Historically, Ukraine has been a major source of industrial production for the former Soviet Union and the source of pollution associated with an aging industrial infrastructure. The US Environmental Protection Agency...Historically, Ukraine has been a major source of industrial production for the former Soviet Union and the source of pollution associated with an aging industrial infrastructure. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Ukrainian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) entered into partnership to develop Ukrainian expertise and capacity in risk assessment so that Ukraine could more effectively use its National and Regional Environmental Protection Funds and set priorities for cleanup and regulation. Ukrainian scientists, local officials, and EPA consultants conducted a pilot study in the heavily industrialized Zaporizhzhia Oblast so that the process, analytical tools, and approach for a risk assessment could be developed for and tailored to Ukrainian needs. As a first step, site-specific information was obtained from multiple sources of air pollution and an emissions inventory of air pollution developed. Efforts by local officials were critical for emissions inventory construction. After refinements were made to the inventory, Ukrainian scientists then performed exposure modeling using this information so that ambient concentrations of pollutants could be estimated. 11 industry types (i.e., enterprises) were identified as a major emission source. Results of the modeling effort demonstrated that emissions estimates of particulate matter (as measured by particles of less than 10 micron diameter or “PM10”) and a number of carcinogens were consistent with those from other cities with high concentrations of metallurgical industries in former Soviet Union countries, and were above safety standards. Hazard information was gathered from international databases for each of the estimated pollutants. Using such data, prioritization and identification of potential health concerns can be made, but most importantly, the expertise and experience gained from the pilot allowed for continued support of risk assessment capacity building in the Ukraine and support by the World Bank.展开更多
Ground-level ozone(O_(3)) aff ects vegetation and threatens environmental health when levels exceed critical values,above which adverse eff ects are expected.Cyprus is expected to be a hotspot for O_(3)concentrations ...Ground-level ozone(O_(3)) aff ects vegetation and threatens environmental health when levels exceed critical values,above which adverse eff ects are expected.Cyprus is expected to be a hotspot for O_(3)concentrations due to its unique position in the eastern Mediterranean,receiving air masses from Europe,African,and Asian continents,and experiencing a warm Mediterranean climate.In Cyprus,the spatiotemporal features of O_(3) are poorly understood and the potential risks for forest health have not been explored.We evaluated O_(3) and nitrogen oxides(NO and NO 2)at four regional background stations at different altitudes over 2014−2016.O_(3) risks to vegetation and human health were estimated by calculating accumulated O_(3)exposure over a threshold of 40 nmol mol^(−1)(AOT40)and cumulative exposure to mixing ratios above 35 nmol mol^(−1)(SOMO35)indices.The data reveal that mean O_(3)concentrations follow a seasonal pattern,with higher levels in spring(51.8 nmol mol^(−1))and summer(53.2 nmol mol^(−1))and lower levels in autumn(46.9 nmol mol^(−1))and winter(43.3 nmol mol^(−1)).The highest mean O_(3)exposure(59.5 nmol mol^(−1)) in summer occurred at the high elevation station Mt.Troodos(1819 m a.s.l.).Increasing(decreasing)altitudinal gradients were found for O_(3)(NO x),driven by summer–winter diff erences.The diurnal patterns of O_(3) showed little variation.Only at the lowest altitude O_(3) displayed a typical O_(3) diurnal pattern,with hourly diff erences smaller than 15 nmol mol^(−1).Accumulated O_(3) exposures at all stations and in all years exceeded the European Union’s limits for the protection of vegetation,with average values of 3-month(limit:3000 nmol mol^(−1)h)and 6-month(limit:5000 nmol mol^(−1)h)AOT40 for crops and forests of 16,564 and 31,836 nmol mol^(−1)h,respectively.O_(3) exposures were considerably high for human health,with an average SOMO35 value of 7270 nmol mol^(−1) days across stations and years.The results indicate that O_(3) is a major environmental and public health issue in Cyprus,and policies must be adopted to mitigate O_(3) precursor emissions at local and regional scales.展开更多
Urban areas around the world, particularly in emerging nations such as China, India, and Brazil are experiencing high levels of air pollution due to increased population, economy, spending, and consumption, all of whi...Urban areas around the world, particularly in emerging nations such as China, India, and Brazil are experiencing high levels of air pollution due to increased population, economy, spending, and consumption, all of which contribute to deterioration in environmental and public health conditions in urban areas. This paper briefly discusses important sources of air pollution, air pollutants of concern, public health impacts, and proposed strategies to combat urban air pollution and promote sustainable urban living. A team of researchers under the mentorship of the main author is working on a number of air quality projects that involve air quality monitoring (sources, ambient, indoor, and occupational), emissions modeling, atmospheric dispersion modeling, air pollution control, and development of knowledge-based systems to manage air quality.? This paper presents potential strategies that could help address the growing public health concerns in urban areas and promote sustainable and healthy living.展开更多
Toxic air pollutants(TAPs)are a class of airborne chemicals known or suspected to cause serious health issues.This study,applying positive matrix factorization and inhalation unit risk estimates of TAPs,quantifies the...Toxic air pollutants(TAPs)are a class of airborne chemicals known or suspected to cause serious health issues.This study,applying positive matrix factorization and inhalation unit risk estimates of TAPs,quantifies the changes in significant sources contributing to inhalation cancer risks(ICRs)from 2000 to 2020 in Hong Kong,China.Total ICR decreased from 1701 to 451 cases per million between 2000−2004 and 2016−2020,largely attributed to the reduction in diesel particulate matter(DPM),gasoline and solvent use-related volatile organic compounds(VOCs),and coal/biomass combustion-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metal(loid)s.The regional contribution of VOCs associated with industrial and halogenated solvent sources increased substantially,representing the largest non-DPM ICR contributor(37%)in 2016−2020,stressing the need for a more comprehensive risk evaluation across the fast-growing and densely populated Greater Bay Area(GBA).ICRs in Hong Kong and the GBA will likely remain over 100 cases per million by 2050.The contributions to ozone formation potential of VOC/carbonyl sources were quantified,which show a notable shift from being solvent/gasoline-dominant in 2000−2004 to being more evenly shared by various sources in 2016−2020.Establishing a similar TAP monitoring network in the GBA is anticipated to provide the monitoring data needed to facilitate the development of more informed air quality management strategies.展开更多
文摘Historically, Ukraine has been a major source of industrial production for the former Soviet Union and the source of pollution associated with an aging industrial infrastructure. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Ukrainian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) entered into partnership to develop Ukrainian expertise and capacity in risk assessment so that Ukraine could more effectively use its National and Regional Environmental Protection Funds and set priorities for cleanup and regulation. Ukrainian scientists, local officials, and EPA consultants conducted a pilot study in the heavily industrialized Zaporizhzhia Oblast so that the process, analytical tools, and approach for a risk assessment could be developed for and tailored to Ukrainian needs. As a first step, site-specific information was obtained from multiple sources of air pollution and an emissions inventory of air pollution developed. Efforts by local officials were critical for emissions inventory construction. After refinements were made to the inventory, Ukrainian scientists then performed exposure modeling using this information so that ambient concentrations of pollutants could be estimated. 11 industry types (i.e., enterprises) were identified as a major emission source. Results of the modeling effort demonstrated that emissions estimates of particulate matter (as measured by particles of less than 10 micron diameter or “PM10”) and a number of carcinogens were consistent with those from other cities with high concentrations of metallurgical industries in former Soviet Union countries, and were above safety standards. Hazard information was gathered from international databases for each of the estimated pollutants. Using such data, prioritization and identification of potential health concerns can be made, but most importantly, the expertise and experience gained from the pilot allowed for continued support of risk assessment capacity building in the Ukraine and support by the World Bank.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(No.4210070867)the Foreign Young Talents Fund of the National Ministry of Science and Technology,China(No.31950410547)+1 种基金The Startup Foundation for Introducing Talent of Nanjing University of Information Science&Technology(NUIST),Nanjing,China(No.003080)the Jiangsu Distinguished Professor program of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province,China.
文摘Ground-level ozone(O_(3)) aff ects vegetation and threatens environmental health when levels exceed critical values,above which adverse eff ects are expected.Cyprus is expected to be a hotspot for O_(3)concentrations due to its unique position in the eastern Mediterranean,receiving air masses from Europe,African,and Asian continents,and experiencing a warm Mediterranean climate.In Cyprus,the spatiotemporal features of O_(3) are poorly understood and the potential risks for forest health have not been explored.We evaluated O_(3) and nitrogen oxides(NO and NO 2)at four regional background stations at different altitudes over 2014−2016.O_(3) risks to vegetation and human health were estimated by calculating accumulated O_(3)exposure over a threshold of 40 nmol mol^(−1)(AOT40)and cumulative exposure to mixing ratios above 35 nmol mol^(−1)(SOMO35)indices.The data reveal that mean O_(3)concentrations follow a seasonal pattern,with higher levels in spring(51.8 nmol mol^(−1))and summer(53.2 nmol mol^(−1))and lower levels in autumn(46.9 nmol mol^(−1))and winter(43.3 nmol mol^(−1)).The highest mean O_(3)exposure(59.5 nmol mol^(−1)) in summer occurred at the high elevation station Mt.Troodos(1819 m a.s.l.).Increasing(decreasing)altitudinal gradients were found for O_(3)(NO x),driven by summer–winter diff erences.The diurnal patterns of O_(3) showed little variation.Only at the lowest altitude O_(3) displayed a typical O_(3) diurnal pattern,with hourly diff erences smaller than 15 nmol mol^(−1).Accumulated O_(3) exposures at all stations and in all years exceeded the European Union’s limits for the protection of vegetation,with average values of 3-month(limit:3000 nmol mol^(−1)h)and 6-month(limit:5000 nmol mol^(−1)h)AOT40 for crops and forests of 16,564 and 31,836 nmol mol^(−1)h,respectively.O_(3) exposures were considerably high for human health,with an average SOMO35 value of 7270 nmol mol^(−1) days across stations and years.The results indicate that O_(3) is a major environmental and public health issue in Cyprus,and policies must be adopted to mitigate O_(3) precursor emissions at local and regional scales.
文摘Urban areas around the world, particularly in emerging nations such as China, India, and Brazil are experiencing high levels of air pollution due to increased population, economy, spending, and consumption, all of which contribute to deterioration in environmental and public health conditions in urban areas. This paper briefly discusses important sources of air pollution, air pollutants of concern, public health impacts, and proposed strategies to combat urban air pollution and promote sustainable urban living. A team of researchers under the mentorship of the main author is working on a number of air quality projects that involve air quality monitoring (sources, ambient, indoor, and occupational), emissions modeling, atmospheric dispersion modeling, air pollution control, and development of knowledge-based systems to manage air quality.? This paper presents potential strategies that could help address the growing public health concerns in urban areas and promote sustainable and healthy living.
基金supported by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department(Project 20-00424)supported by a fellowship award from the Research Grants Council of the HKSAR,China(HKUST PDFS2223-6S10).
文摘Toxic air pollutants(TAPs)are a class of airborne chemicals known or suspected to cause serious health issues.This study,applying positive matrix factorization and inhalation unit risk estimates of TAPs,quantifies the changes in significant sources contributing to inhalation cancer risks(ICRs)from 2000 to 2020 in Hong Kong,China.Total ICR decreased from 1701 to 451 cases per million between 2000−2004 and 2016−2020,largely attributed to the reduction in diesel particulate matter(DPM),gasoline and solvent use-related volatile organic compounds(VOCs),and coal/biomass combustion-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metal(loid)s.The regional contribution of VOCs associated with industrial and halogenated solvent sources increased substantially,representing the largest non-DPM ICR contributor(37%)in 2016−2020,stressing the need for a more comprehensive risk evaluation across the fast-growing and densely populated Greater Bay Area(GBA).ICRs in Hong Kong and the GBA will likely remain over 100 cases per million by 2050.The contributions to ozone formation potential of VOC/carbonyl sources were quantified,which show a notable shift from being solvent/gasoline-dominant in 2000−2004 to being more evenly shared by various sources in 2016−2020.Establishing a similar TAP monitoring network in the GBA is anticipated to provide the monitoring data needed to facilitate the development of more informed air quality management strategies.
