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Atmosphere
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Air Quality Assessments and Management
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Air Quality Assessments and Management

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 11044

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michele Stortini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Regional Agency for Prevention, Environment and Energy of Emilia-Romagna (ARPAE), 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: air quality model; air pollution
Prof. Dr. Grazia Ghermandi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
Interests: air pollution; dispersion models; particulate matter; environmental impact assessment; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of Atmosphere dedicated to Air Quality Model and Management.

Air quality modelling represents the only available methodology to design strategies to evaluate the impact of emission reductions on air quality concentrations, to estimate concentration levels over zones where there are no monitoring station as well as the exposure of the population to pollution concentrations. Moreover air quality model forecast are used for alert thresholds, information for the public and short term actions plan.

In spite of significant improvements, there are still several areas in Eastern Europe and Northern Italy with values higher than not only the limits recommended by WHO but also by the EU legislation. Although models are continuously being improved, some processes remain not known enough to be captured in models. This special issue of the journal "Atmosphere" focuses on the current state of air quality model and air quality management applications. Advances in methods on improving air monitoring and facilitating knowledge-based policymaking are welcome.

Dr. Michele Stortini
Prof. Dr. Grazia Ghermandi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air quality modelling
  • air pollution
  • air quality monitoring and forecast
  • air quality planning

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 9880 KiB  
Article
Impact of NOx and NH3 Emission Reduction on Particulate Matter across Po Valley: A LIFE-IP-PREPAIR Study
by Giorgio Veratti, Michele Stortini, Roberta Amorati, Lidia Bressan, Giulia Giovannini, Stefano Bande, Francesca Bissardella, Stefania Ghigo, Elisabetta Angelino, Loris Colombo, Giuseppe Fossati, Giulia Malvestiti, Alessandro Marongiu, Alberto Dalla Fontana, Barbara Intini and Silvia Pillon
Atmosphere 2023, 14(5), 762; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos14050762 - 22 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1972
Abstract
Air quality in Europe continues to remain poor in many areas, with regulation limits often exceeded by many countries. The EU Life-IP PREPAIR Project, involving administrations and environmental protection agencies of eight regions and three municipalities in Northern Italy and Slovenia, was designed [...] Read more.
Air quality in Europe continues to remain poor in many areas, with regulation limits often exceeded by many countries. The EU Life-IP PREPAIR Project, involving administrations and environmental protection agencies of eight regions and three municipalities in Northern Italy and Slovenia, was designed to support the implementation of the regional air quality plans in the Po Valley, one of the most critical areas in Europe in terms of pollution levels. In this study, four air quality modelling systems, based on three chemical transport models (CHIMERE, FARM and CAMx) were applied over the Po Valley to assess the sensitivity of PM2.5 concentrations to NOx and NH3 emission reductions. These two precursors were reduced (individually and simultaneously) from 25% up to 75% for a total of 10 scenarios, aimed at identifying the most efficient emission reduction strategies and to assess the non-linear response of PM2.5 concentrations to precursor changes. The multi-model analysis shows that reductions across multiple emission sectors are necessary to achieve optimal results. In addition, the analysis of non-linearities revealed that during the cold season, the efficiency of PM2.5 abatement tends to increase by increasing the emission reductions, while during summertime, the same efficiency remains almost constant, or slightly decreases towards higher reduction strengths. Since the concentrations of PM2.5 are greater in winter than in summer, it is reasonable to infer that significant emission reductions should be planned to maximise reduction effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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25 pages, 3905 KiB  
Article
Anthropogenic Emission Scenarios over Europe with the WRF-CHIMERE-v2020 Models: Impact of Duration and Intensity of Reductions on Surface Concentrations during the Winter of 2015
by Arineh Cholakian, Bertrand Bessagnet, Laurent Menut, Romain Pennel and Sylvain Mailler
Atmosphere 2023, 14(2), 224; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos14020224 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1093
Abstract
In the framework of the FAIRMODE initiative, a set of simulations was performed using the WRF and CHIMERE models. The simulation period is chosen to cover a Particulate Matter (PM) pollution episode that happened in February 2015 over the Parisian area. A thorough [...] Read more.
In the framework of the FAIRMODE initiative, a set of simulations was performed using the WRF and CHIMERE models. The simulation period is chosen to cover a Particulate Matter (PM) pollution episode that happened in February 2015 over the Parisian area. A thorough validation of the reference simulation is presented, showing a good agreement between the measurements and the model both for PM components and major gaseous species. The PM composition analysis shows that the major contributors to the PM total concentration are nitrates and organic aerosols, followed by ammonium. An analysis of emission reduction scenarios compared to the reference simulation is also presented and different configurations of these scenarios are analyzed. Exceedances regarding to the last World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines are assessed, concluding that even if the most severe mitigation analyzed here (−50% emissions reduction) was applied over Paris, exceedances would still happen for PM. Emission reduction scenarios show that ozone concentrations are sensitive to NOx reductions inside the city with an increase in concentrations, while for PM a systematic decrease is observed whichever precursor emission is reduced. Coupling effects are explored and the impact of PM concentrations on the radiative and thermodynamic budgets is quantified. Scenarios are repeated both with different durations and different intensities and the most efficient configuration leading to exceedances reduction is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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17 pages, 7170 KiB  
Article
Spatial-Temporal Variation in Health Impact Attributable to PM2.5 and Ozone Pollution in the Beijing Metropolitan Region of China
by Mingqun Huo, Ken Yamashita, Fang Chen and Keiichi Sato
Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1813; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos13111813 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2577
Abstract
This study aimed to estimate and compare the spatial-temporal variation in health impact attributable to PM2.5, including the major particulate constituents and anthropogenic emission sectors of PM2.5, and ozone in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region using monitoring data from 2013 [...] Read more.
This study aimed to estimate and compare the spatial-temporal variation in health impact attributable to PM2.5, including the major particulate constituents and anthropogenic emission sectors of PM2.5, and ozone in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region using monitoring data from 2013 to 2020. The liquid phase reaction may play an important role in PM2.5 formation in winter. We estimated that 110,613 [(95% CI): 91,913, 128,615] and 9921 (95% CI: 3325, 13,191) cases of all-cause mortality in 2020 were attributable to exposure to PM2.5 and ozone in the BTH region, respectively. The control of PM2.5 pollution is currently a priority over that of ozone. An appropriate co-control policy for PM2.5 and ozone pollution is necessary for the surrounding areas of Beijing City to protect public health. From 2013 to 2020, the mortality owing to exposure to PM2.5 dropped significantly. The reduction in carbonaceous components in PM2.5 can have the most effective health benefits. The top two contributing emission sectors to the mortality from PM2.5 in Beijing were regional transportation and vehicles which could explain approximately 6.5% and 5.1% of the total mortality, respectively. The mortality owing to PM2.5 was higher in Beijing than in Tokyo and Bangkok in East Asia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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13 pages, 1152 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Formaldehyde Pollution in Residential Buildings in a Severe Cold Area—A Case in Liaoning, China
by Jiasen Song, Guohui Feng, Kailiang Huang, Wen Sun, Huixing Li and Gang Li
Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1798; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos13111798 - 30 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1376
Abstract
The negative impact of indoor formaldehyde pollution has become a growing interest, especially in severe cold areas, since most residential buildings do not have enough ventilation and people are unwilling to open windows. In order to explore the status and the influencing factors [...] Read more.
The negative impact of indoor formaldehyde pollution has become a growing interest, especially in severe cold areas, since most residential buildings do not have enough ventilation and people are unwilling to open windows. In order to explore the status and the influencing factors of indoor formaldehyde pollution in severe cold areas and predict the formaldehyde concentrations in these areas, a study of 60 residential buildings in Liaoning, China, was carried out using the method of phenol reagent spectrophotometry. While testing the formaldehyde concentration, the infiltration air change rate of the room was also tested using CO2 as a tracer gas. The correlation between formaldehyde concentration and its influencing factors was analyzed by SPSS software. Multiple linear regression equations were established for the linear regression analysis. The measured data were used to assess the formaldehyde cancer risk of residents in Liaoning. The test results showed that the most serious rates of average formaldehyde pollution occurred in summer with a concentration of 0.097 mg/m3, and the bedroom was the room most seriously polluted by formaldehyde in autumn with a concentration of 0.104 mg/m3. According to the correlation analysis, the formaldehyde concentration was significantly correlated with the indoor temperature, years of decoration, and the infiltration ventilation rate. The linear regression equation for predicting the formaldehyde concentration was established. According to the risk assessment of the test results, residents in Liaoning are already at risk of cancer caused by formaldehyde. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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21 pages, 8490 KiB  
Article
PM2.5 Pollution in Six Major Chinese Urban Agglomerations: Spatiotemporal Variations, Health Impacts, and the Relationships with Meteorological Conditions
by Zhuofan Li, Xiangmin Zhang, Xiaoyong Liu and Bin Yu
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1696; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos13101696 - 16 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
To investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under years of control measures in China, a comprehensive analysis including statistical analysis, geographical analysis, and health impact assessment was conducted on millions of hourly PM2.5 concentrations data during the [...] Read more.
To investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under years of control measures in China, a comprehensive analysis including statistical analysis, geographical analysis, and health impact assessment was conducted on millions of hourly PM2.5 concentrations data during the period of 2017–2020 in six typical major urban agglomerations. During the period of 2017–2020, PM2.5 concentrations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH-UA), Central Plains urban agglomeration (CP-UA), Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRD-UA), Triangle of Central China urban agglomeration (TC-UA), Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration (CY-UA), and Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration (PRD-UA) decreased at a rate of 6.69, 5.57, 5.45, 3.85, 4.66, and 4.1 µg/m3/year, respectively. PM2.5 concentration in BTH-UA decreased by 30.5% over four years, with an annual average of 44.6 µg/m3 in 2020. CP-UA showed the lowest reduction ratio (22.1%) among the six regions, making it the most polluted urban agglomeration. In southern BTH-UA, northeastern CP-UA, and northwestern TC-UA, PM2.5 concentrations with high levels formed a high–high agglomeration, indicating pollution caused by source emission in these areas was high and hard to control. Atmospheric temperature, pressure, and wind speed have important influences on PM2.5 concentrations. RH has a positive correlation with PM2.5 concentration in north China but a negative correlation in south China. We estimated that meteorological conditions can explain 16.7–63.9% of the PM2.5 changes in 129 cities, with an average of 33.4%, indicating other factors including anthropogenic emissions dominated the PM2.5 changes. Among the six urban agglomerations, PM2.5 concentrations in the CP-UA were most influenced by the meteorological change. Benefiting from the reduction in PM2.5 concentration, the total respiratory premature mortalities in six regions decreased by 73.1%, from 2017 to 2020. The CP-UA had the highest respiratory premature mortality in six urban agglomerations. We suggested that the CP-UA needs more attention and stricter pollution control measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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20 pages, 3009 KiB  
Article
Establishing an Air Quality Index Based on Proxy Data for Urban Planning Part 1: Methodological Developments and Preliminary Tests
by Claudia Falzone and Anne-Claude Romain
Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1470; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/atmos13091470 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1369
Abstract
In the last few decades, urban planning has expanded regarding environmental considerations. However, air quality, which is regarded as an important aspect of the green development of cities, is not considered in urban planning. This research aims to propose a tool to easily [...] Read more.
In the last few decades, urban planning has expanded regarding environmental considerations. However, air quality, which is regarded as an important aspect of the green development of cities, is not considered in urban planning. This research aims to propose a tool to easily introduce air quality considerations into urban projects. Nowadays, the usual air pollutants (NOx, PM, SO2, and O3) are measured via sophisticated monitoring stations—or even low-cost devices—to give near-real-time air quality indices. However, stations are not adapted to local air pollution and real-time data are not helpful for planning purposes. An index able to rank areas and projects based on urban “air proxy data” would help decision makers. This paper presents how to create an air quality index as a decision support tool for urban planning. No pollutant measurement campaign will be necessary and only data that are easily accessible, even to nonexperts, are used. This paper describes the methodological development of an index that we call AQOI (Air Quality Observed Index), and the results obtained for four different locations (industrial, urban, and rural) considered as preliminary tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality Assessments and Management)
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