Large inter annual variation in air quality during the annual festival ‘Diwali' in an Indian megacity

A network of air quality and weather monitoring stations was established under the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research(SAFAR) project in Delhi. We report observations of ozone(O_3), nitrogen oxides(NO_x), carbon monoxide(CO) and particulate matter(PM_2.5and PM_(10)) before, during and after the Diwali in two consecutive years, i.e., November 2010 and October 2011. The Diwali days are characterised by large firework displays throughout India. The observations show that the background concentrations of particulate matter are between 5 and 10 times the permissible limits in Europe and the United States. During the Diwali-2010, the highest observed PM_(10) and PM_2.5mass concentration is as high as2070 μg/m~3 and 1620 μg/m3, respectively(24 hr mean), which was about 20 and 27 times to National Ambient Air Quality Standards(NAAQS). For Diwali-2011, the increase in PM_(10) and PM_2.5mass concentrations was much less with their peaks of 600 and of 390 μg/m~3 respectively, as compared to the background concentrations. Contrary to previous reports,firework display was not found to strongly influence the NO_x, and O_3 mixing ratios, with the increase within the observed variability in the background. CO mixing ratios showed an increase. We show that the large difference in 2010 and 2011 pollutant concentrations is controlled by weather parameters.     

Reducing nitrogen runoff from paddy fields with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under different fertilizer regimes

Nitrogen(N) runoff from paddy fields serves as one of the main sources of water pollution. Our aim was to reduce N runoff from paddy fields by fertilizer management and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF). In northeast China, Shuangcheng city in Heilongjiang province, a field experiment was conducted, using rice provided with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%,and 100% of the local norm of fertilization(including N, phosphorus and potassium), with or without inoculation with Glomus mosseae. The volume, concentrations of total N(TN),dissolved N(DN) and particulate N(PN) of runoff water were measured. We found that the local norm of fertilization led to 18.9 kg/ha of N runoff during rice growing season, with DN accounting for 60%–70%. We also found that reduction in fertilization by 20% cut down TN runoff by 8.2% while AMF inoculation decreased N runoff at each fertilizer level and this effect was inhibited by high fertilization. The combination of inoculation with AMF and 80% of the local norm of fertilization was observed to reduce N runoff by 27.2%. Conclusively, we suggested that the contribution of AMF inoculation combined with decreasing fertilization should get more attention to slow down water eutrophication by reducing N runoff from paddy fields.     

Multidimensional modeling of aerosol monitoring data

The present study deals with the application of N-way factor analysis for modeling and interpretation of a three-dimensional environmental data set acquired from monitoring of particulate matter (PM) collected at four different sampling locations in Lower Austria region (Central Europe). In the study the Tucker3 algorithm for N-way modeling was used. It was statistically validated that the Tucker3 model offered having the dimensionality [222] is appropriate for correct interpretation of the relationships between chemical parameters, sampling locations and sampling period. The Tucker3 model allowed to distinguish three major sources of pollution in the region of interest conditionally named “soil dust”, “combustion” and “street dust” latent factors as responsible for chemical profile of PM and to identify seasonal variability. Additionally, some specificity of the sampling locations was also pointed out.     

On the influence of chemical initial and boundary conditions on annual regional air quality model simulations for North America

The influence of chemical initial conditions and chemical lateral boundary conditions (CLBCs) on long-term regional air quality model simulations was investigated using outputs from an annual simulation of the year 2002 on a North American domain. This simulation was carried out using the AURAMS regional air quality model. It was subdivided into three multi-month segments with two overlap periods (May 15–30 and September 1–30) to allow the segments to be run in parallel. For this approach to work, model predictions had to match very closely by the end of the two-week and four-week overlap periods. The time required for the values of daily domain-average surface PM_2.5 concentration to match for the two simulation segments associated with each of the two overlap periods was four and six days, respectively. For individual locations within the model domain, however, the required spin-up period was as much as nine days, considerably longer than the 2–4-day spin-up period usually assumed in the literature. For ozone, on the other hand, the daily domain-average surface ozone concentration values did not converge for either overlap period. A zero-gradient CLBC had been used for all run segments and species. When a time-invariant CLBC for ozone was used instead, the daily domain-average surface ozone concentration values behaved more realistically and did converge after fewer than three days. A similar improvement was also obtained for individual locations, but with spin-up periods of up to nine days. Model chemical spin-up time thus seems to be dependent on the species considered, the time required for the influence of the inflow boundaries to reach all locations within the domain, and the impact of local emissions sources. These results suggest the use of a spin-up period of longer than one week for a large (continental) domain and long-term simulation of PM_2.5 and O₃ rather than the 2–4 days commonly assumed in the literature.     

空气扰动对净化器去除香烟源颗粒物性能的影响

空气净化器可有效改善雾霾天气下室内空气质量,颗粒物去除效果与洁净空气量(CADR)是衡量其性能的主要参数。在典型室内环境下,以香烟源颗粒物为目标,开展空气扰动对净化器去除颗粒物效果和CADR的影响实验与评价分析。结果显示,在室内空气扰动下,净化器对粒径≥5μm的颗粒物去除率为75.6%,在无空气扰动情况下的去除率为46.6%。空气净化器对粒径0.3μm^5μm的颗粒物有较好的去除效果,而对于粒径10μm的较大颗粒物,空气扰动造成CADR增加。空气扰动在一定程度上提升了空气净化器的净化能力,同时在性能方面也存在影响。     

In-vehicle Measurement of Ultrafine Particles on Compressed Natural Gas, Conventional Diesel, and Oxidation-catalyst Diesel Heavy-duty Transit Buses

Many metropolitan transit authorities are considering upgrading transit bus fleets to decrease ambient criteria pollutant levels. Advancements in engine and fuel technology have lead to a generation of lower-emission buses in a variety of fuel types. Dynamometer tests show substantial reductions in particulate mass emissions for younger buses (<10 years) over older models, but particle number reduction has not been verified in the research. Recent studies suggest that particle number is a more important factor than particle mass in determining health effects. In-vehicle particle number concentration measurements on conventional diesel, oxidation-catalyst diesel and compressed natural gas transit buses are compared to estimate relative in-vehicle particulate exposures. Two primary consistencies are observed from the data: the CNG buses have average particle count concentrations near the average concentrations for the oxidation-catalyst diesel buses, and the conventional diesel buses have average particle count concentrations approximately three to four times greater than the CNG buses. Particle number concentrations are also noticeably affected by bus idling behavior and ventilation options, such as, window position and air conditioning.     

Modelling the Removal of Gaseous Pollutants and Particulate Matters from the Atmosphere of a City by Rain: Effect of Cloud Density

In this paper, an original nonlinear mathematical model for the removal of gaseous pollutants and particulate matters from the atmosphere of an industrial city by rain is proposed and analyzed. It is assumed that five interacting phases in the atmosphere of the city exist, i.e., cloud droplets phase, raindrops phase, gaseous pollutants phase, particulate matters phase, and the phase of absorbed gaseous pollutants in raindrops. It is assumed further that these phases undergo nonlinear interactions in the atmosphere, while gaseous pollutant interacts with cloud droplets as well as with raindrops but particulate matters interact only with raindrops. The gravitational settling and reversible reaction processes have also been considered appropriately in the model. By analyzing the model, it is shown that both the gaseous pollutants and particulate matters may be removed from the atmosphere under certain conditions, provided the rates of formation of cloud droplets and raindrops are sufficiently large. It is noted that under unfavorable atmospheric conditions, rain does not occur and pollutants are not removed from the atmosphere.     

颗粒物激光雷达在大气复合污染立体监测中的应用

针对由于局地污染、沙尘输入、外源性输入与局地污染物相互叠加所导致的3种灰霾污染发生过程,分别选取3个典型案例,采用颗粒物激光雷达对污染物的时空分布特征进行解析。研究发现,在局地污染发生时,污染物从地面开始垂直向上扩散,扩散高度约1 km。重度污染过程中,气溶胶的日均垂直消光系数随高度的变化背离指数衰减特征,800 m高度处出现消光系数的极大值层,极大值超过2.5 km-1,800 m以下消光系数近乎常数,约为0.3 km-1。这说明,重污染过程中,有一层较厚重的颗粒物分布,使近地面污染物在垂直方向的扩散能力减弱,形成积累效应,造成大面积空气混浊。当有外源性沙尘输入时,激光雷达能够清晰地监测到污染团输入的全过程。沙团突然出现在高空2~3 km。污染团退偏振度较大,超过0.3。随着沙尘粒子的重力沉降,沙团的轮廓在垂直方向上不断地增大。沙团的输入,导致近地面粗颗粒质量浓度的增加幅度明显大于细颗粒。在第3个案例中,激光雷达清晰地监测到高空1.8~3 km突然出现含有大量球形细颗粒的污染团,同时还发现此污染团与近地面的污染物有不同的演化特征。近地面污染物随时间垂直向上扩散,12:00左右扩散高度超过1.8 km。而高空的污染团逐渐沉降进入边界层内,与近地面扩散的污染物相互混合,共同导致本地的灰霾天气。综上所述,激光雷达可以清晰地捕获污染物的垂直结构特征,对不同的致霾过程进行立体解析,实现对大气复合污染的监测和机理研判。     

广州地区大气能见度与颗粒物关系的初探

采用番禺大气成分站2007—2013年的能见度、颗粒物(PM1、PM2.5、PM10)及番禺气象局站的相对湿度(RH)资料,对颗粒物7年来的变化状况进行了分析。以RH为标准,将能见度和颗粒物数据分为RH≥90%、80%RH90%和RH≤80%3个部分,并以相关系数(R2)为判断标准,分别对其之间的相关性进行了分析。结果表明,PM10、PM2.5、PM1多年日平均值分别为56.6、43.0、38.5μg/m3,颗粒物值旱季高于雨季。当RH≤80%时,颗粒物与能见度的相关性最好,R2大小顺序为:PM10(0.47)PM2.5(0.57)PM1(0.58);当80%RH90%时,颗粒物与能见度的相关性次之,分别为PM10(0.4)PM2.5(0.46)PM1(0.49);当RH≥90%时,颗粒物与能见度的相关性较差。