High SO2 Levels Research Articles

Impact of Outdoor Air Pollutants Exposure on the Severity and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Gabes Region, Tunisia.

Background Acute community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is considered the leading cause of infectious death worldwide. Air pollution and prolonged exposure to airborne contaminants have been implicated in various respiratory conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the specific impact of air pollution on pneumonia, particularly CAP, remains underexplored. Given the rising levels of urban air pollution and its potential health ramifications, our study aimed to examine the association between exposure to outdoor air pollution and severity as well as the outcomes of pneumonia cases requiring hospitalization. Methodology A cohort analytical study with retrospective data collection was carried out in the pulmonology department of the Gabès University Hospital between January and October 2022. We compared levels of particulate matter less than or equal to 10µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10),sulfur dioxide (SO2),ozone (O3), moisture and ambient temperature with severity and outcomes ofpneumonia requiring hospitalization. The choice of these specific pollutants and environmental factors was based on their established impact on respiratory health and their prevalence in the study region. Results Increased sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were associated with increased use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) (r = 0.400). Higher levels of particulate matter (PM10) were significantly associated with the development of lung abscesses. Similarly, increased humidity and ambient temperature were strongly correlated with the development of lung abscesses. Increased air SO2 levels were correlated with a higher CURB65 score (r = 0.299). High outdoor SO2 levels and increasing moisture content were associated with increased Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) score (r = 0.303 and = 0.310, respectively). Higher levels of PM10 were associated with an increased risk of pleural effusion, a serious complication of pneumonia. Finally, higher ambient temperatures were correlated with more extensive opacities on chest X-rays (r = 0.706), suggesting the severity of pneumonia. Conclusion This study highlights the significant associations between environmental factors and various clinical parameters in pneumonia patients. The findings underscore the importance of considering environmental exposures, such as air quality and weather conditions, in understanding and managing the severity of pneumonia.

Unraveling the multi-pollutant removal using M-MoWTi (M = Fe, Mn, Cr) catalyst: experiment and mechanistic study of competition for active sites.

Multi-pollutant removal (MPR) of NO and VOCs simultaneously is efficient of flue gas treatment in coal-fired power plants. But reducing the competition for active sites between NH3, NO, C6H6, and C7H8 remains challenging. Herein, Cr, Mn, and Fe were respectively doped to MoWTi catalyst via wet impregnation. The Fe3+ + Mo5+ ↔ Fe2+ + Mo6+ redox cycle led to an increased proportion of low valence ions (Mo5+ and W5+) and facilitated the creation of active oxygen vacancies with several active sites. It also possessed plentiful mild to strong acid sites with ideal ratio. These factors enhanced catalytic activity of Fe-MoWTi. Remarkable MPR efficiencies of NO, C6H6, and C7H8 were achieved under industrial SCR condition, characterized by low oxygen but high SO2 levels at 340 °C, with removal rates reaching 89.85%, 97.57%, and 86.30% respectively. Theory calculations further revealed that Fe-MoWTi favor NH3 and O2 adsorptions. NO elimination was found to follow both Eley-Rideal (E-R) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) processes, supported by in situ DRIFTS analysis. The reactions involving NO/NO2/nitrite/nitrate occurred with NH3(ads)/ NH4+(ads)/NH2 (ads). C6H6 and C7H8 underwent gradual oxidation, formatting alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and maleic acids, before eventually being mineralized to gaseous CO2 and H2O. Findings hold significant potential for application, providing guidance for the development of catalysts with improved resistance against SO2 poisoning and enhanced MPR capabilities.

Important Role of Low Cloud and Fog in Sulfate Aerosol Formation During Winter Haze Over the North China Plain

AbstractSulfate aerosol greatly contributes to wintertime haze pollution in emission‐intensive regions like the North China Plain (NCP) in China. Fast sulfate increase and accumulation are usually recorded during winter haze; however, the multiphase oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and the physical processes affecting near‐surface sulfate are not fully understood. By combining in situ observations and numerical simulations, we found that high sulfur oxidation ratios (>0.6) under heavily polluted conditions are associated with low clouds and fog over NCP, induced by the moist southerly airflow. Thick low clouds and high SO2 levels in NCP provide a reaction environment for sulfate production. The sulfate production rate in cloud water can reach 0.5–1.3 μg m−3 h−1. The results demonstrate that the vertical mixing of sulfate generated within the cloud water to the surface plays a significant role in rapid sulfate production, highlighting the importance of understanding cloud‐water processes in haze pollution.

Crohn's Disease Mortality and Ambient Air Pollution in New York City.

The worldwide increase in Crohn's disease (CD) has accelerated alongside rising urbanization and accompanying decline in air quality. Air pollution affects epithelial cell function, modulates immune responses, and changes the gut microbiome composition. In epidemiologic studies, ambient air pollution has a demonstrated relationship with incident CD and hospitalizations. However, no data exist on the association of CD-related death and air pollution. We conducted an ecologic study comparing the number of CD-related deaths of individuals residing in given zip codes, with the level of air pollution from nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and fine particulate matter. Air pollution was measured by the New York Community Air Survey. We conducted Pearson correlations and a Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Each pollution component was modeled separately. There was a higher risk of CD-related death in zip codes with higher levels of SO2 (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.27). Zip codes with higher percentage of Black or Latinx residents were associated with lower CD-related death rates in the SO2 model (IRR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.35-0.98; and IRR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.05-0.30, respectively). There was no significant association of either population density or area-based income with the CD-related death rate. In New York City from 1993 to 2010, CD-related death rates were higher among individuals from neighborhoods with higher levels of SO2 but were not associated with levels of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. These findings raise an important and timely public health issue regarding exposure of CD patients to environmental SO2, warranting further exploration.

A marked interannual variability of haze linked to particulate sources and meteorological conditions in Tehran (Iran), 1990–2020

This research assessed the spatio-temporal changes of haze pollution (NHAZEs) and its relationship with levels of gaseous pollutants and meteorological conditions over Tehran metropolis (Iran) for 1990–2020. The results showed a significant decreasing trend of NHAZEs annually and in winter, along with a significant increasing trend in the horizontal visibility. However, a marked interannual variability linked to changes in PM2.5 concentrations and the influence of meteorological conditions was detected, which explained 65% and 30% of the NHAZEs variances, respectively. We found that the increasing trend of wind speed annually and in winter is the principal driver behind the decrease in NHAZEs and the increase in visibility; as winds control the movement and dispersion of air pollution. In relation to gaseous pollutants, a case study showed that the highest concentrations of PM2.5 and NHAZEs were recorded under high levels of SO2, CO, and NO2, and low levels of O3, which mainly occurred under stable anticyclonic circulations. Spatially, the NHAZEs mostly affected the western, southwestern, central, and some parts of the northern of Tehran metropolis, because of the location of industries, traffic, and lack of green areas.

Roadside air pollution and secondary organic aerosol seasonal trends from an oxidation flow reactor in Seoul

The aim of this study was to determine the seasonal trends in secondary aerosols (SAs) and urban pollutants formed in an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) at a key roadside location in Seoul, South Korea. Spring 2019 saw high primary concentrations overall, and all seasons saw high levels of NOx, SO2, and equivalent black carbon (eBC) trends in the early morning (6:00–7:00). This exhibited similarities to the trend in diesel vehicle traffic volume. During the campaign, the modified hydroxyl radical (OH) exposure in the OFR was ∼1.1 × 1012 molecules cm−3 s (∼8.5 days), and the potential organic aerosol enhancement (OAPE) was 0.4–57.7 μg m−3 (winter 0.4−1.6, spring 28.4−52.3, summer 40.5−57.7, fall 18.1−31.1). The highest OAPE/ΔCO value was 89.5–414.7 μg m−3 for 0.1−4 OH·day in summer, and the lowest level was 1.1–8 μg m−3 for 0.5−8.5 in OH·day winter (including holidays). OAPE in seasons without winter under ∼4.5 OH· day had a ∼5.5 times higher value compared to that of organic on the roadside, accounting for 50.9−70.2% of the total sum (organic + eBC + OAPE). This had a high contribution to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and, for winter, a value of only ∼5.5%. The predicted SOA formation from intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) calculated based on literature was 11–47% during mornings (9:30–11:30), excluding the winter season. This value was higher than the SOA formation from anthropogenic VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m,p,o-xylene) and biogenic VOCs (isoprene, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes), indicating the need for additional research into the domestic status of IVOCs. The marked seasonal change in South Korea's climate made applying research findings from other countries difficult. Therefore, further studies must be conducted based on realistic applicability, considering various environmental conditions, chemical speciation, and the classification of emission inventory components.

Assessing neuropsychological disorders affecting pottery workers occupationally exposed to air pollutants

ObjectivePottery-related activities are characterized by the emission of multiple air pollutants in the form of particulate matter, gases, and organic compounds. These pollutants are associated with adverse neuropsychological effects. This study aimed at investigating the effect of occupational exposure to air pollutants on the neuropsychiatric health. MethodsA total of 180 male workers (90 exposed workers and 90 administrative employees) were recruited from pottery-making activities in the Fawakher region located in old Cairo (Misr Al-Kadema); the administrative employees were the control group. Personal, medical, and family histories, general and neurological clinical examination, and neuropsychological assessments were recorded. Serum levels of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal levels (4HNE) were measured by ELISA. Environmental measurement of workplace air pollutants was performed. ResultsEnvironmental monitoring of the workplace revealed that workers are exposed to high levels of SO2 and NO2 as these exceeded the national standard levels. Compared to the control group, the exposed workers’ group demonstrated a significant decrease in digit forwards score, digit backward score, and symbol digit score and a significant higher Hamilton Depression Scale score, and Benton Visual Retention score. The level of 4HNE was significantly increased among the exposed workers’ group compared to that of the control group. ConclusionOccupational exposure to air pollutants is associated with impairment in neuropsychological functions, with a corresponding increase in the serum level of 4HNE, which is a biomarker for oxidative stress among Egyptian pottery workers.

AIRO: Development of an Intelligent IoT-based Air Quality Monitoring Solution for Urban Areas

Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by any biological, physical, or chemical means. Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has air pollution levels that exceed WHO standards. Its air has high PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and CO2 levels, exposing residents to an increased risk of respiratory diseases. AIRO, a decentralised IoT-based air quality monitoring solution, is proposed to calculate the (Air Quality Index) AQI in real-time and notify the users of dangerous AQI levels. Unlike the city's fixed air quality monitoring stations, this portable system can easily be integrated into everyday items for computing real-time air quality at any given place. The proposed solution is then validated using a physical prototype incorporated into a water bottle. Using the Intel Edison development platform, this prototype is equipped with a GPS module, Wi-Fi module, PMS5003, MQ131, MQ135, MQ136, MQ7 sensors, and an LCD Display. The prototype records the air quality indicators, calculates the AQI, and sends the data to the AWS Cloud Server. After an in-depth analysis of the cloud data, the daily and weekly AQI is predicted for multiple locations in the city. A hybrid CNN-Bi-LSTM model is proposed for predicting AQI, which needs to be evaluated at the city scale for dependable results. Finally, a smartphone app is developed using Android Studio and Python to monitor the air quality and notify the users. The users also have an option to select a location and get the real-time and predicted AQI. In the future, this hybrid deep-learning model can be extended to other cities using the transfer learning approach.

Effect of SO<sub>2</sub>, glutathione and gallotannins on the shelf-life of a Cortese white wine bottled with different oxygen intakes

The work aimed to study the effect of adding reduced glutathione (GSH) and/or gallotannins at bottling on the shelf-life of a Cortese white wine to limit the use of SO2.The experimental trial was carried out following a full factorial plan consisting of 8 experimental trials that differed for the content of free SO2 (2 levels: 20 and 40 mg/L), the absence/presence of gallotannins (0 and 40 mg/L) and GSH (0 and 20 mg/L). The wines of the eight trials were oxygenated respectively at 5.5 ppm and 4.0 ppm of O2. The wines oxygenated at 5.5 ppm were bottled in 135 mL bottles and monitored during 12 months of storage (colour, polyphenolic composition, GSH, free and total SO2); the wines oxygenated at 4.0 ppm of O2 were bottled in 750 mL bottles, then analysed and tasted after 15 months. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was measured with a luminescence-based technology. The OCR followed a first-order kinetic in all the wines, and a significant OCR acceleration was observed when increasing the concentration of free SO2. A significant increase in OCR was also observed in the samples with GSH, albeit to a lesser extent than with SO2, while the addition of gallotannins caused a decrease in the OCR. It is possible that similar mechanisms are at the basis of the acceleration of OCR observed with GSH and SO2. However, unlike SO2, GSH showed poor antioxidant efficacy in the protection of both the colour and the aromatic component, probably also due to its lower molar concentration.The presence of GSH limited the oxidative losses of SO2, mostly in wines with higher SO2 levels. However, the effect of GSH decreased over time, since after 8 months, GSH was only present in traces. The resistance to oxidative browning of wines during bottle storage depends on the concentration of free SO2 present in the medium (> 10 mg/L), therefore, higher GSH intakes, such as to ensure sufficient preservation of the free SO2 content during storage, will have to be tested to evaluate the possibility of prolonging the shelf-life of wines.

How air pollution altered the association of meteorological exposures and the incidence of dengue fever

Meteorological exposures are well-documented factors underlying the dengue pandemics, and air pollution was reported to have the potential to change the behaviors and health conditions of mosquitos. However, it remains unclear whether air pollution could modify the association of meteorological exposures and the incidence of dengue fever. We matched the dengue surveillance data with the meteorological and air pollution data collected from monitoring sites from 2015 through 2019 in Guangzhou area. We developed generalized additive models with Poisson distribution to regress the daily counts of dengue against four meteorological exposures, while controlling for pollution and normalized difference vegetation index to evaluate the risk ratio (RR) of dengue for each unit increase in different exposures. The interaction terms of meteorological exposures and air pollution were then included to assess the modification effect of different pollution on the associations. Daily dengue cases were nonlinearly associated with one-week cumulative temperature and precipitation, while not associated with humidity and wind speed. RRs were 1.07 (1.04, 1.11) and 0.95 (0.88, 1.03) for temperature below and above 27.1 °C, 0.97 (0.96, 0.98) and 1.05 (1.01, 1.08) for precipitation below and above 20.3 mm, respectively. For the modification effect, the RRs of low-temperature, wind speed on higher SO2 days and low-precipitation on both higher PM2.5 and SO2 days were greater compared to the low-pollution days with P interaction being 0.037, 0.030, 0.022 and 0.018. But the RRs of both high-temperature on higher SO2 days and high-precipitation on higher PM2.5 d were smaller with P interaction being 0.001 and 0.043. Air pollution could alter the meteorology-dengue associations. The impact of low-temperature, low-precipitation and wind speed on dengue occurrence tended to increase on days with high SO2 levels while the impact of high-temperature decreased. The impact of low-precipitation increased on high-PM2.5 d while the impact of high-precipitation decreased.

Modelling driving factors of PM2.5 concentrations in port cities of the Yangtze River Delta

PM2.5 is one of the major air pollutants in port cities of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China. Understanding the driving factors of PM2.5 is essential to guide air pollution prevention and control. We selected 17 major port cities in YRD to study the driving factors of PM2.5 in 2019 and 2020. Generalized Additive Models were built to model the non-linear effects of single, multiple and interactions of driving factors on the variations of PM2.5. NO2, SO2 and the day of year are most strongly associated with the variation of PM2.5 concentration when used alone. Anthropogenic emissions play complicated roles in regulating PM2.5 concentration. Although the effect of cargo throughput (CT) on PM2.5 concentration is non-monotonic, higher PM2.5 levels are found to be associated with higher levels of SO2 and CT. This work can potentially provide a scientific basis for formulating PM2.5 prevention and control policies in the region.

Airborne estimation of SO2 emissions rates from a coal-fired power plant using two top-down methods: A mass balance model and Gaussian footprint approach

In this study, two top-down methods—mass balance and Gaussian footprint—were used to determine SO2 emissions rates via three airborne sampling studies over Korea's largest coal power plant in October 2019 and 2020. During the first two flights in October 2019, mass balance approaches significantly underestimated the SO2 emissions rates by 75 % and 28 %, respectively, as obtained from the real-time stack monitoring system. Notably, this large discrepancy accounted for the insufficient number of transects altitudes and high levels of background SO2 along the upwind side. Alternatively, the estimated SO2 emissions rates of the third flight (October 2020) displayed a difference of <10 % from rea-time monitoring data (630 vs. 690 kg·hr−1), owing to the enhanced vertical resolution with increased transects and lower background SO2 levels. In contrast to the mass balance method, Gaussian footprints offered significantly improved accuracy (relative error: 41 %, 32 %, and 2 % for Flights 1, 2, and 3, respectively). This relatively good performance was attributed to prior emissions knowledge via the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) emissions inventory and its unique ability to accurately estimate stack-level SO2 emissions rates. Theoretically, the Gaussian footprint was less prone to sparse transects and upwind background levels. However, it can be substantially influenced by atmospheric stability and consequently by effective stack heights and dispersion parameters; basically, all factors with minimal-to-no influence on the mass balance approach. Conversely, the mass balance method was the only plausible approach to estimate unidentified source emissions rates when well-defined prior emission information was unknown. Here, the footprint approach supplemented the mass balance method when the emission inventories were known, and employing both strategies approaches greatly enhanced the integrity of top-down emissions inventories from the power plant sources, thus, supporting their potential for ensuring operational compliance with SO2 emissions regulation.

Large contributions of anthropogenic sources to amines in fine particles at a coastal area in northern China in winter

Amines in fine particles constitute a significant fraction of secondary organic aerosols and have adverse effects on air quality and human health. To understand the chemical composition, variation characteristics, and potential sources of fine particulate amines in the coastal area in northern China, field sampling and chemical analysis were conducted in coastal Qingdao in the winter of 2018 and 2019. A total of 15 major amines were identified and quantified by using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The average concentration of total amines in PM2.5 samples was approximately 130 ng m−3. Dimethylamine was the most abundant species with average fractions of 44.8% and 65.0% in the quantified amines during the two field campaigns, followed by triethylamine (22.9% and 8.7%) and methylamine (8.3% and 4.4%). The amines in PM2.5 usually exhibited elevated concentrations in the presence of high levels of SO2 and NOx or in the condition of high relative humidity. A receptor model of positive matrix factorization was employed and seven major sources were identified, including coal combustion, industrial production, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning, agricultural activities, secondary formation, and marine emission. Surprisingly, most of 15 amines in fine particles primarily originated from the primary emissions of anthropogenic activities particularly related to coal combustion and industrial productions, which should be given close concern to address the amine pollution.

Relationship between meteorological factors, air pollutants and hand, foot and mouth disease from 2014 to 2020

BackgroundMeteorological factors and air pollutants have been reported to be associated with hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) epidemics before the introduction of vaccine. However, there is limited evidence for studies with long-term dimensions.MethodsWe collected the daily HFMD counts, weather and air pollution data from 2014 to 2020 in Chengdu. Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) were used to assess the associations of meteorological factors and air pollutants on HFMD cases.ResultsFrom 2014–2020, high relative humidity and precipitation and extremely high and low levels of PM10, O3, SO2 and CO increased the risk of HFMD. In pre-vaccination period, extreme high and low temperatures, PM10 and NO2, low precipitation and high concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 significantly increase the risk of HFMD; In post-vaccination period, high relative humidity and low level of CO can significantly increase the incidence of HFMD; During the period of COVID-19, only low temperature will significantly increase the risk of HFMD; Low concentration of air pollutants has the greatest impact on the 6–14 age group, while the high concentration of air pollutants has the greatest impact on the 0–1 age group.ConclusionsOur study suggest that high relative humidity and precipitation and extremely high and low levels of PM10, O3, SO2 and CO increased the risk of HFMD from 2014 to 2020. The results of this study provide a reference for local authorities to formulate intervention measures and establish an environment-based disease early warning system.

Clear and Present Dangers: The Multiple Health Hazards of Volcanic Eruptions.

Clear and Present Dangers: The Multiple Health Hazards of Volcanic Eruptions.

PAPILA dataset: a regional emission inventory of reactive gases for South America based on the combination of local and global information

Abstract. The multidisciplinary project Prediction of Air Pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean (PAPILA) is dedicated to the development and implementation of an air quality analysis and forecasting system to assess pollution impacts on human health and economy. In this context, a comprehensive emission inventory for South America was developed on the basis of the existing data on the global dataset CAMS-GLOB-ANT v4.1 (developed by joining CEDS trends and EDGAR v4.3.2 historical data), enriching it with data derived from locally available emission inventories for Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. This work presents the results of the first joint effort of South American researchers and European colleagues to generate regional maps of emissions, together with a methodological approach to continue incorporating information into future versions of the dataset. This version of the PAPILA dataset includes CO, NOx, NMVOCs, NH3, and SO2 annual emissions from anthropogenic sources for the period 2014–2016, with a spatial resolution of 0.1∘ × 0.1∘ over a domain that covers 32–120∘ W and 34∘ N–58∘ S. The PAPILA dataset is presented as netCDF4 files and is available in an open-access data repository under a CC-BY 4 license: https://doi.org/10.17632/btf2mz4fhf.3 (Castesana et al., 2021). A comparative assessment of PAPILA–CAMS datasets was carried out for (i) the South American region, (ii) the countries with local data (Argentina, Colombia, and Chile), and (iii) downscaled emission maps for urban domains with different environmental and anthropogenic factors. Relevant differences were found at both country and urban levels for all the compounds analyzed. Among them, we found that when comparing PAPILA total emissions versus CAMS datasets at the national level, higher levels of NOx and considerably lower levels of the other species were obtained for Argentina, higher levels of SO2 and lower levels of CO and NOx for Colombia, and considerably higher levels of CO, NMVOCs, and SO2 for Chile. These discrepancies are mainly related to the representativeness of local practices in the local emission estimates, to the improvements made in the spatial distribution of the locally estimated emissions, or to both. Both datasets were evaluated against surface concentrations of CO and NOx by using them as input data to the WRF-Chem model for one of the analyzed domains, the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, for summer and winter of 2015. PAPILA-based modeling results had a smaller bias for CO and NOx concentrations in winter while CAMS-based results for the same period tended to deliver an underestimation of these concentrations. Both inventories exhibited similar performances for CO in summer, while the PAPILA simulation outperformed CAMS for NOx concentrations. These results highlight the importance of refining global inventories with local data to obtain accurate results with high-resolution air quality models.

Vertical Characteristics of Secondary Aerosols Observed in the Seoul and Busan Metropolitan Areas of Korea during KORUS-AQ and Associations with Meteorological Conditions

In this study, the chemical components of aerosols observed at ground level and in upper layers during the Korea–United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign were analyzed in two representative metropolitan areas of Korea: the Seoul metropolitan area (SMA) and the Busan-containing southeastern metropolitan area (BMA). First, we characterized emissions using the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) emission statistics, and compared them with both ground- and aircraft-based measurements obtained during the KORUS-AQ campaign. The emission statistics showed that the SMA had higher NOx levels, whereas BMA had significantly higher SO2 levels. Ground-level observations averaged for the summer season also showed SMA–nitrate and BMA–sulfate relationships, reflecting the CAPSS emission characteristics of both areas. However, organic carbon (OC) was higher in BMA than SMA by a factor of 1.7, despite comparable volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the two areas. DC-8 aircraft-based measurements showed that, in most cases, nitrogen-rich localities were found in the SMA, reflecting the emission characteristics of precursors in the two sampling areas, whereas sulfur-rich localities in the BMA were not apparent from either ground-based or aircraft observations. KORUS-AQ measurements were classified according to two synoptic conditions, stagnant (STG) and long-range transport (LRT), and the nitrate-to-sulfate (N/S) ratio in both ground and upper layers was higher in the SMA for both cases. Meanwhile, organic aerosols reflected local emissions characteristics in only the STG case, indicating that this stagnant synoptic condition reflect local aerosol characteristics. The LRT case showed elevated peaks of all species at altitudes of 1.0–3.5 km, indicating the importance of LRT processes for predicting and diagnosing aerosol vertical distributions over Northeast Asia. Other chemical characteristics of aerosols in the two metropolitan areas were also compared.

Wine Storage at Cellar vs. Room Conditions: Changes in the Aroma Composition of Riesling Wine.

Storage temperature is one of the most important factors affecting wine aging. Along with bottling parameters (type of stopper, SO2 level and dissolved O2 in wine), they determine how fast wine will evolve, reach its optimum and decline in sensory quality. At the same time, lowering of the SO2 level in wine has been a hot topic in recent years. In the current work, we investigated how Riesling wine evolved on the molecular level in warm (~25 °C) and cool (~15 °C) conditions depending on the SO2 level in the wine (low, medium and high), flushing of the bottle’s headspace with CO2 and three types of stoppers (Diam 30, Diam 30 origin and Diam 5) with different OIR levels (0.8–1.3 mg) and OTR levels (0.3–0.4 mg/year). It was demonstrated that the evolution of primary and secondary aromas, wine color and low molecular weight sulfur compounds (LMWSCs) during the two years of aging mainly depended on the storage temperature. Variation in the SO2 level and CO2 in the headspace affected mostly certain LMWSCs (H2S, MeSH) and β-damascenone. New aspects of C13-norisprenoids and monoterpenoids behavior in Riesling wine with different levels of SO2 and O2 were discussed. All three types of stoppers showed very close wine preservation properties during the two years of storage. The sensory analysis revealed that, after only six months, the warm stored wines with a low SO2 level were more oxidized and different from the samples with medium and high SO2 levels. A similar tendency was also observed for the cool stored samples.

Total SO2 levels and risk assessment of wine and fruit wine consumed in South Korea

This study was conducted to determine the levels of total sulfur dioxide (SO2) in various fruit wines distributed across South Korea and to conduct risk assessment for SO2 exposure through wines. A total of 316 wines were analyzed in 2017, and the daily intake of wine was obtained from raw data provided in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2016. In order to conduct risk assessments, we used a stochastic approach using the Monte Carlo method and presented the results in three scenarios to resolve uncertainty about SO2 non-detected (ND) data: the lower-bound scenario, which considers data below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to be 0 mg kg−1, the ½ LOQ scenario, which considers data below the LOQ as half of LOQ, and the upper-bound scenario, which considers data below the LOQ as LOQ value. During the monitoring of 316 wines, the detection range of total SO2 varied from ND to 340.06 mg kg−1, and there were no products exceeding 350 mg kg−1 total SO2, which is the regulated level in South Korea. Risk assessment revealed that most South Koreans were ingesting a safe level of SO2 through wine in terms of the acceptable daily intake (ADI, 0–0.7 mg kg−1 body weight day−1). Similar to the results of studies undertaken in other countries, only a limited percentage of South Korean individuals intake SO2 at a reasonably high amount. The regular monitoring of high levels of SO2 in wine should be a national concern, although this percentage is minimal, and we recommend that the standard be reset as appropriate.

Severe volcanic SO2 exposure and respiratory morbidity in the Icelandic population \u2013 a register study

BackgroundThe Holuhraun volcanic eruption September 2014 to February 2015 emitted large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2). The aim of this study was to determine the association between volcanic SO2 gases on general population respiratory health some 250 km from the eruption site, in the Icelandic capital area.MethodsRespiratory health outcomes were: asthma medication dispensing (AMD) from the Icelandic Medicines Register, medical doctor consultations in primary care (PCMD) and hospital emergency department visits (HED) in Reykjavík (population: 215000) for respiratory disease from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014. The associations between daily counts of health events and daily mean SO2 concentration and high SO2 levels (24-h mean SO2 > 125 μg/m3) were analysed using generalized additive models.ResultsAfter the eruption began, AMD was higher than before (129.4 vs. 158.4 individuals per day, p < 0.05). For PCMD and HED, there were no significant differences between the number of daily events before and after the eruption (142.2 vs 144.8 and 18.3 vs 17.5, respectively). In regression analysis adjusted for other pollutants, SO2 was associated with estimated increases in AMD by 0.99% (95% CI 0.39–1.58%) per 10 μg/m3 at lag 0–2, in PCMD for respiratory causes 1.26% (95% CI 0.72–1.80%) per 10 μg/m3 SO2 at lag 0–2, and in HED by 1.02% (95% CI 0.02–2.03%) per 10 μg/m3 SO2 at lag 0–2. For days over the health limit, the estimated increases were 10.9% (95% CI 2.1–19.6%), 17.2% (95% CI 10.0–24.4%) for AMD and PCMD. Dispensing of short-acting medication increased significantly by 1.09% (95% CI 0.49–1.70%), and PCMD for respiratory infections and asthma and COPD diagnoses and increased significantly by 1.12% (95% CI 0.54–1.71%) and 2.08% (1.13–3.04%).ConclusionHigh levels of volcanic SO2 are associated with increases in dispensing of AMD, and health care utilization in primary and tertiary care. Individuals with prevalent respiratory disease may be particularly susceptible.