Aircraft emissions and local air quality impacts from takeoff activities at a large International Airport

Real time number concentrations and size distributions of ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter <100 nm) and time integrated black carbon, PM_2.5 mass, and chemical species were studied at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and a background reference site. At LAX, data were collected at the blast fence (∼140 m from the takeoff position) and five downwind sites up to 600 m from the takeoff runway and upwind of the 405 freeway. Size distributions of UFPs collected at the blast fence site showed very high number concentrations, with the highest numbers found at a particle size of approximately 14 nm. The highest spikes in the time series profile of UFP number concentrations were correlated with individual aircraft takeoff. Measurements indicate a more than 100-fold difference in particle number concentrations between the highest spikes during takeoffs and the lowest concentrations when no takeoff is occurring. Total UFP counts exceeded 10⁷ particles cm⁻³ during some monitored takeoffs. Time averaged concentrations of PM_2.5 mass and two carbonyl compounds, formaldehyde and acrolein, were statistically elevated at the airport site relative to a background reference site. Peaks of 15 nm particles, associated with aircraft takeoffs, that occurred at the blast fence were matched with peaks observed 600 m downwind, with time lags of less than 1 min. The results of this study demonstrate that commercial aircraft at LAX emit large quantities of UFP at the lower end of currently measurable particle size ranges. The observed highly elevated UFP concentrations downwind of LAX associated with aircraft takeoff activities have significant exposure and possible health implications.     

Trends in Ecosystem Service Research: Early Steps and Current Drivers

Over the past 50 years, human beings have influenced ecosystems more rapidly than at any similar time in human history, drastically altering ecosystem functioning. Along with ecosystem transformation and degradation, a number of studies have addressed the functioning, assessment and management of ecosystems. The concept of ecosystem services has been developed in the scientific literature since the end of the 1970s. However, ecosystem service research has focused on certain service categories, ecosystem types, and geographical areas, while substantial knowledge gaps remain concerning several aspects. We assess the development and current status of ecosystem service research on the basis of publications collected from the Web of Science. The material consists of (1) articles (n = 353) from all the years included in the Web of Science down to the completion of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and (2) more recent articles (n = 687) published between 2006 and 2008. We also assess the importance of international processes, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kyoto Protocol and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, as drivers of ecosystem service research. Finally, we identify future prospects and research needs concerning the assessment and management of ecosystem services.     

Legislative aspects of pesticide regulations

Abstract

This paper reviews the development of pesticides as an agricultural and health tool and discusses the national and international implications of pesticide regulation. The need for scientific input to the legislative and regulative processes is explained. Appropriate legislation and regulatory structures are presented. Finally, the need for international cooperation in the use and control of pesticides is analyzed.     

Volatile organic compounds at swine facilities: A critical review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated aerial pollutants that have environmental and health concerns. Swine operations produce and emit a complex mixture of VOCs with a wide range of molecular weights and a variety of physicochemical properties. Significant progress has been made in this area since the first experiment on VOCs at a swine facility in the early 1960s. A total of 47 research institutions in 15 North American, European, and Asian countries contributed to an increasing number of scientific publications. Nearly half of the research papers were published by U.S. institutions.Investigated major VOC sources included air inside swine barns, in headspaces of manure storages and composts, in open atmosphere above swine wastewater, and surrounding swine farms. They also included liquid swine manure and wastewater, and dusts inside and outside swine barns. Most of the sample analyses have been focusing on identification of VOC compounds and their relationship with odors. More than 500 VOCs have been identified. About 60% and 10% of the studies contributed to the quantification of VOC concentrations and emissions, respectively. The largest numbers of VOC compounds with reported concentrations in a single experimental study were 82 in air, 36 in manure, and 34 in dust samples.The relatively abundant VOC compounds that were quantified in at least two independent studies included acetic acid, butanoic acid (butyric acid), dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, iso-valeric, p-cresol, propionic acid, skatole, trimethyl amine, and valeric acid in air. They included acetic acid, p-cresol, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, indole, phenol, propionic acid, iso-valeric acid, and skatole in manure. In dust samples, they were acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, p-cresol, hexanal, and decanal. Swine facility VOCs were preferentially bound to smaller-size dusts.Identification and quantification of VOCs were restricted by using instruments based on gas Chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with different detectors most of which require time-consuming procedures to obtain results. Various methodologies and technologies in sampling, sample preparation, and sample analysis have been used. Only four publications reported using GC based analyzers and PTR-MS (proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry) that allowed continuous VOC measurement. Because of this, the majority of experimental studies were only performed on limited numbers of air, manure, or dust samples. Many aerial VOCs had concentrations that were too low to be identified by the GC peaks.Although VOCs emitted from swine facilities have environmental concerns, only a few studies investigated VOC emission rates, which ranged from 3.0 to 176.5 mg d⁻¹ kg⁻¹ pig at swine finishing barns and from 2.3 to 45.2 g d⁻¹ m⁻² at manure storages. Similar to the other pollutants, spatial and temporal variations of aerial VOC concentrations and emissions existed and were significantly affected by manure management systems, barn structural designs, and ventilation rates.Scientific research in this area has been mainly driven by odor nuisance, instead of environment or health concerns. Compared with other aerial pollutants in animal agriculture, the current scientific knowledge about VOCs at swine facilities is still very limited and far from sufficient to develop reliable emission factors.     

A hybrid design methodology for structuring an Integrated Environmental Management System (IEMS) for shipping business

The International Safety Management (ISM) Code defines a broad framework for the safe management and operation of merchant ships, maintaining high standards of safety and environmental protection. On the other hand, ISO 14001:2004 provides a generic, worldwide environmental management standard that has been utilized by several industries. Both the ISM Code and ISO 14001:2004 have the practical goal of establishing a sustainable Integrated Environmental Management System (IEMS) for shipping businesses. This paper presents a hybrid design methodology that shows how requirements from both standards can be combined into a single execution scheme. Specifically, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Axiomatic Design (FAD) are used to structure an IEMS for ship management companies. This research provides decision aid to maritime executives in order to enhance the environmental performance in the shipping industry.     

首届“一带一路”会议期间北京市典型城区空气中VOCs的污染特征及健康风险评价

为研究\"一带一路\"国际合作高峰论坛在京召开期间北京市典型城区环境空气中挥发性有机物(VOCs)的污染特征及有毒有害VOCs的健康风险,本研究于2017年5月1—17日,在北京市典型城区利用Airmo VOC在线分析仪进行了观测研究.结果表明,整个观测期间总VOCs质量浓度日均值为29.99μg·m~(-3);空气质量保障期间(5月6—15日),大气中VOCs的浓度低于未采取控制措施的其它阶段,沙尘阶段VOCs浓度由于受到风速和气团传输影响出现最低值;各类VOCs的质量浓度在交通早高峰出现高值.PMF来源解析表明,移动源尾气排放(37.62%)、溶剂使用源(33.25%)、油气挥发源(16.39%)和天然气燃烧源(12.74%)的排放是北京市\"一带一路\"会议期间环境空气中VOCs的主要来源.化学活性分析表明,芳香烃和烯烃对臭氧生成潜势贡献的占比最多,需要重点控制的VOCs物种为间对二甲苯、甲苯和丙烯.健康风险评价结果表明,研究区整个观测期间及各阶段的苯和1,2-二氯乙烷均存在潜在的致癌风险,14种有毒有害VOCs(包括苯和1,2-二氯乙烷)不存在非致癌风险.     

首都国际机场移动源大气污染物排放清单研究

根据收集到的首都国际机场飞行区活动水平数据,采用适合估算各类移动源污染物排放量的方法和排放因子,建立了2013年首都国际机场移动源排放清单。结果表明,首都国际机场2013年移动源NO_x、CO、HC、SO2和PM_(2.5)排放总量为6 287.1 t、3 596.1 t、364.2t、373.4 t和185.0 t,分别占北京市各污染物总体排放的3.4%、0.3%、0.1%、0.4%和0.2%。其中非道路移动源是各污染物排放的最大贡献源,NO_x、CO、HC、SO2和PM_(2.5)排放量的90.7%、86.7%、79.4%、97.4%和81.3%来源于飞机,中型窄体客机及大型宽体客机贡献突出。相较而言,道路移动源排放比例较低,对HC、CO、PM_(2.5)和NO_x各污染物的贡献率为9.1%、8.6%、6.7%和4.4%。通过标准LTO循环方法估算飞机逐月排放,对LTO循环次数与各污染物排放量进行拟合,发现飞机排放的HC、CO、NO_x、SO2和LTO循环次数之间呈现较为明显的正相关关系,从而提出一种本地化的基于LTO循环次数估算飞机污染气体排放量的简单方法。此外,减少滑行时间可有效降低飞机在LTO循环过程中的污染物排放。     

A proposed Multi Criteria Analysis decision support tool for international environmental policy issues: a pilot application to emissions control in the international aviation sector

Policy making at the level of international environmental problems appears to lack a transparent, multi criteria based, decision support ‘tool’. This is due mainly to the highly political, volatile, and contextual nature of issues at this level. The environmental problem of how to regulate emissions from international civil aviation due to their transboundary nature, and the participation of international and domestic players, makes it a ‘wicked’ international environmental problem where policy making has proved problematic. This problem has been used as the basis for developing and pilot testing a tool for contributing to international policymaking, the Multi Criteria Decision Support System (MCDSS). This tool is based on simplifying and integrating key components of Multi Criteria Analysis with a Decision Support System. A preliminary application of the tool explored three options for progressing the reduction of aviation emissions. Testing was based on the allocation of weights to environmental, social, economic and institutional categories, which were each then internally weighted to reflect key criteria in the policy process. Finally, likely performances of each option, against the criteria, were evaluated against Likert scale measures. The outputs from each of these steps were combined to generate a summed best policy option. Conclusions have been drawn and they indicate that the tool is potentially useful especially in the initial stages of policy development. The MCDSS is not an alternative to the international policy process, but rather complements, and makes explicit key tradeoffs in, that process.