Vegetation fire emissions and their impact on air pollution and climate

Gaseous and particulate emissions from vegetation fires substantially modify the atmospheric chemical composition, degrade air quality and can alter weather and climate. The impact of vegetation fire emissions on air pollution and climate has been recognised in the late 1970s. The application of satellite data for fire-related studies in the beginning of the 21th century represented a major break through in our understanding of the global importance of fires. Today the location and extent of vegetation fires, burned area and emissions released from fires are determined from satellite products even though many uncertainties persist. Numerous dedicated experimental and modeling studies contributed to improve the current knowledge of the atmospheric impact of vegetation fires. The motivation of this paper is to give an overview of vegetation fire emissions, their environmental and climate impact, and what improvements can be expected in the near future.     

Organochlorine pollutants in human blood and their relation with age, gender and habitat from North-east India

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been beneficial to man and environment but their inadvertent use has caused considerable harm to human health. Despite the proliferation of different types of pesticides, organochlorines such as HCH and DDT still account for two third of the total consumption in India because of their low cost and versatility in action again various pests. Since, Assam, a state in North-eastern part of India is an endemic area with perennial transmission where mosquito borne diseases are serious health problems; these pesticides are still being used in huge quantities in vector control as well as in agriculture. A total of 331 human blood samples were collected from district Nagaon and Dibrugarh of Assam to determine the residue levels of DDT and HCH in human blood. The concentrations of selected persistent organochlorine pollutants were measured with gas chromatography-electron capture detector. The results demonstrated that the mean levels of total DDT and HCH were 743 μg L(-1) and 627 μg L(-1) for district Nagaon while 417 μg L(-1) and 348 μg L(-1) for district Dibrugarh. The difference of total HCH and total DDT between these two districts was found to be highly significant (P<0.0001). Among DDT metabolites, the same trend was observed for both the districts as p,p-DDT was the principal component contributed 41% for Nagaon and 58% for Dibrugarh. In case of HCH residues, for Nagaon, β-HCH was the predominant contaminant comprised more than 34% while for Dibrugarh, it was α-HCH that was contributing 43% of total HCH concentration.     

Interlink between pollution and COVID-19 in India: compelling view and key attributes

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pollution and pollution-related consequences have a historic reputation, being even considered as chief causative agents behind several tragedies...     

Generation and growth of aerosols over Pune,India

The measured physical size distributions of sub-micron particles during cold season at Pune, India are analyzed to explore the characteristics of nucleation and growth properties. Preliminary analysis of aerosol size distribution in time-series shows large increase in number concentration due to nucleation events between 0800 h and 1030 h at this location. The observable quantities such as condensable vapor concentration (C), its source rate (Q), growth rate (GR) and condensable sink (CS) are estimated from the time-series evolutions of aerosol size distributions. The concentration of vapor and its source rate were about 19.8 ± 2.15 × 10⁷ molecules cm^?3 and 1.28 ± 0.084 × 10⁷ cm^?3 s^?1 respectively. The average condensation sink and growth rate were 7.1 ± 0.4 × 10^?2 s^?1 and 16.95 ± 1.86 nm h^?1 respectively during the growth period. The values are high enough to trigger the nucleation bursts and enhance subsequent growth rates of nucleation mode particles at this location. The magnitudes are in the range of those observed at New Delhi, India and much higher than those of European cities. The ratio of apparent to real nucleation rate is found to be a measure of number concentration of freshly produced particles by photo-chemical nucleation. The predicted number concentrations corresponding to measured distributions of mid-point diameter increases with the size for both 1 nm nucleated clusters and 3 nm particles. The database of all the possible event days and the event characteristics forms the basis for future works into the causes and implications of atmospheric particle formation at this location.     

Physiological and chemical response of the lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale, to the urban environment of Kolkata, India

The present study was focused on the effect of increasing urbanization including industrial and traffic activity on the accumulation of heavy metals and possible damage of selected physiological parameters (composition of assimilation pigments, membrane lipid peroxidation, and membrane integrity) of an epiphytic foliose lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale. The lichen samples were collected from three different localities in and around Kolkata, India, two sites being from the urban area and one from the relatively non-polluted sub-urban area. The results showed that thalli from the urban sites have significantly higher concentrations of Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb compared to those collected from the sub-urban site. Physiological parameters of damage also exhibited stress symptoms in thalli from the urban sites—decreased chlorophyll a indicating less photosynthetic efficiency, and increase in lipid peroxidation and electrolyte conductivity indicating cell membrane injuries. Correlation studies among metals pinpointed vehicular traffic as the main source of pollution in this area.     

Pollution assessment and mapping of potentially toxic elements (PTE) distribution in urban wastewater fed natural wetland,Kolkata, India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - East Kolkata Wetland (EKW) is one of the largest sewage-fed wetlands in the world, which support the livelihood of thousands of peoples. However, at...     

Rainfall trends in twentieth century over Kerala,India

Attempts were made to study temporal variation in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall over Kerala, India, during the period from 1871 to 2005. Longterm changes in rainfall determined by Man-Kendall rank statistics and linear trend. The analysis revealed significant decrease in southwest monsoon rainfall while increase in post-monsoon season over the State of Kerala which is popularly known as the “Gateway of summer monsoon”. Rainfall during winter and summer seasons showed insignificant increasing trend. Rainfall during June and July showed significant decreasing trend while increasing trend in January, February and April. Hydel power generation and water availability during summer months are the concern in the State due to rainfall decline in June and July, which are the rainiest months. At the same time, majority of plantation crops are likely to benefit due to increase in rainfall during the post-monsoon season if they are stable and prolonged.     

VOC amounts in ambient areas of a high-technology science park in Taiwan: their reciprocal correlations and impact on inhabitants

Introduction  

This study presents bihourly, seasonal, and yearly concentration changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the inlet and effluent water of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of a high-technology science park (HTIP) in Taiwan, with the VOC amounts at different sites correlated geologically.     

Economic impacts of urban air pollution: valuation for Mumbai, India

Urban air pollution is on the rise in many cities of the world. There are associated health impacts that affect urban residents, especially the poor. By doing economic valuation, it is possible to draw the attention of citizens, policy-makers and, of course, researchers to the extent of damage and the value of it. In this paper, such a valuation is done using time-series data for the suburb of Mumbai called Chembur and cross-sectional data for several wards. We value mortality and morbidity from air pollution using the above data. It is shown that the pollution in Mumbai can lead to high health costs. In general the average cost amounts 0.26% of income due to highly subsidised treatment and poverty. However, 5% of patients who suffer severe attacks may pay as much as much as 19% of their income. Workdays lost are of equal importance to health expenditures. Distributional aspects of the damage are such that children and senior citizens are affected most.     

The role of transboundary air pollution over Galicia and North Portugal area

In summer, high levels of ozone (O₃) are frequently measured at both Galicia and Northern Portugal air quality monitoring stations, even exceeding the limit values imposed by legislation. This work aims to investigate the origin of these high O₃ concentrations by the application of a chemical transport modelling system over the northwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula. The WRF–CHIMERE modelling system was applied with high resolution to simulate the selected air pollution episodes that occurred simultaneously in Galicia and North Portugal and in order to study both the contribution of local emission sources and the influence of transboundary pollution. Emission inputs have been prepared based on the development of the Portuguese and Galician emission inventories. The obtained results for O₃ have been evaluated and validated against observations. Modelling results show possible contribution of the transboundary transport over the border of two neighbour regions/countries, indicating that the O₃ episode starts over the urban and industrialised area of North coast of Portugal, reaching the maximum peaks over this region; at the same time, O₃ levels increased over Galicia region, where lower concentrations, but still high, were observed. These results pointed out that air quality management should not be driven by political boundaries and highlight the importance of joining efforts between neighbouring countries.     

Analytic assessment of renewable potential in Northeast India and impact of their exploitation on environment and economy

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The need for electricity all over the world is enhancing significantly. A major portion of this demand is met by fossil fuels leading to substantial...     

The impact of an open waste disposal site on soil and groundwater pollution

A study has been carried out of a waste disposal site, located in the valley of a small creek, 3 km south of Canakkale city centre. The surface area of the site was around 101000 square metres, and the total amount of waste deposited at the site since 1990 was approximately 1001000 tons. The major risks of the dump are its closeness to the university campus area to the south, the airport to the north, and residential areas encroaching towards the dump site. The nuisance caused by odour is high. The waste pile emplaced at the head of the tributary stream has caused channelling of the leachate to the creek, which is eventually washed towards the agricultural fields. The field investigation included surface geological, hydrogeochemical and geochemical studies. Water samples were collected at 11 points. Three observation wells were dug in front of the open waste disposal site. Soil samples from these observation wells were collected at 30, 70 and 150 cm depths, and some heavy metals were analysed. The concentrations of lead, copper and zinc in soil at the depth of 150 cm decreased with distance from the waste disposal site. Hydrogeochemical data analysis gave similar results.     

Interaction between air pollution and meteorologicalparameters in Erzurum, Turkey

In recent years, the rapid increase in population density has caused increases in the consumption of fuel, and the outdoor air quality has deteriorated in the crowded urban areas of Turkey. Erzurum, a city in the eastern part of Turkey, is influenced by air pollutants such as SO₂ and suspended particles. It is known that, in general, the air pollution concentrations have a close relationship with meteorological factors. In this study, the relationship between outdoor air quality data and meteorological factors, such as wind speed, rainfall, temperature, sunshine hours and relative humidity, is statistically analysed, using the code SPSS. According to the results obtained through multiple linear regression analysis, there are moderate levels of correlation between SO₂ and particle concentrations and meteorological factors in Erzurum.     

Threat of heavy metal pollution in halophytic and mangrove plants of Tamil Nadu, India

Mangrove and halophytic plants occur along the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, south India and these plants have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Heavy metals are known to pose a potential threat to terrestrial and aquatic biota. However, little is known on the toxic levels of heavy metals found in mangrove and halophytic plants that are used in traditional medicine in India. To understand heavy metal toxicity, we investigated the bioconcentration factors (BCF) of heavy metals in leaves collected from eight mangroves and five halophytes in the protected Pichavaram mangrove forest reserve in Tamil Nadu State, south India. Data presented in this paper describe the impact of essential (Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn) and non-essential/environmentally toxic trace metals (Hg, Pb and Sn) in mangrove and halophytic medicinal plants. The concentrations of Pb among 13 plant species were higher than the normal range of contamination reported for plants. The average concentration of Hg in the halophytic plants (0.43+/-0.37mug/g) was seven times higher than mangrove plants (0.06+/-0.03mug/g) and it indicated pollutants from industrial sources affecting halophytes more than mangroves.     

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution: a global research framework,challenges, and future perspectives

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - As a result of extreme modifications in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the status of air quality has recently been improved. This...     

Characterization of major pollution events (dust, haze, and two festival events) at Agra, India

Total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were collected during dust, haze, and two festival events (Holi and Diwali) from February 2009 to June 2010. Pollutant gases (NO₂, SO₂, and O₃) along with the meteorological parameters were also measured during the four pollution events at Agra. The concentration of pollutant gases decreases during dust events (DEs), but the levels of the gases increase during other pollution events indicating the impact of anthropogenic emissions. The mass concentrations were about two times higher during pollution events than normal days (NDs). High TSP concentrations during Holi and Diwali events may be attributed to anthropogenic activities while increased combustion sources in addition to stagnant meteorological conditions contributed to high TSP mass during haze events. On the other hand, long-range transport of atmospheric particles plays a major role during DEs. In the dust samples, Ca²⁺, Cl^?, NO₃ ^?, and SO₄ ^2? were the most abundant ions and Ca²⁺ alone accounted for 22 % of the total ionic mass, while during haze event, the concentrations of secondary aerosols species, viz., NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, and NH₄ ⁺, were 3.6, 3.3, and 5.1 times higher than the normal days. During Diwali, SO₄ ^2? concentration (17.8 μg?m^?3) was highest followed by NO₃ ^?, K⁺, and Cl^? while the Holi samples were strongly enriched with Cl^? and K⁺ which together made up 32.7 % of the total water-soluble ions. The ion balances indicate that the haze samples were acidic. On the other hand, Holi, Diwali, and DE samples were enriched with cations. The carbonaceous aerosol shows strong variation with the highest concentration during Holi followed by haze, Diwali, DEs, and NDs. However, the secondary organic carbon concentration follows the order haze > DEs > Diwali > Holi > NDs. The scanning electron microscope/EDX results indicate that KCl and carbon-rich particles were more dominant during Holi and haze events while DE samples were enriched with particles of crustal origin.     

The impact of frequency and duration of air quality monitoring: Atlanta, GA, data modeling of air pollution and mortality

The purpose of this analysis is threefold. We first examine the extent to which a longer series of data improves our understanding of air pollution on human mortality in the Atlanta, GA, area by updating the findings presented in Klemm and Mason (J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 2000, 50, 1433-1439) and Klemm et al. (Inhal. Toxicol. 2004, 16 (Suppl 1), 131-141) with 7.5 additional years of data. We explore estimated effects on two age groups (<65 and 65+) and four categories of cause of death. Second, we investigate how enlarging the geographic area of inquiry influences the estimated effects. Third, because some air quality (AQ) measures are monitored less frequently than daily, we investigate the extent to which AQ measurement frequency can influence estimates of relationships with human mortality. Our analytical approach employs a Poisson regression model using generalized linear modeling in S-Plus to estimate the relationship between daily AQ measures and daily mortality counts. We show that the estimated effects and their associated t values vary by year for nine AQ measures (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < or =2.5 microm [PM2.5], elemental carbon [EC], organic carbon [OC], NO3, SO4, O3, NO2, CO, and SO2). Several of the estimated AQ effects show downward trends during the 9-year period of study. The estimated effects tend to be strongest for the AQ measurement during the day of death and tend to decrease with additional lags. Enlarging the geographic area from two to four counties in the metropolitan area decreased the estimated effects, perhaps partly due to the fact that the measurement site is located in one of the two original counties. Estimated effects utilizing data as if the AQ were only measured every 3rd or every 6th day each week or twice per week vary from lower to higher than that estimated with daily measurements, although the t values are lower, as expected.     

Modelling the photochemical pollution over the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre,Brazil

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the photochemical pollution over the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre (MAPA), Brazil, where high concentrations of ozone have been registered during the past years. Due to the restricted spatial coverage of the monitoring air quality network, a numerical modelling technique was selected and applied to this assessment exercise. Two different chemistry-transport models – CAMx and CALGRID – were applied for a summer period, driven by the MM5 meteorological model. The meteorological model performance was evaluated comparing its results to available monitoring data measured at the Porto Alegre airport. Validation results point out a good model performance. It was not possible to evaluate the chemistry models performance due to the lack of adequate monitoring data. Nevertheless, the model intercomparison between CAMx and CALGRID shows a similar behaviour in what concerns the simulation of nitrogen dioxide, but some discrepancies concerning ozone. Regarding the fulfilment of the Brazilian air quality targets, the simulated ozone concentrations surpass the legislated value in specific periods, mainly outside the urban area of Porto Alegre. The ozone formation is influenced by the emission of pollutants that act as precursors (like the nitrogen oxides emitted at Porto Alegre urban area and coming from a large refinery complex) and by the meteorological conditions.     

Environmental forensic analysis of the microplastic pollution at “Nattika” Beach,Kerala Coast,India

Abstract

Kerala, being a prominent tourist destination in the southern part of India with a coastline of 560?km, is prone to microplastic pollution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the USA defines microplastics as plastics of size < 5?mm–1?nm. To solve the problem of microplastic pollution, it is essential to track its source. As plastics are pervasive, it is challenging to track its source with a level of certainty required for implementing control strategies. Formulating and adopting suitable environmental forensic techniques to track microplastic pollution become important in this context. This study quantified the microplastic pollution of the Nattika coast, Kerala, India, and devised an environmental forensic investigation strategy for identifying the pathways and sources of microplastics. The microplastics of size 5–1?mm only were considered. The number of microplastics found in the Nattika Beach in 2017 and 2018 was 70.15 items kg^?1 of sand and 120.85 items kg^?1 of sand, respectively. The microplastics were subjected to analysis in FTIR and SEM as part of characterization. The forensic investigation of the pollution indicated that majority of the microplastic is sourced from the site/nearby area. The investigation could draw useful conclusions regarding the pathways of pollution. The fibrous microplastic, a significant component in the sample, was found to be sourced from the fishing net mending activities carried out close to the shore.