scholarly journals Effect of Air Pollution on Precipitation along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains

2006 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Israel L. Jirak ◽  
William R. Cotton
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Past Half Century ◽  
Orographic Clouds ◽  
Pollution Emissions ◽  
Urban Sites ◽  
Precipitation Trends

Abstract Air pollution generated in industrial and urban areas can act to suppress precipitation by creating a narrow cloud droplet spectrum, which inhibits the collision and coalescence process. In fact, precipitation ratios of elevated sites to upwind coastal urban areas have decreased during the twentieth century for locations in California and Israel while pollution emissions have increased. Precipitation suppression by pollution should also be evident in other areas of the world where shallow, orographic clouds produce precipitation. This study investigates the precipitation trends for sites along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to determine the effect of air pollution on precipitation in this region. The examination of precipitation trends reveals that the ratio of upslope precipitation for elevated sites west of Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, to upwind urban sites has decreased by approximately 30% over the past half-century. Similar precipitation trends were not found for more pristine sites in the region, providing evidence of precipitation suppression by air pollution.

scholarly journals Assessment and risk prevention of air pollution in urban sites

2020 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 04014
Author(s):  
Mariana Panaitescu ◽  
Fanel-Viorel Panaitescu ◽  
Cornel Panait ◽  
Octavia Bardasu ◽  
Viorica-Ani Merla
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Risk Prevention ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Pm2.5 And Pm10 ◽  
Urban Sites ◽  
Harmful Effects

Atmospheric pollution limitation has evolved and evolves continuously, depending on the better knowledge of the harmful effects of the different atmospheric pollutants. The main elements that have led and lead to the continuous revision of the norms are the climatic changes and acid rain associated with atmospheric pollutants. In this context, the paper presents the following aspects: two monitoring regimes aims to evaluate and prevent air pollution in urban areas; was chosen as a monitoring location Constanta city, with strategic points exposed to the risk of pollution. For the monitoring of emissions in these locations, a selfemployed emission analyzer was used. Where there are risk areas, exists a risk analisys with vulnerable locations and values of emissions’s concentrations. There are monitoring CO, CO2, NO2, SO2 emissions and PM2.5 and PM10 in air of urban sites which are exposed to the risk of pollution. Finally, the recorded values are below the maximum permissible limit. The conclusion is that pollution in urban sites can also be a danger to neighboring rural settlements, if there is no strict monitoring thereof.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variability of ozone along the Colorado Front Range occurring over 2 days with contrasting wind flow

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa S. Darby ◽  
Christoph J. Senff ◽  
Raul J. Alvarez II ◽  
Robert M. Banta ◽  
Laura Bianco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Monitoring Networks ◽  
Wilderness Areas

Transport of pollution into pristine wilderness areas is of concern for both federal and state agencies. Assessing such transport in complex terrain is a challenge when relying solely on data from standard federal or state air quality monitoring networks because of the sparsity of network monitors beyond urban areas. During the Front Range air quality study, conducted in the summer of 2008 in the vicinity of Denver, CO, research-grade surface air quality data, vertical wind profiles and mixing heights obtained by radar wind profilers, and ozone profile data obtained by an airborne ozone differential absorption lidar augmented the local regulatory monitoring networks. Measurements from this study were taken on 2 successive days at the end of July 2008. On the first day, the prevailing winds were downslope westerly, advecting pollution to the east of the Front Range metropolitan areas. On this day, chemistry measurements at the mountain and foothills surface stations showed seasonal background ozone levels of approximately 55–68 ppbv (nmol mol–1 by volume). The next day, upslope winds prevailed, advecting pollution from the Plains into the Rocky Mountains and across the Continental Divide. Mountain stations measured ozone values greater than 90 ppbv, comparable to, or greater than, nearby urban measurements. The measurements show the progression of the ozone-enriched air into the mountains and tie the westward intrusion into high-elevation mountain sites to the growth of the afternoon boundary layer. Thus, under deep upslope flow conditions, ozone-enriched air can be advected into wilderness areas of the Rocky Mountains. Our findings highlight a process that is likely to be an important ozone transport mechanism in mountainous terrain adjacent to ozone source areas when the right circumstances come together, namely a deep layer of light winds toward a mountain barrier coincident with a deep regional boundary layer.

An Urban Air Pollution Early Warning System Based on PM2.5 Prediction Applied in Ploiesti City

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 858-863
Author(s):  
Mihaela Oprea ◽  
Marius Olteanu ◽  
Radu Teodor Ianache
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Early Warning System ◽  
Urban Air Pollution ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Prediction Approach

Fine particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 �m (i.e. PM2.5) is an air pollutant of special concern for urban areas due to its potential significant negative effects on human health, especially on children and elderly people. In order to reduce these effects, new tools based on PM2.5 monitoring infrastructures tailored to specific urban regions are needed by the local and regional environmental management systems for the provision of an expert support to decision makers in air quality planning for cities and also, to inform in real time the vulnerable population when PM2.5 related air pollution episodes occur. The paper focuses on urban air pollution early warning based on PM2.5 prediction. It describes the methodology used, the prediction approach, and the experimental system developed under the ROKIDAIR project for the analysis of PM2.5 air pollution level, health impact assessment and early warning of sensitive people in the Ploiesti city. The PM2.5 concentration evolution prediction is correlated with PM2.5 air pollution and health effects analysis, and the final result is processed by the ROKIDAIR Early Warning System (EWS) and sent as a message to the affected population via email or SMS. ROKIDAIR EWS is included in the ROKIDAIR decision support system.

Improving the Protection of Children Against Air Pollution Threats in Romania � The RokidAIR Project Approach and Future Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 841-846
Author(s):  
Hai-Ying Liu ◽  
Daniel Dunea ◽  
Mihaela Oprea ◽  
Tom Savu ◽  
Stefania Iordache
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Quality Maps

This paper presents the approach used to develop the information chain required to reach the objectives of the EEA Grants� RokidAIR project in two Romanian cities i.e., Targoviste and Ploiesti. It describes the PM2.5 monitoring infrastructure and architecture to the web-based GIS platform, the early warning system and the decision support system, and finally, the linking of air pollution to health effects in children. In addition, it shows the analysis performance of the designed system to process the collected time series from various data sources using the benzene concentrations monitored in Ploiesti. Moreover, this paper suggests that biomarkers, mobile technologies, and Citizens� Observatories are potential perspectives to improve data coverage by the provision of near-real-time air quality maps, and provide personal exposure and health assessment results, enabling the citizens� engagement and behavioural change. This paper also addresses new fields in nature-based solutions to improve air quality, and studies on air pollution and its mental health effects in the urban areas of Romania.

scholarly journals Development of Land Use Regression Model for Seasonal Variation of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Lahore, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4933
Author(s):  
Saimar Pervez ◽  
Ryuta Maruyama ◽  
Ayesha Riaz ◽  
Satoshi Nakai
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Land Use Classification ◽  
Land Use Regression ◽  
Air Exposure

Ambient air pollution and its exposure has been a worldwide issue and can increase the possibility of health risks especially in urban areas of developing countries having the mixture of different air pollution sources. With the increase in population, industrial development and economic prosperity, air pollution is one of the biggest concerns in Pakistan after the occurrence of recent smog episodes. The purpose of this study was to develop a land use regression (LUR) model to provide a better understanding of air exposure and to depict the spatial patterns of air pollutants within the city. Land use regression model was developed for Lahore city, Pakistan using the average seasonal concentration of NO2 and considering 22 potential predictor variables including road network, land use classification and local specific variable. Adjusted explained variance of the LUR models was highest for post-monsoon (77%), followed by monsoon (71%) and was lowest for pre-monsoon (70%). This is the first study conducted in Pakistan to explore the applicability of LUR model and hence will offer the application in other cities. The results of this study would also provide help in promoting epidemiological research in future.

scholarly journals Development of a Line Source Dispersion Model for Gaseous Pollutants by Incorporating Wind Shear near the Ground under Stable Atmospheric Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Saisantosh Vamshi Harsha Madiraju ◽  
Ashok Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Wind Shear ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Gaseous Pollutants ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Mobile Sources ◽  
Input Variables

Transportation sources are a major contributor to air pollution in urban areas. The role of air quality modeling is vital in the formulation of air pollution control and management strategies. Many models have appeared in the literature to estimate near-field ground level concentrations from mobile sources moving on a highway. However, current models do not account explicitly for the effect of wind shear (magnitude) near the ground while computing the ground level concentrations near highways from mobile sources. This study presents an analytical model based on the solution of the convective-diffusion equation by incorporating the wind shear near the ground for gaseous pollutants. The model input includes emission rate, wind speed, wind direction, turbulence, and terrain features. The dispersion coefficients are based on the near field parameterization. The sensitivity of the model to compute ground level concentrations for different inputs is presented for three different downwind distances. In general, the model shows Type III sensitivity (i.e., the errors in the input will show a corresponding change in the computed ground level concentrations) for most of the input variables. However, the model equations should be re-examined for three input variables (wind velocity at the reference height and two variables related to the vertical spread of the plume) to make sure that that the model is valid for computing ground level concentrations.

scholarly journals Morpho-Physio-Biochemical Attributes of Roadside Trees as Potential Tools for Biomonitoring of Air Quality and Environmental Health in Urban Areas

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
Ha Na You ◽  
Myeong Ja Kwak ◽  
Sun Mi Je ◽  
Jong Kyu Lee ◽  
Yea Ji Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Biochemical Parameters ◽  
Lipid Peroxide ◽  
Platanus Occidentalis ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Species Specific

Environmental pollution is an important issue in metropolitan areas, and roadside trees are directly affected by various sources of pollution to which they exhibit numerous responses. The aim of the present study was to identify morpho-physio-biochemical attributes of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) growing under two different air quality conditions (roadside with high air pollution, RH and roadside with low air pollution, RL) and to assess the possibility of using their physiological and biochemical parameters as biomonitoring tools in urban areas. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiencies, and photochromic contents were generally low in RH in both G. biloba and P. occidentalis. However, water-use efficiency and leaf temperature showed high values in RH trees. Among biochemical parameters, in G. biloba, the lipid peroxide content was higher in RH than in RL trees, but in P. occidentalis, this content was lower in RH than in RL trees. In both species, physiological activities were low in trees planted in areas with high levels of air pollution, whereas their biochemical and morphological variables showed different responses to air pollution. Thus, we concluded that it is possible to determine species-specific physiological variables affected by regional differences of air pollution in urban areas, and these findings may be helpful for monitoring air quality and environmental health using trees.

scholarly journals Ozone effect on inflammatory and proteomic profile of human macrophages and airway epithelial cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Falcone ◽  
E Aruffo ◽  
P Di Carlo ◽  
P Del Boccio ◽  
M C Cufaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Airway Epithelial Cells ◽  
Airway Epithelial ◽  
Proteomics Analysis ◽  
Human Macrophages ◽  
Tnf Α

Abstract Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in the respiratory system are involved in lung inflammation and tumorigenesis. Ozone (O3) is one of the main components of air pollution in urban areas able to act as strong pro-oxidant agent, however its effects on human health is still poorly investigated. In this study the effect of O3 has been evaluated in THP-1 monocytes differentiated into macrophages with PMA and in HBEpC (primary human bronchial epithelial) cells, two model systems for in vitro studies and translational research. Methods Cell viability, ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-8(IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) have been tested in the above-mentioned cell lines not exposed to any kind of pollution (basal condition-b.c.) or exposed to O3 at a concentration of 120 ppb. In HBEpC a labelfree shotgun proteomics analysis has been also performed in the same conditions. Results Ozone significantly increased the production of IL-8 and TNF-α in THP-1 whereas no changes were shown in HBEpC. In both cell lines lipopolysaccharide(LPS) caused an increase of IL-8 and TNF-α production in b.c. and O3 treatment potentiated this effect. Ozone exposure increased ROS formation in a time dependent manner in both cell lines and in THP-1 cells a decrease in catalase activity was also shown. Finally, according to these data, functional proteomics analysis revealed that in HBEpC exposure to O3 many differential proteins are related to oxidative stress and inflammation. Conclusions Our results indicate that O3, at levels that can be reached in urban areas, causes an increase of pro-inflammatory agents either per se or potentiating the effect of immune response stimulators in cell models of human macrophages and human airway epithelial cells. Interestingly, the proteomic analysis showed that besides the dysregulated proteins, O3 induced the expression of AKR1D1 and AKR1B10, proteins recognized to play a significant role in cancer development. Key messages This study adds new pieces of information on the association between O3 exposure and detrimental effects on respiratory system. This study suggests the need for further research on the mechanisms involved and for a continued monitoring/re-evaluation of air pollution standards aimed at safeguarding human health.

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