Does urban particulate matter hinder COVID-19 transmission rate?
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global health, with millions of people affected by the disease. Recent studies have shown that environmental factors such as air quality, temperature, and humidity can impact the survival and transmission of the virus, leading to differences in the rate of spread and severity of the disease in different regions. In this global cross-sectional study, we analyzed the relationship between environmental factors and the transmission and survival of the virus in 167 cities distributed all over the world. We used a dataset containing daily COVID-19 data for 167 cities ...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 18, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Spatial model for daily air quality high resolution estimation
AbstractIn air quality modeling, fine-scale daily mapping is generally calculated from dispersion models involving multiple parameters linked in particular to emissions, which require regular updating and a long computation time. The aim of this work is to provide a simpler model, easily adaptable to other regions and capable of estimating nitrogen dioxide concentrations to a good approximation. To this end, we examine the relationship between daily and annual nitrogen dioxide values. We find that this relationship depends on the range of daily values. Then we provide a statistical model capable of estimating daily concent...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 18, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Ozone variability, its formation potential and crops losses in the himalayan foothills
AbstractSurface ozone observations in Doon Valley (Dehradun: 30.3oN, 78.0oE, 700 m), which acts as a bridge between the Himalayas and the Indo-Gangetic Plain, showed daytime higher values, suggesting a typical urban behaviour in proximity of the Himalayas. Ozone exhibited a maximum in spring (49.2 ± 24.8 ppbv in May) with an hourly average of more than 110 ppbv, followed by a secondary maximum in autumn and the lowest level occurring in the summer-monsoon (~ 13 ppbv in July-August). Ozone levels exceeded the 8-hour National Air Quality Standard limit (50 ppbv) throughout the year, except in July-September. The obs...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 16, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
The regulation effect of urban green space on air particulate matter concentration under different matrices in Xi'an city
AbstractUrban green space can effectively alleviate air pollution, in which vegetation structure plays an important role. However, these green spaces with varying vegetation structures exist in different environmental backgrounds of the city. By analyzing the influence of the different environmental backgrounds on the dust retention effect of green spaces with varying vegetation structures, green spaces can be truly utilized as a solution in alleviating air pollution. Therefore, according to the typical characteristics of landscape patterns and different coverage ratios of green areas in Xi ’an city, China, the matrices ...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 15, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Characteristics and ozone formation potentials of volatile organic compounds in a heavy industrial urban agglomeration of Northeast China
This study presents a systematic VOCs analysis in a less studied heavy industrial urban agglomeration located in Northeast China. Using a cruising platform, we conducted real-time monitoring of VOC concentrations and components at Changchun (CC), Jilin (JL), Siping (SP), and Liaoyuan (LY) in Jilin Province. During the observation period, the average VOC concentrations at CC, JL, SP, and LY were 63.38 ± 127.03, 260.39 ± 855.76, 18.06 ± 17.17, and 10.12 ± 17.48 µg/m3, respectively. Halocarbons were predominant with a high percentage of contribution (22.4 –31.1%) to the total observed VOCs for all cit...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 15, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Differences in urban –rural gradient and driving factors of PM2.5 concentration in the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area
AbstractThe escalation of PM2.5 pollution in the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area (ZMA) underscores the pressing need for air pollution mitigation measures. We utilized high-resolution PM2.5 data from 2020, with a 1 km spatial resolution, to identify and comprehend the factors influencing PM2.5 concentration across the urban –rural continuum. This extensive dataset, inclusive of terrain, meteorological data, vegetation cover, population density, GDP, nighttime light data, and land use categories, facilitated our analysis of PM2.5 trends across the urban –rural spectrum in nine ZMA cities. Our results demonstrate that ther...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 11, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Long term trends in global air pollution potential and its application to ventilation corridors
AbstractAir pollution potential is a measure of the inability of the atmosphere to disperse pollutants away from the source. It depends on Planetary Boundary Layer Height (PBLH) and wind speed. Global air pollution potential Index (APPI) maps have been generated for the first time using 40 years (1980 –2019) of PBLH and wind speed data available from ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) data. These are useful for identifying ventilation corridors and for sustainable development. The seasonal climatology of APPI is also analyzed. Long-term trends in Ventilation coefficient (VC), PBLH, Wind speed, PM2.5, and Aerosol Optical Thicknes...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 5, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Moss biomonitoring of air quality linked with trace metals pollution around a metallurgical complex in Elbasan, Albania
AbstractAnthropogenic pollution impacts human and environmental health, climate change, and air quality. Elbasan, an industrial town about 50 km from the capital city of Tirana, is susceptible to environmental contamination as a result of the outdated technology applied in metal processing and metallurgy. Environmental biomonitoring was conducted to provide a comprehensive view of contamination levels in atmospheric deposition as a resu lt of anthropogenic influences. The aim of this study is to evaluate the distribution of toxic metals in the atmospheric deposits in this area. Concentrations of thirteen trace metals wer...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 5, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Pollution sources affecting the oxidative potential of fine aerosols in a Portuguese urban-industrial area - an exploratory study
This study targets to determine the oxidative potential (OP) of fine aerosols in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal) and, in addition, to identify which pollution sources may have an impact on the OP levels of fine aerosols. For this purpose, thirty samples were selected from a set of 128 samples collected over one year (Dec 2019-Nov 2020), based on the highest load for each source (both mass and %) previously assessed by source apportionment studies (using Positive Matrix Factorisation, a total of 7 different sources were identified: soil, secondary sulphate, fuel-oil combustion, sea, vehic...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 5, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Influence of body mass index on PM2.5 deposition in respiratory tract during urban commuting
AbstractThis first key study examines the influence of functional residue capacity (FRC) associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) on PM2.5 regional and lobar deposition. Size-segregated particulate matter (PM) was collected using the cascade impactor and multiple path particle dosimetry (MPPD) model is used to simulate the regional and lobar deposition in males and females aged 19 –49, with various BMI categories. Morning and evening commutes exhibited a mean PM2.5 of 127.89 ± 38.42 µg m−3 and 157.2 ± 58.84 µg m−3, respectively. The elemental analysis indicated the prevalence of elements in the order of ...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 5, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
An analytical comparison of two versions (US EPA and BIS) of pararosaniline method used for monitoring of ambient SO2
This study presents a comprehensive examination of the operational aspects of two versions of pararosaniline method employed for measuring SO2 in ambient air. The results indicate a need for redefining the specifications outlined in the BIS method. Notably, the BIS method displays greater sensitivity to low blank values compared to the EPA method. Additionally, the study introduces, for the first time, working factors and specifications associated with the BIS method for SO2 measurement. These findings suggest their potential inclusion in the standard method as a means to enhance data quality and reliability in the assessm...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 5, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Integrated assessment of inhalation health risk and economic benefit of improving ambient targeted VOCs in Petrochemical industrial area
AbstractThe Maptaphut industrial area, one of the largest petrochemical complexes in Thailand, is the major cause of the various air pollutants. The larger concern is that a significant volume of air pollution is emitted and that air quality management needs to be improved. This is in part due to a lack of deeper understanding of how anthropogenic emissions are emitted from different sources in this area — especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Moreover, it has complicated relationship results of air pollution, disease mechanisms, and health effects. As a result, its available data can only give a rough indication...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 4, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Impacts of ambient air pollution exposure on child growth in East African countries
This study assessed prenatal and postnat al exposure to air pollution and the effects it may have on the child’s growth in five East African countries. The adjusted linear regression model showed that prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and CO reduced the height-for-age score with an increase of 1 µg/m3 in PM2.5 and 1 ppb in CO above the average values resulting in the reduction of the height-for-age score by 0.0106 (Standard Error (SE): 0.0016) and 0.0020 (SE: 0.0005) points, respectively. Moreover, the logistic regression model suggested that postnatal exposure to PM2.5, O3, and CO respectively contributed by 0.1% (95% Confi...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 4, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Understanding government pollution control actions and well-being: Evidence from micro individuals
AbstractThe Chinese government took many measures to improve air quality in recent years, and the Atmosphere Ten Articles Plan (ATAP) was one of the most significant air pollution control policies. We used the staggered difference-in-differences method to determine the causal link between air quality improvement and people's subjective well-being (SWB) by utilizing the quasi-natural experiment of different Chinese cities implementing the ATAP. We found that ATAP implementations significantly improved people’s SWB, as supported by multiple robustness tests, such as excluding spillover effects and self-selection effects...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 3, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
Characteristics of phthalate concentrations in propellant- and trigger-type consumer spray products
AbstractThe purposes of this study were to evaluate the bulk sample concentration and airborne concentrations of phthalate in different types of propellent and triggers in consumer spray products and estimate health risk assessment via inhalation. First, the phthalate concentrations were analyzed in the solutions of all products 174 from markets. Then, among 64 products containing phthalates, 10 propellant-type products were selected that contained high phthalate concentrations; airborne concentrations were measured at distances of 1, 3, and 5 m from the spray nozzle in a clean room. Four phthalates were detected in spra...
Source: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health - April 3, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research
