Daily Dose of Air Pollution

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Air Pollution News & Alerts - September 16th, 2014

Last on August 7th, 2014

Friday, September 12, 2014

Comparing Particulate Pollution in Beijing and Los Angeles

Los Angeles' skies are among the most foul in the United States: In the American Lung Assn.'s 2014 national State of the Air survey, the L.A.-Long Beach area ranked worst in terms of ozone concentrations and third worst in terms of particulates as measured by the standard known as PM2.5, which captures particles so small they can be seen only with an electron microscope. But if L.A. were in China, it would be cleaner than all 74 major cities tracked in 2013 by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, based on PM2.5 levels. Read more @ LA Times

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Urban Sprawl in the World Cities

Ozone Pollution Reducing Crop Yield in India

This bottom-up modeling study, supported by emission inventories and crop production, simulates ozone on local to regional scales. It quantifies, for the first time, potential impact of ozone on district-wise cotton, soybeans, rice, and wheat crops in India for the first decade of the 21st century. Wheat is the most impacted crop with losses of 3.5 ± 0.8 million tons (Mt), followed by rice at 2.1 ± 0.8 Mt, with the losses concentrated in central and north India. On the national scale, this loss is about 9.2% of the cereals required every year (61.2 Mt) under the provision of the recently implemented National Food Security Bill (in 2013) by the Government of India. The nationally aggregated yield loss is sufficient to feed about 94 million people living below poverty line in India.

Read the full journal article @ Geophysical Research Letters

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Garbage Burning Worsening Air Pollution Worldwide

Unregulated trash burning around the globe is pumping far more pollution into the atmosphere than shown by official records. A new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research estimates that more than 40 percent of the world’s garbage is burned in such fires, emitting gases and particles that can substantially affect human health and climate change. The new study provides the first rough estimates, on a country-by-country basis, of pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, and mercury that are emitted by the fires. Such pollutants have been linked to serious medical issues. More @ UCAR

The study concluded that the fires produce emissions equivale
nt to as much as 29 percent of officially reported human-related global emissions of small particulates (less than 2.5 microns in diameter), as well as 10 percent of mercury and 64 percent of a group of gases known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These pollutants have been linked to such significant health impacts as decreased lung function, neurological disorders, cancer, and heart attacks.

Trash burning in some countries accounts for particularly high quantities of certain types of pollutants. In China, for example, the emissions are equivalent to 22 percent of reported emissions of larger particles (those up to 10 microns in diameter).

The global impact on greenhouse gas emissions appears to be less, though still significant, with burning trash producing an amount of carbon dioxide equal to an estimated 5 percent of reported human-related emissions. (By comparison, the Kyoto Protocol strove for a global 5 percent cut among industrialized countries in greenhouse-gas emissions derived from fossil fuels.) In certain developing countries—such as Lesotho, Burundi, Mali, Somalia, and Sri Lanka—the trash burning produces more carbon dioxide than is tallied in official inventories. This discrepancy can be important in international negotiations over reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Title: Global Emissions of Trace Gases, Particulate Matter, and Hazardous Air Pollutants from Open Burning of Domestic Waste
Authors: Christine Wiedinmyer, Robert J. Yokelson, and Brian K. Gullett
Publication: Environmental Science and Technology
doi: 10.1021/es502250z

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Household Air Pollution Intervention Tool 'HAPIT'

Professor Kirk Smith's Research Group at the University of California, Berkeley, developed a simple, web-based tool (Household Air Pollution Intervention Tool 'HAPIT') to allow policy-makers, donors, non-governmental organizations, project developers, and researchers to quickly compare the impacts of various cooking technologies on human health at the national level.

The tool facilitates easy-to-use impact comparisons by combining data and calculations from several sources. Health impacts are estimated by using recent findings from the 2010 Global Burden of Disease report results, including the latest exposure-response relationships caused by household air pollution for child pneumonia, heart disease, and other diseases. The tool also derives simple cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit estimates based on the World Health Organization WHO-CHOICE methods.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Global Glacier Mass Lost Due to Anthroporgenic Emissions

Published in Science - Abstract - The ongoing global glacier retreat is affecting human societies by causing sea-level rise, changing seasonal water availability, and increasing geohazards. Melting glaciers are an icon of anthropogenic climate change. However, glacier response times are typically decades or longer, which implies that the present-day glacier retreat is a mixed response to past and current natural climate variability and current anthropogenic forcing. Here, we show that only 25 ± 35% of the global glacier mass loss during the period from 1851 to 2010 is attributable to anthropogenic causes. Nevertheless, the anthropogenic signal is detectable with high confidence in glacier mass balance observations during 1991 to 2010, and the anthropogenic fraction of global glacier mass loss during that period has increased to 69 ± 24%.

Mercury Pollution Trippled in Oceans Since 1850's

Globally, oceans contain roughly 60,000 to 80,000 tons of mercury pollution, according to a report published this week in Nature detailing the first direct calculation of mercury pollution in the world's oceans. Ocean waters shallower than about 300 feet (100 meters) have tripled in mercury concentration since the Industrial Revolution, the study found, and mercury in the oceans as a whole has increased roughly 10 percent over pre-industrial times. North Atlantic waters showed the most obvious signs of mercury pollution, since surface waters there sink to form deeper water flows. In contrast, the tropical and Northeast Pacific were relatively unaffected. "We don't know what that means for fish and marine mammals, but likely that some fish contain at least three times more mercury than 150 years ago," and possibly more, lead researcher Carl Lamborg of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said. "The next 50 years could very well add the same amount we've seen in the past 150." This article @ Yale 360

Abstract from the Nature magazine

Mercury is a toxic, bioaccumulating trace metal whose emissions to the environment have increased significantly as a result of anthropogenic activities such as mining and fossil fuel combustion. Several recent models have estimated that these emissions have increased the oceanic mercury inventory by 36–1,313 million moles since the 1500s. Such predictions have remained largely untested owing to a lack of appropriate historical data and natural archives. Here we report oceanographic measurements of total dissolved mercury and related parameters from several recent expeditions to the Atlantic, Pacific, Southern and Arctic oceans. We find that deep North Atlantic waters and most intermediate waters are anomalously enriched in mercury relative to the deep waters of the South Atlantic, Southern and Pacific oceans, probably as a result of the incorporation of anthropogenic mercury. We estimate the total amount of anthropogenic mercury present in the global ocean to be 290 ± 80 million moles, with almost two-thirds residing in water shallower than a thousand metres. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic perturbations to the global mercury cycle have led to an approximately 150 per cent increase in the amount of mercury in thermocline waters and have tripled the mercury content of surface waters compared to pre-anthropogenic conditions. This information may aid our understanding of the processes and the depths at which inorganic mercury species are converted into toxic methyl mercury and subsequently bioaccumulated in marine food webs.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Curbing Coal Consumption in Beijing

Beijing is stepping up its efforts to improve its air quality – even cracking down on outdoor barbecues, which are illegal under regulations covering air pollution control. But it is the city’s changing attitudes to its coal-fired power plants that are likely to have most impact in its battle against the smog. Read the article @ World Coal

According to Reuters, China’s capital has cut its coal use by 7% this year and will ban the fuel altogether by 2020, switching to cleaner, natural gas-fired plants. Last month, the city government also announced it would enforce a ban on the use of high-sulfur coal – the first time such broad controls have been implemented in the Asian giant.

The government has also announced plans to integrate Beijing with the surrounding province of Hebei, where much of the pollution that clouds the city’s skies originates, and the port city of Tianjin. The three areas will be treated as a single entity when it comes to pollution control, with unified industrial and emissions standards.

The region had already agreed to cut coal use by 63 million t this year with the bulk of that – 40 million t – to come from Hebei.

World Bank Proposes More Support for Coal-fired Power Plants in Africa

“We are very sensitive to the idea that Africa deserves to have power,” Kim said, referring to the possibility of supporting coal projects. “There’s never been a country that has developed with intermittent power.”

Read more @ Power Engineering

This represents a further softening towards financing coal. Last year this was ruled out except “where there are no feasible alternatives available to meet basic energy needs and other sources of financing are absent.”

Bloomberg reports that Africa is experiencing an “almost energy apartheid,” where two-thirds of the population lacks access to power, Kim said in a Bloomberg Television interview at the Africa Business Forum in Washington.

He added that investment will be made in renewables sources as much as possible. He had one proviso: “But at the same time, we’ve got to respect the Africans’ demand for access to power.”

The World Bank also used the forum to announce that it will be committing $5bn to boost electricity generation in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

Energy shortages are a major obstacle to growth in Africa, with about 70 per cent of the population lacking electricity, according to the International Energy Agency.

Barack Obama’s administration has proposed a Power Africa programme, which still requires action by Congress. It is a five-year, $7bn plan to double access to power in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania.

Friday, August 08, 2014

The Cost of Doing Nothing Towards Climate Change

This past May was the hottest on record ever, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average surface temperature around the world was almost 1°C above its average last century, and Alaska almost 2°C over its average. There’s no denying that climate change is already happening, so the question we need to start asking ourselves now is how is this going to impact our lives, and how can we prepare? Astute business analysts are asking the obvious question: how is this going to impact our economy?

A new study highlighted by The Economist magazine looks at precisely this question and tries to calculate the economic cost of climate change. Examining everything from the threat of rising sea levels to coastal real-estate (from Miami to New York City), the economic impact on farming (from increased temperatures and decreased precipitation), to the economic impact of increasingly erratic weather patterns on businesses, homeowners and farming, The Economist takes an in-depth look at what climate change is going to mean for business in the coming decades. Read more @ Inhabitat

Thursday, August 07, 2014

Air Pollution News & Alerts - August 7th, 2014

Last on July 11th, 2014

The Guardian, August 8th, 2014
What’s driving millions of dollars back into energy efficiency?

New York Times, August 7th, 2014
Only 9 Chinese Cities Pass Clean Air Test.

Inhabitat, August 7th, 2014
China to Ban Burning Coal in Beijing by 2020.

Japan Times, August 6th, 2014
Japan, Ukraine to boost cooperation on energy security.

Times of India, August 6th, 2014
India-Myanmar meet on joint power project.

ECNS, August 6th, 2014
Cities falling short of air standards.

Power Technology, August 6th, 2014
World Bank to invest $5bn for electricity projects in Africa.

Science Daily, August 6th, 2014
Mercury in the global ocean: three times more mercury in upper ocean since the Industrial Revolution.

The City Fix, August 6th, 2014
Sustainable urban transport solutions worth spreading.

AU News, August 5th, 2014
Beijing to close coal-burning power stations to clean up air pollution.

Science Daily, August 5th, 2014
Interaction of climate change, fire and forests in USA.

Phys.Org, August 4th, 2014
Sulfur signals in Antarctic snow reveal clues to climate, past and future.

Phys.Org, August 4th, 2014
Climate change or public health: Which matters more?

The City Fix, August 4th, 2014
Regulation can help e-rickshaws transform urban mobility across India.

Indian Express, August 2nd, 2014
Take stand on e-rickshaw in Delhi.

NDTV, August 2nd, 2014
Delhi: Steps to Curb Air and Water Pollution.

Hindustan Times, August 2nd, 2014
Delhi: 11,000 more buses, ring railway to help reduce air pollution.

Crienglish, August 2nd, 2014
Beijing to Ban Coal Use to Cut Air Pollution.

Financial Express, August 2nd, 2014
India faced highest power shortage in last 3 months.

Times of India, August 2nd, 2014
Steps to check pollution in Delhi.

ECNS, August 1st, 2014
Coal usage in Beijing to be limited to low-sulfur variety.

Citizen Matters, August 1st, 2014
How you can contribute in reducing air pollution in Bengaluru.

World Coal, July 31st, 2014
World Bank should fund coal plant retrofits.

The Guardian, July 30th, 2014
Boris Johnson defends London's record on air pollution.

Times of India, July 30th, 2014
Depots missing, so capital can't buy more buses.

Digital Journal, July 29th, 2014
Global Clean Coal Technologies Market 2014-2018.

NDTV, July 29th, 2014
Climate Change Cooperation Can Start New Phase in Ties: John Kerry.

DNA India, July 29th, 2014
BRTS joint route set to be Asia’s biggest network.

NBC News, July 29th, 2014
Trees Save More Than 850 Lives a Year, Forest Service Study Says.

Deccan Chronicle, July 28th, 2014
Coal crunch hits power generation at two thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh.

Shanghai Daily, July 26th, 2014
New air pollution law is ‘China’s strictest’.

Global Post, July 25th, 2014
Air quality tops public environmental complaints in China.

The Carbon Brief, July 25th, 2014
Europe’s coal plants could stay open despite air pollution rules.

Pollution Solutions, July 24th, 2014
China power plans 'worse for emissions than coal'.

New York Times, July 24th, 2014
China’s Plan to Limit Coal Use Could Spur Consumption for Years.

New York Times, July 23rd, 2014
Greenpeace Says China’s Energy Plans Exacerbate Climate Change.

Reuters, July 23rd, 2014
Beijing shuts big coal-fired power plant to ease smog.

Vietnam Net, July 23rd, 2014
Vietnam rushes to import coal to feed thermal power plants.

China Daily, July 22nd, 2014
Anti-smog gains marred by rising ozone levels.

City Lab, July 22nd, 2014
Geography Plays a Role in Whether People Believe in Climate Change.

Express and Star, July 22nd, 2014
UK coal plants slammed on pollution.

NPR, July 22nd, 2014
Maine City Council Votes To Keep Tar Sands Out Of Its Port.

NPR, July 22nd, 2014
University Would Study Health Issues In Polluted New York Town.

Science Daily, July 22nd, 2014
Global temperature reaches record high in June following record warmth in May.

Science Daily, July 21st, 2014
Replacing coal, oil with natural gas will not help fight global warming, expert argues.

The City Fix, July 21st, 2014
Congestion pricing can make Beijing a more equitable city.

Beijing Review, July 21st, 2014
The Burning Question - Waste incinerators, efficient at garbage disposal, are met with a skeptical public.

Zee News, July 21st, 2014
25 of 100 power plants have less than 4 days coal stock.

Mother Nature Network, July 21st, 2014
To fight unemployment, India to plant 2 billion trees.

Imperial Press, July 21st, 2014
Can dust mitigation efforts be relaxed?

Clean Technica, July 20th, 2014
India Doubles Tax On Coal To Fund Clean Energy, Environmental Projects.

Clean Technica, July 20th, 2014
India Doubles Tax On Coal To Fund Clean Energy, Environmental Projects.

NPR, July 17th, 2014
Google Experiments With Mapping Climate Change.

Times of India, July 17th, 2014
Metro Rail work adding to air pollution in Hyderabad, says Pollution Control Board.

Time, July 17th, 2014
A Side Effect of Iranian Sanctions: Tehran’s Bad Air.

Outlook, July 17th, 2014
Improper to Label Delhi As World's Most Polluted City.

Live Mint, July 17th, 2014
Coca-Cola pays its employees to breathe China’s polluted air.

Zee News, July 17th, 2014
Nearly 50% power plants have less than 7 days coal stock.

Live-PR, July 17th, 2014
EU is on track to achieve two of its 2020 environmental targets.

Yale 360, July 17th, 2014
Google Street View Maps Show Extent of Methane Leaks in Cities.

Economic Times, July 17th, 2014
Power ministry, regulators contemplate ways to develop renewable energy.

Economic Times, July 16th, 2014
25 thermal power plants not complying with ash pond effluent.

Red orbit, July 16th, 2014
Ten Years After Launch, NASA’s Aura Mission Keeps On Providing Invaluable Data About Our Atmosphere.

Times of India, July 16th, 2014
Air you breathe claims 1,800 lives every year in Indore.

Hindustan Times, July 15th, 2014
Punjab imposes 12 hour power cut on small, medium industry.

Daily Times, July 15th, 2014
Transport sector declared major air polluter in Karachi.

People's Daily, July 15th, 2014
China's power plants punished for dirty tricks.

Wall Street Journal, July 15th, 2014
Extra Pay for Pollution?

NPR, July 15th, 2014
Coal-Burning Power Plant To Give New Life To Texas Oil Field.

Times of India, July 15th, 2014
Air you breathe claims 1,800 lives every year.

Domain-B, July 15th, 2014
Smartphone sensor to monitor air pollution.

USA Today, July 14th, 2014
A Chinese air pollution play -- maybe.

Coal Guru, July 14th, 2014
Beijing will require use of low-sulfur coal from August 2014 - Report.

New Pakistan, July 14th, 2014
World Bank Reveals Pakistan’s Urban Air Pollution Problems.

Dawn, July 14th, 2014
Pakistan’s urban air pollution off the charts: World Bank.

Power Engineering, July 14th, 2014
Energy Study Finds States Are Prepared to Limit Carbon Pollution From Power Plants.

Times of India, July 14th, 2014
Coca Cola China offering expats pollution hazard pay.

Business Standard, July 13th, 2014
Smart electric cars to measure air pollution.

The World Bank, July 10th, 2014
Cost of High Speed Rail in China One Third Lower than in Other Countries.

Process Engineering, July 4th, 2014
Improved carbon capture scrubbing.