‘Emission inventory’ is 1st step to predicting city’s air pollution

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Next week, Mumbai will finally get an emission inventory – a database that will help predict the extent of air pollution for up to 72 hours in advance and also help detect its source. The inventory is the very first step towards an ‘air quality monitoring system’ that is being set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore and will be ready by July. At present, the country has AQMS only in two cities – Delhi and Pune – unlike in the West, where the many cities boast of systems that monitor air quality and devise intervention plans to curb health hazards.

“The emission inventory is the most important step to set up an AQMS. Over 200 college students from Mumbai have collected data for the inventory since October, from various sources such as slums, industrial areas, toll nakas, road junctions, cremation grounds and so on. This will help us understand pollution patterns in various parts of the city and form the base for our forecasting model,” said Dr Gufran Beig, program director, System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.

Beig, who has also worked on the AQMS in Delhi and Pune, said that besides forecasting air quality, the system will issue health warnings when air pollution increases and also warn about increases in the intensity of ultraviolet radiation. “After Mumbai, we will start work on setting up an AQMS in Chennai and Kolkata,” he added.

The AQMS will be scattered across 10 monitoring stations in Colaba, Santacruz, Worli, Bhandup, Borivali, Malad, Mazgaon, Chembur, Vikhroli and Dharavi. The data collected from these stations will be sent to the India Meteorological Department in Colaba, which will pass it on to a supercomputer at ITTM in Pune, which will use it to make forecasts about air quality.

This supercomputer – one of the fastest in the country – will be linked to 15 LED display boards that will be set up in various parts of Mumbai. “The boards will display the air quality forecast for up to 72 hours and will also give out colour-coded warning about pollutant levels and a health advisory where air quality dips,” said Beig. Green will indicate good air quality, yellow moderate, orange poor, red very poor and maroon critical.

The BMC has already given its permission to erect one such board at its headquarters at CST. Other locations being looked at include the Haji Ali junction, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, airport, Gateway of India, Vashi toll naka and Girgaum chowpatty.

Ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate metals are common air pollutants. Prolonged exposure to them has been linked with respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and tuberculosis, apart from lung cancer.

via ‘Emission inventory’ is 1st step to predicting city’s air pollution – Mumbai Mirror.

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Only three Chinese cities meet air quality standards

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

An archipelago known for its Buddhist temples, the Tibetan capital and a seaside city known for corrupt real estate deals, are the only three cities in China to meet national air quality standards, in a stark illustration of how pervasive pollution has become in the world’s most populous country.

Unrelenting smog – including a week-long stretch last month of “hazardous” air in Beijing – has become a focus for public discontent, particularly in prosperous urban areas. Last week, Li Keqiang, China’s premier, told the annual meeting of the country’s legislature that his government would wage “war on pollution”.

Haikou, the capital of sub-tropical Hainan Island, Zhoushan – an archipelago just south of Shanghai that consists of 1,390 islands and 1.1 million people – and Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, were the only three to meet national standards in a survey of 74 of the nation’s largest cities, vice-minister of environmental protection Wu Shaoqing told journalists at the wekend.

Of the 10 worst cities, seven were in Hebei, the industrial province that rings Beijing where winter pollution levels regularly go off the scale.

Last year, China issued a plan to cut emissions and polluting steel capacity in the populous east – particularly in Hebei – while encouraging more coal and industrial development in the poor and arid west of the country.

Hebei officials have hastened to demonstrate their commitment by inviting state television to film the detonation of steel mills and cement plants. But steel industry officials say most of these blown up were already closed due to high debt levels and poor profitability, throwing doubt over any long-term impact on pollution levels.

Sixteen of Hebei’s 148 steel plants have closed for economic reasons, provincial governor Zhang Qingwei said on Friday, allowing Hebei to meet its closure targets sooner than required. Mr Li said in his address to the legislature that the national target of shuttering 60m tonnes of steel capacity by 2017 would be met one year earlier than originally planned.

Smog blankets Shanghai

December 2013: Shanghai residents discuss the impact of poor air quality after the city wracked up its worst pollution level since records began in December

The central government has attempted for many years to regulate pollution and industrial overcapacity by mandating shutdowns, an approach that tends to backfire as industrial bosses frantically expand to create plants too big to fail.

An environmental tax could be considered at the annual session of the legislature, under way this week. Changes to China’s 1989 environmental protection law are undergoing a third round of revisions, Mr Wu said: “We believe the biggest part to be revised is how to fix the problem that the cost of polluting is low while the cost of mitigating it is high.”

For many Chinese cities, part of the problem is that local polluters are often the biggest taxpayers and employers, or have tight ties to local governments. Most of the 10 best cities cited by Mr Wu are on the coast, where sea breezes clear the air.

via Only three Chinese cities meet air quality standards – FT.com.

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China’s Air Pollution Heads West

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

China’s plan for cleaning up the dirty air in Beijing means power plants are being built in the west in an area populated by ethnic minorities.

China

China’s 20 Most Polluted Cities

Heavy coal use in eastern China contributes to an acrid smog that frequently envelops cities in what some residents have dubbed the “airpocalypse.” Pollution levels have hit record highs in recent years in cities like Beijing and Shanghai and result in as many as half a million premature deaths each year, according to an article in the Lancet, a leading medical journal.

Exposure to fine particulate matter in the air (also known as PM2.5) should be limited to an average of 10 µg/m³ per year, according to the World Health Organization. Levels are as much as 15 times higher in the 20 most polluted Chinese cities.

via China’s Air Pollution Heads West – Bloomberg.

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MPCA issues air pollution health alert for portions of MN

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

MPCA issues air pollution health alert for portions of MN

St. Paul, Minn.– The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air pollution health alert for western Minnesota effective from noon on Thursday, March 6 through noon on Friday, March 7. Air quality monitors indicate that fine particle pollution is increasing across the central plain states, extending from Oklahoma City to Fargo, and including air monitors located in Marshall, Fargo and Sioux Falls. A strong temperature inversion, snow melt, and morning fog are trapping fine particle pollution near the surface, causing fine-particle concentrations to reach a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. These conditions are expected to persist until Friday morning, when a cold front passes over Minnesota bringing cleaner air into the region.

An air pollution health advisory has also been issued for the southern half of Minnesota including the Twin Cities and Rochester beginning Thursday evening and extending into Friday morning. Fine-particle concentrations across the southern half of Minnesota are expected to be moderate throughout the day Thursday. Overnight, as wind speeds decrease and temperature inversions form and strengthen, fine-particle concentrations are expected to increase and may reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups for short periods of time. Air quality conditions are expected to improve Friday afternoon as a cold front moves across Minnesota.

The MPCA issues an air pollution health alert when air quality conditions reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, or an Air Quality Index greater than 101. An air pollution health advisory is issued when air quality conditions are expected to be near unhealthy for sensitive group levels, but remain below an AQI of 101. Current air quality conditions are updated hourly at the MPCA’s Air Quality Index website, http://www.pca.state.mn.us/aqi.

At-risk populations: Fine particle pollution is expected to reach a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Populations sensitive to fine particles include those with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory disease, the elderly, children, and individuals who participate in activities requiring extended or heavy exertion, both indoors and outdoors. Members of these groups are encouraged to postpone or reduce vigorous activity and minimize exposure to local sources of air pollution (i.e.,heavy duty vehicle traffic, wood fires and candles). Even individuals who are otherwise healthy may experience health effects when pollution levels increase.

Health impacts: Exposure to high levels of fine particles has been linked with both respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. Fine particles may exacerbate pre-existing health conditions and may cause individuals to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing or fatigue. If you experience these symptoms, contact your physician.

Pollution-reduction tips: Fine particles are produced from combustion activities, which include fossil fuel-based energy generation, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline-powered yard and lawn equipment, and wood burning. Conserving energy, buying clean renewable power, and using alternate means of transportation, such as mass transit, will all reduce your daily contribution to air pollution. During air quality alerts, residents are particularly encouraged to postpone or reduce vehicle trips and engine idling, reduce the use of gasoline-powered equipment, and avoid burning wood.

Visit http://www.pca.state.mn.us for information on current air quality conditions in your area. To receive daily air quality forecasts and air quality alert notifications by email or text message, sign up at http://mn.enviroflash.info.

Minnesota’s AQI is now available on mobile devices! Download the Minnesota Air App at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/9du9wp3.

via MPCA issues air pollution health alert for portions of MN – Community News Corporation – Byron, MN.

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Air pollution still exceeding prescribed levels in Dorchester town centre

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

AIR pollution levels in Dorchester’s High East Street are continuing to exceed prescribed levels.

The street was declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) back in 2009 due to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

West Dorset District Council has responsibility for monitoring the pollution level and coming up with an action plan.

A report to be considered by the council’s executive committee when it meets next week states: “Annual average NO2 levels continue to be exceeded at the facades of properties along High East Street.”

The report adds that the proposed Dorchester Transport and Environment Plan (DTEP) is ‘the key action to improve air quality’.

via Air pollution still exceeding prescribed levels in Dorchester town centre (From Dorset Echo).

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Air pollution posing health hazard at Bhagat Singh Colony

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Constant exposure to polluted air has led to skin allergies and other health issues among residents

The slum area, known as Bhagat Singh Colony, adjacent to the sixth lane of Dwarakanagar, is considered both a boon and a bane.

“Boon in the sense, a robber can never get away from here if at all he enters the colony. The slum-dwellers keep a close watch on the houses and they are awake till late in the night. We also enjoy their services in the form of domestic help and dhobi without any irregularities,” says Akella Venkata Purushotham, one of the old residents of the colony.

However, on special occasions such as marriage, these slum-dwellers host functions right in the middle of the road. With music in full volume, colony people face tremendous noise pollution, apart from the inconvenience caused due to road blocks.

According to colony resident G. Indrani, there has been absolutely no progress in terms of infrastructure.

“The dug-up roads pose problem to the commuters. And over the years, the condition has only gone from bad to worse. Another issue we face is the stink that emanates from the wide drains situated close to the lane (near Ramaduta Hanuman temple). Despite the incense sticks I place all around the house, the stench still dominates,” she says.

For several years now, the residents are unable to find a solution for air pollution.

The constant exposure to polluted air has an impact on the store owners and elderly people residing in the colony. They say that because of pollution they suffer from skin allergies and other health issues. Despite repeated complaints, authorities have failed to address the concern, they worry.

As most colony residents say the place is safe and theft-free, a number of civic issues continue to haunt them.

via Air pollution posing health hazard at Bhagat Singh Colony – The Hindu.

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City pollution sparks health alert: The list of Southampton blackspots

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

SOUTHAMPTON is today at the centre of a traffic pollution health alert, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The city is lagging behind strict European emission controls – six years after they were put in place.

Now environment campaigners say tough action is needed as delays in addressing the issue are “costing people their health”.

Limits on the toxic gas, which is mainly created by traffic fumes, should have been met by January 2010.

The European Commission (EC) has launched legal action against the UK due to a failure to cut levels of nitrogen dioxide, which could lead to a £300m fine.

Now it has been revealed the city is one of 16 areas in the country which the European Commission says the government has not put forward a plan to reduce emissions.

Southampton City Council says its own air quality action plan could bring emission levels in Southampton down to an acceptable level by 2016.

It comes a year after the Daily Echo revealed high levels of the pollutant particle PM2.5 were recorded in Southampton by analysts at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

And shock figures from Public Health England show the percentage of adult deaths in Southampton due air pollution in 2011 was 6.3 per cent – the second highest in the south east.

There are ten Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in the city which represent the worst locations for nitrogen dioxide emissions, including Millbrook Road and Redbridge Road, Town Quay and Romsey.

The UK Supreme Court has already ruled that air pollution limits are regularly exceeded in the 16 areas including Southampton, and now the EC has decided to act in the first legal action of its kind.

Maria Arnold, health and environment advisor at environmental lawyers ClientEarth, which brought the case to the supreme court, slammed the growing problem with air pollution data.

She said: “Government need to wake up and take some real action to tackle cancer causing diesel fumes. Levels of pollution are illegal and delay is costing people their health, it’s as simple as that.”

South east Green MEP Keith Taylor said he would have liked to have seen a plan put in place sooner to improve the air pollution problems in Southampton.

He said: “Air pollution is a serious threat to people’s health, and needs to be treated as such. I hope that the council sticks to this plan and brings about the changed needed to clean up the city’s air.

“The fact is that the vast majority of air pollution comes from road transport, particularly diesel engines.

“To seriously tackle this invisible killer we need a transport revolution that reduces the amount of vehicles on our roads.

“We need to see serious investment in alternatives to private transport. This means increasing the amount of cycling and walking and investing in attractive public transport options.

“Unfortunately residents of the city do have cause for concern about these dangerous levels of air pollution.

“We know that thousands of people in the UK die early every year because of bad air but, thankfully, we also know that there are solutions to the problem.

“I hope that people keep a close eye on their council to ensure that everything possible is done to reduce the damage caused by air pollution.”

A spokesman for the city council said the main cause of air pollution is vehicle traffic and all AQMAs are based by busy roads.

The council says it aims to reduce levels by encouraging people to use public transport more and share school runs, and by cutting the number of heavy goods vehicles using the road.

It recently opened a new Sustainable Distribution Centre in Nursling, where deliveries for areas of the city can be dropped off and delivered by one lorry, as opposed to several.

They said: “Millbrook and Redbridge Road is our most significant AQMA, which showed some of the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide in the city during 2012.

“In recent years the levels of air pollution have tended to decline and the data is suggesting that efforts made to improve air quality through the city’s Air Quality Action Plan could achieve levels below the threshold by 2016.”

Soton Pollution with keyPanel: The ten worst areas in Southampton for nitrogen oxide levels – Bevois Valley Road – Bitterne Road West – Winchester Road – Town Quay – Millbrook Road and Redbridge Road – Romsey Road – Commercial Road – New Road – Burgess Road – Victoria Road

via City pollution sparks health alert: The list of Southampton blackspots (From Daily Echo).

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Drought linked to polluted winter air

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

California’s parched winter brought a big surge in air pollution, pushing the number of bad air days one-third higher than the previous winter and posing a serious health threat, state air quality officials said Tuesday.

Levels of haze-forming soot typically increase in winter, but this year was worse because of the persistent lack of rainfall, low winds and unusually stagnant conditions that trapped pollution close to the ground.

Karen Magliano, an assistant division chief at the California Air Resources Board, said the increase in dirty air was a weather-driven exception to a decade-long trend of improvement.

The San Joaquin Valley’s air was the most polluted in the state, exceeding federal health standards for fine particulate matter for 66 days — more than half of the November-to-February winter season used by air quality regulators. The San Francisco Bay Area logged 15 bad air days over the same period, the highest in seven years.

To keep levels of the microscopic air pollutants from getting worse, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District called a record-tying 30 days of “spare the air” alerts banning residential wood-burning, up from 10 last winter. The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which includes Los Angeles and Orange counties, issued a record 16 no-burn alerts, up from last winter’s five.

Wood smoke boosts levels of fine particles, or soot, that build up in winter air because of emissions from vehicle tailpipes, diesel trucks, trains, construction equipment and industrial stacks. The pollutants pose a chronic health risk because they lodge deep in the lungs and are linked to respiratory illnesses, heart disease, cancer and thousands of early deaths a year in California.

“We’ve really seen it quite bad this year,” said Penny Newman, who heads the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice in the Riverside County city of Jurupa Valley, which routinely has the highest levels of fine-particle pollution in Southern California. “A lot of us who have asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease like I do have been really struggling.”

Newman questioned regulators’ reliance on burn bans as a pollution-fighting tool and said they should instead require steeper emissions cuts from industrial sources. Wood burning, she said, “seems just a drop in the bucket compared to the diesel trucks and locomotives that are concentrated in our area.”

Air quality officials, however, say that burning restrictions are an important and effective instrument to clean some of the dirtiest air in the nation. Wood fireplaces and stoves in millions of California homes generate enough smoke that they are one of the largest sources of winter pollution, they say.

via Drought linked to polluted winter air – latimes.com.

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