Analysis of the Contribution of the Road Traffic Industry to the PM2.5 Emission for Different Land-Use Types

Road dust and vehicle exhaust are the main sources of air pollution in cities, especially in recent years with the quantity of vehicles and transportation construction continuously soaring; the hazy weather has been a dominant urban pollution form which is widely concerned by the Chinese society. By establishing a relationship model between traffic and land use, then applying analytic hierarchy process on the data from air quality monitoring station, this paper concludes the influence of different traffic behavior on air pollution which provides support to abate urban air pollution caused by traffic reasons through taking measures to control traffic

The effect of short-term changes in air pollution on respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Presented at the 6th International Conference on Urban Air Quality, Limassol, March, 2007. Short-paper was submitted for peer-review and appears in proceedings of the conference.This study investigates the effect of daily changes in levels of PM10 on the daily volume of respiratory and cardiovascular admissions in Nicosia, Cyprus during 1995-2004. After controlling for long- (year and month) and short-term (day of the week) patterns as well as the effect of weather in Generalized Additive Poisson models, some positive associations were observed with all-cause and cause-specific admissions. Risk of hospitalization increased stepwise across quartiles of days with increasing levels of PM10 by 1.3% (-0.3, 2.8), 4.9% (3.3, 6.6), 5.6% (3.9, 7.3) as compared to days with the lowest concentrations. For every 10μg/m3 increase in daily average PM10 concentration, there was a 1.2% (-0.1%, 2.4%) increase in cardiovascular admissions. With respects to respiratory admissions, an effect was observed only in the warm season with a 1.8% (-0.22, 3.85) increase in admissions per 10μg/m3 increase in PM10. The effect on respiratory admissions seemed to be much stronger in women and, surprisingly, restricted to people of adult age

Assessment of the Contribution of Traffic Emissions to the Mobile Vehicle Measured PM2.5 Concentration by Means of WRF-CMAQ Simulations

INE/AUTC 12.0

Emissions of transboundary air pollutants in the Netherlands 1990-2012 : Informative Inventory Report 2014

Emissies Nederland blijven in 2012 onder nationale plafonds De uitstoot van stikstofoxiden (NOx), ammoniak, zwaveldioxide en niet-methaan vluchtige organische stoffen (NMVOS) is in 2012 in Nederland licht gedaald. Daarmee bleef de uitstoot onder de maxima die de Europese Unie daaraan sinds 2010 stelt. Nederland voldoet daardoor, net als in 2011, aan de vier 'nationale emissieplafonds' (NEC) voor deze stoffen. Dit blijkt uit de Nederlandse emissiecijfers van grootschalige luchtverontreinigende stoffen. Het RIVM verzamelt en analyseert deze cijfers. Behalve bovengenoemde stoffen gaat het om de uitstoot van koolmonoxide, fijn stof (PM10), zware metalen en persistente organische stoffen (POP's). De uitstoot van al deze stoffen is tussen 1990 en 2012 gedaald. Dit komt vooral door schonere auto's en brandstoffen en door emissiebeperkende maatregelen van industriële sectoren. Meer kilometers door bromfietsen Door de jaren heen zijn de methoden om de emissies te berekenen verbeterd, wat nu resulteert in nauwkeurigere cijfers. De emissies van bromfietsen en motorfietsen zijn afhankelijk van het aantal gereden kilometers per jaar en daar is nu beter inzicht in. Het totale aantal gereden kilometers door bromfietsen blijkt in de afgelopen jaren bijna twee keer zo hoog is als werd gedacht. Daarmee is de uitstoot van schadelijke stoffen navenant hoger. Ten opzichte van andere typ voertuigen blijven bromfietsen echter een relatief kleine emissiebron en dragen ze beperkt bij aan de totale nationale emissies. In steden zijn ze wel een relevante bron. Het aantal gereden kilometers door motorfietsen, en daarmee de uitstoot, blijft in lijn met eerdere inzichten. Vrachtauto's zwaarder beladen De uitstoot van schadelijke stoffen door vrachtauto's is voor het eerst berekend op basis van recente inzichten in het gewicht van vrachtauto's. Trekker-opleggers blijken zwaarder beladen dan tot nu toe werd verondersteld. Ook rijden vrachtauto's vaker met een aanhanger dan tot nu toe werd aangenomen, waardoor ze zwaarder zijn. Een hoger gewicht betekent een hoger brandstofverbruik, en veelal ook een hogere uitstoot per gereden kilometer. De uitstoot van PM10 door vrachtauto's is hierdoor circa 5 procent hoger dan in de vorige IIR-rapportage. Hogere emissies ammoniak De uitstoot van ammoniak blijkt hoger dan eerder werd verondersteld vanwege enkele nieuwe inzichten; de cijfers zijn hierdoor vanaf 1997 bijgesteld. Zo worden luchtwassers, die voornamelijk op varkensstallen zitten, niet altijd gebruikt. Ook is vanaf 2002 in melkveestallen het leefoppervlak per dier toegenomen. Door het grotere contactoppervlak van mest met lucht wordt meer ammoniak uitgestoten. Door de aangepaste aannames is het nationale totaal met 6,6 kiloton verhoogd ten opzichte van 2011.Emissions the Netherlands in 2012 remain under national ceilings Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia, sulphur dioxide and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) in the Netherlands have slightly decreased in 2012. Consequently, the emissions stayed below the caps the European Union has set from 2010. Herewith, the Netherlands comply with all four so-called emission ceilings (NEC). This has become apparent from the emission data on air pollutants from the Netherlands. RIVM collects and reports these data. Besides above-mentioned substances, emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter (PM10), heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been reported. The emissions of all substances have decreased in the 1990 - 2012 period. The downward trend may in particular be attributed to cleaner fuels, cleaner car engines and to emission reductions in the industrial sectors. More kilometres by mopeds Over the years emission calculation methods have been improved, resulting in higher data accuracy. In 2012, the emissions from mopeds and motorcycles have been calculated, based on improved knowledge of the mileages. The total number of kilometres driven by mopeds appears to have been nearly twice as high in recent years. As a result, the emissions of pollutants are proportionally higher. In relation to the total number of vehicles, the number of mopeds however remains relatively low and their contribution to the total national emissions is limited. In cities, they are a relevant source. The mileages by motorcycles, and consequently their emissions remain in line with previous insights. Heavy-duty vehicles carry heavier loads Emissions of pollutants by heavy-duty trucks have for the first time been calculated on the basis of recent insights in truck loads. Tractor-trailer combinations appear to carry heavier loads and the fraction of trailers behind rigid trucks is larger than previously assumed. A heavier load means a higher fuel use and for most substances a higher emission per kilometre driven. PM10 emissions by heavy-duty trucks are about 5 percent higher than in the previous IIR report. Higher agricultural ammonia emissions Agricultural ammonia emissions appear to be higher than previously assumed because of new insights. Air scrubbers on animal housing (predominantly pigs) were not always in use or even employed. Since 2002, the living space per animal has increased for dairy cattle housing. This resulted in a higher contact surface manure-air and thus more ammonia emitted. The new insights have raised the national total of ammonia emissions by about 6 percent compared to 2011

Estratégias de apoio para melhorar a qualidade do ar em áreas portuárias

Despite their key contribution to economic development, harbours pose environmental threat, affecting air quality, local climate, and human health, due to the release of several pollutants. Poor local air quality episodes are particularly concerning when harbours are located near densely populated urban areas, threatening inhabitants’ health. This Thesis was focused on the assessment of the impact of harbour emissions on the air quality over harbours and their surrounding urban areas, with a final goal of producing guidelines to support decision-making in the harbour sector and air quality management, using Port of Leixões as a case-study. After reviewing the state-of-the-art in this research field, a high-resolution emission inventory was developed, based on the two most used methodologies within the scientific community. Data about ship and cargo handling equipment were compiled, allowing the quantification of emissions and identification of their main sources. The comparison of the two methodologies indicates that a new harmonized methodology is recommended, besides the need of continuous update of emission factors and activity data. Having the detailed emission inventory, the community-scale webtool C-PORT was applied for the first time in European harbours to simulate the impact of the maritime emissions on local air quality. The comparison of modelled and observed values validated its application for the case study of Port of Leixões. The highest PM10 concentrations were found near the South Container Terminal of Port of Leixões, while NOx concentrations above 100 µg/m3 were also found near the highway. Land-based emission sources exhibited the highest contribution (around 80 %) to the PM10 concentrations in the study area, while 50 % of NOx concentration was due to docked ships. Mitigation measures were investigated and assessed to improve air quality in harbours and their surroundings. In a case-study, pollutant dispersion was addressed, aiming to control fugitive petcoke emissions and their impact on Port of Aveiro’s neighbour communities. Optimal structure, size and position of a physical barrier were defined based on numerical and physical modelling, achieving a maximum reduction in petcoke dust reaching the nearby residential area of 74 – 88 % for the most frequent/critical wind directions. The studied barrier has been implemented in the field and monitoring campaigns are currently being carried out to assess its effectiveness.Apesar do seu papel-chave no desenvolvimento económico, os portos marítimos constituem uma ameaça ambiental, com impactes na qualidade do ar, clima local, e saúde humana, devido à emissão de inúmeros poluentes. Episódios de má qualidade do ar a nível local são particularmente preocupantes no caso de portos localizados nas imediações de áreas urbanas densamente povoadas, pondo em risco a saúde dos habitantes locais. Esta Tese focou-se no impacte das emissões portuárias na qualidade do ar em portos e suas vizinhanças urbanas. O objetivo final foi a produção de recomendações de suporte à tomada de decisão no setor portuário e gestão da qualidade do ar, usando o Porto de Leixões como caso-de-estudo. Após uma revisão do estado-da-arte neste campo, foi desenvolvido um inventário de emissões de alta-resolução, aplicando as duas metodologias mais frequentemente usadas na comunidade científica. Foram compilados dados sobre navios e equipamentos portuários, permitindo a quantificação das emissões e identificação das suas fontes maioritárias. Deste procedimento resultaram recomendações sobre o desenvolvimento de uma nova metodologia harmonizada. Ficou ainda evidenciada a relevância da atualização dos fatores de emissão e dos dados disponíveis sobre as diferentes atividades portuárias. Dispondo deste inventário de emissões, o C-PORT, uma ferramenta web de escala comunitária, foi aplicado pela primeira vez em portos europeus, para simular o impacte das emissões marítimas na qualidade do ar local. A comparação dos valores modelados com medições de campo validou a aplicação desta ferramenta ao caso-de-estudo do Porto de Leixões. A concentração mais elevada de PM10 foi registada no Terminal de Contentores Sul, registando-se também elevada (> 100 µg/m3 ) concentração de NOx junto à autoestrada vizinha. A maior contribuição (cerca de 80 %) para a emissão global de PM10 na área de estudo adveio de fontes de emissão terrestres, enquanto os navios atracados contribuíram com cerca de 50 % das emissões de NOx. Esta Tese inclui a análise de medidas de mitigação capazes de melhorar a qualidade do ar em portos marítimos e sua vizinhança. O caso-de-estudo apresentado foca-se na dispersão de poluentes, com o intuito de controlar a emissão de partículas de petcoke do Porto de Aveiro, e o seu impacte nas comunidades vizinhas. Com esse objetivo, foi estudada, através de simulação física e numérica, a composição, dimensão e posicionamento de uma barreira física. A solução otimizada permitiu reduzir em 74 % – 88 % para as direções de vento mais frequentes/críticas nesta região, estando atualmente implementada no terreno.Programa Doutoral em Ciências e Engenharia do Ambient

Impacts of air pollution on human and ecosystem health, and implications for the National Emission Ceilings Directive. Insights from Italy

Across the 28 EU member states there were nearly half a million premature deaths in 2015 as a result of exposure to PM2.5, O3 and NO2. To set the target for air quality levels and avoid negative impacts for human and ecosystems health, the National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD, 2016/2284/EU) sets objectives for emission reduction for SO2, NOx, NMVOCs, NH3 and PM2.5 for each Member State as percentages of reduction to be reached in 2020 and 2030 compared to the emission levels into 2005. One of the innovations of NECD is Article 9, that mentions the issue of “monitoring air pollution impacts” on ecosystems. We provide a clear picture of what is available in term of monitoring network for air pollution impacts on Italian ecosystems, summarizing what has been done to control air pollution and its effects on different ecosystems in Italy. We provide an overview of the impacts of air pollution on health of the Italian population and evaluate opportunities and implementation of Article 9 in the Italian context, as a case study beneficial for all Member States. The results showed that SO42− deposition strongly decreased in all monitoring sites in Italy over the period 1999–2017, while NO3− and NH4+ decreased more slightly. As a consequence, most of the acid-sensitive sites which underwent acidification in the 1980s partially recovered. The O3 concentration at forest sites showed a decreasing trend. Consequently, AOT40 (the metric identified to protect vegetation from ozone pollution) showed a decrease, even if values were still above the limit for forest protection (5000 ppb h−1), while PODy (flux-based metric under discussion as new European legislative standard for forest protection) showed an increase. National scale studies pointed out that PM10 and NO2 induced about 58,000 premature deaths (year 2005), due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The network identified for Italy contains a good number of monitoring sites (6 for terrestrial ecosystem monitoring, 4 for water bodies monitoring and 11 for ozone impact monitoring) distributed over the territory and will produce a high number of monitored parameters for the implementation of the NECD

COVID-19 causes record decline in global CO2 emissions

The considerable cessation of human activities during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected global energy use and CO2 emissions. Here we show the unprecedented decrease in global fossil CO2 emissions from January to April 2020 was of 7.8% (938 Mt CO2 with a +6.8% of 2-{\sigma} uncertainty) when compared with the period last year. In addition other emerging estimates of COVID impacts based on monthly energy supply or estimated parameters, this study contributes to another step that constructed the near-real-time daily CO2 emission inventories based on activity from power generation (for 29 countries), industry (for 73 countries), road transportation (for 406 cities), aviation and maritime transportation and commercial and residential sectors emissions (for 206 countries). The estimates distinguished the decline of CO2 due to COVID-19 from the daily, weekly and seasonal variations as well as the holiday events. The COVID-related decreases in CO2 emissions in road transportation (340.4 Mt CO2, -15.5%), power (292.5 Mt CO2, -6.4% compared to 2019), industry (136.2 Mt CO2, -4.4%), aviation (92.8 Mt CO2, -28.9%), residential (43.4 Mt CO2, -2.7%), and international shipping (35.9Mt CO2, -15%). Regionally, decreases in China were the largest and earliest (234.5 Mt CO2,-6.9%), followed by Europe (EU-27 & UK) (138.3 Mt CO2, -12.0%) and the U.S. (162.4 Mt CO2, -9.5%). The declines of CO2 are consistent with regional nitrogen oxides concentrations observed by satellites and ground-based networks, but the calculated signal of emissions decreases (about 1Gt CO2) will have little impacts (less than 0.13ppm by April 30, 2020) on the overserved global CO2 concertation. However, with observed fast CO2 recovery in China and partial re-opening globally, our findings suggest the longer-term effects on CO2 emissions are unknown and should be carefully monitored using multiple measures