Characterization of on-road vehicle emission factors and microenvironmental air quality in Beijing,China

In this paper, we report the results and analysis of a recent field campaign in August 2007 investigating the impacts of emissions from transportation on air quality and community concentrations in Beijing, China. We conducted measurements in three different environments, on-road, roadside and ambient. The carbon monoxide, black carbon and ultrafine particle number emission factors for on-road light-duty vehicles are derived to be 95 g kg^?1-fuel, 0.3 g kg^?1-fuel and 1.8 × 10¹⁵ particles kg^?1-fuel, respectively. The emission factors for on-road heavy-duty vehicles are 50 g kg^?1-fuel, 1.3 g kg^?1-fuel and 1.1 × 10¹⁶ particles kg^?1-fuel, respectively. The carbon monoxide emission factors from this study agree with those derived from remote sensing and on-board vehicle emission testing systems in China. The on-road black carbon and particle number emission factors for Chinese vehicles are reported for the first time in the literature. Strong traffic impacts can be observed from the concentrations measured in these different environments. Most clear is a reflection of diesel truck traffic activity in black carbon concentrations. The comparison of the particle size distributions measured at the three environments suggests that the traffic is a major source of ultrafine particles. A four-day traffic control experiment conducted by the Beijing Government as a pilot to test the effectiveness of proposed controls was found to be effective in reducing extreme concentrations that occurred at both on-road and ambient environments.     

A novel field measurement method for determining fine particle and gas emissions from residential wood combustion

Emission data from residential wood combustion are usually obtained on test stands in the laboratory but these measurements do not correspond to the operational conditions in the field because of the technological boundary conditions (e.g. testing protocol, environmental and draught conditions). The field measurements take into account the habitual practice of the operators and provide the more reliable results needed for emission inventories. In this study, a workable and compact method for measuring emissions from residential wood combustion in winter conditions was developed. The emissions for fine particle, gaseous and PAH compounds as well as particle composition in real operational conditions were measured from seven different appliances. The measurement technique worked well and was evidently suitable for winter conditions. It was easy and fast to use, and no construction scaffold was needed. The dilution of the sample with the combination of a porous tube diluter and an ejector diluter was well suited to field measurement. The results indicate that the emissions of total volatile organic carbon (TVOC) (17 g kg⁻¹ (of dry wood burned)), carbon monoxide (CO) (120 g kg⁻¹) and fine particle mass (PM₁) (2.7 g kg⁻¹) from the sauna stove were higher than in the other measured appliances. In the masonry heaters, baking oven and stove, the emissions were 2.9–9 g kg⁻¹ TVOC, 28–68 g kg⁻¹ CO and 0.6–1.6 g kg⁻¹ PM₁. The emission of 12 PAHs (PAH₁₂) from the sauna stove was 164 mg kg⁻¹ and consisted mainly of PAHs with four benzene rings in their structure. PAH₁₂ emission from other appliances was, on average, 21 mg kg⁻¹ and was dominated by 2-ring PAHs. These results indicate that despite the non-optimal operational practices in the field, the emissions did not differ markedly from the laboratory measurements.     

Establishment of a database of emission factors for atmospheric pollutants from Chinese coal-fired power plants

Field measurements and data investigations were conducted for developing an emission factor database for inventories of atmospheric pollutants from Chinese coal-fired power plants. Gaseous pollutants and particulate matter (PM) of different size fractions were measured using a gas analyzer and an electric low-pressure impactor (ELPI), respectively, for ten units in eight coal-fired power plants across the country. Combining results of field tests and literature surveys, emission factors with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by boiler type, fuel quality, and emission control devices using bootstrap and Monte Carlo simulations. The emission factor of uncontrolled SO₂ from pulverized combustion (PC) boilers burning bituminous or anthracite coal was estimated to be 18.0S kg t^?1 (i.e., 18.0 × the percentage sulfur content of coal, S) with a 95% CI of 17.2S–18.5S. NO_X emission factors for pulverized-coal boilers ranged from 4.0 to 11.2 kg t^?1, with uncertainties of 14–45% for different unit types. The emission factors of uncontrolled PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and total PM emitted by PC boilers were estimated to be 0.4A (where A is the percentage ash content of coal), 1.5A and 6.9A kg t^?1, respectively, with 95% CIs of 0.3A–0.5A, 1.1A–1.9A and 5.8A–7.9A. The analogous PM values for emissions with electrostatic precipitator (ESP) controls were 0.032A (95% CI: 0.021A–0.046A), 0.065A (0.039A–0.092A) and 0.094A (0.0656A–0.132A) kg t^?1, and 0.0147A (0.0092–0.0225A), 0.0210A (0.0129A–0.0317A), and 0.0231A (0.0142A–0.0348A) for those with both ESP and wet flue-gas desulfurization (wet-FGD). SO₂ and NO_X emission factors for Chinese power plants were smaller than those of U.S. EPA AP-42 database, due mainly to lower heating values of coals in China. PM emission factors for units with ESP, however, were generally larger than AP-42 values, because of poorer removal efficiencies of Chinese dust collectors. For units with advanced emission control technologies, more field measurements are needed to reduce emission factor uncertainties.     

Anhydrosugar and sugar alcohol organic markers associated with carboxylic acids in particulate matter from incense burning

Aerosol from the burning two types of sandalwood-based incense, Hsing Shan and Lao Shan, was analyzed to characterize the chemical profile of total particulate matter emitted. The total particulate matter (PM) mass emission factors were 46.3 ± 2.68 mg g^?1 of Hsing Shan incense and 43.7 ± 1.08 mg g^?1 of Lao Shan incense. Chemical analysis of emissions from the two types of incense revealed that of the 25 components in four groups characterized, anhydrosugars formed the major group, at 46.7–52.2% w/w of the identified particulate and 1078.3–1169.8 μg g^?1 of incense, followed by inorganic salts at 30.4–31.8% w/w of identified particulate and 681.6–734.0 μg g^?1 of incense, carboxylic acids at 12.0–17.1% w/w of the identified particulate and 268.6–392.8 μg g^?1 of incense, and sugar alcohols at 4.44–5.38% w/w of the identified particulate and 102.3–120.6 μg g^?1 of incense. More anhydrosugars and sugar alcohols were emitted from Lao Shan incense than from Hsing Shan incense whereas more carboxylic acids and organic salts were emitted from Hsing Shan than from Lao Shan. These differences were due to structural and functional differences in the young sandalwood used to make Hsing Shan and the aged sandalwood used to make Lao Shan. The anhydrosugar levoglucosan, used as a marker of biomass burning, was always the most abundant species in emitted PM for both incenses (Lao Shan 21.7 mg g^?1 of PM and Hsing Shan 18.7 mg g^?1). K⁺ and Cl^? were the second most abundant components (K⁺ and Cl^? were summed), accounting for 10.6 mg g^?1 of Hsing Shan PM and 9.85 mg g^?1 of Lao Shan PM. The most abundant carboxylic acids in the emissions were formic, acetic, succinic, glutaric and phthalic acid. The latter is a fragrance ingredient and a potential health hazard and was twice as prevalent in Lao Shan emissions. Xylitol was the most prevalent of the sugar alcohols at 35.7–36.6% w/w of total identified sugar alcohols. These abundant species are potential markers for incense burning. K⁺, levoglucosan, mannosan and xylitol are already reported in discriminator ratios for wood burning and it is proposed here that these can and should also apply to incense burning. The calculated discriminator ratios for two types of incense burning reported here are 0.229–0.288 for K/Levo, 12.5–13.5 for Levo/Manno, and 21.5–23.7 for the novel discriminator ratio Levo/Xylitol.     

Global atmospheric emission inventory of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for 2004

The global atmospheric emissions of the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed as the US EPA priority pollutants were estimated using reported emission activity and emission factor data for the reference year 2004. A database for emission factors was compiled, and their geometric means and frequency distributions applied for emission calculation and uncertainty analysis, respectively. The results for 37 countries were compared with other PAH emission inventories. It was estimated that the total global atmospheric emission of these 16 PAHs in 2004 was 520 giga grams per year (Gg y^?1) with biofuel (56.7%), wildfire (17.0%) and consumer product usage (6.9%) as the major sources, and China (114 Gg y^?1), India (90 Gg y^?1) and United States (32 Gg y^?1) were the top three countries with the highest PAH emissions. The PAH sources in the individual countries varied remarkably. For example, biofuel burning was the dominant PAH source in India, wildfire emissions were the dominant PAH source in Brazil, while consumer products were the major PAH emission source in the United States. In China, in addition to biomass combustion, coke ovens were a significant source of PAHs. Globally, benzo(a)pyrene accounted for 0.05% to 2.08% of the total PAH emission, with developing countries accounting for the higher percentages. The PAH emission density varied dramatically from 0.0013 kg km^?2 y in the Falkland Islands to 360 kg km^?2 y in Singapore with a global mean value of 3.98 kg km^?2 y. The atmospheric emission of PAHs was positively correlated to the country's gross domestic product and negatively correlated with average income. Finally, a linear bivariate regression model was developed to explain the global PAH emission data.     

Composition and emissions of VOCs in main- and side-stream smoke of research cigarettes

It is well known that mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) cigarette smoke contains a vast number of chemical substances. Previous studies have emphasized SS smoke rather than MS smoke to which smokers are exposed, and most have used chamber tests that have several disadvantages such as wall losses. Emissions from standard research cigarettes have been measured, but relatively few constituents have been reported, and only the 1R4F (low nicotine) cigarette type has been tested. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of total, MS and SS smoke emissions for the 1R5F (ultra low nicotine), 2R4F (low nicotine), and 1R3F (standard nicotine) research cigarettes research cigarettes, including emission factors for a number of toxic compounds (e.g., benzene) and tobacco smoke tracers (e.g., 2,5-dimethyl furan). Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) are quantified using a dynamic dilution emission measurement system that is shown to produce accurate, rapid and reproducible results for over 30 VOCs and PM. SS and MS emissions were accurately apportioned based on a mass balance of total emissions. As expected, SS emissions greatly exceeded MS emissions. The ultra low nicotine cigarette had lower emissions of most VOCs compared to low and standard nicotine cigarettes, which had similar emissions. Across the three types of cigarettes, emissions of benzene (296–535 μg cig⁻¹), toluene (541–1003 μg cig⁻¹), styrene (90–162 μg cig⁻¹), 2-dimethyl furan (71–244 μg cig⁻¹), naphthalene (15–18 μg cig⁻¹) and other VOCs were generally comparable to or somewhat higher than literature estimates using chamber tests.     

Characterization of emissions from portable household combustion devices: particle size distributions,emission rates and factors,and potential exposures

A series of source tests were conducted to characterize emissions of particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and total hydrocarbon (THC ) from five types of portable combustion devices. Tested combustion devices included a kerosene lamp, an oil lamp, a kerosene space heater, a portable gas range, and four unscented candles. All tests were conducted either in a well-mixed chamber or a well-mixed room, which enables us to determine emission rates and emission factors using a single-compartment mass balance model. Particle mass concentrations and number concentrations were measured using a nephelometric particle monitor and an eight-channel optical particle counter, respectively. Real-time CO concentrations were measured with an electrochemical sensor CO monitor. CO₂, CH₄, and THC were measured using a GC-FID technique. The results indicate that all particles emitted during steady burning in each of the tested devices were smaller than 1.0 μm in diameter with the vast majority in the range between 0.1 and 0.3 μm. The PM mass emission rates and emission factors for the tested devices ranged from 5.6±0.1 to 142.3±40.8 mg h⁻¹ and from 0.35±0.06 to 9.04±4.0 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The CO emission rates and emission factors ranged from 4.7±3.0 to 226.7±100 mg h⁻¹ and from 0.25±0.12 to 1.56±0.7 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The CO₂ emission rates and emission factors ranged from 5500±700 to 210,000±90,000 mg h⁻¹ and from 387±45 to 1689±640 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The contributions of CH₄ and THC to emission inventories are expected to be insignificant due both to the small emission factors and to the relatively small quantity of fuel consumed by these portable devices. An exposure scenario analysis indicates that every-day use of the kerosene lamp in a village house can generate fine PM exposures easily exceeding the US promulgated NAAQS for PM_2.5.     

Reference values for structure emissions measured on site in new residential buildings in Finland

A 3-year research project was established in 1999 to create numerical reference data for material emissions during the time of construction and during the first year. Seven buildings, representing the present construction practice in Finland, were investigated. Material emissions were measured by using the field and laboratory cell (FLEC) during the time of construction, in the newly finished, and in the 6- and 12-month-old buildings. The emission rates for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and ammonia were determined.The highest total VOCs (TVOC) emissions were measured in the newly finished buildings from the ceiling structure and from some of the PVC floor coverings. These emissions were up to 1300–2000 μg m⁻² h⁻¹. Individual VOCs with emission rates above 50 μg m⁻² h⁻¹ included 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol and its acetate, C4–C16-substituted alkylbenzenes, and xylenes. The mean TVOC emission decreased at least to the Finnish M1-class level (200 μg m⁻² h⁻¹) from all surfaces and in all the buildings in 6–12 months. The ammonia and formaldehyde emissions from the ceiling structure were 20–60 μg m⁻² h⁻¹ in the newly finished buildings and the M1-levels (30/50 μg m⁻² h⁻¹) were exceeded in some cases. These emissions even increased in some buildings during the follow-up period indicating the difference between emissions measured in the laboratory and on site from real structures. Reference values based on the means and 95th percentile are presented to be utilised in both quality control and while investigating indoor air quality problems which are suspected to be caused by a defect structure.     

Ethanol emission from loose corn silage and exposed silage particles

Silage on dairy farms has been identified as a major source of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. However, rates of VOC emission from silage are not accurately known. In this work, we measured ethanol (a dominant silage VOC) emission from loose corn silage and exposed corn silage particles using wind tunnel systems. Flux of ethanol was highest immediately after exposing loose silage samples to moving air (as high as 220 g m^?2 h^?1) and declined by as much as 76-fold over 12 h as ethanol was depleted from samples. Emission rate and cumulative 12 h emission increased with temperature, silage permeability, exposed surface area, and air velocity over silage samples. These responses suggest that VOC emission from silage on farms is sensitive to climate and management practices. Ethanol emission rates from loose silage were generally higher than previous estimates of total VOC emission rates from silage and mixed feed. For 15 cm deep loose samples, mean cumulative emission was as high as 170 g m^?2 (80% of initial ethanol mass) after 12 h of exposure to an air velocity of 5 m s^?1. Emission rates measured with an emission isolation flux chamber were lower than rates measured in a wind tunnel and in an open setting. Results show that the US EPA emission isolation flux chamber method is not appropriate for estimating VOC emission rates from silage in the field.     

Impact of mineral components and selected trace metals on ambient PM10 concentrations

PM10 levels of the mineral components Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg and some trace metals were measured at three different sites in the urban area of Vienna (Austria). Observed trace metal concentrations varied between less than 0.1 ng m^?3 (Cd) and approximately 200 ng m^?3 (Zn), mineral components showed enhanced concentrations ranging from 0.01 μg m^?3 (Ca) to 16.3 μg m^?3 (Si). The contribution of the respective mineral oxides to PM10 mass concentrations accounted on average for 26.4 ± 16% (n = 1090) of the PM10 mass, with enhanced rates in spring and autumn (monthly averages of up to 40%) and decreased contributions in the cold season (monthly averages below 10%). The atmospheric occurrence of Al, Ti and Sr could be assigned to crustal sources, whereas for the elements Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and V an increased contribution of non-crustal origin was observed. PM10 levels of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn were predominantly derived from man-made emissions. Intersite comparison indicated that urban PM10 mass concentrations and PM10 levels of As, Pb and Zn were predominantly influenced from the transport of aerosols from outside into the city, whereas for the elements Ba, Mg, Ca, Cu and Fe a distinctly increased impact of local emissions was observed. The contribution of these urban emissions to total PM10 concentrations was estimated by calculating the so-called “urban impact”, which was found to be 32.7 ± 18% (n = 392) in the case of PM10 mass concentrations. The investigated elements accounted on average for 31.3 ± 19% (n = 392) of the observed PM10 mass increase. The mean values for the “urban impacts” of individual elements varied between 25.5% (As) and 77.0% (Ba).     

Black carbon aerosols in urban air in South Asia

We report data from a yearlong (2006–2007) study of black carbon concentrations ([BC]) measured at 5-min intervals with an Aethalometer in Karachi, Pakistan. Daily mean [BC] varied from about 1 to 15 μg m^?3. However, short-term spikes exceeding 40 μg m^?3 were common, occurring primarily during the morning and evening rush-hour periods. The [BC] values were highest during November through February, ～10 μg m^?3, and lowest during June through September, ～2 μg m^?3. Diurnal, seasonal, and day-of-the-week trends are discussed. It is demonstrated that these trends are strongly affected by meteorological patterns. A simple expression is applied to the concentration profiles to separate the effects of meteorological conditions and elucidate the underlying emissions patterns. Daily emissions varied from 14,000 to 22,000 kg of BC per day. When integrated over the year emissions for Karachi Proper were estimated at 6.7 kilometric tons per year and emissions for greater Karachi were 17.5 kilometric tons per year. Folding in the populations of each area yields BC emissions of 0.74 and 1.1 kg per person per year, respectively. Applying the model to previously collected data at Lahore, Pakistan yields emissions during November–January that are around a factor of two higher than those in Karachi, but because the BC measurements in Lahore covered only three months, no estimates of annual emissions were attempted. Given the large populations of these cities the local health impact from PM alone is expected to be severe but because of the high [BC] emissions the impact on the global climate may be equally significant.     

Emission factors of PAHs,methoxyphenols, levoglucosan,elemental carbon and organic carbon from simulated wheat and Kentucky bluegrass stubble burns

Emission factors (EFs) of pollutants from post-harvest agricultural burning are required for predicting downwind impacts of smoke and inventorying emissions. EFs of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), methoxyphenols (MP), levoglucosan (LG), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) from wheat and Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) stubble burning were quantified in a US EPA test burn facility. The PAH and MP EFs for combined solid+gas phases are 17±8.2 mg kg⁻¹ and 79±36 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, for wheat and 21±15 mg kg⁻¹ and 35±24 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, for KBG. LG, particulate EC and artifact-corrected OC EFs are 150±130 mg kg⁻¹, 0.35±0.16 g kg⁻¹ and 1.9±1.1 g kg⁻¹, respectively, for wheat and 350±510 mg kg⁻¹, 0.63±0.056 g kg⁻¹ and 6.9±0.85 g kg⁻¹, respectively, for KBG. Positive artifacts associated with OC sampling were evaluated and remedied with a two-filter system. EC and OC accounted for almost two-thirds of PM_2.5 mass, while LG accounted for just under 3% of the PM_2.5 mass. Since EFs of these pollutants generally decreased with increasing combustion efficiency (CE), identifying and implementing methods of increasing the CEs of burns would help reduce their emissions from agricultural field burning. PAH, OC and EC EFs are comparable to other similar studies reported in literature. MP EFs appear dependent on the stubble type and are lower than the EFs for hard and softwoods reported in literature, possibly due to the lower lignin content in wheat and KBG.     

Biogenic VOC emissions from fresh leaf mulch and wood chips of Grevillea robusta (Australian Silky Oak)

The emissions of VOC from freshly cut and shredded Grevillea robusta (Australian Silky Oak) leaves and wood have been measured. The VOC emissions from fresh leaf mulch and wood chips lasted typically for 30 and 20 h respectively, and consisted primarily of ethanol, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and acetaldehyde. The integrated emissions of the VOCs were 0.38±0.04 g kg⁻¹ from leaf mulch, and 0.022±0.003 g kg⁻¹ from wood chips. These emissions represent a source of VOCs in urban and rural air that has previously been unquantified and is currently unaccounted for. These VOCs from leaf mulch and wood chips will contribute to both urban photochemistry and secondary organic aerosol formation. Any CH₄ emissions from leaf mulch and wood chips were <1×10⁻¹¹ g g dry mass⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Effects of biodiesel on emissions of regulated air pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons under engine durability testing

An 80,000-km durability test was performed on two engines using diesel and biodiesel (methyl ester of waste cooking oil) as fuel in order to examine emissions resulting from the use of biodiesel. The test biodiesel (B20) was blended with 80% diesel and 20% methyl ester derived from waste cooking oil. Emissions of regulated air pollutants, including CO, HC, NO_x, particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at 20,000-km intervals. The identical-model engines were installed on a standard dynamometer equipped with a dilution tunnel used to measure the pollutants. To simulate real-world driving conditions, emission measurements were made in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) FTP transient cycle guidelines. At 0 km of the durability test, HC, CO and PM emission levels were lower for the B20 engine than those for diesel. After running for 20,000 km and longer, they were higher. However, the deterioration coefficients for these regulated air pollutants were not statistically higher than 1.0, implying that the emission factors do not increase significantly after 80,000 km of driving. Total (gaseous+particulate phase) PAH emission levels for both B20 and diesel decreased as the driving mileage accumulated. However, for the engine using B20 fuel, particulate PAH emissions increased as engine mileage increased. The average total PAH emission factors were 1097 and 1437 μg bhp h⁻¹ for B20 and diesel, respectively. For B20, the benzo[a]pyrene equivalence emission factors were 0.77, 0.24, 0.20, 7.48, 5.43 and 14.1 μg bhp h⁻¹ for 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-ringed and total PAHs. Results show that B20 use can reduce both PAH emission and its corresponding carcinogenic potency.     

Emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from gasohol and ethanol vehicles

The exhaust emission of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) considered toxic to human health were investigated on two spark ignition light duty vehicles, one being gasohol (Gasohol, in Brazil, is the generic denomination for mixtures of pure gasoline plus 20–25% of anhydrous ethyl alcohol fuel (AEAF).)-fuelled and the other a flexible-fuel vehicle fuelled with hydrated ethanol. The influence of fuel type and quality, aged lubricant oil type and use of fuel additives on the formation of these compounds was tested using standardized tests identical to US FTP-75 cycle. PAH sampling and chemical analysis followed the basic recommendations of method TO-13 (United States. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. Compendium Method TO-13A – Determination of polycyclic Aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Ambient Air Using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (CG/MS). Center for environmental research information, Cincinnati, p. 78), with the necessary modification for this particular application.Results showed that the total PAH emission factor varied from 41.9 μg km^?1 to 612 μg km^?1 in the gasohol vehicle, and from 11.7 μg km^?1 to 27.4 μg km^?1 in the ethanol-fuelled vehicle, a significant difference in favor of the ethanol vehicle. Generally, emission of light molecular weight PAHs was predominant, while high molecular weights PAHs were not detected. In terms of benzo(a)pyrene toxicity equivalence, emission factors varied from 0.00984 μg TEQ km^?1 to 4.61 μg TEQ km^?1 for the gasohol vehicle and from 0.0117 μg TEQ km^?1 to 0.0218 μg TEQ km^?1 in the ethanol vehicle.For the gasohol vehicle, results showed that the use of fuel additive causes a significant increase in the emission of naphthalene and phenanthrene at a confidence level of 90% or higher; the use of rubber solvent on gasohol showed a reduction in the emission of naphthalene and phenanthrene at the same confidence level; the use of synthetic oil instead of mineral oil also contributed significantly to a decrease in the emission of naphthalene and fluorene. In relation to the ethanol vehicle, the same factors were tested and showed no statistically significant influence on PAH emission.     

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) residues in foodstuffs collected from traditional markets in Indonesia

A total 23 of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) residues were determined in five groups of foodstuffs, i.e.: vegetables (carrot, potato, cucumber, corn, and onion), rice, pulses (green bean and soybean), nuts (peanut), and fish (milkfish), which collected from traditional markets in three big cities of Indonesia; Jakarta, Bogor, and Yogyakarta. OCPs were only detected in fatty foodstuffs, such as soybean, peanut, and milkfish. The concentration of HCB (expressed as ng g^?1 on a whole basis), ΣDrins, ΣDDTs, ΣHeptachlors, and ΣHCHs were in the range of <0.3–0.74 ng g^?1, <0.03–0.42 ng g^?1, <0.02–0.41 ng g^?1, <0.03–0.14 ng g^?1, and <0.03–0.06 ng g^?1, respectively, which were far below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) as established by FAO/WHO. These very low concentrations of OCPs residues in foodstuffs indicated that OCPs were used only in past time and no recent input into the environment. Furthermore, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of HCB, ΣDDTs, ΣDrins, ΣHeptachlors, and ΣHCHs in five group foodstuffs, which were 60% of total daily diet of Indonesian, were 0.09 ng kg^?1 bw d^?1, 0.04 ng kg^?1 bw d^?1, 0.01 ng kg^?1 bw d^?1, 0.003 ng kg^?1 bw d^?1, and 0.002 ng kg^?1 bw d^?1, respectively. These results were far below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) as established by FAO/WHO, which indicated that consumption of foodstuffs from Indonesia were at little risk to human health in term of OCPs at present.     

Dioxins,furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emissions from a hospital and cemetery waste incinerator

An experimental campaign was carried out on a hospital and cemetery waste incineration plant in order to assess the emissions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Raw gases were sampled in the afterburning chamber, using a specifically designed device, after the heat recovery section and at the stack. Samples of slags from the combustion chamber and fly ashes from the bag filter were also collected and analyzed. PCDD/Fs and PAHs concentrations in exhaust gas after the heat exchanger (200–350 °C) decreased in comparison with the values detected in the afterburning chamber. Pollutant mass balance regarding the heat exchanger did not confirm literature findings about the de novo synthesis of PCDD/Fs in the heat exchange process. In spite of a consistent reduction of PCDD/Fs in the flue gas treatment system (from 77% up to 98%), the limit of 0.1 ng ITEQ Nm⁻³ at the stack was not accomplished. PCDD/Fs emission factors for air spanned from 2.3 up to 44 μg ITEQ t⁻¹ of burned waste, whereas those through solid residues (mainly fly ashes) were in the range 41–3700 μg ITEQ t⁻¹. Tests run with cemetery wastes generally showed lower PCDD/F emission factors than those with hospital wastes. PAH total emission factors (91–414 μg kg⁻¹ of burned waste) were in the range of values reported for incineration of municipal and industrial wastes. In spite of the observed release from the scrubber, carcinogenic PAHs concentrations at the stack (0.018–0.5 μg Nm⁻³) were below the Italian limit of 10 μg Nm⁻³.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls hot and cold seasons distribution in see water,sediment, and fish samples in the Khour-e-Mousa (Mah-Shahr), Iran

The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were assessed at four sites in Khour-e-Mousa (Mah-Shahr), Iran. Sea water, sediment and fish (cynoglossus bilineatus) samples were taken at each site and were analysed for PCB levels. To investigate the possible source of PCBs found in fish samples, sediments and waters were collected from four sites (D1, D2, D3, and D4) and studied. The relationship between PCB concentrations in sediment, water and fish is discussed. The results indicate that PCBs are detected in all fish samples and its concentration range from 3.2 to 102.7 μg kg^?1 dry weight and 5.4–149.7 μg kg^?1 dry weight in cold and warm seasons, respectively. The D2 and D4 sites were found to have the highest and lowest levels of PCB concentrations, respectively. Total congener PCB (CB, 28, 52, 44, 101, 149, 118, 153, 138, and 180) concentrations at the sediment samples for D1, D2, D3, and D4 sites ranged from 1.6 to 30.9 μg kg^?1 dry weight and 2.3–47.1 μg kg^?1 dry weight in cold and warm seasons, respectively. The total PCB concentrations for D2 site were found to be significantly higher than other three sites. Total water congener PCB (CB, 28, 52, 44, 101, 149, 118, 153, 138, and 180) concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.25 μg L^?1 and 0.02–0.39 μg L^?1 in cold and warm seasons, respectively.     

Definition of yearly emission factor of dust and greenhouse gases through continuous measurements in swine husbandry

The object of this study was to develop an accurate estimation method to evaluate the contribution of the various compartments of swine husbandry to dust and GHG (greenhouse gases, CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) emission into the atmosphere during one year of observation.A weaning, a gestation, a farrowing and a fattening room in an intensive pig house were observed in three different periods (Autumn–Winter, Springtime and Summer, monitoring at least 60% of each period (20% at the beginning, in the middle and at the end) of each cycle).During monitoring, live weight, average live weight gain, number of animals and its variation, type of feed and feeding time were taken into account to evaluate their influence on PM₁₀, or the fraction of suspended particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 μm [Emission Inventory Guidebook, 2007. B1100 Particle Emissions from Animal Husbandry Activities. Available from: <http://reports.eea.europa.eu/EMEPCORINAIR5/en/B1100vs1.pdf> (accessed October 2008)] and to define GHG emission.The selected piggery had a ventilation control system using a free running impeller to monitor continuously real-time environmental and management parameters with an accuracy of 5%.PM₁₀ concentration was monitored by a sampler (Haz Dust EPAM 5000), either continuously or through traditional gravimetric technique, and the mean value of dust amount collected on the membranes was utilized as a correction factor to be applied to continuously collected data.PM₁₀ concentration amount incoming from inlets was removed from PM₁₀ emission calculation, to estimate the real contribution of pig house dust pollution into atmosphere.Mean yearly emission factor of PM₁₀ was measured in 2 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the weaning room, 0.09 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the farrowing room, 2.59 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the fattening room and 1.23 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the gestation room. The highest PM₁₀ concentration and emission per LU was recorded in the fattening compartment while the lowest value was recorded in the farrowing room.CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O concentrations were continuously measured in the exhaust ducts using an infrared photoacoustic detector IPD (Brüel & Kjaer, Multi-gas Monitor Type 1302, Multipoint Sampler and Doser Type 1303) sampling data every 15 min, for the 60% of the cycles.Yearly emission factor for CO₂ was measured in 5997 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the weaning room, 1278 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the farrowing room, 13,636 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the fattening room and 8851 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the gestation room.Yearly emission factor for CH₄ was measured in 24.57 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the weaning room, 4.68 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the farrowing room, 189.82 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the fattening room and 132.12 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the gestation room.Yearly emission factor for N₂O was measured in 3.62 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the weaning room, 0.66 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the farrowing room, 3.26 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the fattening room and 2.72 g d^?1 LU^?1 for the gestation room.     

Using a dispersion model to estimate emission rates of particulate matter from paved roads

From January 1996 to June 1997, we carried out a series of measurements to estimate emissions of PM₁₀ from paved roads in Riverside County, California. The program involved the measurement of upwind and downwind vertical profiles of PM₁₀, in addition to meteorological variables such as wind speed and vertical turbulent intensity. This information was analyzed using a new dispersion model that incorporates current understanding of micrometeorology and dispersion. The emission rate was inferred by fitting model predictions to measurements. The inferred emission factors ranged from 0.2 g VKT^-1 for freeways to about 3 g VKT^-1 for city roads. The uncertainty in these factors is estimated to be approximately a factor of two since the contributions of paved road PM₁₀ emissions to ambient concentrations were comparable to the uncertainty in the mean value of the measurement. At this stage, our best estimate of emission factor lies between 0.1 and 10 g VKT^-1; there is some indication that it is about 0.1 g VKT^-1 for heavily traveled freeways, and is an order of magnitude higher for older city roads. We found that measured silt loadings were poor predictors of emission factors.The measured emission factors imply that paved road emissions may contribute about 30% to the total PM₁₀ emissions from a high traffic area such as Los Angeles. This suggests that it is necessary to develop methods that are more reliable than the upwind–downwind concentration difference technique.