Concentrations Of Certain Pollutants Research Articles

Machine learning algorithms to forecast air quality: a survey

Air pollution is a risk factor for many diseases that can lead to death. Therefore, it is important to develop forecasting mechanisms that can be used by the authorities, so that they can anticipate measures when high concentrations of certain pollutants are expected in the near future. Machine Learning models, in particular, Deep Learning models, have been widely used to forecast air quality. In this paper we present a comprehensive review of the main contributions in the field during the period 2011–2021. We have searched the main scientific publications databases and, after a careful selection, we have considered a total of 155 papers. The papers are classified in terms of geographical distribution, predicted values, predictor variables, evaluation metrics and Machine Learning model.

Influence of milling on representative sample preparation for the analysis of trace elements in waste wood

In Germany, waste wood can be used in various ways. The main ones are recycling in particleboards and energy production if the quality is insufficient for material utilisation. For the decision of usage, it is necessary to determine the wood quality by measuring the concentrations of certain pollutants. If given legal limits are exceeded, energetic utilisation in heat and power plants is recommended.Waste wood is a heterogeneous material. Therefore, special attention has to be given to the sample preparation in order to achieve representative analytical results. This article investigates whether the sample preparation according to ISO 14780 is also useable for a highly heterogeneous material such as waste wood or if a method with better homogenisation is needed. Furthermore, the effect of outliers on the interpretation of measurement results is considered.For this purpose, two milling methods are compared concerning their homogenisation capability. The samples were milled to 4 mm and homogenised. From this total amount, one half was milled directly to 0.25 mm (full milled), while the other half was separated in a sample divider until 100 g of the sample remained (according to ISO 14780), which was milled to 0.25 mm (partial milled).The results show that both milling procedures do not achieve a satisfactory homogenisation of the sample. However, with a sufficient number of measurements, limit value monitoring can still be carried out, as individual outliers are not decisive in whether a limit value is exceeded or not.

Analisis mutu air Danau Area Gelanggang Expo dengan metode indeks pencemaran di kota Jayapura

This study aims to determine the current status of lake water quality in the Gelanggang Expo area using the Pollution Index (IP) method. It is found that there has been pollution in Lake Sentani with high concentrations of certain pollutants, such as Nitrite as NO2-N (0.06 - 0.15 mg/L), Phosphate as PO4-P (0.2 - 0.45 mg/L), Sulfide as S-H2S (0.002 - 4.26 mg/L), Cadmium (0.01 - 0.3 mg/L), Chromium valence 6 (0.05 - 0.26 mg/L), Copper (0.02 - 2.15 mg/L), Zinc (0.05 - 0.5 mg/L), Phenolic compounds (1 - 9.53 μg/L), and free chlorine (0.03 - 2, 1 mg/L). The concentration of these substances has exceeded the quality standard set by the government through PP 82 of 2001 concerning water quality management and water pollution control. The status of the lake water quality in the Gelanggang Expo area is declared moderately polluted with an IP value of 6.78. Sentani lake pollution is caused by eight parameters that have exceeded the quality standard, namely temperature, BOD, COD, Sulfide, Pb, Cu, Phenol, and free chlorine.

Assessment of the ecological risk of pollution of soil and bottom sediments in the Ukrainian Danube region

Purpose. The paper deals with assessment of the ecological risks of pollution of soil at the sites where unusable plant protection chemicals are stored, and of the bottom sediments in the Ukrainian section of the Danube and in the Danube region lakes. Methodology. The applied analytical methods and synthesis of the data obtained while monitoring the studied objects, comparing data, logical generalization and analogies in combination with expert appraisals and monographic and graphical analytic studies. Findings. It was concluded that the condition of land resources of the Danube region of Ukraine is unsatisfactory. The risk of the soil ecosystem instability in the majority of the region areas is assessed as high. The monitoring data pertaining to the sites where unusable plant protection chemicals are stored indicate that the maximum permissible concentrations of certain pollutants surpass the standards by 5.032.0 times. The ecological condition of soils is assessed as medium bad while the risks are at the level varying between considerable to high. The ecological condition of bottom sediments in the Lower Danube is assessed as satisfactory, except in Kuhurlui, Yalpuh and Kytai Lakes where it is unsatisfactory. The ecological risk level in the Ukrainian section of the Danube and in the Danube region ranges from high to considerable. Originality. For the first time ever, for the Danube region of Ukraine a comprehensive assessment of the ecological risk of soil pollution, which included assessment of the risk of instability of the soil ecosystem resulting from storage of unusable plant protection chemicals, was performed. The integral assessment of the bottom sediment pollution was made for the site located between Reni town and the Danube estuary, and in Danube Lakes. Analysis of the existing methodologies for assessment of the ecological risk of soil and bottom sediment pollution enabled to develop and apply recommendations how to use indicator values describing the ecological condition with due account of the physical degradation and pollution criteria. Practical value. The obtained results can be used for the development of a strategy of effective and sustainable management of the Ukrainian Danube regions natural resources based upon the instruments and mechanisms aimed at solution of the social and economic development problems bearing in mind possible impact of the destabilizing factors.

Electroflotation treatment of stabilized landfill leachate using titanium-based electrode

Landfill leachate is one of the most obstinate wastewaters to be treated due to its toxic organic and inorganic pollutants. The landfill leachate must be treated prior to discharge into a watercourse in order to preserve human health and ecosystem. Pre-characterization of raw landfill leachate was done to identify the concentration of certain pollutants, in which the effluent concentration of chemical oxygen demand, ammoniacal nitrogen, and color was 1990 mg/L, 300 mg/L, and 1946 Pt–Co, respectively. The present study was conducted to treat raw landfill leachate using the electroflotation system with a designed titanium and coated titanium DSA electrodes. The experiments were conducted following the central composite design of experiments, and the design was analyzed using response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of current density, initial pH, and contact time was evaluated on the removal of COD, NH3–N, and color by ANOVA. It was found that current density and pH were the most effective parameters on COD and NH3–N removal; nevertheless, the color obtained the highest removal was up to 80%. The optimal experimental conditions were determined to be current density of 28 (A/m2), initial pH 6.0, and processing time of 30 min. Under these experimental conditions, the maximum removal of COD, color, and NH3–H was 75%, 63%, and 83%, respectively. The findings of the present study reveal that the electroflotation technique could be utilized to treat landfill leachate as an effective pre-treatment process.

Efficient treatment of raw leachate using magnetic ore iron oxide nanoparticles Fe₂O₃ as nanoadsorbents

Natural Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles was successfully investigated in the treatment of raw landfill leachate. Pre-characterisation of raw landfill leachate was done to identify the concentration of certain pollutants; which the effluent concentration of COD, NH₃-N, and color were 2081 mg/L, 449 mg/L and 2851 Pt-Co, respectively. Following mechanical milling to reach the nanoparticle size, the exploration of structural characteristic of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles was done. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) were used to distinguish the structure and morphology of the nanoadsorbents. The results revealed that the particle size were varied between 21 nm–70 nm. FT-IR confirms the phase purity of the natural nanoparticles. The adsorption of COD, NH₃-N, and color from landfill leachate onto the novel of natural Fe₂O₃ was studied with variable parameters such as contact time, pH of the leachate, dose, and temperature by applying the method of batch adsorption. It was found that the adsorption treatment was sharply high at the first stage and reached a stable state condition with 97 %, 43.8 %, and 75.9 % removal of color, NH₃-N and COD, respectively. In addition, the adsorption capacity was about 78.8 %, 31 %, and 59.3 % for color, NH₃-N, and COD, respectively of the initial saturation adsorption capacity after being used three times. Thus, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃) was found efficient for treatment of raw landfill leachate and it could be further studied for other types of wastewater and polluted water.

Distribution of metal(loid)s in particle size fraction in urban soil and street dust: influence of population density.

Assessment of street dust is an invaluable approach for monitoring atmospheric pollution. Little information is available on the size distribution of contaminants in street dusts and urban soils, and it is not known how the population density would influence them. This research was carried out to assess the size distribution of trace metal(loid)s in street dust and urban soil, and to understand how population density might influence the size-resolved concentration of metal(loid)s. Three urban areas with a high, medium and low population density and a natural area were selected and urban soil and street dust sampled. They were fractionated into 8 size fractions: 2000-850, 850-180, 180-106, 106-50, 50-20, 20-10, 10-2, and < 2µm. The concentration of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, As, and Fe was determined, and enrichment factor and grain size fraction loadings were computed. The results indicated that the concentration of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr was highly size dependent, particularly for particles < 100µm, especially for street dust. Low concentrations of Ni and As in street dust and urban soil were size and population density independent. Higher size dependency of the metals concentration and the higher degree of elemental enrichment in the street dust fractions than the urban soils indicate higher contribution of human-induced pollution to the dust. Findings also confirm the inevitability of size fractionation when soils or dusts are environmentally assessed, particularly in moderately to highly polluted areas. Otherwise, higher concentrations of certain pollutants in fine-sized particles might be overlooked leading to inappropriate decisions for environmental remediation.

Pravno uređenje zagađenja vazduha u urbanim sredinama na nivou Evropske unije

Air pollution in urban areas is currently one of the major risks to the environment and human health. Directives at the level of the European Union require Member States to monitor and control the concentration of certain pollutants in the air, especially in urban areas. However, despite the fact that there is a legal framework for controlling the concentration of air pollutants, the data show that a number of Member States fail to meet air quality standards, and thus to protect the health of the population. This paper presents individual air quality standards in urban areas at the level of the European Union and analyzes the application of these standards through several examples. In addition, the multiple importance of the control system for the concentration of certain air pollutants in urban areas was pointed out, in terms of the impact of polluted air on human behavior and the growth of crime rates.

A novel and synergistic geostatistical approach to identify sources and cores of Potentially Toxic Elements in soils: An application in the region of Cantabria (Northern Spain)

The distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements is a major concern in environmental science since an exposure to high concentrations may affect human, animal or plant health. In this regard, soils are highly exposed to the entrance of hazardous elements due to diffuse pollution. Thus giving rise to areas where the concentrations of certain pollutants may be concerning. However, many of these enrichments exist due to geogenic factors, especially in regions with historical mining legacy. Here it is proposed an innovative and synergistic methodology that combines the use of raw data, enrichment factors and compositional data, through statistical and geostatistical approaches (Ordinary Kriging), to detect elements of concern and clusters where each contaminant may be individually hazardous. This methodology was successfully applied in this work to soils of the region of Cantabria where local high concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn were found, and specifically, notable enrichments for Hg, Pb and Zn were revealed in areas of intense human activity.

Evaluation of Health Status and Histo-Architecture of Heterobranchus Longifilis and Clarias Buthupogon Obtained from Asa River, Nigeria

Gross impact of water pollution and water borne pollutants on aquatic organisms and man has become a great concern to public health in the recent time. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pollutants from the polluted Asa River on the liver histology of Clarias buthupogon and Heterobranchus longifilis. The sample included a total of 55 individuals (28 for C. buthupogon and 27 for H. longifilis).There was a recorded moderate to intense alterations of liver tissues. The most notable alterations were congestion of central vein, degeneration of hepatocyte, sinusoidal distortion, cellular inflammation and necrosis. However, all histological alterations recorded in the liver tissues were most likely to be caused by increased concentrations of certain pollutants from industrial, domestic and agricultural premises. Furthermore, these results represent an additionalreason to proceed with a detailed monitoring of the Asa River and the wildlife therein, for the sake of public health.

When the Regulator Goes Home: The Effectiveness of Environmental Oversight

The U.S. EPA designates areas as in non-attainment with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) if ambient air concentrations of certain pollutants exceed standard levels. Stationary sources located in these areas are required to significantly reduce emissions through technological and other requirements; these sources are also subjected to greater regulatory oversight. However, non-attainment is not a permanent designation and regulatory oversight subsides once an area moves out of non-attainment. In this paper we examine whether the additional regulatory oversight of non-attainment designation is successful (and necessary) at reducing emissions from stationary sources. We estimate the effects of an area moving out of non-attainment on emissions at coal-fired power plants located in these areas. We first model the actions of utility managers subjected to emission reduction requirements. The model suggests that firms under additional scrutiny via non-attainment designation intentionally lower emissions. However, when areas exit non-attainment, i.e., direct regulatory oversight subsides, firms under-utilize clean strategies-including technology-which results in emission increases. Empirical analysis results show that boilers with abatement technology installed as a result of non-attainment increase NO x emissions and emission rate by 16% and 9%, respectively, when exiting non-attainment. Extended model results present evidence that regulated firms are less likely to use fully emission control methods in the absence of direct regulatory oversight. Specifically, the emission increases of exiting non-attainment are driven by the under-utilization of abatement technology inputs and the switch to lower quality fuel.

Smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration in the years 2014-17

In recent years, in the winter season we are alarmed about the poor air quality in Poland and significantly exceeded permissible concentrations of certain pollutants, especially PM10 and PM2.5, which are a result of so-called low emissions. The authors analyze smog episodes in the Lodz agglomeration by comparing the recorded values of selected pollutant concentrations at monitoring stations of the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Lodz with the meteorological conditions prevailing at this time. The analysis covers data from the years 2014-2017.

Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants.

The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins’ faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted contribution, whereas the above-mentioned pollutants maintain very low levels. The concentrations of pollutants are far higher in those penguin rookeries that are more exposed to ship traffic. In addition, the soil microbiota of penguin-influenced soils was studied by molecular methods. Heavily penguin-affected soils have a massive presence of enteric bacteria, whose relative dominance can be taken as an indicator of penguin influence. Faecal bacteria are present in addition to typical soil taxa, the former becoming dominant in the microbiota of penguin-affected soils, whereas typical soil bacteria, such as Actinomycetales, co-dominate the microbiota of less affected soils. Results indicate that the continuous supply by penguin faeces, and not the selectivity by increased pollutant concentrations is the main factor shaping the soil bacterial community. Overall, massive penguin influence results in increased concentrations of certain pollutants and in a strong change in taxa dominance in the soil bacterial community.

Экологическая оценка почвенного покрова вдоль автомагистралей (город Новосибирск)

These studies were performed for the first time at the territory of Novosibirsk. Some of the methods have not been&#x0D; previously used in environmental assessment along the major highways. The approbation of these methods can make&#x0D; a certain contribution to the theory of bioindication and biological testing (including the data on the environmental&#x0D; identity of individual species of plants and soil photoautotrophs). Using biological methods has allowed to evaluate&#x0D; the effects of living systems’ exposure to chronic pollution by vehicles’ emissions, which is impossible to achieve with&#x0D; traditionally used physicochemical methods that determine the concentration of certain pollutants only at a given time&#x0D; in a given sample. in the soils of Novosibirsk were found: 63 species of soil algae and cyanobacteria belonging to 42&#x0D; geniuses, 38 families, 19 orders of 7 classes, 4 groups. Changes of taxonomic and phytocenological organization algocyanobacterial&#x0D; groups can serve as indicators of the environmental conditions, in particular, they can diagnose the&#x0D; degree of stress. The article demonstrates the possibility of applying biological methods to estimate the ecological state&#x0D; of technospheric territories.

PERSYARATAN LABORATORIUM LINGKUNGAN DAN KONDISINYA DI INDONESIA

The level of environmental quality is indicated by how much the pollutants enter into and stay in it, that is whether they are still below or already above the regulated pollutants standard. In knowing pollutant concentration in the environment, pollutantmeasurement must be done by employing appropriate instrument and using qualified/ certified operator. Therefore, the role of environmental laboratory is crucial in preparing instrumentation, operator, as well as standard operating procedure (SOP) in order for sampling and analysis of pollutants to work properly and result qualified data. This type of laboratory is strongly determined by how the laboratory is operated with the standard mechanism, called good laboratory practice (GLP). GLP will be met by the laboratory that owns the current state of the art instrumentation, capability and experience of the operator/analyst in conducting sampling and analysis, availability of SOP, capability to control thequality (Quality Control) and to assure the quality (Quality Assurance) of its work and the results. Some of laboratory in Indonesia has received certification from National Committee on Acreditation (KAN). However, the granted certification from the KAN must be first checked whether it is for all or part of the laboratory capabilities. Second, whether during the analysis it is already checked the accuracy and preciseness of the instrument employed. Unlike in developed countries, this type of such check has not so far been done in Indonesia. In term of QualityAssurance, the institution that grants the laboratory certification, for example KAN in Indonesia, will send blind samples to targeted laboratory to analyze how much the concentration of certain pollutants detected by this laboratory. Third, whether the operators have strongly followed the existing SOP. Thus, in order to operate laboratory in a right procedure and accuracy, a lot of work must be done carefully in order to result a qualified data. This paper is going to describe and to evaluate how the environmental laboratory is operated and how their condition in Indonesia.

Integrated assessment of trace pollutants associated with the Korean coastal environment: Exampled from the sediment TIE and triad approaches

Here we present our triad approach followed by major findings based on sediment pollution studies that determined the chemical concentration, biological effect, and community structure associated with trace pollutants in the Korean coastal environment. Since the late-1990s, over several hundred sites along the Korean coast have been surveyed including sediment (including pore-water), water, and biological samples and analyzed for instrumental quantification, in vitro and in vivo bioassays, and benthic community indices. The instrumental data of persistent heavy metals and organic pollutants in Korean sediments generally suggest that concentrations of target pollutants are relatively low to moderate but their distribution is widespread across the coasts. The compositional pattern and spatial distribution suggests that their sources are independent of each other. However, there are local zones with extremely high concentrations of certain pollutants indicating point sources. In order to search for the relationship between chemical concentrations and biological responses, some selected data (n=123) were further analyzed in terms of mass balance analysis (sediment-TIE towards TEQ approach). Most of the dioxin-like activities were observed in the fractions containing dioxins, furans, and certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and about half of the samples showed significant estrogenic activities in the fractions of PAHs and alkylphenols. Direct relationship(s) between chemical and ecotoxicological data could not be fully addressed between component(s). However, a positive relationship between them became apparent in some cases, indicating a general good agreement between chemical stresses and biological responses. Overall, we found that a sediment triad approach for an integrated assessment of trace pollutants in the coastal environment was extremely useful. It would be much more powerful when all the components are fully and simultaneously analyzed and interpreted.

Bent‐cable regression with autoregressive noise

AbstractMotivated by time series of atmospheric concentrations of certain pollutants the authors develop bent‐cable regression for autocorrelated errors. Bent‐cable regression extends the popular piecewise linear (broken‐stick) model, allowing for a smooth change region of any non‐negative width. Here the authors consider autoregressive noise added to a bent‐cable mean structure, with unknown regression and time series parameters. They develop asymptotic theory for conditional least‐squares estimation in a triangular array framework, wherein each segment of the bent cable contains an increasing number of observations while the autoregressive order remains constant as the sample size grows. They explore the theory in a simulation study, develop implementation details, apply the methodology to the motivating pollutant dataset, and provide a scientific interpretation of the bent‐cable change point not discussed previously. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 38: 386–407; 2010 © 2010 Statistical Society of Canada

Water pollution in Ukraine: the search for possible solutions

In Ukraine, average and maximum concentrations of certain pollutants in inland water bodies are unacceptably high, while the number of heavy pollution accidents (one‐out effluent discharges capable of causing health hazards) is increasing. Meanwhile, the transition from a centrally planned to a free market economy is associated with severe economic downturn and a marked industrial decline. However, no comprehensive analyses related to issues linking water pollution and socio‐economic situation during the period 1991–2003 have been done. It is considered unlikely that much can be achieved to improve water quality, at the state level, in the near future. Some improvement can be achieved through changes in the system of pollution control and in public attitude, as well as obtaining relevant expertise and funds from abroad.

Estimating the benefits of pollution reduction on agricultural yields: Taiwan's air pollution emission fees program

Taiwan's implementation of the 1997 Air Pollution Emissions Fees Program will conceivably lead to long-term reductions in pollution emissions. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the benefits to Taiwan from the expected reduction in crop losses as a direct result of such a decrease in air pollution. We employ a demand–supply framework for rice production to estimate the change in social welfare resulting from changes in the concentration of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. Our empirical results show that, in the year 1997, social welfare increments resulting from the decline in sulfur dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere ranged between US$ 946,200 and US$ 2,435,800. Meanwhile, during the same period, the increase in social welfare due to the decline in the ozone concentration in the atmosphere ranged between US$ 838,100 and US$ 1,927,000. The average benefit from the reduction in both sulfur dioxide and ozone concentrations is calculated to be between US$ 2.67 and US$ 6.86 per acre (for sulfur dioxide), and from US$ 2.36 to US$ 5.43 per acre (for ozone).

Health promotion in the city: a review of current practice and future prospects in the United States.

To achieve its health goals, the United States must reduce the disproportionate burden of illness and poor health borne by urban populations. In the 20th century, patterns of immigration and migration, changes in the global economy, increases in income inequality, and more federal support for suburbanization have made it increasingly difficult for cities to protect the health of all residents. In the last 25 years, epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus infections and substance abuse and increases in homelessness, lack of health insurance, rates of violence, and concentrations of certain pollutants have also damaged the health of urban residents. Several common strategies for health promotion are described, and their relevance to the unique characteristics of urban populations is assessed. To identify ways to strengthen health promotion practices in U.S. cities, lessons have been taken from five related fields of endeavor: human rights, church- and faith-based social action, community economic development, youth development, and the new social movements. By integrating lessons from these areas into their practice, public health professionals can help to revitalize the historic mission of public health, contribute to creating healthier cities, and better achieve national health objectives.