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Air

Air is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on all aspects of air research, including air science, air technology, air management and governance, published quarterly online by MDPI.

All Articles (78)

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses substantial urban health risks that vary across space, time, and population vulnerability. We integrate a spatio-temporal INLA–SPDE PM2.5 field with an agent-based model (ABM) of 10,000 daily home–work commuters in Indianapolis’s Pleasant Run airshed (50 weeks; 250 m grid). The PM2.5 surface fuses 23 corrected PurpleAir PA-II-SD sensors with meteorology, land use, road proximity, and MODIS AOD. Validation indicated strong agreement (leave-one-out R2 = 0.79, RMSE = 3.5 μg/m3; EPA monitor comparison R2 = 0.81, RMSE = 3.1 μg/m3). We model a spatial-equity counterfactual by assigning susceptibility independently of residence and workplace, isolating vulnerability from residential segregation. Under this design, annual PM2.5 exposure was statistically indistinguishable across groups (16.22–16.29 μg/m3; max difference 0.07 μg/m3, <0.5%), yet VWDI differed by ~10× (High vs. Very Low). Route-level maps reveal recurrent micro-corridors (>20 μg/m3) near industrial zones and arterials that increase within-group variability without creating between-group exposure gaps. These findings quantify a policy-relevant “floor effect” in environmental justice: even with perfect spatial equity, substantial health disparities remain driven by susceptibility. Effective mitigation, therefore, requires dual strategies—place-based emissions and mobility interventions to reduce exposure for all, paired with vulnerability-targeted health supports (screening, access to care, indoor air quality) to address irreducible risk. The data and code framework provides a reproducible baseline against which real-world segregation and mobility constraints can be assessed in future, stratified scenarios.

4 December 2025

Location and land cover of the Pleasant Run Airshed (PRAS). Points (black dot inside white circle) are locations where PA-II-SD sensors were placed.

When it rains or snows over a city, water droplets capture airborne pollutants and transport them to the ground. Prolonged precipitation over the same area can remove a larger amount of pollution; however, rainfall systems vary in duration and tend to move rapidly across regions. Wet deposition sprinklers replicate this natural scavenging process. They can operate for extended periods as needed and can be installed at specific locations where pollution mitigation is most necessary. Despite encouraging experimental results and the widespread use of similar technologies in industrial sectors—such as mining, the construction industry, and waste management—very limited scientific research has focused on their application in urban environments. In particular, their use as an emergency measure during severe pollution episodes as a protective intervention for sensitive subjects, while awaiting the effects of long-term structural solutions, remain largely unexplored. In the present work, we systematically discuss the key elements required to design and implement a network of anti-smog cannons (ASC) to protect sensitive receptors from severe air pollution events in large cities. Based on this analysis, we established a generalized framework that can be applied to any urban context worldwide. We also examine the potential application of the proposed method to the city of Turin (≈850,000 inhabitants, north-western Italy), which is considered a representative case study for other cities in Western Europe. Our findings indicate that such a network is both technically feasible and economically sustainable for local government authorities.

1 December 2025

PM10 average daily concentrations (µg/m3, black line), measured in Torino Grassi air quality monitoring station, versus daily precipitations (mm, blue histogram), measured in Torino Reiss Romoli weather station in 2024. It can be seen that even small rain events cause a decrease in PM10 concentrations.

A large proportion of the existing building stock in northern Europe is facing energy renovation in the coming years. In this process, existing architecture in cold and temperate climates, originally designed for natural ventilation, is renovated, implementing mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, in the belief that mechanical ventilation performs better than natural ventilation. Yet, can natural ventilation outperform mechanical ventilation when comparing life cycle carbon emissions, cost, and indoor environmental parameters? This study compares two different ventilation strategies in a full-scale renovation of two identical Danish residential buildings: (1) natural ventilation with passive controlled NOTECH ventilation and two-layered high-transmittance windows vs. (2) mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and three-layered low energy windows. The study compares energy performance, life cycle carbon footprint, capital cost investments, payback period, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Under the observed conditions, the results show that natural ventilation outperforms mechanical ventilation when it comes to energy consumption for heating (MWh), global warming potential (t. CO2-equivalent), and total costs, while mechanical ventilation has a slightly higher indoor environmental quality. The study shows that two-layered windows and natural ventilation, based on passive solar heating, can reduce the global warming potential and act as a viable alternative to three-layered windows and mechanical ventilation when renovating existing building stock.

25 November 2025

Building 1 and Building 2 plan and façades of the two implemented solutions. M-Tech state-of-the-art mechanical ventilation and 3-layered windows in 8 apartments (top right). NOTECH ventilation and 2-layered high-transmittance windows in 8 apartments (bottom right). Isometric view with air intakes (arrows) and outlets (dotted arrows) for balanced mechanical ventilation (top left) and NOTECH ventilation (bottom left). NB. Selected test apartments marked in the plan drawings (light gray). NB. Placement of MiniNodes, see black circles.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the global understanding of airborne disease transmission, particularly in healthcare environments. This literature review examines how building ventilation and indoor air quality strategies have evolved in response to SARS-CoV-2, with a specific focus on healthcare settings. A systematic review of 163 post-pandemic studies, alongside a selective review of pre-COVID-19 literature, was conducted to assess how scientific knowledge, practical recommendations, and HVAC-related interventions have changed. The review categorizes studies across detection methods, simulation models, observational analyses, and policy recommendations, drawing attention to novel findings and evidence-supported practices. While the body of research reaffirms the critical role of ventilation, many recommendations remain unevaluated through empirical methods. This study identifies the gaps in evidence and highlights the most impactful advances that can inform future design, maintenance, and operational protocols in healthcare facilities to mitigate airborne infection risks.

4 November 2025

Procedure for Identifying Post-COVID-19 Papers and Pre-COVID-19 Papers.

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Air - ISSN 2813-4168