Important Industrial City Research Articles

Air pollution and grouping of cities according to their environmental status

In the article, the ecological situation of the cities located in the Kura-Araz plain is analyzed. Our study area is the most populated and most important agricultural region in the country. The possibility of environmental pollution is also high in the area located on the east- west roads. In particular, the pollutants released into the atmosphere were analyzed and the results were determined. During the research, the atmospheric pollution in the cities during the historical period was studied using the mathematical-statistical method. Ecological zoning of cities was carried out using GIS technologies. The main source of air pollution in cities is cars, their number, and the use of outdated cars. Another reason is the important industrial cities located in the study area. Substances released into the air from industrial enterprises pollute the atmosphere of the cities. It was determined that the environmental situation is more intense in cities where large industrial enterprises are located. There are large, medium and small cities in the study area. The main polluting cities are the cities of Mingachevir and Shirvan, which belong to the group of large and medium cities because the most important industrial enterprises of the country are located here. Also, these cities are important power centers of the country. These cities differ from others in terms of population. At the same time, we have included the city of Yevlakh in the group of cities with an important role in atmospheric pollution. As a result of the analysis, ecological zoning of cities was carried out. At this time, 3 gradations were used. During this zoning, the pollution of the atmosphere was taken into account. The influence of carbon monoxide CO2, carbon oxides CHx, nitrogen oxides NOx and sulfur oxides SOx on atmospheric air in cities was analyzed. The main cause of pollution is the location at the intersection of highways. The location on the east-west roads has made the ecological situation in the cities even more tense. Especially in Mingachevir and Shirvan, the environmental situation is more intense.

Analysis of the Influencing Factors and Sources of Brown Carbon Light Absorption in a Typical Megacity of the Yangtze River Delta, China

Brown carbon (BrC) is a new term for organic aerosol (OA) with strong absorption ability from the visible to ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, which plays a vital role in atmospheric visibility and climate change. Herein, we report field measurements from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021, sampled at urban Suzhou, Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China, to investigate the optical properties and sources of BrC. By analyzing the seasonal characteristics of the absorption of BrC at 370 nm (babs370), babs370 was found to be the highest (9.0 ± 7.2 Mm−1) in winter and the lowest (5.1 ± 3.3 Mm−1) in summer, respectively. The absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) value of BrC in winter was 1.22 ± 0.05, followed by 1.21 ± 0.05, 1.20 ± 0.05, and 1.19 ± 0.05 for fall, spring, and summer, respectively. The mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of secondary organic carbon (SOC) was 3.3 ± 0.2 m2g−1 in spring, 2.9 ± 0.1 m2g−1 in summer, 4.3 ± 0.1 m2g−1 in fall, and 2.8 ± 0.2 m2g−1 in winter, significantly lower than that of primary organic carbon (POC) at 370 nm, suggesting the aging process could weaken the light absorption of BrC. Five different BrC factors were identified by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis, including biomass-burning-related, vehicle-related, sulfate-related, nitrate-related, and dust-related factors, which on average account for 7.4%, 73.4%, 11.9%, 1.9%, and 5.4% of babs370, respectively. Potential Source Contribution Factor (PSCF) analysis showed that those high babs370 periods were mainly contributed by air mass from the south. Moreover, for the influence degree of the potential source areas, the sequence was winter > spring > fall > summer. Our results improve the understanding of BrC in an important industrial city in YRD, which could reduce the uncertainty of the prediction of its climate effect in this region.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS IN THE ZYANID PÉRIOD THE CRAFT OF EMBROIDERY AS AN EXAMPLE

Tlemcen is considered one of the most important industrial cities in Algeria, rich in its traditional crafts throughout the ages, particularly the craft of embroidery, which was considered one of the main industries to the Zyanid period. Indeed, the sultans had a great interest in these trades which met their needs, such as making clothes, saddles, mattresses, etc. Sultan Abu Hamo Musa II paid particular attention to this craft and valued its owners, placing them in a social rank immediately lower than that of nobles and jurists. At this time, the artisan class achieved a distinguished place in Tlemcenian society. What is worth mentioning is that the Andalusians helped bring a lot of technical know-how to the Zyanid artisans, which increased the progress and development of the embroidery craft in Algeria in general and to Tlemcen in particular. This intervention raises a few questions: What is the origin of this craft? How did it arrive in Algeria? Did it exist in Algeria before the Zyanid period? What are the most decorative shapes with which royal clothing was embroidered? What were they referring to? What is its relationship to rituals and myths?.

Effectiveness of Vocational Education in Weifang City,China

Weifang City is located in the eastern part of Shandong Province, China and is an important industrial city. Weifang City has multiple vocational education institutions. Many vocational colleges rank high in China. These colleges typically provide vocational skills training in various fields, including manufacturing, automotive maintenance, mechanical processing, electronic technology, hotel management, and nursing. The necessity of studying Weifang vocational education involves meeting market demand, improving labor quality, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and promoting social stability. As a provincial and municipal demonstration zone for the innovative development of vocational education in Shandong Province, it is also a representative of Shandong vocational education. Therefore, the main research object of this article is the vocational education in Weifang City, and Weifang Vocational College is the main development battlefield of Weifang Vocational Education. This article conducts research on vocational education issues, collects relevant data on vocational education, analyzes the problems existing in vocational education, and provides feasible opinion support for the development of vocational education. The significance of studying Weifang vocational education lies in a deep understanding of the current situation, problems, and development trends of vocational education in the region, providing useful references for improving and optimizing the vocational education system and enhancing the quality of talent cultivation. Promoting the matching of talent cultivation and employment needs, solving the problem of talent shortage, promoting industrial upgrading and innovative development, and improving the professional quality and quality of life of residents are of great significance. Vocational education requires the cooperation of the government, educational institutions, industry, and research institutions to jointly promote the development and optimization of vocational education.

Investigation of Gebze-Darıca metro line (Kocaeli Province/Turkey) in terms of radon and gamma radiation levels

In this study, 222Rn and gamma radiation levels were measured in soil and rock samples taken from Gebze - Darıca Metro Line, which is under construction, within the borders of Kocaeli province (Turkey), which is an important industrial city. Measurements were made in the summer of 2021 and are interpreted by environmental factors such as depth, humidity, temperature, air pressure and geological formations (granite and non-granite) that may affect radiation levels. It was observed that radon concentrations were in the range of 145–3696 Bqm−3 in measurements made on soil samples. The highest radon values in rocks were measured in granodiorite (3242.8 Bq m−3) and granite (2253.4 Bqm−3) samples. The amount of radionuclide and radon in soils is higher than in rocks. In the measurements made at 48 selected points, the World Health Organization (WHO) limit value was exceeded at 27 points in total (%56 of all samples). There are six measurement points exceeding the limit values for both public and employees, with the highest annual average effective dose (H) for radon concentration of 2.94–23.55 mSv y−1 at S11. The highest surface radon exhalation rate was calculated as 508.02 Bq m−2 h−1 at station S11. Indoor measurements at 20 cm below the soil surface range from 81 to 252 nSvh−1, and all but S5 exceed the indoor gamma dose rate level of 84 nGy h−1 worldwide. Effective dose level caused by the gamma radiation originating from the Earth's surface, specified in the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (2000) report, is exceeded 0.5 mSv y−1 at all stations. In the statistical analyzes based on X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) results, positive strong and moderate correlations were found between the average 222Rn concentration and weight percentage (Wt %) of K2O, Na2O, ThO2, ZrO2 oxides and Quartz, Montmorillonite, Albite minerals, respectively. Gamma radiation is correlated with Na2O Wt% content (R2 = 0.7056). A moderately negative correlation was found between the mean 222Rn concentration and temperature, a weak negative correlation with pressure, a weak positive correlation with humidity, and a moderately significant correlation with the presence of granite.

Differences in the chemical compositions and formation mechanisms of PM2.5 between urban and rural areas in Xinxiang, Central China around the Beijing Winter Olympics

Xinxiang, as an important industrial city in Henan Province and one of the “2 + 26” cities, is encountering severe fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. During the Beijing Winter Olympics Games, a series of pollution control measures were implemented in Xinxiang, which provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the local PM2.5 characteristics and formation mechanisms and assess the effectiveness of the control measures. From January 20 to February 20, 2022, samples of PM2.5 were collected in urban and rural areas of Xinxiang, and their chemical compositions were detected. Three research phases were divided according to control measures: P1, P2 and P3, representing before pollution control period, stricter pollution control period, and looser pollution control period, respectively. It was found that PM2.5 levels decreased significantly during P2 and P3, by more than 30%. There was a significant decrease in SO42−, NO3− and NH4+ (SNA) in PM2.5, but not in organic carbon (OC) and element carbon. Moreover, the secondary formations of SO42− and NO3− also decreased clearly during these two phases, especially for nocturnal NO3−. SO42− was mainly generated through the NO2 reaction pathway (SO2 oxidation by NO2 in aerosol water), and the reaction could also promote NO3− production. As NO2 is critical in this reaction, future pollution control should focus on reducing NO2. The PM2.5 in urban and rural areas had quite different compositions. Specifically, the rural area had better reaction conditions for sulfate (lower temperature). In addition, urban area had more OC that came from secondary reactions, while in rural area it comes more from biomass and coal combustion. Therefore, different pollution control measures should be taken to reduce their OC concentrations in the future. The study will provide a more scientific basis for formulating more scientific control measures of PM2.5 in Xinxiang and other cities in Central China.

AMBIENT AIR QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM IN COIMBATORE CITY

Air pollution is dispersion of the particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful materials into the Earth’s atmosphere. Industrialization and urbanization are the two major causes of deteriorating air quality of the major cities in Tamil Nadu, India. Coimbatore is the second and most important commercial and industrial city in India. These industrial activities can add significant levels of heavy metals in the atmosphere. So, regular surveillance and consistent monitoring and modelling of the city would be much imperative. To evaluate the ambient air quality in Coimbatore city the pollutants such as PM10, Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Fe, Ni and Zn) were monitored at four locations of the city in this project. The concentration of PM10, SPM and seven heavy metals in the ambient air were estimated and the contributions of various sources were evaluated. The concentration of PM10 and SPM were found to be within the permissible limit. The aim of the project is to develop models, the concentration details of PM10 (Particulate mass). The quality analyzed parameter were compared with the values given by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Nearly 8 Places in Coimbatore City.

LOCATION OF INDUSTRY IN UŞAK AND ITS EFFECT ON URBAN MACROFORM

The city of Uşak is an important industrial city today, especially with its traditional business lines, its inclusion in the priority provinces in development, and its accelerated industry. In this study, the development of the industry was evaluated together with the development process of residential areas. The relationship between the development of the city and the location of industrial facilities and its effect on the shaping of the urban macroform were examined. The fact that no studies on this subject have been carried out in the city constitutes the main starting point. The literature review was carried out by considering the data in the historical process. It has been determined that there are 3 important breaking points of the city and industrial development. The findings were differentiated between the 1923-1953 Period, the 1953-1990 Period, and the Post-1990 Period, and the relationship between industrial location and residential texture development for each period was examined on a spatial scale on maps that were originally prepared with the AutoCAD program. As a result of the study, the effects of industrial facilities, industrial clusters, and OIZ areas located on the city periphery were evaluated, and guiding determinations and suggestions for urban planning were presented. Keywords: Industry Localization, Urban Macroform, Urban Development, Uşak City.

Effects of Bentonite Addition on the Speciation and Mobility of Cu and Ni in Soils from Old Mine Tailings

Bentonite has important applications in curbing soil heavy metal pollution. Jinchang city is an important industrial city in western China, and the mining activities in this area inevitably lead to the heavy metal pollution of soil; in particular, the maximum concentrations of Ni and Cu in the soil exceeded the standard by 30 and 25 times, respectively. In this study, we conducted soil cultivation experiments to study the effects of bentonite addition (BA) on the fractions of the heavy metals Ni and Cu in an old tailings area of Jinchang city. Surface soil (0–20 cm) samples were collected, and Ni and Cu fractionation was performed using the Tessier sequential extraction method. The results showed that residual (R) was the main fraction of Ni and Cu, which accounted for 53% and 57% of their total amounts, respectively. The fraction bound to organic matter (BM), bound to Fe-Mn oxides (BO), bound to carbonates (BC), and the exchangeable (E) accounted for 20% and 16%, 18% and 12%, 6%, and 7%, 3% and 4% of the total amounts, respectively. Their contents ranked in the order: R > BM > BO > BC > E. Each fraction of Ni and Cu decreased with increasing levels of BA. The proportion of E of Ni and Cu was considerably reduced, while the proportion of BO and R increased significantly following the BA. BA can significantly reduce the mobility of Ni and Cu. Our findings indicated that BA can significantly reduce the biological toxicity and mobilization of heavy metals in polluted soil, which can be recommended as a safe stabilizer for heavy metal pollution in soil.

Simulation of thermal power plant source contribution to ambient air concentration in Cam Pha City, Quang Ninh province using AERMOD dispersion model

Cam Pha, the home of three major thermal power plants including Cam Pha, Mong Duong I and Mong Duong II, is one of the most important industrial cities in the North of Vietnam. Air pollution due to stacks emission is the biggest problem threatening Cam Pha City's sustainable development. In this study, the AERMOD modeling system was used to evaluate the impact of the stack emission by the thermal power plants on the ambient atmospheric environment. The maximum 1-HR, 24-HR, 99th percentile and annual average concentrations of TSP, SO2 and NO2 were simulated within the 40x40 km domain of 100x100 m grid spacing with the hourly meteorological data taken from 2018 to 2020. Air dispersion simulation is performed on the observed background gas concentration of the everyday environment. Hourly emission data of 10 primary stack sources of 3 factory groups were used as input data. The simulated spatial distribution of gases indicates the strong fluence of the mountainous topography on the dispersion of stack emission. Results also revealed that the maximum short-term stack emission at ground-level concentrations of SO2 and NO2 are much higher than the national standard, thus raising the risk of severe pollution. TSP pollution is less severe than SO2 and NO2 but still at a dangerous level. Since Cam Pha locates by the East Sea with the prevailing wind is heading northeast and east directions. The annual average concentrations of these pollutants indicate that the high terrain areas at the south and northwest of Cam Pha City, which block the flow of the stack emission, are the most affected regions by exhausted gases from industrial stacks.

Human Resource Management Practices in Coimbatore - With Special Reference to the Manufacturing Sector

Purpose - This study aims to bring out the extent of usage and perceived effectiveness of HRM practices in the manufacturing sector of Coimbatore, an important industrial city in Tamilnadu. Design/Methodology/Approach - The study used a structured questionnaire to collect data on the prevailing HRM practices in the region. The HR managers of selected companies across the region were asked to fill the questionnaire, which contained descriptive questions to bring out the HRM functions in a detailed manner Descriptive statistics was used to bring out the extent of usage of HRM practices in the region. Findings - The paper found that the regional industries have given due care to implement formal HRM practices and have focused on training programs and social responsibility activities. However, they were on a low profile in certain critical aspects of HRM like career planning, workers participation in management and transparent compensation metrics for employees. It also found that the industries perceived their HRM practices to be effective in achieving their business objectives. Research Limitations/Implications - Only a few direct interviews were possible, which limited the researcher from probing into the details of the practices. Originality/Value - This paper shows the influence of context on HRM and implies to the HR managers that they should always design their HRM practices according to their context.

Programul unei vieți: rolul lui Lajos Pákei în înființarea Muzeului Industrial și a Școlii Industriale din Cluj

"One Life’s Mission: Lajos Pákei’s Role in Establishing the Industrial Museum and the Industrial School in Cluj. The development of museums and schools of industry took place in some important industrial cities of the Dual-Monarchy, a part of the capitals in Salzburg, Graz, Prague, Brno, Czernowitz starting from the 1870-1880s. In the last quarter of the 19th century several school and some museum buildings of industry were erected in Hungary. Some of these new edifices were capable of performing dual, educational and museum tasks due to their special spaces: their list includes Ödön Lechner’s Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, Alajos Hauszmann’s Technologic Museum of Industry in Budapest and Lajos Pákei’s Museum of Industry in Kolozsvár (Cluj Napoca). It is exactly in this period that Lajos Pákei graduated from Theophil Hansen’s studio in Vienna, and soon after, in 1880 he became chief architect of the city of Kolozsvár. In his new position the young architect played a prominent role in the infrastructural and institutional modernization of the city. One of the biggest investments of the city focused on the reshaping of the industrial institutional structure – this process was articulated around the foundation of the Museum and School of Industry of the city. Acting also as the director and professor of architectural disciplines in the school of industry of the city he had a significant impact on the development of a master builder, stone and wood carving classes and moreover in the curriculum of the educational profile of the institution. Lajos Pákei followed the architectural principles of Camillo Sitte in terms of urban city planning in Kolozsvár under the influence of the Austrian architects work published in 1889 entitled Der Städtebau nach seinen künstlerischen Grundsätzen. Kolozsvár, the par excellence renaissance town of historic Hungary. The town was the birthplace of the last great medieval king of Hungary, the earliest renaissance ruler over the Alps, King Mathias (1443-1490) whose political and cultural legacy as national king and the town’s long goldsmith and woodcarving activity have become a points of reference the late 19th century discourse on the modernization of Kolozsvár. Lajos Pákei was one of the members of the first generation of architects having accomplished their studies in the new political circumstances related to the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Lajos Pákei in Kolozsvár has completed diverse missions simultaneously such as did Camillo Sitte in Vienna or Joseph Leitzner in Czernowitz: he actively reshaped the urban spaces of his city, made architectural plans for the industrial museum and school, as director he influenced the educational profile of the school of industry and the acquisition policy of the museum of industry. Lajos Pákei prepared several plans for this building of dual function through almost first fifteen years. After a number of design changes the museum-school building was finally built between 1896 and 1898. Due to the rapidly growing collection, the shift in the acquisition policy from technological profile to applied arts objects, the growing number of students soon it became too small, and the construction of a purely museum building has become necessary. The building of the museum of industry has been erected in 1903–1904 opposite the previous one, according to the plans of Lajos Pákei. The first, museum-school building followed the construction principles of Hungarian secondary school architecture of its time, including a centrally positioned external wing for the technological collection. The second one – planned purely for museum purposes – followed the latest example of applied art museum buildings, the one of Joseph Schulz in Prague built in 1897–1901. The history of two buildings of Lajos Pákei in Kolozsvár reflect the specialization of educational and museum spaces, the characteristics of the changing models in industrial education and presentation of the changing profile of the collection as “ideal of a modern museum” as an attempt to develop. The study interprets the foundation and the management of the museum and school of industry as the lifetime project of Lajos Pákei in the context of architectural modernization (both in education and practice) in the Dual Monarchy and in the theoretical framework of urban planning. Keywords: urban planning, museum of industry, vocational education, decorative arts, museum of decorative arts "

Persistent pollution episodes, transport pathways, and potential sources of air pollution during the heating season of 2016-2017 in Lanzhou, China.

As one of the most important industrial cities in Northwest China, Lanzhou currently suffers from serious air pollution. This study analyzed the formation mechanism and potential source areas of persistent air pollution in Lanzhou during the heating period from November 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 based on the air pollutant concentrations and relevant meteorological data. Our findings indicate that particulate pollution was extremely severe during the study period. The daily PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations had significantly negative correlations with daily temperature, wind speed, maximum daily boundary layer height, while the daily PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations showed significantly positive correlations with daily relative humidity. Five persistent pollution episodes were identified and classified as either stagnant accumulation or explosive growth types according to the mechanism of pollution formation and evolution. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and PM2.5/PM10 ratio followed a growing "saw-tooth cycle" pattern during the stagnant accumulation type event. Dust storms caused abrupt peaks in PM10 and a sharp decrease in the PM2.5/PM10 ratio in explosive growth type events. The potential sources of PM10 were mainly distributed in the Kumtag Desert in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Qaidam Basin and Hehuang Valley in Qinghai Province, and the western and eastern Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province. The contributions to PM10 were more than 120μg/m3. The important potential sources of PM2.5 were located in Hehuang Valley in Qinghai and Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu; the concentrations of PM2.5 were more than 60μg/m3.

Impact of meteorological conditions at multiple scales on ozone concentration in the Yangtze River Delta.

Tropospheric ozone is known to have adverse effects on human health. Ozone pollution events are often associated with specific atmospheric circulation conditions. Therefore, studying the relationship between atmospheric circulation and ozone is particularly important for early warning and forecasting of ozone pollution events. Focusing on the Yangtze River Delta region, particularly in four important large industrial cities (Xuzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou) in the Yangtze River Delta, the T-mode objective classification method was applied to classify the weather circulation that mainly affects the Yangtze River Delta region into nine types. Local wind fields for the four industrial cities were classified according to their propensity for ventilation, stagnation, and recirculation based on the Allwine and Whiteman method. Based on the analysis of large-scale atmospheric circulation, we concluded that certain circulation patterns correspond to excessive ozone concentrations, while other circulation patterns correspond to good air quality. Moreover, ozone pollution was not closely related to local regional transmission. The importance of high temperatures in potentiating ozone pollution was also identified in the study area, whereas the effect of relative humidity was negligible. Finally, the importance of the different scale atmospheric motions was analyzed by studying two specific ozone pollution events in Xuzhou area (March, 2019) and Nanjing area (July-August, 2017). This analysis was complemented by HYSPLIT model's outputs to simulate the pollutant diffusion path. Regarding the first episode, ozone concentration is often closely related to the slowly approaching thermal high-pressure system. In the second episode, local transmission had little effect on the generation and spread of ozone pollution. Furthermore, and comparing the circulation conditions with local meteorological factors, it was found that the increase in ozone concentration was often accompanied by higher temperature, and the response to humidity was not clear.

Effects of short-term exposure to particulate matter on emergency department admission and hospitalization for asthma exacerbations in Brescia district

ABSTRACT Background: Rising pollution plays a crucial role in worsening several respiratory diseases. Particulate Matter (PM)-induced asthma exacerbations are one of the most dangerous events. Objectives: To assess the correlation between progressive particulate matter short-term exposure and asthma exacerbations, we investigated the role of PM levels on Emergency Department (ED) admissions and hospitalizations for these events in Brescia, an important industrial city located in northern Italy with high yearly levels of air pollution. Methods: We analyzed 1050 clinical records of ED admissions for suspected asthma exacerbation, starting from January 2014 to December 2017. Daily PM levels were collected from the Environmental Protection Regional Agency. We performed a time-series analysis using a Poisson regression model with single and multiple day-lag. Results were expressed as Relative Risk (RR) and Excess of Relative Risk (ERR) of severe asthma exacerbation over a 10µg/m3 increase in PM10 and PM2.5 concentration. Results: We selected and focused our analysis on 543 admissions for indisputable asthma exacerbation in ED and hospital. The time-series study showed an increase of the RR (CI95%) for asthma exacerbation-related ED admissions of 1.24 with an ERR of 24.2% for PM2.5 at lag0-1 (p < 0.05). We also estimated for PM2.5 a RR (CI95%) of 1.12 with an ERR of 12.5% at lag0-5 (p ≤ 0.05). Again, for PM2.5, an increase of the RR (CI95%) for asthma exacerbation-related hospitalizations of 1.31 with an ERR of 30.7% at lag0-1 (p < 0.05) has been documented. These findings were confirmed and even reinforced considering only the population living in the city. Conclusions: Short-term PM exposure, especially for PM2.5, plays a critical role in inducing asthma exacerbation events leading to ED admission or hospitalization.

Spatial patterns and temporal variations of traffic-related air pollutants and estimating its health effects in Isfahan city, Iran.

Isfahan as an important industrial city has faced with air pollution recently. Thus, we assessed the spatial and temporal trends of ambient PM2.5, CO, SO2, and O3 and for estimating their health effect on Isfahan citizens between March 2018 and March 2019 through the AirQ+ software. Our results showed that citizens of Isfahan in almost 240, 167, and 134 of the days in the year has exposure to PM2.5, SO2, and O3 higher than the WHO daily guideline, respectively. Daily variations of PM2.5, CO, and SO2 concentration showed the increasing trend of pollutants in the morning to evening. The maximum concentrations of O3 were observed in the noonday. Also, the concentrations of these pollutants on Friday due to the holiday effect were higher than the weekdays. Except for O3, the PM2.5, CO, and SO2 concentrations in the cold months and cold seasons was higher compared with the hot months and hot seasons. The total number of deaths because of lung cancer, natural mortality, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,, stroke associated with ambient PM2.5 with the attributable proportion (AP) 11.43%, 11.63%, 15.96%, 15.15%, and 13.1% (95% CI) were 683, 19, 2, 202, and 55 cases, respectively. Therefore, the present study provides additional data for the provincial managers and politicians useful in planning proper strategies of air pollution control to decrease exposure and attributable mortalities.

Study of Persistent Pollution in Hefei during Winter Revealed by Ground-Based LiDAR and the CALIPSO Satellite

LiDAR and CALIPSO satellites are effective tools for detecting air pollution, and by employing PM2.5 observation data, ground-based LiDAR measurements, CALIPSO satellite data, meteorological data, and back-trajectory analysis, we analyzed the process of pollution (moderate pollution, heavy pollution, excellent weather, and dust transmission weather) in Hefei, China from 24 to 27 January 2019 and analyzed the meteorological conditions and pollutants causing heavy pollution. Observation data from the ground station showed that the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 increased significantly on 25 January; the maximum value of PM10 was 175 µg/m3, and the maximum value of PM2.5 was 170 µg/m3. In this study, aerosol transboundary transport was observed using a combination of ground-based LiDAR and CALIPSO satellite observations. This method showed that aerosols were distributed at a height of 3–4 km over Hefei at 12:00 on 26 January, and it was found that the aerosols came from the desert region in northwest China. Moreover, we determined its transport pathway based on the backward trajectory, and the transportation of pollutants from the surrounding important industrial cities in central and eastern China led to severe pollution after aggregating and mixing with local aerosols in Hefei in the winter. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper can effectively monitor the optical properties and transportation process of aerosols, help to explore the causes of pollution under complex conditions, and improve environmental quality.

Ozone concentrations prediction in Lanzhou, China, using chaotic artificial neural network

Among the important industrial cities in western China, Lanzhou has made great progress during recent years with its economic development policy. However, it has been accompanied by air pollution, particularly ozone (O3) concentrations, which have adverse effects on the environment and human beings. Using Lanzhou as a research sample, chaotic artificial neural network (CANN) was used to establish an ozone concentrations prediction model. Meanwhile, several parameters were considered, such as the ozone concentrations by day at four monitoring stations from 2016 to 2018; sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), O3, fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 ​μm or less (PM2.5), and fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 ​μm or less (PM10) concentrations over the same hours; temperature, humidity, instantaneous wind speed and direction. Seventy percent of the data were used to train CANN, 30% for testing, and back propagation (BP) network, artificial neural network (ANN), multiple linear regression (MLR) model were used for comparison. The results show that CANN has the smallest root mean squared error (RMSE) and a coefficient of correlation (R2) near 1 compared with BP, ANN and MLR, and this means CANN can provide exact prediction result for pollution treatment in Lanzhou.

Composite assessment of human health risk from potentially toxic elements through multiple exposure routes: A case study in farmland in an important industrial city in East China

Accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in farmland soils and agricultural products is an issue of considerable concern related to food safety and human health. Assessment of composite health risks caused by exposure to PTEs through different pathways and the spatial probability of these risks could help in soil management and reduction in the corresponding human health risk. In this study, we collected 932 soil samples and corresponding samples of rice planted at the same locations in an industrial city in eastern China. The composite human health risk, including the health risks caused by Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni from soil inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact combined with the consumption of rice were assessed. Sequential Gaussian stochastic simulation and probability kriging were employed to explore the spatial pattern of the composite health risk. The results showed that 13.52%, 5.47%, 2.68%, 2.58%, 1.61%, 0.86%, and 0.21% of soil samples collected from the study area were polluted by Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cr, respectively. Furthermore, 65.02%, 20.28%, 10.94%, 4.72%, 0.75%, 0.11%, and 0.11% of rice samples were polluted by high levels of Ni, Cr, As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Zn, respectively. Children had a higher hazard index than adults for non-carcinogenic health risks. Both children and adults had potential carcinogenic risks. The largest contributor to non-carcinogenic health risks was As, whereas Ni was the largest contributor to carcinogenic risk. Consumption of contaminated rice accounted for >90% of the total non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks, suggesting that PTEs accumulation in rice could exert harmful effects on human health. In terms of their spatial patterns, both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were associated with areas with a high density of anthropogenic activities. Residents in most areas in the study region have a high probability of experiencing significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects caused by exposure to PTEs. Children have a higher probability of non-carcinogenic health risk than adults across the study area. The results revealed that consumption of contaminated crops poses essential potential health risks to humans. Measures should be undertaken to reduce the content of contaminated PTEs in farmland soils and rice, and children should be listed as a priority for protection from exposure to PTEs.

Uranium and Trace Metals Contamination in Topsoil from Different Zones Around Industrial City, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

The concentrations of uranium and 9 trace metals were analyzed in 116 topsoil samples collected from 6 zones around the most important and oldest industrial city in Al Jubail, eastern Saudi Arabia. The concentrations of U, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn were measured using gamma ray spectrometry and plasma atomic emission spectrometer. The obtained data showed that the mean values of uranium in all zones were below or similar to the world average and the background value of soil. In contrast, the results revealed that the selected metals were higher than the background values in most zones, where the highest mean value of Pb was 2270 times higher than the background value in the eastern border of the industrial city (Zone 5), and the lowest mean value of Pb was 980 times higher than the background value in the western border of the industrial city (Zone 1). Moreover, the concentrations of uranium and metals were compared with local and global mean values. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated to assess the pollution levels of trace metals in topsoil. The Igeo values indicated uncontaminated to moderately contaminated for all metals except Pb, which was extremely contaminated in all zones. The PLI value was much higher than 1 for all zones. Accordingly, the topsoil around the industrial city is contaminated with metals.