Reduce Air Pollution Research Articles

Association of Respiratory Morbidities with Particulate Air Pollution in Delhi, India- A Prospective Study

Abstract Background: Elevated levels of air pollution and long-term exposure can lead to detrimental health conditions, mainly affecting cardiorespiratory systems. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in five sampled hospitals in Delhi. A pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was filled out for each patient with data from hospital records. The admission rates were recorded daily over the study period along with the air quality with reference to particulate matter (PM). The trends of the hospital admissions for respiratory morbidity were corroborated with PM 2.5. Descriptive statistics and correlation amongst emergency admissions and air pollutants were analysed using Microsoft Excel. The impact of air quality on the rate of hospitalisation due to respiratory conditions was projected by mathematical modelling. Results: The rate of hospitalisation due to bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and lower respiratory tract infections was found to be directly proportional to an increase in PM2.5. Conclusion: The healthcare system is increasingly strained and thus, the additional burden due to rising air pollution needs to be prevented by making people aware about the methods of reducing air pollution.

Potential drivers of urban green space availability in Latin American cities

AbstractUrban green spaces play a critical role in regulating air temperature, reducing air pollution and enhancing people’s well being. Yet, existing data and research on potential drivers of urban green space availability in Latin America are limited. Here, focusing on 371 large cities in 11 countries in Latin America, we described the total and per capita variability of urban green space, its spatial configuration and green urban parks across the categories of cities’ natural, built and socioeconomic environments. We tested the relative importance of geographic (climate) versus city-level built environment (population, population density, street intersection density) and socioeconomic (city gross domestic product per capita, unemployment, education) drivers in explaining urban green space availability. We found a high level of heterogeneity in green space quantity across cities and across categories of cities’ environments. Relative to other city factors, climate zone had the largest influence in explaining the quantity of green space, whereas education, street intersection density and population density were the most important drivers of urban park availability. The significance of climate for green space availability, combined with the inequitable quantity of green space, indicates that cities have differing capacities to implement nature-based solutions for heat mitigation and health promotion.

Do government environmental audits reduce air pollution? Evidence obtained from Lanzhou

IntroductionThis study investigates the effectiveness of government environmental audits in mitigating air pollution. Specifically, it focuses on a pilot project conducted in Lanzhou City by the former Ministry of Environmental Protection. The research employs a regression discontinuity design to empirically assess the impact of these audits on air quality.MethodsThe study utilizes a regression discontinuity design to evaluate the impact of the government environmental audits. The primary outcome variable is the Air Quality Index (AQI). The analysis includes extensive robustness checks, such as sensitivity testing for optimal bandwidths of key pollutants, adjusting for precipitation levels, and conducting various robustness tests to ensure the reliability of the results.ResultsThe findings reveal a significant decline in the AQI following the implementation of the environmental audits. The AQI decreased from 31 to 25 during and after the audit period. Additionally, the study observed a notable increase in precipitation levels, suggesting potential environmental improvements. Robustness tests further confirm the reliability of the regression results.DiscussionThe research outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of government environmental audits in reducing air pollution. By supervising local governments in the implementation of environmental protection policies, these audits contribute to improved air quality. The findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions and policy enforcement in addressing environmental challenges.

Effect of the Activator Type on the Microstructure and Properties of the Vanadizing Layer on the Surface of GCr15 Steel

This research aims to replace the activator NH4Cl in a vanadizing agent and reduce air pollution and harm to the human body. This study adopts powder pack cementation to prepare the vanadizing layer on the surface of GCr15 steel, focusing on the influence of the activator types (NH4Cl, CuCl, CuCl+Cr powder, and CuCl+Ni powder) on the structure and properties of the vanadizing layer on the surface of GCr15 steel. The results show that the vanadizing layer is prepared on the surface of GCr15 steel with different activators and that they are closely bonded to the matrix. The main phase composition of the vanadizing layer is VCx, and it has a preferred orientation on the (111) crystal surface. When the type of activator is NH4Cl, the prepared vanadizing layer has a lower friction factor. When the activator type is CuCl+Cr powder, the prepared vanadizing layer has less inclusions, the thickness of the vanadizing layer is the highest at 10.87 μm, and the hardness is the highest at 2331.7HV. Considering the thickness of the layer, the hardness, and the wear resistance, the best performance of the vanadizing layer was obtained when the activators were CuCl+Cr powder.

Hydrogen Sulphide Inhibition in Cattle Slurry by Use of an Oxygen Based Slurry Amendment

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a malodorous gas that is produced in anaerobic environments where sulphur containing matter is present. Globally, farms in which liquid manure/slurry is stored is a source of H2S which can lead to many acute and chronic health problems and even death. Farming is one of the most dangerous professions globally and reducing the risk of sulphide poisoning on farms will help ensure a safer work environment. The inhibition of H2S production from cattle slurry may also reduce air pollution. In this study, a series of slurry storage experiments were conducted. The first experiment treated 20L of cattle slurry bi-monthly using a mix of hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide as well as calcium chloride, while the second experiment treated 660L in which the same treatments and schedule were used. A small-scale storage trial was carried out over 29 days in which slurry was treated as before and sulphate concentrations were measured repeatedly. A maximum inhibition of H2S concentrations of 87% and 81% was recorded from the 20L and the 660L storage experiments, respectively. The treatment did not affect sulphate concentrations in slurry which are critical for plant growth.

Exposure to household air pollution and childhood multimorbidity risk in Jimma, Ethiopia

BackgroundChildhood multimorbidity, characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple medical conditions in children, is a global concern. Notably, exposure to household air pollution has been linked to various health issues, particularly affecting vulnerable segments of the population residing in poorly ventilated homes. However, evidence regarding the impact of household air pollution on the risk of multimorbidity in low-income settings remains scarce. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between household air pollution and childhood multimorbidity in Jimma, Ethiopia.MethodsA comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 280 children under the age of five who lived in households using solid fuel (n = 140) and clean fuel (n = 140). The Demographic Health Survey morbidity questionnaire was used to collect information from mothers about common childhood illnesses. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the relationship between the use of solid fuel for cooking in households and the likelihood of childhood multimorbidity. In addition, Poisson regression estimation was used to determine if exposure to solid fuel could increase the number of morbidities.ResultsThe overall prevalence of childhood multimorbidity was 34.3% [95% CI: 0.29–0.40]. Among these cases, 23.9% were among children from solid fuel user households, whereas about 10.4% were from clean fuel user households. Adjusted for all possible socioeconomic, demographic, water, sanitation, hygiene, and health care covariates, children living in solid fuel user households had more than three times the odds of childhood multimorbidity compared to children living in clean fuel user households (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI [1.42–6.95], p < 0.001). Moreover, household air pollution from solid fuel use was positively associated with an increased number of individual morbidity conditions, with an adjusted β coefficient of 0.46 (IRR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.17–2.13], p = 0.003).ConclusionSolid fuel use was an independent predictor of childhood morbidity risk. Efficient policies and strategies, such as the integration of environmental regulation policies into the healthcare system aimed at the reduction of harmful air pollutants and their adverse health effects on children, need to be implemented.

Development of Particulate Matter Concentration Estimation Models for Road Sections Based on Micro-Data

With increasing global concerns related to global warming, air pollution, and environmental health, South Korea is actively implementing various particulate matter (PM) reduction policies to improve air quality. Accurate data analysis, including the investigation of weather phenomena, monitoring, and integrated prediction, is essential for effective PM reduction. However, the factors influencing the PM generated from domestic road sections have not yet been systematically analyzed, and currently, no predictive models utilize weather and traffic data. This study analyzed the correlations among factors influencing PM to develop models for estimating fine and coarse PM (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively) concentrations in road sections. Regression analysis models were used to assess the sensitivity of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations to the traffic volume, whereas machine learning-based models, including linear regression, convolutional neural networks, and random forest models, were constructed and compared. The random forest models outperformed the other models, with coefficients of determination of 0.74 and 0.71 and mean absolute errors of 5.78 and 9.60 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. These results indicate that the random forest model provides the most accurate PM concentration estimates for road sections. The practical applications of the developed models were considered to inform effective transportation policies aimed at reducing PM. The developed model has practical applications in the formulation of transportation policies aimed at reducing PM. In particular, the model will play an important role in data-driven policymaking for sustainable urban development and environmental protection. By analyzing the correlation between traffic volume and weather conditions, policymakers can formulate more effective and sustainable strategies for reducing air pollution.

Who takes the lead: Synergistic emission reduction effects of proactive government and efficient market in atmospheric pollution mitigation

In environmental protection, government and market forces must work together. However, existing literature often separates the two and discusses their roles independently. Therefore, this study incorporates both the market and government into a unified analytical framework. It redefines government force as environmental regulation and market force as allocation efficiency in environmental protection. The study empirically examines the synergistic emission reduction effects of active government and efficient market on air pollution, using data from 272 prefectural-level cities in China from 2003 to 2019. The results show: (1) Both government and market interventions can significantly reduce air pollution levels, and their combination achieves a synergistic emission reduction effect.(2) Within this synergy, government intervention remains dominant, while the market plays a supportive role. (3) Analyzing the heterogeneous effects under different scenarios reveals that collaboration and mutual monitoring between the government and the market can effectively counteract the adverse effects of economic policy uncertainty and corruption on the environment. Furthermore, when a single entity undertakes environmental protection, it may encounter issues of diminishing effectiveness over time. However, the synergistic effects of government and market cooperation can mitigate these challenges. (4) The synergy exhibits a threshold effect based on the varying strengths of government and market forces. (5) Public participation enhances the synergistic emission reduction effect of government and market, acting as a vital complement to their environmental protection efforts. This study provides new empirical evidence on the synergistic effect of current environmental protection measures in improving air pollution control.

Indoor air-pollutant reduction performance of photocatalytic ventilation system in apartments

Indoor air-pollutant reduction performance of photocatalytic ventilation system in apartments

Urban transformation interventions for the promotion of active home-school mobility: overview

Abstract Background Active home-school mobility can contribute to a series of benefits, both for the health of children and adolescents (higher levels of physical activity, better cardio-metabolic profile, better school performance), and for the health of the general population and of environment (reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions). An overview of systematic reviews (RS) was conducted in order to evaluate mainly the effectiveness of interventions promoting active home-school mobility on physical activity, overweight/obesity, well-being and reduction of road accidents in children and adolescents. Methods The bibliographic search was carried out on the following databases: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL, without any limits. Endnote software was used for the systematic reviews (SRs) selection. Data relating to the main characteristics and results of the SRs were extracted. The assessment of the methodological quality of the SRs was carried out using the “Health Evidence™ Quality Assessment Tool”. Results On the basis of the relevance and adherence to the research PICO, n. 12 systematic literature reviews evaluating effects of interventions of interest in the study population. The strategies took multiple levels into consideration, i.e. they aimed at organizing the home-school journey to encourage active mobility, as well as training and information aimed at the population under study for the promotion of physical activity. Conclusions Combined interventions appear more effective in promoting active home-school mobility with a better impact on increasing physical activity levels. Further high quality studies are necessary to investigate the impact of these interventions also on the reduction of incidence of overweight/obesity and in terms of school performance. Key messages • Policy makers should promote programs to increase active home-school transport. • Further high quality studies are necessary to investigate the impact of these interventions also on the reduction of incidence of overweight/obesity and in terms of school performance.

Climate Change, Air Pollution, African Dust Impacts on Public Health and Sustainability in Europe

Abstract Climate change poses a significant threat to environmental sustainability and public health, leading to extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss. Research on air pollution from African dust adversely associated with climate change highlights its significant role in trapping heat in the atmosphere and causing heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular disorders, and respiratory ailments. Smog, dust, acid rain, and ozone depletion also negatively impact ecosystems. The methods of the study also include the dynamics of climate change-induced air pollution. The implications for public health and environmental sustainability through GWR modeling and MODIS-NDVI analysis of controlling air pollution are crucial for reducing the climate crisis, safeguarding public health, and maintaining ecosystem sustainability. Results from particulate matter (PM 2.5-10), which consists of tiny particles with varying diameters, can enter the respiratory system through inhalation. This can lead to a diameter of less than 10 μm (PM 2.5-10). According to the relevant legislation, the limit value refers to the daily average value and must not exceed 50 μg/m3. While ozone in the stratosphere serves a protective function against ultraviolet radiation, excessive levels at ground level can be harmful and have been recorded in atmospheric samples ranging from 146.6 μg/m3 up to 702.3 μg/m3. impacting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Policy leaders, businesses, and individuals need to be proactive in reducing air pollution, adopting clean energy technology, and implementing stricter pollution rules. Stricter pollution rules, environmentally friendly transportation choices, and the adoption of clean energy technology. The sustainability of the ecosystem and public health are significantly impacted by climate change linked to air pollution. To solve these global problems and move toward a healthier, cleaner future for future generations, we must act now on climate justice. Key messages • Examine the impact of African dust air pollution on public health and its significant impacts from climate change, provide solutions to mitigate its effects on environmental sustainability in Europe. • Public health workers, Policymakers and stakeholders must prioritize reducing emissions and enforcing strict air quality laws to mitigate the negative impact of African dust on European populations.

Is health being considered by funding towards climate adaptation and mitigation?

Abstract Introduction Funding is essential to build climate resilience in public health and healthcare systems and enable populations to adapt to the increasing impacts on climate change on health across the globe. This study aimed to investigate how health has been considered by the projects supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), created by the Paris Agreement to support climate adaptation and mitigation. Methods Adaptation, mitigation, and cross-cutting projects funded by the GCF between 2021 and 2023 were included. Information was collected for the percentage of funding allocated to health adaptation by cross-cutting and adaptation projects. For mitigation projects, information was extracted on the extent to which health co-benefits were considered. Results The 69 adaptation and cross-cutting projects funded by the GCF in 2021-2023 contributed $226 million towards adaptation, of which $59 (26%) million were for health adaptation. There was an increase in the funding provided by the GCF to adaptation from $1 million in 2021 to $156 million in 2023. Funding for health adaptation increased from $178,000 in 2021 to $42 million in 2023. Of the co-funding provided by beneficiaries, $637 million contributed to adaptation and $165 (26%) million to health adaptation. There was an increase in co-funding for adaptation provided by beneficiaries from $131 million in 2022 to $506 million in 2023, with funding for health adaptation increasing from $23 (18%) million to $142 (28%) million. Among the 48 mitigation and cross-cutting projects, 15 did not mention health, 13 mentioned did not correctly articulate health co-benefits, 11 identified specific health co-benefits, and 9 correctly labelled and measured health co-benefits. The main co-benefits derived from reducing air pollution. Conclusions Among the projects funded by the GCF, funding for health adaptation remains a small proportion of the adaptation funding and health co-benefits are rarely considered by mitigation projects. Key messages • The proportion of adaptation funding provided for the health sector remains low. • Health co-benefits are seldom considered and measured by climate mitigation projects.

Assessment of eco-environment quality using multi-source remote sensing data

ABSTRACT Accurate analysis of regional eco-environment quality (EEQ) changes is essential for urban sustainability. Most of the widely used EEQ indicators ignore the impact of air pollution caused by urbanization and economic growth. This study proposed a remote sensing-based approach using a time-series comprehensive evaluation index (CEI), which was developed by PM2.5 concentration, Land surface temperature (LST), and vegetation coverage (VC) to assess the EEQ in the Demonstration Zone of Green and Integrated Ecological Development of The Yangtze River Delta (demonstration zone) from 2000 to 2020. The EEQ changes of all districts and townships were classified into five levels. The results suggested that from 2000 to 2020, the CEI was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) in the demonstration zone, indicating an overall improvement of the EEQ. Differences in the mean annual CEI values and EEQ changes were found among districts and to wnships. Higher CEI values, which indicated a lower degree of EEQ were found in areas where build-up land comprised a higher percentage of the total area. Townships with degraded EEQ change exhibited a higher percentage of increase in build-up land (32.3%) than others (8.67% to 16.68%) from 2000 to 2020. Moreover, the change of annual CEI at the administrative district scale was found to be strongly correlated with the proportion of the secondary sector in GDP in three districts. The results of our study indicated the importance of land use optimization, air pollution reduction, and vegetation coverage enhancement to improve the regional EEQ in the urban wetland ecosystems with rapid urbanization.

Benefits of hypothetical air pollution reduction interventions on NCDs in Belgium

Abstract Background The adverse health impact of air pollution on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is well documented, yet methodological tools for assessing the potential health benefits of interventions are lacking. This study uses a parametric g-computation approach to evaluate the impact of hypothetical interventions targeting long-term air pollution exposure on reducing NCDs prevalence in Belgium, using data from three national Health Interview Surveys (BHIS 2008-2013-2018). Methods BHIS data (n = 27,536) were linked to environmental data at participants’ residential addresses. A g-computation approach was used to calculate the potential impact fractions of air quality interventions on several NCDs. Regression models were adjusted for socio-economic, environmental and lifestyle factors. The scenarios involved reducing individual long-term air pollution exposure to WHO air quality guideline levels, followed by investigating dose-response functions through various percentage reductions in air pollution exposure. Results Significant associations were found between air pollution and asthma, stroke, and multimorbidity. Adhering to WHO air quality guidelines would substantially reduce stroke risk in Belgium by 0.87% (95% CI:0.38; 1.35) for PM2.5 and 0.32% (95% CI:-0.05; 0.70) for NO2, preventing 63% and 22% of cases, respectively. For asthma, risk reduction was 1.43% (95% CI:-0.53; 3.4) for PM2.5 and 0.83% (95% CI: 0.01; 1.63) for NO2, preventing 27% and 16% of cases, respectively. For multimorbidity, risk reduction was 3.20 % (95% CI: -1.75; 8.16) for PM2.5 and 0.43% (95% CI:-2.03; 2.90) for NO2, preventing 7% and 0.4% of cases, respectively. Results revealed a clear dose-response association between air pollution reduction and the prevalence of stroke, asthma, and multimorbidity in Belgium. Conclusions This study demonstrates that air pollution reduction interventions could effectively decrease the prevalence of asthma, stroke, and multimorbidity in Belgium. Key messages • Air pollution reduction interventions could effectively decrease the prevalence of asthma, stroke, and multimorbidity in Belgium. • The g-computation approach to assess PIF of interventions represents a straightforward approach for drawing causal inferences from observational data.

Air Pollution Reduces the Individuals’ Life Satisfaction Through Health Impairment

Abstract Background The impact of air pollution on individuals’ happiness and life satisfaction (LS), and its relationship to other factors became the focus of recent research. Though, the underlying mechanism of how air pollution impacts LS remains unclear. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effect of air pollution on individuals’ LS through health mediation. Methods We used longitudinal individual-level data from “Understanding-Society: the UK Household-Longitudinal Study” on 59,492 individuals with 347,377 repeated responses across 11 years (2009-2019) that was linked to yearly concentrations of NO2, SO2, and particulate-matter (PM10, PM2.5) pollution. Generalized structural equation models with multilevel ordered-logistic regression were used to examine the direct effect of air pollution on LS and the indirect effect from health impairment. Results Higher concentrations of NO2 (coefficient = 0.009, 95%CI = 0.007,0.012, p &amp;lt; 0.001), SO2 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.034, p &amp;lt; 0.001), PM10 (coefficient = 0.019, 95%CI = 0.013, 0.025, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and PM2.5 (coefficient = 0.025, 95%CI = 0.017,0.033, p &amp;lt; 0.001) pollutants were associated with poorer health, while poorer health was associated with reduced LS (coefficient = -0.605, 95%CI = -0.614,-0.595, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Mediation path analysis showed that air pollution impacted individuals’ LS directly and indirectly. The percent of total effect mediated through health was 44.03% for NO2, 73.95% for SO2, 49.88% for PM10, and 45.42% for PM2.5 and the ratio of indirect to direct effect was 0.79 for NO2, 2.84 for SO2, 0.99 for PM10, and 0.83 for PM2.5. Conclusions Health plays a major mediating role in the relationship between air pollution and LS. To alleviate the impact of air pollution on LS, future strategies should focus on health promotion besides reducing air pollution emissions. Key messages • Air pollution is related to lower life satisfaction directly and indirectly through health impairment. • Strategies and policies aiming at reducing air pollution emissions and better health would improve the individual’s life satisfaction and lower the mental health burden.

The Promises and Potential Pitfalls of Highway Reclamation for Population Health: A Research Framework.

Highway reclamation (i.e., the removal of highways or placing existing highways underground to create mixed-use urban areas) is being implemented around the United States, often touting co-benefits for population health. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program is a first-of-its-kind investment in launching even more highway reclamation projects. Depending on how the projects are implemented, these projects may create gentrification (i.e., the displacement of poor long-time residents by wealthier new people), thereby displacing the populations these projects are designed to protect. However, little work has systematically examined the extent to which highway reclamation projects provide the promised benefits for neighborhood environments (e.g., reduced air pollution), minimize gentrification, and improve health outcomes. This commentary proposes a framework by which the multidimensional impacts of highway reclamation can be evaluated, unlocking potential new structural pathways toward urban health equity.

A comparative analysis of cross-sectional study and natural experiment in rail transit-travel behavior research: A case study in Wuhan, China

There has been a global increase in investment in rail transit, driven by its potential to enhance transportation efficiency, reduce air pollution, and stimulate economic growth. Both cross-sectional studies and natural experiments have contributed to the growing body of evidence supporting these claims. While natural experiments are commonly preferred for evaluating the impact of rail transit, cross-sectional studies remain popular due to their ease of data collection. However, there is a scarcity of studies that compare these two approaches using the same dataset to assess the robustness of cross-sectional studies. Using a two-wave panel dataset from Wuhan, China, this study used both cross-sectional and natural experimental analyses to examine the relationship between urban rail transit and travel behavior. The study attempted to enhance the credibility of the cross-sectional analysis by controlling for confounding variables and by combining it with the propensity score matching (PSM) method, respectively. The results revealed that the cross-sectional analyses could produce similar results, when setting a more stringent significance level. The findings suggested that well-designed cross-sectional studies can be reliable and represent a cost-effective alternative to resource-intensive natural experiments.

Effectiveness of household-level interventions for reducing the impact of air pollution on health outcomes – a systematic review

Background and aimSeveral air pollution mitigation initiatives have been researched worldwide to see how efficient they are at reducing air pollution and the related health benefits. The effectiveness of these interventions for improving health outcomes is key for scaling up and increasing uptake of same by policymakers and people. We aimed to synthesize scientific evidence about the effectiveness of household-level interventions on air quality and health outcomes using a systematic approach.MethodsComprehensive strategy was used to carry out a literature search in PubMed, Cochrane, and Google scholar by two independent investigators using keywords and Medical Subject Heading terms. Research articles published till the year 2021 focusing on interventions for improvement in air quality and health were selected using pre-specified eligibility criteria. All abstracts for inclusion were reviewed independently by two reviewers. In case of doubt, the articles were included for full-text review. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with the third investigator. The quality of the studies and risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, version 2.0. Effect estimates were reported using odds ratio, relative risks, difference in mean, and percentage changes with 95% confidence intervals. PRISMA guidelines were used to conduct and report the systematic review. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022295393).ResultsThe search resulted in the identification of 46,809 studies and 18 of them were finally included in the review using eligibility criteria. The household-level interventions were categorized mainly into air purifiers/electric heater use, cookstove use, and behavioural change interventions. These interventions resulted in a decrease in the number of daytime asthma attacks by 33%, an increase in FEV1 by 4.4%, −1.4% and 0.8% overall percent change in microvascular and lung function. PM2.5 was the most commonly reported air pollutant, its concentrations reduced in the range between 31% and 53% across the studies.ConclusionOur review provided consistent evidence for the effectiveness of household-level interventions thus associated with improvements in cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=295393, identifier, CRD42022295393

Evaluation of three kinetic energy storage systems

Abstract. This paper investigates recent advances in energy recovery systems (ERS) in automotive vehicles to reduce air pollution and impact on climate change. The three ERS systems: mechanical flywheel, regenerative braking, and regenerative electrically assisted (REAT) turbocharger are evaluated for their potential to reclaim energy wasted by the automobile thereby increasing range and efficiency of the vehicle. The methods of comparison are based on data sourced from current literature relevant to total energy recovery, system configuration, and application feasibility. This will identify regenerative braking as best for new vehicles to decrease fuel consumption and regenerative electrically assisted turbocharges (REAT) as best for retrofitting older vehicles. The paper will use the results to identify the energy recovery system with the greatest potential for immediate application and further research to overcome remaining challenges.

Evaluation of photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 applied over cement plaster for mitigating urban air pollutant: TVOC

Photocatalysis emerged as a prominent method for mitigating air pollution stemming from emissions of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in both indoor and outdoor environments. Given the slow degradation rate of certain TVOCs, which pose health risks, including carcinogenicity, there is a pressing need for effective air purification strategies, particularly within built environments where individuals spend substantial amounts of time. This study delves into the efficacy of TiO2 photocatalysis in reducing air pollutants when applied to building surfaces. Cement mortar samples, incorporating varied doses of TiO2 ranging from 7.83E-03 g/cm2 to 4.92E-02 g/cm2, were prepared and examined within batch reactors, both under sunlight exposure and in the absence thereof, to gauge their degradation rates towards TVOCs. Furthermore, surface characterization techniques were employed to explicate the microstructural properties of TiO2-coated plastered samples. The results obtained demonstrated the variation in the rate of degradation from 1.09E-04±0.1 % to 3.1E-4 ± 1.13 % min−1cm−2 for various initial concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) in the range of 600 ppm to 2900 ppm over a period of 100 min. The selected approach demonstrated the maximum degradation rate constant of 5.2E-04 min−1cm−2 corresponding to 15 % of TiO2 dose by weight of cement. These findings underscore the promise of TiO2 in purifying polluted air and advocate for its widespread implementation on building surfaces to enhance air quality.