Found 9989 publications. Showing page 60 of 400:
2022
FAIRMODE Guidance Document on Modelling Quality Objectives and Benchmarking. Version 3.3.
The development of the procedure for air quality model benchmarking in the context of the Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC (AQD) has been an on-going activity in the context of the FAIRMODE community, chaired by the JRC. A central part of the studies was the definition of proper modelling quality indicators and criteria to be fulfilled in order to allow sufficient level of quality for a given model application under the AQD. The focus initially on applications related to air quality assessment has gradually been expanded to other applications, such as forecasting and planning. The main purpose of this Guidance Document is to explain and summarise the current concepts of the modelling quality objective methodology, elaborated in various papers and documents in the FAIRMODE community, addressing model applications for air quality assessment and forecast. Other goals of the Document are linked to presentation and explanation of templates for harmonised reporting of modelling results. Giving an overview of still open issues in the implementation of the presented methodology, the document aims at triggering further research and discussions. A core set of statistical indicators is defined using pairs of measurement-modelled data. The core set is the basis for the definition of a modelling quality indicator (MQI) and additional modelling performance indicators (MPI), which take into account the measurement uncertainty. The MQI describes the discrepancy between measurements and modelling results (linked to RMSE), normalised by measurement uncertainty and a scaling factor. The modelling quality objective (MQO) requires MQI to be less than or equal to 1. With an arbitrary selection of the scaling factor of 2, the fulfilment of the MQO means that the allowed deviation between modelled and measured concentrations is twice the measurement uncertainty. Expressions for the MQI calculation based on time series and yearly data are introduced. MPI refer to aspects of correlation, bias and standard deviation, applied to both the spatial and temporal dimensions. Similarly to the MQO for the MQI, modelling performance criteria (MPC) are defined for the MPI; they are necessary, but not sufficient criteria to determine whether the MQO is fulfilled. The MQO is required to be fulfilled at 90% of the stations, a criterion which is implicitly taken into account in the derivation of the MQI. The associated modelling uncertainty is formulated, showing that in case of MQO fulfilment the modelling uncertainty must not exceed 1.75 times the measurement one (with the scaling factor fixed to 2). A reporting template is presented and explained for hourly and yearly average data. In both cases there is a diagram and a table with summary statistics. In a separate section open issues are discussed and an overview of related publications and tools is provided. Finally, a chapter on modelling quality objectives for forecast models is introduced. In Annex 1, we discuss the measurement uncertainty which is expressed in terms of concentration and its associated uncertainty. The methodology for estimating the measurement uncertainty is overviewed and the parameters for its calculation for PM, NO2 and O3 are provided. An expression for the associated modelling uncertainty is also given. This aim of this document is to support modelling groups, local, regional and national authorities in their modelling application, in the context of air quality policy.
Publications Office for the European Union
2022
Information on the origin of pollution is an essential element of air quality management that helps identifying measures to control air pollution. In this document, we review the most widely used source-apportionment (SA) methods for air quality management. The focus is on particulate matter but examples are provided for NO2 as well. Using simple theoretical examples, we explain the differences between these methods and the circumstances where they give different results and thus possibly different conclusions for air quality management. These differences are a consequence of the assumptions that underpin each methodology and determine/limit their range of applicability. We show that ignoring these underlying assumptions is a risk for efficient/successful air quality management when the methods are used outside their scope or range of applicability.
Publications Office for the European Union
2022
Best practices for local and regional air quality management. Version 1.
FAIRMODE is the Forum for Air Quality Modeling created for exchanging experience and results from air quality modeling in the context of the Air Quality Directives (AQD) and for promoting the use of modeling for air quality assessment and management. FAIRMODE is organized in different activities and task, called cross-cutting tasks, to which representative of Member States and experts participate. Among the different activities, one is devoted to Air Quality management practices, called cross-cutting task 5 (CT5). This report is indeed based on the last activities of the FAIRMODE Cross Cutting Task 5 (CT5), focusing, in particular, on elaborating recommendations to support local, regional and national authorities in the use of modelling for the development of air quality plans, defining on how to quantify emission changes associated to a set of measures, and quantifying their impacts in terms of concentration (using an ‘impact pathway approach’ from ‘abatement measure’ to ‘emissions’ to ‘concentrations’). This is done on one side taking advantage of the results already produced by previous FAIRMODE working groups and in coordination with existing activities under other FAIRMODE CTs. On the other side, examples of best practice policies are presented, focusing on Low emission zones: with an example on Antwerp and Copenhagen, Measures on non-exhaust traffic to reduce PM, with an application on Stockholm. How to reduce ozone concentrations, with a focus on local to global contributions. How to build an air quality plan in an integrated way, with an application on Italy. How to evaluate the socio-economic impact of measures, focusing on a case study on UK. The results show how different pollutants should be tackled differently, the importance of integration among different sectoral plans (on emissions, greenhouse gases mitigation, …) and also how other dimensions of the problem (i.e. social aspects) should be considered when building air quality plans.
Publications Office for the European Union
2022
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Consumer spray products release aerosols that can potentially be inhaled and reach the deep parts of the lungs. A thin layer of liquid, containing a mixture of proteins and lipids known as lung surfactant, coats the alveoli. Inhibition of lung surfactant function can lead to acute loss of lung function. We focused on two groups of spray products; 8 cleaning and 13 impregnation products, and in the context of risk assessment, used an in vitro method for assessing inhibition of lung surfactant function. Original spray-cans were used to generate aerosols to measure aerodynamic particle size distribution. We recreated a real-life exposure scenario to estimate the alveolar deposited dose. Most impregnation products inhibited lung surfactant function at the lowest aerosolization rate, whereas only two cleaning products inhibited function at the highest rates. We used inhibitory dose and estimated alveolar deposition to calculate the margin of safety (MoS). The MoS for the inhibitory products was ≤1 for the impregnation products, while much larger for the cleaning products (>880). This risk assessment focused on the risk of lung surfactant function disruption and provides knowledge on an endpoint of lung toxicity that is not investigated by the currently available OECD test guidelines.
2022
We describe the outcome of a large international interlaboratory study of the measurement of particle number concentration of colloidal nanoparticles, project 10 of the technical working area 34, “Nanoparticle Populations” of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). A total of 50 laboratories delivered results for the number concentration of 30 nm gold colloidal nanoparticles measured using particle tracking analysis (PTA), single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) light spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The study provides quantitative data to evaluate the repeatability of these methods and their reproducibility in the measurement of number concentration of model nanoparticle systems following a common measurement protocol. We find that the population-averaging methods of SAXS, CLS and UV-Vis have high measurement repeatability and reproducibility, with between-labs variability of 2.6%, 11% and 1.4% respectively. However, results may be significantly biased for reasons including inaccurate material properties whose values are used to compute the number concentration. Particle-counting method results are less reproducibile than population-averaging methods, with measured between-labs variability of 68% and 46% for PTA and spICP-MS respectively. This study provides the stakeholder community with important comparative data to underpin measurement reproducibility and method validation for number concentration of nanoparticles.
2022
Revidert tiltaksutredning for lokal luftkvalitet i Bergen
Tiltaksutredningen for lokal luftkvalitet i Bergen med handlings- og beredskapsplan skal bidra til at forurensningsnivået holder seg innenfor kravene i forurensningsforskriften. Tiltaksutredningen omfatter en kartlegging av luftkvaliteten i Bergen kommune ved trafikkberegninger og utslipps- og spredningsberegninger for PM10, PM2,5 og NO 2 for Dagens situasjon 2019 og Referansesituasjonen 2030 med eksisterende og eventuelle nye tiltak. Utredningen vurderer effekten som tiltakene har for å overholde krav, men ser også på muligheten for ytterligere reduksjon i henhold til anbefalingene til helsemyndighetene. Basert på resultatene fra beregningene og i samarbeid med oppdragsgiver og referansegruppen, er det foreslått en revidert handlings- og beredskapsplan som skal behandles politisk.
NILU
2022
2022
Microplastics in Norwegian coastal areas, rivers, lakes and air (MIKRONOR1)
Norsk institutt for vannforskning
2022
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022
Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) are a pelagic seabird species distributed at northern and polar latitudes. They are often used as an indicator of plastic pollution in the North Sea region, but data are lacking from higher latitudes, especially when it comes to chicks. Here, we investigated amounts of ingested plastic and their characteristics in fulmar chicks from the Faroe Islands. Plastic particles (1 mm) in chicks of two age classes were searched using a digestion method with KOH. In addition, to evaluate if additive tissue burden reflects plastic ingestion, we measured liver tissue concentrations of two pollutant classes associated with plastic materials: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and several dechloranes, using gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. The most common shape was hard fragment (81%) and the most common polymer was polyethylene (73%). Plastic contamination did not differ between either age class, and we found no correlation between neither the amount and mass of plastic particles and the concentration of additives. After comparison with previous studies on adult fulmars, we do not recommend using chicks for biomonitoring adults because chicks seem to ingest more plastics than adults.
2022
State of the Climate in 2021: 5. The Arctic
American Meteorological Society
2022
2022
VKM has performed a risk-benefit assessment of sunscreen use and six UV filters. This task
was undertaken on the initiative of a VKM Panel in response to the apparent paradox
between the need for protective measures, such as use of sunscreens, to reduce Norway’s
high incidence and mortality of skin cancer and a consumer concern for the safety of
sunscreens. Concerns include safety of ingredients and sunscreens’ effect on vitamin D
synthesis. Sunscreen products are legally regulated as cosmetic products in the EU, and only
approved UV filters up to a maximum determined concentration are allowed in the ready-foruse preparation.
VKM used a systematic approach to assess risks and benefits of sunscreen use and risks of
six selected UV filters: bis-ethyl-hexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT), butyl
methoxydibenzoyl methane (BMDBM), 2-ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), ethylhexyl triazone
(EHT), octocrylene (OC), and titanium dioxide in nanoform (NP-TiO2). These UV filters are
among the most frequently used in sunscreens on the Norwegian market. Sunscreen sprays
and lip products were not included. Scientific publications and reports up to 2020 were
retrieved to assess adverse and protective effects of sunscreen and adverse effects of UV
filters. We assessed risk of bias in the studies and evidence for health outcomes with the aid
of validity tools, and estimated exposure to each UV filter using probabilistic methods.
The evidence showed that sunscreens were beneficial in protecting against certain skin
cancers. Insufficient evidence precluded determination of the hazard associated with
sunscreen use.
The UV filters occurred in concentrations similar to or below the limits set in the EU
cosmetics regulative. VKM considered that little to no hazard was associated with use of the
six evaluated UV filters.
VKM concludes that the risks related to use of the six evaluated UV filters are negligible since
the real-life use of these UV filters is several-fold lower than the amounts that may cause
any adverse health effect. The evidence for harmful health effects of sunscreens is
insufficient to determine risk. Sunscreen use protects against certain skin cancers and is
beneficial for the general Norwegian population.
2022
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2021
The effect of the 2018 extreme meteorological conditions in Europe on methane (CH4) emissions is examined using estimates from four atmospheric inversions calculated for the period 2005–2018. For most of Europe, we find no anomaly in 2018 compared to the 2005–2018 mean. However, we find a positive anomaly for the Netherlands in April, which coincided with positive temperature and soil moisture anomalies suggesting an increase in biogenic sources. We also find a negative anomaly for the Netherlands for September–October, which coincided with a negative anomaly in soil moisture, suggesting a decrease in soil sources. In addition, we find a positive anomaly for Serbia in spring, summer and autumn, which coincided with increases in temperature and soil moisture, again suggestive of changes in biogenic sources, and the annual emission for 2018 was 33 ± 38% higher than the 2005–2017 mean. These results indicate that CH4 emissions from areas where the natural source is thought to be relatively small can still vary due to meteorological conditions. At the European scale though, the degree of variability over 2005–2018 was small, and there was negligible impact on the annual CH4 emissions in 2018 despite the extreme meteorological conditions.
This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Rising methane: is warming feeding warming? (part 2)’.
2021