Gaseous air pollution background estimation in urban,suburban, and rural environments

There is a great demand for estimating the ambient air pollutant background concentrations in order to assess the effectiveness of different emission control strategies. In this paper, the background concentrations of four pollutants, namely sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃) pollutants in urban, suburban, and rural environments were investigated using Kolmogorov–Zurbenko (KZ) filter technique. Air quality data from monitoring stations over a period of 4 years (2007–2010) was analyzed for three locations in Kuwait, namely urban, suburban, and rural. The spatial and temporal (daily, weekly, and monthly) variations of the four pollutants were analyzed. The results show that the levels of ambient air pollutant background concentrations were high in the urban site compared to suburban and rural area. The diurnal variation of SO₂ concentration showed an early morning peak, while the diurnal variation of NOx concentration constituted has two peaks, one was in the early morning hours (5 to 8 a.m.) and the second was in nighttime hours (8 to 11 p.m.). These two peaks were observed at all three locations. The monthly background NOx concentration reached a maximum in winter and minimum in summer. Diurnal variation of CO concentration showed a similar trend to SO₂ concentrations in all three locations. Because of the photochemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere, the background concentration of O₃ showed an inverse relation with respect to background concentration of NOx.     

Experimental and numerical analyses of particulate matter concentrations in underground subway station

The purpose of this paper was to perform the experimental and numerical analyses of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations in Imam Khomeini (IKH) underground subway station in Tehran. The aim was to provide fundamental data in order to fulfill workers and passengers respiratory health necessities. Experimental measurements was done at three different locations (entrance, middle and exit) inside the platform and also outdoor ambient of the station. The Dust-Trak was applied to measure continuous PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations at a logging interval of 30 s. The measurements were recorded during rush hours (8:00 am–12:00 pm) for one week per each season from June 2015–June 2016.Moreover, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation was done for the platform of the above station and the necessary boundary conditions were provided through field measurements. Those basic parameters which were considered for numerical analysis of particulate matters concentrations included air velocity, air pressure and turbulence. Furthermore, the piston effect caused by train movement inside the station provided natural ventilation in the platform. The results showed that seasonal measured PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ indoor concentrations had a variety range from 40–98 µg/m³ to 33–102 µg/m³, respectively, and were much higher than national indoor air quality standard levels. Meanwhile, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations in the IKH underground subway station were approximately 2.5–2.9 times higher than those in outdoor ambient, respectively. Numerical simulation indicated that the predicted concentrations were underestimated by a factor of 8% in comparison with the measured ones.     

广州大气细颗粒物中半挥发性有机污染物的快速筛查

本研究利用Compound Composer软件,对广州主要城区、若干企业和市政设施周边大气中的细颗粒物(PM_2.5)中的半挥发有机污染物种类进行了筛查和半定量分析。样品中共检出了10大类161个化合物,其中主要以增塑剂和正构烷烃化合物为主。在大部分采样点中,增塑剂类化合物浓度最高,平均浓度为179ng/m³,占总检出污染物的15%～77%;正构烷烃的平均浓度为148 ng/m³,占总检出污染物的12%～40%。源解析表明人为源贡献超过了80%。检出的农药类化合物包含了杀虫剂、杀菌剂和除草剂,其中以杀虫剂的种类最多且浓度最高(平均65.1 ng/m³)。增塑剂、正构烷烃和农药均在市中心地区具有较高的浓度。有6种阻燃剂被检出,绝大部分为磷酸酯类化合物。阻燃剂及部分化工原料在点源采样点浓度高于城市背景点,显示为工业活动的排放。本研究为后续城市大气颗粒物重点有机污染物分析以及颗粒物的健康影响研究打下基础。     

Diurnal and nocturnal variations of trace metals in urban atmospheric particulate matter from Islamabad, Pakistan

Concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb and Zn are measured in the atmospheric particulates from urban Islamabad, Pakistan during diurnal and nocturnal periods. On an average, the total suspended particulates and concentrations of Ca, Fe and Mg levels are considerably higher during day time and Cu concentrations are higher during night time. Significantly diverse correlations of elements are observed both during diurnal and nocturnal particulates. Multivariate principal component analysis reveals major anthropogenic contributions due to automobile emissions, combustion processes and industrial emissions. Enrichment factors show dominant anthropogenic contributions of Cd and Pb, followed by Co, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ca in diurnal and nocturnal atmospheric particulates. Comparison of metal concentrations observed in this study with those of previous studies from Islamabad and other urban areas around the world shows higher concentrations than those in some European cities but, in general, are lower than in large metropolitan cities.     

Correction to: Nexus between vulnerability and adaptive capacity of drought-prone rural households in northern Bangladesh

Natural Hazards - The article was published with a spelling error in one of the co-author names. The correct spelling is reflected in this correction, and the original work has been updated to...     

Assessment of airborne bacteria and fungi in an indoor and outdoor environment

Airborne indoor and outdoor bacteria and fungi were assessed during the spring season using conventional methods to investigate the enumeration and identification of airborne micro-organisms. This was determined through air quality sampling using the ‘open plate technique’. The air samples were collected during the spring season (March-May) from four different locations. Conventional enumeration of airborne micro-organisms relies on culture-based or microscopic methods. Although a culture-based analysis is most widely used for bio-aerosol, four public places located in urban residential areas were selected for indoor/outdoor air bio-pollutant measurement. The public places included kitchens, classrooms, recreational areas, laboratories. Public parks are an important facility associated with the environmental exposure of children. Cultivation and total microscopic enumeration methods were employed for the sample analysis. 26 groups of bacteria and fungi, either of human or environmental origin were detected. Environmental agents generally predominated while significantly higher counts were detected as the level of hygiene or standard of housing dropped. Seven genera of fungi, mainly members of the genus Aspergillum, were isolated from all residents. Bacteria shows higher growth numbers as opposed to the slow growing fungi. Sample collection and pretreatment, determination techniques and performance results are summarized and discussed.     

北京市大气可吸入颗粒物的化学成分和来源

2007年3月至2008年5月,在北京市成府路东口设立采样点,共采集监测周期为一周的PM2.5(直径小于2.5μm的大气可吸入颗粒物)样品56个,用HR-ICP-MS方法测量了15种元素的含量,并在此基础上应用主因子分析法对PM2.5中这些元素的来源进行探讨。同时,在2008年奥运会和残奥会期间开展了24h时间间隔的密集采样,特别分析了机动车限行期间细颗粒污染物的浓度特征。结果表明,2007年春季至2008年春季期间北京市大气PM2.5平均浓度为72.9μg/m3,超过美国环保局（USEPA）制定的PM2.5年平均浓度限值15μg/m3的近5倍。机动车限行期间北京成府路东口采样点大气PM2.5的平均浓度为40.7μg/m3。通过因子分析方法确定北京PM2.5的3种可能来源：①交通排放、工业排放和燃煤,特征元素为Cu、Zn、As、Sn、Sb、Cd、Pb;②本地扬尘和远源沙尘细颗粒;③可能与成土母岩风化有关的土壤颗粒的再悬浮和/或迁移,其方差贡献率分别为41.2%、31.4%和12.2%。     

北京市大气可吸入颗粒物的化学成分和来源

2007年3月至2008年5月,在北京市成府路东口设立采样点,共采集监测周期为一周的PM2.5(直径小于2.5μm的大气可吸入颗粒物)样品56个,用HR-ICP-MS方法测量了15种元素的含量,并在此基础上应用主因子分析法对PM2.5中这些元素的来源进行探讨。同时,在2008年奥运会和残奥会期间开展了24h时间间隔的密集采样,特别分析了机动车限行期间细颗粒污染物的浓度特征。结果表明,2007年春季至2008年春季期间北京市大气PM2.5平均浓度为72.9μg/m3,超过美国环保局（USEPA）制定的PM2.5年平均浓度限值15μg/m3的近5倍。机动车限行期间北京成府路东口采样点大气PM2.5的平均浓度为40.7μg/m3。通过因子分析方法确定北京PM2.5的3种可能来源：①交通排放、工业排放和燃煤,特征元素为Cu、Zn、As、Sn、Sb、Cd、Pb;②本地扬尘和远源沙尘细颗粒;③可能与成土母岩风化有关的土壤颗粒的再悬浮和/或迁移,其方差贡献率分别为41.2%、31.4%和12.2%。     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Crossing boundaries: Interdisciplinarity in the context of urban environments

Drawing upon the discussions and insights provided by researchers and policy-makers during a seminar series, this paper explores the rationales for, and the practices and difficulties of, interdisciplinarity. The urban environment provides the problem context. Despite a consistent rhetoric and repeated attempts to promote interdisciplinary research, not least by the funding councils in response to policy imperatives, success appears to have been limited. The paper suggests that rather than viewing interdisciplinarity as a distinct, often difficult, category of research it is more useful to consider a continuum of research types from multi- to transdisciplinarity. The paper furthers the interdisciplinarity debate by characterising five categories of ‘border troubles’. These involve the relentless association of interdisciplinarity with ‘real world problems’, the epistemological structuring of disciplines, assumptions about the disciplinary division of labour and the privileging of certain frames and forms of enquiry, the increasing complexity of knowledge transfer, and the ‘hard wiring’ of the research funding and assessment system. However, we conclude optimistically in terms of the evident willingness of researchers to occupy hazardous disciplinary border zones to further urban environmental understanding and propose a set of ‘conditions for success’ encompassing both the approach and practices of participants in interdisciplinary work as well as operational and contextual factors.     

Climate change transformation: A definition and typology to guide decision making in urban environments

Climate change presents a threat to the sustainability of cities and their societies, and must be adequately addressed. Urban environments (cities) are responsible for the creation of a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions which are the source of climate change. Cities have been increasingly the focus of action to address climate change, yet emissions are not significantly reducing. Additionally, there a lack of integration between adaptation and mitigation. This prevents responses adequate to limit global warming to 1.5^OC, and to be well adapted to anticipated changes. This paper critically analyses existing definitions and typologies of climate change actions. A definition of ‘climate change transformation’ is proposed which includes the integration of adaptation and mitigation goals to enable a new regime in which global warming is limited to 1.5^OC. A new three-part typology: ‘coping, malaction and transformation,’ is presented for categorising climate change actions by the extent to which they integrate adaptation and mitigation, and define a new regime. The typology is accompanied by illustrations to demonstrate the relationship between adaptation and mitigation. The definition, typology and illustration serve to guide effective climate change decision making, and provides principles to guide application in urban environments.     

Assessment of atmospheric particulate matter and heavy metals: a critical review

This paper gives detailed comprehensive review of atmospheric assessment of particulate matter and heavy metals. Previous research works executed on this subject matter in the past four decades were adequately scrutinized. Various equipments for assessing atmospheric particulate matter and heavy metals were presented. Mathematical modeling equations for source apportionment and characterization, deposition rate prediction and health risk characterization of PM₁₀ were also presented. However, the following conclusions were made: (1) there is need for improvement on the mathematical models by reducing the number of assumptions made in developing them. (2) Comparative analysis of concentrations of heavy metals in the atmosphere under the same environment for different methodologies should be executed for accuracy purposes. (3) Cost implication of assessing, monitoring and controlling these unfriendly substances should be examined, and hence, involvement of cost engineers may be of immense help. (4) Further research works should be done on Air-Q 2.2.3 model currently identified as a new methodology for provision of quantitative data on the impact of particulate matter exposure on the health of people. (5) Compliance monitoring networks should be designed to ease data collection for the observables, locations and time periods that allowed receptor models to be applied. (6) There is need for much more research works that enable optimal control and regulation of emission of heavy metals into the atmosphere in order to reduce health effects of these inhalable substances.     

Composition of particulate organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay: Sources and Reactivity

The distribution of two classes of lipid biomarker compounds (fatty acids and sterols) was used in conjunction with several bulk parameters (total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and particulate carbon and nitrogen concentrations) to examine spatial and temporal variability in the sources of particulate organic matter (POM) important to southern Chesapeake Bay. Based on these geochemical parameters, we found that suspended and sedimentary organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay is derived from autochthonous sources including a mixture of fresh and detrital phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacteria. The dominant factor contributing to temporal variability during our study was phytoplankton productivity. Enrichments in particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll a, total fatty acids, total sterols, and a number of biomarkers specific to phytoplankton sources were found in particles collected from surface (1 m) and deep (1 m above the bottom) portions of the water column at several sites during the spring bloom in March 1996 and during a localized bloom in July 1995. Comparison of sites at the mouths of two tributaries (York and Rappahannock rivers) to southern Chesapeake Bay with two sites located in the bay mainsterm indicates spatial variation in the composition of POM was not significant in this region of the bay. The energetic nature of this region of the Chesapeake Bay most likely contributes to the observed homogeneity. Comparison with biomarker studies conducted in other estuaries suggests the high levels of productivity characteristic of the Chesapeake Bay contribute to high background levels of POM.