Found 10489 publications. Showing page 372 of 420:
2023
In Europe, emissions of many air pollutants have decreased in recent decades, but there exist sites where concentrations of pollutants are still high and have become a public health problem. The air quality monitoring networks include urban stations in big cities and rural background stations. Main pollutants (SO2, NOx, CO, particulate matter) are measured automatically and reported on hourly basis, but there is very few research about air quality in small towns. The small towns are important transport nodes between cities and nowadays they are growing bigger, often being focused on seasonal tourism. In this paper, we try to understand the level of pollution in three small towns in Northern Europe, namely Otepää (Estonia), Lillehammer (Norway) and Saldus (Latvia) This research we point at seasonality of air pollution in towns related with winter sport activities, where the traffic flow increases in cold time simultaneously with heating season and higher prevalence of thermal inversions in atmospheric surface layer. Concentration peak of PM10 in Northern Europe appears in early spring, in snow thawing season and shortly after that. Even higher episodic concentrations may occur near unpaved streets in dry season. High seasonal variation of measured nitrogen dioxide concentrations was found in Lillehammer and Otepää, with remarkable contributions of traffic hotspots. This paper confirms that it is worth to study the air quality in small towns, furthermore, because air pollution levels and related public health concerns in small towns are not negligible.
2023
The turbulent future brings a breath of fresh air
Ventilation of health hazardous aerosol pollution within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) – the lowest layer of the atmosphere – is dependent upon turbulent mixing, which again is closely linked to the height of the PBL. Here we show that emissions of both CO2 and absorbing aerosols such as black carbon influence the number of severe air pollution episodes through impacts on turbulence and PBL height. While absorbing aerosols cause increased boundary layer stability and reduced turbulence through atmospheric heating, CO2 has the opposite effect over land through surface warming. In future scenarios with increasing CO2 concentrations and reduced aerosol emissions, we find that around 10% of the world’s population currently living in regions with high pollution levels are likely to experience a particularly strong increase in turbulence and PBL height, and thus a reduction in intense pollution events. Our results highlight how these boundary layer processes provide an added positive impact of black carbon mitigation to human health.
2023
Carcinogenic chemicals, or their metabolites, can be classified as genotoxic or non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGTxCs). Genotoxic compounds induce DNA damage, which can be detected by an established in vitro and in vivo battery of genotoxicity assays. For NGTxCs, DNA is not the primary target, and the possible modes of action (MoA) of NGTxCs are much more diverse than those of genotoxic compounds, and there is no specific in vitro assay for detecting NGTxCs. Therefore, the evaluation of the carcinogenic potential is still dependent on long-term studies in rodents. This 2-year bioassay, mainly applied for testing agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, is time-consuming, costly and requires very high numbers of animals. More importantly, its relevance for human risk assessment is questionable due to the limited predictivity for human cancer risk, especially with regard to NGTxCs. Thus, there is an urgent need for a transition to new approach methodologies (NAMs), integrating human-relevant in vitro assays and in silico tools that better exploit the current knowledge of the multiple processes involved in carcinogenesis into a modern safety assessment toolbox. Here, we describe an integrative project that aims to use a variety of novel approaches to detect the carcinogenic potential of NGTxCs based on different mechanisms and pathways involved in carcinogenesis. The aim of this project is to contribute suitable assays for the safety assessment toolbox for an efficient and improved, internationally recognized hazard assessment of NGTxCs, and ultimately to contribute to reliable mechanism-based next-generation risk assessment for chemical carcinogens.
2023
2023
This paper examines the creation of fine resolution maps at 100 m x 100 m resolution using statistical downscaling for the area of Prague, as a case study. This Czech city was selected due to the fine resolution proxy data available for this city. The reference downscaling methodology used is the linear regression and the interpolation of its residuals by the area-to-point kriging. Next to this, several other methods of statistical downscaling have been also executed. The results of different downscaling methods have been compared mutually and against the data from the monitoring stations of Prague, separately for urban background and traffic areas.
The downscaled maps in 100 m x 100 m resolution have been constructed for the area of Prague for three pollutants, namely for NO2, PM10 and PM2.5. Several methods of the statistical downscaling have been compared mutually and against the data from the monitoring stations. In general, the best results are given by the linear regression and the interpolation of its residuals, either by the area-to-point kriging or the bilinear interpolation. In the maps, one can see overall realistic spatial patterns, the main roads in Prague are visible through higher air pollution levels. This is distinct especially for NO2, while for PM10 and PM2.5 the differences between road increments and urban background are smaller as would be expected. The results of the case study for Prague have proven the usefulness of the statistical downscaling for the air quality mapping, especially for NO2. In addition, the population exposure estimates based on the downscaled mapping results have been also calculated.
ETC/HE
2023
2023
2023
Finnfjord AS. Oppdaterte spredningsberegninger av utslipp til luft.
NILU har vurdert spredning av utslipp til luft fra Finnfjord AS sitt smelteverk ved Finnsnes. Bakgrunnen er oppdaterte krav fra Miljødirektoratet. Fokus i studien er på NOx, SO2 og støv/partikler. Det er utført lokale spredningsberegninger ved hjelp av modellen CONDEP. Regionale beregninger av konsentrasjoner og avsetning er utført med WRF-EMEP modellsystemet. En stor andel av forurensningen slippes ut fra tak. Dette kan gi turbulens og bygningsnedtrekk som igjen gir høye konsentrasjoner rett ved smelteverket og i umiddelbar nærhet. CONDEP-beregningene viser at for NO2 og støv/PM er norske grenseverdier overholdt. For SO2 kan overskridelse av grenseverdier oppstå opptil 500-600 m fra smelteverket. WRF-EMEP-beregningene viser liten påvirkning på regional skala. Av utslippene fra Finnfjord AS avsettes 16 % av nitrogen, 15 % av svovel og 12 % av PM innenfor det innerste gridet (105 x 105 km2). Det gis også anbefaling om målinger av SO2 og meteorologi for å tallfeste påvirkningen fra Finnfjord AS på omgivelsene.
NILU
2023
2023
Modelling the coupled mercury-halogen-ozone cycle in the central Arctic during spring
Near-surface mercury and ozone depletion events occur in the lowest part of the atmosphere during Arctic spring. Mercury depletion is the first step in a process that transforms long-lived elemental mercury to more reactive forms within the Arctic that are deposited to the cryosphere, ocean, and other surfaces, which can ultimately get integrated into the Arctic food web. Depletion of both mercury and ozone occur due to the presence of reactive halogen radicals that are released from snow, ice, and aerosols. In this work, we added a detailed description of the Arctic atmospheric mercury cycle to our recently published version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem 4.3.3) that includes Arctic bromine and chlorine chemistry and activation/recycling on snow and aerosols. The major advantage of our modelling approach is the online calculation of bromine concentrations and emission/recycling that is required to simulate the hourly and daily variability of Arctic mercury depletion. We used this model to study coupling between reactive cycling of mercury, ozone, and bromine during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) spring season in 2020 and evaluated results compared to land-based, ship-based, and remote sensing observations. The model predicts that elemental mercury oxidation is driven largely by bromine chemistry and that particulate mercury is the major form of oxidized mercury. The model predicts that the majority (74%) of oxidized mercury deposited to land-based snow is re-emitted to the atmosphere as gaseous elemental mercury, while a minor fraction (4%) of oxidized mercury that is deposited to sea ice is re-emitted during spring. Our work demonstrates that hourly differences in bromine/ozone chemistry in the atmosphere must be considered to capture the springtime Arctic mercury cycle, including its integration into the cryosphere and ocean.
2023
Marine mammals are considered sentinel species and may act as indicators of ocean health. Plastic residues are widely distributed in the oceans and are recognised as hazardous contaminants, and once ingested can cause several adverse effects on wildlife. This study aimed to identify and characterise plastic ingestion in the Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic by evaluating the stomach contents of stranded individuals through KOH digestion and identification of subsample of particles by LDIR Chemical Imaging System. Most of the individuals were contaminated, and the most common polymers identified were PU, PET and EVA. Microplastics were more prevalent than larger plastic particles (meso- and macroplastics). Smaller particles were detected during the rainy seasons. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the stomach content mass and the number of microplastics, suggesting contamination through trophic transfer.
2023
Accurate Lightweight Calibration Methods for Mobile Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors
Monitoring air pollution is a critical step towards improving public health, particularly when it comes to identifying the primary air pollutants that can have an impact on human health. Among these pollutants, particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of up to 2.5 μm (or PM2.5) is of particular concern, making it important to continuously and accurately monitor pollution related to PM. The emergence of mobile low-cost PM sensors has made it possible to monitor PM levels continuously in a greater number of locations. However, the accuracy of mobile low-cost PM sensors is often questionable as it depends on geographical factors such as local atmospheric conditions. <p>This paper presents new calibration methods for mobile low-cost PM sensors that can correct inaccurate measurements from the sensors in real-time. Our new methods leverage Neural Architecture Search (NAS) to improve the accuracy and efficiency of calibration models for mobile low-cost PM sensors. The experimental evaluation shows that the new methods reduce accuracy error by more than 26% compared with the state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, the new methods are lightweight, taking less than 2.5 ms to correct each PM measurement on Intel Neural Compute Stick 2, an AI-accelerator for edge devices deployed in air pollution monitoring platforms.
2023
In order to measure progress towards the aims outlined by the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, data are needed for the different indicators that are linked to each UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Where statistical or scientific data are not sufficient or available, alternative data sources, such as data from citizen science (CS) activities, could be used.
Statistics Norway, together with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, have developed a taxonomy for classifying indicators that are intended to measure the SDGs. The purpose of this taxonomy is to sort, evaluate, and compare different SDG indicators and to assess their usefulness by identifying their central properties and characteristics. This is done by organizing central characteristics under the three dimensions of Goal, Perspective, and Quality. The taxonomy is designed in a way that can help users to find the right indicators across sectors to measure progress towards the SDGs depending on their own context and strategic priorities. The Norwegian taxonomy also offers new opportunities for the re-use of data collected through CS activities. This paper presents the taxonomy and demonstrates how it can be applied for an indicator based on a CS data set, and we also suggest further use of CS data.
2023
As wild-caught fish become scarce, feed ingredients for farming fish, such as salmon, are increasingly sourced from agricultural plants that depend on mineral fertilizers. Since these fish are naturally carnivorous, they have difficulty digesting the phosphorus in plant-based feed. So additional phosphorus supplements are added to the feed, resulting in a disproportionate increase in mineral phosphorus use and emission. Aquatic food production is increasingly relying on agriculture and mineral phosphorus resources. The feed surplus and the excreta are seldom collected and recycled, leading to a massive loss of nutrients to water bodies and the seafloor, resulting in local risk for eutrophication. Norway currently produces more than half of the world’s Atlantic salmon, and it is set to increase production from currently 1.5 to 5 Mt. in 2050. This has large implications for feed supply and emissions globally. There is a lack of studies that analyze the phosphorus system in aquatic food production at a sufficient spatial and temporal granularity to effectively inform interventions for a more circular use of phosphorus. Here, we present a multi-scale phosphorus flow analysis at monthly resolution ranging between 2005 and 2021 for aquatic food production in Norway and quantitatively discuss the effectiveness of alternative strategies for improving resource efficiency. The results indicate that P emissions from aquaculture have nearly doubled in the period between 2005 and 2021. The P use efficiency (PUE) in Norwegian aquaculture was 19% in 2021. The addition of phytase to the feed could improve the PUE by 8% by reducing P supplements and emissions by 7 kt/y. The use of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture close to fish farming sites could absorb emissions by 4 kt/y by creating new marine food products. Sludge collection systems could reduce P emissions by 4 to 11 kt/y, depending on the technology. Using the sludge in local agriculture would exacerbate the current P accumulation in soils close to the coastline, given that the animal density in this region is already high. Hence, a large and sophisticated processing infrastructure will be needed to create transportable, high-quality secondary fertilizers for effective sludge recycling in regions with a P deficit.
2023
Skogens helsetilstand i Norge. Resultater fra skogskadeovervåkingen i 2022
Skogens helsetilstand påvirkes i stor grad av klima og værforhold, enten direkte ved tørke, frost og vind, eller indirekte ved at klimaet påvirker omfanget av soppsykdommer og insektangrep. Klimaendringene og den forventede økningen i klimarelaterte skogskader gir store utfordringer for forvaltningen av framtidas skogressurser. Det samme gjør invaderende skadegjørere, både allerede etablerte arter og nye som kan komme til Norge i nær framtid. I denne rapporten presenteres resultater fra skogskadeovervåkingen i Norge i 2022 og trender over tid for følgende temaer:
(i) Landsrepresentativ skogovervåking;
(ii) Intensiv skogovervåking;
(iii) Overvåking av bjørkemålere i Troms og Finnmark;
(iv) Barkbilleovervåkingen;
(v) Furuvednematode;
(vi) Askeskuddsyke;
(vii) Andre spesielle skogskader i 2022.
NIBIO
2023