European Air Quality Standards Research Articles

Data phronesis and the duality of care in the air quality data politics

ABSTRACT This article delves into the intricate dynamics of air datafication as matters of care within the distinctive context of air quality data politics in Poland. It focuses on the implementation of data-mediated care for air quality, scrutinizing two interconnected dimensions: data practices and data phronesis. The former involves the meticulous handling of air quality data, while the latter explores the phronetic valuation of more-than-human realms, including data standards, air sensing technologies, and a diverse array of actors integral to the datafication process. Data phronesis is conceptualized as the situated and context-dependent practical wisdom demonstrated by various actors, shaping the definition of ‘good’ data-mediated care for air quality. The article emphasizes the duality of care, highlighting the interplay between data phronesis and data practices. It underscores the ongoing negotiation surrounding air quality concerns, intricately mediated through data, within relational and contextual dimensions. Through an in-depth qualitative examination and Reflexive Thematic Analysis, four key themes, related to data-mediated air quality care, are identified: ‘caring about data,’ involving the valuation of situated data practices; ‘caring for data,’ translating polluted air into reliable data, while considering dominant standards; ‘caring by data,’ defining data usage methods within dynamic contexts; and ‘data for caring,’ exploring practical applications, particularly activist practices integrating diverse local contexts with European air quality standards. The article enriches our understanding of datafication as matters for care, shedding light on the interconnections between hands-on data practices and the contextual wisdom steering strategic action.

Residential exposure to air pollution and adverse respiratory and allergic outcomes in children and adolescents living in a chipboard industrial area of Northern Italy

BackgroundChipboard production is a source of wood dust, formaldehyde, and combustion-related pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM). In this cohort study, we assessed whether exposures to NO2, formaldehyde, PM10, PM2.5, and black carbon were associated with adverse respiratory and allergic outcomes among all 7525 people aged 0–21 years residing in the Viadana district, an area in Northern Italy including the largest chipboard industrial park in the country. MethodsData on hospitalizations, emergency room (ER) admissions, and specialist visits in pneumology, allergology, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology were obtained from the Local Health Unit. Residential air pollution concentrations in 2013 (baseline) were derived using local (Viadana II), national (EPISAT), and continental (ELAPSE) exposure models. Associations were estimated using negative binomial regression models for counts of events occurred during 2013–2017, with follow-up time as an offset term and adjustment for sex, age, nationality, and a census-block socio-economic indicator. ResultsMedian annual exposures to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 were below the European Union annual air quality standards (40, 40, and 25 μg/m3) but above the World Health Organization 2021 air quality guideline levels (10, 15, and 5 μg/m3). Exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 were significantly associated with higher rates of ER pneumology admissions (13 to 30 % higher rates per interquartile range exposure differences, all p < 0.01). Higher rates of allergology and ophthalmology visits were found for participants exposed to higher pollutants' concentrations. When considering the 4-km buffer around the industries, associations with respiratory hospitalizations became significant, and associations with ER pneumology admissions, allergology and ophthalmology visits became stronger. Formaldehyde was not associated with the outcomes considered. ConclusionUsing administrative indicators of health effects a priori attributable to air pollution, we documented the adverse impact of long-term air pollution exposure in residential areas close to the largest chipboard industries in Italy. These findings, combined with evidence from previous studies, call for an action to improve air quality through preventive measures especially targeting emissions related to the industrial activities.

Association between environmental air pollution and olfactory functioning among Italian adolescents and young adults in Northern Italy

BACKGROUND AND AIM Olfaction is a critical physiological process with various functions in humans and olfactory impairments are associated with neurodegenerative disease and decreased quality of life. Olfactory receptors are in direct contact to ambient air, and thus, olfactory function is uniquely vulnerable to airborne pollutants. Here, we investigate associations between ambient air pollutant exposure and olfactory function in adolescents and young adults in the province of Brescia, Italy. METHODS This study included 207 subjects (52.7% female, 15-25 years) enrolled in the ongoing longitudinal Public Health Impact of Metals Exposure (PHIME) study. All participants completed a baseline (2008-2014) and follow-up (2017-2021) olfactory performance assessment using the &amp;#x22;Sniffin’ Sticks”, a psychophysical test to assess odor threshold, discrimination and identification. Spatial annual average concentrations of particulate matter (PM) PM10, PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated for the target area between 2016-2019 on a 4 x 4 km2 spatial resolution grid by means of the Chemical Transport Model ARIA Regional. We applied multivariable beta regression models to test for associations between each pollutant and olfactory functions. RESULTS All air pollution annual average values were below European air quality standards (mean +/- SD g/m3 PM2.5 = 18.4 +/- 5.1; PM10 = 21.0 +/- 5.3; NO2 = 32.1 +/- 9.8). We observed a significant negative association between NO2 and olfactory threshold score; a 14% decrement (approximately 2 score points) for each 10 unit increase in NO2 (p = 0.042), adjusting for age, sex, Sniffin’ identification baseline score, having a cold and/or allergic rhinitis, IQ and passive smoking exposure. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest increased NO2 exposure is associated with reduced olfactory function in these Italian adolescents and young adults. The identification of risk factors for olfactory functions can help prevent reduced quality of life and improve recovery. KEYWORDS Olfactory functions; air pollution; NO2; PM2.5; PM10

Living Lab Experience in Turin: Lifestyles and Exposure to Black Carbon.

State-of-the-art, continuous personal monitoring is a reference point for assessing exposure to air pollution. European air-quality standards for particulate matter (PM) use mass concentration of PM (PM with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM10) or ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5)) as the metric. It would be desirable to determine whether black carbon (BC) can be used as a better, newer indicator than PM10 and PM2.5. This article discusses the preliminary results of one of the three living laboratories developed in the project “Combination of traditional air quality indicators with an additional traffic proxy: Black Carbon (BC)”. The Living Lab#1 (LL#1) involved 15 users in the city of Turin, Italy. Three portable aethalometers (AE51) were used to detect personal equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentrations in the respiratory area of volunteers at 10-s intervals as they went about their normal daily activities. The Geo-Tracker App and a longitudinal temporal activity diary were used to track users’ movements. The sampling campaign was performed in November for one week. and each user was investigated for 24 h. A total of 8640 eBC measurements were obtained with an average daily personal exposure of 3.1 µg/m3 (±SD 1.3). The change in movement patterns and the variability of microenvironments were decisive determinants of exposure. Preliminary results highlight the potential utility of Living Labs to promote innovative approaches to design an urban-scale air-quality management plan which also includes BC as a new indicator.

Air pollution and surrounding greenness in relation to ischemic stroke: A population-based cohort study.

Evidence for the association between environmental exposures and ischemic stroke (IS) is limited and inconsistent. We aimed to assess the relationship between exposure to air pollutants, residential surrounding greenness, and incident IS, and to identify population subgroups particularly sensitive to these exposures. We used data from administrative health registries of the public healthcare system in Catalonia, Spain to construct a cohort of individuals aged 18years and older without a previous stroke diagnosis at 1st January 2016 (n=3 521 274). We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and cerebrovascular risk factors, and derived exposure at the participant's residence to ambient levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in a 300m buffer as an indicator of greenness. The primary outcome was IS diagnosis at any point during the follow-up. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate associations between environmental exposures and incident IS and stratified analyses to investigate effect modification. Between 1st January 2016 and 31st December 2017, 10 865 individuals were admitted to public hospitals with an IS diagnosis. Median exposure levels were: 17µg/m3 PM2.5, 35µg/m3 NO2, 2.28µg/m3 BC and 0.27 NDVI. Individuals with higher residential exposure to air pollution were at greater risk of IS: HR 1·04 (95% CI:0·99-1·10) per 5µg/m3 of PM2.5; HR 1.05 (95% CI:1·00-1·10) per 1µg/m3 of BC; HR 1·04 (95% CI:1·03-1·06) per 10µg/m3 of NO2. Conversely, individuals with higher residential surrounding green space, had lower risk of IS (HR 0·84; CI 95%:0·7-1.0). There was no evidence of effect modification by individual characteristics. Higher incidence of IS was observed in relation to long-term exposures to air pollution, particularly NO2, in a region that meets European health-based air quality standards. Residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower incidence of IS.

What Are the Sectors Contributing to the Exceedance of European Air Quality Standards over the Iberian Peninsula? A Source Contribution Analysis

The Iberian Peninsula, located in southwestern Europe, is exposed to frequent exceedances of different threshold and limit values of air pollution, mainly related to particulate matter, ozone, and nitrous oxide. Source apportionment modeling represents a useful modeling tool for evaluating the contribution of different emission sources or sectors and for designing useful mitigation strategies. In this sense, this work assesses the impact of various emission sectors on air pollution levels over the Iberian Peninsula using a source contribution analysis (zero-out method). The methodology includes the use of the regional WRF + CHIMERE modeling system (coupled to EMEP emissions). In order to represent the sensitivity of the chemistry and transport of gas-phase pollutants and aerosols, several emission sectors have been zeroed-out to quantify the influence of different sources in the area, such as on-road traffic or other mobile sources, combustion in energy generation, industrial emissions or agriculture, among others. The sensitivity analysis indicates that large reductions of precursor emissions (coming mainly from energy generation, road traffic, and maritime-harbor emissions) are needed for improving air quality and attaining the thresholds set in the European Directive 2008/50/EC over the Iberian Peninsula.

Legislative and functional aspects of different metrics used for ozone risk assessment to forests

Surface ozone (O3) is a threat to forests by decreasing photosynthesis and, consequently, influencing the strength of land carbon sink. However, due to the lack of continuous surface O3 measurements, observational-based assessments of O3 impacts on forests are largely missing at hemispheric to global scales.Currently, some metrics are used for regulatory purposes by governments or national agencies to protect forests against the negative impacts of ozone: in particular, both Europe and United States (US) makes use of two different exposure-based metrics, i.e. AOT40 and W126, respectively. However, because of some limitations in these metrics, a new standard is under consideration by the European Union (EU) to replace the current exposure metric.We analyse here the different air quality standards set or proposed for use in Europe and in the US to protect forests from O3 and to evaluate their spatial and temporal consistency while assessing their effectiveness in protecting northern-hemisphere forests. Then, we compare their results with the information obtained from a complex land surface model (ORCHIDEE).We find that present O3 uptake decreases gross primary production (GPP) in 37.7% of the NH forested area of northern hemisphere with a mean loss of 2.4% year−1. We show how the proposed US (W126) and the currently used European (AOT40) air quality standards substantially overestimate the extension of potential vulnerable regions, predicting that 46% and 61% of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) forested area are at risk of O3 pollution. Conversely, the new proposed European standard (POD1) identifies lower extension of vulnerability regions (39.6%).

Air Pollution and Surrounding Greenness in Relation to Ischemic Stroke: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background: Evidence for the association between environmental exposures and ischemic stroke (IS) is limited and inconsistent. We aimed to assess the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollutants, residential surrounding greenness, and incident IS, and to identify population subgroups particularly vulnerable to these exposures. Methods: We used data from administrative health registries of the public healthcare system in Catalonia, Spain to construct a cohort of individuals aged 18 years and older without a previous stroke diagnosis at 1 st January, 2016 (n=3 521 274). We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and cerebrovascular risk factors, and derived exposure at the participant’s residence to ambient levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in 300m buffer as an indicator of greenness. The primary outcome was IS diagnosis at any point during the follow-up. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate associations between environmental exposures and incident IS and stratified analyses to investigate effect modification. Findings: Between 1 st January, 2016 and 31st December, 2017, 10 865 individuals were admitted to public hospitals with an IS diagnosis. Individuals with a high residential exposure to air pollution were at greater risk of IS: HR 1·04 (95% CI:0·99-1·10) per 5µg/m 3 of PM 2.5 ; HR 1·05 (95% CI:1·00-1·10) per 1µg/m 3 of BC; HR 1·04 (95% CI:1·03-1·06) per 10µg/m 3 of NO 2 . Conversely, those individuals with higher residential surrounding green space (NDVI), had lower risk of IS (HR 0·84; CI 95%:0·7-1·0). There was no evidence of effect modification by individual characteristics. Interpretation: Higher incidence of IS was observed in relation to long-term exposures to PM 2.5 , BC and NO 2 in a region that meets European health-based air quality standards. Residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower incidence of IS.Funding: Spanish Ministries of Health, Science and Innovation and Economy and Competitiveness. Funding: The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy through the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII-FIS-FEDER-ERDF, PI18/00056). This project was also funded in part by the following sources: INVICTUS PLUS. FEDER, RD16/0019/0002 and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019–2023” Program (CEX2018- 000806-S). Carla Avellaneda-Gomez was funded by a Rio Hortega fellowship (CM18/00040) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Cathryn Tonne is funded by a Ramon y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2015-17402) awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: We received approval from our local ethics committee (code 2018/7917/I).

Short-Term Associations of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) on Mortality in 18 French Cities, 2010–2014

We present an analysis of short-term associations between ambient NO2 and mortality according to cause, age-group, and period (cold and warm) in 18 areas in metropolitan France for the 2010–2014 period. Associations were estimated in each area using a generalized additive Poisson regression model, and effects were summarized in a meta-analysis. The percentage increase in mortality rate was estimated for a 10 µg m−3 increase in the NO2 level in each area for each complete calendar year and for cold (November to April) and warm periods (May to October) in each year. We found that the NO2 increase (lag of 0–1 days) was associated with a 0.75% increase of non-accidental mortality for all age-groups (95% confidence interval (CI): (0.4; 1.10)). During the warm period, this NO2 increase was associated with a 3.07% increase in non-accidental mortality in the ≥75 years old group (95% CI: 1.97; 4.18). This study supports the short-term effects of NO2 as a proxy of urban traffic pollution on mortality, even for concentrations below the maximum guideline of 40 µg m−3 set down by the European Air Quality Standards and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Performance evaluation of the VITROS® hs Troponin I assay⁎ on the VITROS® ECi/ECiQ and 3600 immunodiagnostic and VITROS® 5600/XT 7600 integrated systems

A large part of the European population is still exposed to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels exceeding the European Union (EU) air quality standards, being a key challenge to reduce NO2 concentrations across many European urban areas, particularly close to roads. In this work, a trend analysis of pollutants involved in NO2 processes was done for the period 2003–2014 in traffic sites from three Spanish cities (Barcelona, Madrid and Granada) that still exceed the European NO2 air quality standard limits. We also estimated the contributions of primary NO2 emissions and photo-chemically formed NO2 to the observed ambient NO2 concentrations in order to explore their possible role in the observed NO2 concentration trends. The NOx and NO concentrations at these traffic sites showed significant decreasing trends during the period 2003–2014, especially at Barcelona (BARTR) and Madrid (MADTR) traffic stations. The NO2 concentrations showed statistically significant downward trends at BARTR and MADTR and remained unchanged at Granada traffic station (GRATR) during the study period. Despite the significant decrease in NO2 concentrations in BCNTR and MADTR during the analysed period, the NO2 concentrations observed over these sites still above the annual NO2 standard limit of 40 μg m−3 and, therefore, more efficient measures are still needed. Primary NO2 emissions significantly influence NO2 concentrations at the three analysed sites. However, as no drastic changes are expected in the after-exhaust treatment technology that can reduce primary NO2 emissions to zero in the near future, only a substantial reduction in NOx emissions will help to comply with the NO2 European air quality standards. Reduction of 78%, 56% and 16% on NOx emissions in Barcelona, Madrid and Granada were estimated to be necessary to comply with the NO2 annual limit of 40 μg m−3.

Impact of primary NO2 emissions at different urban sites exceeding the European NO2 standard limit

A large part of the European population is still exposed to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels exceeding the European Union (EU) air quality standards, being a key challenge to reduce NO2 concentrations across many European urban areas, particularly close to roads. In this work, a trend analysis of pollutants involved in NO2 processes was done for the period 2003–2014 in traffic sites from three Spanish cities (Barcelona, Madrid and Granada) that still exceed the European NO2 air quality standard limits. We also estimated the contributions of primary NO2 emissions and photo-chemically formed NO2 to the observed ambient NO2 concentrations in order to explore their possible role in the observed NO2 concentration trends. The NOx and NO concentrations at these traffic sites showed significant decreasing trends during the period 2003–2014, especially at Barcelona (BARTR) and Madrid (MADTR) traffic stations. The NO2 concentrations showed statistically significant downward trends at BARTR and MADTR and remained unchanged at Granada traffic station (GRATR) during the study period. Despite the significant decrease in NO2 concentrations in BCNTR and MADTR during the analysed period, the NO2 concentrations observed over these sites still above the annual NO2 standard limit of 40 μg m−3 and, therefore, more efficient measures are still needed. Primary NO2 emissions significantly influence NO2 concentrations at the three analysed sites. However, as no drastic changes are expected in the after-exhaust treatment technology that can reduce primary NO2 emissions to zero in the near future, only a substantial reduction in NOx emissions will help to comply with the NO2 European air quality standards. Reduction of 78%, 56% and 16% on NOx emissions in Barcelona, Madrid and Granada were estimated to be necessary to comply with the NO2 annual limit of 40 μg m−3.

Evaluation of mitigation measures for air quality in Italy in 2020 and 2030

A large portion of the Italian population is exposed to high air pollution levels exceeding both European and WHO standards. To face this serious environmental risk, several efforts have been undertaken at policy-administration level in Italy and a national-regional cooperation act (the Po Basin Agreement, PBA) was adopted in 2013 in Northern Italy. The signatory parties agreed to identify and implement concerted actions contrasting air pollution, in addition to measures already in place. In this paper, a first evaluation of the identified measures has been carried out using the MINNI model, an integrated assessment model that allows the impact evaluation of emission variations. Assuming that PBA measures are applied in the whole Italian territory and focusing on residential heating, road transport and agriculture, the consequent impact on air quality was assessed for the scenario years 2020 and 2030. The Current Legislation scenario for the year 2030 shows that neither the national emission ceilings (NEC) nor the European air quality standards would be reached with the measures already in place and that additional actions are needed. The PBA 2030 scenario shows the attainment of the NEC targets, but non-compliance for daily PM10, daily maxima of 8 h running means of O 3 and annual PM2.5 concentrations still remains. • The integrated assessment model MINNI was applied to study the Po Basin Agreement measures for reducing air pollution. • The 2030 CLE scenario does not allow to reach neither the NEC emission ceilings nor the EU air quality standards. • The 2030 PBA scenario would allow the attainment of the NEC ceilings but not the attainment of the AQ standards.

Road traffic noise, air pollution and incident cardiovascular disease: A joint analysis of the HUNT, EPIC-Oxford and UK Biobank cohorts

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution on incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in three large cohorts: HUNT, EPIC-Oxford and UK Biobank. MethodsIn pooled complete-case sample of the three cohorts from Norway and the United Kingdom (N = 355,732), 21,081 incident all CVD cases including 5259 ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 2871 cerebrovascular cases were ascertained between baseline (1993–2010) and end of follow-up (2008–2013) through medical record linkage. Annual mean 24-hour weighted road traffic noise (Lden) and air pollution (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm [PM10], ≤2.5 μm [PM2.5] and nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) exposure at baseline address was modelled using a simplified version of the Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU) and European-wide Land Use Regression models. Individual-level covariate data were harmonised and physically pooled across the three cohorts. Analysis was via Cox proportional hazard model with mutual adjustments for both noise and air pollution and potential confounders. ResultsNo significant associations were found between annual mean Lden and incident CVD, IHD or cerebrovascular disease in the overall population except that the association with incident IHD was significant among current-smokers. In the fully adjusted models including adjustment for Lden, an interquartile range (IQR) higher PM10 (4.1 μg/m3) or PM2.5 (1.4 μg/m3) was associated with a 5.8% (95%CI: 2.5%–9.3%) and 3.7% (95%CI: 0.2%–7.4%) higher risk for all incident CVD respectively. No significant associations were found between NO2 and any of the CVD outcomes. ConclusionsWe found suggestive evidence of a possible association between road traffic noise and incident IHD, consistent with current literature. Long-term particulate air pollution exposure, even at concentrations below current European air quality standards, was significantly associated with incident CVD.

Indoor and outdoor air quality analysis for the city of Nablus in Palestine: seasonal trends of PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5, and PM1.0 of residential homes

Nablus city is an important urban and industrial center in the West Bank, Palestine. The topography of the city, combined with multiple sources of air pollution, creates a potential air quality problem that might affect human health. The indoor and outdoor particle concentration distributions of PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5, and PM1.0 were measured using a Grimm aerosol spectrometer from December 2014 to November 2015, at four roadsides and four urban homes in Nablus. The results of the annual averages of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were found to be at least three times higher than that of the European Air Quality Standards both in indoors and outdoors. The difference in the results between both the roadside and the urban areas was attributed to human and industrial activities in Nablus. The results revealed that the highest concentrations of the particulate matters are during summer, especially June and July, in the roadside areas due to heavy industrial activities during these months. The same behavior was noticed for urban areas during summer and due to other human activities. The results of indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios were found to be less than, but very close to, 1 for both roadside and urban areas in summer and winter months. In winter times, areas with poor ventilation indicated the existence of additional sources of PM within the indoor environments, especially when smoking cigarettes and using fuel-based heaters such as fireplaces gas and kerosene heaters.

Lower vehicular primary emissions of NO2 in Europe than assumed in policy projections

Many European countries do not meet legal air quality standards for ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) near roads; a problem that has been forecasted to persist to 2030. Although European air quality standards regulate NO2 concentrations, emissions standards for new vehicles instead set limits for NO x —the combination of nitric oxide (NO) and NO2. From around 1990 onwards, the total emissions of NO x declined significantly in Europe, but roadside concentrations of NO2—a regulated species—declined much less than expected. This discrepancy has been attributed largely to the increasing usage of diesel vehicles in Europe and more directly emitted tailpipe NO2. Here we apply a data-filtering technique to 130 million hourly measurements of NO x , NO2 and ozone (O3) from roadside monitoring stations across 61 urban areas in Europe over the period 1990–2015 to estimate the continent-wide trends of directly emitted NO2. We find that the ratio of NO2 to NO x emissions increased from 1995 to around 2010 but has since stabilized at a level that is substantially lower than is assumed in some key emissions inventories. The proportion of NO x now being emitted directly from road transport as NO2 is up to a factor of two smaller than the estimates used in policy projections. We therefore conclude that there may be a faster attainment of roadside NO2 air quality standards across Europe than is currently expected. The fraction of NO2 in NO x emitted from European road transport is up to a factor of two smaller than used in policy projections, suggests an analysis of 130 million roadside observations. Roadside air quality standards may thus be obtained faster.

Fine airborne particles: when alarming levels are the standard

ObjectivesTo quantify the contribution of each individual month to the annual mortality burden attributable to particulate matter (PM) in 2015 in Milan, Italy, after authorities and media considered December 2015 as an outlying month carrying an exceptional population exposure to PM. Study designWe used routinely available daily time series of air pollution and mortality to perform an assessment of the impact of PM exposure on population health. MethodsBy combining daily death counts with daily PM levels, as well as the yearly average of the number of deaths with the yearly average of PM concentrations, impact estimates were calculated in terms of deaths attributable (AD) to levels of PM10 and PM2.5 exceeding the daily or the annual European Union (EU) exposure limits. ResultsOn a monthly basis, the estimated AD for exceeding the daily EU limits for more than 35 days were 18.4 (PM10) and 33.2 (PM2.5) between January and March, and 20.0 and 31.9 between October and December, respectively. On an annual basis, the EU limit for PM10 was almost met and, therefore, the estimated impact in terms of AD was practically null. ConclusionsImpact results should be interpreted in the light of the skewness of the daily PM concentration distribution. The number of days above the limits is more important than the average annual concentration in determining the number of attributable deaths. The impact of PM on mortality is substantial during the whole winter season irrespective of its annual average concentration. Our estimates further stress the need for a revision of the current European air quality standards.

Steering the Implementation of Urban Sustainability Projects: Implications for Policy

Air pollution and traffic congestion concerns many cities around the world, no exception for Europe where almost a third of urban citizens must cope with worrying levels of air pollution that exceed some of the European air quality standards. Urban deliveries generally contribute to problems such as pollution, noise, congestion and unsafe environments within cities. Conversely, if distribution vehicles would be used more efficiently, it should theoretically be possible to reduce the amount of vehicles in city centers. To make this to happen new solutions aimed at tackling long-standing ecological crises with rather innovative approach are required. Although with positive environmental and socio-economic impacts, many projects struggle when it comes to define a long-term plan for the development. In most cases, in fact, they cannot be self-financing because of economics of scale or scope.This paper proposes a framework aimed at providing policy recommendations when it comes to the development of sustainability projects in urban areas focusing of environmentally friendly vehicles. The paper outlines a number of available policy tools to tackle the organizational, technological economic difficulties. This is done taking into consideration the infrastructure required, the enabling technology and the governance in an effort to provide suggestions to set viable business model.

Indoor air particulate matter exposure of commuter bus passengers in Istanbul, Turkey

Commuter buses are in very common use in Istanbul, the most crowded city in Turkey, for inner city passenger transportation. People in commuter buses are prone to substances mainly originated from traffic related activities on streets. Scientific studies indicate that air pollutants create problems on respiratory and cardiovascular health. The objective of this study was to determine particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations and their elemental compositions in indoor air environments of commuter buses serving in Istanbul. In this context, two commuter bus lines that can represent the general traffic density in Istanbul were selected as study location. Indoor air PM10 and PM2.5 samplings were performed in the buses serving on these lines under routine traffic conditions and while passengers were in the buses. Measurements indicated that the concentrations were well above the guidelines values given by the WHO and European air quality standards while they were below the short term and above the long term guidelines values of Air Quality Directives of Turkey at the time of the measurements. The measured elemental concentrations were below the limit value for Pb and target values for As, Cd, and Ni given by the European Air Quality Standards for Total Suspended Particulates (TSP). Results obtained for old technology commuter buses emphasize the benefits of air conditioned and tightly isolated new buses for better indoor air quality on PM concentrations.

Assessing Air Quality in Turkey: A Proposed, Air Quality Index

The annual air quality indices are aimed at better taking into account of long-term exposure to air pollution. This type of indices offer decision-makers condensed environmental information for performance monitoring, policy progress evaluation, benchmarking comparisons, and decision-making. This paper evaluates the air quality of eight Turkish cities in view of the European Union (EU) norms. The proposed index aggregates concentrations of three air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter and it is built by using 2014 data from 20 air quality monitoring stations. According to the results obtained from the calculation, the EU standards were exceeded at 14 stations, while at six stations the situation is better than the norms. These results indicate that Turkey has failed in fulfilling the European air quality standards.

Assessing hazards to aviation from sulfur dioxide emitted by explosive Icelandic eruptions

AbstractVolcanic eruptions take place in Iceland about once every 3 to 5 years. Ash emissions from these eruptions can cause significant disruption to air traffic over Europe and the North Atlantic as is evident from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is also emitted by volcanoes, but there are no criteria to define when airspace is considered hazardous or nonhazardous. However, SO2 is a well‐known ground‐level pollutant that can have detrimental effects on human health. We have used the United Kingdom Met Office's NAME (Numerical Atmospheric‐dispersion Modelling Environment) model to simulate SO2 mass concentrations that could occur in European and North Atlantic airspace for a range of hypothetical explosive eruptions in Iceland with a probability to occur about once every 3 to 5 years. Model performance was evaluated for the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull summit eruption against SO2 vertical column density retrievals from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument and in situ measurements from the United Kingdom Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements research aircraft. We show that at no time during the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption did SO2 mass concentrations at flight altitudes violate European air quality standards. In contrast, during a hypothetical short‐duration explosive eruption similar to Hekla in 2000 (emitting 0.2 Tg of SO2 within 2 h, or an average SO2 release rate 250 times that of Eyjafjallajökull 2010), simulated SO2 concentrations are greater than 1063 µg/m3 for about 48 h in a small area of European and North Atlantic airspace. By calculating the occurrence of aircraft encounters with the volcanic plume of a short‐duration eruption, we show that a 15 min or longer exposure of aircraft and passengers to concentrations ≥500 µg/m3 has a probability of about 0.1%. Although exposure of humans to such concentrations may lead to irritations to the eyes, nose and, throat and cause increased airway resistance even in healthy individuals, the risk is very low. However, the fact that volcanic ash and sulfur species are not always collocated and that passenger comfort could be compromised might be incentives to provide real‐time information on the presence or absence of volcanic SO2. Such information could aid aviation risk management during and after volcanic eruptions.