scholarly journals Changing Trends in Sulfur Emissions in Asia:  Implications for Acid Deposition, Air Pollution, and Climate

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (22) ◽  
pp. 4707-4713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Carmichael ◽  
David G. Streets ◽  
Giuseppe Calori ◽  
Markus Amann ◽  
Mark Z. Jacobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Sulfur Emissions

scholarly journals Anthropogenic Effects on Forest Ecosystems at Various Spatio-Temporal Scales

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 827-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bredemeier
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The World

The focus in this review of long-term effects on forest ecosystems is on human impact. As a classification of this differentiated and complex matter, three domains of long-term effects with different scales in space and time are distinguished: 1- Exploitation and conversion history of forests in areas of extended human settlement 2- Long-range air pollution and acid deposition in industrialized regions 3- Current global loss of forests and soil degradation.There is an evident link between the first and the third point in the list. Cultivation of primary forestland — with its tremendous effects on land cover — took place in Europe many centuries ago and continued for centuries. Deforestation today is a phenomenon predominantly observed in the developing countries, yet it threatens biotic and soil resources on a global scale. Acidification of forest soils caused by long-range air pollution from anthropogenic emission sources is a regional to continental problem in industrialized parts of the world. As a result of emission reduction legislation, atmospheric acid deposition is currently on the retreat in the richer industrialized regions (e.g., Europe, U.S., Japan); however, because many other regions of the world are at present rapidly developing their polluting industries (e.g., China and India), “acid rain” will most probably remain a serious ecological problem on regional scales. It is believed to have caused considerable destabilization of forest ecosystems, adding to the strong structural and biogeochemical impacts resulting from exploitation history.Deforestation and soil degradation cause the most pressing ecological problems for the time being, at least on the global scale. In many of those regions where loss of forests and soils is now high, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to restore forest ecosystems and soil productivity. Moreover, the driving forces, which are predominantly of a demographic and socioeconomic nature, do not yet seem to be lessening in strength. It can only be hoped that a wise policy of international cooperation and shared aims can cope with this problem in the future.

scholarly journals Longer Time Span Air Pollution Prediction: The Attention and Autoencoder Hybrid Learning Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Xin-Yu Tu ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Yu-Peng Jin ◽  
Guo-Jian Zou ◽  
Jian-Guo Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Hybrid Learning ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Time Decay ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Decay Factor ◽  
Changing Trend ◽  
The Impact

Air pollution has become a critical issue in human’s life. Predicting the changing trends of air pollutants would be of great help for public health and natural environments. Current methods focus on the prediction accuracy and retain the forecasting time span within 12 hours. Shorter time span decreases the practicability of these perditions, even with higher accuracy. This study proposes an attention and autoencoder (A&A) hybrid learning approach to obtain a longer period of air pollution changing trends while holding the same high accuracy. Since pollutant concentration forecast highly relates to time changing, quite different from normal prediction problems like autotranslation, we integrate “time decay factor” into the traditional attention mechanism. The time decay factor can alleviate the impact of the value observed from a longer time before while increasing the impact of the value from a closer time point. We also utilize the hidden states in the decoder to build connection between history values and current ones. Thus, the proposed model can extract the changing trend of a longer history time span while coping with abrupt changes within a shorter time span. A set of experiments demonstrate that the A&A learning approach can obtain the changing trend of air pollutants, like PM2.5, during a longer time span of 12, 24, or even 48 hours. The approach is also tested under different pollutant concentrations and different periods and the results validate its robustness and generality.

scholarly journals Air quality and acid deposition impacts of local emissions and transboundary air pollution in Japan and South Korea

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (20) ◽  
pp. 13309-13323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Hung Lam Yim ◽  
Yefu Gu ◽  
Matthew A. Shapiro ◽  
Brent Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Transboundary Air Pollution ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. Numerous studies have reported that ambient air pollution, which has both local and long-range sources, causes adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Previous studies have investigated the impacts of transboundary air pollution (TAP) in East Asia, albeit primarily through analyses of episodic events. In addition, it is useful to better understand the spatiotemporal variations in TAP and the resultant impact on the environment and human health. This study aimed at assessing and quantifying the air quality impacts in Japan and South Korea due to local emissions and TAP from sources in East Asia - one of the most polluted regions in the world. We applied state-of-the-science atmospheric models to simulate air quality in East Asia and then analyzed the air quality and acid deposition impacts of both local emissions and TAP sources in Japan and South Korea. Our results show that ∼ 30 % of the annual average ambient PM2.5 concentrations in Japan and South Korea in 2010 were contributed to by local emissions within each country, while the remaining ∼ 70 % were contributed to by TAP from other countries in the region. More detailed analyses also revealed that the local contribution was higher in the metropolises of Japan (∼ 40 %–79 %) and South Korea (∼ 31 %–55 %) and that minimal seasonal variations in surface PM2.5 occurred in Japan, whereas there was a relatively large variation in South Korea in the winter. Further, among all five studied anthropogenic emission sectors of China, the industrial sector represented the greatest contributor to annual surface PM2.5 concentrations in Japan and South Korea, followed by the residential and power generation sectors. Results also show that TAP's impact on acid deposition (SO42- and NO3-) was larger than TAP's impact on PM2.5 concentrations (accounting for over 80 % of the total deposition), and that seasonal variations in acid deposition were similar for both Japan and South Korea (i.e., higher in both the winter and summer). Finally, wet deposition had a greater impact on mixed forests in Japan and savannas in South Korea. Given these significant impacts of TAP in the region, it is paramount that cross-national efforts should be taken to mitigate air pollution problems across East Asia.

scholarly journals Assessment of past, present and future health-cost externalities of air pollution in Europe and the contribution from international ship traffic using the EVA model system

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 7747-7764 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Brandt ◽  
J. D. Silver ◽  
J. H. Christensen ◽  
M. S. Andersen ◽  
J. H. Bønløkke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Model System ◽  
External Costs ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Ship Traffic ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Sulfur Emissions ◽  
Regulatory Actions

Abstract. An integrated model system, EVA (Economic Valuation of Air pollution), based on the impact-pathway chain has been developed to assess the health-related economic externalities of air pollution resulting from specific emission sources or sectors. The model system can be used to support policy-making with respect to emission control. In this study, we apply the EVA system to Europe, and perform a more detailed assessment of past, present, and future health-cost externalities of the total air pollution levels in Europe (including both natural and anthropogenic sources), represented by the years 2000, 2007, 2011, and 2020. We also assess the contribution to the health-related external costs from international ship traffic with special attention to the international ship traffic in the Baltic and North seas, since special regulatory actions on sulfur emissions, called SECA (sulfur emission control area), have been introduced in these areas. We conclude that, despite efficient regulatory actions in Europe in recent decades, air pollution still constitutes a serious problem for human health. Hence the related external costs are considerable. The total health-related external costs for the whole of Europe are estimated at 803 bn euros yr−1 for the year 2000, decreasing to 537 bn euros yr−1 in the year 2020. We estimate the total number of premature deaths in Europe in the year 2000 due to air pollution to be around 680 000 yr−1, decreasing to approximately 450 000 in the year 2020. The contribution from international ship traffic in the Northern Hemisphere was estimated to 7% of the total health-related external costs in Europe in the year 2000, increasing to 12% in the year 2020. In contrast, the contribution from international ship traffic in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea decreases 36% due to the regulatory efforts of reducing sulfur emissions from ship traffic in SECA. Introducing this regulatory instrument for all international ship traffic in the Northern Hemisphere, or at least in areas close to Europe, would have a significant positive impact on human health in Europe.

scholarly journals Effects of global ship emissions on European air pollution levels

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 11399-11422
Author(s):  
Jan Eiof Jonson ◽  
Michael Gauss ◽  
Michael Schulz ◽  
Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen ◽  
Hilde Fagerli
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Ozone Formation ◽  
Ship Emissions ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Sensitivity Studies ◽  
Oxidised Nitrogen ◽  
Sulfur Emissions

Abstract. Ship emissions constitute a large, and so far poorly regulated, source of air pollution. Emissions are mainly clustered along major ship routes both in open seas and close to densely populated shorelines. Major air pollutants emitted include sulfur dioxide, NOx, and primary particles. Sulfur and NOx are both major contributors to the formation of secondary fine particles (PM2.5) and to acidification and eutrophication. In addition, NOx is a major precursor for ground-level ozone. In this paper, we quantify the contributions from international shipping to European air pollution levels and depositions. This study is based on global and regional model calculations. The model runs are made with meteorology and emission data representative of the year 2017 after the tightening of the SECA (sulfur emission control area) regulations in 2015 but before the global sulfur cap that came into force in 2020. The ship emissions have been derived using ship positioning data. We have also made model runs reducing sulfur emissions by 80 % corresponding to the 2020 requirements. This study is based on model sensitivity studies perturbing emissions from different sea areas: the northern European SECA in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, the Atlantic Ocean close to Europe, shipping in the rest of the world, and finally all global ship emissions together. Sensitivity studies have also been made setting lower bounds on the effects of ship plumes on ozone formation. Both global- and regional-scale calculations show that for PM2.5 and depositions of oxidised nitrogen and sulfur, the effects of ship emissions are much larger when emissions occur close to the shore than at open seas. In many coastal countries, calculations show that shipping is responsible for 10 % or more of the controllable PM2.5 concentrations and depositions of oxidised nitrogen and sulfur. With few exceptions, the results from the global and regional calculations are similar. Our calculations show that substantial reductions in the contributions from ship emissions to PM2.5 concentrations and to depositions of sulfur can be expected in European coastal regions as a result of the implementation of a 0.5 % worldwide limit of the sulfur content in marine fuels from 2020. For countries bordering the North Sea and Baltic Sea SECA, low sulfur emissions have already resulted in marked reductions in PM2.5 from shipping before 2020. For ozone, the lifetime in the atmosphere is much longer than for PM2.5, and the potential for ozone formation is much larger in otherwise pristine environments. We calculate considerable contributions from open sea shipping. As a result, we find that the largest contributions to ozone in several regions and countries in Europe are from sea areas well outside European waters.

scholarly journals SATELLITE-BASED CHINA’S PM<sub>2.5</sub> POLLUTION AND ASSOCIATED PREMATURE MORTALITY MEASUREMENT OVER PAST TWO DECADES

2018 ◽  
Vol XLII-3/W5 ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Li ◽  
B. Zou ◽  
J. You ◽  
X. Fang ◽  
X. Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Absolute Number ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Trends

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Assessments of the burden of air pollution at the national scale over long-term of time in China would help government managers control historic health impacts of air pollution and institute measures to avoid these risks in future. We took a new 0.01&amp;deg;<span class="thinspace"></span>&amp;times;<span class="thinspace"></span>0.01&amp;deg; satellite-based PM<sub>2.5</sub> dataset to analyse spatial and temporal trends of PM<sub>2.5</sub> associated premature mortality in China from 1998 to 2017. Results showed that national PM<sub>2.5</sub> related deaths from STK, IHD, COPD, LC and ALRI increased from approximately 0.89 million cases in 1998 to the peak of 1.34 million in 2014 and steady declined to 1.17 million cases in 2017. The health burden exhibited strong spatial variations, with high attributable deaths concentrated in regions such as Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Beijing, Guangdong, et al. Changing trends varied from different provinces such as Shandong increased mostly, and Sichuan showed a significant decreasing trend. Meanwhile, the results also showed that the expand directions of premature mortality was similar to that of population and the changing of absolute number of premature mortality more depended on the growth of PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration. The findings recommend that government should make better policies to the health risk controlling which take population and pollution into consideration than only focus on pollution concentration.</p>

scholarly journals Air quality and acid deposition impacts of local emissions and transboundary air pollution in Japan and South Korea

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Hung Lam Yim ◽  
Yefu Gu ◽  
Matthew Shapiro ◽  
Brent Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Atmospheric Models ◽  
Transboundary Air Pollution ◽  
State Of The Science ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. Recent studies have reported that air pollution causes adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Previous studies have intensively investigated the transboundary air pollution (TAP) impact in East Asia in episode events. From the environmental perspectives, it is necessary to better understand the spatiotemporal variations in TAP and the resultant impact on the environment. This study is aimed at assessing and quantifying the air quality impacts in Japan and South Korea due to their local emissions and TAP in East Asia–one of the polluted regions. We have applied state-of-the-science atmospheric models to simulate air quality in East Asia, and then analyzing the air quality and acid deposition impacts of local emissions and TAP in Japan and South Korea. Our results show that ~30 % of annual ambient PM2.5 in 2010 was on average contributed by local emissions in Japan and South Korea, while the remaining was contributed by TAP from other countries in the region. More detailed analyses also revealed minimal seasonal variation in surface PM2.5 in Japan, whereas there was a relatively large variation in South Korea in the winter. Further, among all five studied anthropogenic emission sectors of China, the industrial sector represented the greatest contributor to annual surface PM2.5 concentrations in Japan and South Korea, followed by the residential and power generation sectors. In terms of acid deposition, our results show that TAP’s impact on acid deposition (SO42− and NO3−) was larger than TAP’s impact on PM2.5 concentration, and that seasonal variations were similar for both Japan and South Korea: higher in both the winter and summer. Finally, wet deposition had a greater impact on mixed forests in Japan and savannas in South Korea. Given these significant impacts of TAP in the region, it is paramount that cross-national efforts be taken to mitigate air pollution problems in across East Asia.

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