer, C.

    2017-12-01

    Big data is increasingly used in air pollution research to monitor air quality and develop mitigation strategies. Google Location History provides an archive of geolocation and time information from mobile devices that can be used to track personal exposure to air pollution. Here we demonstrate the utility of Google Location History for assessing true exposure of individuals to air pollution hazardous to human health in an increasingly mobile world. We use the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model at coarse resolution (2° × 2.5°; latitude × longitude) to calculate and sample surface concentrations of fine particle mass (PM2.5) and ozone concentrations at the same time and location of each of six volunteers for 2 years (June 2015 to May 2017) and compare this to annual mean PM2.5 and ozone estimated at their postal addresses. The latter is synonymous with Global Burden of Disease studies that use a static population distribution map. We find that mobile PM2.5 is higher than static PM2.5 for most (five out of six) volunteers and can lead to a 10% increase in the risk for ischemic heart disease and stroke mortality. The difference may be more if instead a high resolution CTM or an abundant air quality monitoring network is used. There is tremendous potential to exploit geolocation and time data from mobile devices for cohort health studies and to determine best practices for limiting personal exposure to air pollution.

  7. OFFICE EQUIPMENT: DESIGN, INDOOR AIR EMISSIONS, AND POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report summarizes available information on office equipment design; indoor air emissions of organics, ozone, and particulates from office equipment; and pollution prevention approaches for reducing these emissions. Since much of the existing emissions data from office equipme...

  8. Effects of trans-Eurasian transport of anthropogenic pollutants on surface ozone concentrations over China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, J.; Li, X.; Mauzerall, D. L.; Emmons, L. K.; Horowitz, L. W.; Guo, Y.; Tao, S.

    2015-12-01

    Due to a lack of industrialization in Western China, surface air there was, until recently, believed to be relatively unpolluted. However, recent measurements and modeling studies have found high levels of ozone (O3) there. Based on the state-of-the-science global chemical transport model MOZART-4, we identify the origin, pathway, and mechanism of trans-Eurasian transport of air pollutants to Western China in 2000. MOZART-4 generally simulates well the observed surface O3 over inland areas of China. Simulations find surface ozone concentrations over Western China on average to be about 10 ppbv higher than Eastern China. Using sensitivity studies as well as a fully-tagged approach, we find that anthropogenic emissions from all Eurasian regions except China contribute 10-15 ppbv surface O3 over Western China, superimposed upon a 35-40 ppbv natural background. Transport from European anthropogenic sources to Northwestern China results in 2-6 ppbv O3 enhancements in spring and summer. Indian anthropogenic sources strongly influence O3 over the Tibetan Plateau during the summer monsoon. Transport of O3 originating from emissions in the Middle East occasionally reach Western China and increase surface ozone there by about 1-4 ppbv. These influences are of similar magnitude as trans-Pacific and transatlantic transport of O3 and its precursors, indicating the significance of trans-Eurasian ozone transport in hemispheric transport of air pollution. Our study further indicates that mitigation of anthropogenic emissions from Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East could benefit public health and agricultural productivity in Western China.

  9. East China plains: a "basin" of ozone pollution.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chun; Wang, Yuhang; Zeng, Tao

    2009-03-15

    Economic growth and associated pollution emissions in China are concentrated over three connected plains to the east In this work, we analyze an episode of highly elevated ozone over East China on June 9-14, 2004, using a 3-D chemical transport model. During this episode, the East China plains were under a high-pressure system, which suppressed the ventilation of pollutants from the boundary layer. Simulated ozone concentrations over a major fraction of East China reached high levels, all the way down to the Pearl River Delta region in the southern border. The convergence of pollutant emissions and population over the vast stretch of the geographically flat plains of East China makes the region susceptible to high-ozone exposure. During this episode, the high-03 region extended over an area >1 million km2, which hosts a population of >800 million people. Model results indicate that controlling anthropogenic NOx emissions effectively reduces the area with high-ozone exposure.

  10. International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes (ICAPPO)

    PubMed Central

    Woodruff, Tracey J.; Parker, Jennifer D.; Adams, Kate; Bell, Michelle L.; Gehring, Ulrike; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Ha, Eun-Hee; Jalaludin, Bin; Slama, Rémy

    2010-01-01

    Reviews find a likely adverse effect of air pollution on perinatal outcomes, but variation of findings hinders the ability to incorporate the research into policy. The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes (ICAPPO) was formed to better understand relationships between air pollution and adverse birth outcomes through standardized parallel analyses in datasets from different countries. A planning group with 10 members from 6 countries was formed to coordinate the project. Collaboration participants have datasets with air pollution values and birth outcomes. Eighteen research groups with data for approximately 20 locations in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America are participating, with most participating in an initial pilot study. Datasets generally cover the 1990s. Number of births is generally in the hundreds of thousands, but ranges from around 1,000 to about one million. Almost all participants have some measure of particulate matter, and most have ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Strong enthusiasm for participating and a geographically-diverse range of participants should lead to understanding uncertainties about the role of air pollution in perinatal outcomes and provide decision-makers with better tools to account for pregnancy outcomes in air pollution policies. PMID:20644693

  11. Stretching the stress boundary: Linking air pollution health effects to a neurohormonal stress response.

    PubMed

    Kodavanti, Urmila P

    2016-12-01

    Inhaled pollutants produce effects in virtually all organ systems in our body and have been linked to chronic diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and diabetes. A neurohormonal stress response (referred to here as a systemic response produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis) has been implicated in a variety of psychological and physical stresses, which involves immune and metabolic homeostatic mechanisms affecting all organs in the body. In this review, we provide new evidence for the involvement of this well-characterized neurohormonal stress response in mediating systemic and pulmonary effects of a prototypic air pollutant - ozone. A plethora of systemic metabolic and immune effects are induced in animals exposed to inhaled pollutants, which could result from increased circulating stress hormones. The release of adrenal-derived stress hormones in response to ozone exposure not only mediates systemic immune and metabolic responses, but by doing so, also modulates pulmonary injury and inflammation. With recurring pollutant exposures, these effects can contribute to multi-organ chronic conditions associated with air pollution. This review will cover, 1) the potential mechanisms by which air pollutants can initiate the relay of signals from respiratory tract to brain through trigeminal and vagus nerves, and activate stress responsive regions including hypothalamus; and 2) the contribution of sympathetic and HPA-axis activation in mediating systemic homeostatic metabolic and immune effects of ozone in various organs. The potential contribution of chronic environmental stress in cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive and metabolic diseases, and the knowledge gaps are also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Interaction between local and regional pollution during Escompte 2001: impact on surface ozone concentrations (IOP2a and 2b)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cousin, F.; Tulet, P.; Rosset, R.

    2005-03-01

    Escompte, a European programme which took place in the Marseille region in June-July 2001, has been designed as an exhaustive database to be used for the development and validation of air pollution models. The air quality Mesoscale NonHydrostatic Chemistry model (Meso-NH-C) is used to simulate 2 days of an Intensive Observation Period (IOP) documented during the Escompte campaign, June 23 and 24, 2001. We first study the synoptic and local meteorological situation on June 23 and 24, using surface and aircraft measurements. Then, we focus on the pollution episode of June 24. This study emphasizes the deep impact of synoptic and local dynamics on observed ozone concentrations. It is shown that ozone levels are due both to regional and local factors, with highlights of the importance of ozone layering. More generally this confirms, even in an otherwise predominant local sea-breeze regime, the need to consider larger scale regional pollutant transport.

  13. Air Pollution and Hospitalization for Acute Myocardial Infarction in China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hui; Tian, Yaohua; Xiang, Xiao; Sun, Kexin; Juan, Juan; Song, Jing; Cao, Yaying; Xu, Beibei; Hu, Yonghua

    2017-09-01

    There is growing interest in the association between ambient air pollution and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The objective of this study was to explore the association in 14 Chinese cities using a time-stratified case-crossover design. We identified 80,787 hospital admissions for AMI between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 from electronic hospitalization summary reports. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the percent changes with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in AMI admissions in relation to an interquartile range increase in ambient air pollutant concentrations. All analyzed air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, were positively associated with daily AMI admissions on lag2 and lag3 days. An interquartile range increase in particulate matter <10 µm in aerodynamic diameter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide concentrations on lag2 day was significantly associated with a 0.8% (95% CI 0.1%, 1.6%), 2.0% (95% CI 1.2%, 2.9%), 2.2% (95% CI 1.4%, 3.1%), and 1.1% (95% CI 0.4%, 1.8%) increase in AMI admissions, respectively. We also observed a significant association in relation to ozone on lag4 day (percent change: 1.3%; 95% CI 0.2%, 2.4%). Subgroup analyses indicated no effect modification of risk by age (≥65 years and <65 years) or gender. In conclusion, this is the first multicity study in China, or even in other developing countries, to report the short-term effects of air pollution on AMI morbidity. Our findings contribute to the limited scientific data on the effects of ambient air pollution on AMI in developing countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Vegetation-mediated Climate Impacts on Historical and Future Ozone Air Quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, A. P. K.; Fu, Y.; Mickley, L. J.; Heald, C. L.; Wu, S.

    2014-12-01

    Changes in climate, natural vegetation and human land use are expected to significantly influence air quality in the coming century. These changes and their interactions have important ramifications for the effectiveness of air pollution control strategies. In a series of studies, we use a one-way coupled modeling framework (GEOS-Chem driven by different combinations of historical and future meteorological, land cover and emission data) to investigate the effects of climate-vegetation changes on global and East Asian ozone air quality from 30 years ago to 40 years into the future. We find that future climate and climate-driven vegetation changes combine to increase summertime ozone by 2-6 ppbv in populous regions of the US, Europe, East Asia and South Asia by year 2050, but including the interaction between CO2 and biogenic isoprene emission reduces the climate impacts by more than half. Land use change such as cropland expansion has the potential to either mostly offset the climate-driven ozone increases (e.g., in the US and Europe), or greatly increase ozone (e.g., in Southeast Asia). The projected climate-vegetation effects in East Asia are particularly uncertain, reflecting a less understood ozone production regime. We thus further study how East Asian ozone air quality has evolved since the early 1980s in response to climate, vegetation and emission changes to shed light on its likely future course. We find that warming alone has led to a substantial increase in summertime ozone in populous regions by 1-4 ppbv. Despite significant cropland expansion and urbanization, increased summertime leafiness of vegetation in response to warming and CO2 fertilization has reduced ozone by 1-2 ppbv, driven by enhanced ozone deposition dominating over elevated biogenic emission and partially offsetting the warming effect. The historical role of CO2-isoprene interaction in East Asia, however, remains highly uncertain. Our findings demonstrate the important roles of land cover

  15. Air pollution: brown skies research.

    PubMed Central

    Tattersfield, A. E.

    1996-01-01

    Direct information on the health effects of air pollution in humans relies mainly on chamber studies and epidemiological studies. Although chamber studies have limitations they allow the acute effects of individual pollutants to be studied in well characterised subjects under controlled conditions. Most chamber studies have shown relatively small falls in lung function and relatively small increases in bronchial reactivity at the concentrations of ozone, SO2, and NO2 that occur even during high pollution episodes in the UK. The possible exception is SO2 where sensitive asthmatic patients may show a greater response at concentrations that are seen from time to time in certain areas and in proximity to power stations. There is no convincing evidence of potentiation between pollutants in chamber studies. Epidemiological studies are more difficult to carry out and require considerable epidemiological and statistical expertise to deal with the main problem-confounding by other factors. Although the health effects seen with current levels of pollution are small compared with those seen in the 1950s and close to the limits of detection, this should not be interpreted as being unimportant. A small effect may have large consequences when the population exposed is large (the whole population in this case). Recent data suggest that particles have more important health effects than the pollutant gases that have been studied. Much of this information comes from the USA though the findings are probably applicable in the UK. More information is needed on the size of the health effects that occur during the three types of air pollution episodes seen in this country and the relative contributions of particles, pollutant gases, pollen, and other factors such as temperature. Research into air pollution declined in the UK following the introduction of the Clean Air Acts; it is now increasing again following pressure from certain individuals and ginger groups, including the British

  16. Air pollution and gene-specific methylation in the Normative Aging Study

    PubMed Central

    Bind, Marie-Abele; Lepeule, Johanna; Zanobetti, Antonella; Gasparrini, Antonio; Baccarelli, Andrea A; Coull, Brent A; Tarantini, Letizia; Vokonas, Pantel S; Koutrakis, Petros; Schwartz, Joel

    2014-01-01

    The mechanisms by which air pollution has multiple systemic effects in humans are not fully elucidated, but appear to include inflammation and thrombosis. This study examines whether concentrations of ozone and components of fine particle mass are associated with changes in methylation on tissue factor (F3), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 6 (IL-6), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2), and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). We investigated associations between air pollution exposure and gene-specific methylation in 777 elderly men participating in the Normative Aging Study (1999–2009). We repeatedly measured methylation at multiple CpG sites within each gene’s promoter region and calculated the mean of the position-specific measurements. We examined intermediate-term associations between primary and secondary air pollutants and mean methylation and methylation at each position with distributed-lag models. Increase in air pollutants concentrations was significantly associated with F3, ICAM-1, and TLR-2 hypomethylation, and IFN-γ and IL-6 hypermethylation. An interquartile range increase in black carbon concentration averaged over the four weeks prior to assessment was associated with a 12% reduction in F3 methylation (95% CI: -17% to -6%). For some genes, the change in methylation was observed only at specific locations within the promoter region. DNA methylation may reflect biological impact of air pollution. We found some significant mediated effects of black carbon on fibrinogen through a decrease in F3 methylation, and of sulfate and ozone on ICAM-1 protein through a decrease in ICAM-1 methylation. PMID:24385016

  17. Is smog innocuous? Air pollution and cardiovascular disease.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Sundeep

    Air pollution is a significant environmental and health hazard. Earlier studies had examined the adverse health effects associated with short- and long-term exposure to particulate matter on respiratory disease. However, later studies demonstrated that was actually cardiovascular disease that accounted for majority of mortality. Furthermore, it was not gaseous pollutants like oxides of nitrate, sulfur, carbon mono-oxide or ozone but the particulate matter or PM, of fine or coarse size (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) which was linearly associated with mortality; PM 2.5 with long term and PM 10 with short term. Several cardiovascular diseases are associated with pollution; acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. The ideal way to address this problem is by adhering to stringent environmental standards of pollutants but some individual steps like choosing to stay indoors (on high pollution days), reducing outdoor air permeation to inside, purifying indoor air using air filters, and also limiting outdoor physical activity near source of air pollution can help. Nutritional anti-oxidants like statins or Mediterranean diet, and aspirin have not been associated with reduced risk but specific nutritional agents like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or brussels sprouts, fish oil supplement may help. Use of face-mask has been controversial but may be useful if particulate matter load is higher. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Possibilities of observing air pollution from orbital altitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barringer, A.

    1972-01-01

    Research carried out over a number of years has indicated the feasibility of monitoring global air pollution from orbiting satellites. Optical methods show considerable promise of measuring the burdens of pollution, both gaseous and particulates. Important pollution gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone, as well as some hydrocarbon vapors, appear amenable to optical remote sensing. Satellite platforms for carrying out this work would not compete with ground monitoring stations but rather supplement them with a different type of data which could be integrated with ground level measurements to provide an all-embracing picture of pollution buildup, mass migration, and dissipation.

  19. N-fixation in legumes--An assessment of the potential threat posed by ozone pollution.

    PubMed

    Hewitt, D K L; Mills, G; Hayes, F; Norris, D; Coyle, M; Wilkinson, S; Davies, W

    2016-01-01

    The growth, development and functioning of legumes are often significantly affected by exposure to tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution. However, surprisingly little is known about how leguminous Nitrogen (N) fixation responds to ozone, with a scarcity of studies addressing this question in detail. In the last decade, ozone impacts on N-fixation in soybean, cowpea, mung bean, peanut and clover have been shown for concentrations which are now commonly recorded in ambient air or are likely to occur in the near future. We provide a synthesis of the existing literature addressing this issue, and also explore the effects that may occur on an agroecosystem scale by predicting reductions in Trifolium (clovers) root nodule biomass in United Kingdom (UK) pasture based on ozone concentration data for a "high" (2006) and "average" ozone year (2008). Median 8% and 5% reductions in clover root nodule biomass in pasture across the UK were predicted for 2006 and 2008 respectively. Seasonal exposure to elevated ozone, or short-term acute concentrations >100 ppb, are sufficient to reduce N-fixation and/or impact nodulation, in a range of globally-important legumes. However, an increasing global burden of CO2, the use of artificial fertiliser, and reactive N-pollution may partially mitigate impacts of ozone on N-fixation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Impacts of interstate transport of pollutants on high ozone events over the Mid-Atlantic United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Kuo-Jen; Hou, Xiangting; Baker, Debra Ratterman

    2014-02-01

    The impacts of interstate transport of anthropogenic nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions on peak ozone formation in four nonattainment areas (i.e., Baltimore, Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley and Washington, DC) in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. were quantified in this study. Regional air quality and sensitivities of ground-level ozone to emissions from four regions in the eastern U.S. were simulated for three summer months (June, July and August) in 2007 using the U.S. EPA's Community Multiscale Air Quality model with the decoupled direct method 3D. The emissions inventory used in this study was the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association Level 2 inventory, developed for State Implementation Plan screening modeling for the Ozone Transport Commission region. The modeling results show that responses of peak ozone levels at specific locations to emissions from EGU (i.e., electric generating unit) and non-EGU sources could be different. Therefore, emissions from EGU and non-EGU sources should be considered as two different control categories when developing regional air pollution mitigation strategies. Based on the emission inventories used in this study, reductions in anthropogenic NOx emissions (including those from EGU and non-EGU sources) from the Great Lake region as well as northeastern and southeastern U.S. would be effective for decreasing area-mean peak ozone concentrations during the summer of 2007 in the Mid-Atlantic ozone air quality nonattainment areas. The results also show that reductions in anthropogenic VOC emissions from the northeastern U.S. would also be effective for decreasing area-mean peak ozone concentrations over the Mid-Atlantic U.S. In some cases, reductions in anthropogenic NOx emissions from the Great Lake and northeastern U.S. could slightly increase area-mean peak ozone concentrations at some ozone monitors in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley and Washington, DC areas

  1. Protecting the photosynthetic performance of snap bean under free-air ozone exposure

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a major air pollutant and causes serious injury to vegetation. To protect sensitive plants from O3 damage, several agrochemicals have been assessed, such as ethylenediurea (EDU) and kinetin (KIN). However, the mitigating abilities of EDU and KIN have not yet been compared ...

  2. Air pollution impacts on avian species via inhalation exposure and associated outcomes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanderfoot, Olivia V.; Holloway, Tracey

    2017-08-01

    Despite the well-established links between air pollution and human health, vegetation, and aquatic ecosystems, less attention has been paid to the potential impact of reactive atmospheric gases and aerosols on avian species. In this literature review, we summarize findings published since 1950 regarding avian responses to air pollution and discuss knowledge gaps that could be addressed in future studies. We find consistent evidence for adverse health impacts on birds attributable to exposure to gas-phase and particulate air pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), smoke, and heavy metals, as well as mixtures of urban and industrial emissions. Avian responses to air pollution include respiratory distress and illness, increased detoxification effort, elevated stress levels, immunosuppression, behavioral changes, and impaired reproductive success. Exposure to air pollution may furthermore reduce population density, species diversity, and species richness in bird communities.

  3. Responses of Surface Ozone Air Quality to Anthropogenic Nitrogen Deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, L.; Zhao, Y.; Tai, A. P. K.; Chen, Y.; Pan, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Human activities have substantially increased atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen to the Earth's surface, inducing unintentional effects on ecosystems with complex environmental and climate consequences. One consequence remaining unexplored is how surface air quality might respond to the enhanced nitrogen deposition through surface-atmosphere exchange. We combine a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and a global land model (Community Land Model) to address this issue with a focus on ozone pollution in the Northern Hemisphere. We consider three processes that are important for surface ozone and can be perturbed by addition of atmospheric deposited nitrogen: emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone dry deposition, and soil nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. We find that present-day anthropogenic nitrogen deposition (65 Tg N a-1 to the land), through enhancing plant growth (represented as increases in vegetation leaf area index (LAI) in the model), could increase surface ozone from increased biogenic VOC emissions, but could also decrease ozone due to higher ozone dry deposition velocities. Meanwhile, deposited anthropogenic nitrogen to soil enhances soil NOx emissions. The overall effect on summer mean surface ozone concentrations show general increases over the globe (up to 1.5-2.3 ppbv over the western US and South Asia), except for some regions with high anthropogenic NOx emissions (0.5-1.0 ppbv decreases over the eastern US, Western Europe, and North China). We compare the surface ozone changes with those driven by the past 20-year climate and historical land use changes. We find that the impacts from anthropogenic nitrogen deposition can be comparable to the climate and land use driven surface ozone changes at regional scales, and partly offset the surface ozone reductions due to land use changes reported in previous studies. Our study emphasizes the complexity of biosphere-atmosphere interactions, which can have important

  4. Air Quality Index (AQI) -- A Guide to Air Quality and Your Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... Guide for Ozone Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution Other AirNow Publications Other AirNow Publications En Español ... the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur ...

  5. Air pollution and doctors' house calls: results from the ERPURS system for monitoring the effects of air pollution on public health in Greater Paris, France, 1991-1995. Evaluation des Risques de la Pollution Urbaine pour la Santé.

    PubMed

    Medina, S; Le Tertre, A; Quénel, P; Le Moullec, Y; Lameloise, P; Guzzo, J C; Festy, B; Ferry, R; Dab, W

    1997-10-01

    This study examines short-term relationships between doctors' house calls and urban air pollution in Greater Paris for the period 1991-1995. Poisson regressions using nonparametric smoothing functions controlled for time trend, seasonal patterns, pollen counts, influenza epidemics, and weather. The relationship between asthma visits and air pollution was stronger for children. A relative risk (RRP95/P5) of 1.32 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-1.47)] was observed for an increase from the 5th to the 95th percentile (7-51 micrograms/m3) in daily concentrations of black smoke (BS). The risks for 24-hr sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide levels were in the same range. Cardiovascular conditions, considered globally, showed weaker associations than angina pectoris/myocardial infarction, for which RRP95/P5 was 1.63 (95% CI = 1.10-2.41) in relation to ozone ambient levels. Eye conditions were exclusively related to ozone (RRP95/P5 = 1.17, 95% CI 1.02-1.33). Asthma visits and ozone showed an interaction with minimum temperature: an effect was observed only at 10 degrees C or higher. In two-pollutant models including BS with, successively, SO2, NO2, and O3, only BS and O3 effects remained stable. Along with mortality and hospital admissions, house call activity data, available on a regular basis, may be a sensitive indicator for monitoring health effects related to air pollution.

  6. OPERATIONAL AND DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF THE OZONE FORECASTS BY THE ETA-CMAQ MODEL SUITE DURING THE 2002 NEW ENGLAND AIR QUALITY STUDY (NEAQS)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ozone (O3), a secondary pollutant, is created in part by emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources. It is necessary for local air quality agencies to accurately forecast ozone concentrations to warn the public of unhealthy air and to encourage people to volunta...

  7. China’s international trade and air pollution in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Jintai; Pan, Da; Davis, Steven J.; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin; Wang, Can; Streets, David G.; Wuebbles, Donald J.; Guan, Dabo

    2014-01-01

    China is the world’s largest emitter of anthropogenic air pollutants, and measurable amounts of Chinese pollution are transported via the atmosphere to other countries, including the United States. However, a large fraction of Chinese emissions is due to manufacture of goods for foreign consumption. Here, we analyze the impacts of trade-related Chinese air pollutant emissions on the global atmospheric environment, linking an economic-emission analysis and atmospheric chemical transport modeling. We find that in 2006, 36% of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide, 27% of nitrogen oxides, 22% of carbon monoxide, and 17% of black carbon emitted in China were associated with production of goods for export. For each of these pollutants, about 21% of export-related Chinese emissions were attributed to China-to-US export. Atmospheric modeling shows that transport of the export-related Chinese pollution contributed 3–10% of annual mean surface sulfate concentrations and 0.5–1.5% of ozone over the western United States in 2006. This Chinese pollution also resulted in one extra day or more of noncompliance with the US ozone standard in 2006 over the Los Angeles area and many regions in the eastern United States. On a daily basis, the export-related Chinese pollution contributed, at a maximum, 12–24% of sulfate concentrations over the western United States. As the United States outsourced manufacturing to China, sulfate pollution in 2006 increased in the western United States but decreased in the eastern United States, reflecting the competing effect between enhanced transport of Chinese pollution and reduced US emissions. Our findings are relevant to international efforts to reduce transboundary air pollution. PMID:24449863

  8. Ozone Transport Aloft Drives Surface Ozone Maxima Across the Mojave Desert

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    VanCuren, R. A.

    2014-12-01

    A persistent layer of polluted air in the lower free troposphere over the Mojave Desert (California and Nevada) drives spring and summer surface ozone maxima as deep afternoon mixing delivers ozone and ozone precursors to surface measurement sites 200 km or more downwind of the mountains that separate the deserts from the heavily populated coastal areas of California. Pollutants in this elevated layer derive from California source regions (the Los Angeles megacity region and the intensive agricultural region of the San Joaquin Valley), and from long-range transport from Asia. Recognition of this poorly studied persistent layer explains and expands the significance of previously published reports of ozone and other pollutants observed in and over the Mojave Desert, resolves an apparent paradox in the timing of ozone peaks due to transport from the upwind basins, and provides a new perspective on the long-range downwind impacts of megacity pollution plumes.

  9. Air pollutants and cough.

    PubMed

    Joad, Jesse P; Sekizawa, Shin-ichi; Chen, Chao-Yin; Bonham, Ann C

    2007-01-01

    Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to air pollution is associated with respiratory symptoms and decreases in lung function. This paper reviews recent literature showing that exposure to particulate matter, irritant gases, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), mixed pollutants, and molds is associated with an increase in cough and wheeze. Some pollutants, like particulate matter and mixed pollutants, appear to increase cough at least as much as wheeze. Others, like irritant gases, appear to increase wheeze more than cough. For ETS, exposure during childhood is associated with cough and wheeze in adulthood, suggesting that the pollutant permanently alters some important aspect of the lungs, immune system or nervous system. We have shown in animal studies that pollutants change the neural control of airways and cough. Second hand smoke (SHS) exposure lengthened stimulated apnoea, increased the number of stimulated coughs, and augmented the degree of stimulated bronchoconstriction. The mechanisms included enhanced reactivity of the peripheral sensory neurones and second-order neurones in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). NTS effects were due to a substance P mechanism at least in part. Ozone and allergen increased the intrinsic excitability of second-order neurones in the NTS. The animal studies suggest that the cough and wheeze experienced by humans exposed to pollutants may involve plasticity in the nervous system.

  10. Joint Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Pediatric Asthma ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Background: Because ambient air pollution exposure occurs in the form of mixtures, consideration of joint effects of multiple pollutants may advance our understanding of air pollution health effects. Methods: We assessed the joint effect of selected ambient air pollutant combinations (groups of oxidant, secondary, traffic, power plant, and criteria pollutants constructed using combinations of criteria gases, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5 components) on warm season pediatric asthma emergency department (ED) visits in Atlanta during 1998-2004. Joint effects were assessed using multi-pollutant Poisson generalized linear models controlling for time trends, meteorology and daily non-asthma respiratory ED visit counts. Rate ratios (RR) were calculated for the combined effect of an interquartile-range increment in the concentration of each pollutant. Results: Increases in all of the selected pollutant combinations were associated with increases in pediatric asthma ED visits [e.g., joint effect rate ratio=1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.21) for criteria pollutants (including ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and PM2.5)]. Joint effect estimates were smaller than estimates calculated based on summing results from single-pollutant models, due to control for confounding. Compared with models without interactions, joint effect estimates from models including first-order pollutant interactions were similar for oxidant a

  11. Dispersion of atmospheric air pollution in summer and winter season.

    PubMed

    Cichowicz, Robert; Wielgosiński, Grzegorz; Fetter, Wojciech

    2017-11-04

    Seasonal variation of air pollution is associated with variety of seasons and specificity of particular months which form the so-called summer and winter season also known as the "heating" season. The occurrence of higher values of air pollution in different months of a year is associated with the type of climate, and accordingly with different atmospheric conditions in particular months, changing state of weather on a given day, and anthropogenic activity. The appearance of these conditions results in different levels of air pollution characteristic for a given period. The study uses data collected during a seven-year period (2009-2015) in the automatic measuring station of immissions located in Eastern Wielkopolska. The analysis concerns the average and maximum values of air pollution (i.e., particulate matter PM10, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) from the perspective of their occurrence in particular seasons and months or in relation to meteorological actors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed.

  12. Ecosystem Effects of Ozone Pollution

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Ground level ozone is absorbed by the leaves of plants, where it can reduce photosynthesis, damage leaves and slow growth. It can also make sensitive plants more susceptible to certain diseases, insects, harsh weather and other pollutants.

  13. PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF TROPOSPHERIC OZONE ON PLANTS AND ECOSYSTEMS AS A BASIS FOR SETTING NATIONAL AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Clean Air Act provides for establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public welfare (including crops, forests, ecosystems, and soils) from adverse effects of air pollutants, including tropospheric ozone. The formulation of policies is science-base...

  14. A longitudinal study of mortality and air pollution for São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Botter, Denise A; Jørgensen, Bent; Peres, Antonieta A Q

    2002-09-01

    We study the effects of various air-pollution variables on the daily death counts for people over 65 years in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1991 to 1993, controlling for meteorological variables. We use a state space model where the air-pollution variables enter via the latent process, and the meteorological variables via the observation equation. The latent process represents the potential mortality due to air pollution, and is estimated by Kalman filter techniques. The effect of air pollution on mortality is found to be a function of the variation in the sulphur dioxide level for the previous 3 days, whereas the other air-pollution variables (total suspended particulates, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone) are not significant when sulphur dioxide is in the equation. There are significant effects of humidity and up to lag 3 of temperature, and a significant seasonal variation.

  15. Ozone Control Strategies | Ground-level Ozone | New ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2017-09-05

    The Air Quality Planning Unit's primary goal is to protect your right to breathe clean air. Guided by the Clean Air Act, we work collaboratively with states, communities, and businesses to develop and implement strategies to reduce air pollution from a variety of sources that contribute to the ground-level ozone or smog problem.

  16. Implications of alternative assumptions regarding future air pollution control in RCP-like scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chuwah, Clifford; van Noije, Twan; van Vuuren, Detlef; Hazeleger, Wilco; Strunk, Achim; Deetman, Sebastiaan; Mendoza Beltran, Angelica; van Vliet, Jasper

    2013-04-01

    Estimation of future emissions of short-lived trace gases and aerosols from human activities is a main source of uncertainty in projections of future air quality and climate forcing. The Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), however, all assume that worldwide ambitious air pollution control policies will be implemented in the coming decades. In this study, we therefore explore the consequences of four alternative emission scenarios generated using the IMAGE integrated assessment model following the methods used to generate the RCPs. These scenarios combine low and high air pollution variants of the scenarios with radiative forcing targets in 2100 of 2.6 W/m2 and 6.0 W/m2 (the high air pollution variants assume no improvement in emission factors, representing a hypothetical upper end of emission levels). Analysis using the global atmospheric chemistry and transport model TM5 shows that climate mitigation and air pollution control policy variants studied here have similar large-scale effects on the concentrations of ozone and black carbon; the impact of climate policy, however, has a stronger impact on sulphate concentrations. Air pollution control measures could significantly reduce the warming by tropospheric ozone and black carbon and the cooling by sulphate already in 2020, and on the longer term contribute to enhanced warming by methane. These effects tend to cancel each other at the global scale. According to our estimates the effect of the worldwide implementation of air pollution control measures on the total global mean direct radiative forcing in 2050 is +0.09 W/m2 in the 6.0 W/m2 scenario and -0.16 W/m2 in the 2.6 W/m2 scenario.

  17. Assessment of air pollution impacts on vegetation in South Africa

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Botha, A.T.

    1989-01-01

    Field surveys and biomonitoring network experiments were conducted in selected areas in South Africa to assess possible air pollution damage to vegetation. During field surveys, atmospheric fluoride was identified as an important pollutant that damaged vegetation in residential areas north of Cape Town. Gaseous air pollutants, including acid deposition and acidic mist, probably play a major role in the development of characteristic air pollution injury symptoms observed on pine trees in the Eastern Transvaal area. The impact of urban air pollution in the Cape Town area was evaluated by exposing bio-indicator plants in a network of eight biomonitoring network stationsmore » from June 1985 to May 1988. Sensitive Freesia and Gladiolus cultivars were used to biomonitor atmospheric fluoride, while a green bean cultivar was used as a biomonitor of atmospheric sulfur dioxide and ozone. At one location, bio-indicator plants were simultaneously exposed in a biomonitoring network station, open-top chambers, as well as in open plots. The responses of plants grown under these different conditions were compared.« less

  18. Air Pollution Control Policies in China: A Retrospective and Prospects.

    PubMed

    Jin, Yana; Andersson, Henrik; Zhang, Shiqiu

    2016-12-09

    With China's significant role on pollution emissions and related health damage, deep and up-to-date understanding of China's air pollution policies is of worldwide relevance. Based on scientific evidence for the evolution of air pollution and the institutional background of environmental governance in China, we examine the development of air pollution control policies from the 1980s and onwards. We show that: (1) The early policies, until 2005, were ineffective at reducing emissions; (2) During 2006-2012, new instruments which interact with political incentives were introduced in the 11th Five-Year Plan, and the national goal of reducing total sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions by 10% was achieved. However, regional compound air pollution problems dominated by fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and ground level ozone (O₃) emerged and worsened; (3) After the winter-long PM 2.5 episode in eastern China in 2013, air pollution control policies have been experiencing significant changes on multiple fronts. In this work we analyze the different policy changes, the drivers of changes and key factors influencing the effectiveness of policies in these three stages. Lessons derived from the policy evolution have implications for future studies, as well as further reforming the management scheme towards air quality and health risk oriented directions.

  19. Impacts of ozone-vegetation coupling and feedbacks on global air quality, ecosystems and food security

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, A. P. K.

    2016-12-01

    Surface ozone is an air pollutant of significant concerns due to its harmful effects on human health, vegetation and crop productivity. Chronic ozone exposure is shown to reduce photosynthesis and interfere with gas exchange in plants, thereby influencing surface energy balance and biogeochemical fluxes with important ramifications for climate and atmospheric composition, including possible feedbacks onto ozone itself that are not well understood. Ozone damage on crops has been well documented, but a mechanistic understanding is not well established. Here we present several results pertaining to the effects of ozone-vegetation coupling on air quality, ecosystems and agriculture. Using the Community Earth System Model (CESM), we find that inclusion of ozone damage on plants reduces the global land carbon sink by up to 5%, while simulated ozone is enhanced by up to 6 ppbv North America, Europe and East Asia. This strong positive feedback on ozone air quality via ozone-vegetation coupling arises mainly from reduced stomatal conductance, which induces two feedback pathways: 1) reduced dry deposition and ozone uptake; and 2) reduced evapotranspiration that enhances vegetation temperature and thus isoprene emission. Using the same ozone-vegetation scheme in a crop model within CESM, we further examine the impacts of historical ozone exposure on global crop production. We contrast our model results with a separate statistical analysis designed to characterize the spatial variability of crop-ozone-temperature relationships and account for the confounding effect of ozone-temperature covariation, using multidecadal global datasets of crop yields, agroclimatic variables and ozone exposures. We find that several crops (especially C4 crops such as maize) exhibit stronger sensitivities to ozone than found by field studies or in CESM simulations. We also find a strong anticorrelation between crop sensitivities and average ozone levels, reflecting biological adaptive ozone

  20. Air pollution and heart rate variability: effect modification by chronic lead exposure.

    PubMed

    Park, Sung Kyun; O'Neill, Marie S; Vokonas, Pantel S; Sparrow, David; Wright, Robert O; Coull, Brent; Nie, Huiling; Hu, Howard; Schwartz, Joel

    2008-01-01

    Outdoor air pollution and lead exposure can disturb cardiac autonomic function, but the effects of both these exposures together have not been studied. We examined whether higher cumulative lead exposures, as measured by bone lead, modified cross-sectional associations between air pollution and heart rate variability among 384 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study. We used linear regression, controlling for clinical, demographic, and environmental covariates. We found graded, significant reductions in both high-frequency and low-frequency powers of heart rate variability in relation to ozone and sulfate across the quartiles of tibia lead. Interquartile range increases in ozone and sulfate were associated respectively, with 38% decrease (95% confidence interval = -54.6% to -14.9%) and 22% decrease (-40.4% to 1.6%) in high frequency, and 38% decrease (-51.9% to -20.4%) and 12% decrease (-28.6% to 9.3%) in low frequency, in the highest quartile of tibia lead after controlling for potential confounders. We observed similar but weaker effect modification by tibia lead adjusted for education and cumulative traffic (residuals of the regression of tibia lead on education and cumulative traffic). Patella lead modified only the ozone effect on heart rate variability. People with long-term exposure to higher levels of lead may be more sensitive to cardiac autonomic dysfunction on high air pollution days. Efforts to understand how environmental exposures affect the health of an aging population should consider both current levels of pollution and history of lead exposure as susceptibility factors.

  1. Using satellite data to guide emission control strategies for surface ozone pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, X.; Fiore, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Surface ozone (O3) has adverse effects on public health, agriculture and ecosystems. As a secondary pollutant, ozone is not emitted directly. Ozone forms from two classes of precursors: NOx and VOCs. We use satellite observations of formaldehyde (a marker of VOCs) and NO2 (a marker of NOx) to identify areas which would benefit more from reducing NOx emissions (NOx-limited) versus areas where reducing VOC emissions would lead to lower ozone (VOC-limited). We use a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to develop a set of threshold values that separate the NOx-limited and VOC-limited conditions. Combining these threshold values with a decadal record of satellite observations, we find that U.S. cities (e.g. New York, Chicago) have shifted from VOC-limited to NOx-limited ozone production regimes in the warm season. This transition reflects the NOx emission controls implemented over the past decade. Increasing NOx sensitivity implies that regional NOx emission control programs will improve O3 air quality more now than it would have a decade ago.

  2. US EPA Nonattainment Areas and Designations-8 Hour Ozone (2008 NAAQS)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This web service contains the following layers: Ozone 2008 NAAQS NAA State Level and Ozone 2008 NAAQS NAA National Level. Full FGDC metadata records for each layer may be found by clicking the layer name at the web service endpoint (https://gispub.epa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/OAR_OAQPS/NAA2008Ozone8hour/MapServer) and viewing the layer description. These layers identify areas in the U.S. where air pollution levels have not met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria air pollutants and have been designated nonattainment?? areas (NAA). The data are updated weekly from an OAQPS internal database. However, that does not necessarily mean the data have changed. The EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six principal pollutants, which are called criteria pollutants. Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, which is intended to improve the quality of the air we breathe, EPA is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six common air pollutants. These commonly found air pollutants (also known as criteria pollutants) are found all over the United States. They are particle pollution (often referred to as particulate matter), ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. For each criteria pollutant, there are specific procedures used for measuring ambient concentrations and for calculating long-term (quarterly or annual) and/or short-

  3. US EPA Nonattainment Areas and Designations-8 Hour Ozone (1997 NAAQS)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This web service contains the following layers: Ozone 1997 NAAQS NAA State Level and Ozone 1997 NAAQS NAA National Level. Full FGDC metadata records for each layer may be found by clicking the layer name at the web service endpoint (https://gispub.epa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/OAR_OAQPS/NAA1997Ozone8hour/MapServer) and viewing the layer description. These layers identify areas in the U.S. where air pollution levels have not met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria air pollutants and have been designated nonattainment?? areas (NAA). The data are updated weekly from an OAQPS internal database. However, that does not necessarily mean the data have changed. The EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six principal pollutants, which are called criteria pollutants. Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, which is intended to improve the quality of the air we breathe, EPA is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six common air pollutants. These commonly found air pollutants (also known as criteria pollutants) are found all over the United States. They are particle pollution (often referred to as particulate matter), ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. For each criteria pollutant, there are specific procedures used for measuring ambient concentrations and for calculating long-term (quarterly or annual) and/or short

  4. Multicontaminant air pollution in Chinese cities

    PubMed Central

    Han, Lijian; Zhou, Weiqi; Pickett, Steward TA; Li, Weifeng; Qian, Yuguo

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Objective To investigate multicontaminant air pollution in Chinese cities, to quantify the urban population affected and to explore the relationship between air pollution and urban population size. Methods We obtained data for 155 cities with 276 million inhabitants for 2014 from China's air quality monitoring network on concentrations of fine particulate matter measuring under 2.5 μm (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter measuring 2.5 to 10 μm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3). Concentrations were considered as high, if they exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limits. Findings Overall, 51% (142 million) of the study population was exposed to mean annual multicontaminant concentrations above WHO limits – east China and the megacities were worst affected. High daily levels of four-contaminant mixtures of PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and O3 and PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2 occurred on up to 110 days in 2014 in many cities, mainly in Shandong and Hebei Provinces. High daily levels of PM2.5, PM10 and SO2 occurred on over  146 days in 110 cities, mainly in east and central China. High daily levels of mixtures of PM2.5 and PM10, PM2.5 and SO2, and PM10 and SO2 occurred on over  146 days in 145 cities, mainly in east China. Surprisingly, multicontaminant air pollution was less frequent in cities with populations over 10 million than in smaller cities. Conclusion Multicontaminant air pollution was common in Chinese cities. A shift from single-contaminant to multicontaminant evaluations of the health effects of air pollution is needed. China should implement protective measures during future urbanization. PMID:29695880

  5. Health Impact Assessment of Air Pollution in São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Abe, Karina Camasmie; Miraglia, Simone Georges El Khouri

    2016-07-11

    Epidemiological research suggests that air pollution may cause chronic diseases, as well as exacerbation of related pathologies such as cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates air pollution scenarios considering a Health Impact Assessment approach in São Paulo, Brazil. We have analyzed abatement scenarios of Particulate Matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10), <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone concentrations and the health effects on respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the period from 2009 to 2011 through the APHEKOM tool, as well as the associated health costs. Considering World Health Organization (WHO) standards of PM2.5 (10 μg/m³), São Paulo would avoid more than 5012 premature deaths (equivalent to 266,486 life years' gain) and save US$15.1 billion annually. If São Paulo could even diminish the mean of PM2.5 by 5 μg/m³, nearly 1724 deaths would be avoided, resulting in a gain of US$ 4.96 billion annually. Reduced levels of PM10, PM2.5 and ozone could save lives and an impressive amount of money in a country where economic resources are scarce. Moreover, the reduced levels of air pollution would also lower the demand for hospital care, since hospitalizations would diminish. In this sense, Brazil should urgently adopt WHO air pollution standards in order to improve the quality of life of its population.

  6. Noise Effects on Health in the Context of Air Pollution Exposure.

    PubMed

    Stansfeld, Stephen A

    2015-10-14

    For public health policy and planning it is important to understand the relative contribution of environmental noise on health compared to other environmental stressors. Air pollution is the primary environmental stressor in relation to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This paper reports a narrative review of studies in which the associations of both environmental noise and air pollution with health have been examined. Studies of hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, mortality and cognitive outcomes were included. Results suggest independent effects of environmental noise from road traffic, aircraft and, with fewer studies, railway noise on cardiovascular outcomes after adjustment for air pollution. Comparative burden of disease studies demonstrate that air pollution is the primary environmental cause of disability adjusted life years lost (DALYs). Environmental noise is ranked second in terms of DALYs in Europe and the DALYs attributed to noise were more than those attributed to lead, ozone and dioxins. In conclusion, in planning and health impact assessment environmental noise should be considered an independent contributor to health risk which has a separate and substantial role in ill-health separate to that of air pollution.

  7. Air toxics and epigenetic effects: ozone altered microRNAs in the sputum of human subjects

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ozone (03) is a criteria air pollutant that is associated with numerous adverse health effects, including altered respiratory immune responses. Despite its deleterious health effects, possible epigenetic mechanisms underlying 03-induced health effects remain understudied. MicroRN...

  8. Effects of air pollution on ecosystems and biological diversity in the eastern United States.

    PubMed

    Lovett, Gary M; Tear, Timothy H; Evers, David C; Findlay, Stuart E G; Cosby, B Jack; Dunscomb, Judy K; Driscoll, Charles T; Weathers, Kathleen C

    2009-04-01

    Conservation organizations have most often focused on land-use change, climate change, and invasive species as prime threats to biodiversity conservation. Although air pollution is an acknowledged widespread problem, it is rarely considered in conservation planning or management. In this synthesis, the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of air pollution on plants and animals in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States is summarized. Four air pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, ozone, and mercury) and eight ecosystem types ranging from estuaries to alpine tundra are considered. Effects of air pollution were identified, with varying levels of certainty, in all the ecosystem types examined. None of these ecosystem types is free of the impacts of air pollution, and most are affected by multiple pollutants. In aquatic ecosystems, effects of acidity, nitrogen, and mercury on organisms and biogeochemical processes are well documented. Air pollution causes or contributes to acidification of lakes, eutrophication of estuaries and coastal waters, and mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. In terrestrial ecosystems, the effects of air pollution on biogeochemical cycling are also very well documented, but the effects on most organisms and the interaction of air pollution with other stressors are less well understood. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence for effects of nitrogen deposition on plants in grasslands, alpine areas, and bogs, and for nitrogen effects on forest mycorrhizae. Soil acidification is widespread in forest ecosystems across the eastern United States and is likely to affect the composition and function of forests in acid-sensitive areas over the long term. Ozone is known to cause reductions in photosynthesis in many terrestrial plant species. For the most part, the effects of these pollutants are chronic, not acute, at the exposure levels common in the eastern United States. Mortality is often observed only at experimentally

  9. Air pollution characteristics and health risks in Henan Province, China.

    PubMed

    Shen, Fuzhen; Ge, Xinlei; Hu, Jianlin; Nie, Dongyang; Tian, Li; Chen, Mindong

    2017-07-01

    Events of severe air pollution occurred frequently in China recently, thus understanding of the air pollution characteristics and its health risks is very important. In this work, we analyzed a two-year dataset (March 2014 - February 2016) including daily concentrations of six criteria pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 ) from 18 cities in Henan province. Results reveal the serious air pollution status in Henan province, especially the northern part, and Zhengzhou is the city with the worst air quality. Annual average PM 2.5 concentrations exceed the second grade of Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard (75μg/m 3 ) at both 2014 and 2015. PM 2.5 is typically the major pollutant, but ozone pollution can be significant during summer. Furthermore, as the commonly used air quality index (AQI) neglects the mutual health effects from multiple pollutants, we introduced the aggregate air quality index (AAQI) and health-risk based air quality index (HAQI) to evaluate the health risks. Results show that based on HAQI, the current AQI system likely significantly underestimate the health risks of air pollution, highlighting that the general public may need stricter health protection measures. The population-weighted two-year average HAQI data further demonstrates that all population in the studied cities in Henan province live with polluted air - 72% of the population is exposed to air that is unhealthy for sensitive people, while 28% of people is exposed to air that can be harmful to healthy people; and the health risks are much greater during winter than during other seasons. Future works should further improve the HAQI algorithm, and validate the links between the clinical/epidemiologic data and the HAQI values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluation of the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model for Simulating Winter Ozone Formation in the Uinta Basin with Intensive Oil and Gas Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matichuk, R.; Tonnesen, G.; Luecken, D.; Roselle, S. J.; Napelenok, S. L.; Baker, K. R.; Gilliam, R. C.; Misenis, C.; Murphy, B.; Schwede, D. B.

    2015-12-01

    The western United States is an important source of domestic energy resources. One of the primary environmental impacts associated with oil and natural gas production is related to air emission releases of a number of air pollutants. Some of these pollutants are important precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone. To better understand ozone impacts and other air quality issues, photochemical air quality models are used to simulate the changes in pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere on local, regional, and national spatial scales. These models are important for air quality management because they assist in identifying source contributions to air quality problems and designing effective strategies to reduce harmful air pollutants. The success of predicting oil and natural gas air quality impacts depends on the accuracy of the input information, including emissions inventories, meteorological information, and boundary conditions. The treatment of chemical and physical processes within these models is equally important. However, given the limited amount of data collected for oil and natural gas production emissions in the past and the complex terrain and meteorological conditions in western states, the ability of these models to accurately predict pollution concentrations from these sources is uncertain. Therefore, this presentation will focus on understanding the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model's ability to predict air quality impacts associated with oil and natural gas production and its sensitivity to input uncertainties. The results will focus on winter ozone issues in the Uinta Basin, Utah and identify the factors contributing to model performance issues. The results of this study will help support future air quality model development, policy and regulatory decisions for the oil and gas sector.

  11. Convective Lofting Links Indian Ocean Air Pollution to Paradoxical South Atlantic Ozone Maxima

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chatfield, Robert B.; Guan, Hong; Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.

    2003-01-01

    We describe a broad resolution of the "Atlantic Paradox" concerning the seasonal and geographic distribution of tropical tropospheric ozone. We describe periods of significant maximum tropospheric O3 for Jan.-April, 1999, exploiting satellite estimates and SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes). Trajectory analyses connecting sondes and Total Tropospheric Ozone (TTO)O3 maps suggest a complex influence from the Indian Ocean: beginning with mixed combustion sources, then low level transport, cumulonimbus venting, and finally high-level transport to the west, with possible mixing over Africa. For the Jan.- March highest column-O3 periods in the Atlantic, distinct sounding peaks trace to specific NO sources, especially lightning, while in the same episodes, recurring every 30 or 60 days, more diffuse buildups of Indian-to-Atlantic pollution make important contributions.

  12. Convective lofting links Indian Ocean air pollution to paradoxical South Atlantic ozone maxima

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chatfield, R. B.; Guan, H.; Thompson, A. M.; Witte, J. C.

    2005-01-01

    We describe a broad resolution of the Atlantic Parado concerning the seasonal and geographic distribution, of tropical tropospheric ozone. We highlight periods of significant maximum tropospheric O3 for Jan.- April, 1999, exploiting satellite estimates and SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes). Trajectory analyses connecting sondes and Total Tropospheric Ozone (TTO) maps suggest a complex influence from the Indian Ocean: beginning with mixed combustion sources, then low level transport, cumulonimbus venting, possible stratospheric input, and finally high-level transport to the west, with possible mixing over Africa. For the Jan.-March highest column-O3 periods in the Atlantic, distinct sounding peaks trace to specific NO sources, especially lightning, while in the same episodes, recurring every 20-50 days, more diffuse buildups of Indian-to-Atlantic pollution make important contributions.

  13. Impacts of Air Pollution and Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems — Emerging Research Needs

    PubMed Central

    Paoletti, Elena; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Andersen, Chris; Augustaitis, Algirdas; Ferretti, Marco; Grulke, Nancy; Günthardt-Goerg, Madeleine S.; Innes, John; Johnson, Dale; Karnosky, Dave; Luangjame, Jesada; Matyssek, Rainer; McNulty, Steven; Müller-Starck, Gerhard; Musselman, Robert; Percy, Kevin

    2007-01-01

    Outcomes from the 22nd meeting for Specialists in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Ecosystems “Forests under Anthropogenic Pressure Effects of Air Pollution, Climate Change and Urban Development”, September 1016, 2006, Riverside, CA, are summarized. Tropospheric or ground-level ozone (O3) is still the phytotoxic air pollutant of major interest. Challenging issues are how to make O3 standards or critical levels more biologically based and at the same time practical for wide use; quantification of plant detoxification processes in flux modeling; inclusion of multiple environmental stresses in critical load determinations; new concept development for nitrogen saturation; interactions between air pollution, climate, and forest pests; effects of forest fire on air quality; the capacity of forests to sequester carbon under changing climatic conditions and coexposure to elevated levels of air pollutants; enhanced linkage between molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and morphological traits. PMID:17450274

  14. The influence from synoptic weather on the variation of air pollution and pollen exposure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grundström, Maria; Dahl, Åslög; Chen, Deliang; Pleijel, Håkan

    2014-05-01

    Exposure to elevated air pollution levels can make people more susceptible to allergies or result in more severe allergic reactions for people with an already pronounced sensitivity to pollen. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between urban air pollution (nitrogen oxides, ozone and particles) and airborne Betula pollen in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the pollen seasons for the years 2001-2012. Further, the influence from atmospheric weather pattern on pollen/pollution related risk, using Lamb Weather Types (LWT), was also considered. Daily LWTs were obtained by comparing the variation in atmospheric pressure from a 16 point grid over a given region on earth (scale ~1000km) and essentially describe the air mass movement for the region. They include two non-directional types, cyclonic (C) and anticyclonic (A) and eight directional types depending on the wind direction (N, NE, E... etc.). LWTs with dry and calm meteorological character e.g. limited precipitation and low to moderate wind speeds (A, NE, E, SE) were associated with strongly elevated air pollution and pollen levels where Betula was exceptionally high in LWTs NE and E. The co-variation between Betula pollen and ozone was strong and significant during situations with LWTs A, NE, E and SE. The most important conclusion from this study was that LWTs A, NE, E and SE were associated with high pollen and air pollution levels and can therefore be classified as high risk weather situations for combined air pollution and pollen exposure. Our study shows that LWTs have the potential to be developed into an objective tool for integrated air quality forecasting and a warning system for risk of high exposure situations.

  15. Effects of an ozone-generating air purifier on indoor secondary particles in three residential dwellings.

    PubMed

    Hubbard, H F; Coleman, B K; Sarwar, G; Corsi, R L

    2005-12-01

    The use of indoor ozone generators as air purifiers has steadily increased over the past decade. Many ozone generators are marketed to consumers for their ability to eliminate odors and microbial agents and to improve health. In addition to the harmful effects of ozone, recent studies have shown that heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions between ozone and some unsaturated hydrocarbons can be an important source of indoor secondary pollutants, including free radicals, carbonyls, carboxylic acids, and fine particles. Experiments were conducted in one apartment and two detached single-family dwellings in Austin, TX, to assess the effects of an ozone generator on indoor secondary organic aerosol concentrations in actual residential settings. Ozone was generated using a commercial ozone generator marketed as an air purifier, and particle measurements were recorded before, during, and after the release of terpenes from a pine oil-based cleaning product. Particle number concentration, ozone concentration, and air exchange rate were measured during each experiment. Particle number and mass concentrations increased when both terpenes and ozone were present at elevated levels. Experimental results indicate that ozone generators in the presence of terpene sources facilitate the growth of indoor fine particles in residential indoor atmospheres. Human exposure to secondary organic particles can be reduced by minimizing the intentional release of ozone, particularly in the presence of terpene sources. Past studies have shown that ozone-initiated indoor chemistry can lead to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter, but have generally been completed in controlled laboratory environments and office buildings. We explored the effects of an explicit ozone generator marketed as an air purifier on the formation of secondary organic aerosol mass in actual residential indoor settings. Results indicate significant increases in number and mass concentrations for particles <0

  16. Ozone Modulation/Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Hydrocarbon Pollutants in Air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atkinson, D. B.

    2001-12-01

    Modulation of volatile hydrocarbons in two-component mixtures is demonstrated using an ozonolysis pretreatment with membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS). The MIMS technique allows selective introduction of volatile and semivolatile analytes into a mass spectrometer via processes known collectively as pervaporation [Kotiaho and Cooks, 1992]. A semipermeable polymer membrane acts as an interface between the sample (vapor or solution) and the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. This technique has been demonstrated to allow for sensitive analysis of hydrocarbons and other non-polar volatile organic compounds (VOC`s) in air samples[Cisper et al., 1995] . The methodology has the advantages of no sample pretreatment and short analysis time, which are promising for online monitoring applications but the chief disadvantage of lack of a separation step for the different analytes in a mixture. Several approaches have been investigated to overcome this problem including use of selective chemical ionization [Bier and Cooks, 1987] and multivariate calibration techniques[Ketola et al., 1999] . A new approach is reported for the quantitative measurement of VOCs in complex matrices. The method seeks to reduce the complexity of mass spectra observed in hydrocarbon mixture analysis by selective pretreatment of the analyte mixture. In the current investigation, the rapid reaction of ozone with alkenes is used, producing oxygenated compounds which are suppressed by the MIMS system. This has the effect of removing signals due to unsaturated analytes from the compound mass spectra, and comparison of the spectra before and after the ozone treatment reveals the nature of the parent compounds. In preliminary investigations, ozone reacted completely with cyclohexene from a mixture of cylohexene and cyclohexane, and with β -pinene from a mixture of toluene and β -pinene, suppressing the ion signals from the olefins. A slight attenuation of the cyclohexane and toluene in those

  17. ATTENUATION OF SOLAR UV RADIATION BY AEROSOLS DURING AIR POLLUTION EPISODES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Increase in the amount of solar UV radiation reaching the surface due to decrease in stratospheric ozone continues to be a major concern (WMO, 1998). However, recent studies show that absorption and smattering by aerosols during air pollution episode decreases the amount of radi...

  18. MODELING THE IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Tropospheric ozone (O3) and aerosols have major effects on climate and are the two air pollutants of most concern in the developed world. O3 is a major greenhouse gas (GHG) and light-absorbing aerosols such as black carbon (BC) also contribute to global warm...

  19. Air Pollution Control Policies in China: A Retrospective and Prospects

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Yana; Andersson, Henrik; Zhang, Shiqiu

    2016-01-01

    With China’s significant role on pollution emissions and related health damage, deep and up-to-date understanding of China’s air pollution policies is of worldwide relevance. Based on scientific evidence for the evolution of air pollution and the institutional background of environmental governance in China, we examine the development of air pollution control policies from the 1980s and onwards. We show that: (1) The early policies, until 2005, were ineffective at reducing emissions; (2) During 2006–2012, new instruments which interact with political incentives were introduced in the 11th Five-Year Plan, and the national goal of reducing total sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 10% was achieved. However, regional compound air pollution problems dominated by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground level ozone (O3) emerged and worsened; (3) After the winter-long PM2.5 episode in eastern China in 2013, air pollution control policies have been experiencing significant changes on multiple fronts. In this work we analyze the different policy changes, the drivers of changes and key factors influencing the effectiveness of policies in these three stages. Lessons derived from the policy evolution have implications for future studies, as well as further reforming the management scheme towards air quality and health risk oriented directions. PMID:27941665

  20. The association between lung cancer incidence and ambient air pollution in China: A spatiotemporal analysis.

    PubMed

    Guo, Yuming; Zeng, Hongmei; Zheng, Rongshou; Li, Shanshan; Barnett, Adrian G; Zhang, Siwei; Zou, Xiaonong; Huxley, Rachel; Chen, Wanqing; Williams, Gail

    2016-01-01

    China is experiencing more and more days of serious air pollution recently, and has the highest lung cancer burden in the world. To examine the associations between lung cancer incidence and fine particles (PM2.5) and ozone in China. We used 75 communities' data of lung cancer incidence from the National Cancer Registration of China from 1990 to 2009. The annual concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and ozone at 0.1°×0.1° spatial resolution were generated by combing remote sensing, global chemical transport models, and improvements in coverage of surface measurements. A spatial age-period-cohort model was used to examine the relative risks of lung cancer incidence associated with the air pollutants, after adjusting for impacts of age, period, and birth cohort, sex, and community type (rural and urban) as well as the spatial variation on lung cancer incidence. The relative risks of lung cancer incidence related to a 10 µg/m(3) increase in 2-year average PM2.5 were 1.055 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.038, 1.072) for men, 1.149 (1.120, 1.178) for women, 1.060 (1.044, 1.075) for an urban communities, 1.037 (0.998, 1.078) for a rural population, 1.074 (1.052, 1.096) for people aged 30-65 years, and 1.111 (1.077, 1.146) for those aged over 75 years. Ozone also had a significant association with lung cancer incidence. The increased risks of lung cancer incidence were associated with PM2.5 and ozone air pollution. Control measures to reduce air pollution would likely lower the future incidence of lung cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Evaluation of ozone generation and indoor organic compounds removal by air cleaners based on chamber tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Kuo-Pin; Lee, Grace Whei-May; Hsieh, Ching-Pei; Lin, Chi-Chi

    2011-01-01

    Ozone can cause many health problems, including exacerbation of asthma, throat irritation, cough, chest ache, shortness of breath, and respiratory infections. Air cleaners are one of the sources of indoor ozone, and thus the evaluation of ozone generated by air cleaners is desired significant issue. Most evaluation methods proposed are based on chamber tests. However, the adsorption and desorption of ozone on the wall of test chamber and the deposition of ozone resulted from the surface reaction can influence the evaluation results. In this study, we developed a mass balance model that took the adsorption, desorption and deposition of ozone into consideration to evaluate the effective ozone emission rates of six selected air cleaners. The experiments were conducted in a stainless steel chamber with a volume of 11.3 m 3 at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity. The adsorption, desorption and deposition rate constants of ozone obtained by fitting the model to the experimental data were k a = 0.149 ± 0.052 m h -1, k d = 0.013 ± 0.007 h -1, and k r = 0.050 ± 0.020 h -1, respectively. The effective ozone emission rates of Air Cleaners No. 1, 2, and 3 ranged between 13,400-24,500 μg h -1, 7190-10,400 μg h -1, and 4880-6560 μg h -1, respectively, which were more stable than those of No.4, 5, and 6. The effective ozone emission rates of Air Cleaners No. 4, 5, and 6 increased with the time of operation which might be relevant to the decrease of ozone removal by the "aging" filter installed in these cleaners. The removal of toluene and formaldehyde by these six air cleaners were also evaluated and the clean air delivery rates (CADRs) of these two pollutants ranged from non-detectable to 0.42 ± 0.08 m 3 h -1, and from non-detectable to 0.75 ± 0.07 m 3 h -1, respectively. The CADRs showed an insignificant relationship with the effective ozone emission rates. Thus, the removal of toluene and formaldehyde might be resulted from the adsorption on the filters and the

  2. Air pollution impacts in the mixed conifer forests of southern California

    Treesearch

    Patrick J. Temple; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Mark E. Fenn; Mark A. Poth

    2005-01-01

    Air pollution, principally in the form of photochemical ozone and deposition of nitrogen compounds, has significantly affected mixed conifer forests in the mountains of southern California. Foliar injury, premature needle abscission, crown thinning, and reduced growth and vigor have been well documented, particularly for ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa...

  3. Importance of a Priori Vertical Ozone Profiles for TEMPO Air Quality Retrievals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Matthew S.; Sullivan, John; Liu, Xiong; Zoogman, Peter; Newchurch, Mike; Kuang, Shi; McGee, Thomas; Leblanc, Thierry

    2017-01-01

    Ozone (O3) is a toxic pollutant which plays a major role in air quality. Typically, monitoring of surface air quality and O3 mixing ratios is conducted using in situ measurement networks. This is partially due to high-quality information related to air quality being limited from space-borne platforms due to coarse spatial resolution, limited temporal frequency, and minimal sensitivity to lower tropospheric and surface-level O3. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite is designed to address the limitations of current space-based platforms and to improve our ability to monitor North American air quality. TEMPO will provide hourly data of total column and vertical profiles of O3 with high spatial resolution to be used as a near-real-time air quality product. TEMPO O3 retrievals will apply the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory profile algorithm developed based on work from GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment), GOME-2, and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument). This algorithm is suggested to use a priori O3 profile information from a climatological data-base developed from long-term ozone-sonde measurements (tropopause-based (TB-Clim) O3 climatology). This study evaluates the TB-Clim dataset and model simulated O3 profiles, which could potentially serve as a priori O3 profile information in TEMPO retrievals, from near-real-time data assimilation model products (NASA GMAO's (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) operational GEOS-5 (Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5) FP (Forecast Products) model and reanalysis data from MERRA2 (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2)) and a full chemical transport model (CTM), GEOS-Chem. In this study, vertical profile products are evaluated with surface (0-2 kilometers) and tropospheric (0-10 kilometers) TOLNet (Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network) observations and the theoretical impact of individual a priori profile sources on the accuracy of TEMPO O3

  4. Ozone in Sequoia National Park: Linking Ozone Production in the San Joaquin Valley to Trends in Vegetative Impacts in Sequoia National Park from 2000-2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buysse, C. E.; Pusede, S.; Kotsakis, A.

    2016-12-01

    Sequoia National Park (SNP) has the worst ozone air pollution of any National Park in the United States. Ozone pollution levels in SNP are high enough to exert damaging impacts on humans, animals, and vegetation. The major source of ozone to SNP is chemical production within the nearby and ozone-polluted San Joaquin Valley (SJV), which is then transported out of the valley into the park. Emission controls to reduce ozone in the SJV have been in place for the last two decades and these controls should have had the effect of altering ozone levels within SNP. This work has two aims. First, we investigate the chemistry driving trends in ozone in SNP and link these changes to trends in ozone in the SJV. Second, we consider both the metrics and time frames that best capture ozone trends contributing to vegetative damage, as these are not well represented in assessments of human health-based ambient air quality standards over an entire ozone season.

  5. Noise Effects on Health in the Context of Air Pollution Exposure

    PubMed Central

    Stansfeld, Stephen A.

    2015-01-01

    For public health policy and planning it is important to understand the relative contribution of environmental noise on health compared to other environmental stressors. Air pollution is the primary environmental stressor in relation to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This paper reports a narrative review of studies in which the associations of both environmental noise and air pollution with health have been examined. Studies of hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, mortality and cognitive outcomes were included. Results suggest independent effects of environmental noise from road traffic, aircraft and, with fewer studies, railway noise on cardiovascular outcomes after adjustment for air pollution. Comparative burden of disease studies demonstrate that air pollution is the primary environmental cause of disability adjusted life years lost (DALYs). Environmental noise is ranked second in terms of DALYs in Europe and the DALYs attributed to noise were more than those attributed to lead, ozone and dioxins. In conclusion, in planning and health impact assessment environmental noise should be considered an independent contributor to health risk which has a separate and substantial role in ill-health separate to that of air pollution. PMID:26473905

  6. [Effects of synoptic type on surface ozone pollution in Beijing].

    PubMed

    Tang, Gui-qian; Li, Xin; Wang, Xiao-ke; Xin, Jin-yuan; Hu, Bo; Wang, Li-li; Ren, Yu-fen; Wang, Yue-Si

    2010-03-01

    Ozone (O), influenced by meteorological factors, is a primary gaseous photochemical pollutant during summer to fall in Beijing' s urban ambient. Continuous monitoring during July to September in 2008 was carried out at four sites in Beijing. Analyzed with synoptic type, the results show that the ratios of pre-low cylonic (mainly Mongolia cyclone) and pre-high anticylonic to total weather conditions are about 42% and 20%, illustrating the high-and low-ozone episodes, respectively. At the pre-low cylonic conditions, high temperature, low humidity, mountain and valley winds caused by local circulation induce average hourly maximum ozone concentration (volume fraction) up to 102.2 x 10(-9), negative correlated with atmospheric pressure with a slope of -3.4 x 10(-9) Pa(-1). The time of mountain wind changed to valley wind dominates the diurnal time of maximum ozone, generally around 14:00. At the pre-high anticylonic conditions, low temperature, high humidity and systematic north wind induce average hourly maximum ozone concentration (volume fraction) only 49.3 x 10(-9), the diurnal time of maximum ozone is deferred by continuous north wind till about 16:00. The consistency of photochemical pollution in Beijing region shows that good correlation exists between synoptic type and ozone concentration. Therefore, getting an eye on the structure and evolution of synoptic type is of great significances for forecasting the photochemical pollution.

  7. Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Digital Vascular Function

    PubMed Central

    Ljungman, Petter L.; Wilker, Elissa H.; Rice, Mary B.; Schwartz, Joel; Gold, Diane R.; Koutrakis, Petros; Vita, Joseph A.; Mitchell, Gary F.; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Benjamin, Emelia J.; Mittleman, Murray A.; Hamburg, Naomi M.

    2014-01-01

    We investigated associations between ambient air pollution and microvessel function measured by peripheral arterial tonometry between 2003 and 2008 in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts. We measured particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), black carbon, sulfates, particle number, nitrogen oxides, and ozone by using fixed monitors, and we determined moving averages for 1–7 days preceding vascular testing. We examined associations between these exposures and hyperemic response to ischemia and baseline pulse amplitude, a measure of arterial tone (n = 2,369). Higher short-term exposure to air pollutants, including PM2.5, black carbon, and particle number was associated with higher baseline pulse amplitude. For example, higher 3-day average PM2.5 exposure was associated with 6.3% higher baseline pulse amplitude (95% confidence interval: 2.0, 10.9). However, there were no consistent associations between the air pollution exposures assessed and hyperemic response. Our findings in a community-based sample exposed to relatively low pollution levels suggest that short-term exposure to ambient particulate pollution is not associated with vasodilator response, but that particulate air pollution is associated with baseline pulse amplitude, suggesting potentially adverse alterations in baseline vascular tone or compliance. PMID:25100647

  8. Plants, Pollution and Public Engagement with Atmospheric Chemistry: Sharing the TEMPO Story Through Ozone Garden Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reilly, L. G.; Pippin, M. R.; Malick, E.; Summers, D.; Dussault, M. E.; Wright, E. A.; Skelly, J.

    2016-12-01

    What do a snap-bean plant and a future NASA satellite instrument named TEMPO have in common? They are both indicators of the quality of the air we breathe. Scientists, educators, and museum and student collaborators of the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO) instrument team are developing a program model to engage learners of all ages via public ozone garden exhibits and associated activities. TEMPO, an ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy instrument due for launch on a geostationary host satellite between 2019 and 2021, will scan North America hourly to measure the major elements in the tropospheric ozone chemistry cycle, providing near real-time data with high temporal and spatial resolution. The TEMPO mission provides a unique opportunity to share the story of the effects of air quality on living organisms. A public ozone garden exhibit affords an accessible way to understand atmospheric science through a connection with nature, while providing a visual representation of the impact of ozone pollution on living organisms. A prototype ozone garden exhibit was established at the Virginia Living Museum in partnership with NASA Langley, and has served as a site to formatively evaluate garden planting and exhibit display protocols, hands-on interpretive activities, and citizen science data collection protocols for learners as young as 3 to 10 as well as older adults. The fun and engaging activities, optimized for adult-child interaction in informal or free-choice learning environments, are aimed at developing foundational science skills such as observing, comparing, classifying, and collecting and making sense of data in the context of thinking about air quality - all NGSS-emphasized scientific practices, as well as key capabilities for future contributing members of the citizen science community. As the launch of TEMPO approaches, a major public engagement effort will include disseminating this ozone garden exhibit and program model to a network of

  9. Ozone-vegetation interaction in the Earth system: implications for air quality, ecosystems and agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, A. P. K.; Lombardozzi, D.; Val Martin, M.; Heald, C. L.

    2015-12-01

    Surface ozone is one of the most significant air pollutants due to its damaging effects not only on human health, but also on vegetation and crop productivity. Chronic ozone exposure has been shown to reduce photosynthesis and interfere with gas exchange in plants, which in turn affect the surface energy balance, carbon sink and other biogeochemical fluxes. Ozone damage on vegetation can thus have major ramifications on climate and atmospheric composition, including possible feedbacks onto ozone itself (see figure) that are not well understood. The damage of ozone on crops has been well documented, but a mechanistic understanding is not well established. Here we present several results pertaining to ozone-vegetation interaction. Using the Community Earth System Model, we find that inclusion of ozone damage on plants reduces the global land carbon sink by up to 5%, while simulated ozone is modified by -20 to +4 ppbv depending on the relative importance of competing mechanisms in different regions. We also perform a statistical analysis of multidecadal global datasets of crop yields, agroclimatic variables and ozone exposures to characterize the spatial variability of crop sensitivity to ozone and temperature extremes, specifically accounting for the confounding effect of ozone-temperature covariation. We find that several crops exhibit stronger sensitivity to ozone than found by previous field studies, with a strong anticorrelation between the sensitivity and average ozone levels that reflects biological adaptive ozone resistance. Our results show that a more complete understanding of ozone-vegetation interaction is necessary to derive more realistic future projections of climate, air quality and agricultural production, and thereby to formulate optimal strategies to safeguard public health and food security.

  10. Interactive short-term effects of equivalent temperature and air pollution on human mortality in Berlin and Lisbon.

    PubMed

    Burkart, Katrin; Canário, Paulo; Breitner, Susanne; Schneider, Alexandra; Scherber, Katharina; Andrade, Henrique; Alcoforado, Maria João; Endlicher, Wilfried

    2013-12-01

    There is substantial evidence that both temperature and air pollution are predictors of mortality. Thus far, few studies have focused on the potential interactive effects between the thermal environment and different measures of air pollution. Such interactions, however, are biologically plausible, as (extreme) temperature or increased air pollution might make individuals more susceptible to the effects of each respective predictor. This study investigated the interactive effects between equivalent temperature and air pollution (ozone and particulate matter) in Berlin (Germany) and Lisbon (Portugal) using different types of Poisson regression models. The findings suggest that interactive effects exist between air pollutants and equivalent temperature. Bivariate response surface models and generalised additive models (GAMs) including interaction terms showed an increased risk of mortality during periods of elevated equivalent temperatures and air pollution. Cold effects were mostly unaffected by air pollution. The study underscores the importance of air pollution control in mitigating heat effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Discoveries about Tropospheric Ozone Pollution from Satellite and Sounding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.

    2004-01-01

    We have been producing near-real time tropospheric ozone satellite maps from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) sensor since 1997. This is most readily done for the tropics, where the stratospheric and tropospheric ozone column amounts can be discriminated readily. Maps for 1996-2000 for the operational Earth-Probe instrument reside at: chttp://www.atmos.umd.edu/-trope>. Pollution in the tropics is influenced by biomass burning and by transport patterns that favor recirculation and in other cases reflect climate variability like the El-Nino-Southern Oscillation [Thompson et al., 2001]. Time permitting, examples of mid-latitude, intercontinental transport of ozone pollution sensed by TOMS will be shown. The satellite view of chemical-dynamical interactions in tropospheric ozone is not adequate to capture vertical variability. Thus, in 1998, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a team of international sponsors established the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) project to address the gap in tropical ozone soundings. SHADOZ augments launches and provides a public archive of ozonesonde data from twelve tropical stations at http://croc.gsfc.nasa.gov/shadoz. Further insights into the role of chemical and dynamical influences have emerged from the first 4-5 years of SHADOZ data (less than 2000 ozone profiles): (a) highly variable tropospheric ozone; (b) a zonal wave-one pattern in tropospheric column ozone; (c) convective variability affects tropospheric ozone over the Indian and Pacific Ocean; (d) a "tropical Atlantic Paradox" appears in December-January-February.

  12. Climate Change, Air Pollution, and the Economics of Health Impacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reilly, J.; Yang, T.; Paltsev, S.; Wang, C.; Prinn, R.; Sarofim, M.

    2003-12-01

    Climate change and air pollution are intricately linked. The distinction between greenhouse substances and other air pollutants is resolved at least for the time being in the context of international negotiations on climate policy through the identification of CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6 and the per- and hydro- fluorocarbons as substances targeted for control. Many of the traditional air pollutant emissions including for example CO, NMVOCs, NOx, SO2, aerosols, and NH3 also directly or indirectly affect the radiative balance of the atmosphere. Among both sets of gases are precursors of and contributors to pollutants such as tropopospheric ozone, itself a strong greenhouse gas, particulate matter, and other pollutants that affect human health. Fossil fuel combustion, production, or transportation is a significant source for many of these substances. Climate policy can thus affect traditional air pollution or air pollution policy can affect climate. Health effects of acute or chronic exposure to air pollution include increased asthma, lung cancer, heart disease and bronchitis among others. These, in turn, redirect resources in the economy toward medical expenditures or result in lost labor or non-labor time with consequent effects on economic activity, itself producing a potential feedback on emissions levels. Study of these effects ultimately requires a fully coupled earth system model. Toward that end we develop an approach for introducing air pollution health impacts into the Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model, a component of the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model (IGSM) a coupled economics-chemistry-atmosphere-ocean-terrestrial biosphere model of earth systems including an air pollution model resolving the urban scale. This preliminary examination allows us to consider how climate policy affects air pollution and consequent health effects, and to study the potential impacts of air pollution policy on climate. The novel contribution is the effort to

  13. Climate change and the meteorological drivers of PM air pollution: Understanding U.S. particulate matter concentrations in a changing climate

    EPA Science Inventory

    Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a serious public health issue for the United States. While there is a growing body of evidence that climate change will partially counter the effectiveness of future precursor emission reductions to reduce ozone (O3) air pollution, the lin...

  14. Observations of Air Quality at the Edge of Kathmandu, Nepal, and the Diurnal Cycle of Air Pollution In and Around the Kathmandu Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panday, A. K.; Prinn, R. G.; Regmi, R. P.

    2006-12-01

    The Kathmandu Valley is a bowl-shaped basin in the Nepal Himalaya, with a rapidly growing city surrounded by rice fields and steep terraced and forested mountain slopes. The valley's air quality is influenced by urban and rural emissions, nocturnal pooling of cold air, slope winds, and a daily exchange of air through mountain passes. To understand these processes and to inform air pollution policy in Nepal, we have carried out the most comprehensive study of air pollution in Nepal to date. During the 9-month dry season of 2004-2005, we carried out continuous measurements every minute of carbon monoxide, ozone, PM10, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, temperature, and humidity on the eastern edge of Kathmandu city, at a site that daily received air from both the city and rural areas. We recorded the diurnal cycle of the vertical temperature structure and stability with temperature loggers on towers and mountains. A sodar measured the mixed layer height and upper-level winds. 24-hour simultaneous bag sampling campaigns on mountain peaks, passes, the rural valley, and within the city provided glimpses of the spatial patterns of the diurnal cycle of CO -- a useful tracer of anthropogenic emissions. We measured winds on mountain passes and ozone on mountain peaks. At our main measurement site we found a daily-recurring pattern of CO and PM10, with an afternoon low showing rural background levels, even though the arriving air had traversed the city. This was followed by an evening peak starting at sunset, a second low late at night, and a morning peak enhanced by re-circulation. Pollutants emitted in the valley only traveled out of the valley between the late morning and sunset. During winter months, rush hour was outside of this period, enhancing the morning and evening peaks. Within the city, ozone dropped to zero at night. At mid-day we observed an ozone peak enhanced by photochemical production when the air mass that had been stagnant over the city swept

  15. Spatial associations between social groups and ozone air pollution exposure in the Beijing urban area.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xinyi; Cheng, Hongguang; He, Siyuan; Cui, Xiangfen; Pu, Xiao; Lu, Lu

    2018-07-01

    Few studies have linked social factors to air pollution exposure in China. Unlike the race or minority concepts in western countries, the Hukou system (residential registration system) is a fundamental reason for the existence of social deprivation in China. To assess the differences in ozone (O 3 ) exposure among social groups, especially groups divided by Hukou status, we assigned estimates of O 3 exposure to the latest census data of the Beijing urban area using a kriging interpolation model. We developed simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) models that account for spatial autocorrelation to identify the associations between O 3 exposure and social factors. Principal component regression was used to control the multicollinearity bias as well as explore the spatial structure of the social data. The census tracts (CTs) with higher proportions of persons living alone and migrants with non-local Hukou were characterized by greater exposure to ambient O 3 . The areas with greater proportions of seniors had lower O 3 exposure. The spatial distribution patterns were similar among variables including migrants, agricultural population and household separation (population status with separation between Hukou and actual residences), which fit the demographic characteristics of the majority of migrants. Migrants bore a double burden of social deprivation and O 3 pollution exposure due to city development planning and the Hukou system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Improved Specification of Transboundary Air Pollution over the Gulf of Mexico Using Satellite Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pour Biazar, A.; Khan, M. N.; Park, Y. H.; McNider, R. T.; Cameron, B.

    2010-12-01

    The assessment of potential environmental impact of oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and in particular the onshore air quality impact of such operations is important to State and Federal regulatory agencies. In adapting sound policies for control strategies, it is crucial to assess the impact of local pollution versus transboundary air pollution, and in a region such as GoM with scarce monitoring capability over open waters such distinctions represents a challenge. Furthermore, GoM region can be impacted by the recirculation of pollution in the southeastern United States. The current study examines the efficacy of utilizing the newly available satellite observations of aerosols and trace gases in air quality impacts assessment for addressing these issues. In particular, ozone profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard Aura and aerosol products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard Terra and Aqua satellites were utilized in a modeling study during August 2006. The satellite observations were used in the specification of the background and lateral boundary and also once daily for the re-adjustment of the concentration fields. The results were then evaluated against ozonesonde and surface observations. The utilization of OMI ozone profiles significantly improved model performance in the free troposphere and the use of MODIS aerosol products substantially enhanced model prediction of aerosols in the boundary layer. Neither OMI nor TES provide adequate information in the boundary layer with respect to O3 and as a result they can only marginally impact ozone predictions in the boundary layer. The utilization of the satellite data for lateral boundary condition (BC) was helpful in the realization of transboundary transport of pollution. The hypothesis that the recirculation of pollution from Northeast Corridor can play a role over the Gulf of Mexico was tested and

  17. Modeling urban air pollution in Budapest using WRF-Chem model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovács, Attila; Leelőssy, Ádám; Lagzi, István; Mészáros, Róbert

    2017-04-01

    Air pollution is a major problem for urban areas since the industrial revolution, including Budapest, the capital and largest city of Hungary. The main anthropogenic sources of air pollutants are industry, traffic and residential heating. In this study, we investigated the contribution of major industrial point sources to the urban air pollution in Budapest. We used the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) nonhydrostatic mesoscale numerical weather prediction system online coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem, version 3.6).The model was configured with three nested domains with grid spacings of 15, 5 and 1 km, representing Central Europe, the Carpathian Basin and Budapest with its surrounding area. Emission data was obtained from the National Environmental Information System. The point source emissions were summed in their respective cells in the second nested domain according to latitude-longitude coordinates. The main examined air pollutants were carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), from which the secondary compound, ozone (O3) forms through chemical reactions. Simulations were performed under different weather conditions and compared to observations from the automatic monitoring site of the Hungarian Air Quality Network. Our results show that the industrial emissions have a relatively weak role in the urban background air pollution, confirming the effect of industrial developments and regulations in the recent decades. However, a few significant industrial sources and their impact area has been demonstrated.

  18. Real-time monitoring of ozone in air using substrate-integrated hollow waveguide mid-infrared sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    da Silveira Petruci, João Flávio; Fortes, Paula Regina; Kokoric, Vjekoslav; Wilk, Andreas; Raimundo, Ivo Milton; Cardoso, Arnaldo Alves; Mizaikoff, Boris

    2013-11-01

    Ozone is a strong oxidant that is globally used as disinfection agent for many purposes including indoor building air cleaning, during food preparation procedures, and for control and killing of bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus. However, it has been shown that effective ozone concentrations for controlling e.g., microbial growth need to be higher than 5 ppm, thereby exceeding the recommended U.S. EPA threshold more than 10 times. Consequently, real-time monitoring of such ozone concentration levels is essential. Here, we describe the first online gas sensing system combining a compact Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with a new generation of gas cells, a so-called substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG). The sensor was calibrated using an UV lamp for the controlled generation of ozone in synthetic air. A calibration function was established in the concentration range of 0.3-5.4 mmol m-3 enabling a calculated limit of detection (LOD) at 0.14 mmol m-3 (3.5 ppm) of ozone. Given the adaptability of the developed IR sensing device toward a series of relevant air pollutants, and considering the potential for miniaturization e.g., in combination with tunable quantum cascade lasers in lieu of the FTIR spectrometer, a wide range of sensing and monitoring applications of beyond ozone analysis are anticipated.

  19. Interactive effects of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems in the United States: current understanding and future scenarios

    Treesearch

    Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Mark Fenn; Steven McNulty; Fengming Yuan; Afshin Pourmokhtarian; Charles Driscoll; Tom Meixner

    2013-01-01

    A review of the current status of air pollution and climate change (CC) in the United States from a perspective of their impacts on forest ecosystems is provided. Ambient ozone (O3) and nitrogen (N) deposition have important and widespread ecological impacts in U.S. forests. Effects of sulphurous (S) air pollutants and other trace pollutants have...

  20. Diagnosis of ambient air pollution injury to red maple leaves

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krause, C.R.

    1981-01-01

    Ramets of red maple, Acer rubrum L. (cv 'Scarlet Sentinel') were grown under ambient field conditions for 5 months (May-Sept) in either clean air (i.e. minimum background of ozone (O/sub 3/) and sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/)) or were grown in polluted air containing phytotoxic combinations of O/sub 3/ and SO/sub 2/. At the end of the growing season leaf samples from each site were fixed in glutaraldehyde, washed in buffer (3X) post-fixed in O/sub s/O/sub 4/, dehydrated in ethanol and critically-point-dried. Samples were fractured with a razor blade, mounted either abaxially or adaxially or in cross-section, and sputter-coated with Au.more » While plants from either site failed to exhibit macroscopic air pollutant-induced symptoms, SEM examination revealed significant microscopic differences between prepared samples from different sites. Epidermal cells of leaves grown in clean air were uniformly turgid with fluffy epicuticular wax. Leaf samples from ramets that were grown in polluted air exhibited collapsed epidermal cells and lacked fluffy epicuticular wax. Cross-sections revealed increased vesicular activity in leaf mesophyll cells of plants exposed to high ambient pollution while cells of plants grown in clean air appeared normal. 10 references, 6 figures.« less

  1. Urban Climate, Ozone Formation, and Public Health: Should Heat be Regulated as a Traditional Air Pollutant?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stone, B.

    2003-12-01

    The return of record breaking heat waves to North American and European cities in 2003 highlights the growing need for urban planners to develop heat mitigation strategies for large metropolitan regions. Long associated with public health through its effects on human heat stress and heat related mortality, rising urban temperatures also hold important implications for regional air quality. This presentation will outline the results of a study focused on the relationship between regional temperatures and annual tropospheric ozone exceedances in the fifty largest (by population) metropolitan regions in the United States. With the aid of data from the EPA's National Emissions Inventory and NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System, this study examines trends in metropolitan emissions of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, mean regional temperatures, and annual ozone exceedances in U.S. metropolitan regions for the years 1990 through 1999. The intent of this work is to better establish connections between recent trends urban climate and ozone formation and to explore policy approaches to mitigating urban temperatures through physical planning. The results of this research indicate that annual violations of the national ozone standard during the decade of the 1990s were more closely associated with regional temperatures than with the emissions of regulated ozone precursors from mobile and stationary sources. Based on the results of this analysis, I argue that the air quality management strategies outlined in the Clean Air Act may be proving insufficient to control ozone formation due to ongoing and unanticipated changes in global and regional climate. I further argue that the emergence of urban heat as a significant threat to human health demands a strategic response from the fields of urban planning and public health. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the linkages between urban form and ambient heat and will outline a set of

  2. Photochemical age of air pollutants, ozone, and secondary organic aerosol in transboundary air observed on Fukue Island, Nagasaki, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irei, Satoshi; Takami, Akinori; Sadanaga, Yasuhiro; Nozoe, Susumu; Yonemura, Seiichiro; Bandow, Hiroshi; Yokouchi, Yoko

    2016-04-01

    To better understand the secondary air pollution in transboundary air over westernmost Japan, ground-based field measurements of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter ( ≤ 1 µm), mixing ratios of trace gas species (CO, O3, NOx, NOy, i-pentane, toluene, and ethyne), and meteorological elements were conducted with a suite of instrumentation. The CO mixing ratio dependence on wind direction showed that there was no significant influence from primary emission sources near the monitoring site, indicating long- and/or mid-range transport of the measured chemical species. Despite the considerably different atmospheric lifetimes of NOy and CO, these mixing ratios were correlated (r2 = 0.67). The photochemical age of the pollutants, t[OH] (the reaction time × the mean concentration of OH radical during the atmospheric transport), was calculated from both the NOx / NOy concentration ratio (NOx / NOy clock) and the toluene / ethyne concentration ratio (hydrocarbon clock). It was found that the toluene / ethyne concentration ratio was significantly influenced by dilution with background air containing 0.16 ppbv of ethyne, causing significant bias in the estimation of t[OH]. In contrast, the influence of the reaction of NOx with O3, a potentially biasing reaction channel on [NOx] / [NOy], was small. The t[OH] values obtained with the NOx / NOy clock ranged from 2.9 × 105 to 1.3 × 108 h molecule cm-3 and were compared with the fractional contribution of the m/z 44 signal to the total signal in the organic aerosol mass spectra (f44, a quantitative oxidation indicator of carboxylic acids) and O3 mixing ratio. The comparison of t[OH] with f44 showed evidence for a systematic increase of f44 as t[OH] increased, an indication of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. To a first approximation, the f44 increase rate was (1.05 ± 0.03) × 10-9 × [OH] h-1, which is comparable to the background-corrected increase rate observed during the New England Air Quality

  3. CHARACTERIZATION OF OZONE EMISSIONS FROM AIR CLEANERS EQUIPPED WITH OZONE GENERATORS AND SENSOR AND FEEDBACK CONTROL CIRCUITRY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The paper give results of a characterization of ozone emissions from air cleaners equipped with ozone generators and sensor and feedback control circuitry. Ozone emission rates of several consumer appliances, marketed as indoor air treatment or air purification systems, were det...

  4. Merging of OMI and AIRS Ozone Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Labow, Gordon J.; Fisher, Bradford; Susskind, Joel

    2014-01-01

    The OMI Instrument measures ozone using the backscattered light in the UV part of the spectrum. In polar night there are no OMI measurements so we hope to incorporate the AIRS ozone data to fill in these missing regions. AIRS is on the Aqua platform and has been operating since May 2002. AIRS is a multi-detector array grating spectrometer containing 2378 IR channels between 650 per centimeter and 2760 per centimeter which measures atmospheric temperature, precipitable water, water vapor, CO, CH4, CO2 and ozone profiles and column amount. It can also measure effective cloud fraction and cloud top pressure for up to two cloud layers and sea-land skin temperature. Since 2008, OMI has had part of its aperture occulted with a piece of the thermal blanket resulting in several scan positions being unusable. We hope to use the AIRS data to fill in the missing ozone values for those missing scan positions.

  5. CO-DEPENDENCIES OF REACTIVE AIR TOXIC AND CRITERIA POLLUTANTS ON EMISSION REDUCTIONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    It is important to understand the effect of emission controls on the concentrations of ozone, PM2.5, and hazardous air pollutants simultaneously, in order to evaluate the full range of both health related and economic effects. Until recently, the capability of simultan...

  6. The role of air pollution on ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a narrative mini review.

    PubMed

    Shahrbaf, Mohammad Amin; Mahjoob, Mohammad Parsa; Khaheshi, Isa; Akbarzadeh, Mohammad Ali; Barkhordari, Elham; Naderian, Mohammadreza; Tajrishi, Farbod Zahed

    2018-06-22

    ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the potential causes of death worldwide. In spite of substantial advances in its diagnosis and treatment, STEMI is still considered as a major public health dilemma in developed and particularly developing countries. One of the triggering factors of STEMI is supposed to be air pollutants like gaseous pollutants including, sulfur dioxide, nitric dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and particulate matters (PM) including, PM under 2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ) and PM under 10 µm (PM 10 ). Air pollution can trigger STEMI with various mechanisms such as increasing inflammatory factors and changing the heart rate or blood viscosity. In this article, we aimed to explore research in the field and discuss the relationship between air pollution and STEMI.

  7. Western Pacific Tropospheric Ozone and Potential Vorticity: Implications for Asian Pollution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, Edward V.; Newell, Reginald E.; Davis, Douglas D.; Liu, Shaw C.

    1997-01-01

    Tropospheric ozone (03) cross sections measured with lidar from a DC-8 aircraft over the western Pacific correspond closely with potential vorticity (PV). Both are transported from the middle latitude stratosphere, although this is not the only source of 03, and both have sinks in the tropical boundary layer. 03 and PV are good indicators of photochemical and transport process interactions. In summer, some Asian pollution, raised by convection to the upper troposphere, passes southward into the tropics and to the Southern Hemisphere. In winter, subsidence keeps the pollution at low altitudes where it moves over the ocean towards the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), with photochemical destruction and secondary pollutant generation occurring en route. Convection raises this modified air to the upper troposphere, where some re may enter the stratosphere. Thus winter Asian pollution may at have a smaller direct influence on the global atmosphere than it would if injected at other longitudes and seasons.

  8. A preliminary assessment of the Montréal process indicators of air pollution for the United States

    Treesearch

    John W. Coulston; Kurt H. Riitters; Grethchen C. Smith

    2004-01-01

    Air pollutants pose a risk to forest health and vitality in the United States. Here we present the major findings from a national scale air pollution assessment that is part of the United States’ 2003 Report on Sustainable Forests. We examine trends and the percent forest subjected to specific levels of ozone and wet deposition of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium....

  9. The effect of future ambient air pollution on human premature mortality to 2100 using output from the ACCMIP model ensemble

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, Raquel A.; West, J. Jason; Lamarque, Jean-François; Shindell, Drew T.; Collins, William J.; Dalsoren, Stig; Faluvegi, Greg; Folberth, Gerd; Horowitz, Larry W.; Nagashima, Tatsuya; Naik, Vaishali; Rumbold, Steven T.; Sudo, Kengo; Takemura, Toshihiko; Bergmann, Daniel; Cameron-Smith, Philip; Cionni, Irene; Doherty, Ruth M.; Eyring, Veronika; Josse, Beatrice; MacKenzie, Ian A.; Plummer, David; Righi, Mattia; Stevenson, David S.; Strode, Sarah; Szopa, Sophie; Zengast, Guang

    2016-08-01

    Ambient air pollution from ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with premature mortality. Future concentrations of these air pollutants will be driven by natural and anthropogenic emissions and by climate change. Using anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions projected in the four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs), the ACCMIP ensemble of chemistry-climate models simulated future concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 at selected decades between 2000 and 2100. We use output from the ACCMIP ensemble, together with projections of future population and baseline mortality rates, to quantify the human premature mortality impacts of future ambient air pollution. Future air-pollution-related premature mortality in 2030, 2050 and 2100 is estimated for each scenario and for each model using a health impact function based on changes in concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 relative to 2000 and projected future population and baseline mortality rates. Additionally, the global mortality burden of ozone and PM2.5 in 2000 and each future period is estimated relative to 1850 concentrations, using present-day and future population and baseline mortality rates. The change in future ozone concentrations relative to 2000 is associated with excess global premature mortality in some scenarios/periods, particularly in RCP8.5 in 2100 (316 thousand deaths year-1), likely driven by the large increase in methane emissions and by the net effect of climate change projected in this scenario, but it leads to considerable avoided premature mortality for the three other RCPs. However, the global mortality burden of ozone markedly increases from 382 000 (121 000 to 728 000) deaths year-1 in 2000 to between 1.09 and 2.36 million deaths year-1 in 2100, across RCPs, mostly due to the effect of increases in population and baseline mortality rates. PM2.5 concentrations decrease relative to 2000 in all scenarios, due to projected reductions in emissions, and

  10. The Effect of Future Ambient Air Pollution on Human Premature Mortality to 2100 Using Output from the ACCMIP Model Ensemble

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Silva, Raquel A.; West, J. Jason; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Shindell, Drew T.; Collins, William J.; Dalsoren, Stig; Faluvegi, Greg; Folberth, Gerd; Horowitz, Larry W.; Nagashima, Tatsuya; hide

    2016-01-01

    Ambient air pollution from ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM(sub 2.5)) is associated with premature mortality. Future concentrations of these air pollutants will be driven by natural and anthropogenic emissions and by climate change. Using anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions projected in the four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs), the ACCMIP ensemble of chemistry climate models simulated future concentrations of ozone and PM(sub 2.5) at selected decades between 2000 and 2100. We use output from the ACCMIP ensemble, together with projections of future population and baseline mortality rates, to quantify the human premature mortality impacts of future ambient air pollution. Future air-pollution-related premature mortality in 2030, 2050 and 2100 is estimated for each scenario and for each model using a health impact function based on changes in concentrations of ozone and PM(sub 2.5) relative to 2000 and projected future population and baseline mortality rates. Additionally, the global mortality burden of ozone and PM(sub 2.5) in 2000 and each future period is estimated relative to 1850 concentrations, using present-day and future population and baseline mortality rates. The change in future ozone concentrations relative to 2000 is associated with excess global premature mortality in some scenarios/periods, particularly in RCP8.5 in 2100 (316 thousand deaths per year), likely driven by the large increase in methane emissions and by the net effect of climate change projected in this scenario, but it leads to considerable avoided premature mortality for the three other RCPs. However, the global mortality burden of ozone markedly increases from 382000 (121000 to 728000) deaths per year in 2000 to between 1.09 and 2.36 million deaths per year in 2100, across RCPs, mostly due to the effect of increases in population and baseline mortality rates. PM(sub 2.5) concentrations decrease relative to 2000 in all scenarios, due to

  11. The effect of future ambient air pollution on human premature mortality to 2100 using output from the ACCMIP model ensemble.

    PubMed

    Silva, Raquel A; West, J Jason; Lamarque, Jean-François; Shindell, Drew T; Collins, William J; Dalsoren, Stig; Faluvegi, Greg; Folberth, Gerd; Horowitz, Larry W; Nagashima, Tatsuya; Naik, Vaishali; Rumbold, Steven T; Sudo, Kengo; Takemura, Toshihiko; Bergmann, Daniel; Cameron-Smith, Philip; Cionni, Irene; Doherty, Ruth M; Eyring, Veronika; Josse, Beatrice; MacKenzie, I A; Plummer, David; Righi, Mattia; Stevenson, David S; Strode, Sarah; Szopa, Sophie; Zeng, Guang

    2016-01-01

    Ambient air pollution from ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is associated with premature mortality. Future concentrations of these air pollutants will be driven by natural and anthropogenic emissions and by climate change. Using anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions projected in the four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs), the ACCMIP ensemble of chemistry-climate models simulated future concentrations of ozone and PM 2.5 at selected decades between 2000 and 2100. We use output from the ACCMIP ensemble, together with projections of future population and baseline mortality rates, to quantify the human premature mortality impacts of future ambient air pollution. Future air pollution-related premature mortality in 2030, 2050 and 2100 is estimated for each scenario and for each model using a health impact function based on changes in concentrations of ozone and PM 2.5 relative to 2000 and projected future population and baseline mortality rates. Additionally, the global mortality burden of ozone and PM 2.5 in 2000 and each future period is estimated relative to 1850 concentrations, using present-day and future population and baseline mortality rates. The change in future ozone concentrations relative to 2000 is associated with excess global premature mortality in some scenarios/periods, particularly in RCP8.5 in 2100 (316 thousand deaths/year), likely driven by the large increase in methane emissions and by the net effect of climate change projected in this scenario, but it leads to considerable avoided premature mortality for the three other RCPs. However, the global mortality burden of ozone markedly increases from 382,000 (121,000 to 728,000) deaths/year in 2000 to between 1.09 and 2.36 million deaths/year in 2100, across RCPs, mostly due to the effect of increases in population and baseline mortality rates. PM 2.5 concentrations decrease relative to 2000 in all scenarios, due to projected reductions in emissions, and

  12. Reference and Equivalent Methods Used to Measure National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Criteria Air Pollutants - Volume I

    EPA Science Inventory

    There are a number of Federal Reference Method (FRM) and Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) systems used to monitor the six criteria air pollutants (Lead [Pb], Carbon Monoxide [CO], Sulfur Dioxide [SO2], Nitrogen Dioxide [NO2], Ozone [O3], Particulate Matter [PM]) to determine if an...

  13. DNA damage in outdoor workers occupationally exposed to environmental air pollutants

    PubMed Central

    Tovalin, H; Valverde, M; Morandi, M T; Blanco, S; Whitehead, L; Rojas, E

    2006-01-01

    Background Health concerns about the exposure to genotoxic and carcinogenic agents in the air are particularly significant for outdoor workers in less developed countries. Aims To investigate the association between personal exposure to a group of air pollutants and severity of DNA damage in outdoor workers from two Mexican cities. Methods DNA damage (Comet assay) and personal exposure to volatile organic compounds, PM2.5, and ozone were investigated in 55 outdoor and indoor workers from México City and Puebla. Results In México City, outdoor workers had greater DNA damage, reflected by a longer tail length, than indoor workers (median 46.8 v 30.1 μm), and a greater percentage of highly damaged cells (cells with tail length ⩾41 μm); in Puebla, outdoor and indoor workers had similar DNA damage. There were more alkali labile sites in outdoor than indoor workers. The DNA damage magnitude was positively correlated with PM2.5 and ozone exposure. Outdoor and indoor workers with ⩾60% of highly damaged cells (highly damaged workers) had significantly higher exposures to PM2.5, ozone, and some volatile organic compounds. The main factors associated with the highly damaged workers were ozone, PM2.5, and 1‐ethyl‐2‐methyl benzene exposure. Conclusions With this approach, the effects of some air pollutants could be correlated with biological endpoints from the Comet assay. It is suggested that the use of personal exposure assessment and biological endpoints evaluation could be an important tool to generate a more precise assessment of the associated potential health risks. PMID:16556741

  14. Air pollution and associated respiratory morbidity in Delhi.

    PubMed

    Jayaraman, Girija; Nidhi

    2008-06-01

    As a rapidly expanding centre of government, trade, commerce and industry, Delhi, the Indian capital, presents an instructive location for studying the possible association between air pollution and adverse health effects. This study tries to determine the association, if any, between the air pollutants--sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, suspended particulate matter and respiratory suspended particulate matter--and daily variations in respiratory morbidity in Delhi during the years 2004--2005. Data analysis was based on the Generalized Additive Poisson regression model including a Lowess smoothing function for the entire patient population and subgroups defined by season. The best fitting lag period for each pollutant was found by testing its concentration at varying lags. The model demonstrated associations between daily visits and some of the pollutants (O3, NO2 and RSPM) but their strongest components were observed at varying lags. A single pollutant model showed that a 10 microg m(-3) rise in pollutant level led to statistically significant relative risks (RR): 1.033 for O3, 1.004 for NO2, 1.006 for RSPM. The effect of particulate was relatively low, presumably because unlike other pollutants, particulate matter is not a single pollutant but rather a class of pollutants. This study, continued on a long term basis, can provide guidelines for anticipation/preparedness in the management of health care and hospital admissions.

  15. Ozone retrievals from MAGEAQ GEO TIR+VIS for air quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quesada-Ruiz, Samuel; Attié, Jean-Luc; Lahoz, William A.; Abida, Rachid; El-Amraoui, Laaziz; Ricaud, Philippe; Zbinden, Regina; Spurr, Robert; da Silva, Arlindo M.

    2016-04-01

    Nowadays, air quality monitoring is based on the use of ground-based stations (GBS) or satellite measurements. GBS provide accurate measurements of pollutant concentrations, especially in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), but usually the spatial coverage is sparse. Polar-orbiting satellites provide good spatial resolution but low temporal coverage -this is insufficient for tracking pollutants exhibiting a diurnal cycle (Lahoz et al., 2012). However, pollutant concentrations can be measured by instruments placed on board a geostationary satellite, which can provide sufficiently high temporal and spatial resolutions (e.g. Hache et al., 2014). In this work, we investigate the potentiality of a possible future geostationary instrument, MAGEAQ (Monitoring the Atmosphere from Geostationary orbit for European Air Quality), for retrieving ozone measurements over Europe. In particular, MAGEAQ can provide 1-hour temporal sampling at 10x10km pixel resolution for measurements in both visible (VIS) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands -thus, we will be able to measure during the day and at night. MAGEAQ synthetic radiance observations are obtained through radiative transfer (RT) simulations using the VLIDORT discrete ordinate RT model (Spurr, 2006) based on output from the GEOS-5 Nature Run (Gelaro et al., 2015) providing optical information, plus a suitable instrument model. Ozone is retrieved from these synthetic measurements using the optimal estimation inversion scheme of Levenberg-Marquardt. Finally, we examine an application of the air quality concept based on these ozone retrievals during the heatwave event of July 2006 over Europe. REFERENCES Gelaro, R., Putman, W. M., Pawson, S., Draper, C., Molod, A., Norris, P. M., Ott, L., Privé, N., Reale, O., Achuthavarier, D., Bosilovich, M., Buchard, V., Chao, W., Coy, L., Cullather, R., da Silva, A., Darmenov, A., Errico, R. M., Fuentes, M., Kim, M-J., Koster, R., McCarty, W., Nattala, J., Partyka, G., Schubert, S., Vernieres, G

  16. Brain inflammation and Alzheimer's-like pathology in individuals exposed to severe air pollution.

    PubMed

    Calderón-Garcidueñas, Lilian; Reed, William; Maronpot, Robert R; Henríquez-Roldán, Carlos; Delgado-Chavez, Ricardo; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana; Dragustinovis, Irma; Franco-Lira, Maricela; Aragón-Flores, Mariana; Solt, Anna C; Altenburg, Michael; Torres-Jardón, Ricardo; Swenberg, James A

    2004-01-01

    Air pollution is a complex mixture of gases (e.g., ozone), particulate matter, and organic compounds present in outdoor and indoor air. Dogs exposed to severe air pollution exhibit chronic inflammation and acceleration of Alzheimer's-like pathology, suggesting that the brain is adversely affected by pollutants. We investigated whether residency in cities with high levels of air pollution is associated with human brain inflammation. Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), an inflammatory mediator, and accumulation of the 42-amino acid form of beta-amyloid (Abeta42), a cause of neuronal dysfunction, were measured in autopsy brain tissues of cognitively and neurologically intact lifelong residents of cities having low (n:9) or high (n:10) levels of air pollution. Genomic DNA apurinic/apyrimidinic sites, nuclear factor-kappaB activation and apolipoprotein E genotype were also evaluated. Residents of cities with severe air pollution had significantly higher COX2 expression in frontal cortex and hippocampus and greater neuronal and astrocytic accumulation of Abeta42 compared to residents in low air pollution cities. Increased COX2 expression and Abeta42 accumulation were also observed in the olfactory bulb. These findings suggest that exposure to severe air pollution is associated with brain inflammation and Abeta42 accumulation, two causes of neuronal dysfunction that precede the appearance of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

  17. "OZONE SOURCE APPORTIONMENT IN CMAQ'

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ozone source attribution has been used to support various policy purposes including interstate transport (Cross State Air Pollution Rule) by U.S. EPA and ozone nonattainment area designations by State agencies. Common scientific applications include tracking intercontinental tran...

  18. Statistical persistence of air pollutants (O3,SO2,NO2 and PM10) in Mexico City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meraz, M.; Rodriguez, E.; Femat, R.; Echeverria, J. C.; Alvarez-Ramirez, J.

    2015-06-01

    The rescaled range (R / S) analysis was used for analyzing the statistical persistence of air pollutants in Mexico City. The air-pollution time series consisted of hourly observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter obtained at the Mexico City downtown monitoring station during 1999-2014. The results showed that long-range persistence is not a uniform property over a wide range of time scales, from days to months. In fact, although the air pollutant concentrations exhibit an average persistent behavior, environmental (e.g., daily and yearly) and socio-economic (e.g., daily and weekly) cycles are reflected in the dependence of the persistence strength as quantified in terms of the Hurst exponent. It was also found that the Hurst exponent exhibits time variations, with the ozone and nitrate oxide concentrations presenting some regularity, such as annual cycles. The persistence dynamics of the pollutant concentrations increased during the rainy season and decreased during the dry season. The time and scale dependences of the persistence properties provide some insights in the mechanisms involved in the internal dynamics of the Mexico City atmosphere for accumulating and dissipating dangerous air pollutants. While in the short-term individual pollutants dynamics seems to be governed by specific mechanisms, in the long-term (for monthly and higher scales) meteorological and seasonal mechanisms involved in atmospheric recirculation seem to dominate the dynamics of all air pollutant concentrations.

  19. Ambient Air Pollution and Apnea and Bradycardia in High-Risk Infants on Home Monitors

    PubMed Central

    Klein, Mitchel; Flanders, W. Dana; Mulholland, James A.; Freed, Gary; Tolbert, Paige E.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Evidence suggests that increased ambient air pollution concentrations are associated with health effects, although relatively few studies have specifically examined infants. Objective: We examined associations of daily ambient air pollution concentrations with central apnea (prolonged pauses in breathing) and bradycardia (low heart rate) events among infants prescribed home cardiorespiratory monitors. Methods: The home monitors record the electrocardiogram, heart rate, and respiratory effort for detected apnea and bradycardia events in high-risk infants [primarily premature and low birth weight (LBW) infants]. From August 1998 through December 2002, 4,277 infants had 8,960 apnea event-days and 29,450 bradycardia event-days in > 179,000 days of follow-up. We assessed the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia events in relation to speciated particulate matter and gaseous air pollution levels using a 2-day average of air pollution (same day and previous day), adjusting for temporal trends, temperature, and infant age. Results: We observed associations between bradycardia and 8-hr maximum ozone [odds ratio (OR) = 1.049 per 25-ppb increase; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.021–1.078] and 1-hr maximum nitrogen dioxide (OR =1.025 per 20-ppb increase; 95% CI, 1.000–1.050). The association with ozone was robust to different methods of control for time trend and specified correlation structure. In secondary analyses, associations of apnea and bradycardia with pollution were generally stronger in infants who were full term and of normal birth weight than in infants who were both premature and LBW. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher air pollution concentrations may increase the occurrence of apnea and bradycardia in high-risk infants. PMID:21447453

  20. Air pollution and vegetation change in southern California coastal sage scrub: a comparison with chaparral and coniferous forest

    Treesearch

    Edith B. Allen; Abby G. Sirulnik; Louise Egerton-Warburton; Sheila N. Kee; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Pamela E. Padgett; Patrick J. Temple; Mark E. Fenn; Mark A. Poth; Thomas Meixner

    2005-01-01

    The coastal sage scrub (CSS) vegetation of southern California is rapidly converting to annual grasslands, perhaps in part because of air pollution. By contrast, chaparral and coniferous forest are subject to equally high levels of air pollution but are relatively stable. A comparative analysis of ozone and nitrogen deposition on plants of CSS, exotic annual grassland...

  1. Air pollutants degrade floral scents and increase insect foraging times

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fuentes, Jose D.; Chamecki, Marcelo; Roulston, T.'ai; Chen, Bicheng; Pratt, Kenneth R.

    2016-09-01

    Flowers emit mixtures of scents that mediate plant-insect interactions such as attracting insect pollinators. Because of their volatile nature, however, floral scents readily react with ozone, nitrate radical, and hydroxyl radical. The result of such reactions is the degradation and the chemical modification of scent plumes downwind of floral sources. Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are developed to investigate dispersion and chemical degradation and modification of floral scents due to reactions with ozone, hydroxyl radical, and nitrate radical within the atmospheric surface layer. Impacts on foraging insects are investigated by utilizing a random walk model to simulate insect search behavior. Results indicate that even moderate air pollutant levels (e.g., ozone mixing ratios greater than 60 parts per billion on a per volume basis, ppbv) substantially degrade floral volatiles and alter the chemical composition of released floral scents. As a result, insect success rates of locating plumes of floral scents were reduced and foraging times increased in polluted air masses due to considerable degradation and changes in the composition of floral scents. Results also indicate that plant-pollinator interactions could be sensitive to changes in floral scent composition, especially if insects are unable to adapt to the modified scentscape. The increase in foraging time could have severe cascading and pernicious impacts on the fitness of foraging insects by reducing the time devoted to other necessary tasks.

  2. Roles of Meteorology in Changes of Air Pollutants Concentrations in China from 2010 to 2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, P.; Kota, S. H.; Hu, J.; Ying, Q.; Zhang, H.

    2017-12-01

    Tremendous efforts have been made to control the severe air pollution in China in recent years. However, no significant improvement was observed according to annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations and the concentrations in severe air pollution events in winter. This is partially due to the role of meteorology, which affects the emission, transport, transformation, and deposition of air pollutants. In this study, simulation of air pollutants over China was conducted for six years from 2010 to 2015 with constant anthropogenic emissions to verify the changes of air pollutants due to meteorology changes only. Model performance was validated by comparing with meteorological observations and air pollutants measures from various sources. Four different regions/cities were selected to understand the changes in wind, mixing layer height, temperature, and relative humanity at different seasons. The changes in concentrations of pollutants including PM2.5 and its chemical components and ozone were analyzed and associated with meteorological changes. This study would provide information for designing effective control strategies in different areas with the consideration of meteorological and climate changes.

  3. Future local and remote influences on Mediterranean ozone air quality and climate forcing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, Steve; Martin, Maria Val; Emmons, Louisa; Rap, Alex; Heald, Colette; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Tilmes, Simone

    2013-04-01

    The Mediterranean region is expected to display large increases in population over the coming decades, and to exhibit strong sensitivity to projected climate change, with increasing frequency of extreme summer temperatures and decreases in precipitation. Understanding of how these changes will affect atmospheric composition in the region is limited. The eastern Mediterranean basin has been shown to exhibit a pronounced summertime local maximum in tropospheric ozone, which impacts both local air quality and the atmospheric radiation balance. In summer, the region is subject to import of pollution from Northern Europe in the boundary layer and lower troposphere, from North American sources in the large-scale westerly flow of the free mid and upper-troposphere, as well as import of pollution lofted in the Asian monsoon and carried west to the eastern Mediterranean in anticyclonic flow in the upper troposphere over north Africa. In addition, interactions with the land-surface through biogenic emission sources and dry deposition play important roles in the Mediterranean ozone budget. Here we use the NCAR Community Earth System Model (CESM) to investigate how tropospheric ozone in the Mediterranean region responds to climate, land surface and global emissions changes between present day and 2050. We simulate climate and atmospheric composition for the year 2050, based on greenhouse gas abundances, trace gas and aerosol emissions and land cover and use from two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP4.5 & RCP8.5), designed for use by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5) experiments in support of the IPCC. By comparing these simulations with a present-day scenario, we investigate the effects of predicted changes in climate and emissions on air quality and climate forcing over the Mediterranean region. The simulations suggest decreases in boundary layer ozone and sulfate aerosol throughout the tropospheric column over the Mediterranean

  4. Patterns of understory diversity in mixed coniferous forests of southern California impacted by air pollution.

    PubMed

    Allen, Edith B; Temple, Patrick J; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J; Sirulnik, Abby G; Rao, Leela E

    2007-03-21

    The forests of the San Bernardino Mountains have been subject to ozone and nitrogen (N) deposition for some 60 years. Much work has been done to assess the impacts of these pollutants on trees, but little is known about how the diverse understory flora has fared. Understory vegetation has declined in diversity in response to elevated N in the eastern U.S. and Europe. Six sites along an ozone and N deposition gradient that had been part of a long-term study on response of plants to air pollution beginning in 1973 were resampled in 2003. Historic ozone data and leaf injury scores confirmed the gradient. Present-day ozone levels were almost half of these, and recent atmospheric N pollution concentrations confirmed the continued air pollution gradient. Both total and extractable soil N were higher in sites on the western end of the gradient closer to the urban source of pollution, pH was lower, and soil carbon (C) and litter were higher. The gradient also had decreasing precipitation and increasing elevation from west to east. However, the dominant tree species were the same across the gradient. Tree basal area increased during the 30-year interval in five of the sites. The two westernmost sites had 30-45% cover divided equally between native and exotic understory herbaceous species, while the other sites had only 3-13% cover dominated by native species. The high production is likely related to higher precipitation at the western sites as well as elevated N. The species richness was in the range of 24 to 30 in four of the sites, but one site of intermediate N deposition had 42 species, while the easternmost, least polluted site had 57 species. These were primarily native species, as no site had more than one to three exotic species. In three of six sites, 20-40% of species were lost between 1973 and 2003, including the two westernmost sites. Two sites with intermediate pollution had little change in total species number over 30 years, and the easternmost site had more

  5. Inquiry Based Projects Using Student Ozone Measurements and the Status of Using Plants as Bio-Indicators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ladd, I. H.; Fishman, J.; Pippin, M.; Sachs, S.; Skelly, J.; Chappelka, A.; Neufeld, H.; Burkey, K.

    2006-05-01

    Students around the world work cooperatively with their teachers and the scientific research community measuring local surface ozone levels using a hand-held optical scanner and ozone sensitive chemical strips. Through the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program, students measuring local ozone levels are connected with the chemistry of the air they breathe and how human activity impacts air quality. Educational tools have been developed and correlated with the National Science and Mathematics Standards to facilitate integrating the study of surface ozone with core curriculum. Ozone air pollution has been identified as the major pollutant causing foliar injury to plants when they are exposed to concentrations of surface ozone. The inclusion of native and agricultural plants with measuring surface ozone provides an Earth system approach to understanding surface ozone. An implementation guide for investigating ozone induced foliar injury has been developed and field tested. The guide, Using Sensitive Plants as Bio-Indicators of Ozone Pollution, provides: the background information and protocol for implementing an "Ozone Garden" with native and agricultural plants; and, a unique opportunity to involve students in a project that will develop and increase their awareness of surface ozone air pollution and its impact on plants.

  6. Phylloremediation of Air Pollutants: Exploiting the Potential of Plant Leaves and Leaf-Associated Microbes

    PubMed Central

    Wei, Xiangying; Lyu, Shiheng; Yu, Ying; Wang, Zonghua; Liu, Hong; Pan, Dongming; Chen, Jianjun

    2017-01-01

    Air pollution is air contaminated by anthropogenic or naturally occurring substances in high concentrations for a prolonged time, resulting in adverse effects on human comfort and health as well as on ecosystems. Major air pollutants include particulate matters (PMs), ground-level ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxides (NO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). During the last three decades, air has become increasingly polluted in countries like China and India due to rapid economic growth accompanied by increased energy consumption. Various policies, regulations, and technologies have been brought together for remediation of air pollution, but the air still remains polluted. In this review, we direct attention to bioremediation of air pollutants by exploiting the potentials of plant leaves and leaf-associated microbes. The aerial surfaces of plants, particularly leaves, are estimated to sum up to 4 × 108 km2 on the earth and are also home for up to 1026 bacterial cells. Plant leaves are able to adsorb or absorb air pollutants, and habituated microbes on leaf surface and in leaves (endophytes) are reported to be able to biodegrade or transform pollutants into less or nontoxic molecules, but their potentials for air remediation has been largely unexplored. With advances in omics technologies, molecular mechanisms underlying plant leaves and leaf associated microbes in reduction of air pollutants will be deeply examined, which will provide theoretical bases for developing leaf-based remediation technologies or phylloremediation for mitigating pollutants in the air. PMID:28804491

  7. Phylloremediation of Air Pollutants: Exploiting the Potential of Plant Leaves and Leaf-Associated Microbes.

    PubMed

    Wei, Xiangying; Lyu, Shiheng; Yu, Ying; Wang, Zonghua; Liu, Hong; Pan, Dongming; Chen, Jianjun

    2017-01-01

    Air pollution is air contaminated by anthropogenic or naturally occurring substances in high concentrations for a prolonged time, resulting in adverse effects on human comfort and health as well as on ecosystems. Major air pollutants include particulate matters (PMs), ground-level ozone (O 3 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxides (NO 2 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). During the last three decades, air has become increasingly polluted in countries like China and India due to rapid economic growth accompanied by increased energy consumption. Various policies, regulations, and technologies have been brought together for remediation of air pollution, but the air still remains polluted. In this review, we direct attention to bioremediation of air pollutants by exploiting the potentials of plant leaves and leaf-associated microbes. The aerial surfaces of plants, particularly leaves, are estimated to sum up to 4 × 10 8 km 2 on the earth and are also home for up to 10 26 bacterial cells. Plant leaves are able to adsorb or absorb air pollutants, and habituated microbes on leaf surface and in leaves (endophytes) are reported to be able to biodegrade or transform pollutants into less or nontoxic molecules, but their potentials for air remediation has been largely unexplored. With advances in omics technologies, molecular mechanisms underlying plant leaves and leaf associated microbes in reduction of air pollutants will be deeply examined, which will provide theoretical bases for developing leaf-based remediation technologies or phylloremediation for mitigating pollutants in the air.

  8. Measurements and Modeling of The Air Pollution and The Meteorology On A Complex Topography Region: Case Study Grenoble 1998/1999

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Couach, O.; Balin, I.; Jimenez, R.; Quaglia, P.; Kirchner, F.; Ristori, P.; Simeonov, V.; Clappier, A.; van den Bergh, H.; Calpini, B.

    In order to understand, to predict and to elaborate solutions concerning the photo- chemical and meteorological processes, which occur often in the summer time over the Grenoble city and its three surroundings valleys, both modeling and measurement approaches were considered. Two intensive air pollution and meteorological measure- ments campaigns were performed in 1998 and 1999. Ozone (O3) and other pollutants (NOx, CH2O, SO2, etc) as well as wind, temperature, solar radiation and relative hu- midity were intensively measured at surface level combined with 3D measurements range by using: an instrumented aircraft (Metair), two ozone lidars (e.g. EPFL ozone dial lidar) and wind profilers (e.g.Degreane). This poster will focus on the main results of these measurements like the 3D ozone distribution, the mixing height/planetary boundary layer evolution, the meteorological behavior, and the other pollutants evalu- ation. The paper also highlights the use of these measurements as a necessary database for comparison and checking (validation) of the model performances and thus to allow modeling solutions in predicting the air pollution events and thus permitting to build the right abatement strategies.

  9. Synoptic weather typing applied to air pollution mortality among the elderly in 10 Canadian cities.

    PubMed

    Vanos, Jennifer K; Cakmak, Sabit; Bristow, Corben; Brion, Vladislav; Tremblay, Neil; Martin, Sara L; Sheridan, Scott S

    2013-10-01

    Synoptic circulation patterns (large-scale weather systems) affect ambient levels of air pollution, as well as the relationship between air pollution and human health. To investigate the air pollution-mortality relationship within weather types and seasons, and to determine which combination of atmospheric conditions may pose increased health threats in the elderly age categories. The relative risk of mortality (RR) due to air pollution was examined using Poisson generalized linear models (GLMs) within specific weather types. Analysis was completed by weather type and age group (all ages, ≤64, 65-74, 75-84, ≥85 years) in ten Canadian cities from 1981 to 1999. There was significant modification of RR by weather type and age. When examining the entire population, weather type was shown to have the greatest modifying effect on the risk of dying due to ozone (O3). This effect was highest on average for the dry tropical (DT) weather type, with the all-age RR of mortality at a population weighted mean (PWM) found to be 1.055 (95% CI 1.026-1.085). All-weather type risk estimates increased with age due to exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulphur dioxide (SO2). On average, RR increased by 2.6, 3.8 and 1.5% for the respective pollutants between the ≤64 and ≥85 age categories. Conversely, mean ozone estimates remained relatively consistent with age. Elevated levels of air pollution were found to be detrimental to the health of elderly individuals for all weather types. However, the entire population was negatively effected by air pollution on the hot dry (DT) and hot humid (MT) days. We identified a significant modification of RR for mortality due to air pollution by age, which is enhanced under specific weather types. Efforts should be targeted at minimizing pollutant exposure to the elderly and/or all age groups with respect to weather type in question. Crown Copyright © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Summer-time distribution of air pollutants in Sequoia National Park, California

    Treesearch

    Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Michael Tausz; Rocio Alonso; David Jones; Ronald Johnson; Nancy Grulke

    2002-01-01

    Concentrations of air pollutants were monitored during the May–November 1999 period on a network of forested sites in Sequoia National Park, California. Measurements were conducted with: (1) active monitors for nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3); (2) honeycomb denuder/filter pack systems for nitric...

  11. Table - Impacts of the Proposed Transport Rule on Counties with Monitors Projected to have Ozone and/or Fine Particle Air Quality Problems

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This table shows the impacts of the proposed Transport Rule on Counties with Monitors Projected to have Ozone and/or Fine Particle Air Quality Problems, both with and without the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.

  12. Ozone Air Purifiers: Can They Improve Asthma Symptoms?

    MedlinePlus

    ... and cleaner. However, ozone generators don't actually filter out the small particles that trigger asthma. Inhaling ... air — but they may generate unwanted ozone. Air filters that remove small particles — such as high-efficiency ...

  13. Ozone curbs crown rust

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1970-01-01

    Crown rust, the most destructive disease of oats, was suppressed in laboratory fumigation chambers by ozone air pollution levels commonly surpassed in many areas. Whether the effects of air pollution on crown rust are of economic importance under field conditions is yet to be determined. Crown rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata, is particularly destructive in Southern and North Central States, often reducing yields 20 percent or more. Rust pustules on oats were significantly smaller when plants were exposed to 10 parts per hundred million ozone for 6 hours in the light on the 10 days after infection. Aboutmore » half as many rust spores were produced in the ozone chamber as in one protected by carbon filters. Exposure to 10 pphm ozone did not affect viability of spores. Spores produced on exposed plants germinated and penetrated stomates of oat leaves as well as spores produced on unexposed leaves.« less

  14. Air Pollution Is Associated With Ischemic Stroke via Cardiogenic Embolism.

    PubMed

    Chung, Jong-Won; Bang, Oh Young; Ahn, Kangmo; Park, Sang-Soon; Park, Tai Hwan; Kim, Jae Guk; Ko, Youngchai; Lee, SooJoo; Lee, Kyung Bok; Lee, Jun; Kang, Kyusik; Park, Jong-Moo; Cho, Yong-Jin; Hong, Keun-Sik; Nah, Hyun-Wook; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Cha, Jae-Kwan; Ryu, Wi-Sun; Kim, Dong-Eog; Kim, Joon-Tae; Choi, Jay Chol; Oh, Mi-Sun; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Lee, Byung-Chul; Lee, Ji Sung; Lee, Juneyoung; Park, Hong-Kyun; Kim, Beom Joon; Han, Moon-Ku; Bae, Hee-Joon

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the study was to assessed the impact of short-term exposure to air pollution on ischemic stroke subtype, while focusing on stroke caused via cardioembolism. From a nationwide, multicenter, prospective, stroke registry database, 13 535 patients with acute ischemic stroke hospitalized to 12 participating centers were enrolled in this study. Data on the hourly concentrations of particulate matter <10 μm, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), and carbon monoxide (CO) were collected from 181 nationwide air pollution surveillance stations. The average values of these air pollutants over the 7 days before stroke onset from nearest air quality monitoring station in each patient were used to determine association with stroke subtype. The primary outcome was stroke subtype, including large artery atherosclerosis, small-vessel occlusion, cardioembolism, and stroke of other or undetermined cause. Particulate matter <10 μm and SO 2 concentrations were independently associated with an increased risk of cardioembolic stroke, as compared with large artery atherosclerosis and noncardioembolic stroke. In stratified analyses, the proportion of cases of cardioembolic stroke was positively correlated with the particulate matter <10 μm, NO 2 , and SO 2 quintiles. Moreover, seasonal and geographic factors were related to an increased proportion of cardioembolic stroke, which may be attributed to the high levels of air pollution. Our findings suggest that the short-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with cardioembolic stroke, and greater care should be taken for those susceptible to cerebral embolism during peak pollution periods. Public and environmental health policies to reduce air pollution could help slow down global increasing trends of cardioembolic stroke. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  15. Identifying sources of ozone to three rural locations in Nevada, USA, using ancillary gas pollutants, aerosol chemistry, and mercury.

    PubMed

    Miller, Matthieu B; Fine, Rebekka; Pierce, Ashley M; Gustin, Mae S

    2015-10-15

    Ozone (O3) is a secondary air pollutant of long standing and increasing concern for environmental and human health, and as such, the US Environmental Protection Agency will revise the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 75 ppbv to ≤ 70 ppbv. Long term measurements at the Great Basin National Park (GBNP) indicate that O3 in remote areas of Nevada will exceed a revised standard. As part of the Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative, measurements of O3 and other air pollutants were made at 3 remote sites between February 2012 and March 2014, GBNP, Paradise Valley (PAVA), and Echo Peak (ECHO). Exceptionally high concentrations of each air pollutant were defined relative to each site as mixing ratios that exceeded the 90th percentile of all hourly data. Case studies were analyzed for all periods during which mean daily O3 exceeded the 90th percentile concurrently with a maximum 8-h average (MDA8) O3 that was "exceptionally high" for the site (65 ppbv at PAVA, 70 ppbv at ECHO and GBNP), and of potential regulatory significance. An MDA8 ≥ 65 ppbv occurred only five times at PAVA, whereas this occurred on 49 and 65 days at GBNP and ECHO, respectively. The overall correlation between O3 and other pollutants was poor, consistent with the large distance from significant primary emission sources. Mean CO at these locations exceeded concentrations reported for background sites in 2000. Trajectory residence time calculations and air pollutant concentrations indicate that exceedances at GBNP and ECHO were promoted by air masses originating from multiple sources, including wildfires, transport of pollution from southern California and the marine boundary layer, and transport of Asian pollution plumes. Results indicate that the State of Nevada will exceed a revised O3 standard due to sources that are beyond their control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. The High Altitude Pollution Program (1976-1982).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    ground, where air pollution problems arise due to ground level emissions from, for example, automobiles and power plants) to about 25 km above the...downward and poleward. Near the ground, in areas such as cities prone to air pollution , ozone is produced by nitrogen dioxide photolysis and reaction...Spectrophotcmeter Total Ozone Measurement Errors caused by Interfering Absorbing Species Such as SO2, NO2 and Photochemically Produced 03 IN Polluted Air ," NOAA

  17. Ozone NAAQS Review: Policy Assessment

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ozone is one of the six major air pollutants for which EPA has issued air quality criteria and established national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) based on those criteria. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to periodically review and revise, as appropriate, existing air...

  18. Effects of air pollution on human health and practical measures for prevention in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Ghorani-Azam, Adel; Riahi-Zanjani, Bamdad; Balali-Mood, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    Air pollution is a major concern of new civilized world, 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. Long and short term exposure to air suspended toxicants has a different toxicological impact on human including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric complications, the eyes irritation, skin diseases, and long-term chronic diseases such as cancer. Several reports have revealed the direct association between exposure to the poor air quality and increasing rate of morbidity and mortality mostly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 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. In this review article, we aimed 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 Iran. PMID:27904610

  19. Effects of air pollution on human health and practical measures for prevention in Iran.

    PubMed

    Ghorani-Azam, Adel; Riahi-Zanjani, Bamdad; Balali-Mood, Mahdi

    2016-01-01

    Air pollution is a major concern of new civilized world, 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. Long and short term exposure to air suspended toxicants has a different toxicological impact on human including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric complications, the eyes irritation, skin diseases, and long-term chronic diseases such as cancer. Several reports have revealed the direct association between exposure to the poor air quality and increasing rate of morbidity and mortality mostly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 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. In this review article, we aimed 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 Iran.

  20. The joint effect of air pollution exposure and copy number variation on risk for autism.

    PubMed

    Kim, Dokyoon; Volk, Heather; Girirajan, Santhosh; Pendergrass, Sarah; Hall, Molly A; Verma, Shefali S; Schmidt, Rebecca J; Hansen, Robin L; Ghosh, Debashis; Ludena-Rodriguez, Yunin; Kim, Kyoungmi; Ritchie, Marylyn D; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Selleck, Scott B

    2017-09-01

    Autism spectrum disorder is a complex trait with a high degree of heritability as well as documented susceptibility from environmental factors. In this study the contributions of copy number variation, exposure to air pollutants, and the interaction between the two on autism risk, were evaluated in the population-based case-control Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) Study. For the current investigation, we included only those CHARGE children (a) who met criteria for autism or typical development and (b) for whom our team had conducted both genetic evaluation of copy number burden and determination of environmental air pollution exposures based on mapping addresses from the pregnancy and early childhood. This sample consisted of 158 cases of children with autism and 147 controls with typical development. Multiple logistic regression models were fit with and without environmental variable-copy number burden interactions. We found no correlation between average air pollution exposure from conception to age 2 years and the child's CNV burden. We found a significant interaction in which a 1SD increase in duplication burden combined with a 1SD increase in ozone exposure was associated with an elevated autism risk (OR 3.4, P < 0.005) much greater than the increased risks associated with either genomic duplication (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.25-2.73) or ozone (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.93-1.54) alone. Similar results were obtained when CNV and ozone were dichotomized to compare those in the top quartile relative to those having a smaller CNV burden and lower exposure to ozone, and when exposures were assessed separately for pregnancy, the first year of life, and the second year of life. No interactions were observed for other air pollutants, even those that demonstrated main effects; ozone tends to be negatively correlated with the other pollutants examined. While earlier work has demonstrated interactions between the presence of a pathogenic CNV and an

  1. Air Pollutant Distribution and Mesoscale Circulation Systems During Escompte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kottmeier, Ch.; Kalthoff, N.; Corsmeier, U.; Robin, D.; Thürauf, J.; Hofherr, T.; Hasel, M.

    The distribution of pollutants observed with an Dornier 128 instrumented aircraft and from AIRMARAIX ground stations during one day of the Escompte experiment (June 25, 2001) is analysed in relation to the mesoscale wind systems and vertical mixing from aircraft and radiosonde data. The ESCOMPTE-experiment (http://medias.obs- mip.fr/escompte) was carried out in June and July 2001 in the urban area of Marseille and its rural surroundings to investigate periods with photosmog conditions. The over- all aim is to produce an appropriate high quality 3-D data set which includes emission, meteorological, and chemical data. The data is used for the validation of mesoscale models and for chemical and meteorological process studies. The evolution of pho- tosmog episodes with high ozone concentrations depends on both chemical transfor- mation processes and meteorological conditions. As Marseille is situated between the Mediterranean Sea in the south and mountainous sites in the north, under weak large- scale flow the meteorological conditions are dominated by thermally driven circula- tion systems which strongly influence the horizontal transport of air pollutants. Ad- ditionally, vertically exchange processes like mountain venting and slope winds may contribute in the temporal evolution of the trace gas concentration of the city plume in the atmospheric boundary layer and are particularly studied by the Dornier flight measurements. Therefore the experiment was designed to measure both, the chemi- cal species and meteorological parameters with high resolution in space and time by surface stations, aircraft and vertical profiling systems like radiosondes, sodars and lidars. Results are shown (a) on the evolution of the wind field and the ozone concen- trations during June 25, when an ozone maximum develops about 60 km in the lee site of Marseille and (b) the vertical transport of air pollutants between the boundary layer and the free troposphere.

  2. Exposure to air pollution is associated with lung hyperinflation in healthy children and adolescents in Southwest Mexico City: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Calderón-Garcidueñas, L; Mora-Tiscareño, A; Chung, C J; Valencia, G; Fordham, L A; García, R; Osnaya, N; Romero, L; Acuña, H; Villarreal-Calderón, A; Devlin, R B; Koren, H S

    2000-06-01

    Air pollution produces adverse health effects. The consequences of lifelong daily exposures to atmospheric pollutants upon the respiratory apparatus of healthy children are of considerable clinical importance. We investigated the association between exposure to a highly polluted urban environment with a complex mixture of air pollutants-ozone and particulate matter the predominant ones-and chest x-ray abnormalities in 59 healthy Mexican children who are lifelong residents of Southwest Metropolitan Mexico City (SWMMC), with a negative history of tobacco exposure and respiratory illnesses. Their clinical results and x-ray findings were compared to those of 19 Mexican control children, residents of a low-pollution area, with a similar negative history of tobacco exposure and respiratory illnesses. Ozone concentrations in SWMMC exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for O(3): 0.08 ppm as 1-h maximal concentration, not to be exceeded more than 4 times a year, on 71% of days in 1986 and 95% in 1997, with values as high as 0.48 ppm. Ozone maximal peaks are usually recorded between 2 and 5 pm coinciding with children's outdoor physical activities. Children in the control group reported no upper or lower respiratory symptomatology. Every SWMMC child complained of upper and/or lower respiratory symptoms, including epistaxis, nasal dryness and crusting, cough, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort. Children aged 7-13 yr had the most symptomatology, while 5- to 6-year olds and adolescents with the lowest number of statistically significant outdoor exposure hours had less respiratory symptoms. Bilateral symmetric mild lung hyperinflation was significantly associated with exposure to the SWMMC atmosphere (p = .0004). Chronic and sustained inhalation of a complex mixture of air pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter (PM), is associated with lung hyperinflation, suggestive of small airway disease

  3. Air Pollution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilpin, Alan

    A summary of one of our most pressing environmental problems, air pollution, is offered in this book by the Director of Air Pollution Control for the Queensland (Australia) State Government. Discussion of the subject is not restricted to Queensland or Australian problems and policies, however, but includes analysis of air pollution the world over.…

  4. The Impact of Individual Anthropogenic Emissions Sectors on the Global Burden of Human Mortality due to Ambient Air Pollution.

    PubMed

    Silva, Raquel A; Adelman, Zachariah; Fry, Meridith M; West, J Jason

    2016-11-01

    Exposure to ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can cause adverse health effects, including premature mortality due to cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer. Recent studies quantify global air pollution mortality but not the contribution of different emissions sectors, or they focus on a specific sector. We estimated the global mortality burden of anthropogenic ozone and PM2.5, and the impact of five emissions sectors, using a global chemical transport model at a finer horizontal resolution (0.67° × 0.5°) than previous studies. We performed simulations for 2005 using the Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4), zeroing out all anthropogenic emissions and emissions from specific sectors (All Transportation, Land Transportation, Energy, Industry, and Residential and Commercial). We estimated premature mortality using a log-linear concentration-response function for ozone and an integrated exposure-response model for PM2.5. We estimated 2.23 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.33) million deaths/year related to anthropogenic PM2.5, with the highest mortality in East Asia (48%). The Residential and Commercial sector had the greatest impact globally-675 (95% CI: 428, 899) thousand deaths/year-and in most regions. Land Transportation dominated in North America (32% of total anthropogenic PM2.5 mortality), and it had nearly the same impact (24%) as Residential and Commercial (27%) in Europe. Anthropogenic ozone was associated with 493 (95% CI: 122, 989) thousand deaths/year, with the Land Transportation sector having the greatest impact globally (16%). The contributions of emissions sectors to ambient air pollution-related mortality differ among regions, suggesting region-specific air pollution control strategies. Global sector-specific actions targeting Land Transportation (ozone) and Residential and Commercial (PM2.5) sectors would particularly benefit human health. Citation: Silva RA, Adelman Z, Fry MM, West JJ. 2016. The impact of individual

  5. The Antarctic Ozone Hole.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stolarski, Richard S.

    1988-01-01

    Discusses the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (1987) and the findings of the British Antarctic Survey (1985). Proposes two theories for the appearance of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica which appears each spring; air pollution and natural atmospheric shifts. Illustrates the mechanics of both. Supports worldwide chlorofluorocarbon…

  6. Ozone bioindicator sampling and estimation

    Treesearch

    Gretchen C, Smith; William D. Smith; John W. Coulston

    2007-01-01

    Ozone is an important forest stressor that has been measured at known phytotoxic levels at forest locations across the United States. The percent forest exhibiting negative impacts from ozone air pollution is one of the Montreal Process indicators of forest health and vitality. The ozone bioindicator data of the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program...

  7. Health effects of metropolitan traffic-related air pollutants on street vendors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kongtip, P.; Thongsuk, W.; Yoosook, W.; Chantanakul, S.

    Traffic-related air pollutants are a commonly important source of air pollution. Research on the effects of multiple traffic-related air pollutants on street vendors is scarce. This study evaluated the health effect of traffic-related air pollutants in street vendors. It was designed as a panel study, covering 61 d of data collection, on the daily concentration of air pollutants and daily percentage of respiratory and other health symptoms reported. An adjusted odds ratio was used to estimate the risk of developing respiratory and other adverse health symptoms for street vendors exposed to multiple air pollutants, fine particulate (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), ozone (O 3), carbon monoxide (CO) and total volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), after controlling for confounding factors. In the first model, significant associations were found with the adjusted odds ratios of 1.022 and 1.027 for eye irritation and dizziness for PM 2.5 respectively. The adjusted odds ratio of total VOCs was 1.381 for phlegm, 4.840 for chest tightness and 1.429 for upper respiratory symptoms, and the adjusted odds ratio for CO was 1.748 for a sore throat and 1.880 for a cold and 1.655 for a cough. In the second model, the effect of PM 2.5, total VOCs and CO gave a slightly lower effect with the symptoms. The results clearly show the health effects of traffic-related air pollutants on street vendors, and imply suggestions about how to reduce exposure of street vendors.

  8. Managing Air Quality - Air Pollutant Types

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Describes the types of air pollutants, including common or criteria pollutants, and hazardous air pollutants and links to additional information. Also links to resources on other air pollution issues.

  9. Regional air pollution over Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krysztofiak, G.; Catoire, V.; Dorf, M.; Grossmann, K.; Hamer, P. D.; Marécal, V.; Reiter, A.; Schlager, H.; Eckhardt, S.; Jurkat, T.; Oram, D.; Quack, B.; Atlas, E.; Pfeilsticker, K.

    2012-12-01

    During the SHIVA (Stratospheric Ozone: Halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere) campaign in Nov. and Dec. 2011 a number of polluted air masses were observed in the marine and terrestrial boundary layer (0 - 2 km) and in the free troposphere (2 - 12 km) over Borneo/Malaysia. The measurements include isoprene, CO, CO2, CH4, N2O, NO2, SO2 as primary pollutants, O3 and HCHO as secondary pollutants, and meteorological parameters. This set of trace gases can be used to fingerprint different sources of local and regional air pollution (e.g., biomass burning and fossil fuel burning, gas flaring on oil rigs, emission of ships and from urban areas, volcanic emissions, and biogenic emissions). Individual sources and location can be identified when the measurements are combined with a nested-grid regional scale chemical and meteorological model and lagrangian particle dispersion model (e.g., CCATT-BRAMS and FLEXPART). In the case of the former, emission inventories of the primary pollutants provide the basis for the trace gas simulations. In this region, the anthropogenic influence on air pollution seems to dominate over natural causes. For example, CO2 and CH4 often show strong correlations with CO, suggesting biomass burning or urban fossil fuel combustion dominates the combustion sources. The study of the CO/CO2 and CH4/CO ratios can help separate anthropogenic combustion from biomass burning pollution sources. In addition, these ratios can be used as a measure of combustion efficiency to help place the type of biomass burning particular to this region within the wider context of fire types found globally. On several occasions, CH4 enhancements are observed near the ocean surface, which are not directly correlated with CO enhancements thus indicating a non-combustion-related CH4 source. Positive correlations between SO2 and CO show the anthropogenic influence of oil rigs located in the South China Sea. Furthermore, SO2 enhancements are observed without any increase in CO

  10. Total free radical species and oxidation equivalent in polluted air.

    PubMed

    Wang, Guoying; Jia, Shiming; Niu, Xiuli; Tian, Haoqi; Liu, Yanrong; Chen, Xuefu; Li, Lan; Zhang, Yuanhang; Shi, Gaofeng

    2017-12-31

    Free radicals are the most important chemical intermediate or agent of the atmosphere and influenced by thousands of reactants. The free radicals determine the oxidizing power of the polluted air. Various gases present in smog or haze are oxidants and induce organ and cellular damage via generation of free radical species. At present, however, the high variability of total free radicals in polluted air has prevented the detection of possible trends or distributions in the concentration of those species. The total free radicals are a kind of contaminants with colorless, tasteless characteristics, and almost imperceptible by human body. Here we present total free radical detection and distribution characteristics, and analyze the effects of total free radicals in polluted air on human health. We find that the total free radical values can be described by not only a linear dependence on ozone at higher temperature period, but also a linear delay dependence on particulate matter at lower temperature period throughout the measurement period. The total free radical species distribution is decrease from west to east in Lanzhou, which closely related to the distribution of the air pollutants. The total free radical oxidation capacity in polluted air roughly matches the effects of tobacco smoke produced by the incomplete combustion of a controlled amount of tobacco in a smoke chamber. A relatively unsophisticated chromatographic fingerprint similarity is used for indicating preliminarily the effect of total free radicals in polluted air on human health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Impact of local and non-local sources of pollution on background US Ozone: synergy of a low-earth orbiting and geostationary sounder constellation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowman, K. W.; Lee, M.

    2015-12-01

    Dramatic changes in the global distribution of emissions over the last decade have fundamentally altered source-receptor pollution impacts. A new generation of low-earth orbiting (LEO) sounders complimented by geostationary sounders over North America, Europe, and Asia providing a unique opportunity to quantify the current and future trajectory of emissions and their impact on global pollution. We examine the potential of this constellation of air quality sounders to quantify the role of local and non-local sources of pollution on background ozone in the US. Based upon an adjoint sensitivity method, we quantify the role synoptic scale transport of non-US pollution on US background ozone over months representative of different source-receptor relationships. This analysis allows us distinguish emission trajectories from megacities, e.g. Beijing, or regions, e.g., western China, from natural trends on downwind ozone. We subsequently explore how a combination of LEO and GEO observations could help quantify the balance of local emissions against changes in distant sources . These results show how this unprecedented new international ozone observing system can monitor the changing structure of emissions and their impact on global pollution.

  12. Global topics and novel approaches in the study of air pollution, climate change and forest ecosystems

    Treesearch

    P. Sicard; A. Augustaitis; S. Belyazid; C. Calfapietra; A. De Marco; Mark E. Fenn; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Nancy Grulke; S. He; R. Matyssek; Y. Serengil; G. Wieser; E. Paoletti

    2016-01-01

    Research directions from the 27th conference for Specialists in Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems (2015) reflect knowledge advancements about (i) Mechanistic bases of tree responses to multiple climate and pollution stressors, in particular the interaction of ozone (O3) with nitrogen (N) deposition and drought; (ii)...

  13. PolEASIA Project: Pollution in Eastern Asia - towards better Air Quality Prevision and Impacts' Evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dufour, Gaëlle; Albergel, Armand; Balkanski, Yves; Beekmann, Matthias; Cai, Zhaonan; Fortems-Cheiney, Audrey; Cuesta, Juan; Derognat, Claude; Eremenko, Maxim; Foret, Gilles; Hauglustaine, Didier; Lachatre, Matthieu; Laurent, Benoit; Liu, Yi; Meng, Fan; Siour, Guillaume; Tao, Shu; Velay-Lasry, Fanny; Zhang, Qijie; Zhang, Yuli

    2017-04-01

    The rapid economic development and urbanization of China during the last decades resulted in rising pollutant emissions leading to amongst the largest pollutant concentrations in the world for the major pollutants (ozone, PM2.5, and PM10). Robust monitoring and forecasting systems associated with downstream services providing comprehensive risk indicators are highly needed to establish efficient pollution mitigation strategies. In addition, a precise evaluation of the present and future impacts of Chinese pollutant emissions is of importance to quantify: first, the consequences of pollutants export on atmospheric composition and air quality all over the globe; second, the additional radiative forcing induced by the emitted and produced short-lived climate forcers (ozone and aerosols); third, the long-term health consequences of pollution exposure. To achieve this, a detailed understanding of East Asian pollution is necessary. The French PolEASIA project aims at addressing these different issues by providing a better quantification of major pollutants sources and distributions as well as of their recent and future evolution. The main objectives, methodologies and tools of this starting 4-year project will be presented. An ambitious synergistic and multi-scale approach coupling innovative satellite observations, in situ measurements and chemical transport model simulations will be developed to characterize the spatial distribution, the interannual to daily variability and the trends of the major pollutants (ozone and aerosols) and their sources over East Asia, and to quantify the role of the different processes (emissions, transport, chemical transformation) driving the observed pollutant distributions. A particular attention will be paid to assess the natural and anthropogenic contributions to East Asian pollution. Progress made with the understanding of pollutant sources, especially in terms of modeling of pollution over East Asia and advanced numerical approaches

  14. AIR QUALITY CRITERIA FOR OZONE AND RELATED PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Clean Air Act requires periodic (5-year) update revision of criteria and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone. The previous revision of the criteria contained in the Air Quality Criteria Document (AQCD) for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants was co...

  15. Lusaka, Zambia during SAFARI-2000: A Collection Point for Ozone Pollution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Freiman, M. Tal; Phahlane, N. Agnes; Coetzee, G. J. R.; Bhartia, P. K. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    In August and September, throughout south central Africa, seasonal clearing of dry vegetation and other fire-related activities lead to intense smoke haze and ozone formation. The first ozone soundings in the heart of the southern African burning region were taken at Lusaka, Zambia (155 deg S, 28 deg E) in early September 2000. Over 90 ppbv ozone was recorded at the surface (1.3 km elevation) and column tropospheric ozone was greater than 50 DU during a stagnant period. These values are much higher than concurrent measurements over Nairobi (1 deg S, 38 deg E) and Irene (25 deg S, 28 deg E, near Pretoria). The heaviest ozone pollution layer (800-500 hPa) over Lusaka is due to recirculated trans-boundary ozone. Starting out over Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, ozone heads east to the Indian Ocean, before turning back over Mozambique and Zimbabwe, heading toward Lusaka. Thus, Lusaka is a collection point for pollution, consistent with a picture of absolutely stable layers recirculating in a gyre over southern Africa.

  16. Nitric oxide alleviates wheat yield reduction by protecting photosynthetic system from oxidation of ozone pollution.

    PubMed

    Li, Caihong; Song, Yanjie; Guo, Liyue; Gu, Xian; Muminov, Mahmud A; Wang, Tianzuo

    2018-05-01

    Accelerated industrialization has been increasing releases of chemical precursors of ozone. Ozone concentration has risen nowadays, and it's predicted that this trend will continue in the next few decades. The yield of many ozone-sensitive crops suffers seriously from ozone pollution, and there are abundant reports exploring the damage mechanisms of ozone to these crops, such as winter wheat. However, little is known on how to alleviate these negative impacts to increase grain production under elevated ozone. Nitric oxide, as a bioactive gaseous, mediates a variety of physiological processes and plays a central role in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present study, the accumulation of endogenous nitric oxide in wheat leaves was found to increase in response to ozone. To study the functions of nitric oxide, its precursor sodium nitroprusside was spayed to wheat leaves under ozone pollution. Wheat leaves spayed with sodium nitroprusside accumulated less hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage under ozone pollution, which can be accounted for by the higher activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase than in leaves treated without sodium nitroprusside. Consequently, net photosynthetic rate of wheat treated using sodium nitroprusside was much higher, and yield reduction was alleviated under ozone fumigation. These findings are important for our understanding of the potential roles of nitric oxide in responses of crops in general and wheat in particular to ozone pollution, and provide a viable method to mitigate the detrimental effects on crop production induced by ozone pollution, which is valuable for keeping food security worldwide. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. THE USE OF AIR QUALITY FORECASTS TO ASSESS IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON CROPS: METHODOLOGY AND CASE STUDY

    EPA Science Inventory

    It has been reported that ambient ozone (O3), either alone or in concurrence with acid rain precursors, accounts for up to 90% of U.S. crop losses resulting from exposure to all major air pollutants. Crop damage due to O3 exposure is of particular concern as...

  18. Statistical evaluation of the impact of shale gas activities on ozone pollution in North Texas.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Mahdi; John, Kuruvilla

    2015-12-01

    Over the past decade, substantial growth in shale gas exploration and production across the US has changed the country's energy outlook. Beyond its economic benefits, the negative impacts of shale gas development on air and water are less well known. In this study the relationship between shale gas activities and ground-level ozone pollution was statistically evaluated. The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area in north-central Texas was selected as the study region. The Barnett Shale, which is one the most productive and fastest growing shale gas fields in the US, is located in the western half of DFW. Hourly meteorological and ozone data were acquired for fourteen years from monitoring stations established and operated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The area was divided into two regions, the shale gas region (SGR) and the non-shale gas (NSGR) region, according to the number of gas wells in close proximity to each monitoring site. The study period was also divided into 2000-2006 and 2007-2013 because the western half of DFW has experienced significant growth in shale gas activities since 2007. An evaluation of the raw ozone data showed that, while the overall trend in the ozone concentration was down over the entire region, the monitoring sites in the NSGR showed an additional reduction of 4% in the annual number of ozone exceedance days than those in the SGR. Directional analysis of ozone showed that the winds blowing from areas with high shale gas activities contributed to higher ozone downwind. KZ-filtering method and linear regression techniques were used to remove the effects of meteorological variations on ozone and to construct long-term and short-term meteorologically adjusted (M.A.) ozone time series. The mean value of all M.A. ozone components was 8% higher in the sites located within the SGR than in the NSGR. These findings may be useful for understanding the overall impact of shale gas activities on the local and regional ozone

  19. The impact of communicating information about air pollution events on public health.

    PubMed

    McLaren, J; Williams, I D

    2015-12-15

    Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with exacerbation of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study investigated the relationship between emergency hospital admissions for asthma, COPD and episodes of poor air quality in an English city (Southampton) from 2008-2013. The city's council provides a forecasting service for poor air quality to individuals with respiratory disease to reduce preventable admissions to hospital and this has been evaluated. Trends in nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter concentrations were related to hospital admissions data using regression analysis. The impacts of air quality on emergency admissions were quantified using the relative risks associated with each pollutant. Seasonal and weekly trends were apparent for both air pollution and hospital admissions, although there was a weak relationship between the two. The air quality forecasting service proved ineffective at reducing hospital admissions. Improvements to the health forecasting service are necessary to protect the health of susceptible individuals, as there is likely to be an increasing need for such services in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Association between Ambient Air Pollution and Asthma Prevalence in Different Population Groups Residing in Eastern Texas, USA.

    PubMed

    Gorai, Amit Kr; Tchounwou, Paul B; Tuluri, Francis

    2016-03-29

    Air pollution has been an on-going research focus due to its detrimental impact on human health. However, its specific effects on asthma prevalence in different age groups, genders and races are not well understood. Thus, the present study was designed to examine the association between selected air pollutants and asthma prevalence in different population groups during 2010 in the eastern part of Texas, USA.The pollutants considered were particulate matter (PM2.5 with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) and surface ozone. The population groups were categorized based on age, gender, and race. County-wise asthma hospital discharge data for different age, gender, and racial groups were obtained from Texas Asthma Control Program, Office of Surveillance, Evaluation and Research, Texas Department of State Health Services. The annual means of the air pollutants were obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)'s air quality system data mart program. Pearson correlation analyzes were conducted to examine the relationship between the annual mean concentrations of pollutants and asthma discharge rates (ADR) for different age groups, genders, and races. The results reveal that there is no significant association or relationship between ADR and exposure of air pollutants (PM2.5, and O₃). The study results showed a positive correlation between PM2.5 and ADR and a negative correlation between ADR and ozone in most of the cases. These correlations were not statistically significant, and can be better explained by considering the local weather conditions. The research findings facilitate identification of hotspots for controlling the most affected populations from further environmental exposure to air pollution, and for preventing or reducing the health impacts.

  1. Use of mobile and passive badge air monitoring data for NOX and ozone air pollution spatial exposure prediction models.

    PubMed

    Xu, Wei; Riley, Erin A; Austin, Elena; Sasakura, Miyoko; Schaal, Lanae; Gould, Timothy R; Hartin, Kris; Simpson, Christopher D; Sampson, Paul D; Yost, Michael G; Larson, Timothy V; Xiu, Guangli; Vedal, Sverre

    2017-03-01

    Air pollution exposure prediction models can make use of many types of air monitoring data. Fixed location passive samples typically measure concentrations averaged over several days to weeks. Mobile monitoring data can generate near continuous concentration measurements. It is not known whether mobile monitoring data are suitable for generating well-performing exposure prediction models or how they compare with other types of monitoring data in generating exposure models. Measurements from fixed site passive samplers and mobile monitoring platform were made over a 2-week period in Baltimore in the summer and winter months in 2012. Performance of exposure prediction models for long-term nitrogen oxides (NO X ) and ozone (O 3 ) concentrations were compared using a state-of-the-art approach for model development based on land use regression (LUR) and geostatistical smoothing. Model performance was evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). Models performed well using the mobile peak traffic monitoring data for both NO X and O 3 , with LOOCV R 2 s of 0.70 and 0.71, respectively, in the summer, and 0.90 and 0.58, respectively, in the winter. Models using 2-week passive samples for NO X had LOOCV R 2 s of 0.60 and 0.65 in the summer and winter months, respectively. The passive badge sampling data were not adequate for developing models for O 3 . Mobile air monitoring data can be used to successfully build well-performing LUR exposure prediction models for NO X and O 3 and are a better source of data for these models than 2-week passive badge data.

  2. Air Pollution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Donald L.

    1989-01-01

    Materials related to air pollution are reviewed for the period January 1987, to October 1988. The topics are pollution monitoring, air pollution, and environmental chemistry. The organization consists of two major analytical divisions: (1) gaseous methods; and (2) aerosol and particulate methods. (MVL)

  3. Three air quality studies: Great Lakes ozone formation and nitrogen dry deposition; and Tucson aerosol chemical characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foley, Theresa

    The Clean Air Act of 1970 was promulgated after thousands of lives were lost in four catastrophic air pollution events. It authorized the establishment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards or (NAAQS) for six pollutants that are harmful to human health and welfare: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ozone and sulfur dioxide. The Clean Air Act also led to the establishment of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to set and enforce regulations. The first paper in this dissertation studies ozone in the Lake Michigan region (Foley, T., Betterton, E.A., Jacko, R., Hillery, J., 2011. Lake Michigan air quality: The 1994-2003 LADCO Aircraft Project (LAP). Atmospheric Environment 45, 3192-3202.) The Chicago-Milwaukee-Gary metropolitan area has been unable to meet the ozone NAAQS since the Clean Air Act was implemented. The Lake Michigan Air Directors' Consortium (LADCO) hypothesized that land breezes transport ozone precursor compounds over the lake, where a large air/water temperature difference creates a shallow conduction layer, which is an efficient reaction chamber for ozone formation. In the afternoon, lake breezes and prevailing synoptic winds then transport ozone back over the land. To further evaluate this hypothesis, LADCO sponsored the 1994-2003 LADCO Aircraft Project (LAP) to measure the air quality over Lake Michigan and the surrounding areas. This study has found that the LAP data supports this hypothesis of ozone formation, which has strong implications for ozone control strategies in the Lake Michigan region. The second paper is this dissertation (Foley, T., Betterton, E.A., Wolf, A.M.A., 2012. Ambient PM10 and metal concentrations measured in the Sunnyside Unified School District, Tucson, Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, 43, 67-76) evaluated the airborne concentrations of PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns or less) and eight metalloids and metals

  4. LONG-TERM INHALABLE PARTICLES AND OTHER AIR POLLUTANTS RELATED TO MORTALITY IN NONSMOKERS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Long-term ambient concentrations of inhalable particles less than 10 microm in diameter (PM10) (1973- 1992) and other air pollutants-total suspended sulfates, sulfur dioxide, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide-were related to 1977-1992 mortality in a cohort of 6,338 nonsmoking Cali...

  5. Future global mortality from changes in air pollution attributable to climate change

    DOE PAGES

    Silva, Raquel A.; West, J. Jason; Lamarque, Jean-François; ...

    2017-07-31

    Ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are associated with premature human mortality(1-4); their future concentrations depend on changes in emissions, which dominate the near-term(5), and on climate change(6,7). Previous global studies of the air-quality-related health effects of future climate change(8,9) used single atmospheric models. But, in related studies, mortality results differ among models(10-12). Here we use an ensemble of global chemistry-climate models(13) to show that premature mortality from changes in air pollution attributable to climate change, under the high greenhouse gas scenario RCP8.5 (ref. 14), is probably positive. We estimate 3,340 (-30,300 to 47,100) ozone-related deaths in 2030, relativemore » to 2000 climate, and 43,600 (-195,000 to 237,000) in 2100 (14% of the increase in global ozone-related mortality). For PM2.5, we estimate 55,600 (-34,300 to 164,000) deaths in 2030 and 215,000 (-76,100 to 595,000) in 2100 (countering by 16% the global decrease in PM2.5-related mortality). Premature mortality attributable to climate change is estimated to be positive in all regions except Africa, and is greatest in India and East Asia. Finally, most individual models yield increased mortality from climate change, but some yield decreases, suggesting caution in interpreting results from a single model. Climate change mitigation is likely to reduce air-pollution-related mortality.« less

  6. Future Global Mortality from Changes in Air Pollution Attributable to Climate Change

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Silva, Raquel A.; West, J. Jason; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Shindell, Drew T.; Collins, William J.; Faluvegi, Greg; Folberth, Gerd A.; Horowitz, Larry W.; Nagashima, Tatsuya; Naik, Vaishali; hide

    2017-01-01

    Ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM (sub 2.5)) are associated with premature human mortality; their future concentrations depend on changes in emissions, which dominate the near-term, and on climate change. Previous global studies of the air-quality-related health effects of future climate change used single atmospheric models. However, in related studies, mortality results differ among models. Here we use an ensemble of global chemistry-climate models to show that premature mortality from changes in air pollution attributable to climate change, under the high greenhouse gas scenario RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 8.5, is probably positive. We estimate 3,340 (30,300 to 47,100) ozone-related deaths in 2030, relative to 2000 climate, and 43,600 (195,000 to 237,000) in 2100 (14 percent of the increase in global ozone-related mortality). For PM (sub 2.5), we estimate 55,600 (34,300 to 164,000) deaths in 2030 and 215,000 (76,100 to 595,000) in 2100 (countering by 16 percent the global decrease in PM (sub 2.5)-related mortality). Premature mortality attributable to climate change is estimated to be positive in all regions except Africa, and is greatest in India and East Asia. Most individual models yield increased mortality from climate change, but some yield decreases, suggesting caution in interpreting results from a single model. Climate change mitigation is likely to reduce air-pollution-related mortality.

  7. Future global mortality from changes in air pollution attributable to climate change

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silva, Raquel A.; West, J. Jason; Lamarque, Jean-François

    Ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are associated with premature human mortality(1-4); their future concentrations depend on changes in emissions, which dominate the near-term(5), and on climate change(6,7). Previous global studies of the air-quality-related health effects of future climate change(8,9) used single atmospheric models. But, in related studies, mortality results differ among models(10-12). Here we use an ensemble of global chemistry-climate models(13) to show that premature mortality from changes in air pollution attributable to climate change, under the high greenhouse gas scenario RCP8.5 (ref. 14), is probably positive. We estimate 3,340 (-30,300 to 47,100) ozone-related deaths in 2030, relativemore » to 2000 climate, and 43,600 (-195,000 to 237,000) in 2100 (14% of the increase in global ozone-related mortality). For PM2.5, we estimate 55,600 (-34,300 to 164,000) deaths in 2030 and 215,000 (-76,100 to 595,000) in 2100 (countering by 16% the global decrease in PM2.5-related mortality). Premature mortality attributable to climate change is estimated to be positive in all regions except Africa, and is greatest in India and East Asia. Finally, most individual models yield increased mortality from climate change, but some yield decreases, suggesting caution in interpreting results from a single model. Climate change mitigation is likely to reduce air-pollution-related mortality.« less

  8. Climate Change and Air Pollution-Related Health Impacts in the United States: Assessment of Current Findings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinney, P.; Fann, N.

    2016-12-01

    Ambient air pollution can be affected by climate in a variety of ways, which in turn have important implications for human health. Observed and projected changes in climate lead to modified weather pat­terns and biogenic emissions, which influence the levels and geographic patterns of outdoor air pollutants of health concern, including ground-level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The USGCRP scientific assessment of the human health impacts of climate change concluded with high confidence that climate change will make it harder for any given regulatory approach to reduce ground-level ozone pollution in the future as meteorological conditions become increasingly conducive to forming ozone over most of the United States. Unless offset by additional emissions reductions of ozone precursors, these climate-driven increases in ozone will cause premature deaths, hospital visits, lost school days, and acute respiratory symptoms. The evidence for climate impacts on PM2.5 is less robust than that for ozone. However, one mechanism through which climate change is likely to affect PM2.5 as well as O3 in the United States is via impacts on wildfires. Wildfires emit precursors of both fine particles and O3, which increase the risk of premature death and adverse chronic and acute cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes. Climate change is projected to increase the number and severity of naturally occurring wildfires in parts of the United States, increasing emissions of particulate matter and ozone precursors and resulting in additional adverse health outcomes. We present the key results and conclusions from a nationwide assessment of O3 health impacts in 2030, as well as new evidence for respiratory health effects of wildfires in the western United States.

  9. An ozone episode over the Pearl River Delta in October 2008

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Jin; Zhang, Yuanhang; Wang, Xuesong; Li, Jinfeng; Chen, Hao; Liu, Run; Zhong, Liuju; Jiang, Ming; Yue, Dingli; Chen, Duohong; Lv, Wei

    2015-12-01

    The north and east Pearl River Delta (PRD) is usually a clean, upwind area in autumn. Serious ozone pollution there in mid-late October 2008 was first discovered and then analyzed. Trajectory analysis, process analysis, ozone source apportionment technology, and sensitivity analysis were used to study this episode. Under the influence of a weak south wind, the precursors emitted in Guangzhou and Foshan were transported to the north and northeast PRD and formed ozone there, which resulted in high ozone concentration (>100 ppb). As the wind direction later transited to northerly, the precursors in the northeast PRD that originated from the central and west PRD were transported to the south, and caused severe ozone pollution in the southeast PRD. The ozone contributed by chemical processes reached >20 ppb/h in Jinguowan. More than 40 ppb ozone was contributed by the precursor emission in the central and west PRD during the episode. The ozone concentration was highly sensitive to the precursor emission in the PRD region in the high-ozone situations. This episode showed the complexity of regional pollution in the PRD. When the PRD is controlled by a low air pressure system and then cold air moves from northern China to the south, the risk of ozone pollution in the north and southeast PRD increases.

  10. Nonattainment and Ozone Transport Region (OTR) SIP Requirements

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires a group of northeast states, which make up the Ozone Transport Region (OTR), to submit a SIP and install a certain level of controls for the pollutants that form ozone, even if they meet ozone standards.

  11. Long-term ambient air pollution and lung function impairment in Chinese children from a high air pollution range area: The Seven Northeastern Cities (SNEC) study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Xiao-Wen; Vivian, Elaina; Mohammed, Kahee A.; Jakhar, Shailja; Vaughn, Michael; Huang, Jin; Zelicoff, Alan; Xaverius, Pamela; Bai, Zhipeng; Lin, Shao; Hao, Yuan-Tao; Paul, Gunther; Morawska, Lidia; Wang, Si-Quan; Qian, Zhengmin; Dong, Guang-Hui

    2016-08-01

    Epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent and inconclusive associations between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and lung function in children from Europe and America, where air pollution levels were typically low. The aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between air pollutants and lung function in children selected from heavily industrialized and polluted cities in northeastern China. During 2012, 6740 boys and girls aged 7-14 years were recruited in 24 districts of seven northeastern cities. Portable electronic spirometers were used to measure lung function. Four-year average concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were measured at monitoring stations in the 24 districts. Two-staged regression models were used in the data analysis, controlling for covariates. Overall, for all subjects, the increased odds of lung function impairment associated with exposure to air pollutants, ranged from 5% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.10) for FVC < 85% predicted per 46.3 μg/m3 for O3 to 81% (aOR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.44, 2.28) for FEV1 < 85% predicted per 30.6 μg/m3 for PM10. The linear regression models consistently showed a negative relationship between all air pollutants and lung function measures across subjects. There were significant interaction terms indicating gender differences for lung function impairment and pulmonary function from exposure to some pollutants (P < 0.10). In conclusion, long term exposure to high concentrations of ambient air pollution is associated with decreased pulmonary function and lung function impairment, and females appear to be more susceptible than males.

  12. Plant responses to tropospheric ozone

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tropospheric ozone is the second most abundant air pollutant and an important component of the global climate change. Over five decades of research on the phytotoxicity of ozone in model plants systems, crop plants and forest trees have provided some insight into the physiological, biochemical and m...

  13. Tracing the fate of ozone in leaves

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ozone is a greenhouse gas and considered the most damaging air pollutant to plants. Ozone enters leaves through the stomata, and once in the apoplast, it reacts to produce other reactive oxygen species (ROS) initiating a cellular response. The specific ROS initially formed after ozone exposure and t...

  14. Impacts of Lowered Urban Air Temperatures on Precursor Emission and Ozone Air Quality.

    PubMed

    Taha, Haider; Konopacki, Steven; Akbari, Hashem

    1998-09-01

    Meteorological, photochemical, building-energy, and power plant simulations were performed to assess the possible precursor emission and ozone air quality impacts of decreased air temperatures that could result from implementing the "cool communities" concept in California's South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB). Two pathways are considered. In the direct pathway, a reduction in cooling energy use translates into reduced demand for generation capacity and, thus, reduced precursor emissions from electric utility power plants. In the indirect pathway, reduced air temperatures can slow the atmospheric production of ozone as well as precursor emission from anthropogenic and biogenic sources. The simulations suggest small impacts on emissions following implementation of cool communities in the SoCAB. In summer, for example, there can be reductions of up to 3% in NO x emissions from in-basin power plants. The photochemical simulations suggest that the air quality impacts of these direct emission reductions are small. However, the indirect atmospheric effects of cool communities can be significant. For example, ozone peak concentrations can decrease by up to 11% in summer and population-weighted exceedance exposure to ozone above the California and National Ambient Air Quality Standards can decrease by up to 11 and 17%, respectively. The modeling suggests that if these strategies are combined with others, such as mobile-source emission control, the improvements in ozone air quality can be substantial.

  15. Short-term effects of air temperature on mortality and effect modification by air pollution in three cities of Bavaria, Germany: a time-series analysis.

    PubMed

    Breitner, Susanne; Wolf, Kathrin; Devlin, Robert B; Diaz-Sanchez, David; Peters, Annette; Schneider, Alexandra

    2014-07-01

    Air temperature has been shown to be associated with mortality; however, only very few studies have been conducted in Germany. This study examined the association between daily air temperature and cause-specific mortality in Bavaria, Southern Germany. Moreover, we investigated effect modification by age and ambient air pollution. We obtained data from Munich, Nuremberg as well as Augsburg, Germany, for the period 1990 to 2006. Data included daily cause-specific death counts, mean daily meteorology and air pollution concentrations (particulate matter with a diameter<10 μm [PM10] and maximum 8-h ozone). We used Poisson regression models combined with distributed lag non-linear models adjusting for long-term trend, calendar effects, and meteorological factors. Air pollutant concentrations were categorized into three levels, and an interaction term was included to quantify potential effect modification of the air temperature effects. The temperature-mortality relationships were non-linear for all cause-specific mortality categories showing U- or J-shaped curves. An increase from the 90th (20.0 °C) to the 99th percentile (24.8 °C) of 2-day average temperature led to an increase in non-accidental mortality by 11.4% (95% CI: 7.6%-15.3%), whereas a decrease from the 10th (-1.0 °C) to the 1st percentile (-7.5 °C) in the 15-day average temperature resulted in an increase of 6.2% (95% CI: 1.8%-10.8%). The very old were found to be most susceptible to heat effects. Results also suggested some effect modification by ozone, but not for PM10. Results indicate that both very low and very high air temperature increase cause-specific mortality in Bavaria. Results also pointed to the importance of considering effect modification by age and ozone in assessing temperature effects on mortality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Association of stillbirth with ambient air pollution in a California cohort study.

    PubMed

    Green, Rochelle; Sarovar, Varada; Malig, Brian; Basu, Rupa

    2015-06-01

    Recent studies have suggested an association between air pollution and stillbirth. In this California study, we examined the records of 13,999 stillbirths and 3,012,270 livebirths occurring between 1999 and 2009. Using a retrospective cohort design and logistic regression models, we calculated the odds of stillbirth associated with each pollutant exposure by trimester and throughout the entire pregnancy. Covariates considered in the model included infant sex, maternal demographic characteristics, season of last menstrual period, apparent temperature, air basin of mother's residence, and year of conception. In single-pollutant models, we found that a 10-µg/m(3) increase in particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm (odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.13) and a 10-ppb increase in nitrogen dioxide (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.13) during the entire pregnancy were associated with stillbirth. A 10-ppb increase in ozone exposure during the third trimester was also associated with a slightly elevated risk (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.05). These ozone and nitrogen dioxide findings were fairly stable after adjustment in 2-pollutant models. However, adjustment for nitrogen dioxide attenuated the full-pregnancy-particulate matter relationship. No significant associations were found for sulfur dioxide or carbon monoxide. These findings support growing evidence of an association between air pollution and adverse birth outcomes. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Ozone and haze pollution weakens net primary productivity in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yue, Xu; Unger, Nadine; Harper, Kandice; Xia, Xiangao; Liao, Hong; Zhu, Tong; Xiao, Jingfeng; Feng, Zhaozhong; Li, Jing

    2017-05-01

    Atmospheric pollutants have both beneficial and detrimental effects on carbon uptake by land ecosystems. Surface ozone (O3) damages leaf photosynthesis by oxidizing plant cells, while aerosols promote carbon uptake by increasing diffuse radiation and exert additional influences through concomitant perturbations to meteorology and hydrology. China is currently the world's largest emitter of both carbon dioxide and short-lived air pollutants. The land ecosystems of China are estimated to provide a carbon sink, but it remains unclear whether air pollution acts to inhibit or promote carbon uptake. Here, we employ Earth system modeling and multiple measurement datasets to assess the separate and combined effects of anthropogenic O3 and aerosol pollution on net primary productivity (NPP) in China. In the present day, O3 reduces annual NPP by 0.6 Pg C (14 %) with a range from 0.4 Pg C (low O3 sensitivity) to 0.8 Pg C (high O3 sensitivity). In contrast, aerosol direct effects increase NPP by 0.2 Pg C (5 %) through the combination of diffuse radiation fertilization, reduced canopy temperatures, and reduced evaporation leading to higher soil moisture. Consequently, the net effects of O3 and aerosols decrease NPP by 0.4 Pg C (9 %) with a range from 0.2 Pg C (low O3 sensitivity) to 0.6 Pg C (high O3 sensitivity). However, precipitation inhibition from combined aerosol direct and indirect effects reduces annual NPP by 0.2 Pg C (4 %), leading to a net air pollution suppression of 0.8 Pg C (16 %) with a range from 0.6 Pg C (low O3 sensitivity) to 1.0 Pg C (high O3 sensitivity). Our results reveal strong dampening effects of air pollution on the land carbon uptake in China today. Following the current legislation emission scenario, this suppression will be further increased by the year 2030, mainly due to a continuing increase in surface O3. However, the maximum technically feasible reduction scenario could drastically relieve the current level of NPP damage by 70 % in 2030

  18. The effects of tropospheric ozone on net primary production and implications for climate change

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a global air pollutant that causes billions of dollars in lost plant productivity annually. It is an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, and as a secondary air pollutant, can persist at high concentrations in rural areas far from industrial sources. Ozone reduces plant...

  19. Rapid microRNA changes in airways of human volunteers after controlled exposure to air pollutants

    EPA Science Inventory

    Introduction/Rationale: Exposure to air pollutants, including ozone and diesel exhaust (DE) are known to cause acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes remain elusive. One mechanism for rapid regulation of multiple genes is a...

  20. Short-term exposure to air pollution and digital vascular function.

    PubMed

    Ljungman, Petter L; Wilker, Elissa H; Rice, Mary B; Schwartz, Joel; Gold, Diane R; Koutrakis, Petros; Vita, Joseph A; Mitchell, Gary F; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Benjamin, Emelia J; Mittleman, Murray A; Hamburg, Naomi M

    2014-09-01

    We investigated associations between ambient air pollution and microvessel function measured by peripheral arterial tonometry between 2003 and 2008 in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts. We measured particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), black carbon, sulfates, particle number, nitrogen oxides, and ozone by using fixed monitors, and we determined moving averages for 1-7 days preceding vascular testing. We examined associations between these exposures and hyperemic response to ischemia and baseline pulse amplitude, a measure of arterial tone (n = 2,369). Higher short-term exposure to air pollutants, including PM2.5, black carbon, and particle number was associated with higher baseline pulse amplitude. For example, higher 3-day average PM2.5 exposure was associated with 6.3% higher baseline pulse amplitude (95% confidence interval: 2.0, 10.9). However, there were no consistent associations between the air pollution exposures assessed and hyperemic response. Our findings in a community-based sample exposed to relatively low pollution levels suggest that short-term exposure to ambient particulate pollution is not associated with vasodilator response, but that particulate air pollution is associated with baseline pulse amplitude, suggesting potentially adverse alterations in baseline vascular tone or compliance. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Association of Short-term Exposure to Air Pollution With Mortality in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Di, Qian; Dai, Lingzhen; Wang, Yun; Zanobetti, Antonella; Choirat, Christine; Schwartz, Joel D; Dominici, Francesca

    2017-12-26

    The US Environmental Protection Agency is required to reexamine its National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) every 5 years, but evidence of mortality risk is lacking at air pollution levels below the current daily NAAQS in unmonitored areas and for sensitive subgroups. To estimate the association between short-term exposures to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, and at levels below the current daily NAAQS, and mortality in the continental United States. Case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression to estimate the association between short-term exposures to PM2.5 and ozone (mean of daily exposure on the same day of death and 1 day prior) and mortality in 2-pollutant models. The study included the entire Medicare population from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2012, residing in 39 182 zip codes. Daily PM2.5 and ozone levels in a 1-km × 1-km grid were estimated using published and validated air pollution prediction models based on land use, chemical transport modeling, and satellite remote sensing data. From these gridded exposures, daily exposures were calculated for every zip code in the United States. Warm-season ozone was defined as ozone levels for the months April to September of each year. All-cause mortality in the entire Medicare population from 2000 to 2012. During the study period, there were 22 433 862 million case days and 76 143 209 control days. Of all case and control days, 93.6% had PM2.5 levels below 25 μg/m3, during which 95.2% of deaths occurred (21 353 817 of 22 433 862), and 91.1% of days had ozone levels below 60 parts per billion, during which 93.4% of deaths occurred (20 955 387 of 22 433 862). The baseline daily mortality rates were 137.33 and 129.44 (per 1 million persons at risk per day) for the entire year and for the warm season, respectively. Each short-term increase of 10 μg/m3 in PM2.5 (adjusted by ozone) and 10 parts per billion (10-9) in warm-season ozone (adjusted by

  2. Air pollution alters brain and pituitary endothelin-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression.

    PubMed

    Thomson, Errol M; Kumarathasan, Prem; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Lilian; Vincent, Renaud

    2007-10-01

    Recent work suggests that air pollution is a risk factor for cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disease. Effects of inhaled pollutants on the production of vasoactive factors such as endothelin (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) in the brain may be relevant to disease pathogenesis. Inhaled pollutants increase circulating levels of ET-1 and ET-3, and the pituitary is a potential source of plasma ET, but the effects of pollutants on the expression of ET and NO synthase genes in the brain and pituitary are not known. In the present study, Fischer-344 rats were exposed by nose-only inhalation to particles (0, 5, 50mg/m3 EHC-93), ozone (0, 0.4, 0.8 ppm), or combinations of particles and ozone for 4 h. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure mRNA levels in the cerebral hemisphere and pituitary 0 and 24 h post-exposure. Ozone inhalation significantly increased preproET-1 but decreased preproET-3 mRNAs in the cerebral hemisphere, while increasing mRNA levels of preproET-1, preproET-3, and the ET-converting enzyme (ECE)-1 in the pituitary. Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was initially decreased in the cerebral hemisphere after ozone inhalation, but increased 24 h post-exposure. Particles decreased tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mRNA in the cerebral hemisphere, and both particles and ozone decreased TNF-alpha mRNA in the pituitary. Our results show that ozone and particulate matter rapidly modulate the expression of genes involved in key vasoregulatory pathways in the brain and pituitary, substantiating the notion that inhaled pollutants induce cerebrovascular effects.

  3. Study of air pollution: Effects of ozone on neuropeptide-mediated responses in human subjects. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boushey, H.A.

    1991-11-01

    The study examined the hypothesis that ozone inactivates the enzyme, neutral endopeptidase, responsible for limiting the effects of neuropeptides released from afferent nerve endings. Cough response of capsaicin solution delivered from a nebulizer at 2 min. intervals until two or more coughs were produced. Other endpoints measured included irritative symptoms as rated by the subjects on a nonparametric scale, spirometry, of each concentration of ozone were compared to those of filtered air in a single-blind randomized sequence. The results indicate that a 2 h. exposure to 0.4 ppm of ozone with intermittent light exercise alters the sensitivity of airway nervesmore » that mediate the cough response to inhaled materials. This dose of ozone also caused a change in FEV1. A lower level of ozone, 0.02 ppm, caused a change in neither cough threshold nor FEV1, even when the duration of exposure was extended to three hours. The findings are consistent with the author's hypothesis that ozone may sensitize nerve endings in the airways by inactivating neutral endopeptidase, an enzyme that regulates their activity, but they do not demonstrate that directly examining an effect directly mediated by airway nerves allows detection of effects of ozone at doses below those causing effects detected by standard tests of pulmonary function.« less

  4. The effects of short- and long-term air pollutants on plant phenology and leaf characteristics.

    PubMed

    Jochner, Susanne; Markevych, Iana; Beck, Isabelle; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia; Heinrich, Joachim; Menzel, Annette

    2015-11-01

    Pollution adversely affects vegetation; however, its impact on phenology and leaf morphology is not satisfactorily understood yet. We analyzed associations between pollutants and phenological data of birch, hazel and horse chestnut in Munich (2010) along with the suitability of leaf morphological parameters of birch for monitoring air pollution using two datasets: cumulated atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and ozone derived from passive sampling (short-term exposure) and pollutant information derived from Land Use Regression models (long-term exposure). Partial correlations and stepwise regressions revealed that increased ozone (birch, horse chestnut), NO2, NOx and PM levels (hazel) were significantly related to delays in phenology. Correlations were especially high when rural sites were excluded suggesting a better estimation of long-term within-city pollution. In situ measurements of foliar characteristics of birch were not suitable for bio-monitoring pollution. Inconsistencies between long- and short-term exposure effects suggest some caution when interpreting short-term data collected within field studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Chemical exposure-response relationship between air pollutants and reactive oxygen species in the human respiratory tract

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lakey, Pascale S. J.; Berkemeier, Thomas; Tong, Haijie; Arangio, Andrea M.; Lucas, Kurt; Pöschl, Ulrich; Shiraiwa, Manabu

    2016-09-01

    Air pollution can cause oxidative stress and adverse health effects such as asthma and other respiratory diseases, but the underlying chemical processes are not well characterized. Here we present chemical exposure-response relations between ambient concentrations of air pollutants and the production rates and concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the human respiratory tract. In highly polluted environments, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) containing redox-active transition metals, quinones, and secondary organic aerosols can increase ROS concentrations in the ELF to levels characteristic for respiratory diseases. Ambient ozone readily saturates the ELF and can enhance oxidative stress by depleting antioxidants and surfactants. Chemical exposure-response relations provide a quantitative basis for assessing the relative importance of specific air pollutants in different regions of the world, showing that aerosol-induced epithelial ROS levels in polluted megacity air can be several orders of magnitude higher than in pristine rainforest air.

  6. Correlation between air pollution and weather data in urban areas: Assessment of the city of Rome (Italy) as spatially and temporally independent regarding pollutants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Battista, Gabriele; de Lieto Vollaro, Roberto

    2017-09-01

    Air pollution represents the biggest environmental risk for health. It is so widespread and it represents one of the main problems of the worldwide, especially because it is emitted by so many different types of sources. The pollutants can originate directly by exhausted or they can be formed because of the reaction with the atmosphere. The first one includes particulate matter and gaseous pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon oxides. The second one includes the ozone formed from nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, and particulate sulfate and nitrate aerosols created in the atmosphere from sulfur and nitrogen oxide gases. During the entire life course, people are exposed to the pollutants and suffer from different consequences depending on the age. The first nine month of life are generally recognized as more critical than latter time periods. The mortality associated to air pollutant exposure is main related to the concentrations of NOx , ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides and particular matter. More than 92% of the world's population lives in places where air quality levels exceed the standards. In 2012, one out of every nine deaths was the result of air pollution-related conditions. In 2016 about 3 million deaths a year were linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. In the last few years many epidemiological studies have shown associations between air pollutant concentrations and human health. Apart from people, even monuments and artworks can be damaged by pollution, especially in city centres. Furthermore, urbanization modified microclimate conditions of the cities, and, together with traffic and domestic heating, led to a discomfort of living conditions. For these reasons, there is the necessity to improve the research on the impact of pollutant and microclimate conditions inside urban areas. In this work different kinds of pollutants in Rome from 2006 to 2015 were analysed, and different techniques of post elaboration were used

  7. Volatile-Mediated Interactions between Cabbage Plants in the Field and the Impact of Ozone Pollution.

    PubMed

    Giron-Calva, Patricia Sarai; Li, Tao; Blande, James D

    2017-04-01

    Plants constitutively release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but qualitatively and quantitatively alter their emission of VOCs in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The blend of VOCs emitted reflects the physiological status of the plant. Plants may be exposed to the VOC blend emitted by their near neighbors and gain information that allows them to adjust their own defenses. These plant-plant interactions may potentially be exploited to protect crops from pests, but they can be disturbed by abiotic factors making the process sensitive to environmental perturbation. Despite numerous studies describing plant-plant interactions, relatively few have been conducted with agriculturally significant cultivated plant varieties under field conditions. Here we studied plant-plant interactions in a conspecific association of Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) and show that undamaged plants exposed to neighbors damaged by the herbivore Pieris brassicae are primed for stronger volatile emissions upon subsequent herbivore attack. We conducted a field study in an ozone free-air concentration enrichment (FACE) facility with ambient and elevated ozone levels and found that elevated tropospheric ozone significantly alters the priming of VOCs in receiver plants. We conclude that plant-plant interactions may prime defensive attributes of receiver plants under field conditions, but are impaired by ozone pollution. Therefore, when planning the manipulation of plant-plant interactions for agricultural purposes, the potential effects of atmospheric pollutants should be considered.

  8. Airborne measurements of air pollution chemistry and transport. 1: Initial survey of major air basins in California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gloria, H. R.; Pitts, J. N., Jr.; Behar, J. V.; Bradburn, G. A.; Reinisch, R. F.; Zafonte, L.

    1972-01-01

    An instrumented aircraft has been used to study photochemical air pollution in the State of California. Simultaneous measurements of the most important chemical constituents (ozone, total oxidant, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, as well as several meteorological variables) were made. State-of-the-art measurement techniques and sampling procedures are discussed. Data from flights over the South Coast Air Basin, the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Santa Clara and Salinas Valleys, and the Pacific Ocean within 200 miles of the California coast are presented. Pollutants were found to be concentrated in distant layers up to at least 18,000 feet. In many of these layers, the pollutant concentrations were much higher than at ground level. These findings bring into serious question the validity of the present practice of depending solely on data from ground-based monitoring stations for predictive models.

  9. Air pollution engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maduna, Karolina; Tomašić, Vesna

    2017-11-01

    Air pollution is an environmental and a social problem which leads to a multitude of adverse effects on human health and standard of human life, state of the ecosystems and global change of climate. Air pollutants are emitted from natural, but mostly from anthropogenic sources and may be transported over long distances. Some air pollutants are extremely stable in the atmosphere and may accumulate in the environment and in the food chain, affecting human beings, animals and natural biodiversity. Obviously, air pollution is a complex problem that poses multiple challenges in terms of management and abatements of the pollutants emission. Effective approach to the problems of air pollution requires a good understanding of the sources that cause it, knowledge of air quality status and future trends as well as its impact on humans and ecosystems. This chapter deals with the complexities of the air pollution and presents an overview of different technical processes and equipment for air pollution control, as well as basic principles of their work. The problems of air protection as well as protection of other ecosystems can be solved only by the coordinated endeavors of various scientific and engineering disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, chemical engineering and social sciences. The most important engineering contribution is mostly focused on development, design and operation of equipment for the abatement of harmful emissions into environment.

  10. Ozone Pollution, Transport and Variability: Examples from Satellite and In-Situ Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne

    2003-01-01

    Regional and intercontinental transport of ozone has been observed from satellite, aircraft and sounding data. Over the past several years, we have developed new tropospheric ozone retrieval techniques from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite instrument that are of sufficient resolution to follow pollution episodes. The modified-residual technique uses Level 2 total ozone and was used to follow the 1997 fires in the wake of the El-Nino-related fires in southeast Asia and the Indonesian maritime continent. The TOMS-direct method ('TDOT' = TOMS Direct Ozone in the Troposphere) is a newer algorithm that uses TOMS radiances directly to extract tropospheric ozone. Ozonesonde data that have been taken in campaigns (e.g. TRACE-P) and more consistently in the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) project, reveal layers of pollution traceable with trajectories. Examples will be shown of long-range transport and recirculation over Africa during SAFARI-2000.

  11. Has the sensitivity of soybean cultivars to ozone pollution increased with time? An analysis of published dose-response data

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The rising trend in concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) – a common air pollutant and phytotoxin – currently being experienced in some world regions represents a threat to agricultural yield. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an O3-sensitive crop species, and is experiencing increasing globa...

  12. Associations between ozone and morbidity using the Spatial Synoptic Classification system

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Synoptic circulation patterns (large-scale tropospheric motion systems) affect air pollution and, potentially, air-pollution-morbidity associations. We evaluated the effect of synoptic circulation patterns (air masses) on the association between ozone and hospital admissions for asthma and myocardial infarction (MI) among adults in North Carolina. Methods Daily surface meteorology data (including precipitation, wind speed, and dew point) for five selected cities in North Carolina were obtained from the U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which were in turn based on data from the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We used the Spatial Synoptic Classification system to classify each day of the 9-year period from 1996 through 2004 into one of seven different air mass types: dry polar, dry moderate, dry tropical, moist polar, moist moderate, moist tropical, or transitional. Daily 24-hour maximum 1-hour ambient concentrations of ozone were obtained from the AQS. Asthma and MI hospital admissions data for the 9-year period were obtained from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Generalized linear models were used to assess the association of the hospitalizations with ozone concentrations and specific air mass types, using pollutant lags of 0 to 5 days. We examined the effect across cities on days with the same air mass type. In all models we adjusted for dew point and day-of-the-week effects related to hospital admissions. Results Ozone was associated with asthma under dry tropical (1- to 5-day lags), transitional (3- and 4-day lags), and extreme moist tropical (0-day lag) air masses. Ozone was associated with MI only under the extreme moist tropical (5-day lag) air masses. Conclusions Elevated ozone levels are associated with dry tropical, dry moderate, and moist tropical air masses, with the highest ozone levels being associated with the dry tropical air mass. Certain synoptic

  13. Association between Ambient Air Pollution and Asthma Prevalence in Different Population Groups Residing in Eastern Texas, USA

    PubMed Central

    Gorai, Amit Kr.; Tchounwou, Paul B.; Tuluri, Francis

    2016-01-01

    Air pollution has been an on-going research focus due to its detrimental impact on human health. However, its specific effects on asthma prevalence in different age groups, genders and races are not well understood. Thus, the present study was designed to examine the association between selected air pollutants and asthma prevalence in different population groups during 2010 in the eastern part of Texas, USA.The pollutants considered were particulate matter (PM2.5 with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) and surface ozone. The population groups were categorized based on age, gender, and race. County-wise asthma hospital discharge data for different age, gender, and racial groups were obtained from Texas Asthma Control Program, Office of Surveillance, Evaluation and Research, Texas Department of State Health Services. The annual means of the air pollutants were obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)’s air quality system data mart program. Pearson correlation analyzes were conducted to examine the relationship between the annual mean concentrations of pollutants and asthma discharge rates (ADR) for different age groups, genders, and races. The results reveal that there is no significant association or relationship between ADR and exposure of air pollutants (PM2.5, and O3). The study results showed a positive correlation between PM2.5 and ADR and a negative correlation between ADR and ozone in most of the cases. These correlations were not statistically significant, and can be better explained by considering the local weather conditions. The research findings facilitate identification of hotspots for controlling the most affected populations from further environmental exposure to air pollution, and for preventing or reducing the health impacts. PMID:27043587

  14. Opposing effects of particle pollution, ozone, and ambient temperature on arterial blood pressure.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann, Barbara; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike; Cohen, Allison; Zanobetti, Antonella; de Souza, Celine; Foley, Christopher; Suh, Helen H; Coull, Brent A; Schwartz, Joel; Mittleman, Murray; Stone, Peter; Horton, Edward; Gold, Diane R

    2012-02-01

    Diabetes increases the risk of hypertension and orthostatic hypotension and raises the risk of cardiovascular death during heat waves and high pollution episodes. We examined whether short-term exposures to air pollution (fine particles, ozone) and heat resulted in perturbation of arterial blood pressure (BP) in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We conducted a panel study in 70 subjects with T2DM, measuring BP by automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer and pulse wave analysis every 2 weeks on up to five occasions (355 repeated measures). Hourly central site measurements of fine particles, ozone, and meteorology were conducted. We applied linear mixed models with random participant intercepts to investigate the association of fine particles, ozone, and ambient temperature with systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP in a multipollutant model, controlling for season, meteorological variables, and subject characteristics. An interquartile increase in ambient fine particle mass [particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5)] and in the traffic component black carbon in the previous 5 days (3.54 and 0.25 μg/m3, respectively) predicted increases of 1.4 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0, 2.9 mmHg] and 2.2 mmHg (95% CI: 0.4, 4.0 mmHg) in systolic BP (SBP) at the population geometric mean, respectively. In contrast, an interquartile increase in the 5-day mean of ozone (13.3 ppb) was associated with a 5.2 mmHg (95% CI: -8.6, -1.8 mmHg) decrease in SBP. Higher temperatures were associated with a marginal decrease in BP. In subjects with T2DM, PM was associated with increased BP, and ozone was associated with decreased BP. These effects may be clinically important in patients with already compromised autoregulatory function.

  15. Tropospheric ozone toxicity vs. usefulness of ozone therapy.

    PubMed

    Bocci, Velio Alvaro

    2007-02-01

    There is a general consensus that continuous inhalation of air polluted with ozone is detrimental for the lungs and vital organs. Even if the concentration of tropospheric ozone is slightly above the tolerated dose, toxicity ensues owing to the cumulative dose inhaled for months. However, in medicine ozone is used as a real drug and a precise concentration and therapeutic dosage must be calibrated against the antioxidant capacity of blood. As ozone reacts with blood, it generates pharmacological messengers such as H(2)O(2) and lipid oxidation products (LOPs). These activate several biochemical pathways in blood cells, which after reinfusion are responsible for therapeutic activities lasting several days. Neither acute nor chronic toxicity has been registered.

  16. Epidemiologic investigation to identify chronic health effects of ambient air pollutants in Southern California. Phase 2. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peters, J.M.

    The Phase II cross-sectional study was conducted to provide early information on the possible chronic effects of air pollution in Southern California children and to determine, if effects are found, which pollutant (or pollutants) is responsible. Annual questionnaires were completed on these children which covered health history (including history of wheezing, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory conditions), residential history, housing characteristics (such as heating and air conditioning practices), and history of exposure to other possibly harmful agents, such as tobacco smoke (both active and passive smoking). In addition, the usual physical and outdoor/indoor activity of each subject was ascertained.more » The lung function of each subject was assessed annually to determine ventilatory capacity. School absenses were recorded to determine frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses. After the development and deployment of the instrumentation, monitoring for air pollutants was conducted for the twelve communities, the schools and a sample of the subject`s residences. Ozone, PM{sub 10}, PM{sub 2.5}, NO{sub 2}, and acid vapor concentrations were determined at the community level, and indoor ozone concentrations were measured at schools. A sample of homes was measured for indoor ozone, PM{sub 10}, PM{sub 2.5}, acid and formaldehyde. The information from the questionnaire on residential history allowed for the construction of an estimated life-time exposure level for the different pollutants based on existing data. The information collected at schools and homes allowed for adjustments for exposures based on whether the subjects were indoors or outdoors.« less

  17. Changes in air quality and tropospheric composition due to depletion of stratospheric ozone and interactions with changing climate: implications for human and environmental health.

    PubMed

    Madronich, S; Shao, M; Wilson, S R; Solomon, K R; Longstreth, J D; Tang, X Y

    2015-01-01

    UV radiation is an essential driver for the formation of photochemical smog, which includes ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM). Recent analyses support earlier work showing that poor outdoor air quality is a major environmental hazard as well as quantifying health effects on regional and global scales more accurately. Greater exposure to these pollutants has been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in humans and is associated globally with several million premature deaths per year. Ozone also has adverse effects on yields of crops, leading to loss of billions of US dollars each year. These detrimental effects also may alter biological diversity and affect the function of natural ecosystems. Future air quality will depend mostly on changes in emission of pollutants and their precursors, but changes in UV radiation and climate will contribute as well. Significant reductions in emissions, mainly from the energy and transportation sectors, have already led to improved air quality in many locations. Air quality will continue to improve in those cities/states that can afford controls, and worsen where the regulatory infrastructure is not available. Future changes in UV radiation and climate will alter the rates of formation of ground-level ozone and photochemically-generated particulate matter and must be considered in predictions of air quality. The decrease in UV radiation associated with recovery of stratospheric ozone will, according to recent global atmospheric model simulations, lead to increases in ground-level ozone at most locations. If correct, this will add significantly to future ground-level ozone trends. However, the spatial resolution of these global models is insufficient to inform policy at this time, especially for urban areas. UV radiation affects the atmospheric concentration of hydroxyl radicals, ˙OH, which are responsible for the self-cleaning of the atmosphere. Recent measurements confirm that, on a

  18. Fluctuations in air pollution give risk warning signals of asthma hospitalization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsieh, Nan-Hung; Liao, Chung-Min

    2013-08-01

    Recent studies have implicated that air pollution has been associated with asthma exacerbations. However, the key link between specific air pollutant and the consequent impact on asthma has not been shown. The purpose of this study was to quantify the fluctuations in air pollution time-series dynamics to correlate the relationships between statistical indicators and age-specific asthma hospital admissions. An indicators-based regression model was developed to predict the time-trend of asthma hospital admissions in Taiwan in the period 1998-2010. Five major pollutants such as particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were included. We used Spearman's rank correlation to detect the relationships between time-series based statistical indicators of standard deviation, coefficient of variation, skewness, and kurtosis and monthly asthma hospitalization. We further used the indicators-guided Poisson regression model to test and predict the impact of target air pollutants on asthma incidence. Here we showed that standard deviation of PM10 data was the most correlated indicators for asthma hospitalization for all age groups, particularly for elderly. The skewness of O3 data gives the highest correlation to adult asthmatics. The proposed regression model shows a better predictability in annual asthma hospitalization trends for pediatrics. Our results suggest that a set of statistical indicators inferred from time-series information of major air pollutants can provide advance risk warning signals in complex air pollution-asthma systems and aid in asthma management that depends heavily on monitoring the dynamics of asthma incidence and environmental stimuli.

  19. Ozone in Lombardy: Years 1998-1999

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sesana, L.; Begnini, S.; Toscani, D.; Facchini, U.; Balasso, A.; Borelli, P.

    2003-11-01

    Photochemical pollutants, especially ozone, have reached very high levels in Lombardy in recent years, with peaks of up to 150 ppb in late spring and summer. Lombardy, lying on the Po Plain, supports a large number of cities and industries and these, along with heavy traffic, produce copious amounts of primary pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and numerous volatile organic compounds. Furthermore, the peculiar orography of this region fosters the stagnation of air masses on a basin-scale and the presence of diurnal breezes towards northern areas, along with the evolution of the Mixing Layer, spread the polluted air masses over a large territory. Numerous stations in Lombardy give the concentrations of ozone and of nitrogen oxides. In this paper, ozone measurements carried out at the plain area around Milan and at pre-alpine sites in the spring and summer 1998 and 1999 will be shown and discussed, focusing on the months of May and July. The study of temporal and spatial behaviour of ozone goes hand in hand with the analysis of the Boundary Layer's evolution. A number of radon stations were operating in Milan and in other sites in Lombardy. Measurements of atmospheric concentrations of radon yield an index of atmospheric stability, of the formation of thermal inversion, of convective turbulence, and of the movement of air masses, and hence they are very relevant to the understanding of the conditions of atmospheric pollutants.

  20. Outdoor air pollution and uncontrolled asthma in the San Joaquin Valley, California.

    PubMed

    Meng, Ying-Ying; Rull, Rudolph P; Wilhelm, Michelle; Lombardi, Christina; Balmes, John; Ritz, Beate

    2010-02-01

    The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) in California ranks among the worst in the USA in terms of air quality, and its residents report some of the highest rates of asthma symptoms and asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations in California. Using California Health Interview Survey data, the authors examined associations between air pollution and asthma morbidity in this region. Eligible subjects were SJV residents (2001 California Health Interview Survey) who reported physician-diagnosed asthma (n=1502, 14.6%). The authors considered two outcomes indicative of uncontrolled asthma: (1) daily or weekly asthma symptoms and (2) asthma-related ED visits or hospitalisation in the past year. Based on residential zip code, subjects were assigned annual average concentrations of ozone, PM(10) and PM(2.5) for the 1-year period prior to the interview date from their closest government air monitoring station within an 8 km (5 miles) radius. Adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, poverty level and insurance status, the authors observed increased odds of experiencing daily or weekly asthma symptoms for ozone, PM(10) and PM(2.5) (OR(ozone) 1.23, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.60 per 10 ppb; OR(PM10) 1.29, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.57 per 10 microg/m(3); and OR(PM2.5) 1.82; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.98 per 10 microg/m(3)). The authors also observed increased odds of asthma-related ED visits or hospitalisations for ozone (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.11 per 10 ppb) and a 29% increase in odds for PM(10) (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.69 per 10 microg/m(3)). Overall, these findings suggest that individuals with asthma living in areas of the SJV with high ozone and particulate pollution levels are more likely to have frequent asthma symptoms and asthma-related ED visits and hospitalisations.

  1. Field measurements of the ambient ozone formation potential in Beijing during winter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crilley, Leigh; Kramer, Louisa; Thomson, Steven; Lee, James; Squires, Freya; Bloss, William

    2017-04-01

    The air quality issues in Beijing have been well-documented, and the severe air pollution levels result in a unique chemical mix in the urban boundary layer, both in terms of concentration and composition. As many of the atmospheric chemical process are non-linear and interlinked, this makes predictions difficult for species formed in atmosphere, such as ozone, requiring field measurements to understand these processes in order to guide mitigation efforts. To investigate the ozone formation potential of ambient air, we employed a custom built instrument to measure in near real time the potential for in situ ozone production, using an artificial light source. Our results are thus indicative of the ozone formation potential for the sampled ambient air mixture. Measurements were performed as part of the Air Pollution and Human Health (APHH) field campaign in November / December 2016 at a suburban site in central Beijing. We also conducted experiments to examine the ozone production sensitivity to NOx. We will present preliminarily results from ambient sampling and NOx experiments demonstrating changes in the ozone production potential during clean and haze periods in Beijing.

  2. [Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease attributable to ambient ozone pollution in 1990 and 2013 in China].

    PubMed

    Cui, J; Yin, P; Wang, L J; Liu, S W; Li, Y C; Liu, Y N; Liu, J M; You, J L; Zeng, X Y; Zhou, M G

    2016-05-01

    To investigate the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China attributable to ambient ozone pollution in 1990 and 2013. Based on the results of the China Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2013, the population attributable fractions was used to analyze the deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of COPD attributable to ambient ozone pollution in all provinces (not including Taiwan, China) in 1990 and 2013, and to compare changes of the attributable disease burden in 1990 and 2013. In 2013, 7.4% (95% uncertainty interval (95% UI): 6.1%-8.6%) of COPD were attributable to ambient ozone pollution, with the highest rate in Hebei province (15.0%, 95%UI: 12.0%-18.7%) and the lowest in Heilongjiang province (2.8%,95%UI: 0.9%-5.3%). In 2013, 67 485 COPD deaths in China were due to ambient ozone pollution, with the highest number in Sichuan province (11 929) and in China lowest in Macao (11). A total of 1.168 million DALYs caused by COPD were due to ambient ozone pollution, with the highest in Sichuan province (0.189 million) and lowest in Macao (257.4). In 2013, the DALY per 100 000 population caused by COPD due to ambient ozone pollution after age standardization was lowest in Heilongjiang province (21.9), Shanghai (26.7), Beijing (38.4), Tianjin (39.3), and Jilin province (39.7) and highest in Sichuan province (206.4), Qinghai province (202.5), Guizhou province (175.3), and Gansu province (171.4). DALYs caused by COPD attributable to ambient ozone pollution increased with age (0.144 million person years for ages 15-49 years, 0.43 million person years for age 50-69 years and 0.594 million person years for age 70 years and above), which were higher in men than in women (0.708 million person years for men and 0.459 million person years for women in 2013). Deaths of COPD attributable to ambient ozone pollution were 49 514 and 67 485 in 1990 and 2013, respectively. DALYs caused by COPD attributable to ozone pollution totaled 0.894 million and 1

  3. Socioeconomic and urban-rural differentials in exposure to air pollution and mortality burden in England.

    PubMed

    Milojevic, Ai; Niedzwiedz, Claire L; Pearce, Jamie; Milner, James; MacKenzie, Ian A; Doherty, Ruth M; Wilkinson, Paul

    2017-10-06

    Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations often have higher exposures to particulate air pollution, which can be expected to contribute to differentials in life expectancy. We examined socioeconomic differentials in exposure and air pollution-related mortality relating to larger scale (5 km resolution) variations in background concentrations of selected pollutants across England. Ozone and particulate matter (sub-divided into PM 10 , PM 2.5 , PM 2.5-10 , primary, nitrate and sulphate PM 2.5 ) were simulated at 5 km horizontal resolution using an atmospheric chemistry transport model (EMEP4UK). Annual mean concentrations of these pollutants were assigned to all 1,202,578 residential postcodes in England, which were classified by urban-rural status and socioeconomic deprivation based on the income and employment domains of the 2010 English Index of Multiple Deprivation for the Lower-level Super Output Area of residence. We used life table methods to estimate PM 2.5 -attributable life years (LYs) lost in both relative and absolute terms. Concentrations of the most particulate fractions, but not of nitrate PM 2.5 or ozone, were modestly higher in areas of greater socioeconomic deprivation. Relationships between pollution level and socioeconomic deprivation were non-linear and varied by urban-rural status. The pattern of PM 2.5 concentrations made only a small contribution to the steep socioeconomic gradient in LYs lost due to PM 2.5 per 10 3 population, which primarily was driven by the steep socioeconomic gradient in underlying mortality rates. In rural areas, the absolute burden of air pollution-related LYs lost was lowest in the most deprived deciles. Air pollution shows modest socioeconomic patterning at 5 km resolution in England, but absolute attributable mortality burdens are strongly related to area-level deprivation because of underlying mortality rates. Measures that cause a general reduction in background concentrations of air pollution may modestly

  4. Study Uncovers Dirty Little Secret: Soil Emissions are Much-Bigger-than-Expected Component of Air Pollution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stricherz, Vince

    2005-01-01

    Nitrogen oxides produced by huge fires and fossil fuel combustion are a major component of air pollution. They are the primary ingredients in ground-level ozone, a pollutant harmful to human health and vegetation. But new research led by a University of Washington atmospheric scientist shows that, in some regions, nitrogen oxides emitted by the soil are much greater than expected and could play a substantially larger role in seasonal air pollution than previously believed. Nitrogen oxide emissions total more than 40 million metric tons worldwide each year, with 64 percent coming from fossil fuel combustion, 14 percent from burning and a surprising 22 percent from soil, said Lyatt Jaegle, a UW assistant professor of atmospheric sciences. The new research shows that the component from soil is about 70 percent greater than scientists expected. Instead of relying on scattered ground-based measurements of burning and combustion and then extrapolating a global total for nitrogen oxide emissions, the new work used actual observations recorded in 2000 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment aboard the European Space Agency's European Remote Sensing 2 satellite. Nitrogen oxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion are most closely linked to major population centers and show up in the satellite's ozone-monitoring measurements of nitrogen dioxide, part of the nitrogen oxides family.

  5. Impacts of changes in precursor emissions from the San Francisco Bay Area on ozone in the North Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Douglas, S.G.; Stoeckenius, T.E.; Austin, B.S.

    1991-02-01

    The study examined the effect of emissions reductions in the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) on ozone levels in the North Central Coast (NCC) and San Joaquin Valley (SJV) air basins. It included an emissions trends analysis for the SFBA, NCC, and SJV air basins; identification of possible transport days and an analysis of ozone trends in both the source and receptor basins on transport and no-transport days; and calculation of interbasin pollutant fluxes using air-quality modeling results. The emissions trends analysis indicated that the SFBA achieved large decreases in emissions of reactive organic gases (ROG) and oxides of nitrogenmore » (NOx) between 1979 and 1988. Despite the large decreases in emissions no significant ozone trends were observed on either transport or no-transport days. Ozone concentrations at the downwind monitors were higher on transport days. Results of the flux plane calculations indicate that elimination of SFBA emissions would significantly reduce ozone concentrations in the NCC and SJV during meteorological conditions conducive to transport and that the lower concentrations in the downwind air basins would be due primarily to a reduction in the amount of precursor pollutants that are transport from the SFBA to the receptor basins.« less

  6. Rural southeast Texas air quality measurements during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study.

    PubMed

    Schade, Gunnar W; Khan, Siraj; Park, Changhyoun; Boedeker, Ian

    2011-10-01

    The authors conducted air quality measurements of the criteria pollutants carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozone together with meteorological measurements at a park site southeast of College Station, TX, during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study II (TexAQS). Ozone, a primary focus of the measurements, was above 80 ppb during 3 days and above 75 ppb during additional 8 days in summer 2006, suggestive of possible violations of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in this area. In concordance with other air quality measurements during the TexAQS II, elevated ozone mixing ratios coincided with northerly flows during days after cold front passages. Ozone background during these days was as high as 80 ppb, whereas southerly air flows generally provided for an ozone background lower than 40 ppb. Back trajectory analysis shows that local ozone mixing ratios can also be strongly affected by the Houston urban pollution plume, leading to late afternoon ozone increases of as high as 50 ppb above background under favorable transport conditions. The trajectory analysis also shows that ozone background increases steadily the longer a southern air mass resides over Texas after entering from the Gulf of Mexico. In light of these and other TexAQS findings, it appears that ozone air quality is affected throughout east Texas by both long-range and regional ozone transport, and that improvements therefore will require at least a regionally oriented instead of the current locally oriented ozone precursor reduction policies.

  7. Simulating urban-scale air pollutants and their predicting capabilities over the Seoul metropolitan area.

    PubMed

    Park, Il-Soo; Lee, Suk-Jo; Kim, Cheol-Hee; Yoo, Chul; Lee, Yong-Hee

    2004-06-01

    Urban-scale air pollutants for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter > or = 10 microm, and ozone (O3) were simulated over the Seoul metropolitan area, Korea, during the period of July 2-11, 2002, and their predicting capabilities were discussed. The Air Pollution Model (TAPM) and the highly disaggregated anthropogenic and the biogenic gridded emissions (1 km x 1 km) recently prepared by the Korean Ministry of Environment were applied. Wind fields with observational nudging in the prognostic meteorological model TAPM are optionally adopted to comparatively examine the meteorological impact on the prediction capabilities of urban-scale air pollutants. The result shows that the simulated concentrations of secondary air pollutant largely agree with observed levels with an index of agreement (IOA) of >0.6, whereas IOAs of approximately 0.4 are found for most primary pollutants in the major cities, reflecting the quality of emission data in the urban area. The observationally nudged wind fields with higher IOAs have little effect on the prediction for both primary and secondary air pollutants, implying that the detailed wind field does not consistently improve the urban air pollution model performance if emissions are not well specified. However, the robust highest concentrations are better described toward observations by imposing observational nudging, suggesting the importance of wind fields for the predictions of extreme concentrations such as robust highest concentrations, maximum levels, and >90th percentiles of concentrations for both primary and secondary urban-scale air pollutants.

  8. Nature of air pollution, emission sources, and management in the Indian cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guttikunda, Sarath K.; Goel, Rahul; Pant, Pallavi

    2014-10-01

    The global burden of disease study estimated 695,000 premature deaths in 2010 due to continued exposure to outdoor particulate matter and ozone pollution for India. By 2030, the expected growth in many of the sectors (industries, residential, transportation, power generation, and construction) will result in an increase in pollution related health impacts for most cities. The available information on urban air pollution, their sources, and the potential of various interventions to control pollution, should help us propose a cleaner path to 2030. In this paper, we present an overview of the emission sources and control options for better air quality in Indian cities, with a particular focus on interventions like urban public transportation facilities; travel demand management; emission regulations for power plants; clean technology for brick kilns; management of road dust; and waste management to control open waste burning. Also included is a broader discussion on key institutional measures, like public awareness and scientific studies, necessary for building an effective air quality management plan in Indian cities.

  9. Long-term associations of morbidity with air pollution: A catalog and synthesis.

    PubMed

    Lipfert, Frederick W

    2018-01-01

    I searched the National Institutes of Health MEDLINE database through January 2017 for long-term studies of morbidity and air pollution and cataloged them with respect to cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, diabetes, hospitalization, neurological, and pregnancy-birth endpoints. The catalog is presented as an online appendix. Associations with PM 2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm), PM 10 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were evaluated most frequently among the 417 ambient air quality studies identified. Associations with total suspended particles (TSP), carbon, ozone, sulfur, vehicular traffic, radon, and indoor air quality were also reported. I evaluated each study in terms of pollutant significance (yes, no), duration of exposure, and publication date. I found statistically significant pollutant relationships (P < 0.05) in 224 studies; 220 studies indicated adverse effects. Among 795 individual pollutant effect estimates, 396 are statistically significant. Pollutant associations with cardiovascular indicators, lung function, respiratory symptoms, and low birth weight are more likely to be significant than with disease incidence, heart attacks, diabetes, or neurological endpoints. Elemental carbon (EC), traffic, and PM 2.5 are most likely to be significant for cardiovascular outcomes; TSP, EC, and ozone (O 3 ) for respiratory outcomes; NO 2 for neurological outcomes; and PM 10 for birth/pregnancy outcomes. Durations of exposure range from 60 days to 35 yr, but I found no consistent relationships with the likelihood of statistical significance. Respiratory studies began ca. 1975; studies of diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurological effects increased after about 2005. I found 72 studies of occupational air pollution exposures; 40 reported statistically significant adverse health effects, especially for respiratory conditions. I conclude that the aggregate of these studies supports the existence of

  10. A direct sensitivity approach to predict hourly ozone resulting from compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

    PubMed

    Simon, Heather; Baker, Kirk R; Akhtar, Farhan; Napelenok, Sergey L; Possiel, Norm; Wells, Benjamin; Timin, Brian

    2013-03-05

    In setting primary ambient air quality standards, the EPA's responsibility under the law is to establish standards that protect public health. As part of the current review of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), the US EPA evaluated the health exposure and risks associated with ambient ozone pollution using a statistical approach to adjust recent air quality to simulate just meeting the current standard level, without specifying emission control strategies. One drawback of this purely statistical concentration rollback approach is that it does not take into account spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ozone response to emissions changes. The application of the higher-order decoupled direct method (HDDM) in the community multiscale air quality (CMAQ) model is discussed here to provide an example of a methodology that could incorporate this variability into the risk assessment analyses. Because this approach includes a full representation of the chemical production and physical transport of ozone in the atmosphere, it does not require assumed background concentrations, which have been applied to constrain estimates from past statistical techniques. The CMAQ-HDDM adjustment approach is extended to measured ozone concentrations by determining typical sensitivities at each monitor location and hour of the day based on a linear relationship between first-order sensitivities and hourly ozone values. This approach is demonstrated by modeling ozone responses for monitor locations in Detroit and Charlotte to domain-wide reductions in anthropogenic NOx and VOCs emissions. As seen in previous studies, ozone response calculated using HDDM compared well to brute-force emissions changes up to approximately a 50% reduction in emissions. A new stepwise approach is developed here to apply this method to emissions reductions beyond 50% allowing for the simulation of more stringent reductions in ozone concentrations. Compared to previous rollback methods, this

  11. Dietary and pharmacological intervention to mitigate the cardiopulmonary effects of air pollution toxicity.

    PubMed

    Tong, Haiyan

    2016-12-01

    Exposure to air pollution contributes importantly to excess morbidity and mortality. And while regulatory actions under the "Clean Air Act" have saved millions of lives by improving air quality, there are still millions of people in the U.S. who live in areas where particulate air pollution (PM) levels exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Therefore, apart from such localities working to attain such standards the protection of the health of public and in particular those at high risk might benefit from interventional strategies that would ameliorate air pollution's adverse health effects. Because inflammation and oxidative stress appear to mediate the health effects of air pollution, one interventional approach to consider is the use of dietary supplementation or medication with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties to block the biological responses that initiate the pathophysiological process that culminates in adverse health effects. This article reviews the capability of dietary supplementation, such as antioxidant vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and medications as a strategy to mitigate air pollution-induced subclinical cardiopulmonary effects. Antioxidant vitamins C and E protect the lungs against short-term ozone and PM exposure. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish oil and olive oil appear to offer protection against short-term air pollution-induced adverse cardiovascular responses. Taking dietary supplements or medications with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties has the potential to provide at least partial protection against air pollution-induced adverse health effects in those individuals who are known to be most susceptible, namely those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Characterization of criteria air pollutants in Beijing during 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    Guo, Hao; Wang, Yungang; Zhang, Hongliang

    2017-04-01

    One year-long criteria air pollutants data collected in Beijing were analyzed in this paper, which can support the research on formation, transport and human health effects of air pollutants. This is the first time to study the spatial and temporal variations of criteria pollutants in Beijing using hourly observational data from 12 sites between June 2014 and May 2015 released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of China. Beijing is facing tremendous air pollution as the daily averaged PM 2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5µm) concentrations in all sites exceeding the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) Grade I & II standards (15 and 35µg/m 3 ). Slightly differences in PM 2.5 and ozone (O 3 ) were observed between sites at the urban and rural areas. Pearson correlation coefficients show that most pollutants are temporally correlated in Beijing except for O 3 . The coefficients of divergence (COD) indicate that PM 2.5 is associated at most sites with only one rural site (Dingling) having observable difference and one site may be insufficient for monitoring surrounding area. The 8h peak O 3 (O 3 -8h) also correlates at different sites but with one urban site (Haidianquwanliu) different from others. In addition, an extreme PM 2.5 event (hourly average concentration exceeding 300μg/m 3 for ~40h) was examined with the consideration of meteorological conditions. Southerly wind with low speed and high relative humidity allow the accumulation of pollutants while northerly wind with high speed and low relative humidity result in good air quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. An assessment the effects of human-caused air pollution on resources within the interior Columbia River basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schoettle, A.W.; Tonnessen, K.; Turk, J.; Vimont, J.; Amundson, Ronald; Acheson, A.; Peterson, J.

    1999-01-01

    An assessment of existing and potential impacts to vegetation, aquatics, and visibility within the Columbia River basin due to air pollution was conducted as part of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project. This assessment examined the current situation and potential trends due to pollutants such as ammonium, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particulates, carbon, and ozone. Ecosystems and resources at risk are identified, including certain forests, lichens, cryptogamic crusts, high-elevation lakes and streams, arid lands, and class I areas. Current monitoring data are summarized and air pollution sources identified. The assessment also includes a summary of data gaps and suggestions for future research and monitoring related to air pollution and its effects on resources in the interior Columbia River basin.

  14. On Springtime Ozone Enhancements in the Lower Troposphere Over Beijing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, J.; Liu, H.; Chan, C.; Crawford, J. H.; Considine, D. B.; Zhang, Y.; Zheng, X.; Oltmans, S. J.; Liu, S. C.; Thouret, V.

    2012-12-01

    Tropospheric ozone is an important greenhouse gas, the primary source of hydroxyl radical (OH) that controls the tropospheric oxidizing capacity, and a major air pollutant near the surface. Previous studies showed that ozone concentrations in the lower troposphere (LT) over Beijing have increased over the past two decades as a result of rapid industrialization in China. As part of an ozonesonde sounding campaign, called Transport of Air Pollutants and Tropospheric Ozone over China (TAPTO-China), intensive measurements of ozone vertical profiles (16 in total) were conducted in Beijing during April 11 - May 15, 2005. Thirteen vertical profiles were also sampled by the Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapor by Airbus In-Service Aircraft (MOZAIC) program during April 3 - May 29, 2005. High ozone concentrations (up to 94.7 ppbv) were frequently observed in the LT (~1.5-2km) during this period. We evaluate here the capability of a 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem at 2°x2.5° resolution) to reproduce these ozone enhancements, and use the model to examine transport pathways for ozone pollution and quantify their sources. The model captures the occurrences but significantly underestimates the magnitude of ozone enhancements. By tagging ozone produced in different source regions and conducting sensitivity simulations with the model, we show that Asian troposphere and Asian anthropogenic pollution made the major contributions to those ozone enhancements. Contributions from European and North American troposphere and anthropogenic pollution reduced during these events, compared to those days without ozone enhancements. We find that most of the ozone enhancements observed in the LT occurred under southerly wind and warmer conditions. Their occurrence frequency appears to be related to the onset of Asian summer monsoon. The influence of regional transport from different source regions in East Asia will also be discussed.

  15. Utilization of satellite observation of ozone and aerosols in providing initial and boundary condition for regional air quality studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pour-Biazar, Arastoo; Khan, Maudood; Wang, Lihua; Park, Yun-Hee; Newchurch, Mike; McNider, Richard T.; Liu, Xiong; Byun, Daewon W.; Cameron, Robert

    2011-09-01

    To demonstrate the efficacy of satellite observations in the realization of the background and transboundary transport of pollution in regional air quality modeling practices, satellite observations of ozone and aerosol optical depth were incorporated in the EPA Models-3 Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model (http://www.cmascenter.org). Observations from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Aura satellite and AOD products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard Terra (EOS AM) and Aqua (EOS PM) satellites were used to specify initial and lateral boundary conditions (IC/BC) for a simulation that spanned over August 2006. The tools and techniques using the satellite data were tested in the context of current regulatory air quality modeling practices. Daily satellite observations were remapped onto the modeling domain and used as IC/BC for daily segments of a month-long simulation and the results were evaluated against surface and ozonesonde observations. Compared to the standard application of CMAQ, OMI O3 profiles significantly improved model performance in the free troposphere and MODIS aerosol products substantially improved PM2.5 predictions in the boundary layer. The utilization of satellite data for BC helped in the realization of transboundary transport of pollution and was able to explain the recirculation of pollution from Northeast Corridor to the southeastern region. Ozone in the mid- to upper-troposphere was largely dominated by transport and thus benefited most from satellite provided BC. The ozone within the boundary layer was mostly affected by fast production/loss mechanisms that are impacted by surface emissions, chemistry and removal processes and was not impacted as much. A case study for August 18-22 demonstrated that model errors in the placement of a stationary front were the main reason for errors in PM2.5 predictions as the front acted as a boundary between high and low PM2.5 concentrations.

  16. Proposed Approval of California Air Plan Revision; Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District; Reclassification to “Serious” for 2008 Ozone NAAQS

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is proposing to grant a request by the State of California to reclassify the Eastern Kern County (“Eastern Kern”) nonattainment area from “Moderate” to “Serious” for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

  17. How is ozone pollution reducing our food supply?

    PubMed

    Wilkinson, Sally; Mills, Gina; Illidge, Rosemary; Davies, William J

    2012-01-01

    Ground-level ozone pollution is already decreasing global crop yields (from ∼2.2-5.5% for maize to 3.9-15% and 8.5-14% for wheat and soybean, respectively), to differing extents depending on genotype and environmental conditions, and this problem is predicted to escalate given climate change and increasing ozone precursor emissions in many areas. Here a summary is provided of how ozone pollution affects yield in a variety of crops, thus impacting global food security. Ozone causes visible injury symptoms to foliage; it induces early senescence and abscission of leaves; it can reduce stomatal aperture and thereby carbon uptake, and/or directly reduce photosynthetic carbon fixation; it can moderate biomass growth via carbon availability or more directly; it can decrease translocation of fixed carbon to edible plant parts (grains, fruits, pods, roots) due either to reduced availability at source, redirection to synthesis of chemical protectants, or reduced transport capabilities via phloem; decreased carbon transport to roots reduces nutrient and water uptake and affects anchorage; ozone can moderate or bring forward flowering and induce pollen sterility; it induces ovule and/or grain abortion; and finally it reduces the ability of some genotypes to withstand other stresses such as drought, high vapour pressure deficit, and high photon flux density via effects on stomatal control. This latter point is emphasized here, given predictions that atmospheric conditions conducive to drought formation that also give rise to intense precursor emission events will become more severe over the coming decades.

  18. Characteristics and applications of small, portable gaseous air pollution monitors.

    PubMed

    McKercher, Grant R; Salmond, Jennifer A; Vanos, Jennifer K

    2017-04-01

    Traditional approaches for measuring air quality based on fixed measurements are inadequate for personal exposure monitoring. To combat this issue, the use of small, portable gas-sensing air pollution monitoring technologies is increasing, with researchers and individuals employing portable and mobile methods to obtain more spatially and temporally representative air pollution data. However, many commercially available options are built for various applications and based on different technologies, assumptions, and limitations. A review of the monitor characteristics of small, gaseous monitors is missing from current scientific literature. A state-of-the-art review of small, portable monitors that measure ambient gaseous outdoor pollutants was developed to address broad trends during the last 5-10 years, and to help future experimenters interested in studying gaseous air pollutants choose monitors appropriate for their application and sampling needs. Trends in small, portable gaseous air pollution monitor uses and technologies were first identified and discussed in a review of literature. Next, searches of online databases were performed for articles containing specific information related to performance, characteristics, and use of such monitors that measure one or more of three criteria gaseous air pollutants: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. All data were summarized into reference tables for comparison between applications, physical features, sensing capabilities, and costs of the devices. Recent portable monitoring trends are strongly related to associated applications and audiences. Fundamental research requires monitors with the best individual performance, and thus the highest cost technology. Monitor networking favors real-time capabilities and moderate cost for greater reproduction. Citizen science and crowdsourcing applications allow for lower-cost components; however important strengths and limitations for each application must be addressed

  19. Ozone, nitric acid, and ammonia air pollution is unhealthy for people and ecosystems in southern Sierra Nevada, California

    Treesearch

    R. Cisneros; A. Bytnerowicz; D. Schweizer; S. Zhong; S. Traina; D.H. Bennett

    2010-01-01

    Two-week average concentrations of ozone (O3), nitric acid vapor (HNO3) and ammonia (NH3) were measured with passive samplers during the 2002 summer season across the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, along the San Joaquin River drainage. Elevated concentrations of the pollutants were...

  20. Up in the Air: Methane and Ozone over California

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iraci, Laura T.

    2014-01-01

    The Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) at NASA Ames Research Center measures in-situ carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere several times each month. The AJAX team studies local photochemical smog production, provides data for long-term studies of trans-Pacific transport of pollution, and supports the observation of greenhouse gases from satellites. The aircraft is stationed at Moffett Field and is outfitted with scientific instruments to measure trace gas concentrations and 3-D wind speeds. Vertical profiles from near the surface up to approximately 27,000 ft are routinely collected over locations such as: Merced, Edwards Air Force Base, Railroad Valley, NV, and over the Pacific Ocean. In addition, boundary layer measurements scout for surface sources such as fires, oil gas infrastructure, livestock, and urban pollution. This talk will focus on recent observations over dairy operations, fossil fuel infrastructure, and wildfires.

  1. Effects of air pollution on lung function and symptoms of asthma, rhinitis and eczema in primary school children.

    PubMed

    Altuğ, Hicran; Gaga, Eftade O; Döğeroğlu, Tuncay; Ozden, Ozlem; Ornektekin, Sermin; Brunekreef, Bert; Meliefste, Kees; Hoek, Gerard; Van Doorn, Wim

    2013-09-01

    Health effects of ambient air pollution were studied in three groups of schoolchildren living in areas (suburban, urban and urban-traffic) with different air pollution levels in Eskişehir, Turkey. This study involved 1,880 students aged between 9 and 13 years from 16 public primary schools. This two-season study was conducted from January 2008 through March 2009. Symptoms of asthma, rhinitis and eczema were determined by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire in 2008. Two lung function tests were performed by each child for summer and winter seasons with simultaneous ambient air measurements of ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by passive sampling. Effects of air pollution on impaired lung function and symptoms in schoolchildren were estimated by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Girls with impaired lung function (only for the summer season evaluation) were more observed in suburban and urban areas when compared to urban-traffic area ([odds ratio (OR) = 1.49; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.14] and [OR = 1.69 (95 % CI 1.06-2.71)] for suburban vs. urban-traffic and urban vs. urban-traffic, respectively). Significant association between ambient ozone concentrations and impaired lung function (for an increase of 10 μg m(-3)) was found only for girls for the summer season evaluation [OR = 1.11 (95 % CI 1.03-1.19)]. No association was found for boys and for the winter season evaluation. No association was found between any of the measured air pollutants and symptoms of current wheeze, current rhinoconjunctivitis and current itchy rash. The results of this study showed that increasing ozone concentrations may cause a sub-acute impairment in lung function of school aged children.

  2. Short-term effects of ozone air pollution on hospital admissions for myocardial infarction: A time-stratified case-crossover study in Taipei.

    PubMed

    Chiu, Hui-Fen; Weng, Yi-Hao; Chiu, Ya-Wen; Yang, Chun-Yuh

    2017-01-01

    This study was undertaken to determine whether there was a correlation between ambient ozone (O 3 ) levels and number of hospital admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) in Taipei, Taiwan. Hospital admissions for MI and ambient air pollution data for Taipei were obtained for the period from 2006 to 2010. The relative risk (RR) of hospital admissions for MI was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover approach, controlling for weather variables, day of the week, seasonality, and long-term time trends. For the single-pollutant model (without adjustment for other pollutants), increased RR for a number of MI admissions was significantly associated with higher O 3 levels both on warm days (>23°C) and on cool days (<23°C). This observation was accompanied by an interquartile range elevation correlated with a 7% (95% CI = 2%-12%) and 17% (95% CI = 11%-25%) rise in number of MI admissions, respectively. In the two-pollutant models, no significant associations between ambient O 3 concentrations and number of MI admissions were observed on warm days. However, on cool days, correlation between ambient O 3 after inclusion of each of the other five pollutants, particulate matter (PM 10 or PM 2.5 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) or carbon monoxide (CO), and number of MI admissions remained significant. This study provides evidence that higher levels of ambient O 3 increase the RR of number of hospital admissions for MI.

  3. Air Pollution.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Air quality is affected by many types of pollutants that are emitted from various sources, including stationary and mobile. These sources release both criteria and hazardous air pollutants, which cause health effects, ecological harm, and material damage. They are generally categ...

  4. Temporal-Spatial Ambient Concentrator Estimator (T-SpACE): Hierarchical Bayesian Model Software Used to Estimate Ambient Concentrations of NAAQS Air Pollutants in Support of Health Studies

    EPA Science Inventory

    To fulfill its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) on six selected air pollutants known as criteria pollutants: ozone (O3); carbon monoxide (CO); lead (Pb); nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulfur dioxide ...

  5. Solutions Network Formulation Report. NASA's Potential Contributions for Using Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Conjunction with Photocatalysis for Urban Air Pollution Mitigation and Increasing Air Quality

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Underwood, Lauren; Ryan, Robert E.

    2007-01-01

    This Candidate Solution is based on using NASA Earth science research on atmospheric ozone and aerosols data as a means to predict and evaluate the effectiveness of photocatalytically created surfaces (building materials like glass, tile and cement) for air pollution mitigation purposes. When these surfaces are exposed to near UV light, organic molecules, like air pollutants and smog precursors, will degrade into environmentally friendly compounds. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is responsible for forecasting daily air quality by using the Air Quality Index (AQI) that is provided by AIRNow. EPA is partnered with AIRNow and is responsible for calculating the AQI for five major air pollutants that are regulated by the Clean Air Act. In this Solution, UV irradiance data acquired from the satellite mission Aura and the OMI Surface UV algorithm will be used to help understand both the efficacy and efficiency of the photocatalytic decomposition process these surfaces facilitate, and their ability to reduce air pollutants. Prediction models that estimate photocatalytic function do not exist. NASA UV irradiance data will enable this capability, so that air quality agencies that are run by state and local officials can develop and implement programs that utilize photocatalysis for urban air pollution control and, enable them to make effective decisions about air pollution protection programs.

  6. SYSTEMIC BIOMARKERS AND CARDIAC GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES OF RAT DISEASE MODELS EMPLOYED IN AIR POLLUTION STUDIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) models are used for identification of mechanisms of susceptibility to air pollution. We hypothesized that baseline systemic biomarkers and cardiac gene expression in CVD rat models will have influence on their ozone-induced lung inflammation. Male 12-...

  7. Traffic and outdoor air pollution levels near residences and poorly controlled asthma in adults.

    PubMed

    Meng, Ying-Ying; Wilhelm, Michelle; Rull, Rudolph P; English, Paul; Ritz, Beate

    2007-05-01

    Air pollution may exacerbate asthma. To investigate associations between traffic and outdoor air pollution levels near residences and poorly controlled asthma among adults diagnosed as having asthma in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, California. We estimated traffic density within 500 ft of 2001 California Health Interview Survey respondents' reported residential cross-street intersections. Additionally, we assigned annual average concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 2.5 and 10 micrometers or less in diameter, and carbon monoxide measured at government monitoring stations within a 5-mile radius of the reported residential cross-street intersections. We observed a 2-fold increase in poorly controlled asthma (odds ratio [OR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-3.23) among asthmatic adults in the highest quintile of traffic density after adjusting for age, sex, race, and poverty. Similar increases were seen for nonelderly adults, men, and women, although associations seemed strongest in elderly adults (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.13-7.91). Ozone exposures were associated with poorly controlled asthma among elderly adults (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.91-3.18 per 1 pphm) and men (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.05-2.94 per 1 pphm), whereas particulate matter 10 micrometers or less seemed to affect primarily women (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.17-3.61), even at levels below the national air quality standard. Heavy traffic and high air pollution levels near residences are associated with poorly controlled asthma.

  8. Potential of the multispectral synergism for observing ozone pollution combining measurements of IASI-NG and UVNS onboard EPS-SG

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Costantino, Lorenzo; Cuesta, Juan; Emili, Emanuele; Foret, Gilles; Dufour, Gaëlle; Eremenko, Maxim; Chailleux, Yohann; Beekmann, Matthias; Flaud, Jean-Marie

    2016-04-01

    Current and future satellite observations offer a great potential for monitoring air quality on daily and global basis. However, measurements from currently in orbit sensors offer a limited capacity to probe surface concentrations of gaseous pollutants such as tropospheric ozone. Using single-band approaches based on IASI spaceborne thermal infrared measurements, only ozone down to the lower troposphere (3-4 km of altitude at lowest) may be observed (Eremenko et al., 2008). A recent multispectral method combining IASI and GOME-2 (both onboard MetOp satellites) spectra, respectively from the IR and UV, has shown enhanced sensitivity for probing ozone at the lowermost troposphere, but with maximum sensitivity around 2 km at lowest (Cuesta et al., 2013). Future spatial missions will be launched in the upcoming years, such as EPS-SG, carrying new generation sensors like IASI-NG and UVNS that will enhance the capacity to observe ozone pollution, and particularly when combining them through a multispectral synergism. This work presents an analysis of the potential of the multispectral synergism of IASI-NG and UVNS future spaceborne measurements for observing ozone pollution, performed in the framework of SURVEYOZON project (funded by the French Space Agency, CNES). For this, we develop a simulator of synthetic multispectral retrievals or pseudo-observations (referred as OSSE, Observing System Simulation Experiment) derived from IASI-NG+UVNS that will be compared to those from IASI+GOME2. In the first step of the OSSE, we create a pseudo-reality with simulations from the chemical-transport model MOCAGE (provided by CERFACS laboratory), where real O3 data from IASI and surface network stations have been assimilated for a realistic representation of ozone variability at the surface and the free troposphere. We focus on the high pollution event occurred in Europe on 10 July 2010. We use the coupled algorithms KOPRA+VLIDORT to simulate the spectra emitted, scattered and

  9. Framework for assessing causality of air pollution-related health effects for reviews of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

    PubMed

    Owens, Elizabeth Oesterling; Patel, Molini M; Kirrane, Ellen; Long, Thomas C; Brown, James; Cote, Ila; Ross, Mary A; Dutton, Steven J

    2017-08-01

    To inform regulatory decisions on the risk due to exposure to ambient air pollution, consistent and transparent communication of the scientific evidence is essential. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) develops the Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), which contains evaluations of the policy-relevant science on the effects of criteria air pollutants and conveys critical science judgments to inform decisions on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. This article discusses the approach and causal framework used in the ISAs to evaluate and integrate various lines of scientific evidence and draw conclusions about the causal nature of air pollution-induced health effects. The framework has been applied to diverse pollutants and cancer and noncancer effects. To demonstrate its flexibility, we provide examples of causality judgments on relationships between health effects and pollutant exposures, drawing from recent ISAs for ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. U.S. EPA's causal framework has increased transparency by establishing a structured process for evaluating and integrating various lines of evidence and uniform approach for determining causality. The framework brings consistency and specificity to the conclusions in the ISA, and the flexibility of the framework makes it relevant for evaluations of evidence across media and health effects. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Environmental pollution and deaths due to stroke in a city with low levels of air pollution: ecological time series study.

    PubMed

    Amancio, Camila Trolez; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando

    2014-12-01

    Little has been discussed about the increased risk of stroke after exposure to air pollutants, particularly in Brazil. The mechanisms through which air pollution can influence occurrences of vascular events such as stroke are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between exposure to some air pollutants and risk of death due to stroke. Ecological time series study with data from São José dos Campos, Brazil. Data on deaths due to stroke among individuals of all ages living in São José dos Campos and on particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and ozone were used. Statistical analysis was performed using a generalized additive model of Poisson regression with the Statistica software, in unipollutant and multipollutant models. The percentage increase in the risk of increased interquartile difference was calculated. There were 1,032 deaths due to stroke, ranging from 0 to 5 per day. The statistical significance of the exposure to particulate matter was ascertained in the unipollutant model and the importance of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, in the multipollutant model. The increases in risk were 10% and 7%, for particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, respectively. It was possible to identify exposure to air pollutants as a risk factor for death due to stroke, even in a city with low levels of air pollution.

  11. Satellite-based Estimates of Ambient Air Pollution and Global Variations in Childhood Asthma Prevalence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, H. Ross; Butland, Barbara K.; Donkelaar, Aaron Matthew Van; Brauer, Michael; Strachan, David P.; Clayton, Tadd; van Dingenen, Rita; Amann, Marcus; Brunekreef, Bert; Cohen, Aaron; hide

    2012-01-01

    Background: The effect of ambient air pollution on global variations and trends in asthma prevalence is unclear. Objectives: Our goal was to investigate community-level associations between asthma prevalence data from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and satellite-based estimates of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and modelled estimates of ozone. Methods: We assigned satellite-based estimates of PM2.5 and NO2 at a spatial resolution of 0.1deg × 0.1deg and modeled estimates of ozone at a resolution of 1deg × 1deg to 183 ISAAC centers. We used center-level prevalence of severe asthma as the outcome and multilevel models to adjust for gross national income (GNI) and center- and country-level sex, climate, and population density. We examined associations (adjusting for GNI) between air pollution and asthma prevalence over time in centers with data from ISAAC Phase One (mid-1900s) and Phase Three (2001-2003). Results: For the 13- to 14-year age group (128 centers in 28 countries), the estimated average within-country change in center-level asthma prevalence per 100 children per 10% increase in center-level PM2.5 and NO2 was -0.043 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.139, 0.053] and 0.017 (95% CI: -0.030, 0.064) respectively. For ozone the estimated change in prevalence per parts per billion by volume was -0.116 (95% CI: -0.234, 0.001). Equivalent results for the 6- to 7-year age group (83 centers in 20 countries), though slightly different, were not significantly positive. For the 13- to 14-year age group, change in center-level asthma prevalence over time per 100 children per 10% increase in PM2.5 from Phase One to Phase Three was -0.139 (95% CI: -0.347, 0.068). The corresponding association with ozone (per ppbV) was -0.171 (95% CI: -0.275, -0.067). Conclusion: In contrast to reports from within-community studies of individuals exposed to traffic pollution, we did not find

  12. Products of ozone-initiated chemistry in a simulated aircraft environment.

    PubMed

    Wisthaler, Armin; Tamás, Gyöngyi; Wyon, David P; Strøm-Tejsen, Peter; Space, David; Beauchamp, Jonathan; Hansel, Armin; Märk, Tilmann D; Weschler, Charles J

    2005-07-01

    We used proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) to examine the products formed when ozone reacted with the materials in a simulated aircraft cabin, including a loaded high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in the return air system. Four conditions were examined: cabin (baseline), cabin plus ozone, cabin plus soiled T-shirts (surrogates for human occupants), and cabin plus soiled T-shirts plus ozone. The addition of ozone to the cabin without T-shirts, at concentrations typically encountered during commercial air travel, increased the mixing ratio (v:v concentration) of detected pollutants from 35 ppb to 80 ppb. Most of this increase was due to the production of saturated and unsaturated aldehydes and tentatively identified low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids. The addition of soiled T-shirts, with no ozone present, increased the mixing ratio of pollutants in the cabin air only slightly, whereas the combination of soiled T-shirts and ozone increased the mixing ratio of detected pollutants to 110 ppb, with more than 20 ppb originating from squalene oxidation products (acetone, 4-oxopentanal, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one). For the two conditions with ozone present, the more-abundant oxidation products included acetone/propanal (8-20 ppb), formaldehyde (8-10 ppb), nonanal (approximately 6 ppb), 4-oxopentanal (3-7 ppb), acetic acid (approximately 7 ppb), formic acid (approximately 3 ppb), and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (0.5-2.5 ppb), as well as compounds tentatively identified as acrolein (0.6-1 ppb) and crotonaldehyde (0.6-0.8 ppb). The odor thresholds of certain products were exceeded. With an outdoor air exchange of 3 h(-1) and a recirculation rate of 20 h(-1), the measured ozone surface removal rate constant was 6.3 h(-1) when T-shirts were not present, compared to 11.4 h(-1) when T-shirts were present.

  13. [Hazard assessment of the impact of high temperature and air pollution on public health in Moscow].

    PubMed

    Revich, B A; Shaposhnikov, D A; Avaliani, S L; Rubinshtein, K G; Emelina, S V; Shiriaev, M V; Semutnikova, E G; Zakharova, P V; Kislova, O Iu

    2015-01-01

    In the article there are considered the main problems of assessing public health risks of the combined effects of high temperatures and air pollution with the account taken of the consequences of abnormally hot weather observed in summer 2010 in Moscow and without equals in the history of meteorological measurements in the city. The daily average concentrations of fine suspended particles matter (PM10) in the city during peatland fires from 4 to 9 August are emphasized to be within the range of 431-906 μ/m3, being 7.2-15.1 times the Russian maximum permissible concentration (MPCs) (60 μ/m3). The anomalous heat and high levels of air pollution in this period were shown to cause a significant increase in excess mortality among the population of Moscow. There was established the relative gain in mortality from all natural causes per 10 μg/m3 increase in daily average concentrations of PM10 and ozone, which was respectively: 0.47% (95%; CI: 0.31-0.63) and 0.41% (95%; CI: 0.31-1.13). On the base of the statistical analysis of daily mortality rates, meteorological indices, the concentrations of PM10 and ozone there was developed marking scale for the risk assessment of these indices accordingly to 4 gradings--low (permissible), warning, alert, and a hazard level. There has been substantiated the importance of the introduction of the system for the early alert for hazard weather events and the unified rating scale for the hazard of high air temperatures and high levels of air pollution with PM10 and ozone, which allows to take timely measures for the protection of the public health.

  14. The use of alternative pollutant metrics in time-series studies of ambient air pollution and respiratory emergency department visits.

    PubMed

    Darrow, Lyndsey A; Klein, Mitchel; Sarnat, Jeremy A; Mulholland, James A; Strickland, Matthew J; Sarnat, Stefanie E; Russell, Armistead G; Tolbert, Paige E

    2011-01-01

    Various temporal metrics of daily pollution levels have been used to examine the relationships between air pollutants and acute health outcomes. However, daily metrics of the same pollutant have rarely been systematically compared within a study. In this analysis, we describe the variability of effect estimates attributable to the use of different temporal metrics of daily pollution levels. We obtained hourly measurements of ambient particulate matter (PM₂.₅), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) from air monitoring networks in 20-county Atlanta for the time period 1993-2004. For each pollutant, we created (1) a daily 1-h maximum; (2) a 24-h average; (3) a commute average; (4) a daytime average; (5) a nighttime average; and (6) a daily 8-h maximum (only for O₃). Using Poisson generalized linear models, we examined associations between daily counts of respiratory emergency department visits and the previous day's pollutant metrics. Variability was greatest across O₃ metrics, with the 8-h maximum, 1-h maximum, and daytime metrics yielding strong positive associations and the nighttime O₃ metric yielding a negative association (likely reflecting confounding by air pollutants oxidized by O₃). With the exception of daytime metric, all of the CO and NO₂ metrics were positively associated with respiratory emergency department visits. Differences in observed associations with respiratory emergency room visits among temporal metrics of the same pollutant were influenced by the diurnal patterns of the pollutant, spatial representativeness of the metrics, and correlation between each metric and copollutant concentrations. Overall, the use of metrics based on the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (for example, the use of a daily 8-h maximum O₃ as opposed to a 24-h average metric) was supported by this analysis. Comparative analysis of temporal metrics also provided insight into underlying relationships between specific air

  15. Demonstration of AIRS Total Ozone Products to Operations to Enhance User Readiness

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berndt, Emily; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary

    2014-01-01

    Cyclogenesis is a key forecast challenge at operational forecasting centers such as WPC and OPC, so these centers have a particular interest in unique products that can identify key storm features. In some cases, explosively developing extratropical cyclones can produce hurricane force, non-convective winds along the East Coast and north Atlantic as well as the Pacific Ocean, with the potential to cause significant damage to life and property. Therefore, anticipating cyclogenesis for these types of storms is crucial for furthering the NOAA goal of a "Weather Ready Nation". Over the last few years, multispectral imagery (i.e. RGB) products have gained popularity among forecasters. The GOES-R satellite champion at WPC/OPC has regularly evaluated the Air Mass RGB products from GOES Sounder, MODIS, and SEVIRI to aid in forecasting cyclogenesis as part of ongoing collaborations with SPoRT within the framework of the GOES-R Proving Ground. WPC/OPC has used these products to identify regions of stratospheric air associated with tropopause folds that can lead to cyclogenesis and hurricane force winds. RGB products combine multiple channels or channel differences into multi-color imagery in which different colors represent a particular cloud or air mass type. Initial interaction and feedback from forecasters evaluating the legacy Air Mass RGBs revealed some uncertainty regarding what physical processes the qualitative RGB products represent and color interpretation. To enhance forecaster confidence and interpretation of the Air Mass RGB, NASA SPoRT has transitioned a total column ozone product from AIRS retrievals to the WPC/OPC. The use of legacy AIRS demonstrates future JPSS capabilities possible with CrIS or OMPS. Since stratospheric air can be identified by anomalous potential vorticity and warm, dry, ozone-rich air, hyperspectral infrared sounder ozone products can be used in conjunction with the Air Mass RGB for identifying the role of stratospheric air in explosive

  16. Future local and remote influences on Mediterranean ozone air quality and climate forcing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, S.; Val Martin, M.; Heald, C. L.; Lamarque, J.; Tilmes, S.; Emmons, L. K.

    2012-12-01

    The Mediterranean region is expected to display large increases in population over the coming decades, and to exhibit strong sensitivity to projected climate change, with increasing frequency of extreme summer temperatures and decreases in precipitation. Understanding of how these changes will affect atmospheric composition in the region is limited. The eastern Mediterranean basin has been shown to exhibit a pronounced summertime local maximum in tropospheric ozone, which impacts both local air quality and the atmospheric radiation balance. The Mediterranean troposphere is influenced by a diverse range of sources, including contributions from inter-continental import, in addition to local anthropogenic and biogenic sources. In summer, the region is subject to import of pollution from Northern Europe in the boundary layer and lower troposphere, from North American sources in the large-scale westerly flow of the free mid and upper-troposphere, as well as import of pollution lofted in the Asian monsoon and carried west to the eastern Mediterranean in anticyclonic flow in the upper troposphere over north Africa. Future atmospheric composition in the Mediterranean is likely to be sensitive to projected changes in emissions from these different sources, as well as changes in transport patterns and dry deposition fluxes under future climate conditions. We use the NCAR Community Earth System Model (CESM) to simulate climate and atmospheric composition for the 2050s, based on greenhouse gas abundances, trace gas and aerosol emissions and land cover and use from two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP4.5 & RCP8.5), designed for use by the IPCC Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) experiments. By comparing these simulations with a present-day scenario, we investigate the effects of predicted changes in climate and emissions on air quality and climate forcing over the Mediterranean region. The simulations suggest decreases in boundary

  17. Changes in air quality and tropospheric composition due to depletion of stratospheric ozone and interactions with climate.

    PubMed

    Tang, X; Wilson, S R; Solomon, K R; Shao, M; Madronich, S

    2011-02-01

    Air pollution will be directly influenced by future changes in emissions of pollutants, climate, and stratospheric ozone, and will have significant consequences for human health and the environment. UV radiation is one of the controlling factors for the formation of photochemical smog, which includes tropospheric ozone (O(3)) and aerosols; it also initiates the production of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH), which control the amount of many climate- and ozone-relevant gases (e.g., methane and HCFCs) in the atmosphere. Numerical models predict that future changes in UV radiation and climate will modify the trends and geographic distribution of ˙OH, thus affecting the formation of photochemical smog in many urban and regional areas. Concentrations of ˙OH are predicted to decrease globally by an average of 20% by 2100, with local concentrations varying by as much as a factor of two above and below current values. However, significant differences between modelled and measured values in a limited number of case studies show that chemistry of hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere is not fully understood. Photochemically produced tropospheric ozone is projected to increase. If emissions of anthropogenic air pollutants from combustion of fossil fuels, burning of biomass, and agricultural activities continue to increase, concentrations of tropospheric O(3) will tend to increase over the next 20-40 years in certain regions of low and middle latitudes because of interactions of emissions, chemical processes, and climate change. Climate-driven increases in temperature and humidity will also increase production of tropospheric O(3) in polluted regions, but reduce it in more pristine regions. Higher temperatures tend to increase emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) from some soils and release of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vegetation, leading to greater background concentrations of ozone in the troposphere. The net effects of future changes in UV radiation

  18. Neurobehavioral effects of ambient air pollution on cognitive performance in US adults.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jiu-Chiuan; Schwartz, Joel

    2009-03-01

    In vivo animal experiments demonstrate neurotoxicity of exposures to particulate matter (PM) and ozone, but only one small epidemiological study had linked ambient air pollution with central nervous system (CNS) functions in children. To examine the neurobehavioral effects associated with long-term exposure to ambient PM and ozone in adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System-2 (NES2) data (including a simple reaction time test [SRTT] measuring motor response speed to a visual stimulus; a symbol-digit substitution test [SDST] for coding ability; and a serial-digit learning test [SDLT] for attention and short-term memory) from 1764 adult participants (aged 37.5+/-10.9 years) of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1988-1991. Based on ambient PM(10) (PM with aerodynamic diameter <10microm) and ozone data from the EPA Aerometric Information Retrieval System database, estimated annual exposure prior to the examination were aggregated at the centroid of each census-block group of geocoded residences, using distance-weighted averages from all monitors in the residing and adjoining counties. Generalized linear models were constructed to examine the associations, adjusting for potential confounders. In age- and sex-adjusted models, PM(10) predicted reduced CNS functions, but the association disappeared after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. There were consistent associations between ozone and reduced performance in NES2. In models adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, household and neighborhood characteristics, and cardiovascular risk factors, ozone predicted high scores in SDST and SDLT, but not in SRTT. Each 10-ppb increase in annual ozone was associated with increased SDST and SDLT scores by 0.16 (95%CI: 0.01, 0.23) and 0.56 (95%CI: 0.07, 1.05), equivalent to 3.5 and 5.3 years of aging-related decline in cognitive performance. Our study provides the first epidemiological data

  19. Ozone air pollution in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and Kiev region

    Treesearch

    Oleg Blum; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; William Manning; Ludmila Popovicheva

    1998-01-01

    Ambient concentrations of ozone (O3) were measured at five highland forest locations in the Ukrainian Carpathians and in two lowland locations in the Kiev region during August to September 1995 by using O3 passive samplers. The ozone passive samplers were calibrated against a Thermo Environmental Model 49 ozone monitor...

  20. IMPROVE AND APPLY CHEMICAL MECHANISMS FOR DEVELOPING OZONE CONTROL STRATEGIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Air quality models that realistically describe the formation of ozone, air toxics, and other pollutants are needed by EPA and state agencies to predict current and future concentrations of these pollutants and develop ways to decrease their concentrations below harmful levels. ...

  1. Ozone decreases sperm quality in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

    PubMed

    Farhat, Juliana; Farhat, Sylvia Costa Lima; Braga, Alfésio Luís Ferreira; Cocuzza, Marcello; Borba, Eduardo Ferreira; Bonfá, Eloisa; Silva, Clovis Artur

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the deleterious effects of air pollutants exposure in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region on semen quality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A seven-years longitudinal repeated-measures panel study was performed at the Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution and Rheumatology Division. Two semen samples from 28 post-pubertal SLE patients were analyzed. Daily concentrations of air pollutants exposure: PM10, SO2, NO2, ozone, CO, and meteorological variables were evaluated on 90 days before each semen collection dates using generalized estimating equation models. Intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCYC) and ozone had an association with a decrease in sperm quality of SLE patients. IVCYC was associated with decreases of 64.3 million of spermatozoa/mL (95% CI 39.01-89.65; p=0.0001) and 149.14 million of spermatozoa/ejaculate (95% CI 81.93-216.38; p=0.017). With regard to ozone, the most relevant adverse effects were observed from lags 80-88, when the exposure to an interquartile range increase in ozone 9-day moving average concentration led to decreases of 22.9 million of spermatozoa/mL (95% CI 5.8-40.0; p=0.009) and 70.5 million of spermatozoa/ejaculate (95% CI 12.3-128.7; p=0.016). Further analysis of 17 patients that never used IVCYC showed association between exposure to ozone (80-88 days) and decrease of 30.0 million of spermatozoa/mL (95% CI 7.0-53.0; p=0.011) and 79.0 million of spermatozoa/ejaculate (95% CI 2.1-155.9; p=0.044). Ozone and IVCYC had a consistent adverse effect on semen quality of SLE patients during spermatogenesis. Minimizing exposure to air pollution should be taken into account, especially for patients with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases living in large cities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  2. Using community level strategies to reduce asthma attacks triggered by outdoor air pollution: a case crossover analysis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Evidence indicates that asthma attacks can be triggered by exposure to ambient air pollutants, however, detailed pollution information is missing from asthma action plans. Asthma is commonly associated with four criteria pollutants with standards derived by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Since multiple pollutants trigger attacks and risks depend upon city-specific mixtures of pollutants, there is lack of specific guidance to reduce exposure. Until multi-pollutant statistical modeling fully addresses this gap, some guidance on pollutant attack risk is required. This study examines the risks from exposure to the asthma-related pollutants in a large metropolitan city and defines the city-specific association between attacks and pollutant mixtures. Our goal is that city-specific pollution risks be incorporated into individual asthma action plans as additional guidance to prevent attacks. Methods Case-crossover analysis and conditional logistic regression were used to measure the association between ozone, fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide pollution and 11,754 emergency medical service ambulance treated asthma attacks in Houston, Texas from 2004-2011. Both single and multi-pollutant models are presented. Results In Houston, ozone and nitrogen dioxide are important triggers (RR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.09), (RR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.15) with 20 and 8 ppb increase in ozone and nitrogen dioxide, respectively, in a multi-pollutant model. Both pollutants are simultaneously high at certain times of the year. The risk attributed to these pollutants differs when they are considered together, especially as concentrations increase. Cumulative exposure for ozone (0-2 day lag) is of concern, whereas for nitrogen dioxide the concern is with single day exposure. Persons at highest risk are aged 46-66, African Americans, and males. Conclusions Accounting for cumulative and concomitant outdoor

  3. New Insights on "Next Day" Ozone Increases in the Northeastern U.S. using Continuous Vertical Profiles of Ozone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sullivan, J. T.; McGee, T. J.; Rabenhorst, S. D.; Delgado, R.; Dreessen, J.; Sumnicht, G. K.; Twigg, L.

    2016-12-01

    A unique multi-day air quality event occurred throughout the Mid-Atlantic region from June 9-12, 2015. The June event was coupled to the advection of widespread smoke and debris from western Canada throughout the region. Observations indicated that the aged smoke impacted the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) and greatly enhanced ozone concentrations at the surface. Many ground sites in the region, particularly in Maryland, recorded 8-hr ozone concentrations that were in exceedance of the 75 ppb EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). After the high O3 episode occurred, a nocturnal low-level jet developed throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, which was spatially correlated with next day high O3 at several sites within the New England region. During this event, nearly continuous vertical profiles of ozone are presented at Beltsville, MD from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center TROPospheric OZone DIfferential Absorption Lidar (GSFC TROPOZ DIAL), which has been developed and validated within the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet). Lidar observations reveal a well-mixed polluted PBL, nocturnal residual layer, and subsequent mixing down of the residual layer in the morning. Additional measurements of surface ozone, aerosol lidar profiles, wind profiles, and balloon borne profiles are also presented. Model output and trajectory analyses are also presented to illustrate the complex flow regimes that occurred during the daytime and nighttime to help redistribute the polluted air mass.

  4. Global Air Quality and Climate Impacts of Mitigating Short-lived Climate Pollution in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harper, K.; Unger, N.; Heyes, C.; Kiesewetter, G.; Klimont, Z.; Schoepp, W.; Wagner, F.

    2014-12-01

    China is a major emitter of harmful air pollutants, including the short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and their precursors. Implementation of pollution control technologies provides a mechanism for simultaneously protecting human and ecosystem health and achieving near-term climate co-benefits; however, predicting the outcomes of technical and policy interventions is challenging because the SLCPs participate in both climate warming and cooling and share many common emission sources. Here, we present the results of a combined regional integrated assessment and global climate modeling study aimed at quantifying the near-term climate and air quality co-benefits of selective control of Chinese air pollution emissions. Results from IIASA's Greenhouse Gas - Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) integrated assessment model indicate that methane emission reductions make up > 75% of possible CO2-equivalent emission reductions of the SLCPs and their precursors in China in 2030. A multi-pollutant emission reduction scenario incorporating the 2030 Chinese pollution control measures with the highest potential for future climate impact is applied to the NASA ModelE2 - Yale Interactive Terrestrial Biosphere (NASA ModelE2-YIBs) global carbon - chemistry - climate model to assess the regional and long-range impacts of Chinese SLCP mitigation measures. Using model simulations that incorporate dynamic methane emissions and photosynthesis-dependent isoprene emissions, we quantify the impacts of Chinese reductions of the short-lived air pollutants on radiative forcing and on surface ozone and particulate air pollution. Present-day modeled methane mole fractions are evaluated against SCIAMACHY methane columns and NOAA ESRL/GMD surface flask measurements.

  5. Analysis of Ozone Transportation in Tlaxcala-Puebla Mexico Air Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barrera-Huertas, H.; Torres, R.; Ruiz-Suárez, L. G.; Garcia, J.; Gutierrez, W.; Torres, A.

    2014-12-01

    Preliminary results of an investigation conducted between March and April 2012 on the influence of air pollutants transport in the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley airshed are presented. The campaign included ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and meteorological variables monitoring at surface in Huaquechula, Chipilo and Amozoc rural sites, and measurements of O3 vertical profile O3 and meteorology in Chipilo. The synoptic conditions during the campaign showed dominance of "Norte" conditions favoring air masses circulation from Pacific Ocean crossing southern Mexican Plateau to the Gulf of Mexico that influences the establishment of evening southeasterly winds in the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley. Wind roses and contaminants analysis in surface for O3 during entire campaign indicates that before noon the movement of air masses was dominated by runoff of Malinche toward the southeast and south of the valley; and in the afternoon a regional pattern of winds from southwest Valley prevails coming from Cuautla Valley and south of Morelos State. The analysis of three representative days of atmospheric circulation in the valley as well as anthropogenic diurnal activity, a rate of morning increase in O3 concentrations similar at all three sites was observed, even in the absence of precursors such as NO2 during some weekends. By analyzing and engage data from O3 vertical profile and surface meteorology data, we could infer that there are minimal ozone contributions from local sources, but important from regional origin, and even O3 entrainment in height brought to the surface when mixing layer is growing. The back trajectory analysis from Chipilo at noon indicates that could be additional contributions of O3 from both Cuautla Valley and other areas of pollutants emission such as Tula, (in the north of Mexico City), and that weekend effect with the occurrence of high O3 levels observed there extends to this region. Although interbasin exchange of pollutants between the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley

  6. Quantifying the effects of ozone on plant reproductive growth and development

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant that can negatively impact plant growth and development. Current ozone concentrations negatively impact forest productivity and crop yields, and future ozone concentrations will increase if current emission rates continue. However, the specific effects o...

  7. Acute and recent air pollution exposure and cardiovascular events at labour and delivery

    PubMed Central

    Männistö, Tuija; Mendola, Pauline; Grantz, Katherine Laughon; Leishear, Kira; Sundaram, Rajeshwari; Sherman, Seth; Ying, Qi; Liu, Danping

    2017-01-01

    Objective To study the relationship between acute air pollution exposure and cardiovascular events during labour/delivery. Methods The Consortium on Safe Labor (2002–2008), an observational US cohort with 223 502 singleton deliveries provided electronic medical records. Air pollution exposure was estimated by modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models. Cardiovascular events (cardiac failure/arrest, stroke, myocardial infarcts and other events) were recorded in the hospital discharge records for 687 pregnancies (0.3%). Logistic regression with generalised estimating equations estimated the relationship between cardiovascular events and daily air pollutant levels for delivery day and the 7 days preceding delivery. Results Increased odds of cardiovascular events were observed for each IQR increase in exposure to nitric oxides at 5 and 6 days prior to delivery (OR=1.17, 99% CI 1.04 to 1.30 and OR=1.15, 1.03 to 1.28, respectively). High exposure to toxic air pollution species such as ethylbenzene (OR=1.50, 1.08 to 2.09), m-xylene (OR=1.54, 1.11 to 2.13), o-xylene (OR=1.51, 1.09 to 2.09), p-xylene (OR=1.43, 1.03 to 1.99) and toluene (OR=1.42, 1.02 to 1.97) at 5 days prior to delivery were also associated with cardiovascular events. Decreased odds of events were observed with exposure to ozone. Conclusions Air pollution in the days prior to delivery, especially nitrogen oxides and some toxic air pollution species, was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events during the labour/delivery admission. PMID:26105036

  8. Regional Air Pollutions in Three Different Regions of Asia From a Transcontinental Transport Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pochanart, P.; Kanaya, Y.; Komazaki, Y.; Liu, Y.; Akimoto, H.

    2007-12-01

    Asia is known as one of the regions with the fastest rate of growing in industrialization and urbanization. As a result, the rapid increases of large-scale air pollution in Asia emerge as a serious concern at both domestic and international levels. Apart from the problems of air quality degradation, emission control, environmental risk, and health effect in a domestic level, evidences from scientific studies indicate that by the long-range transport, Asian air pollution is becoming a global problem. Observations and model studies confirm that air pollution from Asia could be transported to North America or farther. In this work, we investigate the Asian air pollutions, in particular ozone and some other atmospheric components such as carbon monoxide and black carbon, from the ground- based observations in the three different regions, namely 1) background region of Siberia and central Asia, 2) highly anthropogenic region in eastern China, and 3) the rim region of the Asia-Pacific. In a transcontinental transport perspective, these regions are regarded as the inflow region, source region, and outflow region of Asia, respectively. From the results, it is found that the influences from large-scale emission in East Asia are observed clearly in the source region, and to the significant extent in the outflow region. For the inflow region of Asia, our data in Siberia and Kyrgyzstan indicate that air masses in this region are mostly intact from large-scale anthropogenic emission, and remain much of the global background atmospheric pollution characteristic. When the air masses are transported to source region, the air pollutants level increased sharply and frequent episodes of extremely high pollutions have been observed. Our results show good correlation between the residence time of air masses over the source region in eastern China and the observed levels of air pollutants verifying the strong enhancements by anthropogenic emissions from industrialization and

  9. The characteristics of tropospheric ozone seasonality observed from ozone soundings at Pohang, Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae H; Lee, H J; Lee, S H

    2006-07-01

    This paper presents the first analysis of vertical ozone sounding measurements over Pohang, Korea. The main focus is to analyze the seasonal variation of vertical ozone profiles and determine the mechanisms controlling ozone seasonality. The maxima ozone at the surface and in the free troposphere are observed in May and June, respectively. In comparison with the ozone seasonality at Oki (near sea level) and Happo (altitude of 1840 m) in Japan, which are located at the same latitude as of Pohang, we have found that the time of the ozone maximum at the Japanese sites is always a month earlier than at Pohang. Analysis of the wind flow at the surface shows that the wind shifts from westerly to southerly in May over Japan, but in June over Pohang. However, this wind shift above boundary layer occurs a month later. This wind shift results in significantly smaller amounts of ozone because the southerly wind brings clean wet tropical air. It has been suggested that the spring ozone maximum in the lower troposphere is due to polluted air transported from China. However, an enhanced ozone amount over the free troposphere in June appears to have a different origin. A tongue-like structure in the time-height cross-section of ozone concentrations, which starts from the stratosphere and extends to the middle troposphere, suggests that the ozone enhancement occurs due to a gradual migration of ozone from the stratosphere. The high frequency of dry air with elevated ozone concentrations in the upper troposphere in June suggests that the air is transported from the stratosphere. HYSPLIT trajectory analysis supports the hypothesis that enhanced ozone in the free troposphere is not likely due to transport from sources of anthropogenic activity.

  10. Responses of surface ozone air quality to anthropogenic nitrogen deposition in the Northern Hemisphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Yuanhong; Zhang, Lin; Tai, Amos P. K.; Chen, Youfan; Pan, Yuepeng

    2017-08-01

    Human activities have substantially increased atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen to the Earth's surface, inducing unintentional effects on ecosystems with complex environmental and climate consequences. One consequence remaining unexplored is how surface air quality might respond to the enhanced nitrogen deposition through surface-atmosphere exchange. Here we combine a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and a global land model (Community Land Model, CLM) to address this issue with a focus on ozone pollution in the Northern Hemisphere. We consider three processes that are important for surface ozone and can be perturbed by the addition of atmospheric deposited nitrogen - namely, emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone dry deposition, and soil nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. We find that present-day anthropogenic nitrogen deposition (65 Tg N a-1 to the land), through enhancing plant growth (represented as increases in vegetation leaf area index, LAI, in the model), could increase surface ozone from increased biogenic VOC emissions (e.g., a 6.6 Tg increase in isoprene emission), but it could also decrease ozone due to higher ozone dry deposition velocities (up to 0.02-0.04 cm s-1 increases). Meanwhile, deposited anthropogenic nitrogen to soil enhances soil NOx emissions. The overall effect on summer mean surface ozone concentrations shows general increases over the globe (up to 1.5-2.3 ppbv over the western US and South Asia), except for some regions with high anthropogenic NOx emissions (0.5-1.0 ppbv decreases over the eastern US, western Europe, and North China). We compare the surface ozone changes with those driven by the past 20-year climate and historical land use changes. We find that the impacts from anthropogenic nitrogen deposition can be comparable to the climate- and land-use-driven surface ozone changes at regional scales and partly offset the surface ozone reductions due to land use changes reported in previous studies

  11. The role of photosynthesis in improving maize tolerance to ozone pollution

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ground-level ozone pollution has more than doubled since pre-industrial times, and is currently estimated to cause up to 10% reductions in U.S. maize yields annually. Maize productivity is reduced by exposure to ozone as it diffuses through stomatal pores and reacts to form damaging reactive oxygen ...

  12. A novel method to construct an air quality index based on air pollution profiles.

    PubMed

    Thach, Thuan-Quoc; Tsang, Hilda; Cao, Peihua; Ho, Lai-Ming

    2018-01-01

    Air quality indices based on the maximum of sub-indices of pollutants are easy to produce and help quantify the degree of air pollution. However, they discount the additive effects of multiple pollutants and are only sensitive to changes in highest sub-index. We propose a simple and concise method to construct an air quality index that takes into account additive effects of multiple pollutants and evaluate the extent to which this index predicts health effects. We obtained concentrations of four criteria pollutants: particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10μm (PM 10 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) and daily admissions to Hong Kong hospitals for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases for all ages and those 65 years or older for years 2001-2012. We derived sub-indices of the four criteria pollutants, calculated by normalizing pollutant concentrations to their respective short-term WHO Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQG). We aggregated the sub-indices using the root-mean-power function with an optimal power to form an overall air quality index. The optimal power was determined by minimizing the sum of over- and under-estimated days. We then assessed associations between the pollution bands of the index and cardiovascular and respiratory admissions using a time-stratified case-crossover design adjusted for ambient temperature, relative humidity and influenza epidemics. Further, we conducted case-crossover analyses using the Hong Kong air quality data with the respective standards and classification of pollution bands of the China Air Quality Index (AQI), the United Kingdom Daily AQI (DAQI), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) AQI. The mean concentrations of PM 10 and SO 2 based on maximum 3-h mean exceeded the WHO AQG by 37% and 50%, respectively. We identified the combined condition of observed high-pollution days as either at least one pollutant > 1.5×WHO AQG or at least two pollutants > 1.0

  13. Using Tropospheric Ozone Profiles and Surface Data (2004 - 2012) to Determine Background Ozone Levels in Houston, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spychala, M. D.; Morris, G. A.; Lefer, B. L.; Rappenglueck, B.; Cohan, D. S.; zhou, W.

    2012-12-01

    The Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project (TOPP) at Rice University (2004 - 2006) and the University of Houston (2006 - present) has gathered > 400 profiles of ozone, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, and > 250 of those also have wind speed and wind direction near the core of the City of Houston, Texas. Houston continues to be plagued with difficulty in coming into compliance with EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) due to a combination of its geographic location, large commuter population, significant petrochemical and energy production, and favorable weather patterns. An outstanding question remains the relative partitioning of ozone between local and remote, anthropogenic and natural sources. In this presentation, we use TOPP ozone profiles to determine a "background" ozone concentration and compare this measure with surface monitor "background" ozone as determined from upwind and downwind Continuous Air Monitoring Stations (CAMS) in an effort to further our understanding of this partitioning. For periods studied with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model, we also compare the sonde and surface "background" ozone with that suggested by the model.

  14. Air Pollution and Mortality in Chile: Susceptibility among the Elderly

    PubMed Central

    Cakmak, Sabit; Dales, Robert E.; Vidal, Claudia Blanco

    2007-01-01

    Objective The estimated mortality rate associated with ambient air pollution based on general population studies may not be representative of the effects on certain subgroups. The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of relatively high concentrations of air pollution on mortality in a general population sample and in the very elderly. Study design Daily time-series analyses tested the association between daily air pollution and daily mortality in seven Chilean urban centers during 1997–2003. Results were adjusted for day of the week and humidex. Results Daily averaged particulate matter with aerodynamic matter < 10 μm (PM10) was 84.88 μg/m3, sulfur dioxide was 14.08ppb, and carbon monoxide was 1.29 ppb. The 1-hr maximum ozone was 100.13 ppb. The percentage increases in nonaccidental mortality associated with an increase in PM10 equivalent to its mean were 4.53 (t-ratio 1.52) for those < 65 years and 14.03 (3.87) for those > 85 years. Respective values were 4.96 (1.17) and 8.56 (2.02) for O3; 4.77 (2.50) and 7.92 (3.23) for SO2; and 4.10 (2.52) and 8.58 (4.45) for CO. Conclusion Our results suggest that the very elderly are particularly susceptible to dying from air pollution. Concentrations deemed acceptable for the general population may not adequately protect the very elderly. PMID:17450219

  15. Spatial analysis of air pollution and mortality in California.

    PubMed

    Jerrett, Michael; Burnett, Richard T; Beckerman, Bernardo S; Turner, Michelle C; Krewski, Daniel; Thurston, George; Martin, Randall V; van Donkelaar, Aaron; Hughes, Edward; Shi, Yuanli; Gapstur, Susan M; Thun, Michael J; Pope, C Arden

    2013-09-01

    Although substantial scientific evidence suggests that chronic exposure to ambient air pollution contributes to premature mortality, uncertainties exist in the size and consistency of this association. Uncertainty may arise from inaccurate exposure assessment. To assess the associations of three types of air pollutants (fine particulate matter, ozone [O3], and nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) with the risk of mortality in a large cohort of California adults using individualized exposure assessments. For fine particulate matter and NO2, we used land use regression models to derive predicted individualized exposure at the home address. For O3, we estimated exposure with an inverse distance weighting interpolation. Standard and multilevel Cox survival models were used to assess the association between air pollution and mortality. Data for 73,711 subjects who resided in California were abstracted from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention II Study cohort, with baseline ascertainment of individual characteristics in 1982 and follow-up of vital status through to 2000. Exposure data were derived from government monitors. Exposure to fine particulate matter, O3, and NO2 was positively associated with ischemic heart disease mortality. NO2 (a marker for traffic pollution) and fine particulate matter were also associated with mortality from all causes combined. Only NO2 had significant positive association with lung cancer mortality. Using the first individualized exposure assignments in this important cohort, we found positive associations of fine particulate matter, O3, and NO2 with mortality. The positive associations of NO2 suggest that traffic pollution relates to premature death.

  16. Gaseous Air Pollution and the Risk for Stroke Admissions: A Case-Crossover Study in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Huang, Fangfang; Luo, Yanxia; Tan, Peng; Xu, Qin; Tao, Lixin; Guo, Jin; Zhang, Feng; Xie, Xueqin; Guo, Xiuhua

    2017-02-14

    Background: Though increasing evidence supports association between gaseous air pollution and stroke, it remains unclear whether the effects differ in season, sex and age. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of gaseous air pollution with stroke admissions in Beijing, 2013-2014 in different subgroups. Methods: Case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression were used to perform the analyses. We examined the exposure-response relationship between air pollution and stroke. Stratified analyses were performed in different seasons, sex, and age groups. Results: There were 147,624 stroke admissions during the study period. In the whole study period, percent changes of stroke admissions were 0.82% (95% CI: 0.52% to 1.13%) and 0.73% (95% CI: 0.44% to 1.03%) per 10 μg/m³ increase in the same day conentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The positive associations were higher in warm seasons and with patients >65 years ( p < 0.05). Contrary effects of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone on stroke admissions were observed in different seasons. Conclusions: NO₂ and SO₂ were positively associated with stroke admissions, with stronger effects in warm seasons and with patients >65 years. The associations of CO and ozone with stroke admissions differed across seasons.

  17. Season, Sex, Age, and Education as Modifiers of the Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution on Daily Mortality in Shanghai, China: The Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) Study

    PubMed Central

    Kan, Haidong; London, Stephanie J.; Chen, Guohai; Zhang, Yunhui; Song, Guixiang; Zhao, Naiqing; Jiang, Lili; Chen, Bingheng

    2008-01-01

    Background Various factors can modify the health effects of outdoor air pollution. Prior findings about modifiers are inconsistent, and most of these studies were conducted in developed countries. Objectives We conducted a time-series analysis to examine the modifying effect of season, sex, age, and education on the association between outdoor air pollutants [particulate matter < 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone] and daily mortality in Shanghai, China, using 4 years of daily data (2001–2004). Methods Using a natural spline model to analyze the data, we examined effects of air pollution for the warm season (April–September) and cool season (October–March) separately. For total mortality, we examined the association stratified by sex and age. Stratified analysis by educational attainment was conducted for total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. Results Outdoor air pollution was associated with mortality from all causes and from cardiorespiratory diseases in Shanghai. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in a 2-day average concentration of PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 corresponds to increases in all-cause mortality of 0.25% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14–0.37), 0.95% (95% CI, 0.62–1.28), 0.97% (95% CI, 0.66–1.27), and 0.31% (95% CI, 0.04–0.58), respectively. The effects of air pollutants were more evident in the cool season than in the warm season, and females and the elderly were more vulnerable to outdoor air pollution. Effects of air pollution were generally greater in residents with low educational attainment (illiterate or primary school) compared with those with high educational attainment (middle school or above). Conclusions Season, sex, age, and education may modify the health effects of outdoor air pollution in Shanghai. These findings provide new information about the effects of modifiers on the relationship between daily mortality and air pollution in developing countries and may have

  18. Season, sex, age, and education as modifiers of the effects of outdoor air pollution on daily mortality in Shanghai, China: The Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) Study.

    PubMed

    Kan, Haidong; London, Stephanie J; Chen, Guohai; Zhang, Yunhui; Song, Guixiang; Zhao, Naiqing; Jiang, Lili; Chen, Bingheng

    2008-09-01

    Various factors can modify the health effects of outdoor air pollution. Prior findings about modifiers are inconsistent, and most of these studies were conducted in developed countries. We conducted a time-series analysis to examine the modifying effect of season, sex, age, and education on the association between outdoor air pollutants [particulate matter < 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone] and daily mortality in Shanghai, China, using 4 years of daily data (2001-2004). Using a natural spline model to analyze the data, we examined effects of air pollution for the warm season (April-September) and cool season (October-March) separately. For total mortality, we examined the association stratified by sex and age. Stratified analysis by educational attainment was conducted for total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. Outdoor air pollution was associated with mortality from all causes and from cardiorespiratory diseases in Shanghai. An increase of 10 mug/m(3) in a 2-day average concentration of PM(10), SO(2), NO(2), and O(3) corresponds to increases in all-cause mortality of 0.25% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14-0.37), 0.95% (95% CI, 0.62-1.28), 0.97% (95% CI, 0.66-1.27), and 0.31% (95% CI, 0.04-0.58), respectively. The effects of air pollutants were more evident in the cool season than in the warm season, and females and the elderly were more vulnerable to outdoor air pollution. Effects of air pollution were generally greater in residents with low educational attainment (illiterate or primary school) compared with those with high educational attainment (middle school or above). Season, sex, age, and education may modify the health effects of outdoor air pollution in Shanghai. These findings provide new information about the effects of modifiers on the relationship between daily mortality and air pollution in developing countries and may have implications for local environmental and social policies.

  19. Air Pollution and Stroke

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Kuan Ken; Miller, Mark R.; Shah, Anoop S. V.

    2018-01-01

    The adverse health effects of air pollution have long been recognised; however, there is less awareness that the majority of the morbidity and mortality caused by air pollution is due to its effects on the cardiovascular system. Evidence from epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong association between air pollution and cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Although the relative risk is small at an individual level, the ubiquitous nature of exposure to air pollution means that the absolute risk at a population level is on a par with “traditional” risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Of particular concern are findings that the strength of this association is stronger in low and middle income countries where air pollution is projected to rise as a result of rapid industrialisation. The underlying biological mechanisms through which air pollutants exert their effect on the vasculature are still an area of intense discussion. A greater understanding of the effect size and mechanisms is necessary to develop effective strategies at individual and policy levels to mitigate the adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution. PMID:29402072

  20. Air Pollution and Stroke.

    PubMed

    Lee, Kuan Ken; Miller, Mark R; Shah, Anoop S V

    2018-01-01

    The adverse health effects of air pollution have long been recognised; however, there is less awareness that the majority of the morbidity and mortality caused by air pollution is due to its effects on the cardiovascular system. Evidence from epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong association between air pollution and cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Although the relative risk is small at an individual level, the ubiquitous nature of exposure to air pollution means that the absolute risk at a population level is on a par with "traditional" risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Of particular concern are findings that the strength of this association is stronger in low and middle income countries where air pollution is projected to rise as a result of rapid industrialisation. The underlying biological mechanisms through which air pollutants exert their effect on the vasculature are still an area of intense discussion. A greater understanding of the effect size and mechanisms is necessary to develop effective strategies at individual and policy levels to mitigate the adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution.

  1. Globalizing Air Pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, J.

    2017-12-01

    Recent studies have revealed the issue of globalizing air pollution through complex coupling of atmospheric transport (physical route) and economic trade (socioeconomic route). Recognition of such globalizing air pollution has important implications for understanding the impacts of regional and global consumption (of goods and services) on air quality, public health, climate and the ecosystems. And addressing these questions often requires improved modeling, measurements and economic-emission statistics. This talk will introduce the concept and mechanism of globalizing air pollution, with following demonstrations based on recent works on modeling, satellite measurement and multi-disciplinary assessment.

  2. Clean Air Act Requirements and History

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In 1970 congress designed the Clean Air Act to combat a variety of air pollution problems, and to tackle emerging pollution threats such as public health, national welfare, toxic air pollutants, acid rain, protection of the ozone layer, and regional haze.

  3. Heat Waves, Urban Vegetation, and Air Pollution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Churkina, G.; Grote, R.; Butler, T. M.

    2014-12-01

    Fast-track programs to plant millions of trees in cities around the world aim at the reduction of summer temperatures, increase carbon storage, storm water control, provision of space for recreation, as well as poverty alleviation. Although these multiple benefits speak positively for urban greening programs, the programs do not take into account how close human and natural systems are coupled in urban areas. Elevated temperatures together with anthropogenic emissions of air and water pollutants distinguish the urban system. Urban and sub-urban vegetation responds to ambient changes and reacts with pollutants. Neglecting the existence of this coupling may lead to unforeseen drawbacks of urban greening programs. The potential for emissions from urban vegetation combined with anthropogenic emissions to produce ozone has long been recognized. This potential increases under rising temperatures. Here we investigate how global change induced heat waves affect emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from urban vegetation and corresponding ground-level ozone levels. We also quantify other ecosystem services provided by urban vegetation (e.g., cooling and carbon storage) and their sensitivity to climate change. In this study we use Weather Research and Forecasting Model with coupled atmospheric chemistry (WRF-CHEM) to quantify these feedbacks in Berlin, Germany during the heat waves in 2003 and 2006. We highlight the importance of the vegetation for urban areas under changing climate and discuss associated tradeoffs.

  4. Ozone exposure and daily mortality in Mexico City: a time-series analysis.

    PubMed

    Loomis, D P; Borja-Aburto, V H; Bangdiwala, S I; Shy, C M

    1996-10-01

    Daily death counts in Mexico City were examined in relation to ambient ozone levels during 1990-1992 for the purpose of investigating the acute, irreversible effects of air pollution, with emphasis on ozone exposure. Air pollution data were obtained from nine monitoring stations operated by the Departamento del Distrito Federal. Mortality data were provided by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía, e Informática. Increases in numbers of deaths were positively associated with elevated air pollution levels on the same day and on the previous day. The magnitude of the increases was small but statistically significant, after Poisson regression models were used to adjust for temperature and long-term trends. In models using data for a single pollutant, the "crude" ratio for total mortality associated with an increase of 100 parts per billion (ppb)* in one-hour maximum ozone concentration was 1.029 (95% CI 1.015, 1.044). A moving average of ozone showed a stronger association (rate ratio [RR] = 1.048, 95% CI 1.025, 1.070), and excess mortality (an increase in the number of deaths, relative to the average on days with low pollution levels) was more evident for persons over 65 years of age. Separate analyses of the effect of elevated ozone for different areas of the city showed similar results, but they were not statistically significant. Other pollutants also were related to mortality. The RR was 1.075 (95% CI 0.984, 1.062) per 100-ppb increase for sulfur dioxide and 1.049 (95% CI 1.030, 1.067) per 100 micrograms/m3 increase in total suspended particulates (TSP) when these pollutants were considered in separate models. However, when all three pollutants were considered simultaneously, only TSP remained associated with mortality, indicating excess mortality of 5% per 100 micrograms/m3 increase [RR = 1.052, 95% CI 1.034, 1.072]. The excess mortality associated with TSP is consistent with that observed in other cities in America and Europe. This study provides

  5. Modification of the effect of ambient air pollution on pediatric asthma emergency visits: susceptible subpopulations

    PubMed Central

    Strickland, Matthew J; Klein, Mitchel; Flanders, W Dana; Chang, Howard H; Mulholland, James A; Tolbert, Paige E; Darrow, Lyndsey A

    2016-01-01

    Background Children may have differing susceptibility to ambient air pollution concentrations depending on various background characteristics of the children. Methods Using emergency department (ED) data linked with birth records from Atlanta, Georgia, we identified ED visits for asthma or wheeze among children aged 2–16 years from 1 January 2002 through 30 June 2010 (n=109,758). We stratified by preterm delivery, term low birth weight, maternal race, Medicaid status, maternal education, maternal smoking, delivery method, and history of a bronchiolitis ED visit. Population-weighted daily average concentrations were calculated for 1-hour maximum carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide; 8-hour maximum ozone; and 24-hour average particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter, particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), and the PM2.5 components sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, elemental carbon, and organic carbon, using measurements from stationary monitors. Poisson time-series models were used to estimate rate ratios for associations between three-day moving average pollutant concentrations and daily ED visit counts and to investigate effect-measure modification by the stratification factors. Results Associations between pollutant concentrations and asthma exacerbations were larger among children born preterm and among children born to African American mothers. Stratification by race and preterm status together suggested that both factors affected susceptibility. The largest estimated effect size (for an interquartile-range increase in pollution) was observed for ozone among preterm births to African American mothers: rate ratio=1.138 (95% confidence interval=1.077–1.203). In contrast, the rate ration for the ozone association among full-term births to mothers of other races was 1.025 (0.970–1.083). Conclusions Results support the hypothesis that children vary in their susceptibility to ambient air pollutants. PMID:25192402

  6. On the Effects of NOx Emission Control and Drought on an Ozone-Polluted Ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pusede, S.; Geddes, J.; Buysse, C. E.; Esperanza, A.; Najacht, E.; Anderson, J. F.; Bailey, C. B.; Munyan, J.

    2017-12-01

    Regulatory emission controls are typically designed to reduce ozone when ozone is highest. However, high ozone concentrations are often asynchronous with periods of the greatest ozone harm to plants and ecosystems, particularly during drought. Because ozone production chemistry is nonlinear, emissions reductions designed to be effective in polluted cities may have a range of effects on downwind ecosystems. Here, we investigate the influence of regional NOx emission controls on ozone pollution in Sequoia National Park (SNP). First, we show that steep declines in NOx throughout the region have had smaller impacts in SNP than in cities upwind, and that these reductions have been least effective at times of day and year when plants are most sensitive to ozone. Second, in recent years (2012-2015), California experienced the worst drought in recorded history. We present observational evidence of the ozone response in SNP to drought conditions, finding that the drought altered the chemical sensitivity of local ozone production to NOx emissions and, hence, the effectiveness of NOx emission controls. We show that drought impacts on the ozone sensitivity to NOx have persisted at least two years since the drought ended.

  7. Recent climate and air pollution impacts on Indian agriculture.

    PubMed

    Burney, Jennifer; Ramanathan, V

    2014-11-18

    Recent research on the agricultural impacts of climate change has primarily focused on the roles of temperature and precipitation. These studies show that India has already been negatively affected by recent climate trends. However, anthropogenic climate changes are a result of both global emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases (LLGHGs) and other short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Two potent SLCPs, tropospheric ozone and black carbon, have direct effects on crop yields beyond their indirect effects through climate; emissions of black carbon and ozone precursors have risen dramatically in India over the past three decades. Here, to our knowledge for the first time, we present results of the combined effects of climate change and the direct effects of SLCPs on wheat and rice yields in India from 1980 to 2010. Our statistical model suggests that, averaged over India, yields in 2010 were up to 36% lower for wheat than they otherwise would have been, absent climate and pollutant emissions trends, with some densely populated states experiencing 50% relative yield losses. [Our point estimates for rice (-20%) are similarly large, but not statistically significant.] Upper-bound estimates suggest that an overwhelming fraction (90%) of these losses is due to the direct effects of SLCPs. Gains from addressing regional air pollution could thus counter expected future yield losses resulting from direct climate change effects of LLGHGs.

  8. Recent climate and air pollution impacts on Indian agriculture

    PubMed Central

    Burney, Jennifer; Ramanathan, V.

    2014-01-01

    Recent research on the agricultural impacts of climate change has primarily focused on the roles of temperature and precipitation. These studies show that India has already been negatively affected by recent climate trends. However, anthropogenic climate changes are a result of both global emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases (LLGHGs) and other short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Two potent SLCPs, tropospheric ozone and black carbon, have direct effects on crop yields beyond their indirect effects through climate; emissions of black carbon and ozone precursors have risen dramatically in India over the past three decades. Here, to our knowledge for the first time, we present results of the combined effects of climate change and the direct effects of SLCPs on wheat and rice yields in India from 1980 to 2010. Our statistical model suggests that, averaged over India, yields in 2010 were up to 36% lower for wheat than they otherwise would have been, absent climate and pollutant emissions trends, with some densely populated states experiencing 50% relative yield losses. [Our point estimates for rice (−20%) are similarly large, but not statistically significant.] Upper-bound estimates suggest that an overwhelming fraction (90%) of these losses is due to the direct effects of SLCPs. Gains from addressing regional air pollution could thus counter expected future yield losses resulting from direct climate change effects of LLGHGs. PMID:25368149

  9. APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) Volume 21: Legal References: Air Pollution Control Regulations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Manpower Development.

    The Legal References: Air Pollution Control Regulations Manual is the last in a set of 21 manuals (AA 001 009-001 029) used in APEX (Air Pollution Exercise), a computerized college and professional level "real world" game simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities, and air pollution difficulties. The manual…

  10. Investigating air quality status and air pollutant trends over the Metropolitan Area of Tehran, Iran over the past decade between 2005 and 2014.

    PubMed

    Jamaati, Hamidreza; Attarchi, Mirsaeed; Hassani, Somayeh; Farid, Elham; Seyedmehdi, Mohammad; Salimi Pormehr, Pegah

    2018-06-03

    Studies on the trend of air pollution in Tehran as one of the most polluted metropolis in the world are scant, and today Tehran is known for its high levels of air pollution. In this study, the trend of air pollution concentration was evaluated over the past 10 years (2004-2015). The data were collected from 22 stations of the Air Quality Control Company. Daily concentrations of CO, NO2, SO2, O3, PM10 were analyzed using SPSS 16 based on the statistical method, repeated measures, and intra-group test to determine the pattern of each pollutant changes. As a result of the 22 air pollution monitoring stations, NO2 and SO2 concentrations have been increasing over the period of 10 years. The highest anomaly is related to SO2. The CO concentrations represent a descending pattern over the period, although there was a slight increase in 2013 and 2014. The ozone concentrations declined in the following years. The average concentration of PM10 has been rising during the period. Also we evaluated changes of each pollutant in different months and calculated the number of clean, healthy, unhealthy days for sensitive, unhealthy, very unhealthy, and dangerous groups. The study findings illustrated the necessity for larger investment in air pollution abatement. Over ally, trends have been progressed to worsening, the number of healthy days has been declined and the number of unhealthy days has been increased in recent years.

  11. Estimating the Public Health Impact of Air Pollution for Informing Policy in the Twin Cities: A Minnesota Tracking Collaboration.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Jean E; Bael, David L; Sample, Jeannette M; Lindgren, Paula G; Kvale, Dorian L

    The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency used local air pollution and public health data to estimate the impacts of particulate matter and ozone on population health, to identify disparities, and to inform decisions that will improve health. While air quality in Minnesota currently meets federal standards, urban communities are concerned about the impact of air pollution on their health. The Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul) metropolitan area includes 7 counties where fine particulate levels and rates of asthma exacerbations are elevated in some communities. We used the Environmental Protection Agency's BenMAP (Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program) software, along with local PM2.5 (fine particulate) and ozone ambient concentrations, census and population health data, to calculate impacts for 2008 at the zip code level. The impacts were summed across all zip codes for area-wide estimates. American Community Survey data were used to stratify zip codes by poverty and race for assessment of disparities. Attributable fraction, attributable rate and counts for all-cause mortality, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations, asthma emergency department (ED) visits, and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations. In the Twin Cities (2008), air pollution was a contributing cause for an estimated 2% to 5% of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations and ED visits and between 6% and 13% of premature deaths. The elderly (aged 65+ years) experienced the highest air pollution-attributable rates of death and respiratory hospitalizations; children experienced the highest asthma ED visit rates. Geographical and demographic differences in air pollution-attributable health impacts across the region reflected the differences in the underlying morbidity and mortality rates. Method was effective in demonstrating that changes in air quality can have quantifiable health impacts across the Twin Cities. Key

  12. Discriminatory Air Pollution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCaull, Julian

    1976-01-01

    Described are the patterns of air pollution in certain large urban areas. Persons in poverty, in occupations below the management or professional level, in low-rent districts, and in black population are most heavily exposed to air pollution. Pollution paradoxically is largely produced by high energy consuming middle-and upper-class households.…

  13. The Impact of Individual Anthropogenic Emissions Sectors on the Global Burden of Human Mortality due to Ambient Air Pollution

    PubMed Central

    Silva, Raquel A.; Adelman, Zachariah; Fry, Meridith M.; West, J. Jason

    2016-01-01

    Background: Exposure to ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can cause adverse health effects, including premature mortality due to cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer. Recent studies quantify global air pollution mortality but not the contribution of different emissions sectors, or they focus on a specific sector. Objectives: We estimated the global mortality burden of anthropogenic ozone and PM2.5, and the impact of five emissions sectors, using a global chemical transport model at a finer horizontal resolution (0.67° × 0.5°) than previous studies. Methods: We performed simulations for 2005 using the Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4), zeroing out all anthropogenic emissions and emissions from specific sectors (All Transportation, Land Transportation, Energy, Industry, and Residential and Commercial). We estimated premature mortality using a log-linear concentration–response function for ozone and an integrated exposure–response model for PM2.5. Results: We estimated 2.23 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.33) million deaths/year related to anthropogenic PM2.5, with the highest mortality in East Asia (48%). The Residential and Commercial sector had the greatest impact globally—675 (95% CI: 428, 899) thousand deaths/year—and in most regions. Land Transportation dominated in North America (32% of total anthropogenic PM2.5 mortality), and it had nearly the same impact (24%) as Residential and Commercial (27%) in Europe. Anthropogenic ozone was associated with 493 (95% CI: 122, 989) thousand deaths/year, with the Land Transportation sector having the greatest impact globally (16%). Conclusions: The contributions of emissions sectors to ambient air pollution–related mortality differ among regions, suggesting region-specific air pollution control strategies. Global sector-specific actions targeting Land Transportation (ozone) and Residential and Commercial (PM2.5) sectors would particularly benefit human health. Citation: Silva RA

  14. Relation of air pollution with epidemiology of respiratory diseases in isfahan, Iran from 2005 to 2009.

    PubMed

    Rashidi, Maasoumeh; Ramesht, Mohammad Hossein; Zohary, Moein; Poursafa, Parinaz; Kelishadi, Roya; Rashidi, Zeinab; Rouzbahani, Reza

    2013-12-01

    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) scientists shows that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of ozone, fine particles, and other airborne toxicants. Air pollution factors are considered as one of the underlying causes of respiratory diseases. This study aimed to determine the association of respiratory diseases documented in medical records and air pollution (Map distribution) of accumulation in Isfahan province, Iran. By plotting the prevalence and spatial distribution maps, important differences from different points can be observed. The geographic information system (GIS), pollutant standards index (PSI) measurements, and remote Sensing (RS) technology were used after entering data in the mapping information table; spatial distribution was mapped and distribution of Geographical Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases in Isfahan province (Iran) was determined in this case study from 2005 to 2009. Space with tracing the distribution of respiratory diseases was scattered based on the distribution of air pollution in the points is an important part of this type of diseases in Isfahan province where air pollution was more abundant. The findings of this study emphasis on the importance of preventing the exposure to air pollution, and to control air pollution product industries, to improve work environmental health, and to increase the health professionals and public knowledge in this regard.

  15. Relation of air pollution with epidemiology of respiratory diseases in isfahan, Iran from 2005 to 2009

    PubMed Central

    Rashidi, Maasoumeh; Ramesht, Mohammad Hossein; Zohary, Moein; Poursafa, Parinaz; Kelishadi, Roya; Rashidi, Zeinab; Rouzbahani, Reza

    2013-01-01

    Background: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) scientists shows that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of respiratory diseases such as allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of ozone, fine particles, and other airborne toxicants. Air pollution factors are considered as one of the underlying causes of respiratory diseases. This study aimed to determine the association of respiratory diseases documented in medical records and air pollution (Map distribution) of accumulation in Isfahan province, Iran. By plotting the prevalence and spatial distribution maps, important differences from different points can be observed. Materials and Methods: The geographic information system (GIS), pollutant standards index (PSI) measurements, and remote Sensing (RS) technology were used after entering data in the mapping information table; spatial distribution was mapped and distribution of Geographical Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases in Isfahan province (Iran) was determined in this case study from 2005 to 2009. Results: Space with tracing the distribution of respiratory diseases was scattered based on the distribution of air pollution in the points is an important part of this type of diseases in Isfahan province where air pollution was more abundant. Conclusion: The findings of this study emphasis on the importance of preventing the exposure to air pollution, and to control air pollution product industries, to improve work environmental health, and to increase the health professionals and public knowledge in this regard. PMID:24523799

  16. Effects of air pollutants on Los Angeles Basin citrus

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thompson, C.R.; Taylor, O.C.; Richards, B.L.

    1970-03-01

    Commercially producing lemon and navel orange trees were enclosed in plastic covered greenhouses and were given various fractions of the air pollutants occurring in the Los Angeles Basin. In some treatments nitric oxide was supplied to the trees to react with ozone but this formed nitrogen dioxide, another phytotoxicant. The study showed that the photochemical smog complex reduced the rate of water, apparent photosynthesis and yield of both lemons and navel oranges. Fluoride levels in the atmosphere were too low to cause detectable effects. Leaf drop was significantly less in lemons receiving carbon filtered air than those receiving ''ambient air''.more » A similar trend occurred in navel oranges. Fruit drop is a serious problem in navel oranges. This loss was significantly less in carbon filtered air than ambient. Yield of mature fruit is reduced in some cases by as much as 50 percent.« less

  17. Entrainment of stratospheric air and Asian pollution by the convective boundary layer in the southwestern U.S.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langford, A. O.; Alvarez, R. J.; Brioude, J.; Fine, R.; Gustin, M. S.; Lin, M. Y.; Marchbanks, R. D.; Pierce, R. B.; Sandberg, S. P.; Senff, C. J.; Weickmann, A. M.; Williams, E. J.

    2017-01-01

    A series of deep stratospheric intrusions in late May 2013 increased the daily maximum 8 h surface ozone (O3) concentrations to more than 70 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at rural and urban surface monitors in California and Nevada. This influx of ozone-rich lower stratospheric air and entrained Asian pollution persisted for more than 5 days and contributed to exceedances of the 2008 8 h national ambient air quality standard of 75 ppbv on 21 and 25 May in Clark County, NV. Exceedances would also have occurred on 22 and 23 May had the new standard of 70 ppbv been in effect. In this paper, we examine this episode using lidar measurements from a high-elevation site on Angel Peak, NV, and surface measurements from NOAA, the Clark County, Nevada Department of Air Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality System, and the Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative. These measurements, together with analyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/North American Regional Reanalysis; NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory AM3 model; NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Real-time Air Quality Modeling System; and FLEXPART models, show that the exceedances followed entrainment of 20 to 40 ppbv of lower stratospheric ozone mingled with another 0 to 10 ppbv of ozone transported from Asia by the unusually deep convective boundary layers above the Mojave desert. Our analysis suggests that this vigorous mixing can affect both high and low elevations and help explain the springtime ozone maximum in the southwestern U.S.

  18. Air

    MedlinePlus

    ... cause outdoor air pollution! Indoor pollutants Outdoor pollutants Animal dander (skin and fur) Ground-level ozone (smog) Dust mites Dust* Cockroaches Dirt* Mold Smoke* Secondhand smoke Liquids* Pesticides (either tracked in from outside or used in the house) Industrial emissions (like smoke and ...

  19. Final Rule on Ozone Transport Commission; Low Emission Vehicle Program for the Northeast Ozone Transport Region

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is announcing its final determination that reduction of new motor vehicle emissions throughout the Northeast Ozone Transport Region (OTR) is necessary to mitigate the effects of air pollution transport.

  20. Characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China: Comparison of three air quality indices.

    PubMed

    Hu, Jianlin; Ying, Qi; Wang, Yungang; Zhang, Hongliang

    2015-11-01

    Multi-pollutant air pollution (i.e., several pollutants reaching very high concentrations simultaneously) frequently occurs in many regions across China. Air quality index (AQI) is used worldwide to inform the public about levels of air pollution and associated health risks. The current AQI approach used in China is based on the maximum value of individual pollutants, and does not consider the combined health effects of exposure to multiple pollutants. In this study, two novel alternative indices--aggregate air quality index (AAQI) and health-risk based air quality index (HAQI)--were calculated based on data collected in six megacities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shjiazhuang, Xi'an, and Wuhan) during 2013 to 2014. Both AAQI and HAQI take into account the combined health effects of various pollutants, and the HAQI considers the exposure (or concentration)-response relationships of pollutants. AAQI and HAQI were compared to AQI to examine the effectiveness of the current AQI in characterizing multi-pollutant air pollution in China. The AAQI and HAQI values are higher than the AQI on days when two or more pollutants simultaneously exceed the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) 24-hour Grade II standards. The results of the comparison of the classification of risk categories based on the three indices indicate that the current AQI approach underestimates the severity of health risk associated with exposure to multi-pollutant air pollution. For the AQI-based risk category of 'unhealthy', 96% and 80% of the days would be 'very unhealthy' or 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively; and for the AQI-based risk category of 'very unhealthy', 67% and 75% of the days would be 'hazardous' if based on AAQI and HAQI, respectively. The results suggest that the general public, especially sensitive population groups such as children and the elderly, should take more stringent actions than those currently suggested based on the AQI approach during

  1. The effect of ambient ozone and humidity on the performance of nylon and Teflon filters used in ambient air monitoring filter-pack systems

    Treesearch

    PE Padgett

    2010-01-01

    Nylon and Teflon filter media are frequently used for monitoring ambient air pollutants. These media are subject to many environmental factors that may influence adsorption and retention of particulate and gaseous nitrogenous pollutants. This study evaluated the effects of ozone and humidity on the efficacy of nylon and Teflon filters used in the US dry deposition...

  2. Ozone reactivity and free radical scavenging behavior of phenolic secondary metabolites in lichens exposed to chronic oxidant air pollution from Mexico City.

    PubMed

    Valencia-Islas, N; Zambrano, A; Rojas, J L

    2007-08-01

    Lichen secondary metabolites putatively protect lichens from a variety of environmental stress factors, but it is unknown whether these substances respond to air pollution. To assess such a possibility, the three major phenolics of two epiphytic lichen species with contrasting tolerance to chronic air pollution from Mexico City were studied by combining experimental reactivity data and measured field contents. The antioxidant activity and antiradical power of boninic (BO), 2-O-methylsekikaic (MA), and usnic (US) acids, isolated from the tolerant Ramalina asahinae and salazinic acid (SA), atranorin (AT), and chloroatranorin (CA), from the sensitive Parmotrema stuppeum, were determined in vitro by kinetic experiments with ozone and the free radical diphenyl picryl hidrazyl (DPPH*), respectively. In addition, the field contents of these phenolics in the lichens, and the potential antioxidant capacity (PAC) they provide, were compared among three forested sites exposed to urban emissions and a similar, relatively clean site. The six phenolics had antioxidant activity and antiradical power according to these trends: CA > AT > US > SA > or = BO > or = MA for O(3); and CA > AT > US > MA > SA = BO for DPPH*. The three most reactive phenolics are cortical compounds, located in the lichen portion most exposed to the surrounding environment. In contrast, the less reactive SA, BO, and MA are medullary. Such reactivity patterns indicate that some phenolics may provide antioxidative protection at the air-lichen interface. The higher antioxidant power of CA and AT may be due to the reactive hydroxyl groups at positions 2 and 4 of ring A, instead of the less reactive methoxyl at the same positions in both BO and MA. In the field comparisons, total quantified phenolics were significantly higher near Mexico City for both lichens, except for the tolerant R. asahinae at one site. Nevertheless, only the latter species had significantly increased PAC values at all sites near the city

  3. Air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease: Rationale and methodology of CAPACITY study.

    PubMed

    Rabiei, Katayoun; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Sadeghi, Erfan; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Rahimi, Mojtaba; Shishehforoush, Mansour; Lahijanzadeh, Ahmadreza; Sadeghian, Babak; Moazam, Elham; Mohebi, Mohammad Bagher; Ezatian, Victoria; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

    2017-11-01

    Considering the high level of air pollution and its impact on health, we aimed to study the correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (ResD) (CAPACITY) to determine the effects of air pollutants on CVD and ResD hospitalizations and deaths in Isfahan, Iran. Hourly levels of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), information of CVD and ResD admissions and death certificate were obtained respectively from Department of Environment (DOE), Iran, hospitals and cemetery. Time series and case-crossover model were used to find the impact of air pollutants. This paper only summarizes the descriptive findings of the CAPACITY study. The total number of hospitalized patients were 23781 in 2010 and 22485 in 2011. The most frequent cause of hospitalization and death was ischemic heart diseases in both years. While the mean annual levels of O3, CO, and PM10 were lower in 2011 than in 2010, NO2 and SO2 levels higher in 2011. In both years, PM10 was similarly increased during last month of fall, late spring and early summer. In 2011, the PM2.5 and PM10 monthly trend of change were similar. The CAPACITY study is one of the few large-scale studies that evaluated the effects of air pollutants on a variety of CVD and ResD in a large city of Iran. This study can provide many findings that could clarify the effects of these pollutants on the incidence and burden of both disease groups.

  4. Air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease: Rationale and methodology of CAPACITY study

    PubMed Central

    Rabiei, Katayoun; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Sadeghi, Erfan; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Rahimi, Mojtaba; Shishehforoush, Mansour; Lahijanzadeh, Ahmadreza; Sadeghian, Babak; Moazam, Elham; Mohebi, Mohammad Bagher; Ezatian, Victoria; Sarrafzadegan, Nizal

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Considering the high level of air pollution and its impact on health, we aimed to study the correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (ResD) (CAPACITY) to determine the effects of air pollutants on CVD and ResD hospitalizations and deaths in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS Hourly levels of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), information of CVD and ResD admissions and death certificate were obtained respectively from Department of Environment (DOE), Iran, hospitals and cemetery. Time series and case-crossover model were used to find the impact of air pollutants. This paper only summarizes the descriptive findings of the CAPACITY study. RESULTS The total number of hospitalized patients were 23781 in 2010 and 22485 in 2011. The most frequent cause of hospitalization and death was ischemic heart diseases in both years. While the mean annual levels of O3, CO, and PM10 were lower in 2011 than in 2010, NO2 and SO2 levels higher in 2011. In both years, PM10 was similarly increased during last month of fall, late spring and early summer. In 2011, the PM2.5 and PM10 monthly trend of change were similar. CONCLUSION The CAPACITY study is one of the few large-scale studies that evaluated the effects of air pollutants on a variety of CVD and ResD in a large city of Iran. This study can provide many findings that could clarify the effects of these pollutants on the incidence and burden of both disease groups. PMID:29643921

  5. An Evaluation of the Role of Ozone, Acid Deposition, and other Airborne Pollutants in the Forests of Eastern North America

    Treesearch

    J.H.B. Garner; Terry Pagano; Ellis B. Cowling

    1989-01-01

    Existing knowledge on air pollutants that occur in the forests of eastern North America is summarized and interpreted.Resolution is sought to the conflict between the prevailing scientific judgment that ozone and other oxidants are most likely to be damaging eastern forests and the prevailing public perception that acidic and acidifying substances are the most likely...

  6. Risk-based prioritization among air pollution control strategies in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Ying; Fu, Joshua S; Zhuang, Guoshun; Levy, Jonathan I

    2010-09-01

    The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China is a densely populated region with recent dramatic increases in energy consumption and atmospheric emissions. We studied how different emission sectors influence population exposures and the corresponding health risks, to inform air pollution control strategy design. We applied the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Modeling System to model the marginal contribution to baseline concentrations from different sectors. We focused on nitrogen oxide (NOx) control while considering other pollutants that affect fine particulate matter [aerodynamic diameter < or = 2.5 mum (PM2.5)] and ozone concentrations. We developed concentration-response (C-R) functions for PM2.5 and ozone mortality for China to evaluate the anticipated health benefits. In the YRD, health benefits per ton of emission reductions varied significantly across pollutants, with reductions of primary PM2.5 from the industry sector and mobile sources showing the greatest benefits of 0.1 fewer deaths per year per ton of emission reduction. Combining estimates of health benefits per ton with potential emission reductions, the greatest mortality reduction of 12,000 fewer deaths per year [95% confidence interval (CI), 1,200-24,000] was associated with controlling primary PM2.5 emissions from the industry sector and reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the power sector, respectively. Benefits were lower for reducing NOx emissions given lower consequent reductions in the formation of secondary PM2.5 (compared with SO2) and increases in ozone concentrations that would result in the YRD. Although uncertainties related to C-R functions are significant, the estimated health benefits of emission reductions in the YRD are substantial, especially for sectors and pollutants with both higher health benefits per unit emission reductions and large potential for emission reductions.

  7. Traffic-related air pollution exposures and changes in heart rate variability in Mexico City: a panel study.

    PubMed

    Shields, Kyra Naumoff; Cavallari, Jennifer M; Hunt, Megan J Olson; Lazo, Mariana; Molina, Mario; Molina, Luisa; Holguin, Fernando

    2013-01-18

    While air pollution exposures have been linked to cardiovascular outcomes, the contribution from acute gas and particle traffic-related pollutants remains unclear. Using a panel study design with repeated measures, we examined associations between personal exposures to traffic-related air pollutants in Mexico City and changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in a population of researchers aged 22 to 56 years. Participants were monitored for approximately 9.5 hours for eight days while operating a mobile laboratory van designed to characterize traffic pollutants while driving in traffic and "chasing" diesel buses. We examined the association between HRV parameters (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF), and the LF/HF ratio) and the 5-minute maximum (or average in the case of PM(2.5)) and 30-, 60-, and 90-minute moving averages of air pollutants (PM(2.5), O(3), CO, CO(2), NO(2), NO(x), and formaldehyde) using single- and two-pollutant linear mixed-effects models. Short-term exposure to traffic-related emissions was associated with statistically significant acute changes in HRV. Gaseous pollutants - particularly ozone - were associated with reductions in time and frequency domain components (α = 0.05), while significant positive associations were observed between PM(2.5) and SDNN, HF, and LF. For ozone and formaldehyde, negative associations typically increased in magnitude and significance with increasing averaging periods. The associations for CO, CO(2), NO(2), and NO(x) were similar with statistically significant associations observed for SDNN, but not HF or LF. In contrast, PM(2.5) increased these HRV parameters. Results revealed an association between traffic-related PM exposures and acute changes in HRV in a middle-aged population when PM exposures were relatively low (14 μg/m(3)) and demonstrate heterogeneity in the effects of different pollutants, with declines in HRV - especially HF

  8. Forests and ozone: productivity, carbon storage, and feedbacks.

    PubMed

    Wang, Bin; Shugart, Herman H; Shuman, Jacquelyn K; Lerdau, Manuel T

    2016-02-22

    Tropospheric ozone is a serious air-pollutant, with large impacts on plant function. This study demonstrates that tropospheric ozone, although it damages plant metabolism, does not necessarily reduce ecosystem processes such as productivity or carbon sequestration because of diversity change and compensatory processes at the community scale ameliorate negative impacts at the individual level. This study assesses the impact of ozone on forest composition and ecosystem dynamics with an individual-based gap model that includes basic physiology as well as species-specific metabolic properties. Elevated tropospheric ozone leads to no reduction of forest productivity and carbon stock and to increased isoprene emissions, which result from enhanced dominance by isoprene-emitting species (which tolerate ozone stress better than non-emitters). This study suggests that tropospheric ozone may not diminish forest carbon sequestration capacity. This study also suggests that, because of the often positive relationship between isoprene emission and ozone formation, there is a positive feedback loop between forest communities and ozone, which further aggravates ozone pollution.

  9. Ambient air pollution, lung function and airway responsiveness in children with asthma

    PubMed Central

    Ierodiakonou, Despo; Zanobetti, Antonella; Coull, Brent A.; Melly, Steve; Postma, Dirkje S.; Boezen, H. Marike; Vonk, Judith M.; Williams, Paul V.; Shapiro, Gail G.; McKone, Edward F.; Hallstrand, Teal S.; Koenig, Jane Q.; Schildcrout, Jonathan S.; Lumley, Thomas; Fuhlbrigge, Anne N.; Koutrakis, Petros; Schwartz, Joel; Weiss, Scott T.; Gold, Diane R

    2016-01-01

    Background Although ambient air pollution has been linked to reduced lung function in healthy children, longitudinal analyses of pollution effects in asthma are lacking. Objective To investigate pollution effects in a longitudinal asthma study and effect modification by controller medications. Methods We examined associations of lung function and methacholine responsiveness (PC20) with ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels in 1,003 asthmatic children participating in a 4-year clinical trial. We further investigated whether budesonide and nedocromil modified pollution effects. Daily pollutant concentrations were linked to zip/postal code of residence. Linear mixed models tested associations of within-subject pollutant concentrations with FEV1 and FVC %predicted, FEV1/FVC and PC20, adjusting for seasonality and confounders. Results Same-day and 1-week average CO levels were negatively associated with post-bronchodilator %predicted FEV1 (change(95%CI) per IQR: −0.33(−0.49, −0.16), −0.41(−0.62, −0.21), respectively) and FVC (−0.19(−0.25, −0.07), −0.25(−0.43, −0.07)). Longer-term four-month averages of CO were negatively associated with prebronchodilator %predicted FEV1 and FVC (−0.36(−0.62, −0.10), −0.21(−0.42, −0.01)). Four-month averaged CO and ozone levels were negatively associated with FEV1/FVC (p<0.05). Increased four-month average NO2 levels were associated with reduced post-bronchodilator FEV1 and FVC %predicted. Long-term exposures to SO2 were associated with reduced PC20 (%change(95%CI) per IQR:-6(-11,-1.5)). Treatment augmented the negative short-term CO effect on PC20. Conclusions Air pollution adversely influences lung function and PC20 in asthmatic children. Treatment with controller medications may not protect but worsens the CO effects on PC20. This clinical trial design evaluates modification of pollution effects by treatment without confounding by indication. PMID

  10. Sources and contents of air pollution affecting term low birth weight in Los Angeles County, California, 2001-2008.

    PubMed

    Laurent, Olivier; Hu, Jianlin; Li, Lianfa; Cockburn, Myles; Escobedo, Loraine; Kleeman, Michael J; Wu, Jun

    2014-10-01

    Low birth weight (LBW, <2500 g) has been associated with exposure to air pollution, but it is still unclear which sources or components of air pollution might be in play. The association between ultrafine particles and LBW has never been studied. To study the relationships between LBW in term born infants and exposure to particles by size fraction, source and chemical composition, and complementary components of air pollution in Los Angeles County (California, USA) over the period 2001-2008. Birth certificates (n=960,945) were geocoded to maternal residence. Primary particulate matter (PM) concentrations by source and composition were modeled. Measured fine PM, nitrogen dioxide and ozone concentrations were interpolated using empirical Bayesian kriging. Traffic indices were estimated. Associations between LBW and air pollution metrics were examined using generalized additive models, adjusting for maternal age, parity, race/ethnicity, education, neighborhood income, gestational age and infant sex. Increased LBW risks were associated with the mass of primary fine and ultrafine PM, with several major sources (especially gasoline, wood burning and commercial meat cooking) of primary PM, and chemical species in primary PM (elemental and organic carbon, potassium, iron, chromium, nickel, and titanium but not lead or arsenic). Increased LBW risks were also associated with total fine PM mass, nitrogen dioxide and local traffic indices (especially within 50 m from home), but not with ozone. Stronger associations were observed in infants born to women with low socioeconomic status, chronic hypertension, diabetes and a high body mass index. This study supports previously reported associations between traffic-related pollutants and LBW and suggests other pollution sources and components, including ultrafine particles, as possible risk factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Regionalized life cycle impact assessment of air pollution on the global scale: Damage to human health and vegetation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Zelm, Rosalie; Preiss, Philipp; van Goethem, Thomas; Van Dingenen, Rita; Huijbregts, Mark

    2016-06-01

    We developed regionalized characterization factors (CFs) for human health damage from particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, and for damage to vegetation from ozone, at the global scale. These factors can be used in the impact assessment phase of an environmental life cycle assessment. CFs express the overall damage of a certain pollutant per unit of emission of a precursor, i.e. primary PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). The global chemical transport model TM5 was used to calculate intake fractions of PM2.5 and ozone for 56 world regions covering the whole globe. Furthermore, region-specific effect and damage factors were derived, using mortality rates, background concentrations and years of life lost. The emission-weighted world average CF for primary PM2.5 emissions is 629 yr kton-1, varying up to 3 orders of magnitude over the regions. Larger CFs were obtained for emissions in central Asia and Europe, and smaller factors in Australia and South America. The world average CFs for PM2.5 from secondary aerosols, i.e. NOx, NH3, and SO2, is 67.2 to 183.4 yr kton-1. We found that the CFs for ozone human health damage are 2-4 orders of magnitude lower compared to the CFs for damage due to primary PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursor emissions. Human health damage due to the priority air pollutants considered in this study was 1.7·10-2 yr capita-1 worldwide in year 2010, with primary PM2.5 emissions as the main contributor (62%). The emission-weighted world average CF for ecosystem damage due to ozone was 2.5 km2 yr kton-1 for NMVOCs and 8.7 m2 yr kg-1 for NOx emissions, varying 2-3 orders of magnitude over the regions. Ecosystem damage due to the priority air pollutants considered in this study was 1.6·10-4 km2 capita-1 worldwide in 2010, with NOx as the main contributor (72%). The spatial range in CFs stresses the importance of including spatial variation in life cycle impact assessment of

  12. Current approaches used in epidemiologic studies to examine short-term multipollutant air pollution exposures.

    PubMed

    Davalos, Angel D; Luben, Thomas J; Herring, Amy H; Sacks, Jason D

    2017-02-01

    Air pollution epidemiology traditionally focuses on the relationship between individual air pollutants and health outcomes (e.g., mortality). To account for potential copollutant confounding, individual pollutant associations are often estimated by adjusting or controlling for other pollutants in the mixture. Recently, the need to characterize the relationship between health outcomes and the larger multipollutant mixture has been emphasized in an attempt to better protect public health and inform more sustainable air quality management decisions. New and innovative statistical methods to examine multipollutant exposures were identified through a broad literature search, with a specific focus on those statistical approaches currently used in epidemiologic studies of short-term exposures to criteria air pollutants (i.e., particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone). Five broad classes of statistical approaches were identified for examining associations between short-term multipollutant exposures and health outcomes, specifically additive main effects, effect measure modification, unsupervised dimension reduction, supervised dimension reduction, and nonparametric methods. These approaches are characterized including advantages and limitations in different epidemiologic scenarios. By highlighting the characteristics of various studies in which multipollutant statistical methods have been used, this review provides epidemiologists and biostatisticians with a resource to aid in the selection of the most optimal statistical method to use when examining multipollutant exposures. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Two-way effect modifications of air pollution and air temperature on total natural and cardiovascular mortality in eight European urban areas.

    PubMed

    Chen, Kai; Wolf, Kathrin; Breitner, Susanne; Gasparrini, Antonio; Stafoggia, Massimo; Samoli, Evangelia; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Bero-Bedada, Getahun; Bellander, Tom; Hennig, Frauke; Jacquemin, Bénédicte; Pekkanen, Juha; Hampel, Regina; Cyrys, Josef; Peters, Annette; Schneider, Alexandra

    2018-07-01

    Although epidemiological studies have reported associations between mortality and both ambient air pollution and air temperature, it remains uncertain whether the mortality effects of air pollution are modified by temperature and vice versa. Moreover, little is known on the interactions between ultrafine particles (diameter ≤ 100 nm, UFP) and temperature. We investigated whether the short-term associations of particle number concentration (PNC in the ultrafine range (≤100 nm) or total PNC ≤ 3000 nm, as a proxy for UFP), particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ), and ozone with daily total natural and cardiovascular mortality were modified by air temperature and whether air pollution levels affected the temperature-mortality associations in eight European urban areas during 1999-2013. We first analyzed air temperature-stratified associations between air pollution and total natural (nonaccidental) and cardiovascular mortality as well as air pollution-stratified temperature-mortality associations using city-specific over-dispersed Poisson additive models with a distributed lag nonlinear temperature term in each city. All models were adjusted for long-term and seasonal trend, day of the week, influenza epidemics, and population dynamics due to summer vacation and holidays. City-specific effect estimates were then pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Pooled associations between air pollutants and total and cardiovascular mortality were overall positive and generally stronger at high relatively compared to low air temperatures. For example, on days with high air temperatures (>75th percentile), an increase of 10,000 particles/cm 3 in PNC corresponded to a 2.51% (95% CI: 0.39%, 4.67%) increase in cardiovascular mortality, which was significantly higher than that on days with low air temperatures (<25th percentile) [-0.18% (95% CI: -0.97%, 0.62%)]. On days with high air pollution (>50th percentile), both heat

  14. The Association of Ambient Air Pollution and Physical Inactivity in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Jennifer D.; Voss, Jameson D.; Knight, Brandon

    2014-01-01

    Background Physical inactivity, ambient air pollution and obesity are modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases, with the first accounting for 10% of premature deaths worldwide. Although community level interventions may target each simultaneously, research on the relationship between these risk factors is lacking. Objectives After comparing spatial interpolation methods to determine the best predictor for particulate matter (PM2.5; PM10) and ozone (O3) exposures throughout the U.S., we evaluated the cross-sectional association of ambient air pollution with leisure-time physical inactivity among adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we assessed leisure-time physical inactivity using individual self-reported survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. These data were combined with county-level U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air pollution exposure estimates using two interpolation methods (Inverse Distance Weighting and Empirical Bayesian Kriging). Finally, we evaluated whether those exposed to higher levels of air pollution were less active by performing logistic regression, adjusting for demographic and behavioral risk factors, and after stratifying by body weight category. Results With Empirical Bayesian Kriging air pollution values, we estimated a statistically significant 16–35% relative increase in the odds of leisure-time physical inactivity per exposure class increase of PM2.5 in the fully adjusted model across the normal weight respondents (p-value<0.0001). Evidence suggested a relationship between the increasing dose of PM2.5 exposure and the increasing odds of physical inactivity. Conclusions In a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample, increased community level air pollution is associated with reduced leisure-time physical activity particularly among the normal weight. Although our design precludes a causal inference, these results provide

  15. Coordinated profiling of stratospheric intrusions and transported pollution by the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) and NASA Alpha Jet experiment (AJAX): Observations and comparison to HYSPLIT, RAQMS, and FLEXPART

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langford, A. O.; Alvarez, R. J.; Brioude, J.; Evan, S.; Iraci, L. T.; Kirgis, G.; Kuang, S.; Leblanc, T.; Newchurch, M. J.; Pierce, R. B.; Senff, C. J.; Yates, E. L.

    2018-02-01

    Ground-based lidars and ozonesondes belonging to the NASA-supported Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) are used in conjunction with the NASA Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) to investigate the transport of stratospheric ozone and entrained pollution into the lower troposphere above the United States on May 24-25, 2013. TOLNet and AJAX measurements made in California, Nevada, and Alabama are compared to tropospheric ozone retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), to back trajectories from the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, and to analyses from the NOAA/NESDIS Real-time Air Quality Modeling System (RAQMS) and FLEXPART particle dispersion model. The measurements and model analyses show much deeper descent of ozone-rich upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric air above the Desert Southwest than above the Southeast, and comparisons to surface measurements from regulatory monitors reporting to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) suggest that there was a much greater surface impact in the Southwest including exceedances of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 0.075 ppm in both Southern California and Nevada. Our analysis demonstrates the potential benefits to be gained by supplementing the existing surface ozone network with coordinated upper air observations by TOLNet.

  16. Local air pollution in the Arctic: knowledge gaps, challenges and future directions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Law, K.; Schmale, J.; Anenberg, S.; Arnold, S.; Simpson, W. R.; Mao, J.; Starkweather, S.

    2017-12-01

    It is estimated that about 30 % of the world's undiscovered gas and 13 % of undiscovered oil resources are located in the Arctic. Sea ice loss with climate change is progressing rapidly and by 2050 the Arctic could be nearly sea ice free in summer. This will allow for Arctic industrialization, commercial shipping, fishing and tourism to increase. Given that the world population is projected to grow beyond 9 billion by mid-century needing more resources, partly to be found in the Arctic, it can be expected that the current urbanization trend in the region will accelerate in the future. Against this background, it is likely that new local emission sources emerge which may lead to increased burdens of air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), reactive nitrogen, and ozone. Typical Arctic emission sources include road transport, domestic fuel burning, diesel emissions, as well as industrial sources such as oil and gas extraction, metallurgical smelting, power generation as well as shipping in coastal areas. These emissions and their impacts remain poorly quantified in the Arctic. Boreal wildfires can already affect summertime air quality and may increase in frequency and size in a warmer climate. Locally produced air pollution, in combination with cold, stagnant weather conditions and inversion layers in winter, can also lead to significant localized pollutant concentrations, often in exceedance of air quality standards. Despite these concerns, very few process studies on local air pollution in or near inhabited areas in the Arctic have been conducted, which significantly limits our understanding of atmospheric chemical reactions involving air pollutants under Arctic conditions (e.g., extremely cold and dry air with little solar radiation in winter) and their impacts on human health and ecosystems. We will provide an overview of our current understanding of local air pollution and its impacts in Arctic urban environments and highlight key gaps. We will discuss a

  17. Air Pollution Training Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Public Health Service (DHEW), Rockville, MD.

    This catalog lists the universities, both supported and not supported by the Division of Air Pollution, which offer graduate programs in the field of air pollution. The catalog briefly describes the programs and their entrance requirements, the requirements, qualifications and terms of special fellowships offered by the Division of Air Pollution.…

  18. Satellite-based Estimates of Ambient Air Pollution and Global Variations in Childhood Asthma Prevalence

    PubMed Central

    Butland, Barbara K.; van Donkelaar, Aaron; Brauer, Michael; Strachan, David P.; Clayton, Tadd; van Dingenen, Rita; Amann, Marcus; Brunekreef, Bert; Cohen, Aaron; Dentener, Frank; Lai, Christopher; Lamsal, Lok N.; Martin, Randall V.; One, ISAAC Phase

    2012-01-01

    Background: The effect of ambient air pollution on global variations and trends in asthma prevalence is unclear. Objectives: Our goal was to investigate community-level associations between asthma prevalence data from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and satellite-based estimates of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and modelled estimates of ozone. Methods: We assigned satellite-based estimates of PM2.5 and NO2 at a spatial resolution of 0.1° × 0.1° and modeled estimates of ozone at a resolution of 1° × 1° to 183 ISAAC centers. We used center-level prevalence of severe asthma as the outcome and multilevel models to adjust for gross national income (GNI) and center- and country-level sex, climate, and population density. We examined associations (adjusting for GNI) between air pollution and asthma prevalence over time in centers with data from ISAAC Phase One (mid-1900s) and Phase Three (2001–2003). Results: For the 13- to 14-year age group (128 centers in 28 countries), the estimated average within-country change in center-level asthma prevalence per 100 children per 10% increase in center-level PM2.5 and NO2 was –0.043 [95% confidence interval (CI): –0.139, 0.053] and 0.017 (95% CI: –0.030, 0.064) respectively. For ozone the estimated change in prevalence per parts per billion by volume was –0.116 (95% CI: –0.234, 0.001). Equivalent results for the 6- to 7-year age group (83 centers in 20 countries), though slightly different, were not significantly positive. For the 13- to 14-year age group, change in center-level asthma prevalence over time per 100 children per 10% increase in PM2.5 from Phase One to Phase Three was –0.139 (95% CI: –0.347, 0.068). The corresponding association with ozone (per ppbV) was –0.171 (95% CI: –0.275, –0.067). Conclusion: In contrast to reports from within-community studies of individuals exposed to traffic pollution

  19. Use of multi-objective air pollution monitoring sites and online air pollution monitoring system for total health risk assessment in Hyderabad, India.

    PubMed

    Anjaneyulu, Y; Jayakumar, I; Hima Bindu, V; Sagareswar, G; Mukunda Rao, P V; Rambabu, N; Ramani, K V

    2005-08-01

    electrochemical sensor systems (sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, ozone, mercaptans and hydrogen sulphide) and a particulate matter analyzer (total suspended particulate matter TSPM), PM2.5 and PM10). The sensor and data acquisition systems are programmed to monitor pollution levels at 1/2 hour durations during peak hours and at 1-hour intervals at other times. Presently, extensive statistical and numerical simulations are being carried out at our center to correlate the individuals living in the monitored areas with respiratory infections with air pollution.

  20. Use of Multi-Objective Air Pollution Monitoring Sites and Online Air Pollution Monitoring System for Total Health Risk Assessment in Hyderabad, India

    PubMed Central

    Anjaneyulu, Y.; Jayakumar, I.; Bindu, V. Hima; Sagareswar, G.; Rao, P.V. Mukunda; Rambabu, N.; Ramani, K. V.

    2005-01-01

    electrochemical sensor systems (sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, ozone, mercaptans and hydrogen sulphide) and a particulate matter analyzer (total suspended particulate matter TSPM), PM2.5 and PM10). The sensor and data acquisition systems are programmed to monitor pollution levels at ½ hour durations during peak hours and at 1-hour intervals at other times. Presently, extensive statistical and numerical simulations are being carried out at our center to correlate the individuals living in the monitored areas with respiratory infections with air pollution. PMID:16705838

  1. Spatial patterns of air pollutants and social groups: a distributive environmental justice study in the phoenix metropolitan region of USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pope, Ronald; Wu, Jianguo; Boone, Christopher

    2016-11-01

    Quantifying spatial distribution patterns of air pollutants is imperative to understand environmental justice issues. Here we present a landscape-based hierarchical approach in which air pollution variables are regressed against population demographics on multiple spatiotemporal scales. Using this approach, we investigated the potential problem of distributive environmental justice in the Phoenix metropolitan region, focusing on ambient ozone and particulate matter. Pollution surfaces (maps) are evaluated against the demographics of class, age, race (African American, Native American), and ethnicity (Hispanic). A hierarchical multiple regression method is used to detect distributive environmental justice relationships. Our results show that significant relationships exist between the dependent and independent variables, signifying possible environmental inequity. Although changing spatiotemporal scales only altered the overall direction of these relationships in a few instances, it did cause the relationship to become nonsignificant in many cases. Several consistent patterns emerged: people aged 17 and under were significant predictors for ambient ozone and particulate matter, but people 65 and older were only predictors for ambient particulate matter. African Americans were strong predictors for ambient particulate matter, while Native Americans were strong predictors for ambient ozone. Hispanics had a strong negative correlation with ambient ozone, but a less consistent positive relationship with ambient particulate matter. Given the legacy conditions endured by minority racial and ethnic groups, and the relative lack of mobility of all the groups, our findings suggest the existence of environmental inequities in the Phoenix metropolitan region. The methodology developed in this study is generalizable with other pollutants to provide a multi-scaled perspective of environmental justice issues.

  2. Air pollutants and hospitalization due to pneumonia among children. An ecological time series study.

    PubMed

    Tuan, Tassia Soldi; Venâncio, Taís Siqueira; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa

    2015-01-01

    Exposure to air pollutants is one of the factors responsible for hospitalizations due to pneumonia among children. This has considerable financial cost, along with social cost. A study to identify the role of this exposure in relation to hospital admissions due to pneumonia among children up to 10 years of age was conducted. Ecological time series study using data from São José dos Campos, Brazil. Daily data on hospitalizations due to pneumonia and on the pollutants CO, O3, PM10 and SO2, temperature and humidity in São José dos Campos, in 2012, were analyzed. A generalized additive model of Poisson's regression was used. Relative risks for hospitalizations due to pneumonia, according to lags of 0-5 days, were estimated. The population-attributable fraction, number of avoidable hospitalizations and cost savings from avoidable hospitalizations were calculated. There were 539 admissions. Exposure to CO and O3 was seen to be associated with hospitalizations, with risks of 1.10 and 1.15 on the third day after exposure to increased CO concentration of 200 ppb and ozone concentration of 20 µg/m3. Exposure to the pollutants of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide were not shown to be associated with hospitalizations. Decreases in CO and ozone concentrations could lead to 49 fewer hospitalizations and cost reductions of R$ 39,000.00. Exposure to certain air pollutants produces harmful effects on children's health, even in a medium-sized city. Public policies to reduce emissions of these pollutants need to be implemented.

  3. Ambient air pollution exposure and full-term birth weight in California.

    PubMed

    Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Jesdale, Bill M; Sadd, James L; Pastor, Manuel

    2010-07-28

    Studies have identified relationships between air pollution and birth weight, but have been inconsistent in identifying individual pollutants inversely associated with birth weight or elucidating susceptibility of the fetus by trimester of exposure. We examined effects of prenatal ambient pollution exposure on average birth weight and risk of low birth weight in full-term births. We estimated average ambient air pollutant concentrations throughout pregnancy in the neighborhoods of women who delivered term singleton live births between 1996 and 2006 in California. We adjusted effect estimates of air pollutants on birth weight for infant characteristics, maternal characteristics, neighborhood socioeconomic factors, and year and season of birth. 3,545,177 singleton births had monitoring for at least one air pollutant within a 10 km radius of the tract or ZIP Code of the mother's residence. In multivariate models, pollutants were associated with decreased birth weight; -5.4 grams (95% confidence interval -6.8 g, -4.1 g) per ppm carbon monoxide, -9.0 g (-9.6 g, -8.4 g) per pphm nitrogen dioxide, -5.7 g (-6.6 g, -4.9 g) per pphm ozone, -7.7 g (-7.9 g, -6.6 g) per 10 microg/m3 particulate matter under 10 microm, -12.8 g (-14.3 g, -11.3 g) per 10 microg/m3 particulate matter under 2.5 microm, and -9.3 g (-10.7 g, -7.9 g) per 10 microg/m3 of coarse particulate matter. With the exception of carbon monoxide, estimates were largely unchanged after controlling for co-pollutants. Effect estimates for the third trimester largely reflect the results seen from full pregnancy exposure estimates; greater variation in results is seen in effect estimates specific to the first and second trimesters. This study indicates that maternal exposure to ambient air pollution results in modestly lower infant birth weight. A small decline in birth weight is unlikely to have clinical relevance for individual infants, and there is debate about whether a small shift in the population distribution of

  4. Are there differences in birth weight according to sex and associations with maternal exposure to air pollutants? A cohort study.

    PubMed

    Fernando Costa Nascimento, Luiz; Blanco Machin, Adrian; Antonio Almeida Dos Santos, Djalma

    2017-01-01

    Several effects of exposure to air pollutants on human health are known. The aim of this study was to identify whether exposure of pregnant women to air pollutants contributes towards low birth weight and which sex is more affected. Longitudinal study using data on newborns from mothers living in São José do Rio Preto (SP) who were exposed to air pollutants in 2012-2013. A hierarchical model on three levels was built using maternal and newborn variables and environmental concentrations of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in quartiles. Preterm new-borns, twins and newborns with birth defects were excluded and exposure windows of 30, 60 and 90 days before delivery were considered. 8,948 newborns were included: 4,491 males (50.2%) and 4,457 females (49.8%); 301 newborns presented low birth weight (3.4%). The mean weight differed between males (3281.0 g) and females (3146.4 g) (P < 0.001). Exposure to ozone was significantly associated with low birth weight in both sexes in the 30-day window (odds ratio, OR = 1.38) and 90-day window (OR = 1.48); and among females, in the 30-day window (OR = 1.58) and 90-day window (OR = 1.59). Exposure to particulate matter had a paradoxical protective effect. No association was found among male newborns. Female newborns showed greater susceptibility to maternal exposure to air pollutants. Studies on low birth weight in relation to maternal exposure to air pollutants should deal with males and females separately.

  5. Respiratory tract pathology and cytokine imbalance in clinically healthy children chronically and sequentially exposed to air pollutants.

    PubMed

    Calderón-Garcidueñas, L; Devlin, R B; Miller, F J

    2000-11-01

    Chronic exposure of children to a complex mixture of air pollutants leads to recurrent episodes of upper and lower respiratory tract injury. An altered nasal mucociliary apparatus leaves the distal acinar airways more vulnerable to reactive gases and particulate matter (PM). The heterogeneity of structure in the human lung can impart significant variability in the distribution of ozone dose and particle deposition; this, in turn, influences the extent of epithelial injury and repair in chronically exposed children. Cytokines are low-molecular-weight proteins that act as intercellular mediators of inflammatory reactions, including lung injury of various etiologies. Cytokines are involved in generating inflammatory responses that contribute to injury at the lung epithelial and endothelial barriers. Mexico City is a 20-million-person megacity with severe air pollution problems. Southwest Metropolitan Mexico City (SWMMC) atmosphere is characterized by a complex mixture of air pollutants, including ozone, PM, and aldehydes. There is radiological evidence that significant lower respiratory tract damage is taking place in clinically healthy children chronically and sequentially exposed to air pollutants while growing up in SWMMC. We hypothesize that there is an imbalanced and dysregulated cytokine network in SWMMC children with overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and cytokines involved in lung tissue repair and fibrosis. The nature of the sustained imbalance among the different cytokines ultimately determines the final lung histopathology, which would include subchronic inflammation, emphysema, and fibrosis. Cytokines likely would reach the systemic circulation and produce systemic effects. Individuals with an underlying respiratory or cardiovascular disease are less able to maintain equilibrium of the precarious cytokine networks.

  6. Using statistical models to explore ensemble uncertainty in climate impact studies: the example of air pollution in Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemaire, Vincent E. P.; Colette, Augustin; Menut, Laurent

    2016-03-01

    Because of its sensitivity to unfavorable weather patterns, air pollution is sensitive to climate change so that, in the future, a climate penalty could jeopardize the expected efficiency of air pollution mitigation measures. A common method to assess the impact of climate on air quality consists in implementing chemistry-transport models forced by climate projections. However, the computing cost of such methods requires optimizing ensemble exploration techniques. By using a training data set from a deterministic projection of climate and air quality over Europe, we identified the main meteorological drivers of air quality for eight regions in Europe and developed statistical models that could be used to predict air pollutant concentrations. The evolution of the key climate variables driving either particulate or gaseous pollution allows selecting the members of the EuroCordex ensemble of regional climate projections that should be used in priority for future air quality projections (CanESM2/RCA4; CNRM-CM5-LR/RCA4 and CSIRO-Mk3-6-0/RCA4 and MPI-ESM-LR/CCLM following the EuroCordex terminology). After having tested the validity of the statistical model in predictive mode, we can provide ranges of uncertainty attributed to the spread of the regional climate projection ensemble by the end of the century (2071-2100) for the RCP8.5. In the three regions where the statistical model of the impact of climate change on PM2.5 offers satisfactory performances, we find a climate benefit (a decrease of PM2.5 concentrations under future climate) of -1.08 (±0.21), -1.03 (±0.32), -0.83 (±0.14) µg m-3, for respectively Eastern Europe, Mid-Europe and Northern Italy. In the British-Irish Isles, Scandinavia, France, the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean, the statistical model is not considered skillful enough to draw any conclusion for PM2.5. In Eastern Europe, France, the Iberian Peninsula, Mid-Europe and Northern Italy, the statistical model of the impact of climate change

  7. The early epigenetic response to ozone: impacts on DNA ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Epigenetics have been increasingly recognized as a mechanism linking environment and gene expression. Despite awareness of the role of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation as potential drivers of the response to air pollutants, very little work has been performed investigating the direct epigenetic effects following exposure to ambient air pollution. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the early epigenetic response to ozone in comparison to the epigenetic modifier 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza) in rats. 12 week old, male Long-Evans rats (n=16) were exposed to 4 hours of whole-body 1.0 ppm ozone or air and immediately euthanized. A subset of animals were additionally treated with 5-Aza (n=16) to serve as an epigenetic control to ozone exposure. Neither 5-Aza nor ozone by itself induced changes to the global methylome or hydroxmethylome of the lung measured by ELISA. Despite this finding, ozone exposure induced a significant increase in the activity of the DNA methyltransferase enzymes in the lung which was reversed with 5-Aza treatment. Interestingly, a significant interaction between 5-Aza treatment and ozone exposure was found in a large array of data. The interaction between 5-Aza and ozone produced indicators of pulmonary edema and elevated lung damage. Along with these adverse changes, expression of major epigenetic enzymes (Tet 1-3, Dnmt3 a-b) were found to be perturbed in both the lung and hepatic tissues. While ozone exposure appears to in

  8. Methodological issues in studies of air pollution and reproductive health.

    PubMed

    Woodruff, Tracey J; Parker, Jennifer D; Darrow, Lyndsey A; Slama, Rémy; Bell, Michelle L; Choi, Hyunok; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Hoggatt, Katherine J; Karr, Catherine J; Lobdell, Danelle T; Wilhelm, Michelle

    2009-04-01

    In the past decade there have been an increasing number of scientific studies describing possible effects of air pollution on perinatal health. These papers have mostly focused on commonly monitored air pollutants, primarily ozone (O(3)), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and various indices of perinatal health, including fetal growth, pregnancy duration, and infant mortality. While most published studies have found some marker of air pollution related to some types of perinatal outcomes, variability exists in the nature of the pollutants and outcomes associated. Synthesis of the findings has been difficult for various reasons, including differences in study design and analysis. A workshop was held in September 2007 to discuss methodological differences in the published studies as a basis for understanding differences in study findings and to identify priorities for future research, including novel approaches for existing data. Four broad topic areas were considered: confounding and effect modification, spatial and temporal exposure variations, vulnerable windows of exposure, and multiple pollutants. Here we present a synopsis of the methodological issues and challenges in each area and make recommendations for future study. Two key recommendations include: (1) parallel analyses of existing data sets using a standardized methodological approach to disentangle true differences in associations from methodological differences among studies; and (2) identification of animal studies to inform important mechanistic research gaps. This work is of critical public health importance because of widespread exposure and because perinatal outcomes are important markers of future child and adult health.

  9. Ambient air pollution, lung function, and airway responsiveness in asthmatic children.

    PubMed

    Ierodiakonou, Despo; Zanobetti, Antonella; Coull, Brent A; Melly, Steve; Postma, Dirkje S; Boezen, H Marike; Vonk, Judith M; Williams, Paul V; Shapiro, Gail G; McKone, Edward F; Hallstrand, Teal S; Koenig, Jane Q; Schildcrout, Jonathan S; Lumley, Thomas; Fuhlbrigge, Anne N; Koutrakis, Petros; Schwartz, Joel; Weiss, Scott T; Gold, Diane R

    2016-02-01

    Although ambient air pollution has been linked to reduced lung function in healthy children, longitudinal analyses of pollution effects in asthmatic patients are lacking. We sought to investigate pollution effects in a longitudinal asthma study and effect modification by controller medications. We examined associations of lung function and methacholine responsiveness (PC20) with ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide concentrations in 1003 asthmatic children participating in a 4-year clinical trial. We further investigated whether budesonide and nedocromil modified pollution effects. Daily pollutant concentrations were linked to ZIP/postal code of residence. Linear mixed models tested associations of within-subject pollutant concentrations with FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC) percent predicted, FEV1/FVC ratio, and PC20, adjusting for seasonality and confounders. Same-day and 1-week average CO concentrations were negatively associated with postbronchodilator percent predicted FEV1 (change per interquartile range, -0.33 [95% CI, -0.49 to -0.16] and -0.41 [95% CI, -0.62 to -0.21], respectively) and FVC (-0.19 [95% CI, -0.25 to -0.07] and -0.25 [95% CI, -0.43 to -0.07], respectively). Longer-term 4-month CO averages were negatively associated with prebronchodilator percent predicted FEV1 and FVC (-0.36 [95% CI, -0.62 to -0.10] and -0.21 [95% CI, -0.42 to -0.01], respectively). Four-month averaged CO and ozone concentrations were negatively associated with FEV1/FVC ratio (P < .05). Increased 4-month average nitrogen dioxide concentrations were associated with reduced postbronchodilator FEV1 and FVC percent predicted. Long-term exposures to sulfur dioxide were associated with reduced PC20 (percent change per interquartile range, -6% [95% CI, -11% to -1.5%]). Treatment augmented the negative short-term CO effect on PC20. Air pollution adversely influences lung function and PC20 in asthmatic children. Treatment with controller medications

  10. Detection of peroxyl radicals from polluted air by free radical reaction combined with liquid chromatography signal amplification technique.

    PubMed

    Wang, Guoying; Jia, Shiming; Niu, Xiuli; Liu, Yanrong; Tian, Haoqi; Chen, Xuefu; Shi, Gaofeng

    2018-01-22

    Free radicals play an important role in the oxidizing power of polluted air, the development of aging-related diseases, the formation of ozone, and the production of secondary particulate matter. The high variability of peroxyl radical concentration has prevented the detection of possible trends or distributions in the concentration of free radicals. We present a new method, free radical reaction combined with liquid chromatography photodiode array detection, for identifying and quantifying peroxyl radicals in polluted air. Functionalized graphene was used for loading peroxyl radicals and reactive molecules in air sampling system, which can facilitate reaction kinetics (charge transfers) between peroxyl radicals and reaction molecules. Separation was performed with and without a preliminary exposure of the polluted air sample to reactive molecule(s) system. The integral chromatographic peak areas before and after air sampling are used to quantify the atmospheric peroxyl radicals in polluted air. The utility of the new technique was tested with measurements carried out in the field. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Air pollution and mortality in São Paulo, Brazil: Effects of multiple pollutants and analysis of susceptible populations.

    PubMed

    Bravo, Mercedes A; Son, Jiyoung; de Freitas, Clarice Umbelino; Gouveia, Nelson; Bell, Michelle L

    2016-01-01

    Health impacts of air pollution may differ depending on sex, education, socioeconomic status (SES), location at time of death, and other factors. In São Paulo, Brazil, questions remain regarding roles of individual and community characteristics. We estimate susceptibility to air pollution based on individual characteristics, residential SES, and location at time of death (May 1996-December 2010). Exposures for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) were estimated using ambient monitors. Time-stratified case-crossover analysis was used with individual-level health data. Increased risk of non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality were associated with all pollutants (P < 0.05), except O3 and cardiovascular mortality. For non-accidental mortality, effect estimates for those with > 11 years education were lower than estimates for those with 0 years education for NO2, SO2, and CO (1.66% (95% confidence interval: 0.23%, 3.08%); 1.51% (0.51%, 2.51%); and 2.82% (0.23%, 5.35%), respectively). PM10 cardiovascular mortality effects were (3.74% (0.044%, 7.30%)) lower for the high education group (> 11 years) compared with the no education group. Positive, significant associations between pollutants and mortality were observed for in-hospital deaths, but evidence of differences in air pollution-related mortality risk by location at time of death was not strong.

  12. Insights into Tropospheric Ozone from the INTEX Ozonesonde Network Study (IONS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, J. C.; Kucsera, T. L.; Merrill, J. T.; Morris, G.; Newchurch, M. J.; Oltmans, S. J.; Schmidlin, F. J.; Tarasick, D. J.

    2004-01-01

    Ozone profile data from soundings integrate models, aircraft and other ground-based measurements for better interpretation of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. A well-designed network of ozonesonde stations, with consistent sampling, can answer questions not possible with short campaigns or current satellite technology. The SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) project, for example, has led to these findings about tropical ozone: definition of the zonal tropospheric wave-one pattern in equatorial ozone, characterization of the "Atlantic ozone paradox" and establishment of a link between tropical Atlantic and Indian Ocean pollution. Building on the SHADOZ concept, a short-term ozone network was formed in July-August 2004 to coordinate ozonesonde launches during the ICARTT/INTEX/NEAQS (International Consortium on Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation)/Intercontinental Transport Experiment/New England Air Quality Study. In IONS (INTEX Ozonesonde Network Study), more than 250 soundings, with daily frequency at half the sites, were launched from eleven North American stations and an oceanographic ship in the Gulf of Maine. Although the goal was to examine pollution influences under stable high-pressure systems and transport associated with "warm conveyor belt" flows, the INTEX study region was dominated by a series of weak frontal system that mixed aged pollution with stratospheric ozone in the middle troposphere. Deconvoluting ozone sources provides new insights into ozone in the transition between mid-latitude and polar air.

  13. BIOLEFF: three databases on air pollution effects on vegetation.

    PubMed

    Bennett, J P; Buchen, M J

    1995-01-01

    Three databases on air pollution effects on vegetation were developed by storing bibliographic and abstract data for technical literature on the subject in a free-form database program, 'askSam'. Approximately 4 000 journal articles have been computerized in three separate database files: BIOLEFF, LICHENS and METALS. BIOLEFF includes over 2 800 articles on the effects of approximately 25 gaseous and particulate pollutants on over 2 000 species of vascular plants. LICHENS includes almost 400 papers on the effects of gaseous and heavy metal pollutants on over 735 species of lichens and mosses. METALS includes over 465 papers on the effects of heavy metals on over 830 species of vascular plants. The combined databases include articles from about 375 different journals spanning 1905 to the present. Picea abies and Phaseolus vulgaris are the most studied vascular plants in BIOLEFF, while Hypogymnia physodes is the most studied lichen species in LICHENS. Ozone and sulfur dioxide are the most studied gaseous pollutants with about two thirds of the records in BIOLEFF. The combined size of the databases is now about 5.5 megabytes.

  14. Implications of alternative assumptions regarding future air pollution control in scenarios similar to the Representative Concentration Pathways

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chuwah, Clifford; van Noije, Twan; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Hazeleger, Wilco; Strunk, Achim; Deetman, Sebastiaan; Beltran, Angelica Mendoza; van Vliet, Jasper

    2013-11-01

    The uncertain, future development of emissions of short-lived trace gases and aerosols forms a key factor for future air quality and climate forcing. The Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) only explore part of this range as they all assume that worldwide ambitious air pollution control policies will be implemented. In this study, we explore how different assumptions on future air pollution policy and climate policy lead to different concentrations of air pollutants for a set of RCP-like scenarios developed using the IMAGE model. These scenarios combine low and high air pollution variants of the scenarios with radiative forcing targets in 2100 of 2.6 W m-2 and 6.0 W m-2. Simulations using the global atmospheric chemistry and transport model TM5 for the present-day climate show that both climate mitigation and air pollution control policies have large-scale effects on pollutant concentrations, often of similar magnitude. If no further air pollution policies would be implemented, pollution levels could be considerably higher than in the RCPs, especially in Asia. Air pollution control measures could significantly reduce the warming by tropospheric ozone and black carbon and the cooling by sulphate by 2020, and in the longer term contribute to enhanced warming by methane. These effects tend to cancel each other on a global scale. According to our estimates the effect of the worldwide implementation of air pollution control measures on the total global mean direct radiative forcing in 2050 is +0.09 W m-2 in the 6.0 W m-2 scenario and -0.16 W m-2 in the 2.6 W m-2 scenario.

  15. 40 CFR 52.235 - Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of... for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen. EPA is approving an exemption request submitted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District on April 26, 1994 for the Monterey Bay ozone nonattainment area...

  16. 40 CFR 52.235 - Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of... for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen. EPA is approving an exemption request submitted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District on April 26, 1994 for the Monterey Bay ozone nonattainment area...

  17. 40 CFR 52.235 - Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of... for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen. EPA is approving an exemption request submitted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District on April 26, 1994 for the Monterey Bay ozone nonattainment area...

  18. 40 CFR 52.235 - Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of... for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen. EPA is approving an exemption request submitted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District on April 26, 1994 for the Monterey Bay ozone nonattainment area...

  19. 40 CFR 52.235 - Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Control strategy for ozone: Oxides of... for ozone: Oxides of nitrogen. EPA is approving an exemption request submitted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District on April 26, 1994 for the Monterey Bay ozone nonattainment area...

  20. Ozone production by a dc corona discharge in air contaminated by n-heptane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pekárek, S.

    2008-01-01

    Beneficial purposes of ozone such as elimination of odours, harmful bacteria and mildew can be used for transportation of food, fruits and vegetables with the aim to extend their storage life. To date the main technique used for this purpose in the transportation of these commodities, e.g. by trucks, was cooling. Here a combination of cooling together with the supply of ozone into containers with these commodities is considered. For these purposes we studied the effect of air contamination by n-heptane (part of automotive fuels) and humidity on ozone production by a dc hollow needle to mesh corona discharge. We found that, for both polarities of the needle electrode, addition of n-heptane to air (a) decreases ozone production; (b) causes discharge poisoning to occur at lower current than for air; (c) does not substantially influence the current for which the ozone production reaches the maximum. Finally the maximum ozone production for the discharge in air occurs for the same current as the maximum ozone production for the discharge contaminated by n-heptane. We also found that humidity decreases ozone production from air contaminated by n-heptane irrespective of the polarity of the coronating needle electrode. This dependence is stronger for the discharge with the needle biased positively.

  1. Air pollution and hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Hong Kong

    PubMed Central

    Wong, T. W.; Lau, T. S.; Yu, T. S.; Neller, A.; Wong, S. L.; Tam, W.; Pang, S. W.

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate short term effects of concentrations of pollutants in ambient air on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Hong Kong. METHODS: Retrospective ecological study. A Poisson regression was performed of concentrations of daily air pollutant on daily counts of emergency hospital admissions in 12 major hospitals. The effects of time trend, season, and other cyclical factors, temperature, and humidity were accounted for. Autocorrelation and overdispersion were corrected. Daily concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter < 10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) were obtained from seven air monitoring stations in Hong Kong in 1994 and 1995. Relative risks (RR) of respiratory and cardiovascular disease admissions (for an increase of 10 micrograms/m3 in concentration of air pollutant) were calculated. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between hospital admissions for all respiratory diseases, all cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and heart failure and the concentrations of all four pollutants. Admissions for asthma, pneumonia, and influenza were significantly associated with NO2, O3, and PM10. Relative risk (RR) for admissions for respiratory disease for the four pollutants ranged from 1.013 (for SO2) to 1.022 (for O3), and for admissions for cardiovascular disease, from 1.006 (for PM10) to 1.016 (for SO2). Those aged > or = 65 years were at higher risk. Significant positive interactions were detected between NO2, O3, and PM10, and between O3 and winter months. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse health effects are evident at current ambient concentrations of air pollutants. Further reduction in air pollution is necessary to protect the health of the community, especially that of the high risk group.   PMID:10658547

  2. The Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR): A community-wide effort to quantify tropospheric ozone in a rapidly changing world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, O. R.; Schultz, M.; Paoletti, E.; Galbally, I. E.; Naja, M. K.; Tarasick, D. W.; Evans, M. J.; Thompson, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Tropospheric ozone is a greenhouse gas and pollutant detrimental to human health and crop and ecosystem productivity. Since 1990 a large portion of the anthropogenic emissions that react in the atmosphere to produce ozone has shifted from North America and Europe to Asia. This rapid shift, coupled with limited ozone monitoring in developing nations, left scientists unable to answer the most basic questions: Which regions of the world have the greatest human and plant exposure to ozone pollution? Is ozone continuing to decline in nations with strong emissions controls? To what extent is ozone increasing in the developing world? How can the atmospheric sciences community facilitate access to the ozone metrics necessary for quantifying ozone's impact on human health and crop/ecosystem productivity? To answer these questions the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC) initiated the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR). With over 220 member scientists and air quality specialists from 36 nations, TOAR's mission is to provide the research community with an up-to-date scientific assessment of tropospheric ozone's global distribution and trends from the surface to the tropopause. TOAR has also built the world's largest database of surface ozone observations and generated ozone exposure and dose metrics at thousands of measurement sites around the world, freely accessible for research on the global-scale impact of ozone on climate, human health and crop/ecosystem productivity. Plots of these metrics show the regions of the world with the greatest ozone exposure for humans and crops/ecosystems, at least in areas where observations are available. The results also highlight regions where air quality is improving and where it has degraded. TOAR has also conducted the first intercomparison of tropospheric column ozone from ozonesondes and multiple satellite instruments, which provide similar estimates of the present-day tropospheric ozone burden.

  3. Pupils' Understanding of Air Pollution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dimitriou, Anastasia; Christidou, Vasilia

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports on a study of pupils' knowledge and understanding of atmospheric pollution. Specifically, the study is aimed at identifying: 1) the extent to which pupils conceptualise the term "air pollution" in a scientifically appropriate way; 2) pupils' knowledge of air pollution sources and air pollutants; and 3) pupils'…

  4. Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation and Air Purification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    Eliasson, and M. Hirth, “ Ozone Generation from Oxygen and Air: Discharge Physics and Reaction Mechanisms,” Ozone Sci. and Eng., vol. 10, pp. 367-378...Phase I Final Report: Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation and Air Purification...Contract Number: FA9550-11-C-0087 June 2012 Low Cost, Efficient Microcavity Plasma Ozone Generation for Water Remediation

  5. Contribution of long-range transport to the ozone levels recorded in the Northeast of Portugal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gama, C.; Nunes, T.; Marques, M. C.; Ferreira, F.

    2009-04-01

    In the past four years (2004-2007), measurements carried out at Lamas de Olo, the only air quality monitoring background station in the Northeast of Portugal, showed high ozone concentrations (97,7±29,7 g.m-3). This remote site, located in the middle of Alvão Natural Park, in Portugal, 1086 m asl, plays a significant role on the total amount of exceedances registered in the national air quality network. The analysis of the data recorded at this monitoring station revealed an annual cycle of ozone concentrations similar to the ones observed in other background sites of the Northern Hemisphere (Monks, 2000; Vingarzan and Taylor, 2003). This common feature comprises a distinct maximum during spring (peaking during the month of April). Nevertheless it is during the summer that the hourly concentrations are higher, due to the typical atmospheric and meteorological conditions that promote photochemical pollution episodes. Photochemical pollution episodes can be related with production of ozone in a local scale or in a global scale due to the transportation of polluted air masses. For this reason analysing these events is crucial to fully understand the behaviour of ozone in the Northeast of Portugal, in order to adopt the correct long-term policies. With the purpose of studying the influence of long-range transport on the ozone levels recorded at Lamas de Olo, a cluster analysis was performed on 96-hour back trajectories air masses. Different trajectory clusters represent air masses with different source regions of atmospheric pollutants and the influence of these regions on the atmospheric composition at the arrival point (receptor) of the trajectories can therefore be assessed (EMPA, 2008). The back trajectories were simulated 4 times per day, using HYSPLIT model. A "bottom-up" cluster methodology was used to group trajectories into clusters according to their characteristics, for several time periods with similar ozone levels and/or distributions. Ozone average

  6. Air quality simulation over South Asia using Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution version-2 (HTAP-v2) emission inventory and Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers (MOZART-4)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surendran, Divya E.; Ghude, Sachin D.; Beig, G.; Emmons, L. K.; Jena, Chinmay; Kumar, Rajesh; Pfister, G. G.; Chate, D. M.

    2015-12-01

    This study presents the distribution of tropospheric ozone and related species for South Asia using the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers (MOZART-4) and Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution version-2 (HTAP-v2) emission inventory. The model present-day simulated ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are evaluated against surface-based, balloon-borne and satellite-based (MOPITT and OMI) observations. The model systematically overestimates surface O3 mixing ratios (range of mean bias about: 1-30 ppbv) at different ground-based measurement sites in India. Comparison between simulated and observed vertical profiles of ozone shows a positive bias from the surface up to 600 hPa and a negative bias above 600 hPa. The simulated seasonal variation in surface CO mixing ratio is consistent with the surface observations, but has a negative bias of about 50-200 ppb which can be attributed to a large part to the coarse model resolution. In contrast to the surface evaluation, the model shows a positive bias of about 15-20 × 1017 molecules/cm2 over South Asia when compared to satellite derived CO columns from the MOPITT instrument. The model also overestimates OMI retrieved tropospheric column NO2 abundance by about 100-250 × 1013 molecules/cm2. A response to 20% reduction in all anthropogenic emissions over South Asia shows a decrease in the anuual mean O3 mixing ratios by about 3-12 ppb, CO by about 10-80 ppb and NOX by about 3-6 ppb at the surface level. During summer monsoon, O3 mixing ratios at 200 hPa show a decrease of about 6-12 ppb over South Asia and about 1-4 ppb over the remote northern hemispheric western Pacific region.

  7. InMAP: a new model for air pollution interventions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tessum, C. W.; Hill, J. D.; Marshall, J. D.

    2015-10-01

    Mechanistic air pollution models are essential tools in air quality management. Widespread use of such models is hindered, however, by the extensive expertise or computational resources needed to run most models. Here, we present InMAP (Intervention Model for Air Pollution), which offers an alternative to comprehensive air quality models for estimating the air pollution health impacts of emission reductions and other potential interventions. InMAP estimates annual-average changes in primary and secondary fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations - the air pollution outcome generally causing the largest monetized health damages - attributable to annual changes in precursor emissions. InMAP leverages pre-processed physical and chemical information from the output of a state-of-the-science chemical transport model (WRF-Chem) within an Eulerian modeling framework, to perform simulations that are several orders of magnitude less computationally intensive than comprehensive model simulations. InMAP uses a variable resolution grid that focuses on human exposures by employing higher spatial resolution in urban areas and lower spatial resolution in rural and remote locations and in the upper atmosphere; and by directly calculating steady-state, annual average concentrations. In comparisons run here, InMAP recreates WRF-Chem predictions of changes in total PM2.5 concentrations with population-weighted mean fractional error (MFE) and bias (MFB) < 10 % and population-weighted R2 ~ 0.99. Among individual PM2.5 species, the best predictive performance is for primary PM2.5 (MFE: 16 %; MFB: 13 %) and the worst predictive performance is for particulate nitrate (MFE: 119 %; MFB: 106 %). Potential uses of InMAP include studying exposure, health, and environmental justice impacts of potential shifts in emissions for annual-average PM2.5. Features planned for future model releases include a larger spatial domain, more temporal information, and the ability to predict ground-level ozone (O3

  8. GeoMedStat: an integrated spatial surveillance system to track air pollution and associated healthcare events.

    PubMed

    Faruque, Fazlay S; Li, Hui; Williams, Worth B; Waller, Lance A; Brackin, Bruce T; Zhang, Lei; Grimes, Kim A; Finley, Richard W

    2014-12-01

    Air pollutants, such as particulate matter with a diameter ≤2.5 microns (PM2.5) and ozone (O3), are known to exacerbate asthma and other respiratory diseases. An integrated surveillance system that tracks such air pollutants and associated disease incidence can assist in risk assessment, healthcare preparedness and public awareness. However, the implementation of such an integrated environmental health surveillance system is a challenge due to the disparate sources of many types of data and the implementation becomes even more complicated for a spatial and real-time system due to lack of standardised technological components and data incompatibility. In addition, accessing and utilising health data that are considered as Protected Health Information (PHI) require maintaining stringent protocols, which have to be supported by the system. This paper aims to illustrate the development of a spatial surveillance system (GeoMedStat) that is capable of tracking daily environmental pollutants along with both daily and historical patient encounter data. It utilises satellite data and the groundmonitor data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Environemental Protection Agenecy (EPA), rspectively as inputs estimating air pollutants and is linked to hospital information systems for accessing chief complaints and disease classification codes. The components, developmental methods, functionality of GeoMedStat and its use as a real-time environmental health surveillance system for asthma and other respiratory syndromes in connection with with PM2.5 and ozone are described. It is expected that the framework presented will serve as an example to others developing real-time spatial surveillance systems for pollutants and hospital visits.

  9. Ambient particulate air pollution and cardiac arrhythmia in a panel of older adults in Steubenville, Ohio

    PubMed Central

    Sarnat, S E; Suh, H H; Coull, B A; Schwartz, J; Stone, P H; Gold, D R

    2006-01-01

    Objectives Ambient particulate air pollution has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pathways by which particles may act involve autonomic nervous system dysfunction or inflammation, which can affect cardiac rate and rhythm. The importance of these pathways may vary by particle component or source. In an eastern US location with significant regional pollution, the authors examined the association of air pollution and odds of cardiac arrhythmia in older adults. Methods Thirty two non‐smoking older adults were evaluated on a weekly basis for 24 weeks during the summer and autumn of 2000 with a standardised 30 minute protocol that included continuous electrocardiogram measurements. A central ambient monitoring station provided daily concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5, sulfate, elemental carbon) and gases. Sulfate was used as a marker of regional pollution. The authors used logistic mixed effects regression to examine the odds of having any supraventricular ectopy (SVE) or ventricular ectopy (VE) in association with increases in air pollution for moving average pollutant concentrations up to 10 days before the health assessment. Results Participant specific mean counts of arrhythmia over the protocol varied between 0.1–363 for SVE and 0–350 for VE. The authors observed odds ratios for having SVE over the length of the protocol of 1.42 (95% CI 0.99 to 2.04), 1.70 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.57), and 1.78 (95% CI 0.95 to 3.35) for 10.0 μg/m3, 4.2 μg/m3, and 14.9 ppb increases in five day moving average PM2.5, sulfate, and ozone concentrations respectively. The other pollutants, including elemental carbon, showed no effect on arrhythmia. Participants reporting cardiovascular conditions (for example, previous myocardial infarction or hypertension) were the most susceptible to pollution induced SVE. The authors found no association of pollution with VE. Conclusion Increased levels of ambient sulfate and ozone may increase

  10. Air pollution exposure prediction approaches used in air pollution epidemiology studies.

    PubMed

    Özkaynak, Halûk; Baxter, Lisa K; Dionisio, Kathie L; Burke, Janet

    2013-01-01

    Epidemiological studies of the health effects of outdoor air pollution have traditionally relied upon surrogates of personal exposures, most commonly ambient concentration measurements from central-site monitors. However, this approach may introduce exposure prediction errors and misclassification of exposures for pollutants that are spatially heterogeneous, such as those associated with traffic emissions (e.g., carbon monoxide, elemental carbon, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter). We review alternative air quality and human exposure metrics applied in recent air pollution health effect studies discussed during the International Society of Exposure Science 2011 conference in Baltimore, MD. Symposium presenters considered various alternative exposure metrics, including: central site or interpolated monitoring data, regional pollution levels predicted using the national scale Community Multiscale Air Quality model or from measurements combined with local-scale (AERMOD) air quality models, hybrid models that include satellite data, statistically blended modeling and measurement data, concentrations adjusted by home infiltration rates, and population-based human exposure model (Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation, and Air Pollutants Exposure models) predictions. These alternative exposure metrics were applied in epidemiological applications to health outcomes, including daily mortality and respiratory hospital admissions, daily hospital emergency department visits, daily myocardial infarctions, and daily adverse birth outcomes. This paper summarizes the research projects presented during the symposium, with full details of the work presented in individual papers in this journal issue.

  11. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  12. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  13. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  14. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  15. 40 CFR 50.15 - National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... air quality standards for ozone. 50.15 Section 50.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....15 National primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone. (a) The level of the national 8-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone (O3) is 0.075 parts per...

  16. EPA Activities for Cleaner Air

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Activities in San Joaquin Valley to reduce air pollution, meet federal health standards for ozone and particulates, fund clean tech and health research, and enforce compliance with facility-specific operating permits for industrial air pollution sources.

  17. Climate change, tropospheric ozone and particulate matter, and health impacts.

    PubMed

    Ebi, Kristie L; McGregor, Glenn

    2008-11-01

    Because the state of the atmosphere determines the development, transport, dispersion, and deposition of air pollutants, there is concern that climate change could affect morbidity and mortality associated with elevated concentrations of these gases and fine particles. We review how climate change could affect future concentrations of tropospheric ozone and particulate matter (PM), and what changing concentrations could mean for population health. We review studies projecting the impacts of climate change on air quality and studies projecting the impacts of these changes on morbidity and mortality. Climate change could affect local to regional air quality through changes in chemical reaction rates, boundary layer heights that affect vertical mixing of pollutants, and changes in synoptic airflow patterns that govern pollutant transport. Sources of uncertainty include the degree of future climate change, future emissions of air pollutants and their precursors, and how population vulnerability may change in the future. Given these uncertainties, projections suggest that climate change will increase concentrations of tropospheric ozone, at least in high-income countries when precursor emissions are held constant, which would increase morbidity and mortality. Few projections are available for low- and middle-income countries. The evidence is less robust for PM, primarily because few studies have been conducted. Additional research is needed to better understand the possible impacts of climate change on air pollution-related health impacts. If improved models continue to project higher ozone concentrations with climate change, then reducing greenhouse gas emissions would enhance the health of current and future generations.

  18. Advances of air pollution science: from forest decline to multiple-stress effects on forest ecosystem services.

    PubMed

    Paoletti, E; Schaub, M; Matyssek, R; Wieser, G; Augustaitis, A; Bastrup-Birk, A M; Bytnerowicz, A; Günthardt-Goerg, M S; Müller-Starck, G; Serengil, Y

    2010-06-01

    Over the past 20 years, the focus of forest science on air pollution has moved from forest decline to a holistic framework of forest health, and from the effects on forest production to the ecosystem services provided by forest ecosystems. Hence, future research should focus on the interacting factorial impacts and resulting antagonistic and synergistic responses of forest trees and ecosystems. The synergistic effects of air pollution and climatic changes, in particular elevated ozone, altered nitrogen, carbon and water availability, must be key issues for research. Present evidence suggests air pollution will become increasingly harmful to forests under climate change, which requires integration amongst various stressors (abiotic and biotic factors, including competition, parasites and fire), effects on forest services (production, biodiversity protection, soil protection, sustained water balance, socio-economical relevance) and assessment approaches (research, monitoring, modeling) to be fostered. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Air Pollution Forecasts: An Overview

    PubMed Central

    Bai, Lu; Wang, Jianzhou; Lu, Haiyan

    2018-01-01

    Air pollution is defined as a phenomenon harmful to the ecological system and the normal conditions of human existence and development when some substances in the atmosphere exceed a certain concentration. In the face of increasingly serious environmental pollution problems, scholars have conducted a significant quantity of related research, and in those studies, the forecasting of air pollution has been of paramount importance. As a precaution, the air pollution forecast is the basis for taking effective pollution control measures, and accurate forecasting of air pollution has become an important task. Extensive research indicates that the methods of air pollution forecasting can be broadly divided into three classical categories: statistical forecasting methods, artificial intelligence methods, and numerical forecasting methods. More recently, some hybrid models have been proposed, which can improve the forecast accuracy. To provide a clear perspective on air pollution forecasting, this study reviews the theory and application of those forecasting models. In addition, based on a comparison of different forecasting methods, the advantages and disadvantages of some methods of forecasting are also provided. This study aims to provide an overview of air pollution forecasting methods for easy access and reference by researchers, which will be helpful in further studies. PMID:29673227

  20. Air Pollution Forecasts: An Overview.

    PubMed

    Bai, Lu; Wang, Jianzhou; Ma, Xuejiao; Lu, Haiyan

    2018-04-17

    Air pollution is defined as a phenomenon harmful to the ecological system and the normal conditions of human existence and development when some substances in the atmosphere exceed a certain concentration. In the face of increasingly serious environmental pollution problems, scholars have conducted a significant quantity of related research, and in those studies, the forecasting of air pollution has been of paramount importance. As a precaution, the air pollution forecast is the basis for taking effective pollution control measures, and accurate forecasting of air pollution has become an important task. Extensive research indicates that the methods of air pollution forecasting can be broadly divided into three classical categories: statistical forecasting methods, artificial intelligence methods, and numerical forecasting methods. More recently, some hybrid models have been proposed, which can improve the forecast accuracy. To provide a clear perspective on air pollution forecasting, this study reviews the theory and application of those forecasting models. In addition, based on a comparison of different forecasting methods, the advantages and disadvantages of some methods of forecasting are also provided. This study aims to provide an overview of air pollution forecasting methods for easy access and reference by researchers, which will be helpful in further studies.

  1. Uncertainty characterization and quantification in air pollution models. Application to the CHIMERE model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Debry, Edouard; Mallet, Vivien; Garaud, Damien; Malherbe, Laure; Bessagnet, Bertrand; Rouïl, Laurence

    2010-05-01

    Prev'Air is the French operational system for air pollution forecasting. It is developed and maintained by INERIS with financial support from the French Ministry for Environment. On a daily basis it delivers forecasts up to three days ahead for ozone, nitrogene dioxide and particles over France and Europe. Maps of concentration peaks and daily averages are freely available to the general public. More accurate data can be provided to customers and modelers. Prev'Air forecasts are based on the Chemical Transport Model CHIMERE. French authorities rely more and more on this platform to alert the general public in case of high pollution events and to assess the efficiency of regulation measures when such events occur. For example the road speed limit may be reduced in given areas when the ozone level exceeds one regulatory threshold. These operational applications require INERIS to assess the quality of its forecasts and to sensitize end users about the confidence level. Indeed concentrations always remain an approximation of the true concentrations because of the high uncertainty on input data, such as meteorological fields and emissions, because of incomplete or inaccurate representation of physical processes, and because of efficiencies in numerical integration [1]. We would like to present in this communication the uncertainty analysis of the CHIMERE model led in the framework of an INERIS research project aiming, on the one hand, to assess the uncertainty of several deterministic models and, on the other hand, to propose relevant indicators describing air quality forecast and their uncertainty. There exist several methods to assess the uncertainty of one model. Under given assumptions the model may be differentiated into an adjoint model which directly provides the concentrations sensitivity to given parameters. But so far Monte Carlo methods seem to be the most widely and oftenly used [2,3] as they are relatively easy to implement. In this framework one

  2. Interagency comparison of iodometric methods for ozone determination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Demore, W. B.; Romanovsky, J. C.; Feldstein, M.; Mueller, P. K.; Hamming, W. J.

    1976-01-01

    The California Air Resources Board appointed an Oxidant Calibration Committee for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of the different agency calibration procedures. The committee chose UV absorption photometry as the reference method for ozone measurement. Interagency comparisons of the various iodometric methods were conducted relative to the ultraviolet standard. The tests included versions of the iodometric methods as employed by the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District, and the EPA. An alternative candidate reference method for ozone measurement, gas phase titration, was also included in the test series.

  3. Use of AIRS, OMI, MLS, and TES Data in Assessing Forest Ecosystem Exposure to Ozone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spruce, Joseph P.

    2007-01-01

    Ground-level ozone at high levels poses health threats to exposed flora and fauna, including negative impacts to human health. While concern is common regarding depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, portions of the urban and rural United States periodically have high ambient levels of tropospheric ozone on the ground. Ozone pollution can cause a variety of impacts to susceptible vegetation (e.g., Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine species in the southwestern United States), such as stunted growth, alteration of growth form, needle or leaf chlorosis, and impaired ability to withstand drought-induced water stress. In addition, Southern Californian forests with high ozone exposures have been recently subject to multiyear droughts that have led to extensive forest overstory mortality from insect outbreaks and increased incidence of wildfires. Residual forests in these impacted areas may be more vulnerable to high ozone exposures and to other forest threats than ever before. NASA sensors collect a wealth of atmospheric data that have been used recently for mapping and monitoring regional tropospheric ozone levels. AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder), OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument), MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder), and TES (Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer) data could be used to assess forest ecosystem exposure to ozone. Such NASA data hold promise for providing better or at least complementary synoptic information on ground-level ozone levels that Federal agency partners can use to assess forest health trends and to mitigate the threats as needed in compliance with Federal laws and mandates. NASA data products on ozone concentrations may be able to aid applications of DSTs (decision support tools) adopted by the USDA FS (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service) and by the NPS (National Park Service), such as the Ozone Calculator, in which ground ozone estimates are employed to assess ozone impacts to forested vegetation.

  4. Progress in Assessing Air Pollutant Risks from In Vitro Exposures: Matching Ozone Dose and Effect in Human Air Way Cells

    EPA Science Inventory

    In vitro exposures to air pollutants could, in theory, facilitate a rapid and detailed assessment of molecular mechanisms of toxicity. However, it is difficult to ensure that the dose of a gaseous pollutant to cells in tissue culture is similar to that of the same cells during in...

  5. 78 FR 34964 - Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-11

    ...] Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan... Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements'' which published in the... the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) (the ``2008 ozone NAAQS'') that were...

  6. Climate change, tropospheric ozone and particulate matter, and health impacts.

    PubMed

    Ebi, Kristie; McGregor, Glenn

    2009-01-01

    We review how climate change could affect future concentrations of tropospheric ozone and particulate matter (PM), and what changing concentrations could mean for population health, as well as studies projecting the impacts of climate change on air quality and the impacts of these changes on morbidity/mortality. Climate change could affect local to regional air quality through changes in chemical reaction rates, boundary layer heights that affect vertical mixing of pollutants, and changes in synoptic airflow patterns that govern pollutant transport. Sources of uncertainty are the degree of future climate change, future emissions of air pollutants and their precursors, and how population vulnerability may change in the future. Given the uncertainties, projections suggest that climate change will increase concentrations of tropospheric ozone, at least in high-income countries when precursor emissions are held constant, increasing morbidity/mortality. There are few projections for low- and middle-income countries. The evidence is less robust for PM, because few studies have been conducted. More research is needed to better understand the possible impacts of climate change on air pollution-related health impacts.

  7. Prenatal air pollution exposure and newborn blood pressure.

    PubMed

    van Rossem, Lenie; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L; Melly, Steven J; Kloog, Itai; Luttmann-Gibson, Heike; Zanobetti, Antonella; Coull, Brent A; Schwartz, Joel D; Mittleman, Murray A; Oken, Emily; Gillman, Matthew W; Koutrakis, Petros; Gold, Diane R

    2015-04-01

    Air pollution exposure has been associated with increased blood pressure in adults. We examined associations of antenatal exposure to ambient air pollution with newborn systolic blood pressure (SBP). We studied 1,131 mother-infant pairs in a Boston, Massachusetts, area pre-birth cohort. We calculated average exposures by trimester and during the 2 to 90 days before birth for temporally resolved fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm; PM2.5), black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide, ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide measured at stationary monitoring sites, and for spatiotemporally resolved estimates of PM2.5 and BC at the residence level. We measured SBP at a mean age of 30 ± 18 hr with an automated device. We used mixed-effects models to examine associations between air pollutant exposures and SBP, taking into account measurement circumstances; child's birth weight; mother's age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and third-trimester BP; and time trend. Estimates represent differences in SBP associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in each pollutant. Higher mean PM2.5 and BC exposures during the third trimester were associated with higher SBP (e.g., 1.0 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.1, 1.8 for a 0.32-μg/m3 increase in mean 90-day residential BC). In contrast, O3 was negatively associated with SBP (e.g., -2.3 mmHg; 95% CI: -4.4, -0.2 for a 13.5-ppb increase during the 90 days before birth). Exposures to PM2.5 and BC in late pregnancy were positively associated with newborn SBP, whereas O3 was negatively associated with SBP. Longitudinal follow-up will enable us to assess the implications of these findings for health during later childhood and adulthood.

  8. Air pollution exposure and preeclampsia among US women with and without asthma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mendola, Pauline, E-mail: pauline.mendola@nih.gov; Wallace, Maeve; Liu, Danping

    Maternal asthma and air pollutants have been independently associated with preeclampsia but rarely studied together. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate preeclampsia risk based on the interaction of maternal asthma and air pollutants. Preeclampsia and asthma diagnoses, demographic and clinical data came from electronic medical records for 210,508 singleton deliveries. Modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models estimated preconception, first and second trimester and whole pregnancy exposure to: particulate matter (PM)<2.5 and <10 µm, ozone, nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}), sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) and carbon monoxide (CO); PM{sub 2.5} constituents; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Asthma-pollutant interactionmore » adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for preeclampsia were calculated by interquartile range for criteria pollutants and high exposure (≥75th percentile) for PAHs and VOCs. Asthmatics had higher risk associated with first trimester NO{sub x} and SO{sub 2} and whole pregnancy elemental carbon (EC) exposure than non-asthmatics, but only EC significantly increased risk (RR=1.11, CI:1.03–1.21). Asthmatics also had a 10% increased risk associated with second trimester CO. Significant interactions were observed for nearly all VOCs and asthmatics had higher risk during all time windows for benzene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, o-xylene, p-xylene and toluene while most PAHs did not increase risk. - Highlights: • Asthma is common in pregnancy and asthmatic women have increased preeclampsia risk. • Air pollution could differentially increase preeclampsia risk for asthmatic women. • Preeclampsia risk was higher for asthmatics than non-asthmatics after VOC exposure. • Asthmatics also had higher risk after whole pregnancy exposure to elemental carbon. • Pregnant women with asthma appear to be particularly vulnerable to air pollutants.« less

  9. Ozone Profiles and Tropospheric Ozone from Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, X.; Chance, K.; Sioris, C. E.; Sparr, R. J. D.; Kuregm, T. P.; Martin, R. V.; Newchurch, M. J.; Bhartia, P. K.

    2003-01-01

    Ozone profiles are derived from backscattered radiances in the ultraviolet spectra (290-340 nm) measured by the nadir-viewing Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment using optimal estimation. Tropospheric O3 is directly retrieved with the tropopause as one of the retrieval levels. To optimize the retrieval and improve the fitting precision needed for tropospheric O3, we perform extensive wavelength and radiometric calibrations and improve forward model inputs. Retrieved O3 profiles and tropospheric O3 agree well with coincident ozonesonde measurements, and the integrated total O3 agrees very well with Earth Probe TOMS and Dobson/Brewer total O3. The global distribution of tropospheric O3 clearly shows the influences of biomass burning, convection, and air pollution, and is generally consistent with our current understanding.

  10. Air pollution and associated human mortality: The role of air pollutant emissions, climate change and methane concentration increases during the industrial period

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Y.; Naik, V.; Horowitz, L. W.; Mauzerall, D. L.

    2012-12-01

    Increases in surface ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5μm aerodynamic diameter, PM2.5) are associated with excess premature human mortalities. Here we estimate changes in surface O3 and PM2.5 since preindustrial (1860) times and the global present-day (2000) premature human mortalities associated with these changes. We go beyond previous work to analyze and differentiate the contribution of three factors: changes in emissions of short-lived air pollutants, climate change, and increased methane (CH4) concentrations, to air pollution levels and the associated premature mortalities. We use a coupled chemistry-climate model in conjunction with global population distributions in 2000 to estimate exposure attributable to concentration changes since 1860 from each factor. Attributable mortalities are estimated using health impact functions of long-term relative risk estimates for O3 and PM2.5 from the epidemiology literature. We find global mean surface PM2.5 and health-relevant O3 (defined as the maximum 6-month mean of 1-hour daily maximum O3 in a year) have increased by 8±0.16 μg/m3 and 30±0.16 ppbv, respectively, over this industrial period as a result of combined changes in emissions of air pollutants (EMIS), climate (CLIM) and CH4 concentrations (TCH4). EMIS, CLIM and TCH4 cause global average PM2.5 (O3) to change by +7.5±0.19 μg/m3 (+25±0.30 ppbv), +0.4±0.17 μg/m3 (+0.5±0.28 ppbv), and -0.02±0.01 μg/m3 (+4.3±0.33 ppbv), respectively. Total changes in PM2.5 are associated with 1.5 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.0-2.5) million all-cause mortalities annually and in O3 are associated with 375 (95% CI, 129-592) thousand respiratory mortalities annually. Most air pollution mortality is driven by changes in emissions of short-lived air pollutants and their precursors (95% and 85% of mortalities from PM2.5 and O3 respectively). However, changing climate and increasing CH4 concentrations also increased premature mortality associated with air

  11. Tropospheric ozone and its precursors from the urban to the global scale from air quality to short-lived climate forcer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monks, P. S.; Archibald, A. T.; Colette, A.; Cooper, O.; Coyle, M.; Derwent, R.; Fowler, D.; Granier, C.; Law, K. S.; Mills, G. E.; Stevenson, D. S.; Tarasova, O.; Thouret, V.; von Schneidemesser, E.; Sommariva, R.; Wild, O.; Williams, M. L.

    2015-08-01

    Ozone holds a certain fascination in atmospheric science. It is ubiquitous in the atmosphere, central to tropospheric oxidation chemistry, yet harmful to human and ecosystem health as well as being an important greenhouse gas. It is not emitted into the atmosphere but is a byproduct of the very oxidation chemistry it largely initiates. Much effort is focused on the reduction of surface levels of ozone owing to its health and vegetation impacts, but recent efforts to achieve reductions in exposure at a country scale have proved difficult to achieve owing to increases in background ozone at the zonal hemispheric scale. There is also a growing realisation that the role of ozone as a short-lived climate pollutant could be important in integrated air quality climate change mitigation. This review examines current understanding of the processes regulating tropospheric ozone at global to local scales from both measurements and models. It takes the view that knowledge across the scales is important for dealing with air quality and climate change in a synergistic manner. The review shows that there remain a number of clear challenges for ozone such as explaining surface trends, incorporating new chemical understanding, ozone-climate coupling, and a better assessment of impacts. There is a clear and present need to treat ozone across the range of scales, a transboundary issue, but with an emphasis on the hemispheric scales. New observational opportunities are offered both by satellites and small sensors that bridge the scales.

  12. Air pollution and childhood respiratory health: Exposure to sulfate and ozone in 10 Canadian Rural Communities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stern, B.R.; Raizenne, M.E.; Burnett, R.T.

    1994-08-01

    This study was designed to examine differences in the respiratory health status of preadolescent school children, aged 7-11 years, who resided in 10 rural Canadian communities in areas of moderate and low exposure to regional sulfate and ozone pollution. Five of the communities were located in central Saskatchewan, a low-exposure region, and five were located in southwestern Ontario, an area with moderately elevated exposures resulting from long-range atmospheric transport of polluted air masses. In this cross-sectional study, the child's respiratory symptoms and illness history were evaluated using a parent-completed questionnaire, administered in September 1985. Respiratory function was assessed once formore » each child in the schools between October 1985 and March 1986, by the measurement of pulmonary function for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV[sub 1.0]), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), mean forced expiratory flow rate during the middle half of the FVC curve (FEF[sub 25-75]), and maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the expired vital capacity (V[sub 50]max). After controlling for the effects of age, sex, parental smoking, parental education and gas cooking, no significant regional differences were observed in rates of chronic cough or phlegm, persistent wheeze, current asthma, bronchitis in the past year, or any chest illness that kept the child at home for 3 or more consecutive days during the previous year. Children living in southwestern Ontario had statistically significant (P < 0.01) mean decrements of 1.7% in FVC and 1.3% in FEV[sub 1.0] compared with Saskatchewan children, after adjusting for age, sex, weight, standing height, parental smoking, and gas cooking. There were no statistically significant regional differences in the pulmonary flow parameters (P > 0.05). 54 refs., 1 fig., 7 tabs.« less

  13. Hourly differences in air pollution and risk of respiratory disease in the elderly: a time-stratified case-crossover study.

    PubMed

    Yorifuji, Takashi; Suzuki, Etsuji; Kashima, Saori

    2014-08-13

    Epidemiological studies have shown adverse effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on respiratory disease outcomes; however, few studies examined this association on an hourly time scale. We evaluated the associations between hourly changes in air pollution and the risk of respiratory disease in the elderly, using the time of the emergency call as the disease onset for each case. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design. Study participants were 6,925 residents of the city of Okayama, Japan, aged 65 or above who were taken to hospital emergency rooms between January 2006 and December 2010 for onset of respiratory disease. We calculated city-representative hourly average concentrations of air pollutants from several monitoring stations. By using conditional logistic regression models, we estimated odds ratios per interquartile-range increase in each pollutant by exposure period prior to emergency call, adjusting for hourly ambient temperature, hourly relative humidity, and weekly numbers of reported influenza cases aged ≥60. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) exposure 24 to <72 hours prior to the onset and ozone exposure 48 to <96 hours prior to the onset were associated with the increased risk of respiratory disease. For example, following one interquartile-range increase, odds ratios were 1.05 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.09) for SPM exposure 24 to <48 hours prior to the onset and 1.13 (95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.23) for ozone exposure 72 to <96 hours prior to the onset. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure 0 to <24 hours prior to onset was associated with the increased risk of pneumonia and influenza: odds ratio was 1.07 per one interquartile-range increase (95% confidence interval: 1.00, 1.14). Elevated risk for pneumonia and influenza of SO2 was observed at shorter lags (i.e., 8-18 hours) than the elevated risks for respiratory disease of SPM or ozone. Overall, the effect estimates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and allied

  14. Vertical Profiling of Air Pollution at RAPCD

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Newchurch, Michael J.; Fuller, Kirk A.; Bowdle, David A.; Johnson, Steven; Knupp, Kevin; Gillani, Noor; Biazar, Arastoo; Mcnider, Richard T.; Burris, John

    2004-01-01

    The interaction between local and regional pollution levels occurs at the interface of the Planetary Boundary Layer and the Free Troposphere. Measuring the vertical distribution of ozone, aerosols, and winds with high temporal and vertical resolution is essential to diagnose the nature of this interchange and ultimately for accurately forecasting ozone and aerosol pollution levels. The Regional Atmospheric Profiling Center for Discovery, RAPCD, was built and instrumented to address this critical issue. The ozone W DIAL lidar, Nd:YAG aerosol lidar, and 2.1 micron Doppler wind lidar, along with balloon- borne ECC ozonesondes form the core of the W C D instrumentation for addressing this problem. Instrumentation in the associated Mobile Integrated Profiling (MIPS) laboratory includes 91 5Mhz profiler, sodar, and ceilometer. The collocated Applied particle Optics and Radiometry (ApOR) laboratory hosts an FTIR along with MOUDI and optical particle counters. With MODELS-3 analysis by colleagues in the National Space Science and Technology Center on the UAH campus and the co- located National Weather Service Forecasting Office in Huntsville, AL we are developing a unique facility for advancing the state of the science of pollution forecasting.

  15. Estimating changes in urban ozone concentrations due to life cycle emissions from hydrogen transportation systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Guihua; Ogden, Joan M.; Chang, Daniel P. Y.

    Hydrogen has been proposed as a low polluting alternative transportation fuel that could help improve urban air quality. This paper examines the potential impact of introducing a hydrogen-based transportation system on urban ambient ozone concentrations. This paper considers two scenarios, where significant numbers of new hydrogen vehicles are added to a constant number of gasoline vehicles. In our scenarios hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) are introduced in Sacramento, California at market penetrations of 9% and 20%. From a life cycle analysis (LCA) perspective, considering all the emissions involved in producing, transporting, and using hydrogen, this research compares three hypothetical natural gas to hydrogen pathways: (1) on-site hydrogen production; (2) central hydrogen production with pipeline delivery; and (3) central hydrogen production with liquid hydrogen truck delivery. Using a regression model, this research shows that the daily maximum temperature correlates well with atmospheric ozone formation. However, increases in initial VOC and NO x concentrations do not necessarily increase the peak ozone concentration, and may even cause it to decrease. It is found that ozone formation is generally limited by NO x in the summer and is mostly limited by VOC in the fall in Sacramento. Of the three hydrogen pathways, the truck delivery pathway contributes the most to ozone precursor emissions. Ozone precursor emissions from the truck pathway at 9% market penetration can cause additional 3-h average VOC (or NO x) concentrations up to approximately 0.05% (or 1%) of current pollution levels, and at 20% market penetration up to approximately 0.1% (or 2%) of current pollution levels. However, all of the hydrogen pathways would result in very small (either negative or positive) changes in ozone air quality. In some cases they will result in worse ozone air quality (mostly in July, August, and September), and in some cases they will result in better ozone air quality

  16. CMAQ modeling of near-ground ozone pollution during the CAREBeijing-2006 campaign in Beijing, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xuesong; Song, Yu; Zhang, Yuanhang; Hu, Min; Zeng, Limin; Zhu, Tong

    2010-05-01

    The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system, a 3-D regional chemical transport model, was used to simulate the O3 episodes during the Campaign of Air Quality Research in Beijing and surrounding areas in 2006 (CAREBeijing-2006). The model reproduced the temporal and spatial variations of the observed ozone and precursors well during the campaign. The modeling results showed the evolution of near ground O3 and the feature of vertical O3 profile on pollution days with different meteorological conditions. Process analysis was applied to investigate the contributions of local production and regional transport, and found different relative importance at different locations of Beijing. O3-NOx-VOCs sensitivity was also addressed with different precursor emission scenarios. The Beijing downtown area and downwind urban plume were usually in VOC-limited regime, whereas the upwind regions and northern mountain areas were generally characterized by NOx-sensitive chemistry. Ozone production efficiency of NOx was also calculated based on simulation results and compared with that derived from observations. For reducing O3 levels in Beijing, the above results suggest a regional emission control strategy with more emphasis on VOCs reduction in Beijing urban areas.

  17. Ozone Induced Premature Mortality and Crop Yield Loss in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Y.; Jiang, F.; Wang, H.

    2017-12-01

    Exposure to ambient ozone is a major risk factor for health impacts such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cause damage to plant and agricultural crops. But these impacts were usually evaluated separately in earlier studies. We apply Community Multi-scale Air Quality model to simulate the ambient O3 concentration at a resolution of 36 km×36 km across China. Then, we follow Global Burden of Diseases approach and AOT40 (i.e., above a threshold of 40 ppb) metric to estimate the premature mortalities and yield losses of major grain crops (i.e., winter wheat, rice and corn) across China due to surface ozone exposure, respectively. Our results show that ozone exposure leads to nearly 67,700 premature mortalities and 145 billion USD losses in 2014. The ozone induced yield losses of all crop production totaled 78 (49.9-112.6)million metric tons, worth 5.3 (3.4-7.6)billion USD, in China. The relative yield losses ranged from 8.5-14% for winter wheat, 3.9-15% for rice, and 2.2-5.5% for maize. We can see that the top four health affected provinces (Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu) are also ranking on the winter wheat and rice crop yield loss. Our results provide further evidence that surface ozone pollution is becoming urgent air pollution in China, and have important policy implications for China to alleviate the impacts of air pollution.

  18. PUBLICATIONS (AIR POLLUTION TECHNOLOGY BRANCH, AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL DIVISION, NRMRL)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Air Pollution Technology Branch (APTB) of NRMRL's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division produces and publishes highly specialized technical and scientific documents related to APTB's research. Areas of research covered include artificial intelligence, CFC destruction,...

  19. Land use regression modeling of ultrafine particles, ozone, nitrogen oxides and markers of particulate matter pollution in Augsburg, Germany.

    PubMed

    Wolf, Kathrin; Cyrys, Josef; Harciníková, Tatiana; Gu, Jianwei; Kusch, Thomas; Hampel, Regina; Schneider, Alexandra; Peters, Annette

    2017-02-01

    Important health relevance has been suggested for ultrafine particles (UFP) and ozone, but studies on long-term effects are scarce, mainly due to the lack of appropriate spatial exposure models. We designed a measurement campaign to develop land use regression (LUR) models to predict the spatial variability focusing on particle number concentration (PNC) as indicator for UFP, ozone and several other air pollutants in the Augsburg region, Southern Germany. Three bi-weekly measurements of PNC, ozone, particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 ), soot (PM 2.5 abs) and nitrogen oxides (NO x , NO 2 ) were performed at 20 sites in 2014/15. Annual average concentration were calculated and temporally adjusted by measurements from a continuous background station. As geographic predictors we offered several traffic and land use variables, altitude, population and building density. Models were validated using leave-one-out cross-validation. Adjusted model explained variance (R 2 ) was high for PNC and ozone (0.89 and 0.88). Cross-validation adjusted R 2 was slightly lower (0.82 and 0.81) but still indicated a very good fit. LUR models for other pollutants performed well with adjusted R 2 between 0.68 (PM coarse ) and 0.94 (NO 2 ). Contrary to previous studies, ozone showed a moderate correlation with NO 2 (Pearson's r=-0.26). PNC was moderately correlated with ozone and PM 2.5 , but highly correlated with NO x (r=0.91). For PNC and NO x , LUR models comprised similar predictors and future epidemiological analyses evaluating health effects need to consider these similarities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Eurasian continental background and regionally polluted levels of ozone and CO observed in northeast Asia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pochanart, Pakpong; Kato, Shungo; Katsuno, Takao; Akimoto, Hajime

    The roles of Eurasian/Siberian continental air masses transport and the impact of large-scale East Asian anthropogenic emissions on tropospheric ozone and carbon monoxide levels in northeast Asia were investigated. Seasonal behaviors of O 3 and CO mixing ratios in background continental (BC) air masses and regionally polluted continental (RPC) air masses were identified using trajectory analyses of Eurasian continental air masses and multi-year O 3 and CO data observed at Happo, a mountain site in Japan. RPC air masses show significantly higher O 3 and CO mixing ratios (annual average of 53.9±6.0 and 200±41 ppb, respectively) than BC air masses (44.4±3.6 and 167±17 ppb, respectively). Large scale anthropogenic emissions in East Asia are suggested to contribute about 10 ppb of photochemical O 3 and 32 ppb of CO at Happo. A comparative study of O 3 and CO observed at other sites, i.e., Oki Islands and Mondy in northeast Asia, showed similarities suggesting that O 3 mixing ratios in BC air masses at Happo could be representative for remote northeast Asia. However, CO mixing ratios in BC air masses at Happo are higher than the background level in Siberia. The overestimate is probably related to an increase in the CO baseline gradient between Siberia and the East Asia Pacific rim, and perturbations by sub-grid scale pollution transport and regional-scale boreal forest fires in Siberia when the background continental air masses are transported to Japan.