43 research outputs found
Increasing cities\u27 capacity to manage noise and air quality using urban morphology
According to the World Health Organization, the top two in disease burden are air pollution and environmental noise. In cities, road traffic is the largest contributor to both noise and air pollution and the corresponding Swedish Environmental objectives are to date estimated to not be reached by 2020. Future reductions concerning both air quality and noise are considered insufficient whereby additional measures are needed.Air quality is linked to urban form such that compact cities were shown to result in increasing concentrations of air pollution. Further, urban form influences the meteorology due to changed surface roughness on the larger scale (urban scale), and even more in a local- and microscale at ground level in street canyons. This will affect wind patterns influencing the dispersion possibility of air pollutants. For investigating local effects of urban morphology on noise and air distribution simultaneously, the Spacematrix method has been shown to be useful, as described in Berghauser Pont and Haupt (2010). Building types can be composed of a combination of density variables enabling to quantify a type and manipulate each variable separately. The aim of this paper is to identify critical spatial parameters influencing noise and air pollution and translate them into measures of spatial form including size of the urban block, and distribution, positioning and height of the buildings within that block
Prediction of quiet side levels in noise map calculations - an initial suggestion of methodology
23. International Congress on Acoustics , Aachen , Germany , ICA 2019[EN] Urban morphology, i.e. shape and position of buildings in relation to streets, affects the distribution of noise and air pollution and can thus, through urban planning and design, be used to improve urban areas. This is of interest in an ongoing project where both air quality and noise are in focus. The present paper concerns the prediction of noise levels at positions of non-direct noise exposure such as noise levels at inner yard facades and values of noise contour maps at inner yards. With increasing densification, housing is built closer to the roads and the directly exposed facades receive higher noise exposure levels. The balancing effect of access to a quiet side is often counted on, supported by regulation, whereas the noise levels predicted using commercially available software are often incorrectly low at those points. A suggested methodology is described for how to combine the previously developed Qside model with a commercial noise mapping software to improve the prediction for non-direct noise exposure situations like essentially enclosed inner yards. We present also initial noise level results as outcome of a model study of varying building
morphologiesThe Swedish Research Council Formas (Suecia
Effects of urban morphology on traffic noise: A parameter study including indirect noise exposure and estimated health impact
Noise exposure has been calculated and analysed for 31 different urban morphologies in an urban setting. For five of the urban morphologies also vegetation surfaces on facades and roofs were studied. Facade exposures were analysed for both smaller (single-sided) flats and larger (floor-through) flats, considering the direct exposure from the roads as well as the indirect exposure at noise-shielded positions like inner yards. Also, grid map area exposures at ground level were calculated and analysed for both sidewalk and yard areas. The facade exposure levels, using indicators Lden and Lnight, were used to estimate annoyance and sleep disturbance as well as disease burden in terms of DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) per person. In all urban morphology cases, single-sided flats showed overall better performance (i.e. lower DALY) than larger, floor-through flats; however, the inclusion of a bonus for additional facade elements having a lower noise exposure gave the large flats a similar or better predicted overall performance compared with the small flats. Among the building types studied, for small flats and constant building density, the use of perimeter blocks with closed inner yards, slightly open yards and U-shaped buildings showed results of relatively better overall performance compared with I-shaped, L-shaped and point buildings. When the yards grow in size, the performance of closed inner yards dropped. As general trends, perimeter blocks were shown to perform better than morphologies with less enclosed yards and densification with constant traffic flow was shown to result in improved performance. However, building types with slightly open yards may provide an attractive compromise solution due to its relatively good noise shielding at the same time as enabling solutions to air pollution and corner-flat layouts. In addition, complementing the perimeter blocks with towers was shown to enable improvement. Furthermore, traffic concentration by locating all local traffic to a single road was shown to be beneficial, increasingly so by widening the road. Predicted effects of vegetation surfaces on facades and roofs showed significant overall improvement, where closed inner yards benefit from vegetated roofs. The area exposure results showed that when the building blocks are successively less enclosed the levels are reduced on the sidewalks and increased in the yards. Also, the benefit of facade vegetation is shown for the area exposures
The effect of secondary inorganic aerosols, soot and the geographical origin of air mass on acute myocardial infarction hospitalisations in Gothenburg, Sweden during 1985 - 2010 : a case-crossover study
BACKGROUND: The relative importance of different sources of air pollution for cardiovascular disease is unclear. The
aims were to compare the associations between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospitalisations in Gothenburg,
Sweden and 1) the long-range transported (LRT) particle fraction, 2) the remaining particle fraction, 3) geographical
air mass origin, and 4) influence of local dispersion during 1985â2010.
METHODS : A case-crossover design was applied using lag0 (the exposure the same day as hospitalisation), lag1
(exposure one day prior hospitalisation) and 2-day cumulative average exposure (CA2) (mean of lag0 and lag1). The
LRT fractions included PMion (sum of sulphate, nitrate and ammonium) and soot measured at a rural site. The
difference between urban PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 ÎŒm) and rural
PMion was a proxy for locally generated PM10 (PMrest). The daily geographical origin of air mass was estimated as
well as days with limited or effective local dispersion. The entire year was considered, as well as warm and cold
periods, and different time periods.
RESULTS : In total 28 215 AMI hospitalisations occurred during 26 years. PM10, PMion, PMrest and soot did not influence
AMI for the entire year. In the cold period, the association was somewhat stronger for PMrest than for urban PM10; the
strongest associations were observed during 1990â2000 between AMI and CA2 of PMrest (6.6% per inter-quartile range
(IQR), 95% confidence interval 2.1 to 11.4%) and PM10 (4.1%, 95% CI 0.2% â 8.2%). Regarding the geographical air mass
origins there were few associations. Days with limited local dispersion showed an association with AMI in the cold
period of 2001â2010 (6.7%, 95% CI 0.0% â 13.0%).
CONCLUSIONS : In the cold period, locally generated PM and days with limited local dispersion affected AMI
hospitalisations, indicating importance of local emissions from e.g. traffic.The Swedish Research Council Formas funded the study.http://www.ehjournal.netam201
Damning och buller vid byggarbetsplatser
I mÄnga av Sveriges tÀtorter pÄgÄr eller planeras det för en mÀngd stora frastrukturella byggprojekt (vÀgar, jÀrnvÀgar, broar m.m.). DÄ mÄnga av byggprojekten Àr lokaliserade i stÀder dÀr det redan idag förekommer höga halter av partiklar i luft och bullerbelastningen ofta Àr stor, ökar risken att stÀllda krav för buller och miljökvalitetsnormer (MKN) för utomhusluft kommer att överskridas under lÄnga byggfaser. Vidare gör stora byggprojekt det svÄrare att uppfylla de hÄrdare satta miljökvalitetsmÄlen till Är 2020. Vid byggarbetsplatser förekommer partikel- och bulleremissioner i olika omfattning beroende pÄ arbetsplatsens storlek, vilka aktiviteter som pÄgÄr och de meteorologiska förutsÀttningarna. GrÀvarbeten eller förflyttningar av jordmassor i torr och blÄsig vÀderlek gynnar damningen. Fordonstransporter pÄ allmÀn vÀg drar med sig material ut pÄ vÀgarna i anslutning till byggarbetsplatsen och ger ett tillskott till vÀgdammsförrÄdet pÄ vÀgar och gator. SÄvÀl partikelspridning som buller kan ge upphov till problem och olÀgenheter antingen i form av nedsmutsning eller överskridanden av MKN för partiklar (PM10 och PM2,5) och riktvÀrden eller villkor för buller. Tidigare har det varit svÄrt och att uppskatta bidrag till bÄde luftkvaliteten och depositionen (dvs. nedsmutsningen) av partiklar frÄn byggarbetsplatser dÄ det inte funnits nÄgra sÄ kallade emissionsfaktorer (EF). I detta projekt har en metodik för kvantifiering av damning utvecklats som kan anvÀndas pÄ befintliga eller kommande byggen eller infrastrukturprojekt. Metodiken möjliggör att berÀkna belastning frÄn passiv damning för jÀmförelse mot MKN och miljökvalitetsmÄlen för utomhusluft, om behov av berÀkningar bedöms föreligga. För buller görs motsvarande vÀrdering ifrÄga om utredningsbehov med befintliga schabloner och riktlinjer, enligt NFS 2004:15, som utgÄngspunkt. Det övergripande mÄlet Àr att ta fram underlag för nÀr olika metoder för berÀkningar av partikelspridning och buller frÄn byggarbetsplatser Àr lÀmpliga att anvÀnda, samt en klassificering av dessa för olika miljöer och storlekar pÄ byggen. Det övergripande syftet med projektet Àr att spridningsmodellera passiv damning, damning pÄ allmÀn vÀg och buller ifrÄn byggarbetsplatser för att kvantifiera vilka artikelhalter och bullernivÄer som uppstÄr vid byggarbetsplatser. Emissionsfaktorer för passiv damning frÄn byggarbetsplatser och för damning frÄn byggarbetsplatsrelaterad verksamhet, pÄ allmÀn vÀg har tagits fram. Resultaten har nÄtts genom att anvÀnda data frÄn tidigare utförda studier kombinerat med ett flertal olika mÀtningar och spridningsberÀkningar. De emissionsfaktorer som tagits fram för damning frÄn byggarbetsplatser representerar torrt respektive regnigt vÀder och vardagar respektive helger. För de fall dÄ sprÀngning sker har sÀrskilda emissionsfaktorer tagits fram. Det material som följer med byggfordon ut pÄ allmÀnna vÀgar bidrar till damning. I projektet har emissionsfaktorer för detta tagits fram, som tar hÀnsyn till hur mÄnga byggfordonen Àr och avstÄndet frÄn byggarbetsplatsen.LuftkvalitetsberÀkningar av diffus damning samt buller frÄn byggarbetsplatse
Use of a 3-D Dispersion Model for Calculation of Distribution of Horse Allergen and Odor around Horse Facilities
The interest in equestrian sports has increased substantially during the last decades, resulting in increased number of horse facilities around urban areas. In Sweden, new guidelines for safe distance have been decided based on the size of the horse facility (e.g., number of horses) and local conditions, such as topography and meteorology. There is therefore an increasing need to estimate dispersion of horse allergens to be used, for example, in the planning processes for new residential areas in the vicinity of horse facilities. The aim of this study was to develop a method for calculating short- and long-term emissions and dispersion of horse allergen and odor around horse facilities. First, a method was developed to estimate horse allergen and odor emissions at hourly resolution based on field measurements. Secondly, these emission factors were used to calculate concentrations of horse allergen and odor by using 3-D dispersion modeling. Results from these calculations showed that horse allergens spread up to about 200 m, after which concentration levels were very low (<2 U/m3). Approximately 10% of a study-group detected the smell of manure at 60m, while the majorityâ80%â90%âdetected smell at 60 m or shorter distance from the manure heap. Modeling enabled horse allergen exposure concentrations to be determined with good time resolution