Spatial estimation of air PM&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2.5&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; emissions using activity data, local emission factors and land cover derived from satellite imagery

Hezron P Gibe,Mylene G Cayetano

doi:10.5194/amt-10-3313-2017

Abstract

Abstract. Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is a serious environmental problem in many urban areas on Earth. In the Philippines, most existing studies and emission inventories have mainly focused on point and mobile sources, while research involving human exposures to particulate pollutants is rare. This paper presents a method for estimating the amount of fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions in a test study site in the city of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, in the Philippines, by utilizing local emission factors, regionally procured data, and land cover/land use (activity data) interpreted from satellite imagery. Geographic information system (GIS) software was used to map the estimated emissions in the study area. The present results suggest that vehicular emissions from motorcycles and tricycles, as well as fuels used by households (charcoal) and burning of agricultural waste, largely contribute to PM2.5 emissions in Cabanatuan. Overall, the method used in this study can be applied in other small urbanizing cities, as long as on-site specific activity, emission factor, and satellite-imaged land cover data are available.

Highlights

Exposure to air particulate matter, especially fine particles smaller than 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5), can reduce air quality, affect visibility through smog and other haze phenomena, and introduce lasting effects on climate on a local and regional scale
In most of the reports from Philippine cities, vehicular emissions reported in inventories use foreign emission factors (such as the 2007 version of the CORINAIR emission guidebook, EEA, 2007, and the Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors (AP 42), EFIG, 1995)
The resulting maps of the estimated PM2.5 emissions can be seen in Figs. 5 to 9

Summary

Introduction

Exposure to air particulate matter, especially fine particles smaller than 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5), can reduce air quality, affect visibility through smog and other haze phenomena, and introduce lasting effects on climate on a local and regional scale. PM2.5 pollution is considered carcinogenic, especially exposure to the finest fractions (ultrafine particles) (Bocchi et al, 2016). This can be attributed to particles acting as carriers of mutagenic and genotoxic compounds (Chen et al, 2016). A common source of particles contributing to PM2.5 in urban areas is related to mobile sources, directly emitted by internal combustion processes inside vehicles of all types (Andrade et al, 2012; Ahanchian and Biona, 2014; Chen et al, 2016). PM2.5 emissions from other activities such as burning of agricultural waste occur in cities with a mixture of rural and Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union

Methods

Results

Conclusion