Characterization of atmospheric pollution dynamics in Spain by means of air quality modelling

Atmospheric pollution causes large impacts on human health and societal economic interests and it is a threat for the ecosystems and the climate of the Earth. Improving the understanding of pollution dynamics is necessary to desing efficient air quality strategies that reduce the impacts of air pollution. This Ph.D. Thesis identifies the typical atmospheric conditions at synoptic scale that affect the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and uses them to explain the dynamics of the most relevant gaseous pollutants in Spain (nitrogen dioxide NO2, sulphur dioxide SO2, and ozone O3) by means of air quality modelling. Circulation type classifications (CTC) summarise the continuum of atmospheric circulation into a discrete number of typical circulation types (CTs). For the 1983-2012 climatic period, a CTC is derived to be useful in the characterization of air quality dynamics over the IP. Sensitivity tests to classification techniques (principal components, correlation analysis, clustering) and other factors affecting the CTC (temporal and spatial resolution, domain size, etc.) are performed to objectivize the choice of the automatic set-up that maximizes its quality. The six identified CTs -described in terms of frequency, persistence, transitions, and location of pressure systems- are consistent with CTs found in the literature. The temporal stability of the CTC, evaluated following a cross-validation process that compares the results of the climatic and yearly CTs, leads to the identification of a representative year (2012). A representative day for each CT in 2012 is identified using an objective score that minimizes the differences of the daily and the average surface pressure CT grid. The study of NO2, SO2, and O3 dynamics performed on the representative day of each CT focuses on the biggest Spanish urban areas (Madrid and Barcelona) and heavy industrial/electricity-generation areas such as Asturias (northern Spain) and the Algeciras bay (southern Spain). The state-of-the-art CALIOPE Air Quality Forecast System (CALIOPE-AQFS) that provides high-resolution data on emissions, meteorology, and pollutant concentration over Spain is the main tool used in the characterisation of pollution dynamics. The modelling system is also used to quantify the contribution of specific sources of pollutants -coal-fired power plants and on-road transport- by means of a brute-force approach and an emission-based source apportionment, respectively. The CTs control the transport patterns of SO2/NO2/O3 in Spanish continental and Atlantic areas, whereas in Mediterranean coastal areas and over complex-terrains a combination of synoptic and mesoscale dynamics (sea-land and mountain-valley breezes) explains the pollutant concentration patterns. The power plants' contribution to surface concentration (up to 55 µgSO2 m-3 and 32 µgNO2 m-3) occurs mainly close to the source (< 20 km) related to vertical diffusion when the emission is injected within the planetary boundary layer. However, the SO2/NO2 plumes can reach distances higher than 250 km. The daily maximum O3 concentration attributed to the on-road transport emissions from Madrid and Barcelona contribute up to 24% and 8% to total O3 concentration, respectively, but it is particularly significant (up to 80-100 µg m-3 in an hour) to the O3 concentration peak during the central hours of the day in April-September. The long-range transport of O3 to the IP is controlled by the CTs and its concentration is very significant in the area of influence of Madrid and Barcelona, particularly under cold CTs (70-96%). This Ph.D. Thesis has proven that CALIOPE-AQFS (1) is useful to characterise the 3-D dynamics of primary and secondary pollutants in Spain under typical CTs; (2) is able to attribute and quantify air pollution to its sources via brute force and source apportionment; and (3) has the potential to help in the design of specific, science-based abatement strategies that minimize air pollution impacts.La contaminación atmosférica genera perjuicios en la salud humana, en los intereses económicos de la sociedad y constituye una amenaza para los ecosistemas y el clima de la Tierra. Avanzar en la comprensión de la dinámica de la contaminación facilita el diseño de estrategias de calidad del aire que reduzcan sus impactos. Esta Tesis Doctoral identifica objetivamente patrones típicos de circulación atmosférica (PT) que afectan a la Península Ibérica (PI) a escala sinóptica para explicar la dinámica de los principales contaminantes gaseosos en España (dióxido de nitrógeno NO2, dióxido de azufre SO2 y ozono O3) mediante modelización de la calidad del aire. Las clasificaciones sinópticas (CS) discretizan el continuo de la circulación atmosférica en un catálogo de PT. Para el período climático 1983-2012, se establece una CS útil para el estudio de la dinámica de la contaminación atmosférica en la PI. Tests de sensibilidad para técnicas automáticas de clasificación (análisis de componentes principales, de correlación y clustering) y para otros factores que afectan a la CS (resolución temporal y espacial, tamaño del dominio, etc.) objetivizan la elección de la configuración que maximiza su calidad. Los seis PT identificados - descritos en términos de frecuencia, persistencia, transiciones y ubicación de los sistemas de presión - son consistentes con la literatura. La evaluación de la estabilidad temporal de la clasificación, mediante un proceso de validación cruzada que compara los PT climáticos con PT identificados en CS anuales, permite identificar un año representativo (2012). Un día representativo de cada PT es elegido gracias a un algoritmo que minimiza las diferencias de la malla de presiones diaria respecto de la del PT promedio. El estudio de la dinámica de NO2, SO2 y O3 se realiza en el día representativo de cada PT focalizando en las principales áreas urbanas de España (Madrid y Barcelona) y en importantes áreas industriales y/o de generación eléctrica (Asturias, bahía de Algeciras). El sistema de CALIdad del aire OPeracional para España (CALIOPE) que proporciona datos de alta resolución sobre emisiones, meteorología y concentración de contaminantes es la principal herramienta utilizada en el estudio. CALIOPE permite cuantificar la contribución de determinadas fuentes de emisión, centrales térmicas de carbón y transporte rodado, mediante un enfoque de fuerza bruta y de asignación de fuentes, respectivamente. Los PT controlan el transporte de SO2/NO2/O3 en áreas atlánticas y continentales de España mientras que en zonas costeras mediterráneas y/o de topografía compleja, una combinación de procesos sinópticos y de mesoescala (brisas marinas y de valle) explica los patrones de contaminación. La contribución de SO2 y NO2 de las centrales térmicas a la concentración en superficie (hasta 55 µg m-3 y 32 µg m-3, respectivamente) se produce principalmente cerca de la fuente (<20 km) por difusión vertical de la emisión cuando ésta se inyecta en la capa límite planetaria. Sin embargo, los penachos de SO2/NO2 pueden alcanzar distancias superiores a los 250 km. La contribución máxima diaria de O3 atribuido a emisiones del transporte rodado de Madrid y Barcelona alcanza el 24% y el 8%, respectivamente pero es particularmente significativa (hasta 80-100 µg m-3 en una hora) a mediodía durante el pico de concentración de O3. El transporte a larga distancia de O3 hacia la PI es controlado por los PT y su contribución es muy importante en el área de influencia de Madrid y Barcelona, en particular bajo los PT fríos (70-96%). Esta Tesis Doctoral ha demostrado que CALIOPE es (1) útil para caracterizar la dinámica 3-D de contaminantes primarios y secundarios en España bajo diferentes PT; (2) capaz de atribuir y cuantificar la contaminación a sus fuentes a través de fuerza bruta y atribución de fuentes; y (3) potencialmente útil en el diseño de estrategias de mitigación específicas que minimicen los impactos de la contaminación atmosférica.Postprint (published version

On-road testing with Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) - Guidance note for light-duty vehicles

This guidance note describes the best practice for the preparation, the execution, and the follow-up of emissions tests that are conducted with PEMS on board of light-duty vehicles (LDV) equipped with conventional combustion engines (gasoline, diesel, CNG, LPG), in particular for testing vehicles according to the RDE legislative requirements laid down in Regulations (EU) 2017/1151, 2016/427, 2016/646, 2017/1154, and the last "RDE4" package approved at TCMV on May 3rd 2018 (collectively referred to in this document as the EU-RDE LDV regulations).JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

Real Driving Emissions: 2017 Assessment of PEMS measurement uncertainty

Regulation 2016/427 introduced on-road testing with Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) to complement the laboratory Type I test for the type approval of light-duty vehicles in the European Union. A NOx conformity factor of 1.5 will apply from January 2020/2021. This conformity factor includes a margin of 0.5 to account for the additional measurement uncertainty of PEMS relative to standard laboratory equipment. Said margin (and also the PN margin, initially set at 0.5 by Regulation (EU) 2017/1154 (RDE3), has to be reviewed annually (Recital 10 of Regulation 2016/646). This report summarizes the first review of the NOx margin and lays out the framework for future margin reviews. Since the PN margin was first set in 2017, it was not included in the 2017 review exercise. Based on experimental data received by the stakeholders, technical improvements of PEMS and assumptions of possible zero drift during the tests, a NOx margin of 0.24 to 0.43 was calculated.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

Expansion of the Genotypic and Phenotypic Spectrum of CTCF-Related Disorder Guides Clinical Management: 43 New Subjects and a Comprehensive Literature Review

Monoallelic variants of CTCF cause an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder with a wide range of features, including impacts on the brain, growth, and craniofacial development. A growing number of subjects with CTCF-related disorder (CRD) have been identified due to the increased application of exome sequencing, and further delineation of the clinical spectrum of CRD is needed. Here, we examined the clinical features, including facial profiles, and genotypic spectrum of 107 subjects with identified CTCF variants, including 43 new and 64 previously described subjects. Among the 43 new subjects, 23 novel variants were reported. The cardinal clinical features in subjects with CRD included intellectual disability/developmental delay (91%) with speech delay (65%), motor delay (53%), feeding difficulties/failure to thrive (66%), ocular abnormalities (56%), musculoskeletal anomalies (53%), and behavioral problems (52%). Other congenital anomalies were also reported, but none of them were common. Our findings expanded the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of CRD that will guide genetic counseling, management, and surveillance care for patients with CRD. Additionally, a newly built facial gestalt on the Face2Gene tool will facilitate prompt recognition of CRD by physicians and shorten a patient\u27s diagnostic odyssey

Joint Research Centre 2017 light-duty vehicles emissions testing

This report summarises the results of the pilot study on the market surveillance of light-duty vehicles. The emission performance and the CO2 emissions of 15 vehicles are presented. The methodology for vehicle compliance checks defined in the Guidance note published by the European Commission was applied and discussed.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

On-road emissions and energy efficiency assessment of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

In order to assess potential benefits brought by the electrification of transport it becomes more and more important to evaluate the performance of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in real-driving conditions, measuring on-road air pollutant emissions and energy efficiency. The present report describes a portable system used at JRC for e-measurements in hybrid and electric vehicles, as an upgrade of the classic PEMS (Portable Emission Measurement System). Preliminary results of a test campaign conducted on a Euro-6 Plug-in Hybrid Passenger Car (PHEV) equipped with a Flywheel Alternator Starter (FAS) are reported. The influence of different driving modes as well as of different initial battery state of charge on CO2 and NOx emissions and energy consumption has been evaluated.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

On-road vehicle emissions beyond RDE conditions

Passenger cars are an important source of air pollution, especially in urban areas. Recently, real-driving emissions (RDE) test procedures have been introduced in the EU aiming to evaluate nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate number (PN) emissions from passenger cars during on-road operation. Although RDE accounts for a large variety of real-world driving, it excludes certain driving situations by setting boundary conditions (e.g., in relation to altitude, temperature or dynamic driving). The present work investigates the on-road emissions of NOx, NO2, CO, particle number (PN) and CO2 from a fleet of nineteen Euro 6b, 6c and 6d-TEMP vehicles, including diesel, gasoline (GDI and PFI) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The vehicles were tested under different on-road driving conditions outside boundaries. These included ‘baseline’ tests, but also testing conditions beyond the RDE boundary conditions to investigate the performance of the emissions control devices in demanding situations. Consistently, low average emission rates of PN and CO were measured from all diesel vehicles tested under most conditions. Moreover, the tested Euro 6d-TEMP and Euro 6c diesel vehicles met the NOx emission limits applicable to Euro 6d-TEMP diesel vehicles during RDE tests (168 mg/km). The Euro 6b GDI vehicle equipped with a gasoline particulate filter (GPF) presented PN emissions < 6×1011 #/km. These results, in contrast with previous on-road measurements from earlier Euro 6 vehicles, indicate more efficient emission control technologies are currently being used in diesel and gasoline vehicles. However, the results described in this report also raise some new concerns. In particular, the emissions of CO (measured during the regulated RDE test, but without an emission limit associated to it) or PN from PFI vehicles (presently not covered by the Euro 6 standard) showed elevated results in some occasions. Emissions of CO were up to 7.5 times higher when the more dynamic tests were conducted and the highest PN emissions were measured from a PFI gasoline vehicle during dynamic driving. The work also investigates how NOx, CO, PN and CO2 on-road emissions from three vehicles are impacted by sub-zero ambient temperatures and high altitudes. Two of the tested vehicles were Euro 6d-TEMP certified vehicles, one diesel and one gasoline, and one was a Euro 6b plug-in hybrid vehicle. The vehicles were studied during tests that do not fulfil the boundary conditions in terms of maximum altitude, altitude gain, and/or minimum temperature. The obtained emissions were compared to those obtained during tests performed along RDE routes. The results indicate that cold ambient temperature and high altitude, outside the RDE boundary conditions, lead to in higher NOx, CO and PN emissions compared to moderate conditions of temperature and altitude. Nonetheless, the two Euro 6d-TEMP vehicles tested in those extreme conditions yielded NOx emissions factors that fulfilled the Euro 6d-TEMP emission requirements. Our work underlines the importance of a technology- and fuel-neutral approach to vehicle emission standards, whereby all vehicles must comply with the same emission limits for all pollutants.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

Renal Complications Due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Population

Background and Aim: COVID-19 pandemic originated in Wuhan City, China, in 2019.The disease spectrum ranges from asymptomatic to severe respiratory failure leadingto death. Although in a lower percentage, pediatric patients also have complications,not only pulmonary but also systemic, affecting other organs. This article aims to studythe renal involvement of pediatric patients infected by the Severe Acute RespiratorySyndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Methods: We designed a retrospective observational cohort study of patientshospitalized in the emergency department and intensive care unit of a tertiary medicalfacility hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez in Mexico City, from March 1,2020, to May 16, 2021. The inclusion criteria included patients younger than 18 yearswho had a positive Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test ora positive rapid antigen test of nasopharyngeal sample for SARS-CoV-2 at admission.Results: We included 165 patients, of whom 29(17.6%) patients developed renalcomplications during hospitalization. In these patients, 12(41.3%) patients developedproteinuria, 10(34.5%) developed any type of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), i.e., AcuteKidney Injury Network (AKIN-1) in 26.6%, AKIN-2 in 40% and AKIN-3 in 33.3%.Also, 5(17.2%) patients had arterial hypertension, 2(6.9%) required renal replacementtherapy, 4(13.8%) had hematuria. Only 1(3.4%) patient had developed rapidlyprogressive glomerulonephritis.Conclusion: COVID-19 infection within its spectrum can cause kidney disease; themost common complications are proteinuria and AKI. Older age and admission to theintensive care unit are risk factors for kidney damage

Joint Research Centre 2018 light-duty vehicles emissions testing

This report presents the activities of the JRC on tailpipe emissions compliance assessment of light-duty vehicles conducted throughout 2018. Criteria pollutant and CO2 emissions of 19 vehicles were measured in the laboratory and on the road in a wide range of driving conditions. Distance-specific emissions for individual vehicles and per vehicle technologies and standards are presented. The methodology for emissions compliance defined in the Guidance on the evaluation of Auxiliary Emission Strategies and the presence of Defeat Devices with regard to the application of Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 on type-approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) was applied and discussed.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor