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Removing benzene from indoor space plays an important role in indoor air purification. A novel filter with vegetal fiber paper (VFP) as matrix hosting silica gel is proposed in this paper for benzene removal. In order to investigate the feasibility and performance of this idea, firstly, three pieces of VFP samples impregnated with different amounts of silica gel are fabricated and their benzene adsorption quantities are tested. The results show that three times is recommended as the optimal number for impregnating. The VFP sample impregnated with silica gel after the third impregnating exhibits commendable coating stability and good benzene adsorption performance. Additionally, at low relative pressure (Pb /Ps ≤ 0.05), the experimental data of benzene adsorption isotherms fit well with the Langmuir model with R2 greater than 0.97. Then, two actual filters made of VFP impregnated with silica gel after the third impregnating were fabricated. It is found that the pressure drop of the actual filter is only 1200 Pa/m when the air velocity is 2 m/s. Besides, the one-pass efficiency of the filter can reach to 19.44%. It is expected that the silica gel coated on the filter can be modified to improve the purification performance of the filter.

In this study, we investigated the airborne particles released during paper printing and paper shredding processes in an attempt to characterize and differentiate these particles. Particle characteristics were studied with real time instruments (RTIs) to measure concentrations and with samplers to collect particles for subsequent microscopy and cytotoxicity analysis. The particles released by paper shredding were evaluated for cytotoxicity by using in vitro human lung epithelial cell models. A substantial amount of particles were released during both the shredding and printing processes. We found that the printing process caused substantial release of particles with sizes of less than 300 nm in the form of metal granules and graphite. These released particles contained various elements including Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, N, K, P, S and Si. The particles released by the paper shredding processes were primarily nanoparticles and had a peak size between 27.4 nm and 36.5 nm. These paper particles contained elements including Al, Br Ca, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, N, Na, Ni P, S and Si, as determined by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (SP-ICP-MS) analysis. Although various metals were identified in the paper particles, these particles did not elicit cytotoxicity to simian virus-transformed bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS2B) and immortalized normal human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE1). However, future studies should investigate other cytotoxicity effects of these paper particles in various types of lung cells to identify potential health effects of the particles.

Using waste paper as fuel for domestic heating is a beneficial recycling option for small island developing states where there are lacks of resources for energy and waste treatment. However, there are concerns about the impact of air pollutants emitted from the burning of the self-made paper briquettes as household air pollution is recognised as the greatest environmental risk for human. In this study, combustion tests were carried out for paper briquettes made in one Pacific island and three commercial fuels in Australia including wood briquettes, kindling firewood and coal briquettes in order to: 1) characterise the emissions of three criteria air pollutants including particulate matters, CO and NOx including their emission factors (EF) from the tested fuels; and 2) compare the EFs among the tested fuels and with others reported in the literature. The results showed that waste paper briquettes burned quickly and generated high temperature but the heat value is relatively low. Paper briquettes and coal briquettes produced higher CO concentration than the others while paper briquettes generated the highest NOx level. Only PM2.5 concentration emitted from paper briquettes was similar to kindling firewood and lower than wood briquettes. Burning of paper briquettes and wood briquettes produced particulate matter with large average count median diameter (72 and 68 nm) than coal briquette and kindling firewood (45 and 51 nm). The EFs for CO, NOx and PM2.5 of paper briquettes were within the range of EFs reported in this study as well as in the literature. Overall, the results suggested that using paper briquettes as fuel for domestic heating will not likely to generate higher level of three major air pollutants compared to other traditional fuels.

The deposition of trace elements around a pulp and paper industry in Morelia, Mexico, was evaluated using two lichen species as biomonitors. Samples of the foliose lichen Flavopunctelia praesignis and the fruticose lichen Usnea ceratina were collected in two remote areas and transplanted at different distances and directions from the pollution source. Lichen samples were exposed for 4 months (1) around the industrial area and (2) in their native habitats (control sites). We investigated the bioaccumulation of 11 trace elements in lichen thalli, and we compared the response of the two lichen species. To identify possible common sources, we evaluated the relationships between trace elements by correlations and cluster analyses. Our results showed that Cd was a good tracer for air pollution from the pulp and paper mills. In samples of Usnea ceratina exposed around the industrial area, Cd was significantly higher than in the remote area. Within the study area, trace element contents increase with the distance from the source, and they showed high depositions in the direction of prevailing winds. Moreover, we were able to detect groups of elements with similar behavior and common origins. Our results indicated that Flavopunctelia praesignis showed a higher capacity to accumulate trace elements than Usnea ceratina.

This study firstly investigated the species, concentration variation, and emission factors of mercury emitted from the burning of incenses and joss papers in an Asian temple. Both indoor and outdoor speciated mercury (GEM, GOM, and PHg) were sampled by manual samplers, while ambient GEM at an indoor site was in-situ monitored by a continuous GEM monitor. Field measurement results showed that the total atmospheric mercury (TAM) concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments were in the range of 8.03-35.72 and 6.03-31.35 ng/m3, respectively. The indoor and outdoor ratios (I/O) of TAM in the daytime and at nighttime were in the range of 0.64-0.90 and 1.50-2.04, respectively. The concentrations of GEM, GOM, and PHg during the holiday periods were approximately 1-4 times higher than those during the non-holiday periods. GEM was the dominant mercury species in the indoor and outdoor environments and accounted for 63-81% of TAM, while the oxidized mercury accounted for 19-37% of TAM. Burning incenses and joss papers in a combustion chamber showed that the concentration of GEM from joss paper burning ranged from 4.07 to 11.62 μg/m3, or about 13.97 times higher than that of incense burning, while the concentration of PHg from incense burning ranged from 95.91 to 135.07 ng/m3, or about 3.29 times higher than that of joss paper burning. The emission factors of incense burning were 10.39 ng/g of GEM and 1.40 ng/g of PHg, while those of joss paper burning were 12.65 ng/g of GEM and 1.27 ng/g of PHg, respectively. This study revealed that speciated mercury emitted from worship activities had significant influence on the indoor and outdoor mercury concentrations in an Asian temple. Higher intensity of worship activities during holidays resulted in a higher concentration of speciated mercury in indoor and outdoor air, which might cause health threats to worshipers, staffs, and surrounding inhabitants through long-term exposure.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of female cancer mortality in the U.S. and accounts for five percent of all cancer deaths among women. No environmental risk factors for ovarian cancer have been confirmed. We previously reported that ovarian cancer incidence rates at the state level were significantly correlated with the extent of pulp and paper manufacturing. We evaluated that association using county-level data and advanced geospatial methods. Specifically, we investigated the relationship of spatial patterns of ovarian cancer incidence rates with toxic emissions from pulp and paper facilities using data from the Environmental Protection Agency&rsquo, s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Geospatial analysis identified clusters of counties with high ovarian cancer incidence rates in south-central Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Georgia. A bivariate local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis confirmed that counties with high ovarian cancer rates were associated with counties with large numbers of pulp and paper mills. Regression analysis of state level data indicated a positive correlation between ovarian cancer and water pollutant emissions. A similar relationship was identified from the analysis of county-level data. These data support a possible role of water-borne pollutants from pulp and paper mills in the etiology of ovarian cancer.

In their study “Assessing Agreement in Exposure Classification between Proximity-Based Metrics and Air Monitoring Data in Epidemiology Studies of Unconventional Resource Development” Hess et al [...]

Paper records were generally degraded by some factors from atmospheric environments, like temperature, relative humidity or air pollutants. In this study, the degradation behavior of paper records by single or mixed gases of , , HCHO and TVOC was evaluated. The mechanical, optical and chemical properties of 4 kinds of paper (acid and neutral-based printing paper, traditional Hanji, and filter paper) were directly and indirectly affected by gaseous harmful materials. The brightness and value in all papers were slightly increased by accelerated aging under gaseous HCHO and TVOCs, but highly decreased by conditions under gases and . The optical properties of paper records were most vulnerable in acid-based paper and high stable in filter paper and traditional Hanji by air pollutant degradation. The aging treatments under mixed gas pollutants including resulted in decrease of physical, mechanical and optical properties of paper, so it was supposed that the concentration of gas would be strictly controlled for optimum indoor air quality management in domestic storage centers for paper records.

Air toxics are airborne pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, including certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), prioritized by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While several EPA-designated air toxics are monitored at a subset of Canadian National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) sites, Canada has no specific "air toxics" control priorities. Although pulp and paper (PP) mills are major industrial emitters of air pollutants, few studies quantified the spectrum of air quality exposures. Moreover, most NAPS monitoring sites are in urban centers; in contrast, rural NAPS sites are sparse with few exposure risk records. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate prioritized air toxic ambient VOC concentrations using NAPS hourly emissions data from a rural Pictou, Nova Scotia Kraft PP town to document concentration levels, and to determine whether these concentrations correlated with wind direction at the NAPS site (located southwest of the mill). Publicly accessible Environment and Climate Change Canada data (VOC concentrations [Granton NAPS ID: 31201] and local meteorological conditions [Caribou Point]) were examined using temporal (2006-2013) and spatial analytic methods. Results revealed several VOCs (1,3-butadiene, benzene, and carbon tetrachloride) routinely exceeded EPA air toxics-associated cancer risk thresholds. 1,3-Butadiene and tetrachloroethylene were significantly higher (p 0.05) when prevailing wind direction blew from the northeast and the mill towards the NAPS site. Conversely, when prevailing winds originated from the southwest towards the mill, higher median VOC air toxics concentrations at the NAPS site, except carbon tetrachloride, were not observed. Despite study limitations, this is one of few investigations documenting elevated concentrations of certain VOCs air toxics to be associated with PP emissions in a community. Findings support the need for more research on the extent to which air toxics emissions exist in PP towns and contribute to poor health in nearby communities.

This paper quantitatively investigates the compositions of the gaseous pollutants in the ambient air of a secondary fiber paper mill. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO), sulfur compounds (H2S), and hydrocarbon compounds (CxHy) were analyzed on six sampling sites with photo-ionisation detector, acetylacetone spectrophotometric method, and gas detector. The results revealed that, the high levels of TVOC and CxHy were detected at the wet end of paper machine and the office area, respectively; all the H2S contents on the six sites exceeded the limit (0.06 mg m(-3)) seriously; the HCHO concentrations at other five sites were out of the limit (0.10 mg m(-3)) except for the wastewater treatment plant. Furthermore, the necessary discussions about the possible pollution sources were considered on the process flow, the chemical agents used, and the ambient conditions in the paper mill. For the sake of air pollution control in paper mills, these remarkable results and analysis lay some technical basis in the following researches that should attract more attentions.

A bench scale biofilter packed with compost and wood chips seeded with potential DMS degrading culture (Bacillus sphaericus) could efficiently remove DMS from ambient air with removal efficiency (RE%) of 71 ± 11 at an effective bed contact time (EBCT) of 360 ± 20 s with loading rate in the range of 4–28 gDMS/m3/h. Further, the same biofilter operated for the treatment of vent gas generated from a P&P industry indicated DMS removal of 61 ± 18% at optimal EBCT of 360 ± 25 s with a loading rate in the range of 3–128 gDMS/m3/h.

Volatile organic compound (VOC) detection is critical for controlling industrial and commercial emissions, environmental monitoring, and public health. Simple, portable, rapid and low-cost VOC sensing platforms offer the benefits of on-site and real-time monitoring anytime and anywhere. The best and most practically useful approaches to monitoring would include equipment-free and power-free detection by the naked eye. In this work, we created a novel, paper-based cantilever sensor array that allows simple and rapid naked-eye VOC detection without the need for power, electronics or readout interface/equipment. This simple VOC detection method was achieved using (i) low-cost paper materials as a substrate and (ii) swellable thin polymers adhered to the paper. Upon exposure to VOCs, the polymer swelling adhered to the paper-based cantilever, inducing mechanical deflection that generated a distinctive composite pattern of the deflection angles for a specific VOC. The angle is directly measured by the naked eye on a 3-D protractor printed on a paper facing the cantilevers. The generated angle patterns are subjected to statistical algorithms (linear discriminant analysis (LDA)) to classify each VOC sample and selectively detect a VOC. We classified four VOC samples with 100% accuracy using LDA.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been established for recycling of paper waste with focus on a material recovery facility (MRF). The MRF upgrades the paper and cardboard waste before it is delivered to other industries where new paper or board products are produced. The accounting showed that the GHG contributions from the upstream activities and operational activities, with global warming factors (GWFs) of respectively 1 to 29 and 3 to 9 kg CO2-eq. tonne— 1 paper waste, were small in comparison wih the downstream activities. The GHG contributions from the downstream reprocessing of the paper waste ranged from approximately 490 to 1460 kg CO2-eq. tonne —1 of paper waste. The system may be expanded to include crediting of avoided virgin paper production which would result in GHG contributions from —1270 to 390 kg CO2-eq. tonne— 1 paper waste. It may also be assumed that the wood not used for virgin paper production instead is used for production of energy that in turn is assumed to substitute for fossil fuel energy. This would result in GHG contributions from —1850 to —4400 kg CO2-eq. tonne— 1 of paper waste. These system expansions reveal very large GHG savings, suggesting that the indirect upstream and operational GHG contributions are negligible in comparison with the indirect downstream emissions. However, the data for reprocessing of paper waste and the data for virgin paper production are highly variable. These differences are mainly related to different energy sources for the mills, both in regards to energy form (heat or electricity) and fuel (biomass or fossil fuels).

Communities across Canada rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods. One such community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, has both benefited and suffered, because of its proximity to a pulp and paper mill (currently owned by Northern Pulp). Since production began in 1967, there have been increasing impacts to the local environment and human health. Environmental reports funded by the mill were reviewed and compared against provincial and federal regulatory compliance standards. Reports contrasted starkly to societal perceptions of local impacts and independent studies. Most environmental monitoring reports funded by the mill indicate some levels of compliance in atmospheric and effluent emissions, but when compliance targets were not met, there was a lack of regulatory enforcement. After decades of local pollution impacts and lack of environmental compliance, corporate social responsibility initiatives need implementing for the mill to maintain its social licence to operate.

Air emissions from the U.S. pulp and paper sector have been federally regulated since 1978; however, regulations are periodically reviewed and revised to improve efficiency and effectiveness of existing emission standards. The Industrial Sectors Integrated Solutions (ISIS) model for the pulp and paper sector is currently under development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and can be utilized to facilitate multi-pollutant, sector-based analyses that are performed in conjunction with regulatory development. The model utilizes a multi-sector, multi-product dynamic linear modeling framework that evaluates the economic impact of emission reduction strategies for multiple air pollutants. The ISIS model considers facility-level economic, environmental, and technical parameters, as well as sector-level market data, to estimate the impacts of environmental regulations on the pulp and paper industry. Specifically, the model can be used to estimate U.S. and global market impacts of new or more stringent air regulations, such as impacts on product price, exports and imports, market demands, capital investment, and mill closures. One major challenge to developing a representative model is the need for an extensive amount of data. This article discusses the collection and processing of data for use in the model, as well as the methods used for building the ISIS pulp and paper database that facilitates the required analyses to support the air quality management of the pulp and paper sector.

Combustion of industrial and domestic wastes produces significant amounts of dioxins (PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs). These wastes contain numerous kinds of materials, including inorganic elements, which may play an important role in dioxin formation upon combustion. Six paper samples--impregnated with NaHCO3, NaCl + fly ash, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and PVC + NaHCO3--were combusted in a well-controlled incinerator at 512-760 degrees C and exhaust gases were analyzed for dioxins (PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs). Addition of fly ash, which contained high levels of Ca and Cl, to NaCl impregnated-newspaper increased total dioxin formation from 80.8 ngg(-1) to 139 ngg(-1) during combustion. Addition of NaHCO3 to PVC-impregnated newspaper increased total dioxin formation from 220 ngg(-1) to 288 ngg(-1). Formation of PCDDs from NaHCO3/PVC-impregnated newspaper were significantly less than that from newspaper impregnated with PVC alone. On the other hand, more PCDFs formed from NaHCO3/PVC-impregnated newspaper than from newspaper impregnated with PVC alone. Addition of NaHCO3 to a PVC-impregnated newspaper changed the production pattern of dioxins. PVC- impregnated newspaper produced the greatest amount of coplanar PCBs (12.3 ngg(-1)), which may be accounted for by the relatively high level of TEQ value (3.31 ng-TEQg(-1)) of this sample. Generally, addition of fly ash and alkali metals, such as Na, to paper samples increased the total dioxin formation in exhaust gases during combustion. The results suggest that alkali metals increase Cl concentrations at a reaction site by trapping chloride ions and/or chloride radicals and consequently increasing dioxin formation.

Our objective in this study was to evaluate the mortality of workers exposed to sulfur dioxide in the pulp and paper industry. The cohort included 57,613 workers employed for at least 1 year in the pulp and paper industry in 12 countries. We assessed exposure to SO(2) at the level of mill and department, using industrial hygiene measurement data and information from company questionnaires; 40,704 workers were classified as exposed to SO(2). We conducted a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis based on age-specific and calendar period-specific national mortality rates. We also conducted a Poisson regression analysis to determine the dose-response relations between SO(2) exposure and cancer mortality risks and to explore the effect of potential confounding factors. The SMR analysis showed a moderate deficit of all causes of death [SMR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87-0.96] among exposed workers. Lung cancer mortality was marginally increased among exposed workers (SMR = 1.08; 95% CI, 0.98-1.18). After adjustment for occupational coexposures, the lung cancer risk was increased compared with unexposed workers (rate ratio = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.14-1.96). There was a suggestion of a positive relationship between weighted cumulative SO(2) exposure and lung cancer mortality (p-value of test for linear trend = 0.009 among all exposed workers; p = 0.3 among workers with high exposure). Neither duration of exposure nor time since first exposure was associated with lung cancer mortality. Mortality from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and from leukemia was increased among workers with high SO(2) exposure; a dose-response relationship with cumulative SO(2) exposure was suggested for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. For the other causes of death, there was no evidence of increased mortality associated with exposure to SO(2). Although residual confounding may have occurred, our results suggest that occupational exposure to SO(2) in the pulp and paper industry may be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Exposure to high molecular weight sensitizers of biological origin is an important risk factor for the development of asthma and rhinitis. Most of the causal allergens have been defined based on their reactivity with IgE antibodies, and in many cases, the molecular structure and function of the allergens have been established. Significant information on allergen levels that cause sensitization and allergic symptoms for several major environmental and occupational allergens has been reported. Monitoring of high molecular weight allergens and allergen carrier particles is an important part of the management of allergic respiratory diseases and requires standardized allergen assessment methods for occupational and environmental (indoor and outdoor) allergen exposure. The aim of this EAACI task force was to review the essential points for monitoring environmental and occupational allergen exposure including sampling strategies and methods, processing of dust samples, allergen analysis, and quantification. The paper includes a summary of different methods for sampling and allergen quantification, as well as their pros and cons for various exposure settings. Recommendations are being made for different exposure scenarios.

This review of the evidence of the health effects of air pollutants focuses on research conducted in Ontario. Seven key Ontario studies are cited. These findings are highly significant for people living in the Great Lakes basin (and particularly the Windsor-Quebec corridor), where high levels of certain air pollutants (eg, ground-level ozone and ultra-fine particles) occur more frequently than in other parts of Canada. The issue is a serious one, requiring an integrated and comprehensive approach by many stakeholders, including the active involvement of organized medicine. It is important that the health effects of these air pollutants are understood. Governments must act to reduce emission levels through statue and regulation bolstered by noncompliance penalties.The findings of research have included the following: in a Toronto study, a 2% to 4% excess of respiratory deaths were attributable to pollutant levels; children living in rural Ontario communities with the highest levels of airborne acids were significantly more likely to report at least one episode of bronchitis, as well as to show decreases in lung function; and have been linked to increases in pollutants, emergency room visits and hospitalizations in Ontario.Every Ontarian is affected by air pollutants, although he or she may be unaware of the asymptomatic effects such as lung and bronchial inflammation. This health problem is preventable; while physicians know of the adverse health impacts of air pollution and they are concerned, individually they now focus on the treatment of symptoms. The major recommendations of the report are as follows:* Enactment of more stringent sulphur and nitrogen oxide emission limits, including a provincewide sulphur dioxide reduction of 75% from current cap levels, and the maximum allowable nitrogen oxides emission limits of 6000 tonnes annually from Ontario Hydro.* New transportation sector emission limits that should include California-level standards for light and heavy duty vehicles, reductions from off-road engines, an expanded vehicle inspection and maintenance program, and tougher standards for sulphur-in-fuel content.* Petitioning the United States Environmental Protection Agency administrator under Section 115 of the United States Clear Air Act to require reductions in the American emission of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which damage the health of Canadian residents and their environment.* Physician advice to patients about the risks of smog exposure, physician support for more health effects research on air pollution, and physician promotion of the development of air pollution-related health education materials.The recommendations discussed in this paper will, if acted upon, lead to a significant reduction in the overall burden of illness from air pollutants, especially in children and the elderly. These recommendations have been selected from a review of recommendations made by various authorities, and are those that the OMA feels a particular responsibility to support.

Chlorine bleaching is still practiced by non-wood pulp and paper mills in china, resulting in considerable formation and emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (pcdd/fs). we investigate the distribution of pcdd/fs in different papermaking processes and dioxin emissions at six typical chinese non wood pulp and paper mills. raw materials for papermaking included reed, wheat straw, bamboo, and sugar cane bagasse. the formation and emission of pcdd/fs varied strikingly according to bleaching processes and raw materials. elemental chlorine bleaching promoted the formation of tetra- to octa-cdds and 2,3,7,8-tcdf, while hypochlorite bleaching only gave rise to a significant increase of 2,3,7,8-tcdf. bleaching with elemental chlorine and hypochlorite increased 2,3,7,8-tcdf 0.9-42.5 and 0.3-4.1 times, respectively. most of the 2,3,7,8-tcdf formed at hypochlorite bleaching stage was partitioned into the effluent, which indicated that hypochlorite bleaching was also an important emission source of dioxins. the removal of pcdd/fs occurred visibly during alkaline digestion, alkaline extraction, and hydrogen peroxide bleaching. furthermore, the annual emission of pcdd/fs from chinese non-wood pulp and paper mills was evaluated.

Human exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution has been linked with respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, in addition to various cancers. Consistent among all of these associations is the hypothesis that PM induces inflammation and oxidative stress in the affected tissue. Consequently, a variety of assays have been developed to quantify the oxidative activity of PM as a means to characterize its ability to induced oxidative stress. The vast majority of these assays rely on high-volume, fixed-location sampling methods due to limitations in assay sensitivity and detection limit. As a result, our understanding of how personal exposure contributes to the intake of oxidative air pollution is limited. To further this understanding, we present a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) for measuring PM oxidative activity on filters collected by personal sampling. The μPAD is inexpensive to fabricate and provides fast and sensitive analysis of aerosol oxidative activity. The oxidative activity measurement is based on the dithiothreitol assay (DTT assay), uses colorimetric detection, and can be completed in the field within 30 min following sample collection. The μPAD assay was validated against the traditional DTT assay using 13 extracted aerosol samples including urban aerosols, biomass burning PM, cigarette smoke, and incense smoke. The results showed no significant differences in DTT consumption rate measured by the two methods. To demonstrate the utility of the approach, personal samples were collected to estimate human exposures to PM from indoor air, outdoor air on a clean day, and outdoor air on a wildfire-impacted day in Fort Collins, CO. Filter samples collected on the wildfire day gave the highest oxidative activity on a mass normalized basis, whereas typical ambient background air showed the lowest oxidative activity.

The use of waste wood as an energy carrier has increased during the last decade. However, the higher levels of alkali metals and chlorine in waste wood compared to virgin biomass can promote the formation of deposits and organic pollutants. Here, the effect of fuel composition and the inhibitory effects of ammonium sulfate, (NH4)2SO4, on the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the flue gas of a lab-scale combustor was investigated. Ammonium sulfate is often used as a corrosion-preventing additive and may also inhibit formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). In addition to PCDDs and PCDFs, polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN) and biphenyls (PCB) were also analyzed. It was found that the flue gas composition changed dramatically when (NH4)2SO4 was added: CO, SO2, and NH3 levels increased, while those of HCl decreased to almost zero. However, the additive's effects on POP formation were less pronounced. When (NH4)2SO4 was added to give an S:Cl ratio of 3, only the PCDF concentration was reduced, indicating that this ratio was not sufficient to achieve a general reduction in POP emissions. Conversely, at an S:Cl ratio of 6, significant reductions in the WHO-TEQ value and the PCDD and PCDF contents of the flue gas were observed. The effect on the PCDF concentration was especially pronounced. PCN formation seemed to be promoted by the elevated CO concentrations caused by adding (NH4)2SO4.

Gene expression responses of paper birch ( Betula papyrifera ) leaves to elevated concentrations of CO 2 and O 3 were studied with microarray analyses from three time points during the summer of 2004 at Aspen FACE. Microarray data were analyzed with clustering techniques, self-organizing maps, K -means clustering and Sammon's mappings, to detect similar gene expression patterns within sampling times and treatments. Most of the alterations in gene expression were caused by O 3 , alone or in combination with CO 2 . O 3 induced defensive reactions to oxidative stress and earlier leaf senescence, seen as decreased expression of photosynthesis- and carbon fixation-related genes, and increased expression of senescence-associated genes. The effects of elevated CO 2 reflected surplus of carbon that was directed to synthesis of secondary compounds. The combined CO 2 + O 3 treatment resulted in differential gene expression than with individual gas treatments or in changes similar to O 3 treatment, indicating that CO 2 cannot totally alleviate the harmful effects of O 3 .

to assess an effect of chemical contaminants contained in emissions of pulp and paper mill on prevalence respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in population of Novodvinsk. The average annual concentrations of chemicals of concern were calculated by modeling. A prevalence of population was studied by using of the primary medical documentation in sex among children from 0 to 17 and adults from 65 and older Hazard index (HIi) was used to assess the non-cancer health effects. Unit risk was used to calculate individual cancer risk (CR). Testing of null hypothesis was conducted by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and ?2. The hazard index for respiratory tract (HIi = 3,54; 95% CI: 3.34-3.70) and cardiovascular system (HIi = 0.78; 95% /DE: 0.74-0.82) in the district close to the Arkhangelsk pulp and paper mill (APPM) were higher than in remote districts. In this district the prevalence of bronchial asthma in boys (30.7+13.8%), women (47.0+9.8%) and men (127.4+45.2%) was the highest. Also in this district the prevalence of hypertension among women (139.1+14.4%) and men (311.5+56.1%), diseases of veins among women (48.2+10.8%) and diseases of upper respiratory tract among men (177.0+36.4%) was higher than in remote districts from the APPM. The level of CR in the district located close by the APPM was acceptable (1.0 (10-5; 95% CI: 9.0 (10-6-1, 18(10-5).

This paper analyses air quality data from megacity Delhi, India, during different periods related to the COVID-19, including pre-lockdown, lockdown and unlocked (post-lockdown) (2018–2020) to determine what baseline levels of air pollutants might be and the level of impact that could be anticipated under the COVID-19 lockdown emission scenario. The results show that air quality improved significantly during the lockdown phases, with the most significant changes occurring in the transportation and industrially dominated areas. A pronounced decline in PM2.5 and PM10 up to 63% and 58%, respectively, was observed during the lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown period in 2020. When compared to 2018 and 2019, they were lower by up to 51% and 61%, respectively, dropping by 56% during unlock. Some pollutants (NOx and CO) dropped significantly during lockdown, while SO2 and O3 declined only slightly. Moreover, when compared between the different phases of lockdown, the maximum decline for most of the pollutants and air quality index occurred during the lockdown phase 1; thus, this period was used to report the COVID-19 baseline threshold values (CBT; threshold value is the upper limit of baseline variation). Of the various statistical methods used median + 2 median absolute deviation (mMAD) was most suitable, indicating CBT values of 143 and 75 ug/m3 for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. This results although preliminary, but it gives a positive indication that temporary lockdown can be considered as a boon to mitigate the damage we have done to the environment. Also, this baseline levels can be helpful as a first line of information to set future target limits or to develop effiective management policies for achieving better air quality in urban centres like Delhi. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-021-03142-3.

Landfilling is one of the indispensable parts of solid waste management in various countries. Solid waste disposed of in landfill sites provides nutrients for the proliferation of pathogenic microbes which are aerosolized into the atmosphere due to the local meteorology and various waste disposal activities. Bioaerosols released from landfill sites can create health issues for employees and adjoining public. The present study offers an overview of the microbial diversity reported in the air samples collected from various landfill sites worldwide. This paper also discusses other aspects, including effect of meteorological conditions on the bioaerosol concentrations, sampling techniques, bioaerosol exposure and potential health impacts. Analysis of literature concluded that landfill air is dominated by microbial dust or various pathogenic microbes like Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Aspergillus fumigatus. The bioaerosols present in the landfill environment are of respirable sizes and can penetrate deep into lower respiratory systems and trigger respiratory symptoms and chronic pulmonary diseases. Most studies reported higher bioaerosol concentrations in spring and summer as higher temperature and relative humidity provide a favourable environment for survival and multiplication of microbes. Landfill workers involved in solid waste disposal activities are at the highest risk of exposure to these bioaerosols due to their proximity to solid waste and as they practise minimum personal safety and hygiene measures during working hours. Workers are recommended to use personal protective equipment and practise hygiene to reduce the impact of occupational exposure to bioaerosols.

Comprehensive surveys conducted at 5-yr intervals were used to estimate sulfur dioxide (SO,) and nitrogen oxides (NO.) emissions from U.S. pulp and paper mills for 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. Over the 25-yr period, paper production increased by 50%, whereas total SO, emissions declined by 60% to 340,000 short tons (t) and total NO, emissions decreased approximately 15% to 230,000 t. The downward emission trends resulted from a combination of factors, including reductions in oil and coal use, steadily declining fuel sulfur content, lower pulp and paper production in recent years, increased use of flue gas desulfurization systems on boilers, growing use of combustion modifications and add-on control systems to reduce boiler and gas turbine NO, emissions, and improvements in kraft recovery furnace operations.

Using data from the North Carolina School Asthma Survey about the respiratory health of 64,432 adolescents attending public schools in North Carolina and data provided by school employees about the environmental health conditions of the school buildings, we assessed the prevalence of daytime wheezing during the past year among students estimated to be exposed to air pollutants arising from pulp and paper mills located near the schools. Of the schools the students attended, 14% (37/266) were located within 30 miles of one or more pulp and paper mills and odor from the mills was identified by survey respondents for 9 of the 266 schools. The prevalences of daytime wheezing in smokers and nonsmokers with household cigarette smoke exposure were elevated among students attending schools located within 30 miles of a pulp and paper mill, compared to the prevalence among students attending schools located beyond 30 miles (⩽10 miles, prevalence ratio (PR): 1.21, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.99, 1.43; 10–⩽30 miles, PR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.16) and among students attending schools with noticeable odor from a pulp and paper mill (PR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.31). These results indicate a possible association between paper mill location and wheezing symptoms among adolescents and suggest that community-based exposure to pulp and paper mill emissions may have a greater impact on smokers and individuals exposed to cigarette smoke in the home than on nonsmokers without such household exposure.

Large-scale open burning of joss paper is an important ritual practice for deity worshipping during Buddhist and Taoist festivals. Since Buddhism and Taoism are two of the most popular religions in Chinese societies and some Asian countries, the impact of joss paper burning on the air quality needs further investigation. This study explores the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air during one of the most important festivals, in which large-scale burning of joss paper occurs in temples and in people's houses. The PAH concentrations were measured simultaneously at a temple site and a background site during both the festival and non-festive (ordinary) periods. Each ambient sample was extracted by the Soxhlet analytical method (for both particle-bound and gas-phase) and analyzed with gas chromatography. Experimental results indicate that the total PAH concentration during the festival period is approximately 4.2 times higher than that during the ordinary period (5384 ng m−3 vs. 1275 ng m−3). This study also employed statistical methods including diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the possible PAH emission sources. Joss paper burning and vehicular emissions are identified as the principal sources of airborne PAHs during the large-scale open-burning event. The results of this work provide useful information for public awareness concerning PAH emission from the open burning of joss paper.

Air pollution has wide-ranging and deleterious effects on human health and is a major issue for the global community. The Global Burden of Disease study has described the worldwide impact of air pollution with as many as 3.1 million of 52.8 million all-cause and all-age deaths being attributable to ambient air pollution in the year 2010.1 Moreover, ambient air pollution ranked ninth among the modifiable disease risk factors, being listed above other commonly recognized factors, such as low physical activity, a high-sodium diet, high cholesterol, and drug use. Finally, air pollution accounts for 3.1% of global disability-adjusted life years, an index that measures the time spent in states of reduced health.1 Although it is intuitive that air pollution is an important stimulus for the development and exacerbation of respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer, there is generally less public awareness of its substantial impact on cardiovascular disease. Historically, the 1952 Great Smog of London led to an increase in cardiovascular death as well as deaths due to respiratory disease. Subsequent studies in the 1990s, such as the Harvard Six Cities2 and American Cancer Society cohort studies,2,3 established an enduring positive association between long-term exposure to air pollution and total and cardiovascular mortality, mainly due to coronary artery disease.4 In Europe, the first study that supported this association between long-term exposure and mortality was the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer.5 Associations with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are also seen with short-term (e.g. day-to-day fluctuations) pollutant exposures of residents in large urban areas worldwide, including the United States of America6 …

The objective of the work was to provide a method to predict CO2 and NH3 yields during composting of the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW). The compostable portion of MSW was simulated using three principal biodegradable components, namely mixed paper wastes, yard wastes and food wastes. Twelve laboratory runs were carried out at thermophilic temperatures based on the principles of mixture experimental and full factorial designs. Seeded mixed paper (MXP), seeded yard waste (YW) and seeded food waste (FW), each composted individually, produced 150, 220 and 370 g CO2-C, and 2.0, 4.4 and 34 g NH3-N per dry kg of initial substrate, respectively. Several experimental runs were also carried out with different mixtures of these three substrates. The effect of seeding was insignificant during composting of food wastes and yard wastes, while seeding was necessary for composting of mixed paper. Polynomial equations were developed to predict CO2 and NH3 (in amounts of mass per dry kg of MSW) from mixtures of MSW. No interactions among components were found to be significant when predicting CO2 yields, while the interaction of food wastes and mixed paper was found to be significant when predicting NH3 yields.

Ultrasonic essential oil diffusers (EODs) are a popular type of indoor scenting source. We performed a chamber study in which we measured the emissions from EODs used with lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, and grapeseed oils. Over the course of 15 min, the most abundant VOCs released from lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, and grapeseed oils were 2.6 ± 0.7 mg of d-limonene, 3.5 ± 0.4 mg of eucalyptol, 1.0 ± 0.1 mg of linalyl acetate, and 0.2 ± 0.02 mg of linalyl acetate, respectively. Each oil had a unique particulate matter (PM) emission profile in terms of size, number density, and rate. The dominant size ranges of the PM were 10-100 nm for lemon oil, 50-100 nm for lavender oil, 10-50 nm for lemon oil, and above 200 nm for grapeseed oil. PM1 emission rates of approximately 2 mg/h, 0.1 mg/h, and 3 mg/h, were observed for lemon, lavender/eucalyptus, and grapeseed oils, respectively. A fivefold increase in PM1 emission was measured when the EOD with eucalyptus oil was filled with tap water as opposed to deionized water. Modeling suggests that reasonable use cases of EODs can contribute substantially to primary and secondary PM in indoor environments, but this potential varies depending on the oil and water types used.

The combustion and pollutant emission characteristics of the dried sludge in a fluidized bed combustor (FBC) were studied. The sludge reburning technology was employed for the first time in FBC. A scheme for using the dried sludge reburning blended with calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) to reduce pollutants simultaneously was also proposed, and the effect of the CMA addition was investigated. Results showed that fluidized bed reburning technology can be used to effectively treat the sewage sludge with lower calorific values. As the secondary fuel mass percentage increases, the unburned carbon content in fly ash and the CO emission increase, resulting in lower combustion efficiency. However, the de-NO ratio increases from 37.1% to 53.7%, and the de-SO2 ratio only increased from 1.6% to 7.6% as the secondary fuel mass percentage increase from 10% of 25%. For dried sludge blended with CMA, the minimum emissions of SO2 and NO significantly decrease to 254 mg/Nm3 and 70.9 mg/Nm3 at Ca/S ratio of 2, respectively. Results of main gaseous pollutant emissions from the sludge combustion in an FBC using different pollutant removal methods were compared under well-defined conditions. Fuel reburning blended with CMA addition has the smallest SO2 and NO emissions.

Urban air pollution can have negative short- and long-term impacts on health, including cardiovascular, neurological, immune system and developmental damage. The irritant qualities of pollutants such as ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) can cause respiratory and cardiovascular distress, which can be heightened during physical activity and particularly so for those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Previously, research has only examined marathon run outcomes or running under laboratory settings. This study focuses on elite 5-km athletes performing in international events at nine locations. Local meteorological and air quality data are used in conjunction with race performance metrics from the Diamond League Athletics series to determine the extent to which elite competitors are influenced during maximal sustained efforts in real-world conditions. The findings from this study suggest that local meteorological variables (temperature, wind speed and relative humidity) and air quality (ozone and particulate matter) have an impact on athletic performance. Variation between finishing times at different race locations can also be explained by the local meteorology and air quality conditions seen during races.

The composition and distribution of airborne particles in different locations in a salt mine were determined in terms of their origin, the distance from the air inlet, and the adaptation of post-mining chambers and corridors for tourists and general audience. The composition of aerosols in air was also evaluated from the perspective of human health. Air samples were collected on filters by using portable air pumps, in a historical underground salt mine in Bochnia (Poland), which is currently a touristic and recreation attraction and sanatorium. The particulate matter (PM) concentration was determined using the gravimetric method by weighing quartz filters. The content of carbon, water-soluble constituents, trace elements, and minerals was also determined. A genetic classification of the suspended matter was proposed and comprised three groups: geogenic (fragments of rock salt and associated minerals from the deposit), anthropogenic (carbon-bearing particles from tourist traffic and small amounts of fly ash, soot, and rust), and biogenic particles (occasional pollen). The total PM concentration in air varied between 21 and 79 μg/m3 (with PM4 constituting 4–24 μg/m3). The amount of atmospheric dust components coming from the surface was low and decreased with the distance from the intake shaft, thus indicating the self-cleaning process. NaCl dominated the water-soluble constituents, while Fe, Al, Ag, Mn, and Zn dominated the trace elements, with the concentration of majority of them below 30 ng/m3. These metals are released into air from both natural sources and the wear or/and corrosion of mining and tourists facilities in the underground functional space. No potentially toxic elements or constituents were detected. The presence of salt particles and salty spray in the atmosphere of salt mine, which may have anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties, is beneficial to human health. This study will allow for a broader look at the potential of halotherapy in underground salt mines from a medical and regulatory point of view.

Objectives As the largest organ of the human body, the skin is the major exposure route of NO2. However, the evidence for a relationship between NO2 exposure and dermatologic diseases (DMs) is limited. This time-series study was conducted to assess the short-term effect of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure on DMs outpatient visits in Xinxiang, China. Methods Daily recordings of NO2 concentrations, meteorological data, and the outpatient visits data for DMs were collected in Xinxiang from January 1st, 2015, to December 31st, 2018. The analysis method used was based on the generalized additive model (GAM) with quasi-Poisson regression to investigate the relationship between NO2 exposure and DMs outpatient visits. Several covariates, such as long-term trends, seasonality, and weather conditions were controlled. Results A total of 164,270 DMs outpatients were recorded. A 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentrations during the period was associated with a 1.86% increase in DMs outpatient visits (95% confidence intervals [Cl]: 1.06–2.66%). The effect was stronger (around 6 times) in the cool seasons than in warmer seasons and younger patients (

After performing a series of batch type experiments using a lab-scale combustor, consideration was given to the use of an internally cycloned circulating fluidized bed combustor (ICCFBC) for a paper mill sludge. Operation parameters including water content, feeding mass of the sludge, and secondary air injection ratio were varied to understand their effects on combustion performance, which was examined in terms of carbon conversion rate (CCR) and the emission rates of CO, CxHy and NOx. The combustion of paper mill sludge in the ICCFBC was compared to the reaction mechanisms of a conventional solid fuel combustion, characterized by kinetics limited reaction zone, diffusion limited reaction zone, and transition zone. The results of the parametric study showed that a 35% water content and 60 g feeding mass generated the best condition for combustion. Meanwhile, areal mass burning rate, which is an important design and operation parameter at an industrial scale plant, was estimated by a conceptual equation. The areal mass burning rate corresponding to the best combustion condition was approximately 400 kg/h m2 for 35% water content. The secondary air injection generating swirling flow enhanced the mixing between the gas phase components as well as the solid phase components, and improved the combustion efficiency by increasing the carbon conversion rate and reducing pollutant emissions.

Co-firing of coal and paper mill sludge was conducted in a 103 MWth circulating fluidized bed boiler to investigate the effect of the sludge feeding rate on emissions of SOx, NOx, and CO. The preliminary results show that emissions of SOx and Nx decrease with increasing sludge feeding rate, but CO shows the reverse tendency due to the decrease in combustion temperature caused by a large amount of moisture in the sludge. All emissions met the local environmental requirements. The combustion ashes could be recycled as feed materials in the cement manufacturing process.

This paper demonstrates how the combustion of fossil fuels for transport purpose might cause health implications. Based on an original case study [i.e. the Hubei province in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic], we collected data on atmospheric pollutants (PM2.5, PM10and CO2) and economic growth (GDP), along with daily series on COVID-19 indicators (cases, resuscitations and deaths). Then, we adopted an innovative Machine Learning approach, applying a new image Neural Networks model to investigate the causal relationships among economic, atmospheric and COVID-19 indicators. Empirical findings emphasise that any change in economic activity is found to substantially affect the dynamic levels of PM2.5, PM10and CO2which, in turn, generates significant variations in the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic and its associated lethality. As a robustness check, the conduction of an optimisation algorithm further corroborates previous results.

In order to assess the influence of atmospheric conditions and particulate matter (PM) on the seasonally varying incidence of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) in the capital of Poland—Warsaw, we analysed time series of ILI reported for the about 1.75 million residents in total and for different age groups in 288 approximately weekly periods, covering 6 years 2013–2018. Using Poisson regression, we predicted ILI by the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) as biometeorological indicator, and by PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, as air quality measures accounting for lagged effects spanning up to 3 weeks. Excess ILI incidence after adjusting for seasonal and annual trends was calculated by fitting generalized additive models. ILI morbidity increased with rising PM concentrations, for both PM2.5 and PM10, and with cooler atmospheric conditions as indicated by decreasingUTCI. While the PM effect focused on the actual reporting period, the atmospheric influence exhibited a more evenly distributed lagged effect pattern over the considered 3-week period. Though ILI incidence adjusted for population size significantly declined with age, age did not significantly modify the effect sizes of both PM andUTCI. These findings contribute to better understanding environmental conditionings of influenza seasonality in a temperate climate. This will be beneficial to forecasting future dynamics of ILI and to planning clinical and public health resources under climate change scenarios.

Severe tropospheric O3 pollution has swept across China in recent years. Consequently, investigation of tropospheric O3 concentration influencing mechanism is of significance for O3 pollution control in China. Previous studies have rarely detected combined impacts of natural factors and anthropogenic activities behind tropospheric O3 concentration in China at a national scale. Moreover, there is significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity of O3 pollution distribution in China due to the temporal and regional differences of socioeconomic and natural environmental condition in the vast territory. The targeted O3 control recommendations for different regions and seasons should be put forward in terms of the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of O3 concentration determinants. In this context, a three-level regression model integrating multi-scale biophysical and socioeconomic variables was proposed to explore the determinants of O3 pollution in China. The results showed that the tropospheric O3 concentration in the eastern and southeastern regions of China was strongly affected by meteorological conditions. In contrast, tropospheric O3 pollution concentrated in inland areas mainly depended on the emission intensity from anthropogenic sources. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10653-020-00797-8.

This work considers dust deposition and the heavy metal (HM) content on leaves of urban trees (Acer platanoides L. ‘Globosum,’ Fraxinus excelsior L. ‘Westhof’s Glorie’ and Tilia tomentosa Moench.) in order to estimate the trees’ capacity to remove dust and HM from the air. Leaves were collected from the Buda Arboretum and from different streets of heavy traffic in Budapest, Hungary, during 2015 and 2016. At each site, five trees were sampled by collecting 6 leaves from each tree from the height of 2–3 m. Dust deposits on the leaves were removed by soaking the fresh foliage in distilled water for 20 h and then washed with ultrasound shaking. Afterward, the leaves were dried to constant weight and then they were digested in nitric acid–hydrogen peroxide treatment, and their Pb, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cu contents were measured using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP AS) spectrometer. The removed dust deposit was dried, and after a similar digestion treatment the Pb, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cu contents were measured using an AURORA AI 1200 AAS appliance. The HM deposit was calculated in mg m–2 leaf surface area. In 2015, the amount of foliar dust deposit from spring to autumn increased from 86.3 to 270.2 mg m–2. The most efficient tree species in trapping dust on their leaves was the silver linden (98.5–123.5 mg m−2), followed by the Norway maple (74.2–84.8 mg m−2) and the common ash (62.8–74.6 mg m−2). The deposit of HM elements showed seasonal differences: the quantity of Fe and Pb deposit on autumnal leaves increased five- to tenfold, while other heavy metals did not show accumulation. Silver linden with its pubescent (hairy) leaf surface proved to be most efficient in entrapping and retaining dust and heavy metals. The 60–100% higher Pb and Fe content of autumnal leaves indicate that over the season leaves may absorb Fe and Pb from the foliar dust. Our results confirmed that the foliar dust is a potential indicator for monitoring the HM content in the air. We also show that foliar dust deposits should be considered when estimating the capacity of urban trees to clean the air.

We conducted an evaluation of shredded paper insulation to identify potentially toxic components. The study was to provide a preliminary characterization of a few samples of insulation currently in use. The following samples were analyzed: previously produced insulation (PPI) containing fire retardants, shredded recycled paper (PPI feedstock), freshly produced insulation (FPI), and insulation which had been installed in a residence (II). Volatile constituents were analyzed by GC-MS from headspace air of samples held at room temperature or heated to 90 degrees C. Extractable constituents were sampled by extracting with methylene chloride, and analyzing by GC-MS. Formaldehyde analysis was done according to EPA Method TO11. Headspace air at room temperature contained no detectable quantities of volatile constituents for any sample measured. In headspace air at 90 degrees C, only PPI contained traces of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and higher aldehydes, and FPI traces of toluene. Extracts of PPI contained traces of octadecadienoic acid methyl ester and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and higher aldehydes. Extracts of PPI feedstock contained traces of a substituted cyclohexenecarboxylic acid. FPI contained extractable diethyl phthalate (30-50 micrograms/g). Extracts of II contained traces of methyl palmitate, an octadecenoic acid methyl ester, and a phthalate plasticizer. No formaldehyde was detected. PPI was composed of approximately 98 percent paper fiber and 2 percent pre-gelatinized starch. PPI samples agglomerated together with less than 0.01 percent separating from clumps as fine dust. Boron and sodium were expected and confirmed because they were added to PPI and FPI as fire retardants. Chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and silicon were present at detectable concentrations. Study calculations indicate that an occupant would have to completely consume all the fine particles produced from 3.3 kg of insulation per day to have an intake of boron equivalent to the EPA RfD. No other constituent appeared to be present even close to toxicologically relevant amounts.

Le projet canadien de cooperation de recherche relatif a la stabilite du papier a etudie entre autres l'influence de la pollution atmospherique sur la resistance des echantillons de laboratoire de six types differents de fibres brutes et de quatre sortes de papier alcalin en vente dans le commerce. Les resultats obtenus par cette etude confirment que les feuilles de papier a base de pâte mecanique absorbaient davantage d'elements polluants contenus dans l'atmosphere et qu'ils jaunissaient beaucoup plus que les feuilles de papier ne contenant pas de lignine. Ceci n'entraine cependant pas necessairement une deterioration plus forte de la solidite du papier. Lorsqu'on expose du papier pendant quatre jours a une atmosphere qui contient 10 ppm SO 2 et 20ppm NO x , ceci provoque une acidification significative et une degradation de tous les papiers depourvus de reserve alcaline. L'addition de carbonate de calcium, comme reserve alcaline, exerce une action tres efficace pour reduire les effets negatifs des substances qui constituent la pollution atmospherique, tant sur les papiers contenants de la lignine que sur ceux n'en contenant pas.

Odour nuisance, resulting mainly from the presence of the compounds containing osmophore group and characterized by low olfactory threshold, is associated with danger and may be the cause of negative psychosomatic symptoms. Among different methods of malodorous air treatment, biological methods are of importance, mainly due to reduced operating costs, high purification efficiency of voluminous gas streams characterized by low concentrations of odorants and minute secondary pollution. Recently, biotrickling filtration has been one of the most attractive biological technique of air deodorization. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art on biotrickling filtration and special attention is paid to the methods for evaluation of the process performance. The review presents the range of odorous chemical compounds that may be removed from air in BTFs, highlighting the strategies for the removal of hydrophobic odorous air pollutants. The paper is focused on the literature references regarding biotrickling filtration for the years 2010–2018.

Purpose The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently ranked air pollution as the major environmental cause of premature death. However, the significant potential health and societal costs of poor mental health in relation to air quality are not represented in the WHO report due to limited evidence. We aimed to test the hypothesis that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with poor mental health. Methods A prospective longitudinal population-based mental health survey was conducted of 1698 adults living in 1075 households in South East London, from 2008 to 2013. High-resolution quarterly average air pollution concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter 10) and 2.5) were linked to the home addresses of the study participants. Associations with mental health were analysed with the use of multilevel generalised linear models, after adjusting for large number of confounders, including the individuals’ socioeconomic position and exposure to road-traffic noise. Results We found robust evidence for interquartile range increases in PM2.5, NOx and NO2 to be associated with 18–39% increased odds of common mental disorders, 19–30% increased odds of poor physical symptoms and 33% of psychotic experiences only for PM10. These longitudinal associations were more pronounced in the subset of non-movers for NO2 and NOx. Conclusions The findings suggest that traffic-related air pollution is adversely affecting mental health. Whilst causation cannot be proved, this work suggests substantial morbidity from mental disorders could be avoided with improved air quality.

Particulate matter emissions from ammonia-based wet flue gas desulfurization (Ammonia-WFGD) systems are composed of a filterable particulate matter and a condensable particulate matter (CPM) portion. However, the CPM part has been ignored for a long time, which results in an underestimation of the aerosol problems caused by Ammonia-WFGD systems. In our research, the characteristics of the CPM that emits from an Ammonia-WFGD system are investigated experimentally for the first time, with the US Environmental Protection Agency Method 202 employed as the primary measurement. The influences of some essential desulfurizing parameters are evaluated based on the experimental data. The results show that CPM contributes about 68.8% to the total particulate matter emission. CPM consists mainly of ammonium sulfates/sulfites, with the organic part accounting for less than 4%. CPM is mostly in the submicron fraction, about 71.1% of which originates from the NH3–H2O–SO2 reactions. The appropriate adjustments for the parameters of the flue gas and the desulfurizing solution can inhibit CPM formation to different extents. This indicates that the parameter optimizations are promising in solving CPM emission problems in Ammonia-WFGD systems, in which the pH adjustment alone can abate CPM emission by around 49%. The opposite variations of the parameters need attention because they can cause tremendous CPM emission increase.

PM2.5 is a class of airborne particles and droplets with sustained high levels in many developing countries. Epidemiological studies have indicated that PM2.5 is closely associated with the increased morbidity and mortality of lung cancer in the world. Unfortunately, the effects of PM2.5 on lung cancer are largely unknown. In the present study, we attempted to explore the role of PM2.5 in the etiology of NSCLC. Here, we found that long-term PM2.5 exposure led to significant pulmonary injury. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cells (CSC) properties were highly induced by PM2.5 exposure. EMT was evidenced by the significant up-regulation of MMP2, MMP9, TGF-β1, α-SMA, Fibronectin and Vimentin. Lung cancer progression was associated with the increased expression of Kras, c-Myc, breast cancer resistance protein BCRP (ABCG2), OCT4, SOX2 and Aldh1a1, but the decreased expression of p53 and PTEN. Importantly, mice with IL-17a knockout (IL-17a-/-) showed significantly alleviated lung injury and CSC properties following PM2.5 exposure. Also, IL-17a-/--attenuated tumor growth was recovered in PM2.5-exposed mice injected with recombinant mouse IL-17a, accompanied with significantly restored lung metastasis. Taken together, these data revealed that PM2.5 could promote the progression of lung cancer by enhancing the proliferation and metastasis through IL-17a signaling.