Investigating the Air Quality Parameters in Louisiana’s Industrial Corridor: A Baton Rouge Case Study

In a local context, sustainable development entails utilizing the current resources—material and immaterial, measurable and immeasurable, popular and unpopular—of the community in a manner that avoids overexploitation and ensures intergenerational equity. This approach prioritizes the safety and health of local citizens, placing communal productivity above corporate profitability. This research aims to assess air quality surrounding 28 chemical industry sites in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to understand the environmental and health impacts of industrial pollutants, with a focus on environmental justice. Air quality pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO, and SO2, were monitored for 75 days during the Summer, using the BreezoMeter app. Python, Mapize, and QGIS software technologies were utilized for data analysis and visualization. Findings indicate a reduction in NO2 and CO levels, compared to existing literature. However, the persistent challenge of particulate matter suggests areas for further environmental management efforts. Additionally, the research suggests a significant disparity in air pollution exposure, probably affecting marginalized communities. Although the nature of the study might not fully capture annual pollution trends, the findings highlight the urgent need for the chemical industry to adopt efficient production methods and for policymakers to enhance air quality standards and enforcement, particularly in pollution-sensitive areas. The disproportionate impact of air pollution on vulnerable communities calls for a more inclusive approach to environmental justice, ensuring equitable distribution of clean air benefits and community involvement in pollution management decisions.

Perception of the Residential Environmental Quality of Yenagoa Metropolis,Nigeria

Residential environmental quality(REQ)affects human health and quality of life(QoL).Therefore,this study as­sessed residents’perception of the REQ of the Yenagoa metropolis.Data for the study were sourced from the 400 ad­ministered questionnaires,which required respondents to rate their REQ based on seven selected indicators(air quality,drinking water quality,housing location,sanitation,waste management,housing accessibility and noise pollution).The respondents were sampled using the multistage sampling technique.The data were analyzed using frequency,percent­age,t-test,ANOVA and REQ model.The findings show that the overall calculated REQ of Yenagoa was classified as“good quality”.The best-rated indicator was drinking water quality,while the least-rated was noise pollution.Ratings based on respondents’sex,income and educational status recorded similar results.Also,the respondents’perception of the REQ across the four zones was similar as the calculated ratings of all the zones fell under the“good quality”classification.Furthermore,the hypotheses tested revealed that there were no significant differences in the perception of the REQ by sex and income status,while significant variation exists by education status.Despite the general“good quality”rating,there is still room for improvement,especially in the areas of noise pollution,sanitation and housing location,which received relatively low ratings.

Overview on Air Pollution Control Promoting the Improvement of Ambient Air Quality in Tianjin

To improve ambient air quality and return citizens blue sky and white clouds,national and local administrative departments all issue corresponding countermeasures to strictly prevent and control air pollution,reduce total pollutant emission,and improve environmental management level. In this paper,taking Tianjin as an example,change situation of regional air pollution and its prevention and control management situation were summarized.

Analysis of the relationship between environmental policies and air quality during major social events

Based on an analysis of major recent social events in China,such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,2010 Shanghai World Expo,2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games,and 2014 Beijing Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference,mandatory,temporary,and indemnificatory quantitative policies aimed at protecting air quality,which were carried out by both central and local governments,made substantial contributions to changes and improvements in air quality.To some extent,the findings show that command and control measures play a significant role in protecting air quality,while the law and economic and voluntary environmental safeguard measures do not during major social events.Therefore,it reminds us the air quality could and will improve not only during major social events but also in the regular days if we implement appropriate environmental policies and safeguard measures.

Performance of a Horizontal Flow Constructed Reed Bed Filter for Municipal Wastewater Treatment: The Case Study of the Prototype Installed at Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Senegal

In Saint-Louis, Senegal, a constructed wetland with horizontal flow reed beds (FHa and FHb) has demonstrated significant efficacy in treating municipal wastewater. Analyzing various treatment stages, the system showed only a slight temperature variation, from an influent average of 26.3°C to an effluent of 24.7°C. Electrical conductivity decreased from 1331 mS/cm to 974.5 mS/cm post-primary treatment, with suspended solids (SS) dramatically reduced from 718.9 mg/L to 5.7 mg/L in the final effluent. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) saw a notable decrease, from initial levels of 655.6 mg/L and 1240 mg/L to 2.3 mg/L and 71.3 mg/L, respectively. Nitrogenous compounds (N-TN) and phosphates () also decreased significantly, indicating the system’s nutrient removal capacity. Microbiological analysis revealed a reduction in fecal coliforms from 7.5 Ulog/100ml to 1.8 Ulog/100ml and a complete elimination of helminth eggs. The presence of Phragmites and Typha was instrumental in enhancing these reductions. The system’s compliance with the Senegalese standards for disposal into natural environments, WHO recommendations for unrestricted water reuse in irrigation, and the European legislation for water reuse was established. The effluent quality met the stringent criteria for various classes of agricultural reuse, illustrating the system’s potential for sustainable water management. This wetland model presents a robust solution for water-stressed regions, ensuring environmental protection while supporting agricultural needs. The study calls for ongoing research to further refine the system for optimal, reliable wastewater treatment and water resource sustainability.

Environmental Anthropological Study of Watershed Management‐Water Quality Conservation of Forest as a Catchment Area in the Southern Part of Australia

Authors have conducted an experiment of irradiation using sound waves (frequency) including ultrasonic waves into water such as drinking water, sea water and forest water and wastewater so far. As a result, almost the same effect of improvement of water quality was confirmed for each sound wave. Then, an environmental anthropological study of watershed management based on the sound was carried out assuming that a water quality management using the sound could be possible. The Goulburn River basin in the southern part of Australia in which indigenous peoples (Yorta Yorta) have been concerned with the management for a long time so far was selected as an objective drainage basin this time. As a result, a couple of environmental anthropological perspectives on watershed management were proposed.

Using a Coupled Air Quality Modeling System for the Development of an Air Quality Plan in Madrid (Spain): Source Apportionment and Analysis Evaluation of Mitigation Measures

In this contribution, we use a coupled air quality modelling system (AQM) as a tool to design and develop an air quality plan in Madrid. AQM has allowed us to obtain a preliminary evaluation of the effect of mitigation measures over regional and local air quality levels. To achieve these goals, we have prepared a sophisticated AQM, coupling the meteorological model WRF, the emission model AEMM, and the photochemical model CMAQ. AQM was evaluated using the whole modelling year 2010 working with high horizontal resolution, 3 km for the region of Madrid and 1km for urban metropolitan area of Madrid. Two different analyses have been realized: a source apportionment exercise following a zero-out methodology to obtain the contribution to the air quality levels of the different emission sector;and an evaluation of the main mitigation measures considered in the air quality plan using sensitivity analysis. The air quality plan was focused on the improvement of NO2 levels and AQM analyzed the effect of the mitigation measures during ten episodes of 2011 where NO2 or O3 levels were the highest of the year;so we analyzed the effect of the mitigation plan in worst conditions. Results provided by the AQM system show that it accomplishes the European Directive modelling uncertainty requirements and the mean absolute gross error for 1-h maximum daily NO2 is 31% over locations with higher levels of this atmospheric pollutant;the road traffic is the main contributor to the air quality levels providing a 81% for NO2, 67% for CO and 46% for PM10;measures defined in the plan achieve to reduce up to 11 μgm-3 NO2 levels offering highest reductions over urban areas with traffic influence.

Air Quality Monitoring and Its Implication on the Environmental Licensing Process in Brazil

In the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, public policies regarding the air quality aimed at the welfare of the population are strongly dependent on monitoring conducted by the Sao Paulo State Environmental Company (CETESB), which can be influenced by faulty monitors and equipment support and cuts in power supply, among others. A research conducted from 1998 to 2008 indicated that a significant portion of the air quality automatic stations in the state of Sao Paulo did not meet the criterion of representativeness of measurements of PM10, NO2, O3, CO and SO2 concentrations which resulted in the classification of some municipalities as the nonattainment area, a situation evidenced for PM10 and O3 parameters. The network unavailability for each parameter was estimated and compared with the monitoring networks operated in Canada and the UK. This paper discusses the implications of the lack of representativeness of measurements in the environmental licensing process of pollution sources from 2008, when by the effect of state law, municipalities have been qualified according to their air quality nonattainment level.

中国城市PM_(2.5)污染暴露不平等及其驱动因素——基于Theil指数和LMDI分解

聚焦大气污染物PM_(2.5),对2015~2021年污染物浓度进行人口规模赋权,构建中国城市PM_(2.5)污染暴露水平指标,基于GINI系数和Theil指数测度污染暴露不平等,并按城市行政层级、省份进行差异分解;基于对数平均迪氏指数分解法(LMDI),分别对污染暴露水平、不平等程度进行驱动因素分解,探究其变化背后的社会经济因素.结果表明:中国城市PM_(2.5)污染暴露不平等总体温和,GINI系数保持在0.2以内且呈递减趋势.不同行政级别城市间未表现出污染暴露不平等,而省际差异对污染暴露不平等的贡献达68.4%;总体上能源的污染暴露乘数、政府绿色支出能耗强度是PM_(2.5)污染暴露水平的主要抑制因素,对污染暴露水平的驱动贡献超过60%.政府支出结构、支出规模、经济发展和人口因素对PM_(2.5)污染暴露起促增作用,但各因素在不同层级的城市间具有异质性;能源的污染暴露乘数、绿色支出能耗强度对不平等的动态抑制作用弱化,主要依靠能源绿色化的治污策略面临挑战.据此提出更好发挥政府作用,持续降低中国PM_(2.5)污染暴露水平,实现环境公共服务更加均等化的政策启示.

Improved AHP method and its application in lake environmental comprehensive quality evaluation—a case study of Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing, China

The relative importance of each pollution factor in analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method comes from pooling expert opinions in general. Because expert opinions are based on information and judgment criteria, determining their weight may lead to uncertainty.. Therefore, an improved AHP method had been developed. The process of the improved AHP method involved four key procedures. The weights of pollution factors were completely related to the objective monitoring data through the standardization of these procedures. The environmental comprehensive quality of water and sediment of Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing, China had been evaluated. The environmental quality comprehensive indices (EQCI) of the water in 1991-1995 and 1996-2000 were 3.32 and 1.85, respectively, indicating that the water quality improved. The EQCI of the sediment in 1995 and 2000 indicates that the sediment contamination decreased from 1995 to 2000. Such results agreed with the fact that the lake had been under comprehensive control. However, with the classical AHP method, the EQCI of the sediment in the northwestern part of the lake may have indicated that sediment contamination increased from 1995 to 2000. The discrepancy may have resulted from the judgment difference of the experts. The improved AHP method can avoid arbitrariness of subjective judgment and can reflect the real influential factors of environment pollution in different periods or regions.

STUDY OF THE VERTICAL WIND FIELD STRUCTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PM2.5 AIR POLLUTION OVER THE PEARL RIVER DELTA IN AUTUMN

Meteorological conditions,particularly the vertical wind field structure,have a direct influence on the PM2.5 concentrations over the Pearl River Delta(PRD).In October 2012,an exceptional air pollution event occurred in the PRD,and a high concentration of PM2.5 was registered at some stations.During days with PM2.5 air pollution,the wind speed was less than 3 m s-1 at the surface,and the vertical wind field featured a weak wind layer(WWL)with a thickness of approximately 1000 m.The mean atmospheric boundary layer height was less than 500 m during pollution days,but it was greater than 1400 m during non-pollution days.A strong negative correlation was detected between the PM2.5 concentration and the ventilation index(VI).The VI was less than 2000 m2 s-1 during PM2.5 air pollution days.Because of the weak wind,sea-land breezes occurred frequently,the recirculation factor(RF)values were small at a height of 800 m during pollution days,and the zones with the lowest RF values always occurred between the heights of 300 and 600 m.The RF values during PM2.5 pollution days were approximately 0.4 to 0.6 below a height of 800 m,reducing the transportation capacity of the wind field to only 40%to 60%.The RF and wind profile characteristics indicated that sealand breezes were highly important in the accumulation of PM2.5 air pollution in the PRD.The sea breezes may transport pollutants back inland and may result in the peak PM2.5 concentrations at night.

Illustrating the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution based on big data:Lessons from China

The relationship between stakeholders and the environment influences sustainable development and human wellbeing.To illustrate the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution in China,we interpreted a feedback loop in the perception-behavior-environment nexus from the perspective of the coupled human-environment system,measured the differences of environmental perceptions among five stakeholders(the public,government,media,companies,and scientists)and regions(including 31 provinces,autonomous regions,and municipalities in China,with exceptions of Taiwan of China,Hong Kong of China,and Macao of China due to a lack of data)using big data,and made a comparison between the perceptions and the actual pollution situation.The results showed that the five stakeholders exhibited similar perceptions of environmental pollution at the national scale,with air pollution being of most concern,followed by water pollution and soil pollution.There were significant spatial differences in environmental perceptions.All stakeholders in the developed regions in eastern China paid relatively high attention to environmental issues,while those in the northwestern regions paid much less attention.There existed a mutual influence and interaction among the different stakeholders.More attention should be paid to air pollution in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,water pollution in Hainan Province,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Heilongjiang Province,and Jilin Province,and soil pollution in Hainan Province,Fujian Province,and Jilin Province.This paper provides a research paradigm on multi-stakeholder environmental perceptions based on big data,and the results provide a background reference for regional environmental governance.

State of Air Quality in Malawi

Air pollution in Malawi is recognized as one of the key environmental issues. Out of nine key issues it is ranked eighth on priority issues. This has led to lagging behind in terms of research and reporting on the issue. However, the Malawi Government has made strides in implementing policies, acts and programs that are directly or indirectly concerned with the improvement and abatement of air quality to meet the millennium development goals (MDGs) especially goal number 7. The inventories and studies show that air quality in Malawi is still good, but future anticipated air quality problems are cause for worry such as impact on human health, global climate change and ozone depletion. Trends in consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS) show a remarkable drive towards total reduction. Emissions standards are in place in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Recommendations on how to deal with air quality issues have been proposed in the national state of environmental report (NSOER) in that: 1) there is a need for an operational framework for climate change programs in Malawi and;2) there is a need to unify climate change policies dealing with enforcement of ODS phasing out, alternative energy sources, emissions from vehicles and industries, and institutional and human resource capacity.

Research on Decision Support System (DSS) of Atmospheric Environment Management in Anhui Province Based on Air Quality Forecasting

With the atmospheric stereoscopic monitoring, air quality forecasting and decision of environment management as the main line, and comprehensive management system as the guidance, five platforms including infrastructure, technological support, monitoring and early monitoring, decision support and information services were established. These platforms have 15 subsystems, including stereoscopic monitoring network, visual business consultation, high-performance computing environment, comprehensive management of atmospheric data, emission inventories of pollu-tion sources, evaluation tools of atmospheric models, monitoring and management of air pollution, forecasting and early warning of air quality, diag-nostic analysis of atmospheric environment, tracking of air pollution sources, emergency management of air pollution, conformity management of air quality, comprehensive display of information, releasing of information to external networks, and releasing of information by mobile networks. The decision support system （DSS） of atmospheric environment management could realize an integration business system of 11 air quality forecast - heavy pollution weather warning - diagnosis of pollution causes （dynamic analysis of pollution sources） -air quality conformity planning （air pollu-tion emergency management） -evaluation of forecasting and warning results （evaluation pf management measures） -air quality forecasting＂ and provide the technical support for the prevention and control of atmosphere pollution in Anhui province.

Pollution of Airborne Fungi in Naturally Ventilated Repositories of the Provincial Historical Archive of Santiago de Cuba (Cuba)

Environmental fungi can damage the documentary heritage conserved in archives and affect the personnel’s health if their concentrations,thermo-hygrometric parameters and ventilation conditions are not adequate,problems that can be accentuated by Climate Change.The aims of this work were to identify and to characterize the airborne fungal pollution of naturally ventilated repositories in the Provincial Historical Archive of Santiago de Cuba and predict the risk that these fungi pose to the staff’s health.Indoor air of three repositories of this archive and the outdoor air were sampled in an occasion every time in 2015,2016 and 2017 using a SAS sampler.The obtained fungal concentrations varied from 135.6 CFU/m^(3) to 421.1 CFU/m^(3) and the indoor/outdoor ratios fluctuated from 0.7 to 4.2,evidencing a variable environmental quality over time,but in the third sampling the repositories environments showed good quality.Aspergillus and Cladosporium were the predominant genera in these environments.A.flavus was a prevailed species in indoor air,while A.niger and Cl.cladosporioides were the species that showed the greatest similarities with the outdoor air.Coremiella and Talaromyces genera as well as the species Aspergillus uvarum,Alternaria ricini and Cladosporium staurophorum were the first findings for environments of Cuban archives.Xerophilic species(A.flavus,A.niger,A.ochraceus,A.ustus)indicators of moisture problems in the repositories were detected;they are also opportunistic pathogens and toxigenic species but their concentrations were higher than the recommended,demonstrating the potential risk to which the archive personnel is exposed in a circumstantial way.

Fungal contaminations of indoor and outdoor air of buildings of the University of Cape Coast,Ghana

The presence of microscopic spores in the air affects the quality of air inhaled by animals including humans.Microbial contamination of air impacts the well-being of occupants of an indoor environment,sometimes with dire consequences.The study investigated fungal contaminations of indoor and outdoor air of the Hospital,Library and Senior Common Room(SCR)of the University of Cape Coast,Ghana.Indoor and outdoor air was sampled using the Koch’s sedimentation method.Colony forming units per cubic meter of air(cfu/m^(3))were determined with the Omeliansky formula.The isolated fungi were identified based on morphological and growth characteristics.For indoor air,the least colony counts were recorded in the SCR for both morning and afternoon samples,whilst the Hospital air had the highest colony counts.For outdoor air,the colony counts were lower in SCR and the Library for both morning and afternoon samples compared to the Hospital.The results further indicated that indoor concentrations of fungi,for morning and afternoon,ranged between 4.0x10^(4) and 2.1x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),whereas outdoor concentrations of fungi ranged between 1.1x105 and 3.0x10^(5) cfu/m^(3),revealing an overall higher levels of contamination of outdoor air than indoor air at all the three buildings.Consequently,estimated indoor/outdoor(I/O)concentration ratios of fungi revealed an exogenous source of indoor contaminations at all the three buildings sampled.Fungi isolated from indoor and outdoor air were of the genera Aspergillus,Curvularia,Cylindrocarpon,Fusarium,Mucor,Neurospora,Penicillium and Rhodotorula.We conclude that indoor and outdoor air of the buildings sampled were contaminated with airborne fungi;however,based on estimated I/O ratios,the indoor ambient conditions of the buildings were good.The implication of findings of this study is that the presence of airborne fungal contaminants of indoor and outdoor workplace environment may pose serious occupational health consequences,hence low productivity.

Atmospheric Environmental Capacity of S_2 in Winter over Lanzhou in China:A Case Study

The total emission control method based on atmospheric environmental capacity is the most effective in air pollution mitigation. The atmospheric environmental capacities of SO2 on representative days over Lanzhou are estimated using the numerical models RAMS, HYPACT and a linear programming model, according to the national ambient air quality standard of China （NAAQSCHN）. The results show that the fields of meteorological elements and SO2 simulated by the models agree reasonably well with observations. The atmospheric environmental capacity of SO2 over Lanzhou is around 111.7 × 10^3 kg d^-1, and in order to meet the air quality level Ⅱ of the NAAQSCHN, SO2 emissions need to be reduced by 20%.

A cross-sectional study into the correlation of common household risk factors and allergic rhinitis in Taiwan's tropical environment

Objective:To discuss the effect of lesser-known potential risk factors,such as bedroom showers,on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis.Methods:A cross-sectional,population-based study was performed using both survey and fungal culturing in southern Taiwan.There were 998 participants enrolled in the survey,and 513 sets of fungal culture obtained.With score for allergic rhinitis(SFAR) more than 7,the patient was defined to have allergic rhinitis.Risks of allergic rhinitis were calculated as odds ratios for various predicted risk factors by logistic regression.Correlation between predicted risk factors and fungal level were examined with linear regression.Results:The adjusted odds ratio of frequently using bedroom shower to having allergic rhinitis was 1.572(95% confidence interval:1.090-2.265),and 0.962 for people with older age to have AR(95% confidence interval:0.949-0.976).As to the 24-hour fungal level,the standardized coefficient was 0.254 for frequent use of bedroom shower,and 0.106 for window open hours.Conclusions:Use of bedroom shower is a potential risk factor for allergic rhinitis development.

Metal-enriched nanoparticles and black carbon:A perspective from the Brazil railway system air pollution

Having a better understanding of air pollutants in railway systems is crucial to ensure a clean public transport.This study measured,for the first time in Brazil,nanoparticles(NPs)and black carbon(BC)on two groundlevel platforms and inside trains of the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre(MAPA).An intense sampling campaign during thirteen consecutive months was carried out and the chemical composition of NPs was examined by advanced microscopy techniques.The results showed that highest concentrations of the pollutants occur in colder seasons and influenced by variables such as frequency of the trains and passenger densities.Also,internal and external sources of pollution at the stations were identified.The predominance of NPs enriched with metals that increase oxidative stress like Cd,Fe,Pb,Cr,Zn,Ni,V,Hg,Sn,and Ba both on the platforms and inside trains,including Fe-minerals as hematite and magnetite,represents a critical risk to the health of passengers and employees of the system.This interdisciplinary and multi-analytical study aims to provide an improved understanding of reported adverse health effects induced by railway system aerosols.

Big Data Analytics with Artificial Intelligence Enabled Environmental Air Pollution Monitoring Framework

Environmental sustainability is the rate of renewable resourceharvesting, pollution control, and non-renewable resource exhaustion. Airpollution is a significant issue confronted by the environment particularlyby highly populated countries like India. Due to increased population, thenumber of vehicles also continues to increase. Each vehicle has its individualemission rate;however, the issue arises when the emission rate crosses thestandard value and the quality of the air gets degraded. Owing to the technological advances in machine learning (ML), it is possible to develop predictionapproaches to monitor and control pollution using real time data. With thedevelopment of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics (BDA),there is a huge paradigm shift in how environmental data are employed forsustainable cities and societies, especially by applying intelligent algorithms.In this view, this study develops an optimal AI based air quality prediction andclassification (OAI-AQPC) model in big data environment. For handling bigdata from environmental monitoring, Hadoop MapReduce tool is employed.In addition, a predictive model is built using the hybridization of ARIMAand neural network (NN) called ARIMA-NN to predict the pollution level.For improving the performance of the ARIMA-NN algorithm, the parametertuning process takes place using oppositional swallow swarm optimization(OSSO) algorithm. Finally, Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS)classifier is used to classify the air quality into pollutant and non-pollutant.A detailed experimental analysis is performed for highlighting the betterprediction performance of the proposed ARIMA-NN method. The obtainedoutcomes pointed out the enhanced outcomes of the proposed OAI-AQPCtechnique over the recent state of art techniques.