Characteristics of total suspended particulates in the atmosphere of Yulong Snow Mountain,southwestern China

The measurement of black carbon （BC） and organic carbon （OC）, dust in total suspended particulates （TSP） was carried out at Yulong Snow Mountain （Mt. Yulong） and Ganhaizi Basin, in the Mt. Yulong region, southwestern China. TSP samples were analyzed using a thermal/optical reflectance carbon analyzer. Results show that average BC and OC concentrations in TSP in the Mt. Yulong region were 1.61±1.15 μg/m3 and 2.96±1.59 μg/m3, respectively. Statistical results demonstrated that there were significant differences in mean BC and OC contents between Ganhaizi Basin and Mt. Yulong at the 0.05 level. Strong correlations between BC and OC indicate their common dominant emission sources and transport processes. Temporal variations ofBC, OC, and optical attenuation （ATN） values were consistent with each other in carbonaceous aerosols. The ratios of OC/BC in monsoon season were significantly higher than in non-monsoon in aerosols from Ganhaizi, which is closely related to the formation of secondary organic carbon （SOC） and extensive motor vehicle emissions from tourism activities. The temporal variations of BC, OC and ATN in carbonaceous aerosols in Ganhaizi and Mt. Yulong were totally different, probably due to elevation difference and diverse tourism activity intensity between the two sites. Time-averaged aerosol optical depth （AOD） at the wavelength of 550 nm in Mt. Yulong was higher than that of the inland of the Tibetan Plateau （TP）. Source apportionment indicated that intensive exhaust emissions from tourism vehicles were the main local sources of atmospheric pollutant in the Mt. Yulong region. Biomass-burning emissions released from South Asia could penetrate into the inland of the TP under the transport of summer monsoon. Further study is needed to assess light absorption and radiative forcing of carbonaceous aerosols, and modeling research in combination with long-term in-situ observations of light-absorbing particulates （LAPs） in the TP is also urgently needed in future work.

Evaluation of ambient air quality in Guangzhou, China

On the basis of the reported air quality index （API） and air pollutant monitoring data provided by the Guangzhou Environment Monitoring Stations over the last twenty-five years, the characteristics of air quality, prominent pollutants, and variation of the average annual concentrations of SOE, NOE, total suspended particulate （TSP）, fine particulates （PM10）, CO and dustfall in Guangzhou City were analyzed. Results showed that TSP was the prominent pollutant in the ambient air environment of Guangzhou City. Of the prominent pollutants, TSP accounted for nearly 62%, SOE 12.3%, and NOx 6.4%, respectively. The average API of Guangzhou over 6 years was higher than that of Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai, and lower than that of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou. Concentrations of air pollutants have shown a downward trend in recent years, but they are generally worse than ambient air quality standards for USA, Hong Kong and EU. SOE and NOx pollution were still serious, impling that waste gas pollution from all kinds of vehicles had become a significant problem for environmental protection in Guangzhou. The possible causes of worsening air quality were also discussed in this paper.

Comparative Analysis of Indoor Levels of Suspended Particulates and Nitrogen Dioxide a Few Hours later after an Asthmatic Attack

Suspended particulates （TSP） and nitrogen dioxide （NO2） are known respiratory irritants linked to asthma aggravation. This pilot study was designed to investigate the role of these pollutants on the frequency of asthmatic attack on two of the inhabitants of a household. The surveillance of TSP and NO2 in this household commenced a few hours later, after one of the occupants suffered an attack. The TSP load determination was done using a High Volume Gravimetric sampler and a light scattering method via a Haz-Dust 10 μm particulate monitor. Palmes Diffusion tubes for NO2 and a portable Crowcon Gasman toxic gas detector were utilized for NO2 screening. In the first day of monitoring in the living room, the in situ particulate sampler （Haz-Dust） recorded a mean TSP level of 26,000 μg·m^-3. A confirmatory test with the eight hour average Gravimetric sampler gave 25,833 μg·m^-3. With the use of the Gasman toxic gas detector for NO2, the NO2 concentration for the first few hours of sampling was lower than 188 μg·m^-3, the detection limit of this instrument. However, the exact NO2 concentrations for the 7 day monitoring after the attack were 27.50 μg·m^-3 （kitchen） and 12.03 μg·m^-3 （living room） as recorded by the Palmes diffusion tubes.

Influence of automotive emission on air pollution using GIS in Faisalabad,Pakistan

This study was conducted to explore the major sources of pollutants including total suspended particles and levels of NOx,COx,and SOx in Faisalabad Pakistan,which make key contributions to the smog in Faisalabad.Faisalabad is the third largest city of Pakistan where the situation is aggravating due to industrial expansion,population growth and an increasing volume of traffic.Study was conducted for the period of three months at different stations in Faisalabad.The concentrations of total suspended particles,levels of NOx,SOx and COx are 160μg/m^(3) to 506μg/m^(3),26μg/m^(3) to 64μg/m^(3),110μg/m^(3) to 139μg/m^(3) and 5.5 mg/m^(3) to 18.2 mg/m^(3),respectively.As a result,air pollution control should not simply focus on controlling particulate emission,but also involve adopting an integrated multi-pollutant control strategy.Measured concentrations were at an intermediate level with respect to parameters by using Geographical Information System(GIS)and GPS.The results were compared with the permissible limits of United States Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA)and National Environmental Quality Standards(NEQS).