[en] Contemporary air pollution control is a very complex problem. It is necessary to identify the sources of various contaminants and their wastes, to select appropriate analytical methods to quantify the concentration of individual elements with adequate accuracy, to assess the impact of certain types of pollution on the environment and human health. Bio monitoring is the most important method for identifying atmospheric pollutants. Bio indicators are used for these investigations. The best bio indicators are considered to be the best bio indicators in air pollution bio monitoring. For this purpose, specimens were collected for the determination of heavy metals and radionuclides in atmospheric air in the western region of Azerbaijan.

[en] Short communication. 1 ref., 1 fig., 1 tab

[en] To determine the association between daily air pollution and the hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in children aged from 0 to 17 years in Jinan, China. Generalized linear models were used to explore the acute effects of ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) on the children’s hospital admissions for respiratory diseases. We evaluated the lag associations (including lag 0 to lag 3, lag 01, and lag 03) between daily PM_2.5 and the number of children’s hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, and stratified by gender, age group (baby group: age 0–1 years; child group: age 1–5 years; student group: age 6–17 years), and cause-specific disease (including upper infection, pneumonia, and acute bronchitis) during 2011–2015. PM_2.5 had significant positive impacts on the number of children’s hospital admissions for respiratory disease. The results showed that per 10 μg/m³ increase of PM_2.5 at lag 1 was associated with an increase in total and male hospital admissions of 0.23% (95% CI, 0.02%–0.45%) and 0.32% (95% CI, 0.04%–0.06%). The corresponding risk of the student group (age 6–17 years) hospital admissions was increased 0.90% (95% CI, 0.39%–1.42%) at lag 1 day. The corresponding risk of the upper infection was increased 0.96% (95% CI, 0.37–1.55%) at lag 1 day. Males and student groups (age 6–17 years) were more vulnerable to PM_2.5 exposure. Upper infection admission was identified as the sensitive disease for children. It is a better way to reduce children’s outdoor activities to avoid health effects when the air pollution increases.

[en] Methods to deal with the unwanted by-product of acid-gas combustion in the Claus reaction furnace were presented. The by-product, carbon disulfide (CS₂), is disturbing because if it is not converted to H₂S in the first catalytic converter, it will appear as a sulfur emission in the tail gas of plants not using reductive clean-up technology. To address this issue, Claus catalysts have been designed specifically for CS₂ hydrolysis. Studies have been conducted to determine what type of hydrocarbons lead to CS₂ formation. It was concluded that all hydrocarbons result in CS₂ production, but that benzene is particularly difficult. Data for a wide range of acid gas compositions and contaminant hydrocarbons at different process conditions was presented. Methods to destroy CS₂ in the furnace were also identified

[en] The launch of China's new national urbanization plan, coupled with increasing concerns about air pollution, calls for better understandings of the nexus between urbanization and the air pollution–related health. Based on refined estimates of PM_2.5 related mortality in China, we developed an Urbanization–Excess Deaths Elasticity (U–EDE) indicator to measure the marginal PM_2.5 related mortality caused by urbanization. We then applied statistical models to estimate U–EDE and examined the modification effects of income on U–EDE. Urbanization in China between 2004 and 2012 led to increased PM_2.5 related mortality. A 1% increase in urbanization was associated with a 0.32%, 0.14%, and 0.50% increase in PM_2.5 related mortality of lung cancer, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. U–EDEs were modified by income with an inverted U curve, i.e., lower marginal impacts at the lowest and highest income levels. In addition, we projected the future U–EDE trend of China as a whole and found that China had experienced the peak of U–EDE and entered the second half of the inverted U–shaped curve. In the near future, national average U–EDE in China will decline along with the improvement of income level if no dramatic changes happen. However, the decreased U–EDE only implies that marginal PM_2.5–related mortality brought by urbanization would decrease in China. Total health damage of urbanization will keep going up in the predictable future because the U–EDE is always positive. - Highlights: • Urbanization in China from 2004 to 2012 led to increased PM_2.5 related mortality. • Income modified the marginal PM_2.5 related mortality brought by urbanization. • Total PM_2.5 related mortality of urbanization will keep going up in the future. • National industrial structure upgrade strategy will mitigate the mortality burdens.

[en] This implementation plan identifies the status of each requirement for Hanford Site contractors, and provides the plan, cost, and time for achieving full implementation

[en] Alberta is Canada's major producer of fossil fuels and has the highest Canadian per-capita emission rates of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, and the second highest per-capita rate of sulfur oxides. Plans were announced to develop a clean air strategy for Alberta in order to encourage public discussion about harmful emissions to the atmosphere from the production and use of energy in Alberta. Objectives of this strategy include the identification of the most important issues that need to be addressed in developing a clean air strategy; to develop practical actions for reducing emissions; and to develop policy and program recommendations to present to the provincial government. Regional sessions were initiated to provide an opportunity for presentation of views from the public, industry, government, schools, and public interest groups. The proceedings of these sessions are summarized, oral and written submissions are analyzed, and general observations about the recommendations are presented. Potential climate change from accumulation of greenhouse gases, acid rain, smog in cities, and ozone depletion were identified as air quality problems, and emissions reduction options in six main categories were identified. Emissions management approaches included encouragement of voluntary actions, establishment of stricter air quality standards, and using economic tools or approaches. The limited participation in the regional sessions suggested that only a small segment of society is seriously concerned about the issues raised. 1 fig., 3 tabs

[en] In California, significant progress has been made to control emissions from industrial sources as well as from motor vehicles. Nonetheless, policy analysts still debate over whether it makes sense to control motor vehicle emissions through legislated reductions in vehicle use, especially when new vehicle emission standards are becoming even more stringent in California. In this paper, the emission reduction benefits of California's new low-emission vehicles and clean fuels program are reviewed. The air quality management plans of three major metropolitan areas in California are examined, to identify emission reductions needed to meet federal and state air quality standards. For each of these three areas, emission reductions expected from transportation control measure implementation are presented. Then, the extent to which the reductions are open-quotes significantclose quotes and relied upon in each of the local attainment efforts is analyzed. The emission reductions expected from the stringent exhaust emission standards of California's new low-emission vehicles and clean fuels program will not be sufficient to meet mandated clean air standards in the study areas. Based upon our review, transportation control measures appear to be necessary components of the air quality management plans in California's major metropolitan areas. The paper concludes that cost-effective transportation control measures (TCMs) will be needed as a complementary strategy to California's stringent tail-pipe standards in moderate to extreme nonattainment areas

[en] This paper outlines the key factors involved in adopting energy from waste incineration (EfWI) as part of a waste management strategy. Incineration means all forms of controlled direct combustion of waste. 'Emerging' technologies, such as gasification, are, in the author's view, 5 to 10 years from proven commercial application. The strict combustion regimen employed and the emissions therefrom are detailed. It is shown that EfWI merits consideration as an integral part of an environmentally responsible and sustainable waste management strategy, where suitable quantities of waste are available

[en] Analyzing hourly ozone data from 214 European background sites over the time period 2000-2010, we demonstrated for the first time that the ozone control measures are effective at rural sites, while ozone concentrations are still increasing in the cities. The Western European Mediterranean basin is expected to be more strongly affected by climate change, including ozone pollution, than most of the other regions of the world. At 58% of the rural sites significant decreases were found resulting in an average e 0.43% per year while an increase was recorded in urban and suburban stations (+0.64% year^-1 and +0.46% year^-1, respectively). At cities ozone average levels increased, but the peak ozone concentrations decreased. In all station types, a significant reduction in the amplitude of peak ozone concentrations was found at more than 75% of stations (98. percentile, 0.77% year^-1; hourly peak, 1.14% year^-1 and daily average peak, -0.76% year^-1). The peak reduction may largely be attributed to the reduction in NOx and VOC emissions within the European Union which started in the early 1990s. The results suggested a convergence of ozone pollution at remote and urban sites all around the Western European Mediterranean basin. (authors)