Ozone Exposure Indices Research Articles

Future Ozone Changes and Their Impacts on Vegetation and Human Health in China Under the Shared Socio‐Economic Pathways

AbstractOzone concentrations in China are increasing in recent years and future changes of ozone and their impacts have attracted much attention. We use global chemical transport model (GEOS‐Chem) to simulate the surface ozone concentrations in China in 2020 and 2050 under four Shared Socio‐economic Pathways and evaluate the impacts of future ozone pollution on vegetation and premature mortality in four polluted regions (Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, BTH; Yangtze River Delta, YRD; Pearl River Delta, PRD; Sichuan Basin, SCB) and three major crop growing areas (Huang–Huai–Hai, HHH; Northeast Plain, NEP; middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, MLRY) in China. The changes of simulated seasonal maximum daily 8‐hr average (MDA8) ozone from 2020 to 2050 (−15.5 to +11.9 ppbv) are significant under SSP126 (low forcing pathway) and SSP245 (medium forcing pathway) scenarios in all regions due to large changes of emissions. MDA8 ozone in summer 2050 will be above the WHO guidelines (100 μg/m3) in BTH, YRD, HHH and MLRY under four scenarios. By 2050, W126 (vegetative ozone exposure index) in summer will be much above the maximum of US secondary standard (21 ppm‐h) in HHH under SSP245, SSP370 (medium to high forcing pathway) and SSP585 (high forcing pathway) scenarios, and in MLRY under SSP370 and SSP585 scenarios. Annual ozone‐related deaths for people over 30 years old will mainly decrease in four polluted areas from 2020 to 2050 under SSPs scenarios, but only increase much under SSP245 scenario in BTH (+3.1 to +4.2 thousand) and YRD (+1.1 to +1.6 thousand).

IsoAOT40: An improved ozone exposure index based on the Annual Ozone Spectrum Profile (AO3SP)

AbstarctIn recognition of the rising threats of ground-level ozone (O3) pollution to forests, agricultural crops, and other types of vegetation, accurate and realistic risk assessment is urgently needed. The accumulated O3 exposure over a concentration threshold of 40 nmol mol−1 (AOT40) is the most commonly used metric to investigate O3 exposure and its effects on vegetation and to conduct vegetation risk assessment. It is also used by international regulatory authorities for deriving critical levels and setting standards to protect vegetation against surface O3. However, fixed periods of the growing season are used universally, yet growing seasons vary with latitudes and elevations, and the periods of plant lifespan also differ among annual species. Here, we propose the concept of the Annual O3 Spectrum Profile (AO3SP) and apply it to calculate the profile of AOT40 throughout the year (AAOT40SP, Annual AOT40 Spectrum Profile) using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) weeks as a shorter window ISO-based accumulated exposure. Using moving time periods of three (for crops) or six (for forests) months, the isoAOT40 behavior throughout the year can be examined as a diagnostic tool for O3 risks in the short- or long-term during the lifecycle of local vegetation. From this analysis, AOT40 (isoAOT40) that is most representative for the local conditions and specific situations can be identified, depending on the exact growing season and lifecycle of the target vegetation. We applied this novel approach to data from five background monitoring stations located at different elevations in Cyprus. Our results show that the AAOT40SP approach can be used for improved and more realistic assessment of O3 risks to vegetation. The AO3SP approach can also be applied using metrics other than AOT40 (exposure- or flux-based), adding a new dimension to the way O3 risk to vegetation is assessed.

Cardiorespiratory Effects of Indoor Ozone Exposure Associated with Changes in Metabolic Profiles among Children: A Repeated-Measure Panel Study

SummaryOzone is one of the major gaseous pollutants associated with short-term adverse cardiopulmonary effects, even at concentrations below the current indoor air quality limits. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of cardiorespiratory changes with exposure to ozone remain unclear. To further explore molecular linkages between indoor ozone exposure and relevant cardiorespiratory effects, a repeated-measure panel study including 46 schoolchildren was conducted and real-time exposure measurements including ozone were performed inside classrooms every weekday during the study period. Repeated health measurements and urine sample collection were conducted in each participant. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and meet-in-metabolite approach were used in metabolomics analysis. Methods including mixed-effect models were adopted to identify metabolites associated with ozone exposure or health indices. Nine metabolites were found to be associated with ozone after mixed-effect model analysis, which are mainly involved in amino acid and bile acid metabolism. Boys may have a greater decrease in bile acid and RNA related metabolites. Four of the nine ozone-related metabolites were also associated with cardiorespiratory function indices. Furthermore, 26.67% of the positive association between ozone and heart rate was mediated by cholestane-3,7,12,25-tetrol-3-glucuronide. Exposure to ozone below the current indoor standards was associated with the deteriorated cardiovascular function by disturbing bile acid and endogenous nitric oxide-related oxidation and inflammation, and associated with the exacerbated airway inflammation by reducing GPx-related anti-oxidation. The results provide metabolic evidence of the cardiorespiratory effects of indoor ozone exposure. Indoor ozone pollution should be controlled further, and more attention should be paid to preventing its adverse health effects, especially in children.

Evaluating the effects of nitrogen and sulfur deposition and ozone on tree growth and mortality in California using a spatially comprehensive forest inventory

Although nitrogen deposition and tropospheric ozone have impacted California forests for decades, broad scale studies of these impacts on forest growth and mortality are lacking. Because of the summer-dry climate over most of the state, forest responses to air pollution are expected to differ from more mesic climates. In this study, data from US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) permanent (remeasured) plots were combined with modelled atmospheric N and S deposition and an ozone exposure index to evaluate tree growth and mortality responses in California. Seven of 18 species exhibited significantly greater carbon increment (CI) in tree boles as N deposition increased, though the magnitude of the effect was quite small in most California forests. However, increases in CI were substantial in the coastal ecosections of central and northern California where precipitation and fog exposure are greatest. Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) trees exhibited the strongest CI response to N deposition. Our model results imply a mean CI increase of 4.2 kg ha−1 yr−1 of C per kg ha−1 yr−1 of N deposition statewide versus 13.6 in the Central and Northern California Coast ecosections, where > 50% of the trees are redwood or tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Rehd.). Increased carbon sequestration rates in response to N deposition in these California coastal regions were similar to increases reported for Europe and global estimates. Nitrogen and S deposition significantly increased the odds of top damage and trees with crown damage exhibited higher mortality, although the effect was small. Elevated ozone exposure was associated with significantly larger rates of overall tree growth. However, for ozone-sensitive ponderosa pine at moderate ozone levels (ozone index values of ca. 20–30 ppb) and moderately-elevated N deposition (15–25 kg ha−1 hr−1), CI begins to decline, before increasing at higher pollution levels, presumably because of the fertilizing effect of N deposition; although data are limited for these more polluted conditions. Sulfur deposition in California forests was low, ranging from 0.3 to 3.1 kg ha−1 yr−1, but was associated with positive growth response in seven coniferous species. The combined effect of N and S deposition and ozone exposure statewide is a net increase in bole CI. However, aridity reduces the stimulatory growth effect of N deposition, and alters the threshold, capacity and sometimes the direction (e.g., S deposition) of the CI response to deposition, factors that need to be considered in global change models.

Ozone impact on wheat in Europe, Asia and North America – A comparison

Data from experiments where field-grown wheat was exposed to ozone were collated in order to compare the effects in Europe, Asia and North America using dose-response regression. In addition to grain yield, average grain mass and harvest index were included to reflect the influence of ozone on the crop growth pattern. In order to include as many experiments as possible, daytime average ozone concentration was used as the ozone exposure index, but AOT40, estimated from average ozone concentrations, was also used to compare the performance of the two exposure metrics. The response to ozone differed significantly between the continents only for grain yield when using AOT40 as the exposure index. North American wheat was less sensitive than European and Asian that responded similarly. The variation in responses across all three continents was smallest for harvest index, followed by grain mass and grain yield. The highly consistent effect on harvest index shows that not only effects on biomass accumulation, but also on the partitioning of biomass, are important for the ozone-induced grain yield loss in wheat. The average duration of daily ozone exposure was longer in European experiments compared to North American and Asian. It cannot be excluded that this contributed to the indicated higher ozone sensitivity in European wheat in relation to North American. The main conclusions from this study are that on the average the response of wheat to ozone was lower for the older North American experiments and that the ozone response of the growth pattern reflected by grain mass and harvest index did not differ between continents.

Ambient and Elevated Ozone (O3) impacts on Potato Genotypes (Solanum tuberosum.L) over a high altitude Western Ghats location in Southern India

<div><p><em>Globally, next to CO<sub>2</sub> and Methane, raising levels of <strong>tropospheric ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), acts as a secondary pollutant and green house gas </strong>which is a silent threat as well as one of the biggest challenges for the decrease in agricultural production. The diurnal and seasonal variation characteristics of ambient ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and its precursor NOx was investigated by their continuous measurements at ISRO-Climate Change Observatory situated in a high altitude Western Ghats location of Ooty. The impact of ambient O<sub>3</sub> on the growth and yield characteristics of various potato genotypes were assessed by the calculated higher ozone exposure indices <strong>AOT40 and SUM60 </strong>than critical levels by showing<strong> “latent injury“ </strong>in the form of yield reduction (4.56 - 25.5 %) in potato genotypes. The impact of three elevated O<sub>3 </sub>levels (100, 150 and 200 ppb for 4 hd<sup>-1</sup>) on ten potato genotypes was done by fumigation under controlled open–top chamber during its critical stage namely the tuber initiation stage resulted that Kufri Surya proved to be moderately resistant by recording the highest yield.</em></p></div>

Surface ozone in the Lake Tahoe Basin

Surface ozone (O3) concentrations were measured in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin using both active monitors (2010) and passive samplers (2002, 2010). The 2010 data from active monitors indicate average summertime diurnal maxima of approximately 50–55 ppb. Some site-to-site variability is observed within the Basin during the well-mixed hours of 10:00 to 17:00 PST, but large differences between different sites are observed in the late evening and pre-dawn hours. The observed trends correlate most strongly with elevation, topography, and surface vegetation. High elevation sites with steeply sloped topography and drier ground cover experience elevated O3 concentrations throughout the night because they maintain good access to downward mixing of O3-rich air from aloft with smaller losses due to dry deposition. Low elevation sites with flat topography and more dense surface vegetation experience low O3 concentrations in the pre-dawn hours because of greatly reduced downward mixing coupled with enhanced O3 removal via efficient dry deposition. Additionally, very high average O3 concentrations were measured with passive samplers in the middle of the Lake in 2010. This latter result likely reflects diminished dry deposition to the surface of the Lake. High elevation Tahoe Basin sites with exposure to nocturnal O3-rich air from aloft experience daily maxima of 8-h average O3 concentrations that are frequently higher than concurrent maxima from the polluted upwind comparison sites of Sacramento, Folsom, and Placerville. Wind rose analyses of archived NAM 12 km meteorological data for the summer of 2010 suggest that some of the sampling sites situated near the shoreline may have experienced on-shore “lake breezes” during daytime hours and/or off-shore “land breezes” during the night. Back-trajectory analysis with the HYSPLIT model suggests that much of the ozone measured at Lake Tahoe results from the transport of “polluted background” air into the Basin from upwind pollution source regions. Calculation of ozone exposure indices indicates that the two most polluted sites sampled by active monitors in 2010 – the highest Genoa Peak site, located on the eastern side of the Lake at an elevation of 2734 m above sea level, and Angora Lookout, located to the south–southwest (SSW) of the Lake at an elevation of 2218 m above sea level – likely experienced some phytotoxic impacts, while the other Tahoe Basin locations received lower ozone exposures.

Surface ozone in Joshua Tree National Park

Surface ozone concentrations are high throughout Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR), as demonstrated by direct monitoring at multiple sites within JOTR. Multiple years of data from continuous ozone monitors and passive samplers indicate that the highest ozone concentrations occur in the northwest corner of JOTR, and decrease as one moves to the south and east. Analysis of long-term (1994–2010) hourly data from the Black Rock monitoring station indicates that average summertime ozone concentrations have remained essentially constant, with a concurrent decrease in the number, and magnitude, of high ozone events. Calculation of ozone exposure indices suggests that ozone concentrations may be high enough to adversely affect local flora, especially in the northwestern region of the park. Back-trajectory analysis using the HYSPLIT model suggests that most of the ozone measured in JOTR is transported into the park from a high source area (Los Angeles and surrounding suburbs) to the west.

Assessment of source contributions to seasonal vegetative exposure to ozone in the U.S.

W126 is a cumulative ozone exposure index based on sigmoidally weighted daytime ozone concentrations used to evaluate the impacts of ozone on vegetation. We quantify W126 in the U.S. in the absence of North American anthropogenic emissions (North American background or “NAB”) using three regional or global chemical transport models for May–July 2010. All models overestimate W126 in the eastern U.S. due to a persistent bias in daytime ozone, while the models are relatively unbiased in California and the Intermountain West. Substantial difference in the magnitude and spatial and temporal variability of the estimates of W126 NAB between models supports the need for a multimodel approach. While the average NAB contribution to daytime ozone in the Intermountain West is 64–78%, the average W126 NAB is only 9–27% of current levels, owing to the weight given to high O3 concentrations in W126. Based on a three‐model mean, NAB explains ~30% of the daily variability in the W126 daily index in the Intermountain West. Adjoint sensitivity analysis shows that nationwide W126 is influenced most by NOx emissions from anthropogenic (58% of the total sensitivity) and natural (25%) sources followed by nonmethane volatile organic compounds (10%) and CO (7%). Most of the influence of anthropogenic NOx comes from the U.S. (80%), followed by Canada (9%), Mexico (4%), and China (3%). Thus, long‐range transport of pollution has a relatively small impact on W126 in the U.S., and domestic emissions control should be effective for reducing W126 levels.

Implementation of a module for risk of ozone impacts assessment to vegetation in the Integrated Assessment Modelling system for the Iberian Peninsula. Evaluation for wheat and Holm oak

A module to estimate risks of ozone damage to vegetation has been implemented in the Integrated Assessment Modelling system for the Iberian Peninsula. It was applied to compute three different indexes for wheat and Holm oak; daylight AOT40 (cumulative ozone concentration over 40 ppb), cumulative ozone exposure index according to the Directive 2008/50/EC (AOT40-D) and PODY (Phytotoxic Ozone Dose over a given threshold of Y nmol m−2 s−1). The use of these indexes led to remarkable differences in spatial patterns of relative ozone risks on vegetation. Ozone critical levels were exceeded in most of the modelling domain and soil moisture content was found to have a significant impact on the results. According to the outputs of the model, daylight AOT40 constitutes a more conservative index than the AOT40-D. Additionally, flux-based estimations indicate high risk areas in Portugal for both wheat and Holm oak that are not identified by AOT-based methods.

Visible and microscopic needle alterations of mature Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) trees growing on an ozone gradient in eastern Spain

Visible injuries and 42 microscopic features of tissue and cell structure were quantified in needles of mature Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) growing at four field sites located on a natural ozone gradient in eastern Spain. Principal component analysis was used to find out if the forest sites differed from each other, to determine the reasons for the site differences and to evaluate the relations between the parameters studied. In previous-year needles, the first principal component (PC) was described by changes typical of long-term ozone stress: high occurrence of microscopic changes indicating increased defence and faint chlorotic mottling, but low occurrence of ultrastructural changes related to photosynthesis and its storage products. The second PC was described by needle ageing or ontological senescence. Statistical differences between the sites in terms of ozone stress were found and were in line with measured ozone concentrations and the values of the ozone exposure index, AOT40. Symptoms of ozone stress were mild, i.e., not related to severe tissue damage. Results suggested that the faint chlorotic mottling can be attributed to certain forms of condensed tannins or small chloroplasts. In addition, a coastal site differed from mountainous sites by having a more mesomorphic needle anatomy.

Ozone in ambient air at a tropical megacity, Delhi: characteristics, trends and cumulative ozone exposure indices

Seven year data of hourly surface ozone concentration is analyzed to study diurnal cycle, trends, excess of ozone levels above threshold value and cumulative ozone exposure indices at a tropical megacity, Delhi. The ozone levels clearly exhibit a diurnal cycle, similar to what has been found in other urban places. A sharp increase in the ozone levels during forenoon and a sharp decrease in the early afternoon can be observed. The average rate of increase in ozone concentration between 09 and 12 h has been observed to be 7.1 ppb h−1. We find that the daily maximum and daytime 8-h (10–17 h) ozone levels are increasing at a rate of about 1.7 (± 0.7) and 1.3 (± 0.56) ppb y−1, respectively. The directives on ozone pollution in ambient air provided by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and World Health Organization for vegetation (AOT40) and human health protection were used to assess the air quality. The present surface ozone levels in the city are high enough to exceed “Critical Levels” which are considered to be safe for human health, vegetation and forest. The human health threshold was exceeded for up to ~45 days per year. The AOT40 (Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40 ppb) threshold was exceeded significantly during winter (D-J-F) and pre-monsoon (M-A-M) (Rabi crop growing season) season in India. Translating AOT40 exceedances during pre-monsoon into relative yield loss we estimate yield loss of 22.7%, 22.5%, 16.3% and 5.5% for wheat, cotton, soybean and rice, respectively.

Threshold exceedances and cumulative ozone exposure indices at tropical suburban site

This study provides the first analysis of threshold exceedances and cumulative ozone exposure indices from Pune, a tropical suburban site in India. We used the directives on ozone pollution in ambient air provided by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and by the World Health Organization to assess the air quality from in situ measurements of surface ozone (during the years 2003–2006). We find that the exposure‐plant response index (Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40)) and target values for protection of human health (8‐h > 60 ppb) are regularly surpassed. This is a concern for agricultural and human health. Air‐mass classification based on back‐air trajectories shows that the excess of AOT40 values is quite plausibly due to long‐range transport of background ozone and its precursors to the measurement site.

Seasonal and diurnal gas exchange differences in ozone-sensitive common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca L.) in relation to ozone uptake

Stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis of common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca L.) plants in two different soil moisture regimes were directly quantified and subsequently modeled over an entire growing season. Direct measurements captured the dynamic response of stomatal conductance to changing environmental conditions throughout the day, as well as declining gas exchange and carbon assimilation throughout the growth period beyond an early summer maximum. This phenomenon was observed in plants grown both with and without supplemental soil moisture, the latter of which should theoretically mitigate against harmful physiological effects caused by exposure to ozone. Seasonally declining rates of stomatal conductance were found to be substantial and incorporated into models, making them less susceptible to the overestimations of effective exposure that are an inherent source of error in ozone exposure indices. The species-specific evidence presented here supports the integration of dynamic physiological processes into flux-based modeling approaches for the prediction of ozone injury in vegetation.

Ozone pollution and ozone biomonitoring in European cities. Part I: Ozone concentrations and cumulative exposure indices at urban and suburban sites

In the frame of a European research project on air quality in urban agglomerations, data on ozone concentrations from 23 automated urban and suburban monitoring stations in 11 cities from seven countries were analysed and evaluated. Daily and summer mean and maximum concentrations were computed based on hourly mean values, and cumulative ozone exposure indices ( Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40), AOT20) were calculated. The diurnal profiles showed a characteristic pattern in most city centres, with minimum values in the early morning hours, a strong rise during the morning, peak concentrations in the afternoon, and a decline during the night. The widest amplitudes between minimum and maximum values were found in central and southern European cities such as Düsseldorf, Verona, Klagenfurt, Lyon or Barcelona. In the northern European cities of Edinburgh and Copenhagen, by contrast, maximum values were lower and diurnal variation was much smaller. Based on ozone concentrations as well as on cumulative exposure indices, a clear north–south gradient in ozone pollution, with increasing levels from northern and northwestern sites to central and southern European sites, was observed. Only the Spanish cities did not fit this pattern; there, ozone levels were again lower than in central European cities, probably due to the direct influence of strong car traffic emissions. In general, ozone concentrations and cumulative exposure were significantly higher at suburban sites than at urban and traffic-exposed sites. When applying the newly established European Union (EU) Directive on ozone pollution in ambient air, it was demonstrated that the target value for the protection of human health was regularly surpassed at urban as well as suburban sites, particularly in cities in Austria, France, northern Italy and southern Germany. European target values and long-term objectives for the protection of vegetation expressed as AOT40 were also exceeded at many monitoring sites.

Risk assessments for forest trees: The performance of the ozone flux versus the AOT concepts

Published ozone exposure–response relationships from experimental studies with young trees performed at different sites across Europe were re-analysed in order to test the performance of ozone exposure indices based on AOTX (Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of X nmol mol −1) and AF stY (Accumulated Stomatal Flux above a threshold of Y nmol m −2 s −1). AF st1.6 was superior, as compared to AOT40, for explaining biomass reductions, when ozone sensitive species with differing leaf morphology were included in the analysis, while this was not the case for less sensitive species. A re-analysis of data with young black cherry trees, subject to different irrigation regimes, indicated that leaf visible injuries were more strongly related to the estimated stomatal ozone uptake, as compared to the ozone concentration in the air. Experimental data with different clones of silver birch indicated that leaf thickness was also an important factor influencing the development of ozone induced leaf visible injury.

Relationships between ozone exposure and yield loss in European wheat and potato—a comparison of concentration- and flux-based exposure indices

Abstract Data from open-top chamber experiments with field grown crops, performed in Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy and Germany, were combined to derive relationships between yield and ozone exposure for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Three different exposure indices were compared: AOT40 (accumulated exposure over a threshold ozone concentration of 40 nmol mol−1), CUOt (cumulative stomatal uptake of ozone, using a constant ozone uptake rate threshold of t nmol m−2 s−1) and mAOTc0 (conductance modified AOT using a threshold concentration for ozone of c0 nmol mol−1). The latter is essentially a combination of AOT and CUO. Ozone uptake was estimated using a Jarvis-type multiplicative model for stomatal conductance. In terms of correlation between relative yield (RY) and ozone exposure, CUO5, the CUO index with an ozone uptake rate threshold of 5 nmol m−2 s−1, performed best for both wheat and potato, resulting in r2 values of 0.77 and 0.64, respectively. CUO5 performed considerably better in terms of the correlation between RY and ozone exposure, than AOT40 for wheat, while mAOT10, the best performing mAOT index in this case, was intermediate in performance for this crop. For potato, the differences between the different ozone exposure indices AOT40, CUO5 and mAOT20 (the mAOT index performing best for potato) in the correlation between RY and ozone exposure were relatively small. To test the assumption that the non-stomatal deposition of ozone was negligible for the uppermost, sunlit leaves, measurements of ozone uptake in relation to leaf conductance for water vapor of wheat leaves in a cuvette system were used. The non-stomatal deposition of ozone to the leaves turned out to be comparatively small. Based on the non-stomatal conductance (gns=15 mmol m−2 s−1) estimated for the wheat leaves in the cuvette system, it was concluded that the consequence of omitting the non-stomatal conductance is small. In conclusion the study indicated that the ozone uptake based approach showed a high degree of fitting along a north-south European transect of pedoclimatic conditions, and represents a better and more relevant approach to the quantification of ozone effects on crops growth than the use of ozone exposure indices purely based on ozone concentrations.

Growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in relation to different ozone exposure indices: a synthesis

Abstract In the Goteborg Ozone-Spruce Project (GOSP), two independent open-top chamber experiments were conducted during four growing seasons, using one clone of Norway spruce ( Picea abies ). The experiments tested the impact of ozone, alone and in combination with low phosphorus supply and in combination with drought stress, respectively, on biomass accumulation. In this paper, the results from both experiments were combined for the first time in order to analyse the relationship between relative biomass accumulation and different exposure indices (accumulated exposure over a threshold (AOT) with different cut-off concentrations, and the sum of ozone concentrations above 60 nl l −1 , referred to as SUM06). In addition, a pooled analysis was made on several European studies of Norway spruce as a first effort to synthesize independent data and test the relative growth in relation to the AOT40 index. Significant negative relationships between the relative biomass of the GOSP-clone and the different indices were obtained. AOT20 and AOT30 resulted in the highest correlations. Based on the regression model, ozone is predicted to reduce the biomass of the GOSP-clone by 1% at the critical level for forest trees in Europe, a seasonal AOT40 of 10 μl l −1 h. A significant negative relationship between relative growth and AOT40 was obtained also with the European data set. At the present ozone critical level, the model predicted a 6% reduction in growth for the most sensitive Norway spruce trees in this data set.

Clover as a tool for bioindication of phytotoxic ozone—5 years of experience from southern Sweden—consequences for the short-term critical levels

Critical levels (CLs) for ozone effects on plants in Europe have been defined within the UN-ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, CLRTAP. The purpose of the short-term CLs is to ensure protection of all crops to acute ozone injury. The currently used CLs are based on the ozone exposure of the plants during daylight hours expressed as AOT40 (Accumulated exposure Over the Threshold 40 nmol mol −1 ozone). The aims of this study were: to test the performance of the current short-term CLs, to test alternative ozone exposure indices and to test if changes in the ozone cut-off concentration, the inclusion of a lag-period (LP) between exposure and identification of visible ozone injury or the duration of the ozone integration period improved the performance of the exposure index. The analysis was based on 38 different datasets from experiments with subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum in southern Sweden. AOT indices generally performed better than averaged ozone concentrations or SUM (Sum of ozone concentrations when a threshold is exceeded) indices. Regression analysis showed that the current short-term CL, AOT40 with a VPD (water vapour pressure deficit) threshold of 1.5 kPa, explained 56% of the variation in visible injury. A longer exposure period and the introduction of a LP, admitting visible ozone injury time to develop after exposure, improved the performance of the exposure index. AOT30 accumulated over 10 days before harvest, excluding a LP of 3 days before injury observation, performed best and explained 88% of the variation in visible injury. AOT40 indices left a rather large amount of visible injury unexplained indicating that a lower cut-off concentration for ozone is preferable. The results of the investigation indicated that a visible injury threshold of 10% improved the distinction between harmful and less harmful exposure.

Biochemical changes in needles of Pinus radiata D. Don trees in relationship to long-term ozone exposure indices

Ambient concentrations of ozone in Europe are high enough to cause negative effects on vegetation. Therefore, many efforts have been made to determine exposure indices and critical levels for protection of vegetation. In this context, the choice of a suitable attribute to determine the pollutant effect is of paramount importance. Until now, much of the work has been done with attributes such as biomass or growth. In the present work correlation factors have been established between biochemical parameters (peroxidase activity, ascorbate and sulfhydryl contents) of Pinus radiata trees and exposure indices of ozone. Our results show that peroxidase cannot be used as an indicator of effects of long-term exposure to ozone but still remains as an excellent indicator of short-term ozone fluctuations in the field. Ascorbate may act as an intermediate indicator responding to both short fluctuations and long-term exposures to ozone. Finally, sulfhydryl may be used as a long-term indicator in relation to the AOT (average over threshold) exposure index. Our results also point to the fact that Pinus radiata may be affected by ozone at AOT values lower than 10 ppm.h as already observed with other tree species.