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Applied Sciences
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Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health...
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Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 12131

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dikaia E. Saraga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Atmospheric Chemistry & Innovative Technologies Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Greece
Interests: indoor air quality; air pollution; source apportionment; particulate matter physics and chemistry; ventilation; exposure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thomas Maggos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NCSR “Demokritos”, Atmospheric Chemistry & Innovative Technologies Laboratory, 15310 Athens, Greece
Interests: air quality; analytical chemistry; atmospheric chemistry; source apportionment, particulate matter; climate change; catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the air pollution patterns observed over the last several decades, the projected trends based on the socio-economic data as well as the evolution of the environmental legislation, it becomes apparent that future efforts need to be targeted on specific sources, in terms of the quantitative assessment of their contribution to the observed pollutant levels. Based on the physicochemical characteristics of pollutants, source apportionment methods aim at understanding the origin of air pollution and updating the efficiency of mitigation actions. The merging point of the scientific findings on pollution sources (air-monitoring campaigns, source apportionment, and model scenario studies) with environmental, economic, and urbanization trends in vulnerable areas is essential for the implementation of the Air Quality Directives and protection of climate and population health.

Therefore, this Special Issue invites studies on urban, industrial, and rural air pollution source apportionment, evaluation of their outputs, and linkages to mitigation strategies.

Dr. Dikaia E. Saraga
Dr. Thomas Maggos
Guest Editor

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. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • Source apportionment
  • Source-oriented models
  • Receptor models
  • Emission inventories
  • Socio-economic population data
  • Climate change abatement
  • Mitigation measures

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 7197 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Emission Characteristics and Microstructure of Particulate Matters from Excavation and Restoration Work on Asphalt Concrete Pavement
by Soohyun Han, Jongwon Lee and Cheolmin Baek
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010323 - 27 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1107
Abstract
Road excavation–restoration work, where various construction tasks are performed, may generate large quantities of particulate matter (PM). These PM may accumulate in the surroundings or scatter into the atmosphere, thus affecting the environment and people in the surroundings. This study was conducted as [...] Read more.
Road excavation–restoration work, where various construction tasks are performed, may generate large quantities of particulate matter (PM). These PM may accumulate in the surroundings or scatter into the atmosphere, thus affecting the environment and people in the surroundings. This study was conducted as part of a basic research study to reduce scattering PM generated from road excavation–restoration work. This study aimed to investigate the PM10 emission trend for each activity of road excavation–restoration work, and to analyze the activity that yields the highest PM10 emissions. PM were measured by using a particle spectrometer and the vacuum sweep method, by conducting field (level 1) and chamber experiments (level 2). The PM10 emission trends of road-cutting, breaking, removal, excavation, and restoration activities were examined based on field experiments. It was found that the highest PM10 emission was generated from road-cutting activities. The road-cutting activities were performed in an enclosed chamber, and the microstructure and the emission characteristics of PM generated by cutting were analyzed. The PM generated during the cutting activity were analyzed by dividing them into scattered and deposited PM. The results showed that as the cutting depth increased, the scattered PM decreased, while the deposited PM tended to increase. Furthermore, as a result of the microstructural analysis of PM conducted during the cutting activity, it was found that the main components were aggregates instead of the components of asphalt binder. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment)
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9 pages, 654 KiB  
Article
Field Quantification of Ammonia Emission following Fertilization of Golf Course Turfgrass in Sub/Urban Areas
by Nathaniel L. Leiby and Maxim J. Schlossberg
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11644; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411644 - 08 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2661
Abstract
Low cost and favorable handling characteristics make urea (46-0-0) a leading nitrogen source for frequent, foliar N fertilization of golf course putting greens in season. Yet few field investigations of resulting NH3 volatilization from putting greens have been directed. Meanwhile, NH3 [...] Read more.
Low cost and favorable handling characteristics make urea (46-0-0) a leading nitrogen source for frequent, foliar N fertilization of golf course putting greens in season. Yet few field investigations of resulting NH3 volatilization from putting greens have been directed. Meanwhile, NH3 emissions degrade air and surface water quality. Our objective was to quantify NH3 volatilization following practical, low-N rate, and foliar application of commercial urea-N fertilizers. Over the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons in University Park, PA, USA, an industrial vacuum pump, H3BO3 scrubbing flasks, and sixteen dynamic flux chambers were employed in four unique experiments to measure NH3 volatilization from creeping bentgrass putting greens (Agrostis stolonifera L. ‘Penn G2’) in the 24 h period ensuing foliar application of urea based-N at a 7.32 or 9.76 kg/ha rate. Simultaneous and replicated flux chamber trapping efficiency trials showing 35% mean NH3 recovery were used to adjust NH3 volatilization rates from treated plots. Under the duration and conditions described, 3.1 to 8.0% of conventional urea N volatilized from the putting greens as NH3. Conversely, 0.7 to 1.1% of methylol urea liquid fertilizer (60% short-chain methylene urea) or 0.7 to 2.2% of urea complimented with dicyandiamide (DCD) and N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) volatilized as NH3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment)
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14 pages, 2080 KiB  
Article
Characterization of PM10-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Associated Carcinogenic Risk in Bangkok, Thailand
by Amornphat Tadsanaprasittipol, Pinthong Tonrub, Iain J. Beverland and Robert M. Kalin
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4501; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104501 - 14 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1678
Abstract
Concentrations of ambient particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) were measured in PM10 samples collected at roadside, industrial and urban background sites in Bangkok between May 2013 and May 2014. The annual average PM10 concentrations were not significantly different between the roadside [...] Read more.
Concentrations of ambient particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) were measured in PM10 samples collected at roadside, industrial and urban background sites in Bangkok between May 2013 and May 2014. The annual average PM10 concentrations were not significantly different between the roadside (56.4 ± 27.3 µg m−3) and industrial (51.0 ± 31.1 µg m−3) sites. The lowest annual mean PM10 was observed at the urban background site (39.8 ± 22.2 µg m−3). Seasonal variations of pPAHs were observed at the three sampling sites. The total pPAHs ranged between 1.09 and 13.10 ng m−3 (mean 4.85 ± 2.51 ng m−3), 1.49 and 9.39 ng m−3 (mean 3.84 ± 2.01 ng m−3) and 0.77 and 5.20 ng m−3 (mean 2.28 ± 1.16 ng m−3) at the roadside, industrial and urban background sites, respectively. The observed annual average benzo[a]pyrene concentrations were 0.47 ± 0.39 ng m−3, 0.35 ± 0.27 ng m−3 and 0.24 ± 0.19 ng m−3 at the roadside, industrial and urban background sites. Long-term carcinogenic health risk of inhalation exposure expressed as the toxicity equivalent to benzo[a]pyrene concentrations were calculated as 0.83, 0.72 and 0.39 ng m−3 at the industrial, roadside and urban background sites, respectively. The composition of pPAHs plays an important role in the carcinogenicity of a PAHs mixture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment)
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26 pages, 5036 KiB  
Article
Air Pollution and Emergency Hospital Admissions—Evidences from Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal
by Pedro Franco, Cristina Gordo, Eduarda Marques da Costa and António Lopes
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(22), 7997; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10227997 - 11 Nov 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2856
Abstract
The relevance of air pollution in the public health agenda has recently been reinforced—it is known that exposure to it has negative effects in the health of individuals, especially in big cities and metropolitan areas. In this article we observed the evolution of [...] Read more.
The relevance of air pollution in the public health agenda has recently been reinforced—it is known that exposure to it has negative effects in the health of individuals, especially in big cities and metropolitan areas. In this article we observed the evolution of air pollutants (CO, NO, NO2, O3, PM10) emissions and we confront them with health vulnerabilities related to respiratory and circulatory diseases (all circulatory diseases, cardiac diseases, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, all respiratory diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, acute upper respiratory infections). The study is supported in two databases, one of air pollutants and the other of emergency hospital admissions, in the 2005–2015 period, applied to the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The analysis was conducted through Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, while also using semi-elasticity to quantify associations. Results showed positive associations between air pollutants and admissions, tendentially higher in respiratory diseases, with CO and O3 having the highest number of associations, and the senior age group being the most impacted. We concluded that O3 is a good predictor for the under-15 age group and PM10 for the over-64 age group; also, there seems to exist a distinction between the urban city core and its suburban areas in air pollution and its relation to emergency hospital admissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment)
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18 pages, 283 KiB  
Article
Effects of Air Pollution on the Risk of Low Birth Weight in a Cold Climate
by Hamudat A. Balogun, Aino K. Rantala, Harri Antikainen, Nazeeba Siddika, A. Kofi Amegah, Niilo R. I. Ryti, Jaakko Kukkonen, Mikhail Sofiev, Maritta S. Jaakkola and Jouni J. K. Jaakkola
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(18), 6399; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10186399 - 14 Sep 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2778
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence that prenatal exposure to air pollution disturbs fetal growth and development, but little is known about these effects in cold climates or their season-specific or joint effects. Our objective was to assess independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure [...] Read more.
There is accumulating evidence that prenatal exposure to air pollution disturbs fetal growth and development, but little is known about these effects in cold climates or their season-specific or joint effects. Our objective was to assess independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure to specific air pollutants on the risk of low birth weight (LBW). We utilized the 2568 children of the Espoo Cohort Study, born between 1984 and 1990 and living in the City of Espoo. We conducted stratified analyses for births during warm and cold seasons separately. We analyzed the effect estimates using multi-pollutant Poisson regression models with risk ratio (RR) as the measure of effect. The risk of LBW was related to exposure to CO (adjusted RR 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–2.00) and exposure to O3 in the spring–summer season (1.82, 1.11–2.96). There was also evidence of synergistic effects between CO and O3 (relative risk due to interaction (RERI), all year 1.08, 95% CI: 0.27–4.94, spring–summer 3.97, 2.17–25.85) and between PM2.5 and O3 (all year 0.72, −0.07–3.60, spring–summer 2.80, 1.36–19.88). We present new evidence of both independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure to low levels of air pollution in a cold climate on the risk of LBW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Pollution: From Source Apportionment to Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment)
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