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The pulp and paper industry is a major contributor to water and air pollution globally. Pulp and paper processing is an intensive energy consuming process that produces multiple contaminants that pollute water, air, and affect ecological and human health. In Canada, the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is used to assess the release of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial facilities (including pulp and paper mills) and provides a repository of annual emissions reported by individual facilities. This study compared annual air emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, total particulate matter (TPM), PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds from nine different pulp and/or paper mills in Atlantic Canada from three provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador) between 2002 and 2019. Results revealed that annual releases were several orders of magnitude higher than federal reporting thresholds suggested by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Pulp mills emit higher pollutant loads than those producing paper. The highest exceedance of a reporting threshold was for particulate matter (PM2.5) at Northern Pulp in Nova Scotia. The emissions of PM2.5 were on average (over a 17-year period) about 100,000% above the reporting threshold of 0.3 tonnes per year.

Objectives: This paper presents the study design of the Berlin-Brandenburg Air study (BEAR-study). We measure air quality in Berlin and Brandenburg before and after the relocation of aircraft (AC) traffic from Tegel (TXL) airport to the new Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER) and investigate the association of AC-related ultrafine particles (UFP) with health outcomes in schoolchildren.Methods: The BEAR-study is a natural experiment examining schoolchildren attending schools near TXL and BER airports, and in control areas (CA) away from both airports and associated air corridors. Each child undergoes repeated school-based health-examinations. Total particle number concentration (PNC) and meteorological parameters are continuously monitored. Submicrometer particle number size distribution, equivalent black carbon, and gas-phase pollutants are collected from long-term air quality monitoring stations. Daily source-specific UFP concentrations are modeled. We will analyze short-term effects of UFP on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurocognitive outcomes, as well as medium and long-term effects on lung growth and cognitive development.Results: We examined 1,070 children (as of 30 November 2022) from 16 schools in Berlin and Brandenburg.Conclusion: The BEAR study increases the understanding of how AC-related UFP affect children’s health.

Pulp and paper mills are known large emitters of air pollution creating potential environmental challenges and human health impacts. This study assesses air pollution and associated impacts from connected pulp and paper facilities which operate in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada, and Madawaska, Maine, United States (US). Despite operating within two regulatory jurisdictions on both sides of the international border (in Canada and the US), the mills have exceeded their approvals to operate and national air quality regulations multiple times between 2010 and 2017. Previous studies have linked many types of cancer as well as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to air pollution emitted by pulp and paper mills, making this an important regional issue in Canada and the US. While potential environmental and community impacts are likely similar on both sides of the international border, emissions from each side are not reported on the other, and few studies have been conducted on either side. Historic and ongoing lack of local epidemiological health and environmental impact studies and recommendations for improvements to mill operations to improve environmental and human health are presented.

Paper is a widely used material and common recyclable household waste in waste disposal, which gets more attention nowadays for the misclassification of recyclable waste. In this work, an online source tracing system combined with machine learning algorithms to identify and classify the smoke of waste paper incineration based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was established. Four types of waste paper, including tissue, corrugated paper, printing paper, and newspaper, were taken as examples. The smoke of four different waste papers was detected by LIBS and then further analyzed. The detected spectra with C, N, O, Mg, Al, and Ca could hardly be distinguished artificially. The random forest algorithm and the linear discriminant analysis were introduced to classify the smoke, and its accuracy reached 95.83%. The results indicate that source tracing of waste paper can be realized by identifying and classifying the smoke via the developed system. This could provide some reference for helping us to monitor the effectiveness of waste classification and incineration and monitor the atmosphere pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings are often located near ambient air pollution sources such as wildfire or heavy traffic areas. While windows in buildings are intermittently open for free cooling or natural ventilation, increased leakage area can lead to elevated human exposure to air pollutants of outdoor origin. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of paper filter windows in reducing exposure to outdoor air pollution and improving indoor air quality. The physical properties of paper windows as filtration media were experimentally determined, based on which multi-zone indoor air quality and ventilation analysis (CONTAM) simulations were performed for a full-scale building. The results show that the outdoor-indoor air exchange rate of a building can increase about 100% when conventional windows are replaced with paper filter windows. Even with the increased air exchange rate, the infiltration of outdoor particles into the building was reduced about 57–77% for the particle size range of 7–300 nm. These findings imply that paper windows have potential benefits for controlling both outdoor originated pollutants and indoor-generated pollutants with minimal energy inputs, especially in cities and communities impacted by urban air pollution and wildfires. [Display omitted] • We studied removal of outdoor particles due to paper filter windows in buildings. • Paper windows reduced indoor concentrations of outdoor particles up to 77%. • Due to paper windows, air exchange rate of the building increased about 100%. • Paper windows reduced indoor-generated pollutants (e.g., CO 2) by 35–45%. Synopsis: This study investigates filtration and ventilation performances of paper filter windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated and compared the physiological and morphological response to pollution of two epiphytic lichen species, the foliose lichen Flavopunctelia praesignis and the fruticose lichen Usnea ceratina. Lichen samples were collected at remote areas and transplanted at different distances and directions from a paper industry in Morelia (Michoacán, Mexico). Lichen transplants were exposed for 4 months (1) around the industrial area and (2) in their native habitats (control sites). Changes of total chlorophyll content between samples before and after exposure, and morphological damage in the lichen thalli were investigated. Lichens showed species-specific responses. Flavopunctelia praesignis increased in total chlorophyll content after exposure around the industrial area and in control site. This suggests that total chlorophyll changes by a seasonal effect than pollution effect. On the other hand, chlorophyll content of U. ceratina did not change significantly after exposure. Bleaching, changes in color, deformations, and necrosis of lichen thalli were better visible in U. ceratina near the paper industry. We conclude that U. ceratina is a more pollution-sensitive species than F. praesignis. Morphological damage in the lichen thalli would be a suitable indicator for monitoring early biological effects of air pollution caused by the paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this reflective paper we outline and discuss our art-based Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) approach. This exercise held two broad objectives. Firstly, to assist policy makers in understanding the types of interventions communities will find acceptable to address the problem of poor air quality, and secondly, to ascertain community views about our research plans to explore the impact of the planned interventions on neighbourhoods. We reflect on both our approach and the emergent conversations from the PPI activity. Attendees contributed to the process and stressed the importance of not burdening poor neighbourhoods with costly charges as that would ameliorate one health problem but generate others as a consequence of additional financial burden. Equally, they stressed the need to conduct research on matters which they could connect with such as the impact of clean air plans on young children and how information about air pollution is disseminated in their neighbourhoods as and when research findings emerge. This paper offers a conceptual analysis of the art-based PPI method and uniquely draws a connection to the philosophical traditions of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Specifically, we demonstrate how art is conducive to creating a dialogue which is specifically helpful for PPI purposes for both researchers and implementers, and conversely, why traditional conversational approaches may have fallen short of the adequacy mark in this regard.

Abstract To reduce pollution emissions and achieve a cleaner production in paper industry, it is essential to understand the inner links between concentrations of gaseous pollutants, types of final products and production techniques. In this study, the concentrations of four potential gaseous pollutants, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), and hydrocarbon compounds (C x H y), in the ambient air on thirty sampling points of five pulp and paper mills were detected and analyzed. The results were summarized with respect to the following aspects: (1) Levels of four gaseous pollutants on all the sampling points in five mills. It was obvious that the situation of gaseous pollution from pulp mill was much more serious than those from paper mills. (2) Gaseous pollutant distinctions due to different production processes. The levels of gaseous pollutants from five mills were greatly influenced by the utilized raw materials and the applied paper chemical agents (flavor, coating materials and additives) in mills. (3) Gaseous pollution comparisons at common points. At the two common points in five mills, i.e. the wet end of paper machine and the wastewater treatment process, TVOC and HCHO, C x H y and H 2 S were the main gaseous pollutants, respectively. In addition, some feasible measures to realize a cleaner production in pulping and papermaking process were also put forward in the article. Highlights • We analyze the levels of 4 gaseous pollutants on 30 sites of 5 pulp & paper mills. • Gaseous pollution distinctions due to different production processes are studied. • Feasible measures to realize the cleaner production in the processes are suggested. • Gaseous pollution are greatly affected by raw materials and added paper chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the concentrations of airborne fungi in a waste paper and cardboard recycling factory (WPCRF) in Tehran, Iran. Sampling occurred every six days during winter at nine locations. The following order was observed in all processing units: Penicillium sp. (92 ± 6 CFU m−3) > Cladosporium sp. (74 ± 7 CFU m−3) > Aspergillus niger (19 ± 9 CFU m−3). In the processing units, the lifetime average daily dose ranged from 1.49 × 10−3 to 7.8 CFU (kg.d)−1 for the inhalation route and from 2.74 × 10−6 to 6.29 × 10−6 CFU (kg.d)−1 for the dermal route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidification mechanisms of paper were examined, studying 120 pairs of identical copies of books published from 1971 to 2010 housed in two Japanese university libraries. The pH at the edges of the alkaline paper lowered from 7.5 to 6.4 after 5–10 years and to 5.8 after 10–15 years after publication. The pH bottomed at 5.4 at the edges and at 7.0 in the centre of the sheet. Acid paper showed higher pH at the edges than in the centre of the sheet. The edge pH of the alkaline paper of books stored on an above-ground floor was lower due to more exposure to incoming open air with pollutants compared to paper stored in the basement. Elemental analysis suggested nitrogen oxide deposition, but could not prove sulphur oxide deposition at the edges of the paper. The position-dependent acidification is presumed to relate to the deposition tendency of air pollutants contained in open air, and accordingly the edge pH dropped dramatically. In the 1980s, alkaline paper was increasingly used in the production of books, and it was assumed that no more book acidification was to occur; however, this study concludes that even in alkaline paper, acidification processes will take place over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Paper dust has previously been linked to adverse health effects. However, a comprehensive dataset of paper dust exposures does not appear to have been published previously. Our study was intended to address this need by describing a large dataset of measurements made in Swedish soft tissue paper mills. Methods We compiled personal and area total dust exposure measurements collected from a range of operations by our research staff at four soft tissue paper mills in Sweden. We also compiled measurements made by the occupational health staff at each mill and the Swedish Work Environment Authority. We analyzed these measurements to describe patterns and trends in exposures and used mixed-effects regression models to identify measurement characteristics that predicted exposure levels. Results We compiled 1578 measurements from 1971 to 2009, of which 1026 (65%) were personal samples. Statistically significant differences were found between measurements made by research, mill, and Swedish Work Environment Authority staff, as well as between personal and area measurements. The measurement data suggest that, beginning in the 1980s, exposures declined at three of the four mills, but that overexposures were still common at the end of the period. Papermaking and converting operations had the highest observed dust exposures. One mill had significantly lower exposures than the others. Type of measurement (personal versus area) and source of measurement (research staff, company, or regulatory agency) were not significant predictors of measured total dust exposure after controlling for mill, operation, and time. Conclusions Our analysis of measured paper dust exposures may be useful for historical and contemporary exposure assessment in our own and other epidemiological studies. We have identified specific characteristics (i.e. papermaking operations and mill) and time trends that are important data features to consider, and documented continuing overexposure situations. Our results highlight the ongoing need for application of exposure controls to reduce paper dust exposures in the soft tissue paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, several studies have reported the recycling of by-products generated by the paper industry and their application to the construction industry. A majority of the existing studies used waste paper sludge ash, and considerable energy is consumed in such incineration processes. This may further contribute to air pollution. In this study, we used waste newspaper (WNP), which underwent a simple crushing process without a separate high-temperature treatment process, and we integrated it in cement mortar. We prepared mortars containing 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% ground WNP as a cement substitute. Subsequently, the fluidity, compressive strength, tensile strength, carbonation depth, drying shrinkage, and microstructure of the mortars were compared and analyzed. The 28-day compressive strength of the mortar samples with WNP was approximately 3.2–16.1% higher than that of the control sample. The 28-day accelerated carbonation depth of the samples with WNP was approximately 1.03–1.61 mm. Furthermore, their carbonation resistance was approximately 5.2–39.4% higher than that of the control sample. Compressive strength, tensile strength, and carbonation resistance were improved by appropriately using ground WNP as a cement substitute in cement mortar. In this study, the appropriate amount of WNP according to the mechanical properties of cement mortar was found to be 0.4–0.8%, and considering the durability characteristics, the value 0.6 was the most ideal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Papermaking enterprises are major polluters that cause water pollution and air pollution. This paper aims to provide analysis of the energy saving and emission reduction in papermaking enterprises.It is the inevitable choice of establishment industrial ecology park as the leading of the papermaking industry by the implementation of cleaner production and circulation economy. Shandong Haiyun efficient ecological park is taken for example.Researches of the developing strategies and policy support of energy saving and emission reduction is discussed. The paper is divided into five parts, the first part is the preface, the second part introduces the general of Haiyun efficient industrial park, the third part puts forward the scheme of clean production of Haiyun efficient ecological industrial park, the fourth part puts forward ecological industry pattern of Haiyun efficient ecological industrial park, the fifth part puts forward policy guarantee measures, and the sixth part makes the summary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are a great number of DEA models proposed to deal with ecological efficiency problems with undesirable outputs. However, which model should be used in a specific scenario or how about the discriminability of a given DEA model is hard to decide in practice. This paper uses the ecological Shannon DEA procedure based upon the existing study to obtain an ecological comprehensive efficiency score for each decision units. The procedure is used to appraise the ecological evaluation to 32 paper mills along the Huai River in China. The results seem reasonable since they integrate the results of existing relevant DEA models, and calculate the importance degree of each model. The procedure can also be used to determine the pollutant emission quotas for those paper mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the Covid-19 pandemic increased exponentially across the globe, it has threatened the human lives and uprooted the economy of various cities and nations, besides having a major impact on the environment. In a matter of a few months, the world has transformed its way of living. The global disruption caused by the Covid-19 has brought about several effects on the environment and climate. Hence, a scientometric study of the India's publications in impact of Covid-19 on environment has been conducted to identify the emerging research trends in this field. Methods: The study downloaded India's publications on this topic from the Scopus database using a well-defined research strategy, which was based on using all keywords related to Covid-19 in "Keyword" and "Title" search tags of Scopus database. The search was subsequently restricted to "Environmental Sciences" subject, and limited to "India" yielding 805 records. Results: The 805 Indian publications were published on 'Covid-19 and Environmental Sciences" as searched in Scopus database and these have received 8275 citations, averaging 10.28 citations per paper. The 30.19% and 36.64% share of India's publications received external funding support and involve international collaboration. Among India's foreign collaborating partner countries, USA contributed the largest share (27.80%), followed by U.K. (21.02%), China and Saudi Arabia (14.24% each) and Australia (13.9%). Among 380 participating organizations, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi contributed the largest number of papers (31, 26 and 26 papers) and Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi (47.5 and 4.68), Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (28.29 and 2.79) and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (19.75 and 1.95) registered the largest citation impact. Among 945 participating authors, M. Kumar, S. Gautam and R. Kumar contributed the largest number of papers (25, 13 and 10 papers) and A. Narayanasamy (61.17 and 6.03), S. Gautam. (30.46 and 3.0) and M. Joshi (27.29 and 2.69) registered the largest citation impact. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Science of the Total Environment and Environmental Science and Pollution Research contributed the largest number of papers (76, 60 and 45 papers) and Environmental Pollution (12.0), Aerosol and Air Quality Research (11.12), Modeling Earth Systems and Environment (10.50) registered the largest citation impact of paper. The most significant keywords associated with "Covid-19 and Environmental Science" along with their frequency are: Air Quality (124), Air Pollution (96), Particulate Matter (91), Atmospheric Pollution (65), Environmental Monitoring (52), etc. Conclusion: The results of the present study are focused on evaluation of the India's contribution, focusing on both national and international issues using quantitative and qualitative methods. Such a study has allowed us to visualize the research trends that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and will facilitate the researchers to identify significant hotspots and latest trends in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (< 5 mm) have lately been identified in the atmosphere of urban, suburban, and even distant places far from plastic particle areas, suggesting the possibility of long-distance atmospheric transport of microplastics. However, the occurrence, fate, transmission, and effects of these suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) are all currently unknown in the Philippines. This study investigated the presence of suspected microplastic in the atmosphere of sixteen cities and one municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. Sampling was conducted using a respirable dust sampler mounted with a Whatman GF/C filter paper at an intake flow rate of 1.4 L/min with Whatman GF/C filter paper. Results reveal that all seventeen sampling areas have the presence of SAMPs. A total of 155 SAMPs were found and confirmed in Metro Manila, with the highest concentration in Muntinlupa City and Mandaluyong City (0.023 SAMP/NCM). Fourteen SAMP types were identified across the sampling areas, ⁓ 74% with polyester. This study is the first record of the presence of microplastics suspended in the ambient air in the Philippines. It is estimated that an adult person in Metro Manila has the potential to inhale (5–8 per minute, normal minute ventilation) about 1 SAMP if exposed for about 99.0 to 132 h. Further studies should be done to evaluate the fate and health effects of these SAMPs in Metro Manila's setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are witnessing an explosion in carbon calculators for estimating the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (i.e., carbon footprint) of households, buildings, cities, and processes. Seeking to capitalize on the emergent 'green' consumer, corporations are leading the next iteration in carbon footprinting: consumer products. This potentially lucrative low-carbon frontier, however, faces steep challenges due to complexities of scale, largely a function of the number of actors and geographies involved in globalized commodity and energy networks, and scope, which increasingly demands inclusion of emissions due to land use change (e.g., biofuel production, timber harvest, livestock grazing, mining). Life cycle assessment (LCA)-the principal method behind product-level GHG emissions footprint protocols-frequently avoids these challenges by narrowly delineating system boundaries, thereby excluding the 'messiness' of space and place. Through a comparative model of energy sources and emissions in the globalized paper industry, this article reveals how complexities associated with geographic variation and land use change create indeterminacy in footprints based on these protocols. Using industry and trade data, the authors develop geographic information system transportation and energy models to map the globally dispersed pulp supply networks and to rescale Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change GHG inventory guidelines to include carbon loss associated with land use change in the carbon footprint of coated paper. Given their integrative abilities to conceptualize and model coupled human-ecological systems, sophisticated understanding of time-space dynamics and critical theoretical insights, geographers have much to contribute to the LCA and product carbon footprinting enterprise, which to date has been largely the intellectual domain of engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper tests whether adopting the international norm ISO 14001 significantly impacts environmental performance in Quebec''s pulp and paper industry. Using monthly data collected from 37 plants between 1997 and 2003, we show that: (i) ISO certification does not lead to a reduction in total suspended solid emissions or in quantity of rejected process water; (ii) discharge of biological oxygen demand decreases by about 9% following certification; (iii) contrary to the group of plants that did not adopt the ISO norm, the adopting plants did not experience a significant negative trend in emissions over our sample period. Moreover, our results show that the impact of ISO is very variable across adopting plants. If some plants considerably reduce emissions following certification, we find that most adopters either maintain or even increase emissions after being ISO accredited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Particulate matter is the air pollutant that currently receives most attention from the atmospheric research community, the legislative authorities and the general public. Limiting particulate matter in the atmosphere which will result in significant benefits for human health, with associated positive economic consequences. Successful management of particulate matter requires scientific knowledge about particulate matter “from cradle to grave”, covering sources of particles, processes that govern their formation, composition, dispersion and fate in the atmosphere, as well as knowledge about human exposure and associated health and well being. Such knowledge allows to design and perform effective and efficient abatement measures and monitoring. This paper provides an introduction to the research and monitoring regarding particulate matter in Serbia. The contributions were first partly presented at the 2nd international workshop of the WeBIOPATR “Outdoor concentration, size distribution and composition of respirable particles in WB urban area” project in September 2009. This information provides context to the contributions in this number, and was part of the rationale of the project WeBIOPATR.

Industrial pollution in Bangladesh has posed a serious threat to human health, economic activity, and the environment. By emphasizing industries that produce major pollutants, substantial improvements can be made to pollution mitigation measures. In countries where primary pollution data is not readily available, the Industrial Pollution Projection System (IPPS) could be used to calculate the pollution load utilizing total industrial output or employment data. IPPS data, which was designed for developed countries like the USA, had been used directly for other countries without any normalization in previously reported studies. The main purpose of this study is to modify the current IPPS approach for any other country by incorporating specific correction factor for a specific country. In this study, a specific correction factor for Bangladesh was determined, taking into account the country's major polluting industries, and used to estimate the pollution scenario for the year 2020. The accuracy of the specific pollution intensities was also evaluated by comparing the data obtained using both gross output and employee number. According to this study, the top three air-polluting industries are structural clay products, cement-lime-plaster industry, and iron and steel industry. Similarly, for water pollution, the food industry, paper and paper product industry, and textile industry are the largest pollutant contributors. The detailed pollution load matrix in terms of air and water pollution is also developed, and can be used to predict both short-term and long-term scenarios of industrial pollution in Bangladesh, which eventually will assist the policy makers to adopt appropriate pollution management approach. Moreover, the methods developed in this study will help to tailor the IPPS data for any country and increase the accuracy of the pollution load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which investigated the uptake of air pollutants and their synergistic effects on paper. Chemical reactions involved in the adsorption of sulfur dioxide in paper; Experimental set up; Results; Discussion.

Accurate and quantitative profiling of air particulate matter (PM) compositions is essential for assessing local pollution information. The method combining mobile aerial sampling using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and prompt analysis excels in this regard as it allows spatiotemporal mapping of air pollution, especially in the vertical direction. However, applications of the method are still scarce as it is limited by a lack of sampling reliability due to insufficient aerial sampling time and a lack of accurate, portable quantification techniques. In this work, by integrating mobile aerial sampling with in-flight tethered charging and smartphone-based colorimetric analysis in a cost-effective paper microfluidic device, we present a method for quantitative, reliable profiling of spatiotemporal variation in air PM compositions. The method extends aerial sampling time to 12–15 flight hours per deployment, thereby significantly improving sampling reliability while maintaining the maneuverability of the UAVs. Also, smartphone-based colorimetric analysis combined with paper-based microfluidics enables portable, economically efficient analysis and is well-suited for using in low-resource settings. We demonstrated the utility of the method by carrying out a spatiotemporal variation study of air PM trace metal components (Fe, Ni, and Mn) at 4 geographical locations in Fuzhou, China, for a period of 21 days, and the results were in good agreement with results obtained from using a commercial instrument. Beside air PM composition study, this method is universally applicable and holds great potential to be extended to multipollutant analysis, such as prompt detection of airborne viruses, bacteria, and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addresses problems involved with the conservation, preservation, and restoration of library materials in Nigeria. Topics discussed include insect pests; light, heat, and humidity; atmospheric pollution and dust; natural disasters including fire and floods; theft and vandalism; acidity of paper; binding and mending; and trained personnel. (15 references) (LRW)

Abstract On-site spatial variation study of airborne trace metals has been known to be the key to providing a comprehensive evaluation of air pollution information at any targeted location. However, the existing portable approaches either do not allow sample analysis in the longitudinal direction or is not yet practically applicable due to due to the lack of a portable detection method. In this paper, by integrating paper based colorimetric detection via cellphone and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in-air sampling, we present an approach for on-site multiaxial quantification of airborne trace metals in an arrayed format. Using a self-built sampler mounting on a UAV, our approach enables automatic, multiaxial air PM sampling. In addition, by relying only on a cellphone and a custom-made field reaction kit, samples collected in-air can be readily processed, detected in an arrayed format and interpreted on-site within 30 min. Finally, an ultrafast batch-to-batch paper microfluidic chip fabrication protocol enables 48 chips to be fabricated under 30 s at a cost of 1.92 $, making the approach well-suited for disposable on-site use. Our system was first calibrated for 6 metals commonly found in airborne PM (i.e. Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr and Ni), and the corresponding metals detection limits were found to be 8.16, 45.84, 1.86 × 102, 10.08, 1.52 × 102 and 80.40 ng. The validity of our approach was then demonstrated by characterizing 6 metals commonly found in air PM using a certified ash sample, and the experimentally determined metal weight percentage showed a good agreement with the manufacture certified value. Finally, the approach was used for on-site airborne trace metals spatial variation study at 4 difference locations in Fuzhou City (China), thus demonstrating the significance of our approach in supplementing air pollution information gathering and progressing rapid, on-site air toxicity assessment research. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Cellphone-based on-site quantification of airborne trace metals in an arrayed format. • High-throughput, automatic colorimetric images process using a self-developed app. • Automated multiaxial ambient pollutants sampling using a modified unmanned aerial vehicle. • Ultrafast batch-to-batch chip fabrication protocol to further reduce the cost per analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data analysis and documentary research, this paper indicates that the main causes which negatively affect the preservation of paper documents in China are acidification and damaging pests such as moths and insects. The priorities for the preservation of Chinese documents are protecting the documents against air pollution and controlling pests and insects. Taking these problems and the Chinese national condition into account, the paper proposes to create a favorable microenvironment for decreasing the acidification of papers and to adopt various measures for controlling pests and insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gases from industrial activities have become a global problem. Emissions management is being developed to raise awareness of the importance of controlling pollution in general and atmospheric emissions in particular. In 2017, the deficit of the rights of issuance in the industrial sectors increased up to 8.3% (verified emissions in 2017 versus allocation in 2017). This trend will increase more at the end of Phase III due to a progressive reduction in allocation. Phase IV will be much more restrictive in allocating emission rights than Phase III. The extra cost of this deficit reinforces the need for industry in general to reduce CO2 and for the paper industry to reduce GHG emissions and generate credits. Old factories are typically identified as sources of pollution in addition to being inefficient compared to new factories. This article discusses the possibilities offered by maintenance actions, whose integration into a process can successfully reduce the environmental impact of industrial plants, particularly by reducing the CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2-eq units henceforth CO2) they produce. This case study analyzes the integration of maintenance rules that enable significant thermal energy savings and consequently CO2 emissions reduction associated with papermaking. Managing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as the amount of cold water added to the boiler circuit and the conditions of the air blown into the dryer section hood, can be used as indicators of CO2 emissions generated. The control of the water and temperature reduces these emissions. A defined measure—in this case, t CO2/t Paper—indicates an achievement of a 21% reduction in emissions over the past 8 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Several peer-reviewed papers and reviews have examined the relationship between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 spread and severity. However, many of the existing reviews on this topic do not extensively present the statistical challenges associated with this field, do not provide comprehensive guidelines for future researchers, and review only the results of a relatively small number of papers. We reviewed 139 papers, 127 of which reported a statistically significant positive association between air pollution and adverse COVID-19 health outcomes. Here, we summarize the evidence, describe the statistical challenges, and make recommendations for future research. To summarize the 139 papers with data from geographical locations around the world, we also present anopen-source data visualization tool that summarizes these studies and allows the research community to contribute evidence as new research papers are published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanization and industrialization have caused a significant increase in environmental pollution, especially in air quality. This paper introduces an IoT-based environmental monitoring system to address these issues. Using state-of-the-art IoT technology, the system deploys sensors in key locations to continuously collect data on air quality indicators like Particulate Matter (PM), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Ozone (O3). The collected data is wirelessly transmitted to a central server for processing and analysis. The system provides real-time and historical data through a user-friendly interface, enabling users to monitor current conditions, identify trends, and identify potential pollution sources. The key features include scalability, allowing for the addition of new sensors, and proactive decision-making through alerts when environmental parameters exceed predefined thresholds. This paper aims to empower communities with the knowledge needed to address and mitigate air pollution, creating healthier and more liveable urban environments in the face of rapid global urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of combining mobile technologies and sensors to detect harmful particles in the air and address the problem of air pollution caused by traffic and exhaust emissions. The paper contains a systematic literature review of information technology research related to pollution detection in order to point out the main obstacles in the field and propose solutions. Furthermore, the paper presents the development of an Android smartphone-based real-time monitoring system that utilizes an external analog sensor board to acquire and evaluate physical measurements. The proposed system is calibrated for CO gas measurements, and it is compared with a commercial gas analyzer instrument. Results imply that the developed system is capable of detecting concentration levels in the air and that the accuracy is within the range of the industrial device's accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change policy debate and ensuing discussions about industrial energy use and carbon emissions have highlighted the need to: (a) aggregate engineering information to a level relevant for economic policy analysis while maintaining sufficient detail so that results are meaningful for industry decision makers, (b) properly represent an industry’s capital vintage structure to better understand inertia associated with changes in aggregate industrial emissions profiles, and (c) identify policy instruments that leverage an industry’s potential for technological change such that carbon emissions can be noticeably reduced. This paper presents an econometric analysis of energy use and emissions profiles of the US Pulp and Paper Industry and uses the resulting set of equations to specify a dynamic model for the analysis of select climate change policies. Scenarios of cost of carbon, energy tax, and investment-led policies indicate that a combination of cost of carbon and investment-led policies can achieve the desired result of rapidly improving overall efficiency of the industry and promoting changes in fuel mix, which together can result in drastic reductions of carbon emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rapid and selective sensing of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas has attracted more and more attention because SO2 not only causes environmental pollution but also severely affects the health of human beings. Here we report an amino-functionalized luminescent metal-organic framework (MOF) material (i.e., MOF-5-NH2) and further investigate its sensing property for SO2 gas and its derivatives as a luminescent probe. The results indicate that the MOF-5-NH2 probe can selectively and sensitively sense SO2 derivatives (i.e., SO3 2-) in real time by a luminescence turn-on effect with a lower detection limit of 0.168 ppm and a response time of less than 15 s. Importantly, the luminescence turn-on phenomenon can be observed by the naked eye. We also assembled MOF-5-NH2 into a test paper to achieve the aim of portable detection, and the lower-limit concentration of the test paper for sensing SO2 in real time was found to be about 0.05 ppm. Moreover, MOF-5-NH2 also shows good anti-interference ability, strong luminescence stability, and reusability, which means that this material is an excellent sensing candidate. The amino functionalization may also provide a modification strategy to design luminescent sensors for other atmospheric pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the TAD of Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. In this study, rainwater samples were collected monthly in a polyethylene container attached to a funnel for a period of twelve (12) months at 40 designated sites (residential, industrial, and traffic-related areas). The rainwater samples were filtered, the masses of TAD on the filter paper were determined gravimetrically, and atmospheric deposition rates were calculated. Meteorological data were measured at a monitoring site at the Department of Meteorology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. From the results obtained in this study, it was observed that deposition rated ranged between 5 and 427 μg/m². The average temperatures, wind speed, relative humidity, rainfall and wind direction for the periods were 25.00oC, 0.63 mph, 83.74%, 0.03mm and 117.43oC (2015) and 26.2 oC, 0.74mph, 81.89%, 0.92mm, 118.32o (2016). There were relationships between TAD and meteorological parameters. The results showed that TAD in many parts of the studied areas exceeded the World Health Organization guideline standards (350 μg/m²). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]