Low Air Quality Research Articles

School Children Exposure to Low Indoor Air Quality in Classrooms During Covid-19 Pandemic: Results of a Pilot Study

Background: Indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms affects children s health and academic performance. The aim of this pilot study was to determine IAQ in elementary schools different in their internal and external characteristics, in settings of COVID-19 epidemics. Methods: IAQ parameters: fine particulate matter (PM2,5) mass concentration, CO2 concentration, temperature and relative humidity were measured in parallel in four elementary schools/classrooms during October (non-heating season) and four months (including holiday in January) of heating season. IAQ parameters were measured in settings of anti-epidemic restrictions (≤13 students in classroom, frequent ventilation). Results: During October, except in one school, PM2,5 concentrations were below the upper recommended value (25μg/m ), but started rising in all schools in the heating season. The highest concentrations of PM2,5 were registered in two schools with closed or shortly opened windows. CO2 concentrations were mostly in the recommended range (up to 1000ppm) except in the school with constantly closed windows and in three schools in February when concentrations were higher. Except in one, the same school, and in January, both temperature and relative humidity were out of the recommended range (24,0 27,0°C in non-heating;20,0 24,0°C in heating season;and 45 55%), with temperature mainly above and relative humidity mainly below it in three schools. The largest deviation in temperature and relative humidity were registered in urban schools. Registered differences may be explained by different internal and external characteristics. Original paper Conclusion: Despite anti-epidemic restrictions, most of the measured IAQ parameters were out of the recommended values in heating season. In addition, further deterioration of IAQ could be expected if all students had been presented in the classroom. Finally, to assure a healthy school environment in heating season, further optimisation of both indoor and outdoor conditions is needed in both pandemic and non-pandemic settings.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Pakistani females and its link to breast cancer.

Female breast cancer remains a major health concern due to its rising incidence and mortality rates around the world. Recent statistical trends have shown a significant increase in its prevalence, accounting for 11.7% of all cancer cases worldwide (1). In Pakistan, female breast cancer incidence is the highest among all other malignancies, with a total of 25,928 cases reported nationally in 2020 (2). There are numerous risk factors for breast cancer: old age, family history of breast and reproductive tract malignancies, early menarche, nulliparity, late menopause, high-fat diet, alcohol consumption etc. (3). A study conducted in 2017 identified vitamin D deficiency (VDD) as a possible risk factor for breast cancer (4). In 2020, the results of a case-control study conducted in Karachi, Pakistan, revealed that women with low serum VDD <20ng/ml were at a greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to patients with sufficient serum vitamin D >30ng/ml (5). Historically, Pakistani women are prone to developing VDD despite abundant sun light due to Pakistan’s subtropical climate. The primary reason behind this paradox can be associated with the low air quality index in many of the major cities of the country. The high population density and closely-built infrastructure also act as barriers towards adequate sun exposure for Pakistani women. Furthermore, distorted beauty ideals that discourage women from going out in the sun are deeply rooted in South Asian culture. The cosmetics industry plays a huge role in reinforcing this notion through advertisements that glorify fair-skinned women. There is also a lack of awareness regarding balanced diets among women, especially from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The possible correlation of VDD with female breast cancer has amplified the need for awareness programmes to educate the female population regarding the importance of vitamin D. Women-centric NGOs and healthcare organisations spreading awareness regarding breast cancer should emphasize VDD as its underlying cause and encourage them to spend more time outdoors and to include vitamin D supplements in their diet. Electronic media can also play a pivotal role in propagating this information. Lastly, the government’s ongoing food fortification programme against VDD and other nutritional deficiencies should be accelerated and strictly monitored to ensure its proper implementation and success. With female breast cancer increasing at an unprecedented rate, the government must take effective measures to minimize the risk of breast cancer in vitamin D deficient females. Continuous...

Changes in Air-Pollution-Related Information-Seeking Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland.

Low air quality in Poland is a problem of particularly high urgency. Therefore, Poles must be aware of air quality levels, also during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to compare air-pollution-related information-seeking behaviour between the pre- and intra-pandemic periods as well as between the actual and theoretical machine-learning-forecasted intra-pandemic models. Google Trends search volumes (GTSVs) in Poland for air-pollution-related keywords were collected between January 2016 and January 2022. To investigate the changes that would have occurred without the outbreak of the pandemic, Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) machine-learning models were trained. Approximately 4,500,000 search queries were analysed. Between pre- and intra-pandemic periods, weighted mean GTSVs changed by −39.0%. When the actual intra-pandemic weighted mean GTSVs were compared to the intra-pandemic forecasts, the actual values were lower by −16.5% (SARIMA’s error = 6.2%). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, in the intra-pandemic period, the number of search queries containing keywords connected with air pollution decreased. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic might have facilitated the decrease. Possible causes include an attention shift towards everyday problems connected to the pandemic, worse mental health status and lower outdoor exposure that might have resulted in a lower intensity of non-pandemic-related active information-seeking behaviour.

Air quality monitoring and management system model of vehicles based on the internet of things

The design of an air quality monitoring system is a recent trend and emerging research topic using IoT and wireless sensor technology. The massive number of automobiles entering metropolitan areas contributes to increased air pollution and lower air quality, which leads to serious health problems. The paper’s primary goal is to introduce a vehicular pollution monitoring system model that can detect and measure pollutants like carbon monoxide and smoke produced by automobiles. The proposed module consists of sensors that can detect the pollutants, carbon monoxide, and smoke released by a vehicle. A Node Micro-Controller Unit (NodeMCU) will work as the brain of the sensor node and communicator with the server through wireless fidelity. The suggested system model can monitor automobile pollution, and if any vehicle exceeds a certain threshold value, it will be reported to the traffic department and the owner of the vehicle. The proposed system model is straightforward and simple, and it is predicted to be inexpensive.

A holistic approach to the air quality of Konya City, Turkey.

Considering an integrated approach to assess all of the measured pollutants in a diurnal, monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales and understanding the mechanisms hidden under low air quality conditions are essential for tackling potential air pollution issues. Konya, located in central Anatolia, is the largest province of Turkey with a surface area of 40,838 km2 and has different industrial activities. The lack of recent detailed studies limits our information on the underlying air pollution levels in Konya and obscuring policymakers to develop applicable mitigation measures. In this study, we used hourly monitored air quality data of CO, NO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5, and SO2 from five stations in Konya and investigated the temporal and spatial variabilities for the 2008–2018 period via statistical analysis. Upon analysis, particulate matter was found to be the dominant pollutant deteriorating the air quality of Konya. The highest 2008–2018 periodic mean value of PM10 was found in Karatay Belediye as 70.5 µg/m3, followed by 67.4 µg/m3 in Meram, 58.7 µg/m3 in Selçuklu, and 43.7 µg/m3 in Selçuklu Belediye. The 24-h limit value of PM10 given as 50 µg/m3 in the legislation was violated in all of the stations, mainly during winter and autumn. High positive correlations were found among the stations, and the highest correlation was obtained between Selçuklu Belediye and Karatay Belediye with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.77. Long-term data showed a decreasing trend in PM10 concentrations. Diurnal variability is found to be more pronounced than weekly variability. For almost all of the pollutants, except for photochemical pollutants like O3, a prominent result was the nighttime and morning rush hours high-pollutant levels. A case study done for the January 29, 2018 to February 05, 2018 episode showed the importance of meteorology and topography on the high levels of pollution. Limitation of the pollutant transport and dilution by meteorological conditions and the location of Konya on a plain surrounded by high hills are believed to be the main reasons for having low air quality in the region.

Nexus between fossil fuel consumption and infant mortality rate: a non-linear analysis.

For nations already facing pollution issues, fossil fuel energy consumption is deteriorating living standards. Though prevailing infrastructure makes fossil fuel energy use feasible for production, it still pollutes our environment. This study in the domain of environment and development assesses the impact of fossil fuel energy consumption on the infant mortality rate in 15 Asian economies during 1996 and 2019. The living standards are assessed using infant mortality rate, while non-linear fossil fuel energy consumption is used with gross capital formation, employment, and preprimary education as independent variables. The feasible generalized least square method evaluates the effects. The study concludes that fossil fuel energy consumption follows a U-shaped relationship explaining infant mortality. The results point out that over-consumption of fossil fuel energy is deteriorating the living standards considering low air quality levels in Asian economies.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on PM concentrations in an Italian Northern City: A year-by-year assessment.

In the last century, the increase in traffic, human activities and industrial production have led to a diffuse presence of air pollution, which causes an increase of risk of several health conditions such as respiratory diseases. In Europe, air pollution is a serious concern that affects several areas, one of the worst ones being northern Italy, and in particular the Po Valley, an area characterized by low air quality due to a combination of high population density, industrial activity, geographical factors and weather conditions. Public health authorities and local administrations are aware of this problem, and periodically intervene with temporary traffic limitations and other regulations, often insufficient to solve the problem. In February 2020, this area was the first in Europe to be severely hit by the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease, to which the Italian government reacted with the establishment of a drastic lockdown. This situation created the condition to study how significant is the impact of car traffic and industrial activity on the pollution in the area, as these factors were strongly reduced during the lockdown. Differently from some areas in the world, a drastic decrease in pollution measured in terms of particulate matter (PM) was not observed in the Po Valley during the lockdown, suggesting that several external factors can play a role in determining the severity of pollution. In this study, we report the case study of the city of Pavia, where data coming from 23 air quality sensors were analyzed to compare the levels measured during the lockdown with the ones coming from the same period in 2019. Our results show that, on a global scale, there was a statistically significant reduction in terms of PM levels taking into account meteorological variables that can influence pollution such as wind, temperature, humidity, rain and solar radiation. Differences can be noticed analyzing daily pollution trends too, as-compared to the study period in 2019-during the study period in 2020 pollution was higher in the morning and lower in the remaining hours.

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 spreading under the influence of environmental factors and strategies to tackle the pandemic: A systematic review.

COVID-19 is deemed as the most critical world health calamity of the 21st century, leading to dramatic life loss. There is a pressing need to understand the multi-stage dynamics, including transmission routes of the virus and environmental conditions due to the possibility of multiple waves of COVID-19 in the future. In this paper, a systematic examination of the literature is conducted associating the virus-laden-aerosol and transmission of these microparticles into the multimedia environment, including built environments. Particularly, this paper provides a critical review of state-of-the-art modelling tools apt for COVID-19 spread and transmission pathways. GIS-based, risk-based, and artificial intelligence-based tools are discussed for their application in the surveillance and forecasting of COVID-19. Primary environmental factors that act as simulators for the spread of the virus include meteorological variation, low air quality, pollen abundance, and spatial-temporal variation. However, the influence of these environmental factors on COVID-19 spread is still equivocal because of other non-pharmaceutical factors. The limitations of different modelling methods suggest the need for a multidisciplinary approach, including the ‘One-Health’ concept. Extended One-Health-based decision tools would assist policymakers in making informed decisions such as social gatherings, indoor environment improvement, and COVID-19 risk mitigation by adapting the control measurements.

Relationships between Vertical Temperature Gradients and PM10 Concentrations during Selected Weather Conditions in Upper Silesia (Southern Poland)

This paper studies surface air temperature inversions and their impact on air pollution under the background of meteorological conditions in southern Poland. The relationship of temperature gradients and air quality classes with weather conditions in the most urbanized and polluted part of Poland as represented by the Upper Silesia region (USR) within the administrative boundaries of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM) is presented. Based on probability analysis this study hierarchized the role of the selected weather elements in the development of surface-based temperature inversion (SBI) and air quality (AQ). The thresholds of weather elements for a rapid increase in the probability of oppressive air pollution episodes were distinguished. Although most SBI occurred in summer winter SBIs were of great importance. In that season a bad air quality occurred during >70% of strong inversions and >50% of moderate inversions. Air temperature more strongly triggered AQ than SBI development. Wind speed was critical for SBI and significant for AQ development. A low cloudiness favored SBI occurrence altered air quality in winter and spring during SBI and favored very bad AQ5 (>180 µg/m3) occurrence. The probability of high air pollution enhanced by SBI rapidly increased in winter when the air temperature dropped below −6 °C the wind speed decreased below 1.5 m/s and the sky was cloudless. Changes in the relative humidity did not induce rapid changes in the occurrence of bad AQ events during SBI

Native Trees as a Provider of Vital Urban Ecosystem Services in Urbanizing New Zealand: Status Quo, Challenges and Prospects

In New Zealand, over 87% of the population currently resides in cities. Urban trees can face a myriad of complex challenges including loss of green space, public health issues, and harm to the existence of urban dwellers and trees, along with domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions. Despite New Zealand being a biodiversity hotspot in terms of natural environments, there is a lack of knowledge about native tree species’ regulating service (i.e., tree development and eco-physiological responses to low air quality, GHG, rising air temperatures, and drought) and how they grow in built-up environments such as cities. Therefore, we argue for the value of these native species in terms of ecosystem services and insist that they need to be viewed in relation to how they will respond to urban abiotic extremes and climate change. We propose to diversify planted forests for several reasons: (1) to improve awareness of the benefits of diverse planted urban forests; (2) to foster native tree research in urban environments, finding new keystone species; and (3) to improve the evidence of urban ecosystem resilience based on New Zealand native trees’ regulating services. This article aims to re-evaluate our understanding of whether New Zealand’s native trees can deal with environmental stress conditions similarly to more commonly planted alien species.

Visualized spatiotemporal data mining in investigation of Urmia Lake drought effects on increasing of PM10 in Tabriz using Space-Time Cube (2004-2019)

• Spatiotemporal data mining using space-time cube. • Trend analysis of Urmia Lake drying and PM10 concentration in Tabriz. • Investigating the relationship between Urmia Lake drying and PM10 concentration. • 3D visualization, Emerging hot spot and Time Series analysis. The idea of a smart city seeks to improve the quality of life, which environmental sustainability is one of its main challenges, and low air quality is an important obstacle to achieving the sustainability. Accordingly, we investigated the relationships between Urmia Lake drying-up and PM10 concentration in Tabriz by 3D visualization of space-time cube in ArcGIS pro 2.7. So, Satellite images of the lake and PM10 data were collected. Next, a space-time cube was created for each season of the lake and PM10 during 2004 to 2019. Then Time series analysis, Emerging hot spot analysis and 3D visualization of these cubes were performed. The results showed that there is a clear relationship between drying-up of the lake and increasing of PM10 in Tabriz and we recognized that the drying-up has a significant impact on increasing of PM10 concentration in Tabriz.

Investigation of methods regarding the effectiveness of ventilation strategies in an operating room on the removal of airborne germs using tracer particles

In this study contaminant distribution in an operating room is evaluated experimentally to be able to compare different ventilation concepts afterwards. Low-turbulent unidirectional ventilation (LAF) is used in this study. Heated dummies are positioned around the operating table, which release tracer particles that surrogate airborne germs and measured in critical areas for bacteria spread. Measurement results are evaluated and compared in terms of the degree of protection as well as the local air quality index. It is shown that realistic arrangements limit the usage of the degree of protection. Also, low local air quality indices show recirculation areas appearing at the operating table.

Air Pollution and Media Slant: Evidence from Chinese Corporate News

ABSTRACT This paper examines the impact of air pollution on the media slant of publicly listed firms in China. Using a large panel of air quality and media data at the city level, we find that lower air quality generally leads to a more negative media slant. When the air quality falls from lightly polluted to heavily polluted, the number of negative sentences in a news article increases by about 1%. Our subsample analysis shows that the effect of air pollution on media slant is similar for news articles covering large and small firms, SOE and non-SOE firms and for official and non-official newspaper articles. Furthermore, the effect of air pollution on media slant is stronger for firms in heavy polluting industries. These results suggest that air pollution affects media slant.

Traffic Congestion in Rural Tourist Areas and Sustainable Mobility Services. The Case of Ticino (Switzerland) Valleys

ABSTRACT Increased traffic congestion, lower air-quality, and worsening of destination’s image perception are just some of the negative externalities affecting destinations relying on natural amenities and supplying nature-based activities. Adopting a Stated Preference experiment, this research investigates southern Switzerland natural areas’ visitors’ reaction to the hypothetical introduction of sustainable means of transport, and puts forward possible interventions to reduce the share of car users. Results show that the introduction of innovative means of transport, such as a park-and-ride integrated with a shuttle service or a bike-sharing system, might have a strong impact in reducing traffic congestion. From a sample composed by 65% of car users, results show that if innovative sustainable mobility services were introduced, market share of cars would reduce to less than 20%. Furthermore, an increase in parking cost would further decrease the use of private vehicles, in favour to alternative solutions.

Housing and health: a collaborative project for evidence-based policy-making

Abstract Issue The potential to improve health and equity through better housing is well established. However, housing policies (mainly focused on energy efficiency) have not fully integrated health. Description Within the Urban Environment and Health Project of the Diputació de Barcelona, their Housing and Public Health Offices and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health undertook the first phase (May-December 2020) of a collaborative project on housing and health. Focused on the physical dwelling, a map of health risk factors (linked to thermal comfort, environmental and spatial quality), a literature review of each factor, and a list of local health-promoting housing programs were elaborated. Issues addressed included: (a) most relevant home factors affecting health; (b) evidence of poor housing conditions impacting physical, mental, and social health of residents; (c) housing improvements with documented positive health benefits. The second phase (March-December 2021) uses the same methods to address two new housing dimensions: residential environment and community. Results Recent research on housing and health explores the potential accumulative/synergistic effects of combined exposures, as additional poor housing parameters (e.g. low indoor air quality, lack of natural light, pest problems, material damage) correlate with poorer health status and higher use of medical resources. Through this collaborative project, increased awareness among local officers has led to preliminary context-specific criteria and parameters to promote healthy homes beyond compliance with current building codes, especially aimed at increasing maintenance and renovation standards in older neighborhoods of Barcelona. Lessons Collaboration between stakeholders allows for rich and innovative perspectives and encourages multisectoral actions. Context-specific health costs/benefits analyses are needed to facilitate development and implementation of housing policies with health at its core. Key messages Housing policies should have a holistic approach of health risks, redounding in housing policies improvement. Collaborative projects between academic institutions and local governments encourage pivotal evidence-based housing policy-making.

How Much Are People Willing to Pay for Clean Air? Analyzing Housing Prices in Response to the Smog Free Tower in Xi'an.

The Smog Free Tower (SFT) in the city of Xi’an, China, is the world’s first outdoor architecture that uses solar energy and filtration technology to purify polluted air. It provides a unique opportunity to explore residents’ willingness to pay for air quality and their related behaviors. Drawing on data collected after the establishment of the SFT, this paper reveals the characteristics of changes in people’s willingness to pay for clean air. We found that, prior to the release of an assessment report on the SFT, housing prices had an inverted U-shaped relationship with the distance to the SFT, which indicated people tended to purchase houses a certain distance away from the SFT. The threshold value of distance was inversely related to the greening ratio of the residential area. However, after the publication of the experimental report on the SFT, housing prices decreased as the distance to the SFT increased, indicating the closer the house was to the SFT, the more likely people were to buy it. These changes confirmed that people are willing to pay for clean air. The convenience of transportation had a significant moderating effect on the willingness to pay for clean air, however. In other words, people may buy houses with lower air quality if they have better transportation accessibility. The findings of this paper may have practical implications for environmental governance, urban planning, residential satisfaction, and real estate market regulation.

Strategies to reduce ammonia emissions from livestock and their cost-benefit analysis: A case study of Sheyang county

Ammonia (NH3) emissions, the majority of which arise from livestock production, are linked to high concentration of PM2.5 and lower air quality in China. NH3 mitigation options were well studied at the small-scale (laboratory or pilot), however, they lack of a large-scale test in China. This study fills this crucial gap by evaluating the cost-benefit of pioneering NH3 mitigation projects carried out for a whole county – Sheyang, Jiangsu province, China. Measures were implemented in 2019 following two distinct strategies, improved manure treatment for industrial livestock farms, and collection and central treatment for traditional livestock farms. Emission reductions of 16% were achieved in a short time. While this is remarkable, it falls short of expectations from small-scale studies. If measures were fully implemented according to purpose and meet expectations from the small scale, higher emission reductions of 42% would be possible. The cost benefit analysis presented in this study demonstrated advantages of central manure treatment over in-farm facilities. With improved implementation of mitigation strategies in industrial livestock farms, traditional livestock farms may play an increasing role in total NH3 emissions, which means such farms either need to be included in future NH3 mitigation policies or gradually replaced by industrial livestock farms.The study found an agricultural NH3 reduction technology route suitable for China's national conditions (such as the “Sheyang Model”).

Prevalence, Clinical Features, and In-hospital Outcome of Fatty Liver Disease in Acute Aortic Dissection: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background and Aims: Fatty liver disease (FLD) has emerged as a major public issue in China. We aim to investigate prevalence, clinical features, and in-hospital outcome of FLD in acute aortic dissection (AAD) patients.Methods: Data of 379 AAD patients from 2017 to 2019 at Renmin hospital of Wuhan University was retrospectively collected and divided according to age and FLD absence. Propensity score matching was used for minimal confounding. We compared their physical environmental parameter of onset, clinical features, and in-hospital outcome.Results: The mean age was 52.0 ± 11.5 years in type A and 55.1 ± 11.4 in type B. 25.0% of type A and 19.2% of type B AAD patients had FLD. Logistic regression indicated a negative association between FLD and age, both in type A [unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.958 (per 1 year), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.930–0.988, p = 0.0064] and type B [unadjusted OR 0.943 (per 1 year), 95% CI 0.910–0.978, p = 0.0013]. After matching, type A with FLD had onset with a lower air quality index (AQI) of 68.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 46.0–90.0] and a lower Pm 2.5 concentration of 36.0 μg/m3 (IQR 23.0–56.0) compared with non-FLD group. In Kaplan-Meier estimation, FLD was associated with higher risk of in-hospital mortality in type B AAD (p = 0.0297).Conclusion: The prevalence of FLD in AAD decrease with age, both in type A and type B AAD. Type A AAD patients with FLD had onset with better air quality parameters compared with non-FLD group. FLD was associated with higher risk of in-hospital mortality in type B AAD.

Indoor Air Quality Improvement Using Nature-Based Solutions: Design Proposals to Greener Cities.

Low indoor air quality is an increasingly important problem due to the spread of urbanization. Because people spend most of their time inside, poor indoor air quality causes serious human health issues, resulting in significant economic losses. In this work, the current state of affairs is presented and analyzed, focusing on the current problems and the available solutions to improve the quality of indoor air, and the use of nature-based solutions. These involve the cultivation of microalgae in closed photobioreactors. In these systems, photosynthetic organisms can capture CO2 and other pollutants generated in indoor environments, which they use to grow and develop biomass. Several possible layouts for the implementation of microalgae-based indoor air cleaning systems are presented, taking into account the systems that are currently available at a commercial scale. A critical analysis of the microalgae indoor purification systems is presented, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, and suggesting potential improvements and future lines of research and development in the area.

An integrated approach to evaluating the coupling coordination degree between low-carbon development and air quality in Chinese cities

Collaborative governance between ecological environment and climate change is a novel signature in China's policy agenda. However, such coordination remains understudied, especially at the local level. Using the principal component analysis, entropy evaluation methods, and the Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM), we evaluated the level of coordination between carbon and air quality mitigation from 34 low-carbon pilot cities in China. We also illustrated the mechanism and policy formation that leads to different coupling patterns at the local level using three case studies. We found that most pilot cities perform a medium level of coupling coordination between low carbon development and air quality. The result reveals that most low-carbon pilot cities score relatively well in low-carbon development. Further, there is a significant cleavage in air quality between cities in the North and those in the South, indicating pilot cities in the South coordinate better than those in the North. In particular, pilot programs in the Southwest and Southeast coastal region perform well in collaborative governance, while the Beijing−Tianjin−Hebei region is rated poorly because of the gap between air quality and low carbon development. Also, we found that the same low-carbon policy might have heterogeneous effects on different air pollutants and across different regions. The local government should adopt low-carbon development policies that address local level specific environmental and economic conditions to maximize their air pollution mitigation benefits.