Design of fuzzy synthetic evaluation model for air quality assessment

Little attention was paid to growing air quality concerns until about a decade earlier in India. Indian Government started continuous monitoring of the urban air quality in Taj corridor area to protect the heritage monuments like Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur National Park and also the human health associated with air pollution. The aim of this study was to address air quality assessment using fuzzy synthetic evaluation model. The model was designed for four air pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, suspended particulate matters and respirable suspended particulate matter). In the present paper, an approach is demonstrated for the determination of fuzzy air quality index by aggregating the four pollutants. The model also considers the weights of individual pollutants during aggregation. The weights of individual pollutants were determined using analytical hierarchical process. The model was applied for air quality assessment in four monitoring stations situated in Taj Trapezium Zone.     

Measuring neighbourhood air pollution: the case of Seattle's international district

Current US regulatory air quality monitoring networks measure ambient levels of pollutants and cannot capture the effects of mobile sources at the micro-scale. Despite the fact that overall air quality has been getting better, more vulnerable populations (children, the elderly, minorities and the poor) continue to suffer from traffic-related air pollution. As development intensifies in urban areas, more people are exposed to road-related air pollution. However, the only consideration given to air quality, if any, is based on ambient measures. This paper uses an inexpensive, portable Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP) to measure Black Carbon (BC) emissions, a surrogate for diesel fuels emissions, in Seattle's International District. With the aid of a GPS receiver, street-level BC data were geocoded in real space-time. It was found that pollution levels differed substantially across the study area. The results show the need for street-level air pollution monitoring, revisions in current land use and transportation policies, and air quality planning practice.     

The impact of urban growth on regional air quality surrounding the Langat River Basin, Malaysia

Studies of air quality were carried out in the towns of Kajang, Nilai and Banting in the Langat River Basin, southern region of Kuala Lumpur to determine the status and trend of air quality. The determination of air quality was based on several parameters such as suspended solids with diameters less than 10???m (PM₁₀) and gaseous pollutants of sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO). Primary concentration data of air pollutants were compiled through fieldwork studies and combined with secondary data obtained from the regular monitoring data as collected by Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (ASMA) on behalf of Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) at their stations in Kajang and Nilai. Results showed that the average concentrations of PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, O_3, and CO at all sampling stations were still below the permissible values recommended by the Malaysian DOE. The level of gaseous pollutants of NO₂, O_3, and CO was recorded at statistically higher levels (p?<?0.05) than values recorded at the control station at Pangsun Recreational Area. These pollutants were suspected to have originated mainly from exhaust systems of motor vehicles. Data for the years 1996 to 2006 as obtained from ASMA showed long-term air quality trends of increasing O₃ and NO₂ concentrations in Kajang whilst concentrations of PM₁₀ recorded at both Kajang and Nilai stations were mostly expected coming from transboundary sources especially biomass burning and the development activities around the study areas.     

济南市大气污染时空特征研究

为不断改善济南市大气环境质量,在广泛收集与整理相关资料和数据基础上,基于综合污染指数评价法及Arc-GIS平台空间插值法研究并表征了济南市“十一五”期间大气主要污染物的时、空变化特征及发展趋势;研究结果表明：济南市“十一五”期间大气环境质量变化较大,2007～2009年污染较为严重,之后有所改善;大气污染物浓度呈明显的季节变化特征,冬季污染最严重,夏季空气质量最好;首要污染物为PM10;污染较严重区域集中在济南市东北部地区;其变化原因受地理气候条件、产业结构和能源结构影响较大.该研究方法及结论对其他大中城市大气环境质量时空变化研究具有一定借鉴价值.     

Communication Strategy of Transboundary Air Pollution Findings in a US–Mexico Border XXI Program Project

From 1996 to 1997, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) conducted an air quality study known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP). The study was a US–Mexico Border XXI program project and was developed in response to local community requests on a need for more air quality measurements and concerns about the health impact of local air pollutants; this included concerns about emissions from border-dependent industries in Mexico, known as maquiladoras. The TAPP was a follow-up study to environmental monitoring done by EPA in this area in 1993 and incorporated scientific and community participation in development, review of results, and public presentation of findings. In spite of this, critical remarks were leveled by community activists against the study's preliminary “good news” findings regarding local air quality and the influence of transboundary air pollution. To resolve these criticisms and to refine the findings to address these concerns, analyses included comparisons of daily and near real-time measurements to TNRCC effects screening levels and data from other studies along with wind sector analyses. Reassessment of the data suggested that although regional source emissions occurred and outliers of elevated pollutant levels were found, movement of air pollution across the border did not appear to cause noticeable deterioration of air quality. In spite of limitations stated to the community, the TAPP was presented as establishing a benchmark to assess current and future transboundary air quality in the Valley. The study has application in Border XXI Program or other air quality studies where transboundary transport is a concern since it involved interagency coordination, public involvement, and communication of scientifically sound results for local environmental protection efforts.     

Environmental quality in India: Application of environmental Kuznets curve and Sustainable Human Development Index

This study explores the trend of selected air pollutants, carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen dioxide NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and particulate matter 10 microns in diameter (PM₁₀) in India. Environmental Kuznets curves (EKC), which show the association of the economy and pollution, are fitted for selected Indian states to understand whether EKC in India fits well with the inverted “U” shape. We observed that CO₂ and PM₁₀ are steadily increasing in India. The states of Kerala and Punjab follow the inverted “U” shape of EKC, while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra may take decades to reduce pollutants. A new Sustainable Human Development Index calculated in this paper indicates a diverse picture of Indian states, especially in regard to environmental parameters. The government needs to implement stringent, state‐specific laws and regulations to assist in curbing air pollutants. The time has also come to represent the rankings of states in terms of an environmentally inclusive development index.     

钢铁企业无组织排放特征污染物的监测分析

东部老工业区是济南市大气污染重点防控区域。工业区大型企业的无组织排放废气对区域及周边大气环境质量产生的影响,一直没有引起人们的足够重视,因对其排放量大小和污染物种类不清楚,难以进行监管。本文以济南东部老工业区一家大型钢铁企业为例,选取五项有代表性的特征污染物(苯、甲苯、二甲苯、非甲烷总烃和氨)进行布点监测,在不同气象条件下,分析特征污染物的浓度变化,了解钢铁企业无组织排放特征。经对监测数据的分析得出:与上风向相比,下风向各污染物监测的小时浓度和日均浓度均有不同程度的增加,表明该厂区污染源对周边环境空气质量有一定影响。最后,提出防范或改进措施,如应加严相应的无组织排放标准,增加大气在线监测点位及监测项目,建议企业加强对生产工艺环节无组织排放废气的收集和处理。     

空气质量预测模拟技术演变与发展研究

近年来我国的环境问题日益引人注目,大气污染问题显得尤为突出。空气质量预测技术方法能够提前预测区域空间内的大气污染物浓度,其发展十分迅速。本文介绍了一些国内外常用的空气质量预测技术方法的原理及案例,对其结果与局限性进行归纳总结,并对其未来发展提出展望。空气质量预测技术方法分为两类:数值模拟和统计学习,数值模拟通常可以分为第一代、第二代和第三代空气质量模型,统计学习可以分为简单经验统计和机器学习。两类方法的目的都是尽可能真实、准确地实现特定时间、特定区域范围内大气污染物浓度的预测,但两类方法的原理算法差异较大。该研究系统梳理了空气质量预测技术方法演变的历程和发展的现状,展望了其发展趋势,分析了建立、健全空气质量预测技术标准规范体系的重要性,提出了相关参考建议。     

Local and regional air quality impacts of airport operations

Summary This paper discusses the air quality impacts of airport operations. It considers a range of pollutants and identifies emission sources both within and surrounding airports as being important in contributing to the air quality experienced at an airport. These sources include aircraft operations, landside traffic, airside traffic and fuel-handling operations. The paper considers air quality impacts over the last 30 years and draws examples from a variety of European airports. The paper concludes with a forecast of likely changes in emission sources and strengths at airports over the next 15 years.Drs James Longhurst, Beth Conlan and David Raper are air quality scientists specializing in the study of airport impacts upon air quality. They are based in the Atmospheric Research and Information Centre of Manchester Metropolitan University.First submitted June 1994.     

秦皇岛市“十一五”期间环境质量变化趋势及成因分析

"十一五"期间,秦皇岛市环境质量总体趋于好转。环境空气质量Ⅱ级以上天数始终保持在350天以上,综合污染指数明显下降;城市集中式饮用水源地水质达标率100%;地表水河流Ⅲ类断面比例提高了43.8%;劣Ⅴ类断面比例降低了35.7%。近岸海域海水水质达标率100%,海水浴场水质良好。但存在局部空气污染严重、部分河段水质恶化等主要环境问题,针对上述问题提出了总量减排、污染物联控等对策建议。     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMBINED WATER QUALITY INDEX1

ABSTRACT: Use-oriented benefits and treatment costs analysis has been incorporated into a water quality index to show an economically optimized concentration for the treatment of the pollutants and the resulting water quality. This combined water quality index can be used in decisionmaking at the federal and local government levels. Five major pollutants, i.e., coliforms, nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solids, and detergent, have been considered for the municipal waste water. With each higher level of improvement the treatment costs increase accordingly and the benefits associated with the reuse of this treated waste water will increase too but not for the nutrient removal in agricultural use. The optimal concentration is determined when the marginal costs equal the marginal benefits. The combined water quality index is the combination of the maximum net benefits and the water quality index of the optimized residual concentrations. This water quality index is zero dollars for the Tucson region in this study. The possible reclaimed use of municipal waste water is for agricultural irrigation and recreational lakes for the Tucson region.     

Risk assessment for atmospheric environmental management: a case study in the Hunter Region of New South Wales,Australia

The theoretical framework of a risk assessment scheme is applied to air quality assessment in a developing region in Australia, the Hunter Valley in the state of New South Wales. It is found that the application of such a scheme high-lights a number of inadequacies in the air quality management. New modeling methodologies are found to be necessary to assess some air quality impacts, as existing knowledge is inadequate. The importance of extensive data bases is underlined as is the need for social surveys to supplement air pollution monitoring when gauging aesthetic effects of air pollutants.A visiting fellow on leave from the School of Australian Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.     

京津冀PM2.5浓度控制目标可达性分析

雾霾污染已成为京津冀地区最突出的环境问题,国务院颁布了《大气污染防治行动计划》,明确提出了京津冀地区雾霾治理的浓度目标和减排措施。但是这些减排措施能否够实现PM2.5的浓度目标呢?本文基于数据分析方法,量化了2013—2014年京津冀地区PM2.5浓度与污染物排放量的关系,预测了现有减排措施可以达到的PM2.5浓度以及实现既定的PM2.5浓度目标的大气污染物减排要求,对"大气十条"减排政策的有效性进行了科学评估。结果显示,现有的减排措施难以实现PM2.5浓度控制目标,天津和河北的大多数地市需要进一步加大污染物减排力度。河北的部分地市即使实现了PM2.5浓度下降25%的目标,PM2.5浓度仍然过高,应改下降百分比为绝对值目标。北京的污染物减排率过高,减排难度较大,可以考虑一个现实合理的PM2.5浓度目标和污染物减排计划。由于污染物减排行动涉及区域经济和民生保障,PM2.5浓度受到风力等自然因素的影响较大,京津冀地区的雾霾治理应确定现实可行的浓度控制目标,并制定相应的污染物排放量管理目标。     

Urban air pollution from the open burning of municipal solid waste

This study estimates the contribution from the open burning of municipal wastes in some of Nigeria's major cities to atmospheric levels of air pollutants. Information obtained on open burning emission factors and municipal solid waste (MSW) generation estimates was combined to estimate annual levels of the pollutants from the open burning of MSW. Per capita distributions of pollutants were calculated on the basis of cities’ populations. The estimates of inorganic emissions across the cities studied were from 913.73 to 81,600 tons per year (TPY) of particulate matter; 4,797 to 428,400 TPY of oxides of nitrogen; 342.65 to 30,600; and 57 to 5,100 TPY of sulfur dioxide, while the estimates for methane ranged from 742 to 66,300 TPY and for other nonmethane organic compounds ranged from 1,713 to 153,000 TPY. Given the composition of MSW in these cities, the nonmethane organic compounds are likely to be composed of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. Given the wide varieties of both inorganic and organic air pollutants released during the open burning of MSW and the associated human health and environmental impacts, it is high time that stakeholders at all levels of government came up with policies and regulatory measures for the management of MSW in the country.     

Strategies for Emission Reduction of Air Pollutants Produced from a Chemical Plant

Various air pollution control (APC) techniques were employed in order to reduce emissions of air pollutants produced from chemical plants, which have many different chemical production facilities. For an emission reduction of acid gases, this study employed a method to improve solubility of pollutants by decreasing the operating temperature of the scrubbers, increasing the surface area for effective contact of gas and liquid, and modifying processes in the acid scrubbers. To reduce emission of both amines and acid gases, pollutant gas components were first separated, then condensation and/or acid scrubbing, depending on the chemical and physical properties of pollutant components, were used. To reduce emission of solvents, condensation and activated carbon adsorption were employed. To reduce emission of a mixture gases containing acid gases and solvents, the mixed gases were passed into the first condenser, the acid scrubber, the second condenser, and the activated carbon adsorption tower in sequence. As a strategy to reduce emission of pollutants at the source, this study also employed the simple pollution prevention concept of modification of the previously operating APC control device. Finally, air emissions of pollutants produced from the chemical plants were much more reduced by applying proper APC methods, depending upon the types (physical or chemical properties) and the specific emission situations of pollutants.     

城市空气质量达标规划编制中的关键技术及其案例应用

本文结合重庆市空气质量限期达标规划编制案例,介绍了城市空气质量达标规划编制中的几个关键技术及其具体应用,包括本地化污染源排放清单编制、污染物来源解析、污染物排放形势预测与减排潜力分析以及大气环境容量核算等。本地化污染源排放清单是城市空气质量达标规划编制的基础,针对现有污染源制定科学合理的减排方案是达标规划的核心内容。分析不同区域的污染物组分浓度特征、污染源贡献以及未来污染排放形势预测,有助于识别出制约未来空气质量达标的关键因素及污染源。基于污染源减排潜力和污染传输矩阵制定的污染源减排方案更具合理性和可行性,应用空气质量模型估算大气环境容量可为规划目标可达性提供依据。     

Developing an Environmental Indicator System for Sustainable Development in China: Two Case Studies of Selected Indicators

Environmental indicator systems are a fundamental tool in quantifying the environmental component of sustainable development. They are useful because they quantify the status and trends of key environmental parameters and provide information on the environment that allows authorities and communities to make informed decisions. This article analyzes the basic framework for Chinese environmental indicator systems and presents a “core” set of environmental indicators. In our research, we used a theme approach to develop the environmental indicator systems. We performed two case studies of selected indicators. In the first, we used an urban ambient air pollution composite index and an urban ambient air pollution indicator for three main pollutants to examine trends in urban air pollution in China from 1990 to 2000 at regional and national levels. The results indicate that China has made some progress towards controlling urban air pollution, but must do more in order to reach acceptable pollution levels. We think that an aggregated index and disaggregated indicators have important complementary roles in the policy-making processes. In the second case study, we developed and constructed a grassland degradation index that aggregates information on the extent and severity of grassland degradation. Taking the Xilinhaote region of Inner Mongolia as the study area, we calculated this index by combining remote-sensing data, a geographical information system (GIS), and field investigation. Based on these results, we provide recommendations regarding further development and measurement of environmental indicators in China.     

Assessment and management of air quality for an opencast coal mining area

A study for the assessment and management of the air quality was carried out at Lakhanpur area of Ib Valley Coalfield in Orissa state in India. The 24-h average concentrations of total suspended particulate (TSP) matter, respirable particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) were monitored during 1 year period. Samplings were done at a regular interval through out the year at 13 monitoring stations in the residential areas and four monitoring stations in the mining/industrial areas. The 24-hr average TSP and PM10 concentrations ranged from 338.8 to 799.8 microg m(-3) and 102.5-425.6 microg m(-3) for industrial area, and 72.3-497.1 microg m(-3) and 40.8-171.9 microg m(-3) for residential area, respectively. During the study period 24-hr and annual average TSP and PM10 concentrations exceeded the respective standards set in the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) protocol at most residential and industrial areas. However, 24-hr and annual average concentrations of SO2 and NOx were well within the prescribed limit of NAAQS both in the residential and industrial areas. The annual and 24-hr average concentrations varied from 23.3 to 36.8 microg m(-3) and 16.0-55.2 microg m(-3) for SO2 and 23.9-41.9 microg m(-3) and 19.0-58.1 microg m(-3) for NOx, respectively. The temporal variations of TSP and PM10 fitted polynomial trend with an average correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.77 (+/-0.17) for TSP and 0.85 (+/-0.10) for PM10. On average the PM10 in the ambient air of the mining area constituted 31.94 (+/-1.76)% of the TSP. The linear regression correlation coefficient (R2) between TSP with PM10 and NOx with SO2 was 0.86 (+/-0.12) and 0.57 (+/-0.20), respectively. Maximal concentrations of TSP and PM10 occurred within the mining site based on the kriging technique. A management strategy is formulated for effective control of air pollution at source and other mitigative measures recommended including implementation of green belts around the sensitive areas where the concentration of air pollutants exceeded the standard limit.     

Evidence of integration of air quality management in the decision-making processes and procedures of English local government

The air quality management (AQM) framework in the UK is a risk management approach using effects-based objectives for air pollutants to determine the need for action. The Environment Act 1995 required a National Air Quality Strategy to be published, setting out health-based standards and objectives for eight pollutants, of which seven are to managed at a local scale. Because of the variety of sources of air pollution, if the AQM process is to succeed in the long term, solutions to identified problems will be required from transport, land use and economic planning sectors of local government in liaison with various other agencies, regulators and outside bodies. As such the task is inherently multi-disciplinary and an integrated, collaborative approach will be necessary. Although this observation is now fairly well documented, there is still little guidance relating to how, in relation to air quality management, integration can actually be accomplished. This paper presents some observations from case studies undertaken as part of a longer-term research study and in particular focuses on the identified problems of involving non-air-quality professionals in a highly technical scientific process. Various approaches to the collaborative aspects of air quality management will be presented. These case studies represent local authorities of different sizes in different political and organisational situations facing a range of air quality challenges. The creation of project teams or task forces is judged particularly useful for local air quality management. Methods that could be applied more widely include appointing individuals as integrators, and rotation of key personnel.     

都江堰市2001～2010年城市环境空气质量变化分析

本文以2001～2010年都江堰市大气环境监测数据为依据,采用综合污染指数法分析了都江堰市近10年环境空气质量的现状、变化趋势及影响因素,并分析比较2008年地震前后空气污染物的变化。结果表明：都江堰市的空气综合污染指数较低（1