Differential stability of solutions to air quality control problems in urban area

summary:The convex optimal control problem for a system described by the parabolic equation is considered. The form of the right derivative of an optimal solution with respect to the parameter is derived. The applications to an air quality control problem are discussed. Numerical result are provided

Burden of Mortality and Disease Attributable to Multiple Air Pollutants in Warsaw, Poland.

Air pollution is a significant public health issue all over the world, especially in urban areas where a large number of inhabitants are affected. In this study, we quantify the health burden due to local air pollution for Warsaw, Poland. The health impact of the main air pollutants, PM, NOX, SO₂, CO, C₆H₆, BaP and heavy metals is considered. The annual mean concentrations are predicted with the CALPUFF air quality modeling system using the year 2012 emission and meteorological data. The emission field comprises point, mobile and area sources. The exposure to these pollutants was estimated using population data with a spatial resolution of 0.5 × 0.5 km². Changes in mortality and in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated with relative risk functions obtained from literature. It has been predicted that local emissions cause approximately 1600 attributable deaths and 29,000 DALYs per year. About 80% of the health burden was due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Mobile and area sources contributed 46% and 52% of total DALYs, respectively. When the inflow from outside was included, the burden nearly doubled to 51,000 DALYs. These results indicate that local decisions can potentially reduce associated negative health effects, but a national-level policy is required for reducing the strong environmental impact of PM emissions

Experimental and numerical study of full-scale scissor type bridge

Mobile Bridge™ is a deployable bridge that uses a scissors mechanism to achieve its useful structural form. The bridge has a compact size in its undeployed state and can be transported easily to where it is needed. Its rapid deployment makes this type of bridge very useful in areas struck by natural disasters by enabling vehicles to cross terrain that has been made impassable. In previous research, experiments and analyses were conducted on a small-scale bridge designed for pedestrians. In order to consider a bridge of increased size, it is necessary to assess whether design and analysis techniques of the small scale bridge are applicable to the full-scale one. In this paper, we consider a full-scale deployable bridge with a lower deck and two scissor units, that allows for a light vehicle to pass across. We have carried out a light vehicle loading test in order to investigate its basic structural characteristics. Furthermore, the paper presents the theoretical design method and numerical models based on the experimental work followed by validation and comparison with the obtained experimental values

Analiza scenariuszy emisyjnych w celu poprawy jakości powietrza w mieście : studium dla Warszawy

Air quality in Warsaw is mainly affected by two classes of internal polluting sources: transportation and municipal sector emissions, apart from external pollution inflow. Warsaw authorities prepared strategies of mitigating emissions coming from both these sectors. In this study we analyze effects of the implementation of these strategies by modeling air pollution in Warsaw using several mitigation scenarios. The applied model, operating on a homogeneous discretization grid, forecasts the annual average concentrations of individual pollutants and the related population health risk. The results reveal that the measures planned by the authorities will cause almost 50% reduction of the residents’ exposure to NOx pollution and almost 23% reduction of the exposure to CO pollution due to the transport emissions, while the residents’ exposure reductions due to the municipal sector are 10% for PM10, 15% for PM2.5, and 26% for BaP. The relatively smaller reductions due to municipal sector are connected with high transboundary inflow of pollutants (38% for PM10, 45% for PM2.5, 36% for BaP, and 45% for CO). The implementation of the discussed strategies will reduce the annual mean concentrations of NOx and PM2.5 below the limits of the Ambient Air Quality Directive. Despite the lower exposure reduction, the abatement of municipal sector emissions results in a very significant reduction in health risks, in particular, in the attributable mortality and the DALY index. This is due to the dominant share of municipal pollution (PM2.5 in particular) in the related health effects.Na poziom zanieczyszczenia powietrza w Warszawie wpływają głównie dwa kategorie źródeł: transport oraz sektor komunalny. Władze miasta wdrażają strategie ograniczenia emisji obu sektorów. W pracy analizowane są możliwe skutki wprowadzenia tych rozwiązań, przy wykorzystaniu metod komputerowego modelowania propagacji zanieczyszczeń. Zastosowany model, operujący na jednorodnej siatce dyskretyzacji obszaru, prognozuje stężenia średnioroczne poszczególnych zanieczyszczeń oraz ich skutki zdrowotne dla mieszkańców. Uzyskane wyniki pokazują, że planowane zmiany w sektorze transportu spowodują zmniejszenie ekspozycji mieszkańców o ok. 50% ze względu na zanieczyszczenie NOx oraz o ok. 23% związane z zanieczyszczeniem CO. Analogiczna redukcja ekspozycji w wyniku modernizacji sektora komunalnego wynosi: 10% (PM10), 15% (PM2.5) oraz 26% (BaP). Relatywnie mniejsza redukcja zanieczyszczeń z sektora komunalnego wynika z dużego udziału napływu transgranicznego tych zanieczyszczeń z otoczenia Warszawy. Pomimo mniejszej redukcji ekspozycji, ograniczenie emisji z sektora komunalnego powoduje bardzo istotne zmniejszenie ryzyka zdrowotnego, w szczególności śmiertelności mieszkańców oraz wskaźnika DALY. Wynika to z dominującego udziału zanieczyszczeń komunalnych (np. PM2.5) w oddziaływaniu na zdrowie mieszkańców

Impact of Vehicle Fleet Modernization on the Traffic-Originated Air Pollution in an Urban Area—A Case Study

The main subject of this paper is an analysis of the influence of changes in the air pollution caused by road traffic, due to its modernization, on the air quality in Warsaw conurbation, Poland. Using the Calpuff model, simulations of the yearly averaged concentrations of NOx, CO, PM10, and PM2.5 were performed, together with an assessment of the population exposure to individual pollutions. Source apportionment analysis indicates that traffic is the main source of NOx and CO concentrations in the city atmosphere. Utilizing the Euro norms emission standards, a scenario of vehicle emission abatement is formulated based on the assumed general vehicle fleet modernization and transition to Euro 6 emission standards. Computer simulations show a reduction in NOx concentrations attributed to emission mitigation of passenger cars, trucks and vans, and public transport buses, respectively. On the other hand, improving air quality in terms of CO concentrations depends almost exclusively on gasoline vehicle modernization. The implementation of the considered scenario causes an adequate reduction in the population exposure and related health effects. In particular, implementation of the scenario discussed results in a 47% reduction (compared with the baseline value) in the attributable yearly deaths related to NOx pollution. In spite of a substantial contribution of vehicle traffic to the overall PM pollution, modernization of the fuel combustion causes only minor final effects because the dominant share of PM pollution in Warsaw originates from the municipal sector and the transboundary inflow

Particulate Matter Air Pollution in an Urban Area : a Case Study

Many European agglomerations suffer from high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), which is now one of the most detrimental pollutants characterizing the urban atmospheric environment. This paper addresses the problem of PM10 pollution in the Warsaw metropolitan area, including very harmful fine fractions (PM2.5), and also some heavy metals. The analysis of air quality in the Warsaw agglomeration discussed in this study is based on results from computer modeling presented elsewhere, and refers to emission and meteorological data for the year 2012. The range of emissions considered in this analysis includes the main sectors of municipal activity: energy generation, industry, urban transport, residential sector. The trans-boundary inflow of the main pollutants coming from distant sources is also taken into account. The regional scale computer model CALPUFF was used to assess the annual mean concentrations of major pollutants in the urban area. The results show the regions where the air quality limits are exceeded and indicate the dominant sources of emission which are responsible for these violations (source apportionment). These are the key data required to implement efficient regulatory actions. (original abstract