Ozone and/or Water Stresses Could have Influenced the Betula ermanii Cham. Forest Decline Observed at Oku-Nikko, Japan

A serious forest decline of Betula ermanii Cham. has been observed at Mt. Mae-Shirane, Oku-Nikko, Japan, where high ozone (O₃) concentration and severe water deficiency have been measured. In order to consider the possibility whether O₃ and/or water stresses could have been the causes of the forest decline of B. ermanii, plant growth experiments were conducted in environment-controlled growth cabinets. Two-year-old seedlings of B. ermanii were exposed to either charcoal-filtered air (O₃ concentration <5 ppb) or 50 ppb O₃ (daily average, ranging between 20–100 ppb) for 123 days at 20.0/12.5 ± 1.0°C (day/night) and 70/80 ± 7% relative humidity (day/night). Simultaneously, seedlings were treated with three watering regime: 1.0 < pF < 1.8 (no water stress), 1.8 < pF < 2.5 (mild water stress) or 2.5 < pF < 3.0 (severe water stress). O₃ exposure significantly reduced the dry weights of leaf, root and the whole plant, while water stress significantly reduced the dry weights of each organ and the whole plant. Significant reductions of net photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were also observed under O₃ and/or water deficiency treatments, while contents of RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), chlorophyll _a+b and some essential nutrient elements (N, P, K, Mg and Ca) were not markedly changed. It was suggested that the decrease in net photosynthetic rate induced mainly by stomatal closure was the major cause of the growth reduction under O₃ and/or water stresses. No significant interactions between O₃ and water stresses were observed in terms of the depression of dry matter production, which suggested that simultaneous stress treatments of O₃ exposure and water deficiency could affect the tree growth of B. ermanii additively.     

Study of urban atmospheric pollution in Navarre (Northern Spain)

An ambient air quality study was undertaken in two cities (Pamplona and Alsasua) of the Province of Navarre in northern Spain from July 2001 to June 2004. The data were obtained from two urban monitoring sites. At both monitoring sites, ambient levels of ozone, NO_x, and SO₂ were measured. Simultaneously with levels of PM₁₀ measured at Alsasua (using a laser particle counter), PM₁₀ levels were also determined at Pamplona (using a beta attenuation monitor). Mean annual PM₁₀ concentrations in Pamplona and Alsasua reached 30 and 28 μg m⁻³, respectively. These concentrations are typical for urban background sites in Northern Spain. By using meteorological information and back trajectories, it was found that the number of exceedances of the daily PM₁₀ limit as well as the PM₁₀ temporal variation was highly influenced by air masses from North Africa. Although North African transport was observed on only 9% of the days, it contributed the highest observed PM₁₀ levels. Transport from the Atlantic Ocean was observed on 68% of the days; transport from Europe on 13%; low transport and local influences on 7%; and transport from the Mediterranean region on 3% of the days. The mean O₃ concentrations were 45 and 55 μg m⁻³ in Pamplona and Alsasua, respectively, which were above the values reported for the main Spanish cities. The mean NO and NO₂ levels were very similar in both sites (12 and 26 μg m⁻³, respectively). Mean SO₂ levels were 8 μg m⁻³ in Pamplona and 5 μg m⁻³ in Alsasua. Hourly levels of PM₁₀, NO and NO₂ showed similar variations with the typically two coincident maximums during traffic rush hours demonstrating a major anthropogenic origin of PM₁₀, in spite of the sporadic dust outbreaks.     

山西省大气污染特征及对公众健康的空间影响

利用山西省11个地级市大气环境监测站的PM_2.5、PM₁₀和O₃浓度数据,分析了2015—2020年山西省PM_2.5、PM₁₀和O₃浓度时空变化特征,采用空间计量模型和岭回归方法,分析了空气污染对公众健康的空间影响。结果表明:PM_2.5和PM₁₀年均质量浓度总体下降,两者在2017年最高,2020年最低;O₃年均浓度总体增加。在季节尺度上,PM_2.5和PM₁₀质量浓度在冬季的12月和1月最高,夏季的8月最低;O₃浓度在6月最高。空间上,相较2015年,2020年山西省各地级市PM_2.5污染程度均有改善,其中长治改善效果最好;2020年山西各地级市PM₁₀污染兼有加重和减轻的情形,所有地级市PM_2.5和PM₁₀污染水平均超过国家二级污染浓度限值;2020年山西多数地级市O₃浓度升高。山西公众健康水平具有明显的空间离散特征,PM_2.5和PM₁₀浓度的局部空间自相关特征高度一致,呈现"南高北低"的格局,O₃浓度分布呈"南部高,中北部低"的格局。大气环境质量和经济发展水平均对医疗机构诊疗人数和健康体检人数的变化有正向影响,每万人卫生技术人员数量和公共财政支出比例对公众健康均有负向影响,其中经济发展水平和大气环境质量的影响最显著。山西省PM_2.5治理取得一定成效,但大部分城市PM_2.5和PM₁₀达标率较低,O₃浓度有持续升高的趋势,PM₁₀和O₃污染改善缓慢,深度减排仍面临挑战。PM_2.5和PM₁₀是危害山西公众健康的主要大气污染物,未来需要加强PM_2.5、PM₁₀和O₃的精细化管理及协同治理。     

Air Pollution and Heat Exposure Study in the Workplace in a Glass Manufacturing Unit in India

Air pollution in the workplace environment due to industrial operation have been found to cause serious occupational health hazard. Similarly, heat stress is still most neglected occupational hazard in the tropical and subtropical countries like India. The hot climate augments the heat exposure close to sources like furnaces. In this study an attempt is made to assess air pollution and heat exposure levels to workers in the workplace environment in glass manufacturing unit located in the State of Gujarat, India. Samples for workplace air quality were collected for SPM, SO₂, NO₂ and CO₂ at eight locations. Results of workplace air quality showed 8-hourly average concentrations of SPM: 165–9118 μg/m³, SO₂: 6–9 μg/m³ and NO₂: 5–42 μg/m³, which were below the threshold limit values of workplace environment. The level of CO₂ in workplace air of the plant was found to be in the range 827–2886 μg/m³, which was below TLV but much higher than the normal concentration for CO₂ in the air (585 mg/m³). Indoor heat exposure was studied near the furnace and at various locations in an industrial complex for glass manufacturing. The heat exposure parameters including the air temperature, the wet bulb temperature, and the globe parameters were measured. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), an indicator of heat, exceeded ACGIH TLVs limits most of the time at all the locations in workplace areas. The recommended duration of work and rest have also been estimated.     

Monitoring of Criteria Air Pollutants in Bursa, Turkey

The concentrations of criteria air pollutants such as CO, NO_x (NO + NO₂), SO₂ and PM were measured in the period of May 2001 and April 2003 in the city of Bursa, Turkey. The average concentrations for this period were 1115±1600 μg/m³, 29±50 μg/m³, 51±24 μg/m³, 79±65 μg/m³, 40±35 μg/m³, 98±220 μg/m³, for CO, NO, NO₂, NO_x, SO₂ and PM, respectively. Temporal changes in concentrations were analyzed using meteorological factors. Correlations among pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters showed weak relations nearly in all data. Lower concentrations were observed in the summer months while higher concentrations were measured in the winter months. The increase in winter concentrations was probably due to residential heating. Pollutants were associated with each other in order to have information about their origin. NO_x/SO₂ ratio was also examined to bring out the source origin contributing on air pollution (i.e., traffic or stationary).     

Extreme Nitrogen Oxide and Ozone Concentrations in Athens Atmosphere in Relation to Meteorological Conditions

In the present study, we investigate the variation of NO _x (NO + NO₂) and O₃ concentrations and the relation between the extreme events (episodes) of NO _x and O₃ concentrations and the relevant meteorological conditions in the urban atmosphere of the Athens basin. Hourly data of NO, NO₂ and O₃ concentrations from 10 representative monitoring sites located in the Athens basin were used, covering the 10-year time period from 1994 to 2003. The results of our analysis show that the concentrations of air pollutants differ significantly from one monitoring site to another, due to the location and proximity of each station to the emission sources. For each site, there are also significant differences in NO _x and O₃ concentrations from day to day, as well as from month to month and/or from season to season. The annual and seasonal variations show higher NO values in winter and lower in summer. On the contrary, NO₂ and O₃ values are higher in summer (photochemical production of O₃) and lower in winter. These differences are attributed, to a large extent, to the prevailing synoptic and meteorological conditions, the most important between them being the wind direction and speed as well as the atmospheric pressure. Our analysis of the identified 179 extreme NO _x air pollution events shows that most of them took place under anticyclonic conditions, associated with calm or weak winds (speed <2.5 ms⁻¹) of mostly southern to southwestern directions, as well as with low air temperatures and intense stable surface atmospheric conditions. There exists a significant decreasing tendency in NO _x air pollution episodic events over the 10-year study period, resulting in very few to none events in the period from 2000 to 2003. As far as it concerns the extreme O₃ concentrations, 34 air pollution events were identified, occurring under high air temperatures, variable weak winds and intense solar irradiation. The trends of O₃ concentrations are stronger in suburban sites than in urban ones.     

RELEVANT ASPECTS OF AIR QUALITY IN OPORTO (PORTUGAL): PM10 AND O3

The air quality Framework Directive (FWD) and the correspondent Daughter Directives defined the new strategy for air quality management in Europe. In general, the new standards are more restrictive than those established by the previous legislation. In Portugal, some difficulties can be previewed to achieve those new standards. Thus, this paper aims at evaluating the impact of application of the FWD to Oporto Metropolitan Area in what concerns to the most critical air pollutants in the area (PM₁₀ and O₃). The specific objectives were: i) to analyse the concentration exceedances between 1999 and 2001; ii) to identify the main emission sources; iii) to evaluate the possibility of a new redistribution of the existing monitoring sites; iv) to contribute to the definition of a new strategy for air quality management. The results showed that; i) the standard values for PM₁₀ and O₃ were largely surpassed, possibly concluding that the FWD application implies a strong impact on the air quality management strategies; ii) the main emission sources (road traffic and the neighbour stationary sources localised upwind) affect all the Metropolitan area through intra-region pollutant transport; iii) it is safer maintaining the site localisation to avoid previewing exceedances through mathematical correlations; iv) the reduction of PM₁₀ and of ozone precursors must be performed considering new technologies for cleaner production and gaseous depuration, a rigorous urban and territory planning, the creation of an efficient public transport network and the definition of strict measures for car maintenance.     

Synergistic action of tropospheric ozone and carbon dioxide on yield and nutritional quality of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.)

Field experiments were conducted in open top chamber during rabi seasons of 2009–10 and 2010–11 at the research farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of tropospheric ozone (O₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) interaction on yield and nutritional quality of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.). Mustard plants were grown from emergence to maturity under different treatments: charcoal-filtered air (CF, 80–85 % less O₃ than ambient O₃ and ambient CO₂), nonfiltered air (NF, 5–10 % less O₃ than ambient O₃ and ambient CO₂ ), nonfiltered air with elevated carbon dioxide (NF?+?CO₂, NF air and 550?±?50 ppm CO₂), elevated ozone (EO, NF air and 25–35 ppb elevated O₃), elevated ozone along with elevated carbon dioxide (EO?+?CO₂, NF air, 25–35 ppb O₃ and 550?±?50 ppm CO₂), and ambient chamber less control (AC, ambient O₃ and CO₂). Elevated O₃ exposure led to reduced photosynthesis and leaf area index resulting in decreased seed yield of mustard. Elevated ozone significantly decreased the oil and micronutrient content in mustard. Thirteen to 17 ppm hour O₃ exposure (accumulated over threshold of 40 ppm, AOT 40) reduced the oil content by 18–20 %. Elevated CO₂ (500?±?50 ppm) along with EO was able to counter the decline in oil content in the seed, and it increased by 11 to 13 % over EO alone. Elevated CO₂, however, decreased protein, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and sulfur content in seed as compared to the nonfiltered control, whereas removal of O₃ from air in the charcoal-filtered treatment resulted in a significant increase in the same.     

2019年江苏省PM2.5和O3多模式集合预报算法效果评估

基于江苏省重污染天气监测预报预警系统多模式预报结果,分析了不同数值模式对江苏省13个城市细颗粒物(PM_2.5)和臭氧(O₃)的预报偏差特征,发展了多模式集合预报算法,并对其进行了评估。结果表明,相较于单一数值模式,集合预报算法显著改善了PM_2.5和O₃预报的准确率,其对江苏省PM_2.5和O₃空气质量分指数等级的预报准确率超过了80%。就江苏省整体而言,PM_2.5集合预报的准确率相比最优单一数值模式提升了6%。O₃浓度较低时,集合预报能有效改善各模式存在的高估现象。但受限于目前的校正策略,出现高浓度O₃污染时,集合预报对预报效果的提升相对有限。     

An implementation plan for using biological indicators to improve assessment of water quality in Thailand

The present study showed a possibility to use phenotypic and proteomic responses in rice plants as an in vivo biomarker to detect higher concentrations of ambient ozone (O₃). The investigation was done on two cultivars of Indian rice using open top chambers ventilated with charcoal filtered air, ambient air, ambient air with 10 ppb O₃ exposure and ambient air with 20 ppb O₃ exposure at a rural site of Varanasi, India. Results showed that the magnitude of O₃ induced specific type of foliar injury directly depends on the duration and concentration of O₃ exposure. Even the internal protein profile of injured and normal leaf demonstrated a differential expression, which directly indicates towards the molecular basis of plant’s response against O₃.