Air pollution throws shade on India’s solar success

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution is diminishing India’s capacity to harness power from the sun, experts say, undermining billions being invested in renewables as the energy-hungry giant emerges as a solar superpower.

New research has found the smog and dust that sickens millions across India every year is also sapping solar power generation by more than 25 percent, far beyond levels previously thought. In the first study of its kind, U.S. and Indian scientists measured how man-made particles floating in the air and deposited as grime on solar panels combined to seriously impair sunlight from converting to energy.

This interference causes steep drops in power generation, they found. At present levels in India, it could amount to roughly 3,900 MW of lost energy — six times the capacity of its largest solar farm, a gigantic field of 2.5 million panels. “A simple calculation shows that this is a big amount of energy we are going to lose,” Professor Chinmay Ghoroi, who co-authored the paper, told AFP at the IIT-Gandhinagar. These huge losses will only compound as India realises its grand solar ambitions, experts say.

Source: Air pollution throws shade on India’s solar success – The Hindu

Posted in Air Quality, Asia, India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

One million premature deaths linked to ozone air pollution

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

Scientists at the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) have released new figures showing long-term exposure to ozone air pollution is linked to one million premature deaths per year due to respiratory diseases – more than double previous estimates.

In 2010, long-term outdoor exposure to ozone air pollution contributed to about one million premature respiratory deaths globally – approximately one in five of all respiratory deaths.

This is substantially larger (125 per cent) than previous estimates of the global health impacts of ozone (0.4 million premature respiratory deaths).

Published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, findings were based on results from a recent US analysis of the association of long-term ozone exposure and respiratory mortality in 670,000 adults. This is a substantially larger number of study participants and observed deaths than a previous estimate from 2003, on which previous global ozone health impact calculations have been based.

Ozone is formed in the atmosphere from emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides from vehicles, organic compounds from solvent use, and methane from agriculture. Once formed, ozone can stay in the atmosphere for weeks and travel long distances from emission sources, across countries and continents.

The largest number of ozone-attributable respiratory deaths was from Asia, accounting for about 79 per cent of the total one million global estimated deaths.

India accounted for about 400,000, and China for about 270,000. Africa, Europe and North America each had between 50,000 and 60,000 ozone-attributable deaths, with fewer in Latin America and Oceania.

Chris Malley, Researcher at the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute and lead author of the study, said: “This study highlights that exposure to ozone may make a substantially greater contribution to the global burden of disease than previously thought.

“There is a degree of uncertainty in these estimates because the concentration-response function we used is based on analysis from the United States. We don’t know whether the relationship is the same in other regions, such as in India and China, where the prevalence of other risk factors for respiratory diseases varies considerably.

“We also estimated people’s ozone exposure using a global atmospheric chemistry transport model, which means that we could not account for differences in ozone exposure at small geographic scales.”

The analysis grew out of SEI’s Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways, which includes the development of a “benefits calculator” to help policy-makers and planners assess the potential benefits of undertaking measures that reduce air pollution.

SEI’s Policy Director Johan C.I. Kuylenstierna, co-author of the study and a member of the CCAC Scientific Advisory Panel, said: “Our colleagues from countries such as Ghana, Peru, Nigeria and Bangladesh have highlighted the importance of air pollution impacts on health as a motivation for reducing emissions.

“The key in reducing ozone exposure lies in addressing the sources of pollution, given that many people, particularly in the poorest and most vulnerable populations, cannot easily relocate.

“To reduce ozone pollution, you need to control emissions of different precursors from many different sources. This includes emissions from road transport, household energy use, as well as methane emissions from agriculture.

“Due to the long-range transport of ozone, it is important to realise that action is needed on local, national, regional and global scales. That means that regional cooperation is needed to solve the problem.”

 Journal reference: Environmental Health Perspectives

Source: One million premature deaths linked to ozone air pollution

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution, Medical Studies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hong Kong residents told to limit time outdoors as serious air pollution hits city 

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

Environmental Protection Department says hot weather and light winds means pollution poses a serious health risk

Hong Kong authorities urged the public to limit their time outdoors on Wednesday as severe pollution hit the city’s northern areas.

The Environmental Protection Department recorded higher than normal pollution levels in the city, with air quality in both Tuen Mun and Yuen Long measuring over 10 for health risk – the most serious ranking.

Air in a number of other areas – including Mong Kok and Tseun Wan – was rated as “very high” risk, the second highest ranking on the department’s Air Quality Health Index.

The department expected other monitoring stations around the city to measure similarly poor air quality later on Wednesday.

According to the department, when the health risk is rated “very high” or “serious”, older people and children should keep outdoor activities to a minimum.

“The general public are advised to reduce, or reduce to a minimum, outdoor physical exertion, and to reduce time staying outdoors, especially in areas with heavy traffic,” the department said in a statement.

The pollution was caused by hot weather, which was forecast to reach a high of 33 degrees Celsius, combined with light winds, the department said. The sunny weather caused a higher ozone concentration, while the lack of strong winds meant air pollutants were not being blown away.

Higher-than-normal pollution levels are expected to continue until Friday, when the Hong Kong Observatory is forecasting showers.

Over the weekend, the city can expect more bad weather due to a tropical storm brewing in the region, an observatory forecaster said.

Source: Hong Kong residents told to limit time outdoors as serious air pollution hits city | South China Morning Post

Posted in Air Quality, Asia, China | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Air quality at ‘unhealthy’ level in Portland due to wildfires 

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

A smoky haze from wildfires across the state has settled into the Portland metro area and other parts of the Willamette Valley.

Tuesday’s air quality is the worst it has been in weeks, categorized as “unhealthy” most of the afternoon by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The best thing to do when the air quality reaches unhealthy levels is to limit your time outside and refrain from vigorous activities like running or playing sports.

Young children, pregnant women and those usually sensitive to air pollution should limit their time outside as well.

FOX 12 talked to hiker Andy Ranalli on Tuesday near Council Crest. He said that he planned to take it easy on his hike and take more breaks because of all of the smoke.

“Visually, it’s almost night and day,” Ranalli said. “It’s like we’re in an October fog here because you can’t see more than 100 feet out with real visibility. I think it sucks. It’s not the Portland we know.”

Here are a few more tips from the Oregon Health Authority:

  • Make sure to keep your indoor air as clean as possible by changing your filters if they are due.
  • Avoid smoking inside.
  • Hold off on vacuuming, which can stir up dust.
  • Drink lots of water. That can help ease symptoms like a scratchy throat or coughing.

There is some good news. The winds should blow out at least some of this smoke Tuesday evening and push it east. By Wednesday, everyone should notice a big improvement in air quality in the metro area.

Source: Air quality at ‘unhealthy’ level in Portland due to wildfires – KPTV – FOX 12

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Air pollution ‘nearly as bad’ for baby as smoking during pregnancy

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

AIR pollution can lead to babies being born with shorter bodies and smaller heads, according to Scottish research which found that high exposure to toxic fumes during pregnancy is nearly as harmful as smoking.

A study by Edinburgh and Aberdeen universities found that Scottish babies exposed to toxic gases and particulates breathed in by their mother, such as traffic fumes, were born with smaller heads and shorter bodies.

A similar outcome was observed in babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy but were exposed to less pollution.

The findings are particularly worrying because the study — the largest of its kind so far conducted — only examined the effects of pollution in the northeast of Scotland, where air quality is relatively good compared with congested areas such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

It comes just weeks after another study at Edinburgh University showed that nano-sized particles found in traffic fumes can damage the immune system’s ability to kill viruses and bacteria. The emissions are also known to aggravate lung conditions, and have even been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

Dr Tom Clemens, who led the latest study, has called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU to urgently review their definition of “acceptable” emissions levels amid concern they are still too high.

He added: “Our findings suggest that there may not be a truly ‘safe’ level of exposure during pregnancy.

“A foetus with a non-smoking mother exposed to high pollution levels is only slightly better off than one with a smoking mother exposed to low levels of pollution. This implies that the effect of exposure to the highest They detected average concentrations of 7.2 micrograms per metre cubed — well below the annual average of 10 micrograms per metre cubed that is deemed acceptable by WHO.”

Data on foetal growth was gathered from ultrasound scans and maternity records for almost 14,000 pregnancies in northeast Scotland between 2002 and 2011. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, were considered. Air quality at postcode level was determined using dispersion models based on UK government data.

Unlike previous air pollution studies, the investigation by Clemens and his team looked at the effect on developing foetuses of microscopic specks of dust and soot that can enter the lungs and bloodstream.

Chris Dibben, a co-author of the study, added: “Although most parents will be aware that their smoking may be harming their unborn child, we wonder whether there is an equal awareness that air pollution can have a similar level of impact on the growth of the child in the womb, even in a relatively unpolluted region like northeast Scotland.”

The study is published in the scientific journal, Environment International.

In February, the European Commission admitted that air quality laws had been flouted in more than 130 cities across 23 of the 28 EU member states, including the UK. It is estimated to cut average life expectancy in Scotland by three to four months and causes 2,500 premature deaths.

The UK Government has pledged to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040 as part of efforts to reduce air pollution from traffic.

It has been estimated that 59 per cent of the British population are living in towns and cities where nitrogen dioxide pollution breaches the lawful level of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre of air.

In January, Hope Street in Glasgow was named the most polluted street in Scotland with average nitrogen dioxide levels which were more than 60 per cent above the legal limit.

Source: Air pollution ‘nearly as bad’ for baby as smoking during pregnancy (From HeraldScotland)

Posted in Air Quality, Europe, Health Effects of Air Pollution, Medical Studies, UK | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Smoky haze, and heat, return to the Seattle area — but pollution isn’t from B.C. this time 

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

The smoke, originating in our own state, is not nearly as bad as earlier this month, but you can expect to see the haze until the winds change and push it out, maybe as soon as this afternoon.

The smoke is back over the Puget Sound region — but this time it’s our own Washington state wildfires to blame, according to the National Weather Service.

At the beginning of this month, haze from wildfires raging in Canada contributed to health concerns during a record-breaking heat wave for the region.

This haze, however, is due to an easterly wind blowing from the interior of the state toward the coast and pulling smoke from a few wildfires near Cle Elum with it, Weather Service meteorologist Kirby Cook said. The wind is expected to change direction and “flip to the Southeast” soon, which will help clear out the skies locally, Cook said.

Air quality ranged from good to moderate throughout the region Monday morning.

Monday’s high temperatures  reached the upper-80s in Seattle and low-90s in Olympia, the Weather Service said. Temperatures could cool down to the upper 70s and 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday but could begin to creep up again into the 80s to 90s through the end of the week and into the holiday weekend.

Nighttime temperatures, however, are expected to cool down into the 50s all week, which will likely make the heat easier to endure for the majority of Seattle-area residents who do not have central air conditioning.

In addition to having some of the hottest days on record, this stretch of summer will also go down as the driest on record, with only 2/100th of an inch of precipitation in July and August this year, Cook said.

That means the danger of wildfires will continue to grow into Labor Day weekend.

“We’re still right in the middle of fire season and people need to be extremely careful with fires,” he said.

Source: Smoky haze, and heat, return to the Seattle area — but pollution isn’t from B.C. this time | The Seattle Times

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Scientist finds children at risk from surprising source of air pollution

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

We think of schools as safe places for children, but there’s an invisible hazard lurking right outside the front door. A recent study by Matthew Adams, assistant professor with U of T Mississauga’s Department of Geography, found that school kiss-and-ride drop-off zones are exposing children to increased levels of air pollution.

With every breath, urban dwellers inhale a toxic cocktail of air pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone. Our general exposure is typically predicted by government air quality data related to the postal code of an individual’s home. But, Adams notes, many of us spend the majority of our day away from home, at work, school or other locations with different air quality. “The amount of pollution an individual is actually exposed to can change according to proximity to busy roads and major highways, workplace exposure, physical exertion or even weather conditions,” he says.

Adams uses GIS—geographic information systems—to predict individual exposure to air pollution on a hyper-local scale, studying locations in Hamilton, Mississauga and other urban areas in the greater Toronto area. His research could help us better understand and predict our own exposure to air pollution, and maybe take steps to avoid it.

“We wanted to know what happens when cars idle outside of schools, and we found that it creates some significant air pollution issues,” Adams says. “Under certain conditions, particularly in the winter when the air is not moving and dispersing that air pollution, cars can generate very high air pollution concentrations right where students are being dropped off.” He notes that kindergarten play yards are often located next to drop-off zones, subjecting the youngest students to concentrated exposure to auto exhaust, which can lead to a variety of negative effects like respiratory health issues, poor school performance, and poor well-being later in life.

“Students spend a long time at school. They don’t really have a choice in where they’re going to school, and schools are built to last for a long time,” he says. “Understanding what’s going on in these very local sources of air pollution is important because that’s really where the exposure occurs.”

In his research, Adams collects air pollution data from mobile monitors, satellite imaging and fixed monitoring stations, and hopes to combine that information with location and heart rate data from cell phones and wearable fitness devices. “As we get better air pollution models that can estimate [pollutions levels for] an entire city by block, by street or even household location, we can integrate that information into the activity patterns of how people move through the environment and start to understand what local exposure means.”

“It’s very difficult to control sources of pollution,” Adams says. “But it’s particularly important information for those who are at risk, such as the elderly, youth or people with existing cardio-respiratory diseases.” Better information about local exposure could help individuals choose different activities or locations during periods of high pollution. “We want to inform people that a specific location might not be a good place to go for a run today, or that there’s a better location elsewhere where there’s lower exposure to air pollution,” he says. “We want to provide the public with a way to manage their own risk.”

“Simple changes can help to minimize health effects on students,” Adams says. The study recommends locating play structures and play yards away from drop-off zones, encouraging students to walk and bike to school and convincing auto-oriented parents to turn off their engines in the drop-off location.

Source: Scientist finds children at risk from surprising source of air pollution

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Firms face fines after new monitors detect pollutants 

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Respro® UK Ltd

Following the installation of 100 small air-quality monitors in Taoyuan’s Kuanyin Industrial Park (觀音工業區), two factories are being prosecuted for violating air pollution and waste disposal regulations, Environmental Protection Administration officials said yesterday.

The action is part of the agency’s four-year, NT$200 million (US$6.6 million) plan to install 10,200 small air-quality monitors nationwide, Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management Director-General Chang Shuenn-chin (張順欽) told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

The first 100 monitors, installed on lighting poles in the park, are quick testers for PM2.5 pollutants, volatile organic compounds, temperature and humidity, Chang said.

They can submit data to the agency’s database every three minutes, he said.

While stationary stations indicate the general air quality of a region, the micro monitors’ instant data can narrow down the suspected contamination area, Bureau of Environmental Inspection Northern Branch Director Chuang Hsun-cheng (莊訓城) said.

Inspectors would examine all sources of pollution in the suspected spot, Chuang said, adding that the monitors were installed at the request of residents.

Hua-chen Precision Co and Tai-yi Dyeing Co officials face prison terms of one to five years and fines of NT$200,000 to NT$15 million if found in violation of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) and the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), he said.

Hua-chen had allegedly illegally disposed other companies’ sludge even though it had been asked to stop operations by the Taoyuan Department of Environmental Protection in 2015 and lacked any waste-disposal permits, he said.

Tai-yi, asked to stop operations by the department last year due to its polluting emissions, also secretly resumed its business, he said, adding that the two cases have been forwarded to Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office.

Two other companies, Tung-hsin Industry Co and Super Max Engineering Co, face fines of NT$20,000 to NT$200,000 for violating the Air Pollution Control Act, he said.

Source: Firms face fines after new monitors detect pollutants – Taipei Times

Posted in Air Quality, Asia, Taiwan | Tagged , | Leave a comment