RIO: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR AIR POLLUTION MAPPING

Real-time assessment of the ambient air quality has gained an increased interest in recent years. To give support to this evolution, the statistical air pollution interpolation model RIO is developed. Due to the very low computational cost this interpolation model is an efficient tool for an environment agency when performing real-time air quality assessments. Beside this, a reliable interpolation model can be used to produce analysed maps of historical data records as well. RIO is an interpolation model that can be classified as a detrended Kriging model. In a first step the local character of the air pollution sampling values is removed in a detrending procedure. Subsequently, the site-independent data is interpolated by an Ordinary Kriging scheme. Finally, in a retrending step a local bias is added to the Kriging interpolation results. As spatially resolved driving force in the detrending process, a land use indicator is developed based on the CORINE land cover data set. The indicator is optimized independently for the three pollutants O3, NO2 and PM10. As a result, the RIO model is able to account for the local character of the air pollution phenomenon at locations where no monitoring stations are available. Through a cross-validation procedure the superiority of the RIO model over standard interpolation techniques, such as the Ordinary Kriging is demonstrated. Air quality maps are presented for the three pollutants mentioned and compared to maps based on standard interpolation techniques

RIO: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR AIR POLLUTION MAPPING

Real-time assessment of the ambient air quality has gained an increased interest in recent years. To give support to this evolution, the statistical air pollution interpolation model RIO is developed. Due to the very low computational cost this interpolation model is an efficient tool for an environment agency when performing real-time air quality assessments. Beside this, a reliable interpolation model can be used to produce analysed maps of historical data records as well. RIO is an interpolation model that can be classified as a detrended Kriging model. In a first step the local character of the air pollution sampling values is removed in a detrending procedure. Subsequently, the site-independent data is interpolated by an Ordinary Kriging scheme. Finally, in a retrending step a local bias is added to the Kriging interpolation results. As spatially resolved driving force in the detrending process, a land use indicator is developed based on the CORINE land cover data set. The indicator is optimized independently for the three pollutants O3, NO2 and PM10. As a result, the RIO model is able to account for the local character of the air pollution phenomenon at locations where no monitoring stations are available. Through a cross-validation procedure the superiority of the RIO model over standard interpolation techniques, such as the Ordinary Kriging is demonstrated. Air quality maps are presented for the three pollutants mentioned and compared to maps based on standard interpolation techniques

Does Air Pollution Trigger Infant Mortality in Western Europe? A Case-Crossover Study

Background: Numerous studies show associations between fine particulate air pollutants [particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10)] and mortality in adults

Air Pollution–Related Prothrombotic Changes in Persons with Diabetes

Background: Population studies suggest that persons with diabetes are more sensitive to the effects of particulate matter (PM) air pollution. However, the biological mechanisms of a possible prothrombotic effect underlying this enhanced susceptibility remain largely unknown.Objective: We hypothesized that exposure to PM causes prothrombotic changes in persons with diabetes, possibly via systemic inflammation.Methods: Our study included 137 nonsmoking adults with diabetes who were outpatients at the University Hospital Leuven. Recent exposure (2 hr before examination) to ambient PM was measured at the entrance of the hospital. Individual chronic exposure to PM was assessed by measuring the area occupied by carbon in airway macrophages obtained by sputum induction. Platelet function was measured ex vivo with the PFA-100 platelet function analyzer, which simulates a damaged blood vessel; we analyzed the function of platelets in primary hemostasis under high shear conditions. Total and differential blood leukocytes were counted.Results: Independent of antiplatelet medication, an interquartile range (IQR) increase of 39.2 microg/m3 in PM10 (PM with aerodynamic diameter </= 10 microm) concentration measured 2 hr before the clinical examination (recent exposure) was associated with a decrease of 21.1 sec [95% confidence interval (CI), 35.3 to 6.8] in the PFA-100 closure time (i.e., increased platelet activation) and an increase in blood leukocytes of 512 per microliter of blood (95% CI, 45.2979). Each area increase of 0.25 microm2 (IQR) in carbon load of airway macrophages (chronic exposure) was associated with an increase of 687 leukocytes per microliter of blood (95% CI, 2241,150).Conclusions: A relevant increase in recent PM exposure was associated with a change in platelet function toward a greater prothrombotic tendency. The magnitude of the change was about two-thirds (in the opposite direction) of the average effect of antiplatelet medication. Diabetic patients showed evidence of proinflammatory response to both recent and chronic exposure to PM air pollution. Editor's SummaryDiabetics are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, and the association between particulate matter (PM) air pollution and cardiovascular outcomes may be stronger among diabetics than among nondiabetics. Jacobs et al. (p. 191) hypothesized that susceptibility to adverse cardiovascular outcomes among diabetics might be related to prothrombotic and inflammatory effects of PM. The authors estimated associations between PM exposures and measures of platelet function (estimated using the PFA-100 platelet function analyzer) and systemic inflammation (total and differential white blood cell counts) among 63 well-controlled diabetics (29 type I, 34 type II). Exposures included modeled estimates of average ambient residential PM10 (PM with aerodynamic diameter </= 10 microm), recent PM10 and PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter </= 2.5 microm) exposures (at the study hospital), and a proxy measure of chronic carbon load (median area occupied by carbon in 50 airway macrophages from an induced sputum sample.) The authors report that recent PM10 exposure was associated with increased platelet activation, both before and after adjustment for type of diabetes and use of medications that inhibit platelet aggregation, and that carbon load was positively associated with platelet and white blood cell counts. The authors conclude that findings are consistent with proinflammatory responses to PM air pollution among diabetics.status: publishe

Toekomstverkenning MIRA 2009 Wetenschappelijk rapport verzuring

In dit wetenschappelijk rapport worden de jaargemiddelde deposities, sectorale bijdragen en de overschrijding van kritische lasten voor verzuring bepaald in Vlaanderen, en dit voor twee MIRA-scenario’s, met name REF- scenario en EUR-scenario, voor de potentieel verzurende stoffen (NHx, NOy en SOx) voor de periode 2010 t.e.m. 2030. Het jaar 2006 werd beschouwd als referentiejaar. Er wordt ook bepaald wanneer herstel van bodemverzuring kan verwacht worden voor Vlaamse bosbodems

Health impact assessment of air pollution in 3 Belgian cities

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

NEHAP Network of Belgian cities: Health impact assessment of air pollution

WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Controlinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Ambient Air Pollution-related Mortality in Dairy Cattle: Does It Corroborate Human Findings?

Despite insights for humans, short-term associations of air pollution with mortality to our knowledge have never been studied in animals. We investigated the association between ambient air pollution and risk of mortality in dairy cows and assessed effect modification by season.status: publishe