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29 pages, 11111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Regional Air Quality Models over Sydney, Australia: Part 2, Comparison of PM_2.5 and Ozone

by Elise-Andrée Guérette, Lisa Tzu-Chi Chang, Martin E. Cope, Hiep N. Duc, Kathryn M. Emmerson, Khalia Monk, Peter J. Rayner, Yvonne Scorgie, Jeremy D. Silver, Jack Simmons, Toan Trieu, Steven R. Utembe, Yang Zhang and Clare Paton-Walsh

Atmosphere 2020, 11(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11030233 - 28 Feb 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4275

Abstract

Accurate air quality modelling is an essential tool, both for strategic assessment (regulation development for emission controls) and for short-term forecasting (enabling warnings to be issued to protect vulnerable members of society when the pollution levels are predicted to be high). Model intercomparison [...] Read more.

Accurate air quality modelling is an essential tool, both for strategic assessment (regulation development for emission controls) and for short-term forecasting (enabling warnings to be issued to protect vulnerable members of society when the pollution levels are predicted to be high). Model intercomparison studies are a valuable support to this work, being useful for identifying any issues with air quality models, and benchmarking their performance against international standards, thereby increasing confidence in their predictions. This paper presents the results of a comparison study of six chemical transport models which have been used to simulate short-term hourly to 24 hourly concentrations of fine particulate matter less than and equal to 2.5 µm in diameter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) for Sydney, Australia. Model performance was evaluated by comparison to air quality measurements made at 16 locations for O₃ and 5 locations for PM_2.5, during three time periods that coincided with major atmospheric composition measurement campaigns in the region. These major campaigns included daytime measurements of PM_2.5 composition, and so model performance for particulate sulfate (SO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻), ammonium (NH₄⁺) and elemental carbon (EC) was evaluated at one site per modelling period. Domain-wide performance of the models for hourly O₃ was good, with models meeting benchmark criteria and reproducing the observed O₃ production regime (based on the O₃/NO_x indicator) at 80% or more of the sites. Nevertheless, model performance was worse at high (and low) O₃ percentiles. Domain-wide model performance for 24 h average PM_2.5 was more variable, with a general tendency for the models to under-predict PM_2.5 concentrations during the summer and over-predict PM_2.5 concentrations in the autumn. The modelling intercomparison exercise has led to improvements in the implementation of these models for Sydney and has increased confidence in their skill at reproducing observed atmospheric composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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23 pages, 3272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sources of Particulate Matter in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia

by Melita Keywood, Mark F. Hibberd, Paul W. Selleck, Maximilien Desservettaz, David D. Cohen, Edward Stelcer, Armand J. Atanacio, Yvonne Scorgie and Lisa Tzu-Chi Chang

Atmosphere 2020, 11(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11010004 - 18 Dec 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3816

Abstract

Exposure to particulate matter results in adverse health outcomes, especially in sensitive members of the community. Many communities that co-exist with industry are concerned about the perceived impact of emissions from that industry on their health. Such concerns have resulted in two studies [...] Read more.

Exposure to particulate matter results in adverse health outcomes, especially in sensitive members of the community. Many communities that co-exist with industry are concerned about the perceived impact of emissions from that industry on their health. Such concerns have resulted in two studies in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. The chemical composition of samples of particulate matter, collected over two 12-month sampling periods (2012 and 2014–2015) at six sites in the Hunter Valley and across two size fractions (PM_2.5 and PM_2.5–10) were input to a receptor model to determine the source of particulate matter influencing particle composition at the sites. Fourteen factors were found to contribute to particle mass. Of these, three source profiles common to all sites, size fractions, and sampling periods were sea salt, industry-aged sea salt and soil. Four source profiles were common across all sites for PM_2.5 including secondary sulphate, secondary nitrate, mixed industry/vehicles, and woodsmoke. One source profile (other biomass smoke) was only identified in PM_2.5 at Singleton and Muswellbrook, two source profiles (mixed industry/shipping and vehicles) were only identified in PM_2.5 at Newcastle, Beresfield, Mayfield, and Stockton, and one source (primary nitrate) was only identified at Stockton in PM_2.5. Three sources (bioaerosol, light absorbing particles (coal dust), and industry) were only identified in the PM_2.5–10 size fraction at Mayfield and Stockton. The contribution of the soil factor to PM_2.5 mass was consistent across the sites, while the fresh sea salt factor decreased with distance from the coast from 23% at Stockton to 3% at Muswellbrook, and smoke increased with distance from the coast. Primary industry was greatest at Stockton (due to the influence of ammonium nitrate emitted from a prilling tower) and lowest inland at Muswellbrook. In general, primary emissions across the sites accounted for 30% of the industry sources. The largest contribution to PM_2.5 was from secondary sources at all sites except at Muswellbrook, where woodsmoke and industry sources each made an equal contribution of 40%. In general, secondary reactions accounted for approximately 70% of the industry source, although at Stockton, with the presence of the prilling tower, this split was 50% primary and 50% secondary and at Muswellbrook, the split was 20% primary and 80% secondary. These findings add to the evidence base required to inform policies and programs that will improve air quality in the Hunter Valley. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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14 pages, 3407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Much Does Weather Matter? Effects of Rain and Wind on PM Accumulation by Four Species of Australian Native Trees

by Robert Popek, Alison Haynes, Arkadiusz Przybysz and Sharon A. Robinson

Atmosphere 2019, 10(10), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10100633 - 21 Oct 2019

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 5896

Abstract

As interest in improving urban air quality grows, phytoremediation—amelioration through plants—is an increasingly popular method of targeting particulate matter (PM), one of the most harmful pollutants. Decades of research has proven that plants effectively capture PM from air; however, more information is needed [...] Read more.

As interest in improving urban air quality grows, phytoremediation—amelioration through plants—is an increasingly popular method of targeting particulate matter (PM), one of the most harmful pollutants. Decades of research has proven that plants effectively capture PM from air; however, more information is needed on the dynamics of PM accumulation. Our study evaluated the effects of meteorological conditions on the dynamics of PM deposition, wash off and resuspension using four Australian tree species growing under natural conditions near a busy highway. Accumulation of PM on foliage was analyzed over the short term (daily changes) and over a longer time period (weekly changes). The results obtained were correlated with ambient concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, rain intensity and wind strength. The highest accumulation of PM was recorded for Eucalyptus ovata (100.2 µg cm⁻²), which also had the thickest wax layer while the lowest was for Brachychiton acerifolius (77.9 µg cm⁻²). PM accumulation was highly changeable, with up to 35% different PM loads on the foliage from one day to the next. Importantly these dynamics are hidden in weekly measurements. Changes in PM deposition on the leaves was mostly affected by rain and to a lesser extent by wind, but the extent of the effect was species specific. The large PM fraction (10–100 µm) was the first to be removed from leaves, while the smallest PM fraction (0.2–2.5 µm) was retained for longer. Precipitation affects also PM retained in waxes, which until now were believed to be not affected by rain. This work demonstrates important interactions between PM load and weather, as well as adding to the small inventory of Australian native tree PM accumulation data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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18 pages, 9920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Air Quality Impacts of Smoke from Hazard Reduction Burns and Domestic Wood Heating in Western Sydney

by Maximilien Desservettaz, Frances Phillips, Travis Naylor, Owen Price, Stephanie Samson, John Kirkwood and Clare Paton-Walsh

Atmosphere 2019, 10(9), 557; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10090557 - 17 Sep 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6815

Abstract

Air quality was measured in Auburn, a western suburb of Sydney, Australia, for approximately eighteen months during 2016 and 2017. A long open-path infrared spectrometer sampled path-averaged concentrations of several gaseous species, while other pollutants such as PM

_{2.5}

and PM

_{10}

were [...] Read more.

Air quality was measured in Auburn, a western suburb of Sydney, Australia, for approximately eighteen months during 2016 and 2017. A long open-path infrared spectrometer sampled path-averaged concentrations of several gaseous species, while other pollutants such as PM

_{2.5}

and PM

_{10}

were sampled by a mobile air quality station. The measurement site was impacted by a number of indoor wood-heating smoke events during cold winter nights as well as some major smoke events from hazard reduction burning in the spring of 2017. In this paper we compare the atmospheric composition during these different smoke pollution events and assess the relative overall impact on air quality from domestic wood-heaters and prescribed forest fires during the campaign. No significant differences in the composition of smoke from these two sources were identified in this study. Despite the hazard reduction burning events causing worse peak pollution levels, we find that the overall exposure to air toxins was greater from domestic wood-heaters due to their higher frequency and total duration. Our results suggest that policy-makers should place a greater focus on reducing wood-smoke pollution in Sydney and on communicating the issue to the public. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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30 pages, 6334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composition of Clean Marine Air and Biogenic Influences on VOCs during the MUMBA Campaign

by Élise-Andrée Guérette, Clare Paton-Walsh, Ian Galbally, Suzie Molloy, Sarah Lawson, Dagmar Kubistin, Rebecca Buchholz, David W.T. Griffith, Ray L. Langenfelds, Paul B. Krummel, Zoe Loh, Scott Chambers, Alan Griffiths, Melita Keywood, Paul Selleck, Doreena Dominick, Ruhi Humphries and Stephen R. Wilson

Atmosphere 2019, 10(7), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10070383 - 10 Jul 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4626

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors to the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter, the two pollutants of most concern in Sydney, Australia. Despite this importance, there are very few published measurements of ambient VOC concentrations in Australia. In this paper, [...] Read more.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors to the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter, the two pollutants of most concern in Sydney, Australia. Despite this importance, there are very few published measurements of ambient VOC concentrations in Australia. In this paper, we present mole fractions of several important VOCs measured during the campaign known as MUMBA (Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air) in the Australian city of Wollongong (34°S). We particularly focus on measurements made during periods when clean marine air impacted the measurement site and on VOCs of biogenic origin. Typical unpolluted marine air mole fractions during austral summer 2012-2013 at latitude 34°S were established for CO₂ (391.0 ± 0.6 ppm), CH₄ (1760.1 ± 0.4 ppb), N₂O (325.04 ± 0.08 ppb), CO (52.4 ± 1.7 ppb), O₃ (20.5 ± 1.1 ppb), acetaldehyde (190 ± 40 ppt), acetone (260 ± 30 ppt), dimethyl sulphide (50 ± 10 ppt), benzene (20 ± 10 ppt), toluene (30 ± 20 ppt), C₈H₁₀ aromatics (23 ± 6 ppt) and C₉H₁₂ aromatics (36 ± 7 ppt). The MUMBA site was frequently influenced by VOCs of biogenic origin from a nearby strip of forested parkland to the east due to the dominant north-easterly afternoon sea breeze. VOCs from the more distant densely forested escarpment to the west also impacted the site, especially during two days of extreme heat and strong westerly winds. The relative amounts of different biogenic VOCs observed for these two biomes differed, with much larger increases of isoprene than of monoterpenes or methanol during the hot westerly winds from the escarpment than with cooler winds from the east. However, whether this was due to different vegetation types or was solely the result of the extreme temperatures is not entirely clear. We conclude that the clean marine air and biogenic signatures measured during the MUMBA campaign provide useful information about the typical abundance of several key VOCs and can be used to constrain chemical transport model simulations of the atmosphere in this poorly sampled region of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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33 pages, 11420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Regional Air Quality Models over Sydney and Australia: Part 1—Meteorological Model Comparison

by Khalia Monk, Elise-Andrée Guérette, Clare Paton-Walsh, Jeremy D. Silver, Kathryn M. Emmerson, Steven R. Utembe, Yang Zhang, Alan D. Griffiths, Lisa T.-C. Chang, Hiep N. Duc, Toan Trieu, Yvonne Scorgie and Martin E. Cope

Atmosphere 2019, 10(7), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10070374 - 4 Jul 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5790

Abstract

The ability of meteorological models to accurately characterise regional meteorology plays a crucial role in the performance of photochemical simulations of air pollution. As part of the research funded by the Australian government’s Department of the Environment Clean Air and Urban Landscape hub, [...] Read more.

The ability of meteorological models to accurately characterise regional meteorology plays a crucial role in the performance of photochemical simulations of air pollution. As part of the research funded by the Australian government’s Department of the Environment Clean Air and Urban Landscape hub, this study set out to complete an intercomparison of air quality models over the Sydney region. This intercomparison would test existing modelling capabilities, identify any problems and provide the necessary validation of models in the region. The first component of the intercomparison study was to assess the ability of the models to reproduce meteorological observations, since it is a significant driver of air quality. To evaluate the meteorological component of these air quality modelling systems, seven different simulations based on varying configurations of inputs, integrations and physical parameterizations of two meteorological models (the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM)) were examined. The modelling was conducted for three periods coinciding with comprehensive air quality measurement campaigns (the Sydney Particle Studies (SPS) 1 and 2 and the Measurement of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA)). The analysis focuses on meteorological variables (temperature, mixing ratio of water, wind (via wind speed and zonal wind components), precipitation and planetary boundary layer height), that are relevant to air quality. The surface meteorology simulations were evaluated against observations from seven Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Automatic Weather Stations through composite diurnal plots, Taylor plots and paired mean bias plots. Simulated vertical profiles of temperature, mixing ratio of water and wind (via wind speed and zonal wind components) were assessed through comparison with radiosonde data from the Sydney Airport BoM site. The statistical comparisons with observations identified systematic overestimations of wind speeds that were more pronounced overnight. The temperature was well simulated, with biases generally between ±2 °C and the largest biases seen overnight (up to 4 °C). The models tend to have a drier lower atmosphere than observed, implying that better representations of soil moisture and surface moisture fluxes would improve the subsequent air quality simulations. On average the models captured local-scale meteorological features, like the sea breeze, which is a critical feature driving ozone formation in the Sydney Basin. The overall performance and model biases were generally within the recommended benchmark values (e.g., ±1 °C mean bias in temperature, ±1 g/kg mean bias of water vapour mixing ratio and ±1.5 m s⁻¹ mean bias of wind speed) except at either end of the scale, where the bias tends to be larger. The model biases reported here are similar to those seen in other model intercomparisons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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25 pages, 4380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Particle Formation in a Complex Environment

by Doreena Dominick, Stephen R. Wilson, Clare Paton-Walsh, Ruhi Humphries, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Melita Keywood, Paul Selleck, Dagmar Kubistin and Ben Marwick

Atmosphere 2019, 10(5), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10050275 - 14 May 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3808

Abstract

A field aerosol measurement campaign as part of the Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA) campaign was conducted between 16 January 2013 and 15 February 2013 in the coastal city of Wollongong, Australia. The objectives of this research were to study [...] Read more.

A field aerosol measurement campaign as part of the Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA) campaign was conducted between 16 January 2013 and 15 February 2013 in the coastal city of Wollongong, Australia. The objectives of this research were to study the occurrence frequency, characteristics and factors that influence new particle formation processes. Particle formation and growth events were observed from particle number size distribution data in the range of 14 nm–660 nm measured using a scanning particle mobility sizer (SMPS). Four weak Class I particle formation and growth event days were observed, which is equivalent to 13% of the total observation days. The events occurred during the day, starting after 8:30 Australian Eastern Standard time with an average duration of five hours. The events also appeared to be positively linked to the prevailing easterly to north easterly sea breezes that carry pollutants from sources in and around Sydney. This suggests that photochemical reactions and a combination of oceanic and anthropogenic air masses are among the factors that influenced these events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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16 pages, 1906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Roadside Moss Turfs in South East Australia Capture More Particulate Matter Along an Urban Gradient than a Common Native Tree Species

by Alison Haynes, Robert Popek, Mitchell Boles, Clare Paton-Walsh and Sharon A. Robinson

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040224 - 24 Apr 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 10616

Abstract

Urbanisation largely consists of removing native vegetation. Plants that remain interact with air quality in complex ways. Pollutants can be detrimental to plant growth; plants sometimes reduce air quality, yet some species also improve it through phytoremediation. A common pollutant of concern to [...] Read more.

Urbanisation largely consists of removing native vegetation. Plants that remain interact with air quality in complex ways. Pollutants can be detrimental to plant growth; plants sometimes reduce air quality, yet some species also improve it through phytoremediation. A common pollutant of concern to human health in urban areas is particulate matter (PM), small particles of solid or liquid. Our study compared roadside moss turfs with leaves of a common Australian tree species, Pittosporum undulatum, in their ability to capture PM along an urban gradient. We sampled nine sites, three in each of three levels of urbanisation: low, medium, and high according to road type (freeway, suburban road, quiet peri-urban road). In addition, we deployed a PM monitor over a two-week period in one site of each urban level to provide concentrations of PM_2.5. We used chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v/F_m; maximum quantum yield of photosystem II) as a measure of plant stress. We extracted PM in three size fractions using a filtration and washing technique with water and chloroform. Site averages for moss turfs were between 5.60 and 33.00 mg per g dry weight for total PM compared to between 2.15 and 10.24 mg per g dry weight for the tree leaves. We found that moss was more sensitive to increasing urbanisation, both in terms of trapping proportionately more PM than the leaves, and also in terms of photosynthetic stress, with moss F_v/F_m declining by a site average of 40% from low to high urban “class” (0.76 to 0.45). Our study highlights the stressors potentially limiting moss persistence in cities. It also demonstrates its ability to trap PM, a trait that could be useful in urban applications relating to urban greening or air quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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23 pages, 3533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Spatial Variability of Air Quality in Sydney: Part 2—A Roadside Case Study

by Imogen Wadlow, Clare Paton-Walsh, Hugh Forehead, Pascal Perez, Mehrdad Amirghasemi, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Owen Gendek and Prashant Kumar

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040217 - 23 Apr 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8199

Abstract

Motivated by public interest, the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) hub deployed instrumentation to measure air quality at a roadside location in Sydney. The main aim was to compare concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) measured along a busy road [...] Read more.

Motivated by public interest, the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) hub deployed instrumentation to measure air quality at a roadside location in Sydney. The main aim was to compare concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) measured along a busy road section with ambient regional urban background levels, as measured at nearby regulatory air quality stations. The study also explored spatial and temporal variations in the observed PM_2.5 concentrations. The chosen area was Randwick in Sydney, because it was also the subject area for an agent-based traffic model. Over a four-day campaign in February 2017, continuous measurements of PM_2.5 were made along and around the main road. In addition, a traffic counting application was used to gather data for evaluation of the agent-based traffic model. The average hourly PM_2.5 concentration was 13 µg/m³, which is approximately twice the concentrations at the nearby regulatory air quality network sites measured over the same period. Roadside concentrations of PM_2.5 were about 50% higher in the morning rush-hour than the afternoon rush hour, and slightly lower (reductions of <30%) 50 m away from the main road, on cross-roads. The traffic model under-estimated vehicle numbers by about 4 fold, and failed to replicate the temporal variations in traffic flow, which we assume was due to an influx of traffic from outside the study region dominating traffic patterns. Our findings suggest that those working for long hours outdoors at busy roadside locations are at greater risk of suffering detrimental health effects associated with higher levels of exposure to PM_2.5. Furthermore, the worse air quality in the morning rush hour means that, where possible, joggers and cyclists should avoid busy roads around these times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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35 pages, 10649 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiscale Applications of Two Online-Coupled Meteorology-Chemistry Models during Recent Field Campaigns in Australia, Part II: Comparison of WRF/Chem and WRF/Chem-ROMS and Impacts of Air-Sea Interactions and Boundary Conditions

by Yang Zhang, Kai Wang, Chinmay Jena, Clare Paton-Walsh, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Steven Utembe, Jeremy David Silver and Melita Keywood

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040210 - 20 Apr 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4200

Abstract

Air-sea interactions play an important role in atmospheric circulation and boundary layer conditions through changing convection processes and surface heat fluxes, particularly in coastal areas. These changes can affect the concentrations, distributions, and lifetimes of atmospheric pollutants. In this Part II paper, the [...] Read more.

Air-sea interactions play an important role in atmospheric circulation and boundary layer conditions through changing convection processes and surface heat fluxes, particularly in coastal areas. These changes can affect the concentrations, distributions, and lifetimes of atmospheric pollutants. In this Part II paper, the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF/Chem) and the coupled WRF/Chem with the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) (WRF/Chem-ROMS) are intercompared for their applications over quadruple-nested domains in Australia during the three following field campaigns: The Sydney Particle Study Stages 1 and 2 (SPS1 and SPS2) and the Measurements of Urban, Marine, and Biogenic Air (MUMBA). The results are used to evaluate the impact of air-sea interaction representation in WRF/Chem-ROMS on model predictions. At 3, 9, and 27 km resolutions, compared to WRF/Chem, the explicit air-sea interactions in WRF/Chem-ROMS lead to substantial improvements in simulated sea-surface temperature (SST), latent heat fluxes (LHF), and sensible heat fluxes (SHF) over the ocean, in terms of statistics and spatial distributions, during all three field campaigns. The use of finer grid resolutions (3 or 9 km) effectively reduces the biases in these variables during SPS1 and SPS2 by WRF/Chem-ROMS, whereas it further increases these biases for WRF/Chem during all field campaigns. The large differences in SST, LHF, and SHF between the two models lead to different radiative, cloud, meteorological, and chemical predictions. WRF/Chem-ROMS generally performs better in terms of statistics and temporal variations for temperature and relative humidity at 2 m, wind speed and direction at 10 m, and precipitation. The percentage differences in simulated surface concentrations between the two models are mostly in the range of ±10% for CO, OH, and O₃, ±25% for HCHO, ±30% for NO₂, ±35% for H₂O₂, ±50% for SO₂, ±60% for isoprene and terpenes, ±15% for PM_2.5, and ±12% for PM₁₀. WRF/Chem-ROMS at 3 km resolution slightly improves the statistical performance of many surface and column concentrations. WRF/Chem simulations with satellite-constrained boundary conditions (BCONs) improve the spatial distributions and magnitudes of column CO for all field campaigns and slightly improve those of the column NO₂ for SPS1 and SPS2, column HCHO for SPS1 and MUMBA, and column O₃ for SPS2 at 3 km over the Greater Sydney area. The satellite-constrained chemical BCONs reduce the model biases of surface CO, NO, and O₃ predictions at 3 km for all field campaigns, surface PM_2.5 predictions at 3 km for SPS1 and MUMBA, and surface PM₁₀ predictions at all grid resolutions for all field campaigns. A more important role of chemical BCONs in the Southern Hemisphere, compared to that in the Northern Hemisphere reported in this work, indicates a crucial need in developing more realistic chemical BCONs for O₃ in the relatively clean SH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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29 pages, 11332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vehicle Ammonia Emissions Measured in An Urban Environment in Sydney, Australia, Using Open Path Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy

by Frances A. Phillips, Travis Naylor, Hugh Forehead, David W. T. Griffith, John Kirkwood and Clare Paton-Walsh

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040208 - 19 Apr 2019

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4938

Abstract

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a major health risk in urban settings. Ammonia (NH₃) from vehicle exhaust is an under-recognised ingredient in the formation of inorganic PM and there remains a shortage of data to properly quantify the role of NH [...] Read more.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a major health risk in urban settings. Ammonia (NH₃) from vehicle exhaust is an under-recognised ingredient in the formation of inorganic PM and there remains a shortage of data to properly quantify the role of NH₃ from vehicles in PM formation. An Open-path Fourier transform infra-red (OP-FTIR) spectrometer measured atmospheric NH₃, carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) at high temporal resolution (5 min) in Western Sydney over 11 months. The oxides of nitrogen (NO₂ and NO; NO_x) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) were measured at an adjacent air quality monitoring station. NH₃ levels were maxima in the morning and evening coincident with peak traffic. During peak traffic NH₃:CO ratio ranged from 0.018 to 0.022 ppbv:ppbv. Results were compared with the Greater Metropolitan Region 2008 (GMR2008) emissions inventory. Measured NH₃:CO was higher during peak traffic times than the GMR2008 emissions estimates, indicating an underestimation of vehicle NH₃ emissions in the inventory. Measurements also indicated the urban atmosphere was NH₃ rich for the formation of ammonium sulphate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) particulate was SO₂ limited while the formation of ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) was NH₃ limited. Any reduction in NO_x emissions with improved catalytic converter efficiency will be accompanied by an increase in NH₃ production and potentially with an increase in NH₄NO₃ particulate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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40 pages, 8910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiscale Applications of Two Online-Coupled Meteorology-Chemistry Models during Recent Field Campaigns in Australia, Part I: Model Description and WRF/Chem-ROMS Evaluation Using Surface and Satellite Data and Sensitivity to Spatial Grid Resolutions

by Yang Zhang, Chinmay Jena, Kai Wang, Clare Paton-Walsh, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Steven Utembe, Jeremy David Silver and Melita Keywood

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040189 - 8 Apr 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5097

Abstract

Air pollution and associated human exposure are important research areas in Greater Sydney, Australia. Several field campaigns were conducted to characterize the pollution sources and their impacts on ambient air quality including the Sydney Particle Study Stages 1 and 2 (SPS1 and SPS2), [...] Read more.

Air pollution and associated human exposure are important research areas in Greater Sydney, Australia. Several field campaigns were conducted to characterize the pollution sources and their impacts on ambient air quality including the Sydney Particle Study Stages 1 and 2 (SPS1 and SPS2), and the Measurements of Urban, Marine, and Biogenic Air (MUMBA). In this work, the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF/Chem) and the coupled WRF/Chem with the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) (WRF/Chem-ROMS) are applied during these field campaigns to assess the models’ capability in reproducing atmospheric observations. The model simulations are performed over quadruple-nested domains at grid resolutions of 81-, 27-, 9-, and 3-km over Australia, an area in southeastern Australia, an area in New South Wales, and the Greater Sydney area, respectively. A comprehensive model evaluation is conducted using surface observations from these field campaigns, satellite retrievals, and other data. This paper evaluates the performance of WRF/Chem-ROMS and its sensitivity to spatial grid resolutions. The model generally performs well at 3-, 9-, and 27-km resolutions for sea-surface temperature and boundary layer meteorology in terms of performance statistics, seasonality, and daily variation. Moderate biases occur for temperature at 2-m and wind speed at 10-m in the mornings and evenings due to the inaccurate representation of the nocturnal boundary layer and surface heat fluxes. Larger underpredictions occur for total precipitation due to the limitations of the cloud microphysics scheme or cumulus parameterization. The model performs well at 3-, 9-, and 27-km resolutions for surface O₃ in terms of statistics, spatial distributions, and diurnal and daily variations. The model underpredicts PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ during SPS1 and MUMBA but overpredicts PM_2.5 and underpredicts PM₁₀ during SPS2. These biases are attributed to inaccurate meteorology, precursor emissions, insufficient SO₂ conversion to sulfate, inadequate dispersion at finer grid resolutions, and underprediction in secondary organic aerosol. The model gives moderate biases for net shortwave radiation and cloud condensation nuclei but large biases for other radiative and cloud variables. The performance of aerosol optical depth and latent/sensible heat flux varies for different simulation periods. Among all variables evaluated, wind speed at 10-m, precipitation, surface concentrations of CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀, aerosol optical depth, cloud optical thickness, cloud condensation nuclei, and column NO₂ show moderate-to-strong sensitivity to spatial grid resolutions. The use of finer grid resolutions (3- or 9-km) can generally improve the performance for those variables. While the performance for most of these variables is consistent with that over the U.S. and East Asia, several differences along with future work are identified to pinpoint reasons for such differences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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18 pages, 4104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Spatial Variability of Air Quality in Sydney: Part 1—A Suburban Balcony Case Study

by Jack B. Simmons, Clare Paton-Walsh, Frances Phillips, Travis Naylor, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Sandy Burden, Doreena Dominick, Hugh Forehead, Joel Graham, Thomas Keatley, Gunaratnam Gunashanhar and John Kirkwood

Atmosphere 2019, 10(4), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040181 - 4 Apr 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4289

Abstract

There is increasing awareness in Australia of the health impacts of poor air quality. A common public concern raised at a number of “roadshow” events as part of the federally funded Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub (CAUL) project was whether or not [...] Read more.

There is increasing awareness in Australia of the health impacts of poor air quality. A common public concern raised at a number of “roadshow” events as part of the federally funded Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub (CAUL) project was whether or not the air quality monitoring network around Sydney was sampling air representative of typical suburban settings. In order to investigate this concern, ambient air quality measurements were made on the roof of a two-storey building in the Sydney suburb of Auburn, to simulate a typical suburban balcony site. Measurements were also taken at a busy roadside and these are discussed in a companion paper (Part 2). Measurements made at the balcony site were compared to data from three proximate regulatory air quality monitoring stations: Chullora, Liverpool and Prospect. During the 16-month measurement campaign, observations of carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone and particulate matter less than 2.5-µm diameter at the simulated urban balcony site were comparable to those at the closest permanent air quality stations. Despite the Auburn site experiencing 10% higher average carbon monoxide amounts than any of the permanent air quality monitoring sites, the oxides of nitrogen were within the range of the permanent sites and the pollutants of greatest concern within Sydney (PM_2.5 and ozone) were both lowest at Auburn. Similar diurnal and seasonal cycles were observed between all sites, suggesting common pollutant sources and mechanisms. Therefore, it is concluded that the existing air quality network provides a good representation of typical pollution levels at the Auburn “balcony” site. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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24 pages, 5211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Major Source Contributions to Ambient PM_2.5 and Exposures within the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region

by Lisa T.-C. Chang, Yvonne Scorgie, Hiep Nguyen Duc, Khalia Monk, David Fuchs and Toan Trieu

Atmosphere 2019, 10(3), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10030138 - 13 Mar 2019

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6926

Abstract

The coupled Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and Chemical Transport Model (CTM) (CCAM-CTM) was undertaken with eleven emission scenarios segregated from the 2008 New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) Air Emission Inventory to predict major source contributions to ambient PM_2.5 [...] Read more.

The coupled Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and Chemical Transport Model (CTM) (CCAM-CTM) was undertaken with eleven emission scenarios segregated from the 2008 New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) Air Emission Inventory to predict major source contributions to ambient PM_2.5 and exposure in the NSW GMR. Model results illustrate that populated areas in the NSW GMR are characterised with annual average PM_2.5 of 6–7 µg/m³, while natural sources including biogenic emissions, sea salt and wind-blown dust contribute 2–4 µg/m³ to it. Summer and winter regional average PM_2.5 ranges from 5.2–6.1 µg/m³ and 3.7–7.7 µg/m³ across Sydney East, Sydney Northwest, Sydney Southwest, Illawarra and Newcastle regions. Secondary inorganic aerosols (particulate nitrate, sulphate and ammonium) and sodium account for up to 23% and 18% of total PM_2.5 mass in both summer and winter. The increase in elemental carbon (EC) mass from summer to winter is found across all regions but particularly remarkable in the Sydney East region. Among human-made sources, “wood heaters” is the first or second major source contributing to total PM_2.5 and EC mass across Sydney in winter. “On-road mobile vehicles” is the top contributor to EC mass across regions, and it also has significant contributions to total PM_2.5 mass, particulate nitrate and sulphate mass in the Sydney East region. “Power stations” is identified to be the third major contributor to the summer total PM_2.5 mass across regions, and the first or second contributor to sulphate and ammonium mass in both summer and winter. “Non-road diesel and marine” plays a relatively important role in EC mass across regions except Illawarra. “Industry” is identified to be the first or second major contributor to sulphate and ammonium mass, and the second or third major contributor to total PM_2.5 mass across regions. By multiplying modelled predictions with Australian Bureau of Statistics 1-km resolution gridded population data, the natural and human-made sources are found to contribute 60% (3.55 µg/m³) and 40% (2.41 µg/m³) to the population-weighted annual average PM_2.5 (5.96 µg/m³). Major source groups “wood heaters”, “industry”, “on-road motor vehicles”, “power stations” and “non-road diesel and marine” accounts for 31%, 26%, 19%, 17% and 6% of the total human-made sources contribution, respectively. The results in this study enhance the quantitative understanding of major source contributions to ambient PM_2.5 and its major chemical components. A greater understanding of the contribution of the major sources to PM_2.5 exposures is the basis for air quality management interventions aiming to deliver improved public health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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32 pages, 10348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Skill-Testing Chemical Transport Models across Contrasting Atmospheric Mixing States Using Radon-222

by Scott D. Chambers, Elise-Andree Guérette, Khalia Monk, Alan D. Griffiths, Yang Zhang, Hiep Duc, Martin Cope, Kathryn M. Emmerson, Lisa T. Chang, Jeremy D. Silver, Steven Utembe, Jagoda Crawford, Alastair G. Williams and Melita Keywood

Atmosphere 2019, 10(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10010025 - 11 Jan 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 6177

Abstract

We propose a new technique to prepare statistically-robust benchmarking data for evaluating chemical transport model meteorology and air quality parameters within the urban boundary layer. The approach employs atmospheric class-typing, using nocturnal radon measurements to assign atmospheric mixing classes, and can be applied [...] Read more.

We propose a new technique to prepare statistically-robust benchmarking data for evaluating chemical transport model meteorology and air quality parameters within the urban boundary layer. The approach employs atmospheric class-typing, using nocturnal radon measurements to assign atmospheric mixing classes, and can be applied temporally (across the diurnal cycle), or spatially (to create angular distributions of pollutants as a top-down constraint on emissions inventories). In this study only a short (<1-month) campaign is used, but grouping of the relative mixing classes based on nocturnal mean radon concentrations can be adjusted according to dataset length (i.e., number of days per category), or desired range of within-class variability. Calculating hourly distributions of observed and simulated values across diurnal composites of each class-type helps to: (i) bridge the gap between scales of simulation and observation, (ii) represent the variability associated with spatial and temporal heterogeneity of sources and meteorology without being confused by it, and (iii) provide an objective way to group results over whole diurnal cycles that separates ‘natural complicating factors’ (synoptic non-stationarity, rainfall, mesoscale motions, extreme stability, etc.) from problems related to parameterizations, or between-model differences. We demonstrate the utility of this technique using output from a suite of seven contemporary regional forecast and chemical transport models. Meteorological model skill varied across the diurnal cycle for all models, with an additional dependence on the atmospheric mixing class that varied between models. From an air quality perspective, model skill regarding the duration and magnitude of morning and evening “rush hour” pollution events varied strongly as a function of mixing class. Model skill was typically the lowest when public exposure would have been the highest, which has important implications for assessing potential health risks in new and rapidly evolving urban regions, and also for prioritizing the areas of model improvement for future applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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22 pages, 3952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Air Quality in a Coastal City: Wollongong during the MUMBA Campaign

by Clare Paton-Walsh, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Kathryn Emmerson, Martin Cope, Dagmar Kubistin, Ruhi Humphries, Stephen Wilson, Rebecca Buchholz, Nicholas B. Jones, David W. T. Griffith, Doreena Dominick, Ian Galbally, Melita Keywood, Sarah Lawson, James Harnwell, Jason Ward, Alan Griffiths and Scott Chambers

Atmosphere 2018, 9(12), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9120500 - 17 Dec 2018

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5985

Abstract

We present findings from the Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA) campaign, which took place in the coastal city of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. We focus on a few key air quality indicators, along with a comparison to regional [...] Read more.

We present findings from the Measurements of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA) campaign, which took place in the coastal city of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. We focus on a few key air quality indicators, along with a comparison to regional scale chemical transport model predictions at a spatial resolution of 1 km by 1 km. We find that the CSIRO chemical transport model provides accurate simulations of ozone concentrations at most times, but underestimates the ozone enhancements that occur during extreme temperature events. The model also meets previously published performance standards for fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM_2.5), and the larger aerosol fraction (PM₁₀). We explore the observed composition of the atmosphere within this urban air-shed during the MUMBA campaign and discuss the different influences on air quality in the city. Our findings suggest that further improvements to our ability to simulate air quality in this coastal city can be made through more accurate anthropogenic and biogenic emissions inventories and better understanding of the impact of extreme temperatures on air quality. The challenges in modelling air quality within the urban air-shed of Wollongong, including difficulties in accurate simulation of the local meteorology, are likely to be replicated in many other coastal cities in the Southern Hemisphere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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31 pages, 16536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Evaluation of CCAM-CTM Regional Airshed Modelling for the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region

by Lisa T.-C. Chang, Hiep Nguyen Duc, Yvonne Scorgie, Toan Trieu, Khalia Monk and Ningbo Jiang

Atmosphere 2018, 9(12), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9120486 - 8 Dec 2018

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5196

Abstract

A comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the coupled Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and Chemical Transport Model (CTM) (CCAM-CTM) for the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) was conducted based on modelling results for two periods coinciding with measurement campaigns [...] Read more.

A comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the coupled Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and Chemical Transport Model (CTM) (CCAM-CTM) for the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) was conducted based on modelling results for two periods coinciding with measurement campaigns undertaken during the Sydney Particle Study (SPS), namely the summer in 2011 (SPS1) and the autumn in 2012 (SPS2). The model performance was evaluated for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) against air quality data from the NSW Government’s air quality monitoring network, and PM_2.5 components were compared with speciated PM measurements from the Sydney Particle Study’s Westmead sampling site. The model tends to overpredict PM_2.5 with normalised mean bias (NMB) less than 20%, however, moderate underpredictions of the daily peak are found on high PM_2.5 days. The PM_2.5 predictions at all sites comply with performance criteria for mean fractional bias (MFB) of ±60%, but only PM_2.5 predictions at Earlwood further comply with the performance goal for MFB of ±30% during both periods. The model generally captures the diurnal variations in ozone with a slight underestimation. The model also tends to underpredict daily maximum hourly ozone. Ozone predictions across regions in SPS1, as well as in Sydney East, Sydney Northwest and Illawarra regions in SPS2 comply with the benchmark of MFB of ±15%, however, none of the regions comply with the benchmark for mean fractional error (MFE) of 35%. The model reproduces the diurnal variations and magnitudes of NO₂ well, with a slightly underestimating tendency across the regions. The MFE and normalised mean error (NME) for NO₂ predictions fall well within the ranges inferred from other studies. Model results are within a factor of two of measured averages for sulphate, nitrate, sodium and organic matter, with elemental carbon, chloride, magnesium and ammonium being underpredicted. The overall performance of CCAM-CTM modelling system for the NSW GMR is comparable to similar model predictions by other regional airshed models documented in the literature. The performance of the modelling system is found to be variable according to benchmark criteria and depend on the location of the sites, as well as the time of the year. The benchmarking of CCAM-CTM modelling system supports the application of this model for air quality impact assessment and policy scenario modelling to inform air quality management in NSW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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25 pages, 37048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hot Summers: Effect of Extreme Temperatures on Ozone in Sydney, Australia

by Steven R. Utembe, Peter J. Rayner, Jeremy D. Silver, Elise-Andree Guérette, Jenny A. Fisher, Kathryn M. Emmerson, Martin Cope, Clare Paton-Walsh, Alan D. Griffiths, Hiep Duc, Khalia Monk and Yvonne Scorgie

Atmosphere 2018, 9(12), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9120466 - 27 Nov 2018

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6164

Abstract

Poor air quality is often associated with hot weather, but the quantitative attribution of high temperatures on air quality remains unclear. In this study, the effect of elevated temperatures on air quality is investigated in Greater Sydney using January 2013, a period of [...] Read more.

Poor air quality is often associated with hot weather, but the quantitative attribution of high temperatures on air quality remains unclear. In this study, the effect of elevated temperatures on air quality is investigated in Greater Sydney using January 2013, a period of extreme heat during which temperatures at times exceeded 40 °C, as a case study. Using observations from 17 measurement sites and the Weather Research and Forecasting Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model, we analyse the effect of elevated temperatures on ozone in Sydney by running a number of sensitivity studies in which: (1) the model is run with biogenic emissions generated by MEGAN and separately run with monthly average Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature ( MEGAN) biogenic emissions (for January 2013); (2) the model results from the standard run are compared with those in which average temperatures (for January 2013) are only applied to the chemistry; (3) the model is run using both averaged biogenic emissions and temperatures; and (4 and 5) the model is run with half and zero biogenic emissions. The results show that the impact on simulated ozone through the effect of temperature on reaction rates is similar to the impact via the effect of temperature on biogenic emissions and the relative impacts are largely additive when compared to the run in which both are averaged. When averaged across 17 sites in Greater Sydney, the differences between ozone simulated under standard and averaged model conditions are as high as 16 ppbv. Removing biogenic emissions in the model has the effect of removing all simulated ozone episodes during extreme heat periods, highlighting the important role of biogenic emissions in Australia, where Eucalypts are a key biogenic source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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32 pages, 11321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Source Contributions to Ozone Formation in the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region, Australia

by Hiep Nguyen Duc, Lisa T.-C. Chang, Toan Trieu, David Salter and Yvonne Scorgie

Atmosphere 2018, 9(11), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9110443 - 13 Nov 2018

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4839

Abstract

Ozone and fine particles (PM_2.5) are the two main air pollutants of concern in the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) due to their contribution to poor air quality days in the region. This paper focuses on source contributions [...] Read more.

Ozone and fine particles (PM_2.5) are the two main air pollutants of concern in the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW GMR) due to their contribution to poor air quality days in the region. This paper focuses on source contributions to ambient ozone concentrations for different parts of the NSW GMR, based on source emissions across the greater Sydney region. The observation-based Integrated Empirical Rate model (IER) was applied to delineate the different regions within the GMR based on the photochemical smog profile of each region. Ozone source contribution was then modelled using the CCAM-CTM (Cubic Conformal Atmospheric model-Chemical Transport model) modelling system and the latest air emission inventory for the greater Sydney region. Source contributions to ozone varied between regions, and also varied depending on the air quality metric applied (e.g., average or maximum ozone). Biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions were found to contribute significantly to median and maximum ozone concentration in North West Sydney during summer. After commercial and domestic sources, power generation was found to be the next largest anthropogenic source of maximum ozone concentrations in North West Sydney. However, in South West Sydney, beside commercial and domestic sources, on-road vehicles were predicted to be the most significant contributor to maximum ozone levels, followed by biogenic sources and power stations. The results provide information that policy makers can use to devise various options to control ozone levels in different parts of the NSW Greater Metropolitan Region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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Review

Jump to: Research

37 pages, 840 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Clean Air Plan for Sydney: An Overview of the Special Issue on Air Quality in New South Wales

by Clare Paton-Walsh, Peter Rayner, Jack Simmons, Sonya L. Fiddes, Robyn Schofield, Howard Bridgman, Stephanie Beaupark, Richard Broome, Scott D. Chambers, Lisa Tzu-Chi Chang, Martin Cope, Christine T. Cowie, Maximilien Desservettaz, Doreena Dominick, Kathryn Emmerson, Hugh Forehead, Ian E. Galbally, Alan Griffiths, Élise-Andrée Guérette, Alison Haynes, Jane Heyworth, Bin Jalaludin, Ruby Kan, Melita Keywood, Khalia Monk, Geoffrey G. Morgan, Hiep Nguyen Duc, Frances Phillips, Robert Popek, Yvonne Scorgie, Jeremy D. Silver, Steve Utembe, Imogen Wadlow, Stephen R. Wilson and Yang Zhang Show full author list Hide full author list

Atmosphere 2019, 10(12), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10120774 - 4 Dec 2019

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 16438

Abstract

This paper presents a summary of the key findings of the special issue of Atmosphere on Air Quality in New South Wales and discusses the implications of the work for policy makers and individuals. This special edition presents new air quality research in [...] Read more.

This paper presents a summary of the key findings of the special issue of Atmosphere on Air Quality in New South Wales and discusses the implications of the work for policy makers and individuals. This special edition presents new air quality research in Australia undertaken by (or in association with) the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes hub, which is funded by the National Environmental Science Program on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Energy. Air pollution in Australian cities is generally low, with typical concentrations of key pollutants at much lower levels than experienced in comparable cities in many other parts of the world. Australian cities do experience occasional exceedances in ozone and PM_2.5 (above air pollution guidelines), as well as extreme pollution events, often as a result of bushfires, dust storms, or heatwaves. Even in the absence of extreme events, natural emissions play a significant role in influencing the Australian urban environment, due to the remoteness from large regional anthropogenic emission sources. By studying air quality in Australia, we can gain a greater understanding of the underlying atmospheric chemistry and health risks in less polluted atmospheric environments, and the health benefits of continued reduction in air pollution. These conditions may be representative of future air quality scenarios for parts of the Northern Hemisphere, as legislation and cleaner technologies reduce anthropogenic air pollution in European, American, and Asian cities. However, in many instances, current legislation regarding emissions in Australia is significantly more lax than in other developed countries, making Australia vulnerable to worsening air pollution in association with future population growth. The need to avoid complacency is highlighted by recent epidemiological research, reporting associations between air pollution and adverse health outcomes even at air pollutant concentrations that are lower than Australia’s national air quality standards. Improving air quality is expected to improve health outcomes at any pollution level, with specific benefits projected for reductions in long-term exposure to average PM_2.5 concentrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in New South Wales, Australia)

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