Air Pollution Conditions Research Articles

Pollution resistance assessment of existing landscape plants on Beijing streets based on air pollution tolerance index method

Various plant species of green belt in urban traffic area help to reduce air pollution and beautify the city environment. Those plant species growing healthily under long-term atmospheric pollution environment are considered to be resilient. This study aims to identify plant species that are more tolerant to air pollution from traffic and to give recommendations for future green belt development in urban areas.Leaf samples of 47 plant species were collected from two heavy traffic roadside sites and one suburban site in Beijing during summer 2014. Four parameters in leaves were separately measured including relative water content (RWC), total chlorophyll content (TCH), leaf-extract pH (pH), and ascorbic acid (AA). The air pollution tolerance index (APTI) method was adopted to assess plants' resistance ability based on the above four parameters. The tolerant levels of plant species were classified using two methods, one by comparing the APTI value of individual plant to the average of all species and another by using fixed APTI values as standards. Tolerant species were then selected based on combination results from both methods.The results showed that different tolerance orders of species has been found at the three sampling sites due to varied air pollution and other environmental conditions. In general, plant species Magnolia denudata, Diospyros kaki, Ailanthus altissima, Fraxinus chinensis and Rosa chinensis were identified as tolerant species to air pollution environment and recommend to be planted at various location of the city, especially at heavy traffic roadside.

The Causal Effects of Income Support and Housing Benefits on Mental Well‐Being: An Application of a Bayesian Network

AbstractThis study explores the causal effects of air pollution, income support, housing benefits and household income on the subjective mental well‐being in United Kingdom (UK). Additionally, the analysis considers the effects of air pollution and weather conditions. The estimates are based on data from the British Household Panel Survey. The results show that those who are unemployed or who have a low income and who claim the benefits report higher levels of mental well‐being than those who do not claim them. Moreover, the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for an improvement on air quality are lower in the case of the Bayesian Network.

Outdoor air pollution, meteorological conditions and indoor factors in dwellings in relation to sick building syndrome (SBS) among adults in China

Indoor environment is associated with the sick building syndrome (SBS), but little is known about the contribution of outdoor air pollution and meteorological conditions to SBS. We studied associations between outdoor air pollution, meteorological parameters and selected indoor exposure and building characteristics at home and weekly SBS symptoms in a standardized questionnaire study among 3485 randomly selected adults in China. Outdoor factors included particulate matters with diameter <10μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), outdoor temperature (T), relative air humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS) during last three months. Multiple logistic regression was applied calculating odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Asthma or allergic rhinitis (atopy) was associated with all types of SBS symptoms except fatigue. Indoor factors played a major role in SBS symptoms. Mold/dampness on the floor/ceiling was associated with fatigue OR=1.60 (1.11–2.30) and headache OR=1.80 (1.07–3.04). Moldy odor was associated with fatigue OR=1.59 (1.07–2.37) and dermal symptoms OR=1.91 (1.21–3.02). Window pane condensation in winter was associated with fatigue OR=1.73 (1.30–2.31) and throat symptoms OR=1.53 (1.01–2.31). Damp bed clothing was related with throat symptom OR=1.62 (1.09–2.40). Home redecoration was associated with fatigue OR=1.49 (1.07–2.06). Frequent window opening was associated with less nose symptoms OR=0.54 (0.36–0.82) and mechanical ventilation in the bathroom reduced dermal symptoms OR=0.66 (0.44–0.99). Females were more susceptible to redecoration and window pane condensation than men. No associations with SBS were observed for outdoor air pollutants or meteorological parameters in the final models combining indoor and outdoor factors, although SO2, T, and RH were associated with some SBS symptoms (fatigue, eyes and nose symptoms) in the separate outdoor models. In conclusion, indoor mold/dampness, air pollution from redecoration and poorer ventilation conditions in dwellings can be risk factors for SBS symptoms in an adult Chinese population, especially among females.

Impact of Air Pollution and Climate Conditions on Carbon Steel in Slovak Republic

The paper describes the impact of multi-pollution of atmosphere on carbon steel construction material in Slovak Republic. Corrosion like one of the most decisive factor determining the lifetime of material increases the risk of failure, which has considerable impact on maintenance costs. The objective of the article is to calculate potential material losses of carbon steel using the dose-response functions derived from the results of outdoor exposure program and by STN EN ISO 9223. The values were calculated and compared from 2003 to 2014. For comparison the impact of air pollution and climate condition maps of the mass loss and maps of the corrosion rate were created using 4-year averages - dates (2003-2006, 2007-2010 and 2011-2014). Actually, map of corrosion losses does not help to protect materials, but it can be useful for prediction of risks by design and analysis.

Association between ambient air pollution, meteorological conditions and exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adult citizens of the town of Smederevo.

Smederevo is the only town in Serbia with a steel factory, whose exhausts contribute to air pollution. Therefore, the city conducts continuous monitoring of air quality. In recent years, high levels of particulate matter (PM) including coarse (PM₁₀) and fine (PM₂.₅) particles in the air have frequently been recorded. The aim of this study was to assess association between exacerbation of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults and air pollution or meteorological conditions. The study was conducted in the secondary care General Hospital in Smederevo covering approximately 81,000 inhabitants living in the area of about 7 km around the automatic station for air quality monitoring from which the verified data were collected. Data on patients were obtained from medical records. The correlation between the incidence of diseases exacerbation and the number of days with exceedance of air pollutants limit level per month, as well as meteorological conditions, was tested with parametric Pearson bivariate correlation test in program SPSS. The study population consisted of adults registered as asthma or COPD suffering patients (n = 1,624) with 570 episodes of remarkable exacerbations (moderate or severe) of the disease in 2011. Asthma exacerbation was significantly more frequent in women than in men. The number of days with high levels of PM₂.₅ per month was statistically significantly associated with the total number of exacerbation (moderate and severe of both asthma and COPD) episodes among the female patients. There was also a statistically significant association between the number of days with PM₂.₅ exceedance and the number of moderate exacerbations in the subgroups of non-smokers and obese patients. A significant correlation of the number of days with the exceedance of PM₁₀ limit level was shown only for the subgroup of obese, non-smoking patients with moderate exacerbation. A significant negative association with the average ambient temperature was proven for the obese female patients and obese non-smoking patients with moderate asthma exacerbations. The number of COPD exacerbation was in positive correlation with the average air pressure for the subgroup of female smokers, but the connection with air pollution was not proven. Exposure to airborne particles in the town of Smederevo, mainly to PM₂.₅, and to low temperature may trigger asthma exacerbation requiring emergency care. The most vulnerable may be women and obese patients.

Using Atmospheric Visibility to Assess the Effects of Air Pollution on Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Diseases

Air pollution is a significant hazard to human health. Atmospheric visibility is an aggregative indicator of air pollution and meteorological conditions. Yet, only a few studies have reported the relationship between atmospheric visibility and health risks. This study attempted to utilize atmospheric visibility to assess the effects of air pollution on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases (ICD-9: 460-519). Daily measurements of air pollutants, atmospheric visibility, and Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database were obtained for the year 2010 in Taichung. We compared the differences in different locations (coastal and urban areas). A Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the atmospheric visibility and the respiratory consultation rate, with adjustment for potential confounding factors, including meteorological factors, spatial variances, and types of air pollution. The primary results indicated that air pollution and atmospheric visibility degradation were both more serious in the urban area than in the coastal area. The atmospheric visibilities were divided into Q1 (25th percentile), Q2 (50th percentile), and Q3 (75th percentile); these divisions show the inversely proportional trend between atmospheric visibility range and health risks. It was also observed the similar inversely proportional trend between particulate matter and health risks. Under the hazard periods of atmospheric visibility ≤ 10 km, the relative significant health risks of 1.088 and 1.042 were observed in the coastal area and urban area, respectively. The relative health risks of particulate matters were 1.053 in the coastal area and 1.101 in the urban area during the periods of PM2.5 ≥ 35 µg m–3. This study establishes a new perspective from which to assess the effects of air pollution on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases by utilizing atmospheric visibility. Additionally, it provides a convenient way for the public to understand the relationship between air pollution and its effects on human health.

Extreme Air Pollution Conditions Adversely Affect Blood Pressure and Insulin Resistance: The Air Pollution and Cardiometabolic Disease Study.

Mounting evidence supports that fine particulate matter adversely affects cardiometabolic diseases particularly in susceptible individuals; however, health effects induced by the extreme concentrations within megacities in Asia are not well described. We enrolled 65 nonsmoking adults with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in the Beijing metropolitan area into a panel study of 4 repeated visits across 4 seasons since 2012. Daily ambient fine particulate matter and personal black carbon levels ranged from 9.0 to 552.5 µg/m(3) and 0.2 to 24.5 µg/m(3), respectively, with extreme levels observed during January 2013. Cumulative fine particulate matter exposure windows across the prior 1 to 7 days were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure elevations ranging from 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 0.3-3.7) to 2.7 (0.6-4.8) mm Hg per SD increase (67.2 µg/m(3)), whereas cumulative black carbon exposure during the previous 2 to 5 days were significantly associated with ranges in elevations in diastolic blood pressure from 1.3 (0.0-2.5) to 1.7 (0.3-3.2) mm Hg per SD increase (3.6 µg/m(3)). Both black carbon and fine particulate matter were significantly associated with worsening insulin resistance (0.18 [0.01-0.36] and 0.22 [0.04-0.39] unit increase per SD increase of personal-level black carbon and 0.18 [0.02-0.34] and 0.22 [0.08-0.36] unit increase per SD increase of ambient fine particulate matter on lag days 4 and 5). These results provide important global public health warnings that air pollution may pose a risk to cardiometabolic health even at the extremely high concentrations faced by billions of people in the developing world today.

The effects of air pollution and weather conditions on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction

ObjectiveIn this retrospective study, we investigated the association between air pollution and weather conditions with the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the city of Kutahya. MethodsA total of 402 patients who were admitted with acute ST segment elevation MI and non–ST segment elevation MI were included in the study in 1 year. Daily maximum, minimum, and mean ambient temperature and mean barometric pressure data were obtained from the Kutahya Meteorology Department. Daily air pollution data were obtained from the Web site of National Air Quality Observation Network (http://www.havaizleme.gov.tr). ResultsIncrease in ambient air temperature in the day of MI and 2days before the day of MI according to their control days was correlated with increase in number of MI cases. When we grouped the patients according to ages as 30-54, 55-65, and >65years, we found that there was a relation between sulfur dioxide (SO2) and the occurrence of AMI for the age group of 30-54 for the same day (D0) (P<.017). The number of AMIs was the lowest in fall season, whereas the number of AMIs was the highest in winter season. ConclusionThere was no statistically significant association between the particulates with diameter b=10μm, SO2 concentrations, air pressure, and the risk of AMI, but there was statistically significant relation between occurrence of MI and SO2 for the patients under age of 55 years. The number of AMIs was the lowest in fall season, whereas the number of AMIs was the highest in winter season.

DISTRIBUTION OF CARBON MONIXIDE IN ALMATY CITY DEPENDING ON THE DISTANCE FROM THERMAL POWER PLANTS - 2

In recent years, according to experts, the emissions change clearly shows that urban air pollution has increased as a whole, as opposed to an overall emissions reduction in countries. In hundreds of cities of the world average air pollution levels exceed the sanitary standards. So in Almaty city thermal power plants are the largest stationary sources that contribute to air pollution. The article deals with laws of modern spatial and temporal distribution of carbon monoxide in the air basin of Almaty city, depending on the distance from TPP – 2 (thermal power plants). In particular, research shows that there is a direct relationship between the level of air pollution and wind conditions of the city.

Mixing ratio and carbon isotopic composition investigation of atmospheric CO2 in Beijing, China

The stable isotope composition of atmospheric CO2 can be used as a tracer in the study of urban carbon cycles, which are affected by anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 components. Continuous measurements of the mixing ratio and δ13C of atmospheric CO2 were conducted in Beijing from Nov. 15, 2012 to Mar. 8, 2014 including two heating seasons and a vegetative season. Both δ13C and the isotopic composition of source CO2 (δ13CS) were depleted in the heating seasons and enriched in the vegetative season. The diurnal variations in the CO2 mixing ratio and δ13C contained two peaks in the heating season, which are due to the effects of morning rush hour traffic. Seasonal and diurnal patterns of the CO2 mixing ratio and δ13C were affected by anthropogenic emissions and biogenic activity. Assuming that the primary CO2 sources at night (22:00–04:00) were coal and natural gas combustion during heating seasons I and II, an isotopic mass balance analysis indicated that coal combustion had average contributions of 83.83±14.11% and 86.84±12.27% and that natural gas had average contributions of 16.17±14.11% and 13.16±12.27%, respectively. The δ13C of background CO2 in air was the main error source in the isotopic mass balance model. Both the mixing ratio and δ13C of atmospheric CO2 had significant linear relationships with the air quality index (AQI) and can be used to indicate local air pollution conditions. Energy structure optimization, for example, reducing coal consumption, will improve the local air conditions in Beijing.

Structure, development and health status of spruce forests affected by air pollution in the western Krkonoše Mts. in 1979–2014

Abstract The structure and health status of waterlogged or peaty spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) forests in the summit parts of the Krkonoše Mts. in the Czech Republic were studied in 1979–2014. The objective was to evaluate the stand structure, dead wood, trend of the health status and productivity on four permanent research plots (PRP) in relation to air pollution (SO2 and NOx concentrations) and climatic conditions (temperatures and precipitation amounts). Stand structure was evaluated on the base of the measured parameters of individual trees on PRP. The health status of trees was evaluated according to foliage, and their vitality was assessed according to their radial growth documented by dendrochronological analyses. The radial growth was negatively correlated with SO2 and NOx concentrations. Stand dynamics during the observation period was characterised by increased tree mortality, the presence of dead wood and reduction of stand density from 1983 to 1992, while the most severe impairment of health status and stand stability occurred in 1982–1987. The foliage mass of living trees has been gradually increasing since 1988, but no pronounced improvement of tree vitality was documented after the decrease in SO2 concentration. However, particularly physiologically weakened spruce trees were attacked by the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus). The process of forest damage is manifested not only by foliage reduction but also by symptoms of various necroses on the assimilatory organs. In terms of climatic data, the weather in April had the most important effect on radial growth. Diameter increment showed positive statistically significant correlation with temperature in growing season, but the precipitation effect was low.

Disease relapses in multiple sclerosis can be influenced by air pollution and climate seasonal conditions.

Environmental factors may influence the disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the in- fluence of air pollution and seasonal climate factors of any on number of relapses in MS patients during a consecutive 5 years of observation. We retrospectively analyzed data of MS patients from the town of Niš, hospitalized at the Clinic of Neurology, Clinical Center Niš, Serbia, from 2005 to 2009. Climate data: mean daily sun shining; mean monthly sun shining, mean whole daily cloudiness, daily cloudiness at 7 a.m, 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. and air pollution expressed by NSR (New Source Review) were obtained from the Meteorology Observatory Niš. During a 5-year of observation there were 260 relapses in 101 MS patients. The number of relapses showed a significantly negative correlation with the number of days with NSR < 2 (p = -0.31; p < 0.01) and a positive correlation with the mean whole daily cloudiness (p < 0.05), mean daily cloudiness at 7 a.m. (p < 0.05) and 2 p.m. (p < 0.01). We found a significantlly positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the reduced number of relapses during the period of high vitamin D season, i.e. July-October. There was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) of the number of relapses during spring (x = 6.53; SD = 3.98) compared to the other three seasons. The joint presence of lower number of days with NSR < 2 during low vitamin D season (January- April) correlated with a statistically significant increase of the number of relapses in MS patients (F = 5.06, p < 0.01). CON- CLUSION: The obtained results confirmed the influence of air pollution and climate seasonal conditions on disease relapses in MS patients based on a long-term observation. Lower numbers of days with low air pollution during the periods with low vitamin D (January-April), especially with increased cloudiness at 2 p.m, induce a higher risk of MS relapses in southern continental parts of Europe.

Seasonal variability of chlorophyll content and the changes of the acidity and buffer capacity in the needles of Larix decidua and Larix leptolepis grown in different air pollution conditions

The needles of &lt;i&gt;Larix decidua&lt;/i&gt; Mili. and &lt;i&gt;Larix leptolepis&lt;/i&gt; showed different pattern of seasonal chlorophyll variability, the level of pigments in &lt;i&gt;L. decidua&lt;/i&gt; was more influenced by zinc-plant emissions than that in &lt;i&gt;L. leptolepis&lt;/i&gt;. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and b and their changes were markedly different from those estimated for the non-deciduous species. The seasonal variability of acidity of aqueous homogenates of the consdered larch needles appeared to be less characterisitic for the species and also for the pollution influence than the changes in buffer capacity.

Air Pollution Effects on Mortality - Sinergyc and Isolated Effects Using Time-Series and Case-Crossover Analysis

Exposure to air pollution and weather conditions occurs simultaneously, therefore, in addition to the isolated effect, factors interactions and modification effects are key issue. The present study characterized the effect of air pollution, isolated and synergistic effects, on mortality, from secondary data. Three methods were applied to evaluate the association of average daily concentration of pollutants (PM10, NO2,O3) on mortality caused by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in the city of Sao Paulo - Brazil, from 1998 to 2008 . We compared the estimates of relative risk produced in several case- crossover approaches, time-stratified bidirectional and matched by the confounding factor, i.e. average temperature, to the results of a traditional time-series analysis. The risk factors synergistic effect was evaluated by the graphical interpretation of response surfaces generated by bivariate models. No statistical differences were observed between the results from the case crossover and time-series analyses . The relative risk percent changes for cardiovascular mortality associated with an increase of 10µg/m3 in the 24-h average concentrations of PM10 and NO2 are, respectively, 0.85% (0.45-1.25) and 0.26% (0.04-0.48). The percentage increase in the risk of respiratory mortality was 1.60 (0.74-2.46) and 1.29% (0.46-2.12), respectively, for PM10 and O3. The case-crossover analyzes confirmed that the positive association parameterized for pollutants is unlikely to be caused by confounding by temperature in time-series analysis. The simultaneous exposure to several levels of environmental factors, such as temperature and air pollution, may represent conditions as harmful as the predicted to extreme concentrations, due to the combined effect.

Association of Spatial Dispersion of Respiratory and Ischemic-Heart Morbidity with Environmental and Demographic Factors in Semi-Arid Area of Southern Israel, 2003-2007

Background: As awareness of the potential climate conditions and health outcomes has grown in the world epidemiology studies focused on meteorological and ambient air pollution conditions(AAP) association with health outcomes in various locations in the world.The controversial evidence regarding health-outcomes in semi-dessert areas is still being debated. Aims: To investigate the association between acute (Acute Bronchitis, Pneumonia) and chronic (Asthma, COPD) respiratory, ischemic heart and neurological diseases morbidity rates with meteorological, AAP and socioeconomic status (SES) in southern Israel in 2003-2007. Methods: We collected daily average measurements of temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), wind velocity/direction, CO2;SO2;NOX;PM;O3 and daily morbidity rates of acute/chronic respiratory (ARM, CRM), heart (HM),neurological (NM) diseases. We used GIS for analysis of spatial distribution of considered morbidity; Poisson regressions based on time series techniques for analysis of the association between health outcomes with environmental and demographic factors. Results: T was found associated with ARM (IRR 1.003, p=0.03) for age 0-14 and with CRM and HM ( IRR 0.976,p=0.01) for age 65+. RH was found associated with ARM (IRR 1.014,p=0.01) for age 0-14 and MH (IRR 1.003,p=0.01) for age 65+ and with CRM (IRR 0.995,p=0.01) for age 65+. Significant differences were found for ARM, CRM and HM in different seasons, Highest morbidity rates were found in the winter. Highest CRM were found in city center. PM10 was found associated with ARM (IRR 1.003,p=0.01). Significant seasonal associations of SES were found with ARM, CRM and HM, with highest values at medium SES (median 0.4076, p=0.01), Conclusions: Significant associations were found between meteorological, AAP factors, SES and considered health outcomes. No association was found between meteorological, AAP factors, SES and NM

Spatiotemporal variations of tropospheric ozone concentrations in the Warsaw Agglomeration (Poland)

Abstract Spatiotemporal variations of tropospheric ozone concentrations in the Warsaw Agglomeration (Poland). The study uses ozone concentrations from stations in Warsaw Agglomeration and its vicinity. Diversity of localizations of considered station, in terms of type of emissivity, allows on comparison of air pollution conditions by ozone in Warsaw area. Concentration of ozone in summer and spring were above twice greater than the concentration in autumn and winter. The greatest differences between weekend days concentration and work days concentration occur during autumn and winter, but in the same time the differences during the day are the least, especially in urban site stations. Statistics analysis shows strong relationship between ozone concentration and nitrogen dioxide concentration and meteorological elements especially for days with high level of ozone concentration. For these days regression equations were statistically significant (α = 1%) and correlation coefficients were greater than 0.81. Polynomial of IV power is the best fitted function of one-hourly values of ozone concentration course in particular seasons.

Composition of weathering crusts on sandstones from natural outcrops and architectonic elements in an urban environment.

This work presents mineralogical and chemical characteristics of weathering crusts developed on sandstones exposed to various air pollution conditions. The samples have been collected from sandstone tors in the Carpathian Foothill and from buildings in Kraków. It has been stated that these crusts differ in both fabric and composition. The sandstone black crust from tors is rich in organic matter and composed of amorphous silica. Sulphate incrustations accompanied by dust particles have been only sometimes observed. Beneath the black crust, a zone coloured by iron (oxyhydr)oxides occurs. The enrichment of the surface crust in silica and iron compounds protects the rock interior from atmospheric impact. The sandstones from architectonic details are also covered by a thin carbon-rich black crust, but they are visibly loosened. Numerous salts, mainly gypsum and halite, crystallise here, thus enhancing deterioration of the rock. Moreover, spherical particles originated from industrial emissions are much more common. Gypsum in natural outcrops, forms isolated and well-developed crystals, whilst these found on the architectonic details are finer and densely cover the surface. Such diversity reflects various concentrations of acid air pollutants in solutions.

Monitoring of 7Be in surface air of varying PM10 concentrations

In this study, beryllium-7 (7Be) concentrations of surface air were monitored throughout a span of 23 years (1992–2012) in the Taiwanese cities Yilan, Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. During this period, particulate matter (PM) concentrations, in terms of PM10, were collected monthly from the nearest air-quality pollutant monitoring stations and compared against 7Be concentrations. Seasonal monsoons influenced 7Be concentrations in all cities, resulting in high winter and low summer concentrations. In addition, the meteorological conditions caused seasonal PM10 variations, yielding distinct patterns among the cities. There was no correlation between 7Be and PM10 in the case cities. The average annual 7Be concentrations varied little among the cities, ranging from 2.9 to 3.5mBq/m3, while the PM10 concentrations varied significantly from 38μg/m3 in Yilan to 92μg/m3 in Kaohsiung depending on the degree of air pollution and meteorological conditions. The correlation between the 7Be concentration and gross-beta activities (Aβ) in air implied that the 7Be was mainly attached to crustal PM and its concentration varied little among the cities, regardless of the increase in anthropogenic PM in air-polluted areas.

Mobile Particle and NOx Emission Characterization at Helsinki Downtown: Comparison of Different Traffic Flow Areas

A two weeks measurement campaign by a mobile laboratory van was performed at downtown Helsinki, Finland, in winter 2010. The characteristics of air pollutants such as fine particles in the size ranges of 7–40 nm (Np40) and 40–1000 nm (Np1000), black carbon (BC), fine particle mass (PM2.5), as well as gaseous compounds NO, NO2, NOx, CO and CO2 were studied. The statistical analysis showed that the air pollution conditions strongly depended on the traffic flow area; therefore, the street sections were classified as high traffic flow areas (HTF1-HTF4), low traffic flow areas (LTF1-LTF5), and urban background areas (BG1-BG3). Large variation of particle emissions was observed, and the momentary peak particle concentrations were 8 × 105 cm–3. At the HTF areas exhaust emissions followed clearly daily average heavy duty vehicle counts rather than the average daily vehicle counts. Higher correlation coefficients were found between CO2 and NO than between CO2 and Ntot. The dispersion studies indicated that the air pollution conditions strongly improved from high traffic flow areas to low traffic flow areas. Therefore, proper city planning and locating, for example, cycle tracks, schools and hospitals farther from busy city streets might significantly reduce exposure risk for humans.

Monitoring of ambient air quality in relation to traffic density in Bareilly City (U.P.), India

An ambient air quality study was undertaken in Bareilly city, U.P., India during the year 2010 and 2011. The seasonal air quality data was obtained from ten monitoring sites across the city considering sampling site of Cantt as control site. The maximum (713.06±55.64 µg/m3) suspended particulate matter (SPM), sulphur dioxide (SO2) (80.08±4.77 µg/m3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) (64.98±3.53 µg/m3) level was found at Choupla during the winter 2011. Among the annual mean values of air pollutants were analyzed, SPM level was found to be above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (200 µg/m3) at all the polluted sites. SO2 and NOx levels were below the threshold limits (80 µg/m3) as per NAAQS. The ambient air quality was correlated with the traffic density in the city. The pollution level was observed to be positively correlated with traffic density which is the major source of air pollution in the city. The ambient air quality at different monitoring sites was categorized into different pollution level on the basis of Oak ridge air quality index (ORAQI). Light to moderate air pollution conditions were present at different sites. Sampling site of Choupla (SVII) observe maximum ORAQI of 64.48 and 70.81 and falls under category of moderate pollution.