Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan E. Hickman, Niels Andela, Kostas Tsigaridis, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, Money Ossohou, Susanne E. Bauer
Summary: In low- and middle-income countries, socioeconomic development has led to increased emissions of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, which impact human health. However, in Africa's northern biomass-burning region, decreasing burned area and increasing GDP density have led to reductions in tropospheric NO2 levels during the dry season, showing a unique pathway for potential air quality benefits. This suggests that economic development can play a role in mitigating air pollution during highly polluted months.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juping Yan, Xiaoping Wang, Shaopeng Gao, Ping Gong, Jagdish Dotel, Balram Pokhrel
Summary: A new source apportionment method using the diagnostic ratio of NPs was established in this study. The results showed that biomass burning and vehicle emissions were the major sources of atmospheric NPs in Kathmandu and Lulang.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Weiqi Xu, Zhijie Li, Zhiqiang Zhang, Jinjian Li, Eleni Karnezi, Andrew T. T. Lambe, Wei Zhou, Jiaxing Sun, Aodong Du, Ying Li, Yele Sun
Summary: This study characterized the changes in physicochemical properties of organic aerosol (OA) during photochemical aging using burning and cooking experiments. The mass spectra of OA showed significant changes during aging, indicating the production of more volatile secondary OA. Additionally, the size distributions, volatility, and glass transition temperature of OA varied during aging for different primary emissions.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Wenjing Li, Pengxiang Ge, Mindong Chen, Jiajie Tang, Maoyu Cao, Yan Cui, Kun Hu, Dongyang Nie
Summary: The article discusses the major organic compositions and tracers in biomass burning emissions, as well as methods for determining biomass combustion types and contributions. It summarizes ratio methods and source tracer ratio methods, introduces PCA and PMF methods for identifying biomass burning types and contributions based on emission factors from different plant species.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Weiqi Xu, Zhijie Li, Zhiqiang Zhang, Jinjian Li, Eleni Karnezi, Andrew T. Lambe, Wei Zhou, Jiaxing Sun, Aodong Du, Ying Li, Yele Sun
Summary: This study investigated the changes in size distributions, volatility, and glass transition temperature (T-g) of organic aerosols during photochemical aging of primary emissions from burning and cooking. The results showed the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) with higher volatility below 150 nm after aging. The aging emissions from biomass burning and coal combustion had lower volatilities and higher viscosities, while the aging cooking emissions had decreased T-g. These findings demonstrate that the physicochemical properties of aerosols can undergo significant changes in a matter of days, which can have different impacts on climate and health.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tomohiro Shiraishi, Ryuichi Hirata, Takashi Hirano
Summary: This study created eight global CO2 emission inventories from 2001 to 2020 by combining various data sources, revealing high uncertainty in emission estimation. Input datasets, particularly biomass density, were found to have a significant impact on CO2 emission estimation. The study assessed the performance of climate and fire models by emphasizing the uncertainty of fire emission estimation resulting from the input sources.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meng Liu, Sorin Popescu
Summary: This study accurately estimates the amount of carbon released during fires using ICESat-2 satellite data, and demonstrates the potential of integrating spaceborne remote sensing data for monitoring forest biomass and carbon dynamics, as well as mitigating climate change.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ruoyu Lan, Sebastian D. Eastham, Tianjia Liu, Leslie K. Norford, Steven R. H. Barrett
Summary: Crop residue burning in India has a significant impact on air quality and health, with Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh being the major contributors. Taking action to burn crop residues two hours earlier in Punjab alone could prevent a significant number of premature deaths and have a positive economic impact.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yingxia Yang, Zhichao Wang, Xiaofeng Li, Honglei Wang, Yujie Ren, Dan Zhao, Zhaowei Xu
Summary: The study focuses on the airtightness of backdraft dampers in kitchen exhaust systems, finding that One Bearing Point dampers have better airtightness and are recommended for residential use. Leakage may cause PM2.5 levels in non-cooking areas to exceed standards, suggesting a need for stricter airtightness regulations.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Di Wu, Juan Qi, Qing Li, Jiping Chen, Yingjun Chen, Jianmin Chen
Summary: This study found that households using biomass fuels for cooking have the highest risk of PCDD/Fs exposure, with levels significantly higher than other environments and control groups. The emissions of PCDD/Fs during biomass combustion may pose a potential health risk to humans.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rodrigo Jimenez, Andres V. Ardila, Angela C. Vargas-Burbano, Andrea J. Hernandez, Elizabeth Leon-Velasquez
Summary: The Colombian Orinoco savannas have been transformed into pastures and crop fields over the past century, with a recent increase in commodity crop production. Cattle ranching occupies a larger area compared to cropland. The cultivated area is projected to double by 2040, with oil palm as the dominant crop. The annual burned area has been decreasing, influenced by irregular rainfall and drought. The reduction in pollution burden is expected to have positive impacts on public health.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Camille Noblet, Jean-Luc Besombes, Marie Lemire, Mathieu Pin, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Olivier Favez, Robin Aujay-Plouzeau, Adrien Dermigny, Nicolas Karoski, Denis Van Elsuve, Pascal Dubois, Serge Collet, Francois Lestremau, Alexandre Albinet
Summary: This study evaluated the emission factors and organic species of typical garden waste burning, finding that emissions from green waste burning were 2 to 30 times higher than wood log combustion, with toxic PAH equivalent EFs up to 3-10 times higher for fireplace and open-air wood burning. Different chemical fingerprints between both sources were identified, highlighting the impact of fuel nature and combustion performance on emissions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeremy Russell-Smith, Cameron Yates, Roland Vernooij, Tom Eames, Guido van der Werf, Natasha Ribeiro, Andrew Edwards, Robin Beatty, Othusitse Lekoko, Jomo Mafoko, Catherine Monagle, Sam Johnston
Summary: The article discusses the issue of fire emissions in southern African savannas, proposing a method of reducing late dry season wildfire extent and emissions through early dry season burning. Through two field studies, it demonstrates the feasibility of this method in meeting key technical criteria.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michael Barbour, Devin Udesen, Sam Bentson, Anamol Pundle, Casey Tackman, David Evitt, Paul Means, Peter Scott, Dean Still, John Kramlich, Jonathan D. Posner, Daniel Lieberman
Summary: Nearly 40% of the world's population relies on biomass stoves for indoor cooking, which can lead to harmful emissions. Proper air injection technology has been found to significantly reduce emissions and improve combustion efficiency. Forced air injection shows potential for both emission reductions and increased burn rate in biomass stoves.
ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ling Huang, Yonghui Zhu, Qian Wang, Ansheng Zhu, Ziyi Liu, Yangjun Wang, David T. Allen, Li Li
Summary: Open biomass burning significantly contributes to air pollution and climate change by releasing large amounts of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants. This study analyzed open crop straw burning emissions in China from 2010 to 2018, showing high emissions concentrations in Northeast, East, and North China. Spatial heterogeneities were observed in the trends of emissions, suggesting varying effectiveness of the straw burning bans in reducing emissions and improving health benefits.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Carnerero, Ioar Rivas, Cristina Reche, Noemi Perez, Andres Alastuey, Xavier Querol
Summary: The study reveals a decrease in the concentration of primary particles at both urban and regional background stations, while there is a marked increase in the contribution of new particle formation to the total particle concentration. The total particle number concentration decreased in the urban background, whereas it increased for the regional background.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Maria Joao Bessa, Fatima Brandao, Paul Fokkens, Flemming R. Cassee, Apostolos Salmatonidis, Mar Viana, Adriana Vulpoi, Simion Simon, Eliseo Monfort, Joao Paulo Teixeira, Sonia Fraga
Summary: The study highlighted the potential hazard associated with exposure to incidental nanoparticles in industrial settings. Results indicated that process-generated nanoparticles and fine particles possess higher toxicity potential compared to engineered nanoparticles in terms of mass per area unit. However, the presence of a mucociliary apparatus as a defense mechanism significantly attenuated the observed toxic effects.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juan C. Larrasoana, Jorge Pey, Xiang Zhao, David Heslop, Tania Mochales, Pilar Mata, Elisabet Beamud, Jesus Reyes, Jose C. Cerro, Noemi Perez, Sonia Castillo
Summary: This study conducted an environmental magnetic examination of atmospheric deposition in Spain using a multi-method approach, revealing the presence of important magnetic mineral assemblages of both anthropogenic and natural origins across different types of environments.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tareq Hussein, Xinyang Li, Zaid Bakri, Andres Alastuey, Sharif Arar, Afnan Al-Hunaiti, Mar Viana, Tuukka Petaja
Summary: The study focuses on the concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the air in Amman, Jordan over an 11-month period. Results show that the majority of OC and EC concentrations are found in the fine particle fraction (PM2.5), and during sand and dust storm episodes, these concentrations are higher than the annual means. This study is important for understanding air pollution and its impact on human health in the region.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Joao Bessa, Fatima Brandao, Paul H. B. Fokkens, Daan L. A. C. Leseman, A. John F. Boere, Flemming R. Cassee, Apostolos Salmatonidis, Mar Viana, Eliseo Monfort, Sonia Fraga, Joao Paulo Teixeira
Summary: This study assessed the toxicity of particles emitted from atmospheric plasma and high-velocity oxy-fuel thermal spraying, and found that they exerted different cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on human alveolar cells. The results emphasize the importance of considering the health risks of these process-generated particles in industrial settings.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mar Viana, Kostas Karatzas, Athanasios Arvanitis, Cristina Reche, Miguel Escribano, Edurne Ibarrola-Ulzurrun, Paolo Emilio Adami, Frederic Garrandes, Stephane Bermon
Summary: This study evaluated the capability of air quality sensors to describe the ambient air quality in Athletics stadia. The results showed that the interpretation of sensor data, combined with self-organising maps, enabled the identification of emission sources and atmospheric processes, as well as providing insights for mitigation strategies and optimal scheduling.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Reche, Aurelio Tobias, Mar Viana
Summary: This study aims to understand the impact of urban environment on mobility-related air pollution and evaluate the health benefits of traffic interventions. Comparing indicators in 12 European cities, it was found that improving accessibility and green areas is crucial for improving air quality and promoting active transport. The health impact assessment revealed that current traffic emission reduction strategies have limited effects on reducing premature mortality, indicating the need for more ambitious pollution control measures.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Pedro Salvador, Jorge Pey, Noemi Perez, Xavier Querol, Begona Artinano
Summary: This study analyzed African dust outbreaks in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands from 1948 to 2020 using global reanalysis dataset, and found that air masses of African origin significantly enhanced certain thermodynamic variables, resulting in increased dust load.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. Rovira, J. A. Paredes-Ahumada, J. M. Barcelo-Ordinas, J. Garcia-Vidal, C. Reche, Y. Sola, P. L. Fung, T. Petaja, T. Hussein, M. Viana
Summary: This study proposes a machine learning approach to develop a black carbon (BC) proxy using air pollution datasets as input. The results show that the proposed BC proxy, based on support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (RF), demonstrates a high degree of correlation and low error in estimating BC concentrations. The performance of the model varies depending on seasonality and time of day, with new particle formation events impacting model accuracy. The study concludes that the model can serve as a BC proxy, especially in environments where traffic is the main source of ultrafine particles.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jesus Yus-Diez, Vera Bernardoni, Grisa Mocnik, Andres Alastuey, Davide Ciniglia, Matic Ivancic, Xavier Querol, Noemi Perez, Cristina Reche, Martin Rigler, Roberta Vecchi, Sara Valentini, Marco Pandolfi
Summary: Reliable observations of aerosol particles' absorption properties are crucial for understanding their effects on climate. The AE33 instrument is widely used for in-situ surface measurements of these properties, but accurate determination of absorption coefficients depends on non-linear processes related to sample collection on filters. Different filter tapes used in AE33 have an impact on the correction factor C and its wavelength dependence, affecting the accuracy of absorption coefficients derived from measurements.
ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Clemence Rose, Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Yong Lin, Isaline Bossert, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markus Fiebig, Pasi Aalto, Andres Alastuey, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Marcos Andrade, Begona Artinano, Todor Arsov, Urs Baltensperger, Susanne Bastian, Olaf Bath, Johan Paul Beukes, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Juan Andres Casquero-Vera, Sebastien Conil, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Olivier Favez, Harald Flentje, Maria Gini, Francisco Javier Gomez-Moreno, Martin Gysel-Beer, Anna Gannet Hallar, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Melita Keywood, Jeong Eun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Heikki Lihavainen, Neng-Huei Lin, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Sebastiao Martins Dos Santos, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Merkel, Jean-Marc Metzger, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Jakub Ondracek, Marco Pandolfi, Noemi Perez, Tuukka Petaja, Jean-Eudes Petit, David Picard, Jean-Marc Pichon, Veronique Pont, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Fabienne Reisen, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Gerhard Schauer, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Andreas Schwerin, Ralf Sohmer, Mar Sorribas, Junying Sun, Pierre Tulet, Ville Vakkari, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Fernando Velarde, Paolo Villani, Stergios Vratolis, Zdenek Wagner, Sheng-Hsiang Wang, Kay Weinhold, Rolf Weller, Margarita Yela, Vladimir Zdimal, Paolo Laj
Summary: Aerosol particles have a significant impact on climate by affecting solar radiation and contributing to cloud formation. This study conducted measurements at ground-based stations around the world in 2016 or 2017 to provide a current understanding of particle distribution. The results show differences in particle concentrations and seasonal variations between polar and urban environments.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dimitrios Bousiotis, Francis D. Pope, David C. S. Beddows, Manuel Dall'Osto, Andreas Massling, Jakob Kleno Nojgaard, Claus Nordstrom, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Tuukka Petaja, Noemi Perez, Andres Alastuey, Xavier Querol, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Thomas Tuch, Roy M. Harrison
Summary: New particle formation (NPF) events occur almost everywhere in the world and can play an important role as a particle source. Factors such as the abundance of condensable compounds of anthropogenic origin and local conditions greatly affect the frequency and characteristics of NPF events. Region-wide events were found to be associated with the same conditions as local events, but some variability was still observed.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra, Juan Andres Casquero-Vera, Roberto Roman, Hassan Lyamani, Daniel Perez-Ramirez, Maria Jose Granados-Munoz, Milagros Herrera, Alberto Cazorla, Gloria Titos, Pablo Ortiz-Amezcua, Andres Esteban Bedoya-Velasquez, Gregori de Arruda Moreira, Noemi Perez, Andres Alastuey, Oleg Dubovik, Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado, Francisco Jose Olmo-Reyes, Lucas Alados-Arboledas
Summary: The Sierra Nevada Lidar aerOsol Profiling Experiment I and II campaigns aimed to determine the vertical structure of aerosols through remote sensing instruments and in situ measurements. The GRASP code was used to retrieve aerosol properties during these campaigns, showing good agreement with in situ measurements and overestimating the data by a small margin. The study demonstrates the potential of GRASP in enhancing the representation of aerosol vertical distribution and providing valuable information for satellite and global model evaluations.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dimitrios Bousiotis, James Brean, Francis D. Pope, Manuel Dall'Osto, Xavier Querol, Andres Alastuey, Noemi Perez, Tuukka Petaja, Andreas Massling, Jacob Kleno Nojgaard, Claus Nordstrom, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Jarkko Niemi, Harri Portin, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Thomas Tuch, Roy M. Harrison
Summary: The study found a positive correlation between solar radiation intensity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure with NPF event frequency at various sites in Europe, while relative humidity showed a negative correlation and wind speed had an inconsistent relationship. Meteorological variables, chemical composition, and pollutants concentration had an influence on NPF event frequency, but their impact can diminish under certain conditions.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesus Yus-Diez, Marina Ealo, Marco Pandolfi, Noemi Perez, Gloria Titos, Grisa Mocnik, Xavier Querol, Andres Alastuey
Summary: Accurate measurements of the horizontal and vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosol particle optical properties are crucial for understanding their climate impact. This study presents results from instrumented flights over north-eastern Spain, measuring vertical profiles of atmospheric particulate matter mass concentrations and optical coefficients. The study highlights significant changes in optical properties of aerosol air masses under different atmospheric scenarios, such as regional pollution episodes and Saharan dust events.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
