Analysis of the Trend and Seasonal Cycle of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in an Urban Area (4 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Air quality is an field of major concern in large cities. This problem has led administrations to introduce plans and regulations to reduce pollutant emissions. The analysis of variations in the concentration of pollutants is useful when evaluating the effectiveness of these plans. However, such an analysis cannot be undertaken using standard statistical techniques, due to the fact that concentrations of atmospheric pollutants often exhibit a lack of normality and are autocorrelated. On the other hand, if long-term trends of any pollutant’s emissions are to be detected, meteorological effects must be removed from the time series analysed, due to their strong masking effects. Materials and Methods The application of statistical methods to analyse temporal variations is illustrated using monthly carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations observed at an urban site. The sampling site is located at a street intersection in central Valencia (Spain) with a high traffic density. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. It is a typical Mediterranean city in terms of its urban structure and climatology. The sampling site started operation in January 1994 and monitored CO ground level concentrations until February 2002. Its geographic coordinates are W0°22′52″ N39°28′05″ and its altitude is 11 m. Two nonparametric trend tests are applied. One of these is robust against serial correlation with regards to the false rejection rate, when observations have a strong persistence or when the sample size per month is small. A nonparametric analysis of the homogeneity of trends between seasons is also discussed. A multiple linear regression model is used with the transformed data, including the effect of meteorological variables. The method of generalized least squares is applied to estimate the model parameters to take into account the serial dependence of the residuals of this model. This study also assesses temporal changes using the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter. The KZ filter has been shown to be an effective way to remove the influence of meteorological conditions on O₃ and PM to examine underlying trends. Results The nonparametric tests indicate a decreasing, significant trend in the sampled site. The application of the linear model yields a significant decrease every twelve months of 15.8% for the average monthly CO concentration. The 95% confidence interval for the trend ranges from 13.9% to 17.7%. The seasonal cycle also provides significant results. There are no differences in trends throughout the months. The percentage of CO variance explained by the linear model is 90.3%. The KZ filter separates out long, short-term and seasonal variations in the CO series. The estimated, significant, long-term trend every year results in 10.3% with this method. The 95% confidence interval ranges from 8.8% to 11.9%. This approach explains 89.9% of the CO temporal variations. Discussion The differences between the linear model and KZ filter trend estimations are due to the fact that the KZ filter performs the analysis on the smoothed data rather than the original data. In the KZ filter trend estimation, the effect of meteorological conditions has been removed. The CO short-term componentis attributable to weather and short-term fluctuations in emissions. There is a significant seasonal cycle. This component is a result of changes in the traffic, the yearly meteorological cycle and the interactions between these two factors. There are peaks during the autumn and winter months, which have more traffic density in the sampled site. There is a minimum during the month of August, reflecting the very low level of vehicle emissions which is a direct consequence of the holiday period. Conclusions The significant, decreasing trend implies to a certain extent that the urban environment in the area is improving. This trend results from changes in overall emissions, pollutant transport, climate, policy and economics. It is also due to the effect of introducing reformulated gasoline. The additives enable vehicles to burn fuel with a higher air/fuel ratio, thereby lowering the emission of CO. The KZ filter has been the most effective method to separate the CO series components and to obtain an estimate of the long-term trend due to changes in emissions, removing the effect of meteorological conditions. Recommendations and Perspectives Air quality managers and policy-makers must understand the link between climate and pollutants to select optimal pollutant reduction strategies and avoid exceeding emission directives. This paper analyses eight years of ambient CO data at a site with a high traffic density, and provides results that are useful for decision-making. The assessment of long-term changes in air pollutants to evaluate reduction strategies has to be done while taking into account meteorological variability     

Study on the effect of porous fence on air quality and traffic noise level around a double-decked road structure

Fence for traffic noise control sometimes causes adverse effect on air pollution. Thus in this study, performance of porous fence as a tool for control of both air pollution and noise pollution was evaluated. A two-dimensional numerical model for flow and pollutant concentration and an analytical model for traffic noise were utilized in the analysis of a double-decked road structure with fences only at ground (Case 1) and at both ground and upper deck (Case 2). Porous fences were assumed only at the ground level since the solid fences at the upper deck usually leads to desirable result on air pollution. Effects of the variable porosity on air quality and noise level near road were evaluated. Obtained results showed: (1) flow pattern in leeward of fence was drastically changed at 40–50% porosity in Case 1 and 50% in Case 2. The porosity larger than 40% excluded presence of a circulation behind the fence. (2) Effect of porous fence on air pollution was different in Cases 1 and 2. In Case 1, the porous fence generally resulted in the reduction of air pollution at the ground level; on the other hand, in Case 2, it rather led to increase of the concentration. (3) Traffic noise level was also largely changed by the porosity of the fence; an example of simultaneous evaluation of the effects of porous fence on both air and noise pollution in Case 1 showed that the fence of 60% porosity leads to reduction of air pollution by 20% compared with solid fence case, and reduction of noise pollution by 4–6% in dB compared with no fence case, at l m high and 10 m from the road.     

Mega-Development Trends in the Amazon: Implications for Global Change

This paper describes four global-change phenomena that are having major impacts on Amazonian forests. The first is accelerating deforestation and logging. Despite recent government initiatives to slow forest loss, deforestation rates in Brazilian Amazonia have increased from 1.1 million ha yr^–1 in the early 1990s, to nearly 1.5 million ha yr^–1 from 1992–1994, and to more than 1.9 million ha yr^–1 from 1995–1998. Deforestation is also occurring rapidly in some other parts of the Amazon Basin, such as in Bolivia and Ecuador, while industrialized logging is increasing dramatically in the Guianas and central Amazonia.The second phenomenon is that patterns of forest loss and fragmentation are rapidly changing. In recent decades, large-scale deforestation has mainly occurred in the southern and eastern portions of the Amazon — in the Brazilian states of Pará, Maranho, Rondônia, Acre, and Mato Grosso, and in northern Bolivia. While rates of forest loss remain very high in these areas, the development of major new highways is providing direct conduits into the heart of the Amazon. If future trends follow past patterns, land-hungry settlers and loggers may largely bisect the forests of the Amazon Basin.The third phenomenon is that climatic variability is interacting with human land uses, creating additional impacts on forest ecosystems. The 1997/98 El Niño drought, for example, led to a major increase in forest burning, with wildfires raging out of control in the northern Amazonian state of Roraima and other locations. Logging operations, which create labyrinths of roads and tracks in forsts, are increasing fuel loads, desiccation and ignition sources in forest interiors. Forest fragmentation also increases fire susceptibility by creating dry, fire-prone forest edges.Finally, recent evidence suggests that intact Amazonian forests are a globally significant carbon sink, quite possibly caused by higher forest growth rates in response to increasing atmospheric CO₂ fertilization. Evidence for a carbon sink comes from long-term forest mensuration plots, from whole-forest studies of carbon flux and from investigations of atmospheric CO₂ and oxygen isotopes. Unfortunately, intact Amazonian forests are rapidly diminishing. Hence, not only is the destruction of these forests a major source of greenhouse gases, but it is reducing their intrinsic capacity to help buffer the rapid anthropogenic rise in CO₂.     

总有机碳测定仪的新用途──测气体中CO_2的研究

用ＴＯＣ总有机碳测定仪来鉴定污水和生活用水处理效果及污染指标是它的一项实际应用，而本义介绍的用来测定ＣＯ２则是一项开创性的工作。作者在对进口的ＴＯＣ仪使用的基础上研究了测定气体中总碳、总有机碳尤其是ＣＯ２问题，取得了较好的结果并应用到实际测定中。     

气相色谱法测定二硫化碳和甲硫醚

利用气相色谱(配火焰光度检测器,采用3mxφ2mm玻璃填充柱分离)对CS2和甲硫醚(DMS)两种含硫化合物进行了分离检测。该方法具有较高的灵敏度和良好的线性关系。结果表明:该分析对含硫气体的最小检测浓度在mg/m3级,在柱温为70℃,检测器温度为180℃,气化室温度为150℃,氮气流速为50mL/min时,CS2的回收率为98.66%,变异系数为2.12%;甲硫醚的回收率为98.66%,变异系数为1.56%。     

Developing Canada's National Forest Carbon Monitoring, Accounting and Reporting System to Meet the Reporting Requirements of the Kyoto Protocol

The rate of carbon accumulation in the atmosphere can be reduced by decreasing emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and by increasing the net uptake (or reducing the net loss) of carbon in terrestrial (and aquatic) ecosystems. The Kyoto Protocol addresses both the release and uptake of carbon. Canada is developing a National Forest Carbon Monitoring, Accounting and Reporting System in support of its international obligations to report greenhouse gas sources and sinks. This system employs forest-inventory data, growth and yield information, and statistics on natural disturbances, management actions and land-use change to estimate forest carbon stocks, changes in carbon stocks, and emissions of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases. A key component of the system is the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS). The model is undergoing extensive revisions to enable analyses at four spatial scales (national, provincial, forest management unit and stand) and in annual time steps. The model and the supporting databases can be used to assess carbon-stock changes between 1990 and the present, and to predict future carbon-stock changes based on scenarios of future disturbance rates and management actions.     

Carbon Dioxide Balance of Wood Substitution: Comparing Concrete- and Wood-Framed Buildings

In this study a method is suggested to compare the net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission from the construction of concrete- and wood-framed buildings. The method is then applied to two buildings in Sweden and Finland constructed with wood frames, compared with functionally equivalent buildings constructed with concrete frames. Carbon accounting includes: emissions due to fossil fuel use in the production of building materials; the replacement of fossil fuels by biomass residues from logging, wood processing, construction and demolition; carbon stock changes in forests and buildings; and cement process reactions. The results show that wood-framed construction requires less energy, and emits less CO₂ to the atmosphere, than concrete-framed construction. The lifecycle emission difference between the wood- and concrete-framed buildings ranges from 30 to 130 kg C per m² of floor area. Hence, a net reduction of CO₂ emission can be obtained by increasing the proportion of wood-based building materials, relative to concrete materials. The benefits would be greatest if the biomass residues resulting from the production of the wood building materials were fully used in energy supply systems. The carbon mitigation efficiency, expressed in terms of biomass used per unit of reduced carbon emission, is considerably better if the wood is used to replace concrete building material than if the wood is used directly as biofuel.     

活性炭吸附与生物活性炭脱臭效果的比较研究

针对污水收集与处理系统中恶臭气体的组成与特性,比较分析不同情况下活性炭吸附与生物活性炭的脱臭效果。当干活性碳总处理气量达到1.3m~3/g时,出现穿透。将吸附饱和的活性炭填料塔转为生物滴滤反应器后,仍能较快的实现挂膜生长,达到满意的处理效果。直接运行的生物活性炭滴滤器对H_2S的处理效率在95％以上,并具有较强的恢复能力。H_2S平均出口浓度为0.052mg/m~3。循环液pH值与盐度在一定范围内对系统影响不大。     

活性炭性质对其吸附水中硝基苯性能的影响

通过对活性炭进行HNO3氧化及热处理改性,研究了活性炭性质对其吸附硝基苯性能的影响.以低温液氮(N2/77 K)吸附测定活性炭的比表面积和孔容、孔径分布;以Boehm滴定、零电荷点pHPZC的测定及元素分析定量表征活性发表面含氧官能团变化.结果表明:经改性后,活性炭比表面积及总孔容略有减小,表面性质发生较大变化.改性活性炭对硝基苯的吸附容量明显改变,吸附容量大小依次为:AC1′＞AC0′＞AC0＞AC1.经硝酸氧化后,比表面积下降、存在过多表面含氧官能团是导致AC1吸附硝基苯能力降低的主要原因;而AC1'表面适量酚羟基所提供的氢键吸附是其对硝基苯吸附量增加的主要原因.     

腕足类生物壳体在沉积、成岩过程中同位素平衡问题研究

综合分析了现代腕足类生物壳体方解石中的C、O同位素特征，以及有关古生代腕足类生物壳体方解石构造和地球化学研究成果，分析结果证明：只有那些无发光性特点、无胶结和溶蚀构造特点、有较好纤维构造特点、含高Sr、Na和低Mn、Fe（Mg）的第二层腕足类生物壳体方解石的δ18O值不受成岩作用影响；而原始层和壳体中的特殊部位如铰合轴、腕骨、茎孔、交互面、肌痕等在沉积、成岩过程中与海水处于非同位素平衡状态。