Spatial & temporal variations of PM10 and particle number concentrations in urban air

The size of particles in urban air varies over four orders of magnitude (from 0.001 μm to 10 μm in diameter). In many cities only particle mass concentrations (PM10, i.e. particles <10 μm diameter) is measured. In this paper we analyze how differences in emissions, background concentrations and meteorology affect the temporal and spatial distribution of PM10 and total particle number concentrations (PNC) based on measurements and dispersion modeling in Stockholm, Sweden. PNC at densely trafficked kerbside locations are dominated by ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm diameter) due to vehicle exhaust emissions as verified by high correlation with NOx. But PNC contribute only marginally to PM10, due to the small size of exhaust particles. Instead wear of the road surface is an important factor for the highest PM10 concentrations observed. In Stockholm, road wear increases drastically due to the use of studded tires and traction sand on streets during winter; up to 90% of the locally emitted PM10 may be due to road abrasion. PM10 emissions and concentrations, but not PNC, at kerbside are controlled by road moisture. Annual mean urban background PM10 levels are relatively uniformly distributed over the city, due to the importance of long range transport. For PNC local sources often dominate the concentrations resulting in large temporal and spatial gradients in the concentrations. Despite these differences in the origin of PM10 and PNC, the spatial gradients of annual mean concentrations due to local sources are of equal magnitude due to the common source, namely traffic. Thus, people in different areas experiencing a factor of 2 different annual PM10 exposure due to local sources will also experience a factor of 2 different exposure in terms of PNC. This implies that health impact studies based solely on spatial differences in annual exposure to PM10 may not separate differences in health effects due to ultrafine and coarse particles. On the other hand, health effect assessments based on time series exposure analysis of PM10 and PNC, should be able to observe differences in health effects of ultrafine particles versus coarse particles.     

宁夏总量减排与环境质量改善的相关性分析

利用SPSS统计软件分析宁夏“十一五”期间主要污染物总量控制指标与环境质量数据的关联程度,并建立回归模型.结果表明:宁夏总量减排与环境质量改善存在高度关联,拟合曲线均为一元线性回归曲线.随着SO2排放总量降低,重点城市空气质量稳步改善,两者呈现同向变化的趋势;随着COD排放总量降低,黄河宁夏段水环境质量稳步改善,两者亦呈现同向变化的趋势.宁夏总量减排在环境质量改善上成效已显现,污染防治政策较为成功,环保成绩显著.     

A review of atmospheric mercury emissions,pollution and control in China

Mercury, as a global pollutant, has significant impacts on the environment and human health. The current state of atmospheric mercury emissions, pollution and control in China is comprehensively reviewed in this paper. With about 500-800 t of anthropogenic mercury emissions, China contributes 25%-40% to the global mercury emissions. The dominant mercury emission sources in China are coal combustion, non-ferrous metal smelting, cement production and iron and steel production. The mercury emissions from natural sources in China are equivalent to the anthropogenic mercury emissions. The atmospheric mercury concentration in China is about 2-10 times the background level of North Hemisphere. The mercury deposition fluxes in remote areas in China are usually in the range of 10-50μg·m^-2·yr^-1. To reduce mercury emissions, legislations have been enacted for power plants, non-ferrous metal smelters and waste incinerators. Currently mercury contented in the flue gas is mainly removed through existing air pollution control devices for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particles. Dedicated mercury control technologies are required in the future to further mitigate the mercury emissions in China.     

Identification of magnetic particulates in road dust accumulated on roadside snow using magnetic, geochemical and micro-morphological analyses

The aim of this study is to test the applicability of snow surveying in the collection and detailed characterization of vehicle-derived magnetic particles. Road dust extracted from snow, collected near a busy urban highway and a low traffic road in a rural environment (southern Finland), was studied using magnetic, geochemical and micro-morphological analyses. Significant differences in horizontal distribution of mass specific magnetic susceptibility (χ) were noticed for both roads. Multi-domain (MD) magnetite was identified as the primary magnetic mineral. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses of road dust from both roads revealed: (1) angular-shaped particles (diameter ∼1-300 μm) mostly composed of Fe, Cr and Ni, derived from circulation of motor vehicles and (2) iron-rich spherules (d ∼ 2-70 μm). Tungsten-rich particles (d < 2 μm), derived from tyre stud abrasion were also identified. Additionally, a decreasing trend in χ and selected trace elements was observed with increasing distance from the road edge.     

Aircraft Emissions: A Comparison of Methodologies Based on Different Data Availability

The impact of air traffic on the global atmosphere is characterised by a high degree of uncertainty, concerning both the physico-chemical phenomena involved and the extent of the forcing due to anthropogenic emissions. The different effects of these emissions (e.g. on climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, acidification, tropospheric ozone formation) are dealt with by different international bodies and conventions (e.g. IPCC, EMEP. . .) which are trying to define a standard methodology allowing countries to evaluate their contributions to global aircraft emissions and to report these figures in a standardised way. The paper compares different methodologies proposed by the joint EMEP/CORINAIR 'Atmospheric Emission Inventory Guidebook' for estimating aircraft emissions. Adjustments to these methodologies have been proposed, in order to integrate some additional data such as the total amount of flight hours per aircraft type or fuel consumption per trip. In case detailed information is not available, we recommend the use of a VERY SIMPLE methodology which may yield acceptable results, provided that every country makes adequate assumptions on the average aircraft type.     

Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) test of dioxin emission monitors

The performance of four dioxin emission monitors, including two long-term sampling devices, the Dioxin-MonitoringSystem (DMS) and AMESA (the adsorption method for sampling dioxins and furans), and two semireal-time continuous monitors, the resonance ionization with multimirror photon accumulation time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RIMMPA-TOFMS) and the jet resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (jet-REMPI) system were tested. A package boiler burning a simulated chlorinated hazardous waste was used for a total of nine tests. Reference samples were collected during each test and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The PCDD/F concentrations of the reference samples measured by EPA Method 23 ranged from 0.9 to 6.0 ng toxic equivalence (TEQ)/dry standard cubic meter. The relative accuracies achieved by DMS, AMESA, and jet-REMPI varied from 22.6% to 78.2%, with 100% data completeness. The RIMMPA-TOFMS produced no quantifiable results due to various difficulties associated with the instrument during the testing. The two long-term samplers were easy to install and operate and provided a cumulative, averaged emission for the sampling period. The operations of the two semi-real-time continuous monitors were relatively complex, but one of them provided on-site, real-time data for PCDD/F emissions from measurement of a TEQ correlative indicator compound. This article summarizes results from the individual Environmental Technology Verification reports for the four dioxin monitors. This work was presented, in part, at the Fourth International Conference on Combustion, Incineration/Pyrolysis and Emission Control (i-CIPEC)     

经济新常态下的“十三五”环境压力预测

我国经济已经从高速增长转向中高速增长的新常态阶段,经济发展方式从规模速度型粗放增长转向质量效率型集约增长,产业结构从劳动密集型向资金密集型和知识密集型转换,经济发展动力从要素驱动、投资驱动转向创新驱动。经济新常态下,环境保护将迎来难得的历史机遇,同时也面临严峻的挑战。为了深入理解和准确把握经济新常态下我国"环境态"的发展特征,本文基于中长期环境经济预测模型定量测算了2020年我国社会经济、能源和水资源以及主要污染物排放趋势和特征。结果表明,"十三五"期间,我国能源和水资源消耗总量增长将趋缓,新增消耗量进入涨幅收窄期;产业转型升级加速将从源头上减轻新增污染减排的压力,主要大气和水污染物排放将进入高位平台期,排放强度将呈现高位回落。     

中美贸易模式变化对中国大气汞排放的影响

在全球贸易体系中,美国是中国大气汞排放的主要外部消费驱动力之一。现有研究多核算国际贸易驱动的大气汞排放,识别主要的贸易驱动关系,缺乏中美贸易模式变化对中国大气汞排放的影响分析。本文基于环境扩展型投入产出模型和结构分解分析方法,计算了1997—2017年中美贸易驱动的中国大气汞排放量,并深入分析了贸易相关的社会经济因素对中国大气汞排放变化的相对贡献。研究结果表明:1997—2007年,中美贸易驱动的中国大气汞排放从13.5 t增至32.8 t,2007年后开始回落,2017年回落至13.6 t。贸易规模扩大是推动大气汞排放增加的最主要因素(62.6 t),排放强度降低是大气汞排放减少的最大驱动因素(-67.0 t)。生产技术水平变化和贸易结构变化的贡献相对较小,近年来逐渐起到促进大气汞排放减少的作用,但其贡献不稳定。根据研究结果,提出了加快产业创新升级,优化、稳定贸易结构,提升产品竞争力等建议。     

Carbon footprint in corporate logistics operations in the food sector

Global warming is negatively affecting the environment of the planet. This situation has led to the development of international standards, such as the International Organisation for Standardization's DIS 14064‐1 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, both of which measure corporate carbon footprints. These standards provide guidelines that can be applied to different organizational sectors. However, these are not sufficient for controlling the reduction of carbon emissions, because although they propose the use of indicators, they do not explicitly define them. In addition, in the case of emissions from wastewater treatment, they only suggest that the emissions associated with this process be considered. In the present study, an eight‐step, unified methodology based on these two international standards is proposed, focusing on direct emissions. Moreover, the step‐by‐step to data collection, calculations, and the required indicators to control the emissions are defined. The first scope considers direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company. Methane generation measurement from wastewater treatment has been included in the methodology within Scope 1, as it is the second most polluting gas after carbon dioxide, both of which give rise to global warming. The proposed methodology was tested as a case study in one of the most important companies in the food sector in Colombia.     

机动车尾气对人体健康的危害

随着城市机动车保有量的不断增加,机动车尾气已经成为影响我国城市大气环境的主要问题之一。本文以儿童和交通警察两类人群为例,分析了机动车尾气污染给人体呼吸系统、免疫系统、心脑血管系统等造成的危害。结果表明,由于儿童的呼吸带与机动车尾气排放带非常接近,交警在机动车尾气环境中暴露事件太长,导致这两类人群的呼吸系统极易遭到破坏,发生支气管炎等疾病的概率大大增加;而免疫球蛋白水平和血压发生改变导致了抵抗能力的下降。最后建议通过采取发展公共交通、加强城市交通管理、完善检查维修制度等有效措施加强机动车尾气治理,减少对人体健康产生的危害。