Range Transport Of Air Pollutants Research Articles

818Prediction of health effects of Asian dust using the MASINGAR in Japan

Abstract Background Health effects of cross-border air pollutants and Asian dust are of significant concern in Japan. Currently, models predicting arrival of aerosols have not investigated the association between arrival predictions and health effects. We investigated the association between subjective health symptoms and data acquired from the Japan Meteorological Agency's (JMA's) the Model of Aerosol Species in the Global Atmosphere (MASINGAR) aerosol model with the objective of ascertaining if the data could be applied for predicting health effects. Methods Subjective symptom scores were collected using self-administered questionnaires and used with JMA model’s surface concentration data to conduct a risk evaluation using multiple linear mixed model, during 2013 to 2015. Altogether, 160 individuals provided 16226 responses. Data regarding climate (temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure) and environmental factors (NO2, SO2 and Ox) were used as covariates. We calculated the association between the surface dust concentration and symptoms. Results A strong association was also observed for nasal and cough symptoms (P for trend < 0.001). The differences in scores of nasal symptoms (sneezing and runny) of the highest quartile [Q4] vs. the lowest [Q1] were 0.039 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02–0.01, p < 0.05) and 0.046 (95% CI: 0.002–0.02, p < 0.05), respectively. The differences in scores of cough symptoms were 0.036 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.002–0.01, p < 0.05). Conclusions This study suggests that predictive models for pollutants’ arrival can be used to capability to foresee and possibly prevent the health impact of long range transport of air pollutants, recommending the potential role of aerosol forecast models in health care. MASINGAR is Global Spectral Model (GSM), this have the potential that can contribute in health predictions all over the world. Key messages Asian dust, Health forecast, Allergic symptom

"Threats to Himalayan Ecosystem due to Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants and Land Use Changes"

"Threats to Himalayan Ecosystem due to Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants and Land Use Changes"

Modeled deposition of nitrogen and sulfur in Europe estimated by 14 air quality model systems: evaluation, effects of changes in emissions and implications for habitat protection

The evaluation and intercomparison of air quality models is key to reducing model errors and uncertainty. The projects AQMEII3 and EURODELTA-Trends, in the framework of the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants and the Task Force on Measurements and Modelling, respectively (both task forces under the UNECE Convention on the Long Range Transport of Air Pollution, LTRAP), have brought together various regional air quality models to analyze their performance in terms of air concentrations and wet deposition, as well as to address other specific objectives.This paper jointly examines the results from both project communities by intercomparing and evaluating the deposition estimates of reduced and oxidized nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) in Europe simulated by 14 air quality model systems for the year 2010. An accurate estimate of deposition is key to an accurate simulation of atmospheric concentrations. In addition, deposition fluxes are increasingly being used to estimate ecological impacts. It is therefore important to know by how much model results differ and how well they agree with observed values, at least when comparison with observations is possible, such as in the case of wet deposition.This study reveals a large variability between the wet deposition estimates of the models, with some performing acceptably (according to previously defined criteria) and others underestimating wet deposition rates. For dry deposition, there are also considerable differences between the model estimates. An ensemble of the models with the best performance for N wet deposition was made and used to explore the implications of N deposition in the conservation of protected European habitats. Exceedances of empirical critical loads were calculated for the most common habitats at a resolution of 100 × 100 m2 within the Natura 2000 network, and the habitats with the largest areas showing exceedances are determined.Moreover, simulations with reduced emissions in selected source areas indicated a fairly linear relationship between reductions in emissions and changes in the deposition rates of N and S. An approximate 20 % reduction in N and S deposition in Europe is found when emissions at a global scale are reduced by the same amount. European emissions are by far the main contributor to deposition in Europe, whereas the reduction in deposition due to a decrease in emissions in North America is very small and confined to the western part of the domain. Reductions in European emissions led to substantial decreases in the protected habitat areas with critical load exceedances (halving the exceeded area for certain habitats), whereas no change was found, on average, when reducing North American emissions in terms of average values per habitat.

Assessment of contribution to PM10 concentrations from long range transport of pollutants using WRF/Chem over a subtropical urban airshed

A regional chemical transport model was implemented to simulate the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10) concentration in order to study the impact of long–range transport of air pollutants over megacity Delhi with due consideration to different geographical domains extending up to entire Asia and corresponding emissions. PM10 concentration levels over megacity Delhi remain persistently high, often exceeding the ambient air quality standards. A chemical transport model namely Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model Version 3.2 coupled with chemistry module (WRF/Chem) was utilized with nested domains for this purpose, subsequent to model evaluation for the period during June, 2010 that includes extremely high PM10 concentrations. A highly satisfactory model performance was interpreted based on the several statistical parameters as per the current state of the science and their recommended values. Based on model simulations representing different geographical domains encompassing Asia, India, North India and Delhi and their corresponding emissions, it was clearly reflected that contributions due to emissions of the megacity Delhi alone is 11%–41% and thus remaining (59%–89%) proportion is expected to be contributed from the sources outside of the Delhi region which is significant. It is demonstrated that the WRF/Chem model performs well for a sub–tropical urban airshed though there is scope of improvement for the consistent under– prediction with more refined emission inventories. Nevertheless, this model could be implemented to assess the long– range transport of pollutants so as to adequately address the influence of the remote sources outside the urban airshed. This can serve as an important tool towards planning and implementing the regulatory policies for air pollution control for more effective outcomes.

Integrated assessment models—tools for developing emission abatement strategies for the Black Triangle region

International agreements to reduce the long range transport of air pollutants have usually consisted of fixed percentage reductions in the emissions of the signatory countries. Clearly the sensitivity of different ecosystems to certain pollutants varies widely across Europe and so it follows that a more cost-effective way of minimising environmental damage is by selectively reducing the emissions in certain countries and regions. To this end integrated assessment models where used to help formulate the second sulphur protocol [UN–ECE EB.AIR/R.84, 1994] which derived cost-effective strategies for reducing SO 2 emissions from coal-fired power stations across Europe. In this current work similar methodologies where used to derive abatement strategies for the heavily polluted Black Triangle region of eastern Europe, i.e. the region contained along the mutual borders of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. This work was performed at a much finer resolution than that used during the UN–ECE work, such that specific emission sources could be identified for abatement. The integrated assessment models developed for this work used either critical loads maps, land use maps and population data to identify the ecosystems and people most exposed to air pollution. The models where developed so as to be fully integrated within a geographical information system (GIS), so that data inputs and model results could be easily analysed and displayed. Such a system provides a means whereby policy makers can easily devise and compare emission abatement strategies for the Black Triangle region.

Canadian forest service's participation in check sample programs over a 25‐year period

To ensure that a laboratory produces credible analytical results, it is important to participate in collaborative studies utilizing check samples as a method of implementing a quality control procedure. This paper describes the following twelve check sample programs in which the Canadian Forest Service has participated during a 25‐year period to ensure that it produces high quality analytical results: Acid Rain Direct/ Delayed Response Project, Alberta Institute of Pedology, AOAC INTERNATIONAL, Canada Soil Survey Committee, Energy Resources Conservation Board, Expert Committee on Soil Survey, International Soil‐analytical Exchange, International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, Laboratory Exchange, Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants, Utah State University, and Western Enviro‐Agricultural Laboratory Association.

32P-postlabeling analysis of aromatic DNA-adducts in liver and brain of wild brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis)

Several studies have reported the absence of DNA-adducts in fish collected from unpolluted areas. We determined DNA-adduct levels in liver and brain tissue of wild brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis) from remote areas of Newfoundland and sub-arctic Labrador, that have no known input of anthropogenic contamination. Varying levels of adducts were detected in both liver and brain, at all locations. Hepatic adduct levels were generally higher than those in brain tissue. Tissue-specific differences in adduct levels and the possible effects of long range transport of air pollutants (LRTAP) are discussed.

Book reviews

RAPE OF THE WILD. MAN'S VIOLENCE AGAINST ANIMALS AND THE EARTH, by A. Collard with J. Contrucci, Women's Press, London, 1988, 187 pp. (£5.95) SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, edited by R. Kerry Turner, Bellhaven Press Boulder, Co; Westview Press, London, 1988, published in association with the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK. (£27.50) THE ECONOMY OF THE EARTH, by M. Sagoff, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988, 271pp. (£25) ECOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE THIRD WORLD, by A. Gupta, Routledge, London and New York, 1988, 80 pp. (£5.95) AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR EUROPE, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1987, 426 pp. (Sw.F. 60) REGIONAL AND LONG RANGE TRANSPORT OF AIR POLLUTION, edited by S. Sandroni, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1987, 510 pp., index ($170) LAKE ACIDIFICATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1800–1986, Evidence from Analysis of Lake Sediments, by R. W. Batterbee, N. J. Anderson, P. G. Appleby, R. J. Flower, S. C. Fritz, E. Y. Haworth, S. Higgitt, V. J. Jones, A. Kreiser, M. A. R. Munro, J. Natkanski, F. Oldfield, S. T. Patrick, N. G. Richardson, B. Rippey and A. C. Stevenson, Palaeoecology Research Unit, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, 1988, 67 pp. (Prepared for the Department of the Environment and published by ENSIS Publishing, 3 Cintra Park, London SE19 2LH) (£8) ACIDIFICATION IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES SCOPE 36, edited by Henning Rodhe and Rafael Herrera, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1988. 405 pp. (£65, hardback) TOXIC CONTAMINATION IN LARGE LAKES, PROCEEDINGS OF WORLD CONFERENCE ON LARGE LAKES, MACKINAC ‘86. Volume I Chronic Effects of Toxic Contaminants in Large Lakes, 364 pp.; Volume II Impact of Toxic Contaminants on Fisheries Management, 330 pp.; Volume III Sources, Fate, and Controls of Toxic Contaminants, 440 pp.; Volume IV Prevention of Toxic Contamination in Large Lakes, 321 pp.; edited by Norbert W. Schmidtke, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, USA 1988 (£158.60 for set, hardback) THE PROVIDENT SEA, by D. H. Cushing, Cambridge U.P., Cambridge, 1988, 329 pp. index (£37.50) AIR POLLUTION IN EUROPE, edited by B. Rhode, Vol. I Western Europe. European Coordination Centre for Research and Documentation in the Social Sciences, Vienna, 1988, 193 pp. (no price given) ILL WINDS. AIRBORNE POLLUTION'S TOLL ON TREES AND CROPS, by J. J. Mackenzie and M. T. El‐Ashry, World Resources Institute, Washington D.C., 1988. 74 pp. ($10) THE DARKNESS IS LIGHT ENOUGH, by C. Ferris, Sphere Books, London, 1988, 405 pp. [first published by Michael Joseph, 1986] (£4.50) ENVIRONMENTAL ATLAS FOR BEAUFORT SEA OIL SPILL RESPONSE, by D. Dickins et al., for Environment Canada, D. F. Dickins Associates, Vancouver, 1987, iii + 182 pp. + 61 pp. of appendices (no price given) PEOPLE OF THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST, edited by J. S. Denslow and J. Padoch, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles and London, in association with Smithsonian Institution Travelling Exhibition Service, Washington, D.C., 1988, 232 pp. (Hardback $35.90; paperback $19.50) RECENT CLIMATIC CHANGE, edited by Stanley Gregory, Belhaven Press, London, 1988, 326 pp. (£33) COASTAL METEOROLOGY, by S‐A. Hsu, Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Cal., 1988, 260 pp. ($39.50) SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING—AN INTRODUCTION, by Ray Harris, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London and New York, 1987, 220 pp. (£10.95) PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTIETH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT, 4–10 December 1986 (Nairobi, Kenya), Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, P.O. Box 8618, Ann Arbor, MI 48107–8618, USA, 1987 (no price given) PLANT WATCHING: HOW PLANTS LIVE, FEEL AND WORK, by Malcolm Wilkins, MacMillan, London, 1988, 207 pp. (£14.95) THE SEAWEED HANDBOOK: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO SEAWEEDS FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO THE ARCTIC, by Thomas F. Lee, Dover Publications Inc., New York, v + 217 pp. 1986, (£4.75) CHESHIRE AND BURN'S MODERN LAW OF REAL PROPERTY, 14th ed., by E. H. Burn, Butterworths, London and Edinburgh, 1988, 974 pp. (£23.95) ELEMENTS OF LAND LAW, by Kevin J. Gray, Butterworths, London, 1987, 1094 pp. (£22.95) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND HIGHWAY PLANNING: A Comparative case study analysis of the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany, by William V. Kennedy, edition sigma, Berlin, 1986, 239 pp. (no price given)

The Effect of Tall Stacks on the Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants

Tall stacks are an effective means of reducing ground level concentrations near to sources, though they do not reduce the total burden of pollution in the atmosphere. In recent discussions of the acid rain question it has often been assumed that the use of tall stacks has had an adverse effect by allowing material to spread more widely in the atmosphere. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of height of SO/sub 2/ emission releases on total sulfur deposition using a simple calculation.

Atmospheric concentrations of chlordane at Mould Bay, N.W.T., Canada

Chlordane and nonachlors isomers in the range 0.1 – 1.8 pg/m 3 were measured in the Canadian Arctic in June-July 1984. Implications regarding input to Arctic biota are discussed. Long range transport of air pollution to the remotest parts of the globe is no longer surprising to most atmospheric scientists. Pollution from mid-latitudes has been detected in the Arctic for a number of years 1. The detection of chlorinated pesticides and hydrocarbons in Arctic fauna 2 and Antarctic fauna 3 naturally prompted suspicions of long-range transport of airborne pollutants as a possible source. In this paper, we will report the detection of gas phase chlordane isomers at Mould Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada during the summer of 1984. Mould Bay is a isolated 12 person meteorological outpost on Melville Island (76.5°N, 118°W). Arctic haze has been monitored at this site since 1979 4 5. It is believed that Mould Bay is quite representative of the Canadian Arctic archepelago in general, as little difference in air concentrations of sulphate aerosol is seen between Mould Bay, Alert and Igloolik, N.W.T. 5 This wide spatial homogeneity of the Arctic air mass prompted the Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) to decommission two air monitoring stations, Mould Bay and Igloolik, in 1984. At the decommissioning of the Mould Bay sampler, we converted the high-volume sampler for a short study of organics using glass fibre filters and polyurethane foam plugs 6.

The statistics of chemical trace concentrations in the steady state

The steady state probability distribution of chemical tracers in the atmosphere and in rain can be calculated from stochastic models, under explicit assumptions. We compare predictions from two such models, one based upon a linear stochastic equation in which random removal events … or storms … form a Poisson process, and the other based upon multiplicative random processes which produce a lognormal distribution. The two models predict different shapes for the resulting distributions of concentrations and fluxes of atmospheric tracers such as sulfates in ‘acid rain’. Consequently, estimates of the frequencies of extreme events, if based upon an assumed parametric form of a distribution function whose parameters are fitted by measurements of typical events, are model sensitive. To establish a preferred model for wet deposition, we have examined the statistics of sulfate deposition from the “European Network for the Study of Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants” (LRTAP), during the years 1973–1975. The shapes of the distributions of airborne sulfur species (SO 2+ SO 4 2−), and of raincarried sulfate fluxes to the ground, are between those predicted by the two models. Our results are of operational significance to efforts directed to establishing national standards for rain quality.

First European Conference on Acid Rain Göteborg, Sweden, May 1981

The authors take the view that national energy policy and the long range transport of air pollution are interrelated, and show that there is a tendency for technical issues to be subordinated to political considerations.

Pollution Abatement Costs in the Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales

Electricity generation from fossil fuels leads to the emission of a number of pollutants to the atmosphere. These include sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and particulates. In the U.K. a 2000MW power station burning coal with an average sulphur content of approximately 1.5 per cent would emit 130,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide (SO2) per annum and 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. ' In recent years in the U.K., Western Europe and the U.S.A. considerable attention has been given to problems arising from the emission of sulphur oxides. A principal reason for this is that, whilst the use of tall stacks is effective in alleviating local effects, sulphur oxides may be transported over long distances and may have an impact on distant environments possibly outside national boundaries. The concern is therefore with the aggregate volume of SO 2 emitted. Examples of transboundary pollution include deposition of sulphur compounds in Scandinavia which are partly the result of emissions from France, Germany and the U. K. and depositions in New England resuiting from emissions in States to the West. Although there is substantial evidence that sulphur dioxide and sulphate levels in the atmosphere have increased in recent years and that these compounds can travel hundreds of miles, 2 there is less firm agreement about their effects on the environment. For a number of reasons, the identification and measurement of any benefit from SO 2 abatement pose formidable problems. 3 In such circumstances estimates of the cost of abatement are an important input to decision making. This paper is concerned with the costs of abating SO 2 emissions from Central Electricity Generating Board (C. E. G. B.) power stations in England and Wales. The approach taken is to estimate the least cost methods, given various possible abatement technologies, for reducing aggregate C.E.G.B. emissions of SO2 to * Acknowledgement is made to the Social Science Research Council for the provision of a research grant to study the effects on electricity prices of the imposition of notional standards for the control of sulphur dioxide emissions from power stations in England and Wales. Only the authors are responsible for the views expressed in this paper. ' These figures assume that the power station operates at 60 per cent load factor. This would imply a rate of coal consumption of about 4.4 million tonnes per annum. 2 The OECD Programme on Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants, Measurements and Find ings, [8]. See Pickles and Proctor, [101.

OECD PROGRAM ON LONG RANGE TRANSPORT OF AIR POLLUTANTS—MEASUREMENTS FROM AIRCRAFT

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 338, Issue 1 p. 453-462 OECD PROGRAM ON LONG RANGE TRANSPORT OF AIR POLLUTANTS—MEASUREMENTS FROM AIRCRAFT Y. Gotaas, Y. Gotaas Norwegian Institute for Air Research N-2001 Lillestrøm, NorwaySearch for more papers by this author Y. Gotaas, Y. Gotaas Norwegian Institute for Air Research N-2001 Lillestrøm, NorwaySearch for more papers by this author First published: May 1980 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1980.tb17139.xCitations: 3AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume338, Issue1Aerosols: Anthropogenic and Natural, Sources and TransportMay 1980Pages 453-462 RelatedInformation

An assessment of the OECD study on long range transport of air pollutants (LRTAP)

Based on a survey of the sulphur emission in Europe and measurements at about 70 ground stations and by aircraft, atmospheric dispersion models have been used to evaluate the long range transfer of sulphur pollutants in Europe. The annual mean sulphur dioxide concentrations range from ~ 20 μg m −3 in rural areas close to the major source regions to ~2 μg m −3 in remote areas of the northern and western Europe. The annual mean aerosol sulphate concentrations are lower, ~10 μg m −3 and fall off more gently to ~0.5 μg m −3 in remote areas. The pattern of wet deposition shows enhanced values in areas exposed to polluted air masses and locally increased precipitation. Qualitatively the main features of the concentration fields are reproduced by the model calculations, but full quantitative agreement cannot be expected because of the many approximations made. However, on an annual basis, a correlation coefficient of 0.9 was obtained between observed and calculated values. Estimates of the annual transfer of pollutants from one country to other countries are given for 1974. These amounts are, however, dependent on variations in the annual weather pattern. Future plans for monitoring and evaluation of the long range transport of air pollutants in Europe are outlined. Experience indicates that considerable improvements could probably be obtained by introducing more detailed formulations of the chemical reactions and deposition processes in the atmospheric dispersion models.

The oecd study of long range transport of air pollutants: Long range transport modelling

A Lagrangian-type model has been used to quantify long range transport of sulphur over Europe on an annual basis (1974). Basic model assumptions are discussed. Calculated concentrations of sulphur dioxide and paniculate sulphate are compared with observations. The agreement is variable for daily values, but better for annual averages. A sulphur dry deposition pattern for Europe for 1974 is estimated from the calculated annual mean concentration field. A corresponding wet deposition pattern is estimated by an indirect method, in which the annual mean concentration of sulphate in precipitation is approximated by calculated air concentrations of particulate sulphate. The estimated total amounts of dry and wet deposition within the area considered (9 M km 2) are about 11 Mt and 6 Mt S respectively, as compared to a total emission of 20 Mt.

Long range transport of air pollutants.

Long range transport of air pollutants.

Organization of long range transport of air pollution monitoring in Europe

In the 1950's a network of stations for observation of the chemical composition of air and precipitation was established in Europe. Analysing these data, Oden in 1968, was able to show that a central area in Europe with highly acid precipitation was expanding from year to year. This was further substantiated by Granat in 1972, and the explanation is the increasing use of fossil fuels in Europe. In 1969, the problem was examined by OECD, and on the initiative of the Scandinavian countries, a joint research programme to study the long range transport of air pollutants was started in 1972. The Programme will be completed with a final report in 1976. In this programme, atmospheric dispersion models are used to describe emission, dispersion and deposition of sulphur dioxide and sulphate with particular emphasis on the acidification of the precipitation. An emission field has been constructed for Europe, and data from the European weather forecasting system are used for the dispersion calculations. Calculated concentrations and deposition are compared with data from about 70 ground stations and measurements from aircraft. Results show that the main cause for acidification of precipitation is the increasing use of fossil fuels. Large amounts of sulphuric acid can be transported over distances up to a few thousand kilometers. In Southern Scandinavia where the soil is highly acid (podsol), this has caused severe damage to life in rivers and lakes, and it is feared that in the future, there will be serious damage to forestry. In the Alps, where the soil has a high carbonate content, such effects are not expected. The long range transport of air pollutants has also been shown to increase the corrosion of materials. Work is now in progress to establish a more permanent system for the monitoring of air pollutants in Europe. The first plans for such a system were presented at the meeting in Oslo in December 1974, where countries from both Eastern and Western Europe participated. The work is supported by the Economic Commission for Europe, UN, in cooperation with other international organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization and the GEMS programme of the United Nations Environment Programme. In this connection, studies have also been taken up in several countries concerning the effects of the long range transport of air pollutants. In the future monitoring system, a coordination of these efforts is envisaged.

Long range transport of air pollutants in Europe and acid precipitation in Norway

Observations show that pollutants from large emission sources may cause significant air concentrations 500 to 1000 mi away. Very acid precipitation occurs in such periods. The scavenging is often intensified by the topography. Case studies will be presented with special emphasis on acid precipitation in Scandinavia. Large scale dispersion models have been developed recently in order to estimate the long range transport of air pollutants. The models take into account chemical transformations as well as deposition of pollutants. The calculations will be compared with observations from airplanes and surface stations. A simple model has been integrated over a long period of time in order to derive the best value for the decay rate of SO2. This best value is based on a day-by-day comparison with surface observations.

Transport of pollutants considered from the point of view of a short and medium-range material balance

Episodical long range transport is the quasi-instantaneous peak event. It does not express the total dosage of pollutant carried over from the source area to some distant place. The purpose of the present paper is to obtain an average material balance of a pollutant leaving a given area. Available information from the OECD `Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants' is being used for this purpose. The IRCHA is one of the laboratories participating in this project.