Correlating element atmospheric deposition and cancer mortality in Portugal: data handling and preliminary results

This study, framed within geographical epidemiology, presents preliminary findings concerning the association between the concentrations of chemical elements obtained through atmospheric biomonitoring with lichens and cancer mortality in the Portuguese population. Exploratory analyses were performed to identify potential confounders for the relationships between chemical elements and neoplasm mortality and to assess the extent of their interference. The results of this study highlight some methodological and conceptual difficulties inherent to observational and geographical studies, in the specific context of the Portuguese population, and the challenge posed by the large numbers of pollutants considered.     

利用ADMS-城市模型模拟分析鞍山市大气环境质量

利用鞍山市 2 0 0 2年的TSP(总悬浮颗粒物 )和SO2 (二氧化硫 )大气环境监测资料、污染源排放清单资料和气象资料 ,以及ADMS -城市大气扩散模型进行了鞍山市大气环境质量分析。结果表明 :鞍山市低架源对地面浓度的贡献较大 ,高架源对地面浓度的贡献相对较小。     

Forest biomass accumulation is an important source of acidity to forest soils: Data from Swedish inventories of forests and soils 1955 to 2010

The input of acidity to Swedish forest soils through forestry between 1955 and 2010 is compared with the acid input from atmospheric deposition. Depending on region, input of acidity from forestry was the minor part (25–45%) of the study period’s accumulated acid input but is now the dominating source (140–270 mol_c ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). The net uptake of cations due to the increase in standing forest biomass, ranged between 35 and 45% of the forestry related input of acidity while whole-tree harvesting, introduced in the late 1990s, contributed only marginally (< 2%). The geographical gradient in acid input is reflected in the proportion of acidified soils in Sweden but edaphic properties contribute to variations in acidification sensitivity. It is important to consider the acid input due to increases in standing forest biomass in acidification assessments since it is long-term and quantitatively important.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01540-y.     

Modelling of light pollution in suburban areas using remotely sensed imagery and GIS

This paper describes a methodology for modelling light pollution using geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technology. The proposed approach attempts to address the issue of environmental assessment in sensitive suburban areas. The modern way of life in developing countries is conductive to environmental degradation in urban and suburban areas. One specific parameter for this degradation is light pollution due to intense artificial night lighting. This paper aims to assess this parameter for the Athens metropolitan area, using modern analytical and data capturing technologies. For this purpose, night-time satellite images and analogue maps have been used in order to create the spatial database of the GIS for the study area. Using GIS advanced analytical functionality, visibility analysis was implemented. The outputs for this analysis are a series of maps reflecting direct and indirect light pollution around the city of Athens. Direct light pollution corresponds to optical contact with artificial night light sources, while indirect light pollution corresponds to optical contact with the sky glow above the city. Additionally, the assessment of light pollution in different periods allows for dynamic evaluation of the phenomenon. The case study demonstrates high levels of light pollution in Athens suburban areas and its increase over the last decade.     

Control Strategy Optimization for Attainment and Exposure Mitigation: Case Study for Ozone in Macon, Georgia

Implementation of more stringent 8-hour ozone standards has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate nonattainment status to 474 counties nationwide, many of which had never previously violated air quality standards. As states select emission control measures to achieve attainment in these regions, their choices pose significant implications to local economies and the health of their citizens. Considering a case study of one such nonattainment region, Macon, Georgia, we develop a menu of potential controls that could be implemented locally or in neighboring parts of the state. The control menu offers the potential to control about 20–35% of ozone precursor emissions in most Georgia regions, but marginal costs increase rapidly beyond 15–20%. We link high-order ozone sensitivities with the control menu to identify cost-optimized strategies for achieving attainment and for alternative goals such as reducing spatially averaged or population-weighted ozone concentrations. Strategies targeted toward attainment of Macon ozone would prioritize local reductions of nitrogen oxides, whereas controls in the more densely populated Atlanta region are shown to be more effective for reducing statewide potential population exposure to ozone. A U.S. EPA-sanctioned approach for demonstrating ozone attainment with photochemical models is shown to be highly dependent on the choice of a baseline period and may not foster optimal strategies for assuring attainment and protecting human health.     

基于神经网络模型对城市空气质量预报方法的优化研究

基于郑州市2017年1月1日—2022年2月28日环境空气细颗粒物(PM_2.5)逐日质量浓度监测数据和同期气象数据,利用反向传播(BP)神经网络构建了环境空气PM_2.5质量浓度预报模型,实现了对郑州市后1日环境空气PM_2.5质量浓度日均值进行预报。构建了考虑大气氧化性因素(情景一)和不考虑大气氧化性因素(情景二)这2种情景,并对2种情景下的预报效果进行评价。结果显示,在情景一下,各季节PM_2.5预报质量浓度与实况质量浓度的标准化平均偏差(NMB)和均方根误差(RMSE)均处于较低水平,表明预报效果均具有较好的稳定性;各季节PM_2.5实况质量浓度与预报质量浓度之间的相关系数(r)、一致性指数(IA)、准确率(Q)和级别预报准确率(G)均处于较高水平,其中Q值均>79%,G值均>80%,表明各季节PM_2.5实况质量浓度与预报质量浓度趋势的吻合程度较高。情景一各季节PM_2.5预报质量浓度与实况质量浓度的NMB和RMSE均低于情景...     

Global-scale environmental transport of persistent organic pollutants

In order to realistically simulate both chemistry and transport of atmospheric organic pollutants, it is indispensable that the applied models explicitly include coupling between different components of the global environment such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and soil system. A model with such properties is presented.

The atmospheric part of the model is based on the equations in a general contravariant form which permits easy changes of the coordinate system by redefining the metric tensor of a specifically employed coordinate system. Considering a need to include explicitly the terrain effects, the terrain following spherical coordinate system is chosen from among many possible coordinate systems. This particular system is a combination of the Gal-Chen coordinates, commonly employed in mesoscale meteorological models, and the spherical coordinates, typical for global atmospheric models.

In addition to atmospheric transport, the model also simulates the exchange between air and different types of underlying surfaces such as water, soil, snow, and ice. This approach permits a realistic representation of absorption and delayed re-emission of pollutants from the surface to the atmosphere and, consequently, allows to capture hysteresis-like effects of the exchange between the atmosphere and the other components of the system. In this model, the most comprehensive numerical representation of the exchange is that for soil. In particular, the model includes a realistic soil module which simulates both diffusion and convection of a tracer driven by evaporation from the soil, precipitation, and gravity.

The model is applied to a long-term simulation of the transport of pesticides (hexachlorocyclohexanes in particular). Emission fluxes from the soil are rigorously computed on the basis of the realistic data of the agricultural application. All four modelled systems, i.e. atmosphere, soil, hydrosphere and cryosphere, are driven by objectively analysed meteorological data supplemented, when necessary, by climatological information. Therefore, the verification against the observed data is possible. The comparison of the model results and the observations taken at remote stations in the Arctic indicates that the presented global modelling system is able to capture both trends and short-term components in the observed time series of the concentrations, and therefore, provides a useful tool for the evaluation of the source–receptor relationships.     

公路隧道能见度及其关联影响因子研究

通过对谭裕沟隧道和梧桐山隧道内能见度、机动车流量和构成、主要空气污染物的监测和研究,探讨了隧道内能见度下降的主要原因,结果表明,影响能见度的主要污染物是粒径较小的细粒子。      

大气扰动下人－机系统建模与仿真

建立了人、机、大气环境扰动的动力学模型。形成一个便于仿真计算的人－机－环境系统模型，针对驾驶员完成俯仰跟踪任务，研究了大气扰动对驾驶员控制特性和人－机闭环特性的影响。     

SOIL ZINC CONTAMINATION FROM CORROSION OF GALVANIZED STRUCTURES

The present work relates to galvanized structures with several years of time life subjected to atmospheric corrosion, like galvanized high tension steel pylons. The mass and fate of zinc released is evaluated both via empirical and experimental procedures. The corrosion rate determination requested atmospheric condition characterization, especially for SO 2 concentration and experimental activities focused on soil sampling around pylons. The soil zinc content, total and exchangeable, is determinates by different analytical procedures. The zinc diffusion in environment and the zinc extension under the top soil is evaluated using 1-dimensional mathematical model for miscible species in porous soil.