Skill and uncertainty of a regional air quality model ensemble

Recently several regional air quality projects were carried out to support the negotiation under the Clean Air For Europe (CAFE) programme by predicting the impact of emission control policies with an ensemble of models. Within these projects, CITYDELTA and EURODELTA, the fate of air quality at the scale of European cities or that of the European continent was studied using several models. In this article we focus on the results of EURODELTA. The predictive skill of the ensemble of models is described for ozone, nitrogen dioxide and secondary inorganic compounds, and the uncertainty in air quality modelling is examined through the model ensemble spread of concentrations.For ozone daily maxima the ensemble spread origin differs from one region to another. In the neighbourhood of cities or in mountainous areas the spread of predicted values does not span the range of observed data, due to poorly resolved emissions or complex-terrain meteorology. By contrast in Atlantic and North Sea coastal areas the spread of predicted values is found to be larger than the observations. This is attributed to large differences in the boundary conditions used in the different models. For NO₂ daily averages the ensemble spread is generally too small compared with observations. This is because models miss highest values occurring in stagnant meteorology in stable boundary layers near cities. For secondary particulate matter compounds the simulated concentration spread is more balanced, observations falling nearly equiprobably within the ensemble, and the spread originates both from meteorology and aerosol chemistry and thermodynamics.     

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on environment: the case of the major cities in Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In Wuhan city, China, a pneumonia-like disease of unknown origin triggered a catastrophe. This disease has spread to 215 nations, affecting a diverse...     

Interaction between meteorological parameters and COVID-19: an ecological study on 406 authorities of the UK

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Understanding the factors affecting COVID-19 transmission is critical in assessing and mitigating the spread of the pandemic. This study investigated...     

The socioeconomic and environmental drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic: A review

In recent decades, there has been an intensification of the socioeconomic and environmental drivers of pandemics, including ecosystem conversion, meat consumption, urbanization, and connectivity among cities and countries. This paper reviews how these four systemic drivers help explain the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent emerging infectious diseases, and the policies that can be adopted to mitigate their risks. Land-use change and meat consumption increase the likelihood of pathogen spillover from animals to people. The risk that such zoonotic outbreaks will then spread to become pandemics is magnified by growing urban populations and the networks of trade and travel within and among countries. Zoonotic spillover can be mitigated through habitat protection and restrictions on the wildlife trade. Containing infectious disease spread requires a high degree of coordination among institutions across geographic jurisdictions and economic sectors, all backed by international investment and cooperation.     

Testing the asymmetric causal nexus of housing-oil prices and pandemic uncertainty in four major economies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The spread of COVID-19 worldwide has shown how quick global economy can become affected when ones’ health and future are at risk. This paper...     

Reducing the risk of invasive forest pests and pathogens: Combining legislation,targeted management and public awareness

Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the EU) with protection against invasive pests and pathogens. Public awareness may mobilise the public for prevention and detection of potential invasions and, simultaneously, increase support for eradication and control measures. We recommend focus on commodities in addition to pathways, an approach within the EU using a centralised response unit and, critically, to engage the general public in the battle against establishment and spread of these harmful pests and pathogens.     

COVID-19, the firestone in 21st century: a review on coronavirus disease and its clinical perspectives

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak began in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and have since spread globally. Deep...     

Environmental impacts of the widespread use of chlorine-based disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chlorinated disinfectants are widely used in hospitals, COVID-19 quarantine facilities, households, institutes, and public areas to combat the spread...     

The effects of drop size and formulation upon the spread of pesticide droplets impacting on water‐sensitive papers

Abstract

The effects of drop size and formulation upon the spread of pesticide droplets impacting on water‐sensitive papers (WSPs) was investigated. Droplets of diameter 70–350 μm, of four permethrin formulations, were produced using a monosize droplet generator. The droplets were collected on WSPs and in Dow Corning fluid and their diameters measured using a binocular microscope. Spread factors, upon the WSPs, for each dropsize/formulation combination were then calculated. Spread factors varied with both formulation and droplet size and for droplets of 200 and 300 μm diameter spread was significantly correlated with the dynamic surface tension of the formulation. The results suggest that proper calibration of WSPs is necessary for effective droplet sizing.     

A combined first-order closure/gaussian dispersion model

A dispersion model incorporating a large wind direction shear has been developed for an industrialized coastal area with an indented coastline and rough terrain. The model is based on a first-order closure solution for the vertical spread and a Gaussian profile for the lateral spread. Lateral spread is obtained by numerical integration of turbulent energy spectra. The model is verified against a large number of tracer experiments with near surface release within industrial complexes. The model is shown to correctly simulate shear-enhanced spread out to a distance of 10 km from the source. Part of the observed scatter is believed to be the result of an oversimplified plume rise calculation.     

COVID-19: a new emerging respiratory disease from the neurological perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a challenging public health catastrophe worldwide. The newly emerged disease spread in almost all...     

TiO2-NPs and cadmium co-exposure: in vitro assessment of genetic and genomic DNA damage on Dicentrarchus labrax embryonic cells

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The increased titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) spread and their interaction with organic and inorganic pollutants arouses concern for the...     

Interspecific competition between Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlamydomonas microsphaera stressed by tetracyclines

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The extensive use of tetracyclines in human and veterinary medicine causes contamination in the environment that could contribute to the spread of...     

Perspectives of the chemical fate and toxicity of pesticides

Abstract

The wide‐spread use of pesticides in modern agriculture has created a need to investigate the chemical transformation of pesticides in plants and animals. This paper reviews the chemical and biochemical fate of various pesticides and other xenobiotics. Photochemical mechanisms appear to be the most common pathways for the abiotic transformation of these chemicals. Biotic transformation includes a large group of biochemical reactions which may result in either deactivation (detoxication) or activation (toxication) of bioactive compounds. The need for quality control in the production of pesticides is also discussed.     

Using social media images to assess ecosystem services in a remote protected area in the Argentinean Andes

Ambio - Social media images are a novel source of data to assess how people view and value the environment. Access to these images is often free, the volume and spread of images is expanding...     

COVID-19: From health crises to food security anxiety and policy implications

Like the rest of the world, African countries are reeling from the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19. The continent’s governments have responded by imposing rigorous lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. The various lockdown measures are undermining food security, because stay at home orders have among others, threatened food production for a continent that relies heavily on agriculture as the bedrock of the economy. This article draws on quantitative data collected by the GeoPoll, and, from these data, assesses the effect of concern about the local spread and economic impact of COVID-19 on food worries. Qualitative data comprising 12 countries south of the Sahara reveal that lockdowns have created anxiety over food security as a health, economic and human rights/well-being issue. By applying a probit model, we find that concern about the local spread of COVID-19 and economic impact of the virus increases the probability of food worries. Governments have responded with various efforts to support the neediest. By evaluating the various policies rolled out we advocate for a feminist economics approach that necessitates greater use of data analytics to predict the likely impacts of intended regulatory relief responses during the recovery process and post-COVID-19.     

Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19: therapeutic promises,current status,and environmental implications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The outbreak of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected the entire world with its infectious spread and...     

电除尘器进气烟箱参数对气流分布影响的仿真研究

电除尘器进气烟箱结构参数不仅对除尘器内部气流分布的均匀性产生重要影响,而且还会影响除尘效率和排放指标。针对电除尘器进气烟箱结构参数选取与气流分布均匀性问题,采用欧拉-拉格朗日多相流模型,对进气烟箱扩散角,气流分布板孔形、开孔率和导流板角度等参数,进行了三维流场模拟仿真计算,获得各参数对气流均匀性的影响关系规律。仿真结果表明:方形孔的气流分布板能获得较佳的气流分布均匀性;合理调节进气烟箱扩散角、开孔率和导流板角度可有效地改善电场内气流分布状况。研究结果可为电除尘器进气烟箱的设计与改进提供依据。     

How geographic diversification affects corporate social responsibility? The moderating effects of ownership and environmental regulation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - As a popular strategy for firms to spread risk and reduce cost, geographic diversification might lead to more pressure from multidimensional...     

Environmental fate of chlordecone in coastal habitats: recent studies conducted in Guadeloupe and Martinique (Lesser Antilles)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The organochlorine pollution by chlordecone, an insecticide spread in the past in banana plantations, is now recognized as a major ecological,...