Air pollution - Industrial emissions

Title

Occurrence of Aerosol-Bound Fullerenes in the Mediterranean Sea Atmosphere

Reference

Environmental Science & Technology 46 (3), 1335-1343.

Author(s)

Sanches, J., Berrojalbiz, N., Caballero, G., Dachs, J., Farre, M., Barcelo, D

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

This work describes the assessment of a selection of fullerenes including C60 and C70 fullerene, N-methylfulleropyrrolidine, C60 pyrrolidine tris-acid ethyl ester, [6,6]-Phenyl-C61 butyric acid butyl ester and [6,6]-Thienyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester, in airborne particulate from the Mediterranean Sea collected during two sampling campaigns from Barcelona to Istanbul and Alexandria, respectively. The analysis of the samples was carried out using a new method based on liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) presenting sensitivities between 5.4 and 20.9 pg/m3. A total number of 43 samples covering the different basins of Mediterranean Sea were analyzed. Fullerenes were detected in all analyzed samples and quantifiable concentrations were found in 28 of the analyzed samples. The median of C60 and C70 fullerenes aerosol phase concentrations were 0.06 ng/m3 and 0.48 ng/m3 respectively for the Mediterranean Sea atmosphere. C70 fullerene was the most frequently detected compound and also it was found in the higher concentrations for most samples, reaching 233.8 ng/m3. The modeled back-trajectories disclose that those samples with higher concentrations of fullerenes were related to air masses which had been circulating over regions with an intense industrial activity, but the variability of the C70/C60 ratio suggests multiple different sources. These results are related to the incidental emissions from urban and industrial development, underpinning the need of studying the possible risks associated to carbon nanoparticles in the environment and the need of evaluating the possible consequences of their ubiquitous occurrence.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Nanomaterials

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es200758m
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mfuqam@cid.csic.es

Title

The climate penalty for clean fossil fuel combustion

Reference

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11, 12917-12924, 2011

Author(s)

W. Junkermann, B. Vogel, and M. A. Sutton

Study type

Peer Review Journal   

Abstract

To cope with the world's growing demand for energy, a large number of coal-fired power plants are currently in operation or under construction. To prevent environmental damage from acidic sulphur and particulate emissions, many such installations are equipped with flue gas cleaning technology that reduces the emitted amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). However, the consequences of this technology for aerosol emissions, and in particular the regional scale impact on cloud microphysics, have not been studied until now. We performed airborne investigations to measure aerosol size distributions in the air masses downwind of coal-fired power installations. We show how the current generation of clean technology reduces the emission of sulphur and fine particulate matter, but leads to an unanticipated increase in the direct emission of ultrafine particles (1–10 nm median diameter) which are highly effective precursors of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Our analysis shows how these additional ultrafine particles probably modify cloud microphysics, as well as precipitation intensity and distribution on a regional scale downwind of emission sources. Effectively, the number of small water droplets might be increased, thus reducing the water available for large droplets and rain formation. The possible corresponding changes in the precipitation budget with a shift from more frequent steady rain to occasionally more vigorous rain events, or even a significant regional reduction of annual precipitation, introduce an unanticipated risk for regional climate and agricultural production, especially in semi-arid climate zones.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Air pollution and climate change

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/12917/2011/acp-11-12917-2011.html
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Wolfgang.junkermann@kit.edu

Title

Scenarios for the implementation of EU waste legislation at national level and their consequences for emissions from municipal waste incineration

Reference

Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume 57, December 2011, Pages 67-77

Author(s)

Dominik Saner, Yann B. Blumer, Daniel J. Lang, Annette Koehler

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Incineration plays a significant role in modern municipal solid waste (MSW) management of European countries. There are 405 treatment facilities in the European Union (EU) and another 43 plants are planned to be built in the coming years. The number of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plants is not only increasing due to rising waste amounts but also as a consequence of EU waste-concerned directives issued over the last two decades. This study analyses the potential influence of diverse national implementations of EU waste policies on the future emission loads to air from MSWI in different European countries. This is exemplified by constructing waste policy implementation scenarios using an adapted formative scenario analysis approach, coupled with a probabilistic MSWI emission model employing microsimulation, which enables us to model changing incinerated waste amounts and waste compositions for each country over time. This allows us to describe possible future emission levels of MSWI in the year 2020 in 33 European countries, and in detail for Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom. Uncertain future emission levels are calculated and compared with the emission levels determined by the scenarios' implications.
We find that, depending on the scenario selected, in countries with currently small MSWI sectors like Poland median pollutant emission loads can change by a factor of between 1.4 and 336 for greenhouse gases (GHG) and 1.8 and 561 for ammonia (NH3) compared to the reference state. For countries like the United Kingdom, with a current 9.7% share of MSWI in their waste management, this factor would be in the range of 1.3 and 7.3 for GHG and 1.3 and 9.7 for NH3. Our results suggest that these variations are not primarily the results of the EU policy framework, but are mainly caused by the way these policies are implemented on the national level. However, comparing the emissions for Switzerland, a country with a high share of MSWI (50%), we do not find significant changes in the emission loads between the reference state and the future considering various scenarios and the uncertainty in the emission loads.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Waste >> Waste management >> Incineration

Keywords

Municipal solid waste incineration; Formative scenario analysis; Probabilistic emission model; Waste directives; Europe

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134491100173X
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dominik.saner@ifu.baug.ethz.ch

Title

Air pollution impacts from carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Reference

EEA Technical report No 14/2011

Author(s)

European Environment Agency

Study type

Report

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) consists of the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants and/or CO2-intensive industries such as refineries, cement, iron and steel, its subsequent transport to a storage site, and finally its injection into a suitable underground geological formation for the purposes of permanent storage. It is considered to be one of the medium term 'bridging technologies' in the portfolio of available mitigation actions for stabilising concentrations of atmospheric CO2, the main greenhouse gas (GHG).

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Geoengineering
Environmental technologies >> Climate change mitigation >> Carbon capture and storage

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/carbon-capture-and-storage
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http://www.eea.europa.eu/enquiries

Title

Reference

Waste Management
Volume 31, Issue 11, November 2011, Pages 2253-2262

Author(s)

Giorgio Buonanno, Luca Stabile, Pasquale Avino, Elena Belluso

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Waste combustion processes are responsible of particles and gaseous emissions. Referring to the particle emission, in the last years specific attention was paid to ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter less than 0.1 μm), mainly emitted by combustion processes. In fact, recent findings of toxicological and epidemiological studies indicate that fine and ultrafine particles could represent a risk for health and environment. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify particle emissions from incinerators also to perform an exposure assessment for the human populations living in their surrounding areas.
To these purposes, in the present work an experimental campaign aimed to monitor UFPs was carried out at the incineration plant in San Vittore del Lazio (Italy). Particle size distributions and total concentrations were measured both at the stack and before the fabric filter inlet in order to evaluate the removal efficiency of the filter in terms of UFPs. A chemical characterization of UFPs in terms of heavy metal concentration was performed through a nuclear method, i.e. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), as well as a mineralogical investigation was carried out through a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) equipped with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) in order to evaluate shape, crystalline state and mineral compound of sampled particles.
Maximum values of 2.7 × 107 part. cm−3 and 2.0 × 103 part. cm−3 were found, respectively, for number concentration before and after the fabric filter showing a very high efficiency in particle removing by the fabric filter. With regard to heavy metal concentrations, the elements with higher boiling temperature present higher concentrations at lower diameters showing a not complete evaporation in the combustion section and the consequent condensation of semi-volatile compounds on solid nuclei. In terms of mineralogical and morphological analysis, the most abundant compounds found in samples collected before the fabric filter are Na–K–Pb oxides followed by phyllosilicates, otherwise, different oxides of comparable abundance were detected in the samples collected at the stack.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Heavy metals
Waste >> Waste management >> Incineration

Keywords

Ultrafine particles; Heavy metal concentrations; Waste incinerator; SMPS; TEM–EDS

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X11002820
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buonanno@unicas.it 

Title

Quantitative Measurement of Direct Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Microalgae Cultivation

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP
DOI:10.1021/es202573f

Author(s)

Kelly D. Fagerstone, Jason C. Quinn, Thomas H. Bradley, Susan K. De Long, and Anthony J. Marchese

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Although numerous lifecycle assessments (LCA) of microalgae-based biofuels have suggested net reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, limited experimental data exist on direct emissions from microalgae cultivation systems. For example, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that has been detected from microalgae cultivation. However, little quantitative experimental data exist on direct N2O emissions from microalgae cultivation, which has inhibited LCA performed to date. In this study, microalgae species Nannochloropsis salina was cultivated with diurnal light–dark cycling using a nitrate nitrogen source. Gaseous N2O emissions were quantitatively measured using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Under a nitrogen headspace (photobioreactor simulation), the reactors exhibited elevated N2O emissions during dark periods, and reduced N2O emissions during light periods. Under air headspace conditions (open pond simulation), N2O emissions were negligible during both light and dark periods. Results show that N2O production was induced by anoxic conditions when nitrate was present, suggesting that N2O was produced by denitrifying bacteria within the culture. The presence of denitrifying bacteria was verified through PCR-based detection of norB genes and antibiotic treatments, the latter of which substantially reduced N2O emissions. Application of these results to LCA and strategies for growth management to reduce N2O emissions are discussed.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy

Keywords

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es202573f
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marchese@colostate.edu

Title

Reduced European emissions of S and N – Effects on air concentrations, deposition and soil water chemistry in Swedish forests

Reference

Environmental Pollution
Volume 159, Issue 12, December 2011, Pages 3571-3582

Author(s)

Gunilla Pihl Karlsson, Cecilia Akselsson, Sofie Hellsten, Per Erik Karlsson

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Changes in sulphur and nitrogen pollution in Swedish forests have been assessed in relation to European emission reductions, based on measurements in the Swedish Throughfall Monitoring Network. Measurements were analysed over 20 years with a focus on the 12-year period 1996 to 2008. Air concentrations of SO2 and NO2, have decreased. The SO4-deposition has decreased in parallel with the European emission reductions. Soil water SO4-concentrations have decreased at most sites but the pH, ANC and inorganic Al-concentrations indicated acidification recovery only at some of the sites. No changes in the bulk deposition of inorganic nitrogen could be demonstrated. Elevated NO3-concentrations in the soil water occurred at irregular occasions at some southern sites. Despite considerable air pollution emission reductions in Europe, acidification recovery in Swedish forests soils is slow. Nitrogen deposition to Swedish forests continues at elevated levels that may lead to leaching of nitrate to surface waters.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Soil >> Threats to soil >> Soil contamination

Keywords

Acidification; Nitrogen leaching; Recovery; Forest; Swedish Throughfall Monitoring Network (SWETHRO)

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749111004374
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Gunilla.pihl.karlsson@ivl.se

Title

Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the atmosphere of the North Sea

Reference

Environmental Pollution
Volume 159, Issue 12, December 2011, Pages 3660-3665

Author(s)

Axel Mölle , Zhiyong Xie, Armando Caba, Renate Sturm, Ralf Ebinghaus

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Air samples collected in the German part of the North Sea from March to July 2010 were investigated for organophosphorus compounds (OPs) being applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. The ∑8OPs concentration ranged from 110 to 1400 pg m-3 while tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) dominated all samples with individual concentrations up to 1200 pg m-3. The highest concentrations were observed in continental air masses showing the high influence of industrialized regions including production sites on atmospheric emissions and concentrations. The occurrence of OPs even in oceanic/Arctic air masses shows that OPs can undergo long-range atmospheric transport. Dry particle-bound deposition fluxes from 9 to 240 ng m−2 d-1 for ∑8OPs were estimated leading to a minimum annual flux of 710 ± 580 kg y-1 OPs into the German North Sea. This study presents the first occurrence of OPs in the marine atmosphere together with important information on their long-range transport potential.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Marine ecosystems >> Marine pollution                    

Keywords

Organophosphorus flame retardants; TCPP; TCEP; Plasticizer; North Sea

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749111003927
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axel.moeller@hzg.de

Title

Tracking of Airborne Radionuclides from the Damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Reactors by European Networks

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (18), pp 7670–7677

Author(s)

O. Masson, O. Zhukova et al

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Radioactive emissions into the atmosphere from the damaged reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (NPP) started on March 12th, 2011. Among the various radionuclides released, iodine-131 (131I) and cesium isotopes (137Cs and 134Cs) were transported across the Pacific toward the North American continent and reached Europe despite dispersion and washout along the route of the contaminated air masses. In Europe, the first signs of the releases were detected 7 days later while the first peak of activity level was observed between March 28th and March 30th. Time variations over a 20-day period and spatial variations across more than 150 sampling locations in Europe made it possible to characterize the contaminated air masses. After the Chernobyl accident, only a few measurements of the gaseous 131I fraction were conducted compared to the number of measurements for the particulate fraction. Several studies had already pointed out the importance of the gaseous 131I and the large underestimation of the total 131I airborne activity level, and subsequent calculations of inhalation dose, if neglected. The measurements made across Europe following the releases from the Fukushima NPP reactors have provided a significant amount of new data on the ratio of the gaseous 131I fraction to total 131I, both on a spatial scale and its temporal variation. It can be pointed out that during the Fukushima event, the 134Cs to 137Cs ratio proved to be different from that observed after the Chernobyl accident. The data set provided in this paper is the most comprehensive survey of the main relevant airborne radionuclides from the Fukushima reactors, measured across Europe. A rough estimate of the total 131I inventory that has passed over Europe during this period was <1% of the released amount. According to the measurements, airborne activity levels remain of no concern for public health in Europe

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Industrial accidents

Keywords

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es2017158
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olivier.masson@irsn.fr

Title

Radioactive impact of Fukushima accident on the Iberian Peninsula: Evolution and plume previous pathway

Reference

Environment International
Volume 37, Issue 7, October 2011, Pages 1259-1264

Author(s)

R.L. Lozano, M.A. Hernández-Ceballos, J.A. Adame, M. Casas-Ruízc , M. Sorribas, E.G. San Miguel, J.P. Bolívar

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

High activity concentrations of several man-made radionuclides (such as ¹³¹I, ¹³²I, ¹³²Te, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs) have been detected along the Iberian Peninsula from March 28th to April 7th 2011. The analysis of back-trajectories of air masses allowed us to demonstrate that the levels of manmade radionuclide activity concentrations in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula come from the accident produced in the nuclear power plant of Fukushima. The pathway followed by the radioactive plume from Fukushima into Huelva (southwest of the Iberian Peninsula) was deduced through back-trajectories analysis, and this fact was also verified by the activity concentrations measured of those radionuclides reported in places crossed by this radioactive cloud. In fact, activity concentrations reported by E.P.A., and by IAEA, in several places of Japan, Pacific Ocean and United States of America are according to the expected ones from the air mass trajectory arriving at Huelva province.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Industrial accidents

Keywords

Fukushima accident; Radionuclides; Back-trayectories; Iberian Peninsula

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412011001656
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bolivar@uhu.es

Title

Global climate change and contaminants-an overview of opportunities and priorities for modelling the potential implications for long-term human exposure to organic compounds in the Arctic

Reference

J. Environ. Monit, 2011, 13, 1532-1546
DOI:10.1039/C1EM10131E

Author(s

James M. Armitage, Cristina L. Quinn and Frank Wania

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This overview seeks to provide context and insight into the relative importance of different aspects related to global climate change for the exposure of Northern residents to organic contaminants. A key objective is to identify, from the perspective of researchers engaged in contaminant fate, transport and bioaccumulation modelling, the most useful research questions with respect to projecting the long-term trends in human exposure. Monitoring studies, modelling results, the magnitude of projected changes and simplified quantitative approaches are used to inform the discussion. Besides the influence of temperature on contaminant amplification and distribution, accumulation of organic contaminants in the Arctic is expected to be particularly sensitive to the reduction/elimination of sea-ice cover and also changes to the frequency and intensity of precipitation events (most notably for substances that are highly susceptible to precipitation scavenging). Changes to key food-web interactions, in particular the introduction of additional trophic levels, have the potential to exert a relatively high influence on contaminant exposure but the likelihood of such changes is difficult to assess. Similarly, changes in primary productivity and dynamics of organic matter in aquatic systems could be influential for very hydrophobic contaminants, but the magnitude of change that may occur is uncertain. Shifts in the amount and location of chemical use and emissions are key considerations, in particular if substances with relatively low long range transport potential are used in closer proximity to, or even within, the Arctic in the future. Temperature-dependent increases in emissions via (re)volatilization from primary and secondary sources outside the Arctic are also important in this regard. An increased frequency of boreal forest fires has relevance for compounds emitted via biomass burning and revolatilization from soil during/after burns but compound-specific analyses are limited by the availability of reliable emission factors. However, potentially more influential for human exposure than changes to the physical environment are changes in human behaviour. This includes the gradual displacement of traditional food items by imported foods from other regions, driven by prey availability and/or consumer preference, but also the possibility of increased exposure to chemicals used in packaging materials and other consumer products, driven by dietary and lifestyle choices.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Managing emissions >> Monitoring
Air pollution >> Impact of emissions >> Ecosystem impacts
Air pollution >> Impact of emissions >> Health impacts

Keywords

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2011/EM/c1em10131e
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james.armitage@utoronto.ca

Title

The effect of ISO 14001 certification on toxic emissions: an analysis of industrial facilities in the north of Spain

Reference

Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume 19, Issues 9-10, June-July 2011, Pages 1091-1095

Author(s)

Alberto Gomez and Monica A. Rodriguez

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

During recent decades, the impact of industrial organisations on the environment has become clearly evident. It has also become more difficult to hide and more expensive. Globally, this has caused many enterprises to put all their efforts into seeking management instruments that allow them to reduce their negative impact on the environment as well as improving their economic efficiency. This environmental interest is either voluntary or forced by customers or by legal pressure. Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) are among the many tools that have appeared to fulfil that goal and that have drawn international researchers' attention. The most popular system and the one most often used is the ISO 14001 standard.
This paper examines empirically the influence that this certification exerts on the company's pollutant emission policy. The analysis was carried out in four regions of Spain: Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and Castilla-Leon and includes 126 industrial organisations. The goal of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of the companies according to their emissions policies once they have achieved the ISO 14001 certification. In the paper the Toxics Release Index of 56 certified companies is compared with the Index of 70 non-certified companies. Through a statistical analysis based on the Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test, it was concluded that ISO 14001 does not represent an environmental proactivity signal clearly enough to result in a reduction of the company's environmental polluting index.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable business and industry

Keywords

ISO 14001, Toxic emission, Environmental management strategy, Green supply chain management

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652611000291
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albertogomez@uniovi.es

Title

Have primary emission reduction measures reduced ozone across Europe? An analysis of European rural background ozone trends 1996-2005

Reference

Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 11, 18433-18485, 2011

Author(s)

R. C. Wilson, Z. L. Fleming, P. S. Monks, G. Clain, S. Henne, I. B. Konovalov,
S. Szopa, and L. Menut

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

National and European legislation over the past 20 years, and the modernisation or removal of industrial sources, have significantly reduced European ozone precursor emissions. This study quantifies observed and modelled European ozone annual and seasonal linear trends from 158 harmonised rural background monitoring stations over a constant time period of a decade (1996-2005). Mean ozone concentrations are investigated, in addition to the ozone 5th percentiles as a measure of the baseline or background conditions, and the 95th percentiles that are representative of the peak concentration levels. This study aims to characterise and quantify surface European ozone concentrations and trends and assess the impact of the changing anthropogenic emission tracers on the observed and modelled trends.
Significant (p < 0.1) positive annual trends in ozone mean, 5th and 95th percentiles are observed at 54 %, 52 % and 45 % of sites respectively (85 sites, 82 sites and 71 sites). Spatially, sites in Central and Northwestern Europe tend to display positive annual ozone trends in mean, 5th and 95th percentiles. Significant negative annual trends in ozone mean 5th and 95th percentiles are observed at 11 %, 12 % and 12 % of sites respectively (18 sites, 19 sites and 19 sites) which tend to be located in the eastern and south-western extremities of Europe. European-averaged annual trends have been calculated from the 158 sites in this study. Overall there is a net positive annual trend in observed ozone mean (0.16 ± 0.02 ppbv yr-1 2δ error)), 5th (0.13 ± 0.02 ppbv yr-1) and 95th (0.16 ± 0.03 ppbv yr-1) percentiles, representative of positive trends in mean, baseline and peak ozone. Assessing the sensitivity of the derived overall trends to the constituent years shows that the European heatwave year of 2003 has significant positive influence and 1998 the converse effect; demonstrating the masking effect of inter-annual variability on decadal based ozone trends.
The European scale 3-D CTM CHIMERE was used to simulate hourly O3 concentrations for the period 1996-2005. Comparisons between the 158 observed ozone trends to those equivalent sites extracted from regional simulations by CHIMERE better match the observed increasing annual ozone (predominantly in Central and Northwestern Europe) for 5th percentiles, than for mean or 95th ozone percentiles. The European-averaged annual ozone trend in CHIMERE 5th percentiles (0.13 ± 0.01 ppbv yr-1) matches the corresponding observed trend extremely well, but displays a negative trend for the 95th percentile (-0.03 ± 0.02 ppbv yr-1) where a positive ozone trend is observed. Inspection of the EU-averaged monthly means of ozone shows that the CHIMERE model is overestimating the summer month O3 levels.
In comparison to trends in EMEP emissions inventories, with the exception of Austria-Hungary, we find anthropogenic NOx and VOC reductions do not appear to have a substantial effect on observed annual mean O3 trends in the rest of Europe.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Air pollution >> Managing emissions >> Monitoring

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/11/18433/2011/acpd-11-18433-2011.pdf This study is free to view

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p.s.monks@le.ac.uk

Title

Emissions of mercury from the power sector in Poland

Reference

Atmospheric Environment
Volume 45, Issue 3, January 2011, Pages 605-610

Author(s)

J. Zyśk , A. Wyrwa and M. Pluta

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Poland belongs to the European Union countries with the highest mercury emissions. This is mainly related to coal combustion. This paper presents estimates of mercury emissions from power sector in Poland. In this work, the bottom-up approach was applied and over 160 emission point sources were analysed. For each, the characteristics of the whole technological chain starting from fuel quality, boiler type as well as emission controls were taken into account. Our results show that emissions of mercury from brown coal power plants in 2005 were nearly four times greater than those of hard coal power plants. These estimates differ significantly from national statistics and some possible reasons are discussed. For the first time total mercury emissions from the Polish power sector were differentiated into its main atmospheric forms: gaseous elemental (GEM), reactive gaseous (RGM) and particulate-bound mercury. Information on emission source location and the likely vertical distribution of mercury emissions, which can be used in modelling of atmospheric dispersion of mercury is also provided.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Heavy metals

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231010009271
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jazysk@agh.edu.pl