Cost-Effective Control of Ground-Level Ozone Pollution in and around Beijing

Abstract

Ground level ozone pollution has become a significant air pollution problem in Beijing. Because of the complex way in which ozone is formed, it is difficult for policy makers to identify optimal control options on a cost-effective basis. This paper identifies and assesses a range of options for addressing this problem. We apply the Ambient Least Cost Model and compare the economic costs of control options, then recommend the most effective sequence to realize pollution control at the lowest cost. The study finds that installing of Stage II gasoline vapor recovery system at Beijing’s 1446 gasoline stations would be the most cost-effective option. Overall, options to reduce ozone pollution by cutting vehicular emissions are much more cost-effective than options to “clean up” coal-fired power plants.     

Ozone control strategies in the United States

Conventional control strategies for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a precursor to ozone, are identified. The control measures have been adopted by states in their efforts to attain the national ambient air quality standard for ozone by statutorily mandated deadlines. An inventory of viable control approaches for VOCs is presented, rather than a discussion of the approaches' comparative merits or of available alternatives. Focus is placed upon the technologies and control measures that U.S. EPA has identified as “reasonably available”, considering such criteria as effectiveness, costs, and associated energy and environmental impacts. These regulatory approaches include such strategies as vapor control in gasoline marketing, low solvent technologies and/or add-on control equipment for surface coating operations, and vehicle inspection and maintenance programs. By adopting these and additional control measures, as required, most states are projecting attainment of the ozone standard by 1987.     

Comparison of temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Ozone Pollution at Ground Level in the Eastern China

Monitoring data from ozone（O3） automatic stations in three typical cities with different climatic areas in the southern and northern parts of eastern China are used to analyze temporal and spatial characteristics of ozone pollution at ground level. The results show that ozone pollution level has distinct regional differences and the concentration in the suburbs is higher than that in the urban areas. The seasonal variation of ozone concentration in different climatic areas is greatly affected by the variation of precipitation. Ozone concentration in Shenyang and Beijing , in the temperate zone, has one perennial peak concentration, occurring in early summer, May or June. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou, in sub-tropical zone, has two peak values year round. The highest values occur in October and the secondary high value in June. The ozone season in the south is longer than that in the north. The annual average daily peak value of ozone concentrations in different climates usually occur around 3 pm. The diurnal variation range of ozone concentration declines with the increase of latitude. Ozone concentration does not elevate with the increase of traffic flow. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou has a distinct reverse relation to CO and NOx. This complicated non-linearity indicates that the equilibrium of ozone photochemical reaction has regional differences. Exceeding the rate of Beijing＇s lh ozone concentration is higher than that of Guangzhou, whereas the average 8h ozone level is lower than that of Guangzhou, indicating that areas in low latitude are more easily affected by moderate ozone concentrations and longer exposure. Thus, China should work out standards for 8h ozone concentration.     

Paradoxical ozone associations could be due to methyl nitrite from combustion of methyl ethers or esters in engine fuels

We review studies of the effects of low ambient ozone concentrations on morbidity that found a negative coefficient for ozone concentration. We call this a Paradoxical Ozone Association (POA). All studies were in regions with methyl ether in gasoline. All but one study carefully controlled for the effects of other criterion pollutants, so the phenomenon cannot be attributed to them. One was in southern California in mid-summer when ozone levels are highest. Because ozone is created by sunlight, the most plausible explanation for a POA would be an ambient pollutant that is rapidly destroyed by sunlight, such as methyl nitrite (MN). A previously published model of engine exhaust chemistry suggested methyl ether in the fuel will create MN in the exhaust. MN is known to be highly toxic, and closely related alkyl nitrites are known to induce respiratory sensitivity in humans. Support for the interpretation comes from many studies, including three linking asthma symptoms to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and the observation that a POA has not been seen in regions without ether in gasoline. We also note that studies in southern California show a historical trend from more significant to less significant ozone-health associations. The timing of those changes is consistent with the known timing of the introduction of gasoline oxygenated with MTBE in that region.     

Can fine particulate matter explain the paradoxical ozone associations?

Our previous paper entitled "Paradoxical ozone associations could be due to methyl nitrite from combustion of methyl ethers or esters in engine fuels" (Env. Int.. 2007;33;1090) reviewed 11 studies of the impact of ozone on human health that, paradoxically, found a negative coefficient for ozone-morbidity associations. We argued that the most likely explanation for this effect would be methyl nitrite (MN) as an unsuspected exhaust component of engines with methyl ether in the fuel. The basis of the argument was the fact that MN is rapidly destroyed by sunlight, so that MN would be negatively correlated with ozone. All (but one) of the reviewed studies concluded that criterion pollutants could not explain the negative slope. The argument was strengthened by the observation that such paradoxical ozone associations have not been found in regions without significant methyl ether in gasoline. Left unaddressed in the previous paper was the possibility that fine particulate matter (FPM) might explain the POA. If this were true, then it would be necessary that the FPM be negatively correlated with ozone in those regions that found a POA. The current paper reviews data on FPM-ozone correlations in those regions where a POA was identified. The results show that FPM was, in most cases, positively correlated with ozone and so could not explain the POA.     

Comparison of temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Ozone Pollution at Ground Level in the Eastern China

Abstract

Monitoring data from ozone(O₃ automatic stations in three typical cities with different climatic areas in the southern and northern parts of eastern China are used to analyze temporal and spatial characteristics of ozone pollution at ground level. The results show that ozone pollution level has distinct regional differences and the concentration in the suburbs is higher than that in the urban areas. The seasonal variation of ozone concentration in different climatic areas is greatly affected by the variation of precipitation. Ozone concentration in Shenyang and Beijing, in the temperate zone, has one perennial peak concentration, occurring in early summer, May or June. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou, in sub-tropical zone, has two peak values year round. The highest values occur in October and the secondary high value in June. The ozone season in the south is longer than that in the north. The annual average daily peak value of ozone concentrations in different climates usually occur around 3 pm. The diurnal variation range of ozone concentration declines with the increase of latitude. Ozone concentration does not elevate with the increase of traffic flow. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou has a distinct reverse relation to CO and NO_x. This complicated non-linearity indicates that the equilibrium of ozone photochemical reaction has regional differences. Exceeding the rate of Beijing's 1h ozone concentration is higher than that of Guangzhou, whereas the average 8h ozone level is lower than that of Guangzhou, indicating that areas in low latitude are more easily affected by moderate ozone concentrations and longer exposure. Thus, China should work out standards for 8h ozone concentration.     

PM_(2.5)污染对京津冀地区人群健康影响和经济影响

京津冀地区是中国工业最为发达的地区之一和空气污染最严重的地区之一,也是国家控制空气污染的重点区域。空气污染导致的健康影响不仅会增加额外健康支出,还会导致过早死亡和工作时间减少,进而影响宏观经济发展。为了评估该地区PM_(2.5)污染引起的健康问题对宏观经济的影响,以及控制空气污染后带来的经济效益和福利的影响,本研究结合可计算一般均衡模型(Computable General Equilibrium)、温室气体与大气污染物协同效益模型(The Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies-Model,GAINS-Model)和健康影响模型对2020年京津冀地区PM_(2.5)污染引起的健康影响和经济影响进行评估。模型结果表明,2020年Wo Pol情景下PM_(2.5)污染引起的额外健康支出分别为北京44.2亿元、天津27.5亿元、河北97.5亿元。PM_(2.5)污染引起人均每年劳动时间损失分别为北京81.3小时、天津89.6小时、河北73.1小时。而劳动力供给和劳动时间减少所造成GDP和福利损失依次为天津(GDP和福利损失分别为2.79%和8.11%),其次为北京(2.46%和5.10%)、河北(2.15%和3.44%)。如果采取积极的控制空气污染物排放政策,在2020年WPol情景下,PM_(2.5)污染引起的额外健康支出分别为北京8.8亿元、天津4.9亿元、河北2.0亿元,较Wo Pol情景下显著下降。PM_(2.5)污染引起人均劳动时间损失分别下降为北京22.0小时、天津23.2小时、河北22.4小时。空气污染物控制政策给北京、天津和河北带来的经济效益分别相当于GDP的1.75%、2.02%和1.46%。因此,本研究显示控制京津冀地区PM_(2.5)污染带来的经济效益非常可观,其中天津效益最高,其次为北京,河北最低。空气污染物的迁移扩散会影响周边省市的空气质量,因此京津冀地区联合控制空气污染效果更好。     

Atmospheric Mercury Pollution in Beijing

Abstract

The atmospheric mercury pollution in Beijing is a serious problem. Atmospheric mercury has three sources: natural emission, anthropogenic emission and previously deposited mercury reemission or recycling, composing elemental mercury, divalent mercury and particulate-phase mercury. Many studies showed that mercury in Beijing’s air was higher than the general level of mercury concentration in the atmosphere. Mercury emission sources were discussed. Industrial emissions, coal burning, vehicle exhaust emissions and waste incineration were thought to be the main sources of atmospheric mercury pollution in Beijing. And also meteorology has an effect on atmospheric mercury concentration in Beijing. Measures have been taken to control the emission of mercury into the air in recent years.     

Harmful and Needless Emission of Refrigerant and Countermeasures

Refrigerants used in refrigerators are an important source of ozone depleting substances released into the atmosphere, and can have a significantly negative effect on the hole in the ozone layer. But most-emission of refrigerants is man-made, unreasonable and needless. Since in most emission cases the refrigerants are contained in the refrigerators, we can retrieve them by some technique that changes the ＇manual emission＇ into manual retrieving. To promote the retrieval action and diminish the pollution, society can use economic, administrative and technical countermeasures, which can create a ＇good-cycle＇ both ＇harnessing pollution and earning income simultaneously＇, reinforce the motive of retrieving, and retrieve most proportion of refrigerants used by＇all refrigerators. This ＇good-cycle＇ method can be easily promoted, and also a valuable way to promote other forms of environmental protection. The three countermeasures have almost no social cost, even no cost at all.     

Economic Valuation of Health Impact of PM10 Pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006

In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing,this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM10 pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006,taking health as the main impact,and mortality as the main outcome.Based on the literature review,this study adopts relatively conservative parameters as the basis for calculating the health impacts.It concludes that nearly 30% of mortality among registered residents above age 30 in Beijing can be attributed to PM10 pollution,and that the economic cost equals 0.8%-1.2% of the city's GDP over the same period.This is lower than the results of previous studies,but still high enough to warrant a commitment to solve the city's air pollution problem.     

Harmful and Needless Emission of Refrigerant and Countermeasures

Abstract

Refrigerants used in refrigerators are an important source of ozone depleting substances released into the atmosphere, and can have a significantly negative effect on the hole in the ozone layer. But most emission of refrigerants is man-made, unreasonable and needless. Since in most emission cases the refrigerants are contained in the refrigerators, we can retrieve them by some technique that changes the ‘manual emission’ into manual retrieving. To promote the retrieval action and diminish the pollution, society can use economic, administrative and technical countermeasures, which can create a ‘good-cycle’ both ‘harnessing pollution and earning income simultaneously’, reinforce the motive of retrieving, and retrieve most proportion of refrigerants used by all refrigerators. This ‘good-cycle’ method can be easily promoted, and also a valuable way to promote other forms of environmental protection. The three countermeasures have almost no social cost, even no cost at all.     

Economic Valuation of Health Impact of PM10 Pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006

Abstract

In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing, this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM₁₀ pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006, taking health as the main impact, and mortality as the main outcome. Based on the literature review, this study adopts relatively conservative parameters as the basis for calculating the health impacts. It concludes that nearly 30% of mortality among registered residents above age 30 in Beijing can be attributed to PM₁₀ pollution, and that the economic cost equals 0.8%–1.2% of the city’s GDP over the same period. This is lower than the results of previous studies, but still high enough to warrant a commitment to solve the city’s air pollution problem.     

北京市发展CNG汽车的条件与前景分析

北京市汽车排放污染物贡献率已达到：HC73.5％，CO63．4％，NOx46％。用CNG代替汽油作汽车燃料，可使CO减少97％、HC减少72％、NOx减少39％、CO2减少24％、SO2减少90％。建立CNG加气站和CNG汽车改装这两个CNG应用关键问题在技术上、经济上都是可行的。北京市CNG燃料来源有保障。北京市车辆都比较适合使用CNG气体燃料。北京有很强的CNG汽车产业科技力量。对北京市当前发展CNG汽车产业提出了一些建议。     

The design considerations for ozone and acid aerosol exposure and health investigations: The fairview lake summer camp — Photochemical smog case study

The health effects associated with ozone and acidic particulate sulfate exposures to active children have been and are being addressed in field epidemiological studies at summar camps in rural areas of the Northeastern U.S. The rationale and study design for studies, which have been conducted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are developed and reviewed. As background, results are summarized for human clinical and epidemiological studies and animal studies. These provided the basis for selection of health outcomes measured results from chemical characterization and transport studies are reviewed to define the criteria used for selection of a site which is effected by high ozone and acid species during photochemical smog episodes. The integration of the study design is discussed in detail by reviewing it application to the 1984 — Fairview Lake Camp Study (July 8 to August 4). The features of the camp study are reviewed, including the study population, pulmonary function procedures and analyses, air pollution monitoring instrumentation, and the site characteristics. The pollution exposure data are presented, for ozone and acidic sulfates and examined for the range and distribution concentration. Further information is provided on the intensity and duration of episodes encountered over the course of the study. Episodes occurred which had ozone and acid sulfates, ozone alone, and acid sulfates alone.     

Policy Options for Sustainable Development in Urban Transport: Analysis of Energy Consumption and Environmental Benefit Influenced by Different Transport Policies in Beijing

Transportation is a sector with high energy consumption as well as high emissions. Generally speaking, economic growth will inevitably lead to the increase of travel demand and vehicle population, which in turn results into the augmentation of environmental and social costs. For metropolis like Beijing under rapid development, there exist various possibilities and options for transport development policy instruments. But there is no guarantee that they will be suitable for Beijing, although they are effective in their local places. This article assesses what kind of policy can most effectively improve the traffic conditions in Beijing in the future. After literature reviews on the practices of foreign policy and we established several feasible scenarios. Then, we used the Long Range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LREAP) analyzed their corresponding results of reduced energy consumption and emissions. Finally, by simulating and computing the realistic Beijing transportation scenarios, this paper scientifically assesses what kind of policy can most effectively improve the traffic condition in Beijing in the coming decade.     

Prediction of maximum daily ozone level using combined neural network and statistical characteristics

Analysis and forecasting of air quality parameters are important topics of atmospheric and environmental research today due to the health impact caused by air pollution. As one of major pollutants, ozone, especially ground level ozone, is responsible for various adverse effects on both human being and foliage. Therefore, prediction of ambient ozone levels in certain environment, especially the ground ozone level in densely urban areas, is of great importance to urban air quality and city image. To date, though several ozone prediction models have been established, there is still a need for more accurate models to develop effective warning strategies. The development of such models is difficult because the meteorological variables and the photochemical reactions involved in ozone formation are very complex. The present work aims to develop an improved neural network model, which combines the adaptive radial basis function (ARBF) network with statistical characteristics of ozone in selected specific areas, and is used to predict the daily maximum ozone concentration level. The improved method is trained and testified by hourly time series data collected at three air pollutant-monitoring stations in Hong Kong during 1999 and 2000. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and the reliability of the proposed method.     

Quantifying effects of oxidant air pollutants on agricultural crops

Estimating risks of air pollution damage to agricultural crops requires identifying crop location and size, likely doses, models for translating dose to response, and measures of response appropriate for economic analysis. Assessment of risk requires compatible data sets for each of these variables. Analysis of air pollution mixtures suggests that oxidant crop damage is caused by three compounds: ozone, nitrogen oxides, and peroxyacetylnitrates. The phytotoxicity of ozone, the most prevalent photochemical oxidant, has been studied more extensively than the other two oxidants, and its effects on vegetation are best understood. Response of vegetation to air pollutants was first characterized by foliar or visible injury. Subsequent research indicated that foliar injury did not translate directly into reduced plant growth or yield, which can be measured. Response to air pollutants may be influenced by physical, biological, and environmental factors. Inherent genetic resistance is probably the most important single factor affecting plant response, although environmental factors influencing stomatal aperture may also be important. For several crops open-top chamber studies and cross sectional analyses of field data provide adequate information to develop dose-response functions. All of these studies have both strengths and weaknesses. Although a number of different models exist for selected crops, there is no single biological or statistical criterion which identifies the best or most accurate model.     

Existing oxidant/ozone standards in OECD countries

This paper describes the historical development and current legislation to control photochemical oxidant pollution in OECD countries. Policies for implementing, attaining, and maintaining ambient air quality standards or goals are discussed, problems associated with the various steps are highlighted, and the possibility of international policy guidelines which could control pollution across national frontiers is considered. To date, only a few countries have formulated ambient air quality standards for ozone/ oxidants; these standards are usually short-term averages over 1 h, ranging from 0.06 ppm (μL/L) in Japan to 0.12 ppm (μL/L) in the United States. The current interest in air quality management on an international scale leads to the conclusion that successful control of photochemical oxidant pollution would be best accomplished through the establishment of internationally acceptable standards or goals for oxidants/ozone based on health effects and other relevant environmental impacts, in combination with control strategies developed and implemented on an international level.     

Control of industrial air pollution through sustainable development

The environmental issue has become a major subject in the last few decades affecting science and technology throughout the world due to the serious environmental impacts caused by industrial air pollution. Consequently, pulse jet filtration has become the preferred choice all around the world. Researchers are continuously striving for new concepts of more energy-efficient and compact particulate collector which can meet future emission limits and operating requirements. The system can also satisfy stringent emission norms and if required, it can be embedded with new technique for simultaneous control of particulate and gaseous pollutants. In the recent past, stress is also being given to having control over the source to reduce or eliminate waste, and finally, on waste management. Prevention is frequently more cost-effective than control. The paper discusses all these methodology toward sustainability in the perspective of effective control of industrial air pollution.     

湖域工业点源初始排污权配置定额模型与算法研究

针对湖域工业点源初始排污权定额配置问题,以“公平、效率、可行”为配置原则,通过引入权重系数的字典序最小化最大值方法,构建了基于多主体多种初始排污权多期配置的字典序定额模型,并给出求解算法。进而以江苏省太湖流域27类主要工业行业的初始氨氮排污权单期配置为例,从行业初始排污权短缺率与行业治污效益两方面,对比分析了基于等短缺率定额模型、等环境容量比例定额模型、字典序定额模型计算得到的3种定额配置方案效果。结果表明：相对于另外两种定额模型,字典序定额模型所得配置方案可实现平均行业短缺率最小(4613%),平均行业治污效益最大。研究也表明在“公平、效率、可行”配置原则下,字典序定额配置方法能够更为有效的促进企业治污技术提标升级和区域产业结构升级