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     

Occurence and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ankara Precipitation

Urban atmospheric environment contains many trace organic pollutants that are related to the incomplete fuel combustion in domestic heating, industrial plants and automobile traffic. Removal of these pollutants from the atmosphere takes place through wet and dry deposition as well as chemical transformations. In this study, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wet deposition samples were determined at an urban site of Turkey. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected using Andersen Rain Sampler. The sampler was modified accordingly for the collection of organic pollutants. Collected samples were preconcentrated by using solid phase extraction (SPE) disks and consecutively analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Among the 13 compounds quantified in this study, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were found more frequently and at elevated concentrations (202, 271 and 260 ng L^-1 mean concentrations, respectively).Concentrations of PAHs were found to be high in winter period.     

DENSITY CURRENT INTRUSIONS IN AN ICE-COVERED URBAN LAKE1

ABSTRACT: Evidence is presented that snowmelt runoff from an urban watershed can produce density current intrusions (underflows) in a lake. Several episodes of density current intrusions are documented. Water temperatures and salinities measured near the bottom of a 10 m deep Minneapolis lake during the late winter warming periods in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1995 show significant rapid changes which are correlated with observed higher air temperatures and snowmelt runoff. The snowmelt runoff entering this particular lake (Ryan Lake) has increased electrical conductivity, salinity, and density. The source of the salinity is the salt spread on urban streets in the winter. Heating of littoral waters in spring may also contribute to the occurrence of the sinking flows, but is clearly not the only cause.     

上海与伦敦城市绿地的生态功能及管理对策比较研究

在资料收集及实地采样调查的基础上 ,文章对上海与伦敦城市绿地的生态功能及管理对策进行了比较分析 ,指出了上海城市绿地建设及管理中的一些优点及不足之处。     

对重庆城镇网络建设的探讨

在分析重庆直辖市城镇化现状的基础上,针对重庆城镇网络中存在的问题,依据重庆发展城镇网络的优势,提出了建立新的城镇网络扔基本思路和构想,相关的对策与建议。     

贵阳市城区路侧土壤重金属分布特征及污染评价

研究了贵阳市城区各交通干线两侧表层土壤中重金属的质量分数、空间分布特征及其影响因素.以基线作为参比值,采用地积累指数法对其污染程度进行评价.结果表明:各交通干道两侧土壤中重金属质量分数存在显著差异,除Pb和Cr外,其余重金属质量分数均高于中国表层土壤重金属元素背景值和贵阳市表层土壤重金属元素基线值. 整体上,贵阳市路侧土壤尚未受到Pb和Cr的污染,其w(Hg),w(Cd)和w(Zn)已达中度污染甚至强污染水平,同时各路段也受到了不同程度的As,Cu和Ni污染,但并不严重. 据调查,路侧土壤中重金属质量分数及其分布格局主要受到燃煤、交通运输、地形及路况、气象因素以及城市建设等的影响.      

基于弹性理念的城市用地开发战略研究——以上海市宝山区为例

随着市场机制的不断完善,城市土地利用的不确定性需要在战略定位上具备更大的弹性以适应市场的发展。基于弹性理念,在对城市用地开发条件进行辨识的基础上,对土地开发的需求进行了弹性预测,依据人口极限计算出土地弹性需求值域的上下限,确定弹性范围,提出适应社会经济发展需要的用地开发战略目标,并找到将其变为现实的正确途径。在结构上从城市用地开发战略目标的确定、城市用地发展方向的定位以及城市用地模式的选择3个方面,对城市用地开发的战略研究做了深入分析。同时,引入新的思想和方法以及多学科多视角,定性与定量相结合来制定城市用地开发的战略目标。最后,利用上海市宝山区作为实例,对基于弹性理念的城市用地开发战略的研究做了实证分析。     

基于神经网络和遗传算法的城市火灾风险评价模型

以消防安全工程学与系统安全工程理论为基础,结合我国城市发展特征及消防安全管理状况,建立了城市区域火灾风险评价指标体系;针对神经网络易陷入局部极小而引起评价指标权值分布不合理的缺陷,提出了基于神经网络和遗传算法的城市火灾风险评价模型,该模型以火灾发生的可能性以及灾后的严重程度为输入单元,火灾风险等级为输出单元,采用误差反算法训练BP网络,最终得出火灾风险等级范围,有效地解决了城市火灾的动态性和非线性特征;研究实例证明了该模型的有效性,可为城市的消防安全管理提供确实可行的参考依据。     

动态规划法在污水处理厂优化设计中的应用

对具有代表性的系统优化模型进行分析比较,选用动态规划法对城市污水处理厂进行优化设计,得到了城市污水处理厂投资和运行的最优决策,为城市污水处理厂运行和设计提供了依据.     

城市生态安全评价及部分城市生态安全态势比较

以我国35个大中城市生态环境系统为研究对象,选取资源环境压力、环境状态和人文环境响应3个亚系统的23个指标,通过数据标准化处理、指标权重确定和生态安全评价指数模型构建,测算城市生态安全水平;再选取不同生态安全等级的福州、深圳等9城市,分析环境压力、状态和响应3项目对我国城市生态安全影响大小.结果表明,3项目的权重分配差异不大,反映这3个方面对城市生态安全的重要程度相似.按评价指数大小排序结果显示,福州、深圳两城市生态环境的安全态势居所有城市之首;有7个城市生态环境达到安全等级;其余26城市为生态临界安全或不安全状态.我国城市环境状态对于决定城市生态环境安全程度具有重要的作用.各城市压力指数值差异不大,人文环境响应指标值相对较低,反映我国城市环境压力、状态和响应指标对城市生态环境安全贡献的差异,其中人文环境响应项目的贡献最小.