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Air Quality
Published in Barry L. Johnson, Maureen Y. Lichtveld, Environmental Policy and Public Health, 2017
Barry L. Johnson, Maureen Y. Lichtveld
Particulate matter (PM) is a general term that refers to very small, carbonaceous, solid particles; dust; and acid aerosols. The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing adverse health effects. Particles less than 10 μm in diameter pose the greatest problems, because their inhalation can reach the alveoli of the lungs, with some entering the bloodstream. PM 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, and constitutes one of the biggest health concerns. One-hundredth the thickness of a human hair, PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the lungs and blood stream and is dangerous at any concentration. Numerous health studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems including: premature death in people with heart or lung disease; nonfatal heart attacks; irregular heartbeat; aggravated asthma; decreased lung function; and increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing [15]. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded in 2013 that PM is carcinogenic to humans [16]. People with heart or lung diseases, children, and older adults are the most likely to be affected by particle pollution exposure.
Wood Log and Wood Pellet Heating
Published in Frank Jackson, Dilwyn Jenkins, Renewable Energy Systems, 2013
In the US, the EPA provides standards for air quality, covering a number of principal pollutants, which are called ‘criteria’ pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. The US Clean Air Act, through the EPA standards, requires that wood stoves and wood heating appliances meet a particulate emissions standard of no more than 7.5 g per hour for non-catalytic wood stoves and 4.1 g per hour for catalytic wood stoves. In the UK, any heating installation between 400 kW and 3 MW is required by the local authority to have an air-pollution control permit. Heating systems any larger than 3 MW are regulated by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for implementing the Pollution Prevention and Control Act (1999) and is likely to insist on emissions monitoring (either continuous or periodic).
Genotoxicity and Air Pollutions
Published in Brian D. Fath, Sven E. Jørgensen, Megan Cole, Managing Air Quality and Energy Systems, 2020
Eliane Tigre Guimarães, Andrea Nunes Vaz Pedroso
The particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, including smoke, fumes, soot, and other combustion by-products, besides natural particles such as windblown dust, sea salt, pollen, and spores.[7] These components can be characterized by their size and composition.[1] Based on the aerodynamic diameter, which ranges from 0.002 to 100 μm, the particulate matter is classified into three categories: 1) coarse particles, ranging from 2.5 to 100 μm; 2) fine particulate matter, below 2.5 μm; 3) ultrafine particles, below 0.1 μm.[8]
Optimal capacity allocation in accordance with renewable energy sources: the US electricity market
Published in International Journal of Ambient Energy, 2023
Umut Golbasi, Bilgi Yilmaz, A. Sevtap Selcuk-Kestel
An electric power system is defined as a network of components used to supply, transmit and consume electric power (Qazi 2016). Nearly all components of the electric power system bear upon the choice of electricity generation technology, energy source and electricity transmission, which affect the environment in many ways. Burning hydrocarbon fuels releases greenhouse gases, air pollutants and other wastes. Solid and hazardous wastes are also side products of the system. Producing required steam in electricity generation and providing cooling to generators requires water resources. Discharge of wastes into the water and returning heated water to the originally cooler water body affect the water ecosystem. Additionally, the land use for fuel production, power generation, transmission and distribution lines can be listed in other effects (US EPA 2021a). It is stated that energy-related accounts for 81.5% of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the US, and 27% of GHG emissions is a result of electricity generation (US EIA 2021e). In addition to , there are other hazardous wastes produced by burning fossil resources. The Clean Energy Act of the US and its 1990 amendments require Energy Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for six common air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (), sulphur dioxide (), lead, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and ground-level ozone (101st Congress (1989-1990), 1990).
Modelling PM2.5 for Data-Scarce Zone of Northwestern India using Multi Linear Regression and Random Forest Approaches
Published in Annals of GIS, 2023
Vipasha Sharma, Swagata Ghosh, Sagnik Dey, Sultan Singh
Air pollution has become a worldwide concern in the era of modern-age cities. Besides natural sources of air pollution, intense anthropogenic activities play an important role in degrading the air quality. Particulate matter (PM) is the combination of liquid and solid particles with varying sizes, origins and structures suspended in the air and is one of the major air pollutants. Fine particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 m (PM2.5) affects human health the most by directly getting into the respiratory system and can cause lung-related disorders and cardiovascular diseases (Dockery et al. 1993). Besides the impact on human health, PM yields an adverse impact on the vegetated surface by increasing leaf temperature and reducing the supply of sunlight for photosynthesis (Grantz, Garner, and Johnson 2003; Diener and Mudu 2021). Further, it hampers aquatic life by causing acid rain, which disrupts the functioning of the ecosystem (Wu and Zhang 2018; Upadhyay 2020).
Comparison of resuspended road dust concentration for identifying optimum sampling position on a mobile laboratory vehicle
Published in Aerosol Science and Technology, 2021
Seung-Yoon Noh, Kyung-Ran Lee, Jung-Hun Noh, Hyung-Seok Kim, Se-Jin Yook
Resuspended road dust generated from the driving of vehicles has been the focus of multiple studies reporting that dust generation contributes significantly to air pollution. According to a source distribution study based on mass balance analysis, the level of contribution of the dust generated due to the vehicles running on the roads to the dust concentration in Iberian Peninsula was reported to be 60% at maximum (Rodríguez et al. 2004). Another study based on element analysis showed that the level of contribution of the resuspended road dust to the mineral aerosol measured in Beijing could reach up to 70% (Han et al. 2007). As the leading cause of particulate matter in the air, controlling the generation of resuspended road dust could contribute considerably to the reduction of particulate matter concentrations. Therefore, measurements to identify roads with high emission levels of resuspended road dust and appropriate control measures are considered critical in improving air quality.