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• Quantifying the impact of peer pressure on environmental improvements among local governments in China. • Investigating cities ' reaction to declining air quality rankings through regression discontinuity design. • Demonstrating the efficacy of political incentives in combating pollution and the catalytic effect of rankings on policy action. • Assessing the benefits resulting from air pollution reductions using an exposure response function. This paper estimates the impact of peer governmental pressure on air quality using a regression discontinuity design inherent in China's air quality ranking system. Because air quality rankings are important for political evaluations, local officials who witnessed a decline in air quality ranking are motivated to enforce more stringent environmental standards compared to their counterparts with increased rankings. By exploiting this regulatory discontinuity with monthly air quality ranking data from 2012 to 2020 of 169 cities, we find that cities experiencing a lower air quality ranking in the current month compared to the previous month exhibit a subsequent improvement in air quality during the following month, as evidenced by decreased pollutant concentrations. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that in cities where pollutant rankings decline more sharply, officials are less likely to encounter fewer promotion opportunities. Importantly, we observe that the discontinuity in individual pollutant concentrations is not solely influenced by their respective rankings but is also impacted by the overall A ir Q uality I ndex (AQI) ranking. Linking the reduction in air pollutants concentration with the economic benefits, a back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates the decrease in premature deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases amounts to approximately 200 thousand, resulting in an associated economic saving of more than 600 billion Chinese yuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the positive externalities of public transit, fares have been heavily subsidized throughout the United States and the world. Policymakers have designed these subsidies as a potential mechanism to reduce local air pollution. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of free-fare public transit subsidies in reducing air pollution. Studying the "Zero Fare for Better Air" initiative, I find no significant decrease in ground-level ozone due to free-fare public transit in Colorado. This paper also demonstrates how the free-fare initiative failed to improve welfare even when incorporating all the positive externalities of transit ridership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the presence and insights of suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) in a coastal urban setting of Xiamen, China, focusing on the downtown tourist and urban-rural fringe areas. The abundance of SAMPs in Xiamen ranged from 0 to 0.062 items m−3, with an average of 0.011 ± 0.012 items m−3. Notably, the urban-rural fringe area exhibited a higher abundance of SAMPs compared to the tourist area, attributing to surrounding pollution sources and the effectiveness of environmental policies. Fibers emerged as the dominant form of SAMPs, with microbeads and films also observed. Polyethylene terephthalate emerged as the dominant type, and transparent and blue SAMPs constituted the largest proportion. Over 50% of the SAMPs were smaller than 1 mm, with the smallest particle measuring 29 μm. Correlation and principal component analyses revealed that atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction significantly influenced the distribution of SAMPs. Backward trajectory modeling indicated that marine air masses diluted the SAMP pollution, whereas continental air masses exacerbated it. This study represents the first assessment of SAMP pollution in Xiamen, shedding light on the interplay between local pollution sources, environmental factors, air masses, industrial layout, and environmental policies. It emphasizes the need for increased attention to atmospheric microplastic pollution in coastal urban landscapes and underscores the importance of effective mitigation strategies. [Display omitted] • Suspended atmospheric microplastics (SAMPs) were studied in a coastal urban zone. • SAMPs in Xiamen were 0–0.062 items m−3, with average 0.010 ± 0.012 items m−3. • Sources and environmental policies led to more SAMPs in urban-rural fringe area. • Fibers were dominant SAMP form, with microbeads and films observed. • Year-round monitoring gives seasonal variations in SAMPs, enhancing representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualizing tools are now capable of synthesizing satellite imagery with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results. The new method is applied in Augsburg, Germany, and consists of two main phases: pre-processing and post-processing. The pre-processing phase involves creating geometry, mesh, and extracting results from simulations of traffic pollutant dispersion. In the post-processing phase, the results are combined with satellite images to produce visually optimized results. The demonstration of road traffic air pollution is based on real data from local air quality measurements and specific scenarios. The results indicate that using these visualization tools produce understandable and impressive images and videos. This enhances the public's comprehension of scientific results and raises awareness of environmental issues. An increased understanding of scientific results can reinforce the implementation of environmental policies by pressuring responsible authorities to take action. This paper provides a valuable tool for visualizing air pollution and facilitating public engagement with environmental issues. • A new visualization tool capable of combining earth-observation images with CFD results which represent air-pollution dispersion. • Numerical simulation of air pollution fed to scientific visualization with 3D computer graphics to create photo-realistic images. • Photo-realistic results can guide environmental policies down to local level. • Easily comprehensible results make the general audience understand environmental conditions and enhance action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Informal brick manufacturing in Bangladesh emits substantial air pollution. • People living downwind from brick kilns experience worse respiratory health when kilns are operating. • Effects are larger for women. • Banning kilns from being constructed nearby residential areas does not protect population health. • Brick manufacturing must be cleaner and more efficient to prevent this externality. Coal-fired brick kilns have spread rapidly in Bangladesh, where they are one of the largest sources of air pollution. The adverse health impacts of air pollution have been widely documented, yet there is little empirical evidence on the externalities of this important industry. We conducted a field study in Bangladesh to quantify the contribution of brick kilns to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and estimate the association with child asthma symptoms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and general respiratory symptoms. We exploit variation in the timing of brick production, seasonal wind direction, and household proximity to kilns to isolate the effects of brick manufacturing from other sources of air pollution. We find that PM 2.5 is 72.3 μg/m3 (95% CI: 10.2, 134.3) higher in areas 2 km downwind from a brick kiln during the brick production season. We also find 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2, 4.3) greater odds of COPD symptoms among adults over 40 and 4.2 (95% CI: 2.7, 6.8) greater odds of respiratory symptoms among adults over 18. Among children under 5, we found greater odds of respiratory symptoms (2.1, 95% CI: 0.7, 6.0) and asthma symptoms (2.5, 95% CI: 0.1, 96.1), but the results were underpowered for the smaller sample of children. Our findings suggest that existing regulations, which require that kilns be at least 1–2 km from residential areas, schools, and health facilities, are inadequate to protect nearby communities from the substantial health burden brick manufacturing imposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial literature in political science suggests that individuals' policy preferences can be shaped by the actions of elite actors and the policies they emphasize and implement. Yet can these actions and interactions have second order effects and actually affect individuals' beliefs about the causes of the problems that policy seeks to address in the first place? This research note identifies the effect of policy conflict upon individuals' beliefs about the societal problems, using original survey data from New Delhi. This effect is estimated by comparing beliefs about the causes of air pollution just before and after an unexpected policy conflict between the government and a judicial body over policy to limit vehicle usage. The results find that the policy conflict caused mass beliefs about the causes of pollution to change. In line with the theory of inferred justification, belief updating led individuals who generally approve (disapprove) of the government to believe vehicle usage was more (less) responsible for air pollution respectively. This is in spite of the fact that the spike in air pollution was caused by agricultural burning. The results suggest that policy conflict between political elites can not only affect mass policy preferences, but also alter beliefs about the cause of such societal problems policy seeks to address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for electricity worldwide has caused a corresponding rise in the consumption of coal, leading to an increase in sulfur dioxide (SO 2) pollution levels. Despite the severity of the issue, there is a lack of conclusive evidence establishing a causal link between SO 2 pollution and health, particularly in developing countries. We leverage a large national environmental regulation policy, implemented in China to reduce SO 2 emissions, to estimate the impacts of SO 2 pollution on mortality. We find that 1- μ g / m 3 reduction in SO 2 concentrations leads to 18 fewer cardiovascular deaths per 100,000 people aged 60 years and above (0.9% decrease) and 2 fewer deaths per 100,000 children under the age of 5 (1.5% decrease) annually. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the total health benefits of the environmental policy outweigh its economic costs. The results are consistent across various robustness checks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Willingness to pay (WTP) for clean air is one of the most important indicators of the public's acceptance of air pollution mitigation policies. However, few studies have characterized the spatial distribution of WTP, explored its "hypothetical bias", or analyzed its relationship with air pollutant concentrations. To address this gap in knowledge, a nationwide empirical study (N = 9744) was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 in China. The contingent valuation method (CVM) was adopted to assess WTP based on a scenario, and air purifier costs (APCs) incurred by the public were used as an indicator of WTP in the real-life scenario. The results show that the mean value of APCs (243.81 CNY (year ⋅ person) − 1 ) is lower than WTP (275.39 CNY (year ⋅ person) − 1 ), which means that the Chinese public may not pay as much money for clean air in the actual scenario as in the WTP scenario. This result is important for predicting and evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of air pollution economic policies. We also observed significant spatial differences in APCs: the public in more heavily polluted areas such as the eastern coastal region, northern coastal region, Middle Yellow River region and northeast region have higher APCs than the public in other regions, the proportion of people who purchased air purifiers and the distribution of APCs positively correlated with concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O 3), while no significant spatial difference or correlation relationship was observed for WTP. This result indicates that pollutant concentration is not the main driving factor of WTP but they are driving factors for APCs, which may provide new evidence for the driving factors of WTP and APCs. Finally, the policy implications behind these results are discussed, providing references and scientific support for policy makers and subsequent research. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The spatial distribution of WTP and APCs for clean air are demonstrated. • APCs has significant spatial differences, while WTP does not. • WTP is higher than APCs, indicating the existence of "hypothesis bias". • APCs is correlated with air pollutant concentrations, while WTP is not. • Potential environmental policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Severe air pollution problems have led to a rise in the Chinese public's concern. Risk perception is one of the most important indicators of the public's concern about air pollution. However, there existed few studies exploring the spatial distribution of risk perception. To fill the gap, psychometric paradigm methods was adopted to assess the public's risk perception of air pollution. A nationwide empirical study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 and 10,653 completed questionnaires were collected. According to a series of screening strategies, 9744 qualified questionnaires were included as a sample, which covered 31 China provinces (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were not included in this study). We found that 45% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the current air quality, many respondents concerned a lot about air pollution (76%) and worried about the harmful consequences of being exposed to air pollution (86%). There was significant difference in the public's risk perception and attitude toward air pollution among different regions: the respondents in the northeast region, northern coastal region, eastern coastal region and Middle Yellow river region perceived higher air pollution risk and lower satisfaction with air quality than other regions; and the public's trust in the government increased from coastal regions to inland regions. In addition, the hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to explore the effects of demographic, environmental and economic factors on public risk perception and attitude toward air pollution. Based on this, the characteristics of sensitive populations regarding air pollution were identified. What's more, we found that PM 2.5 has a positive influence on perceived risk factor (PR) and can strengthen the positive correlation between PR and satisfaction with air quality (SAQ). Finally, policy implications behind these results were discussed, which can provide references and lay the foundation for policymakers and subsequent researchers. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The Chinese public's overall risk perception for air pollution was surveyed. • Spatial distribution of risk perception for air pollution was described. • Hierarchical linear model was used to analyze influencing factors. • Spatial difference should be considered to avoid misassessment of risk perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Air quality in Krakow is determined by traffic and household heating emissions. • Public transportation is an important element of the city's environmental policy. • Modernization of the urban bus fleet contributes to reducing emissions. • Low emission public transportation is a primary objective for Krakow. Abstract This paper discusses the air quality impact of the replacement of buses in the Krakow metropolitan area by buses with better emission standards. The research focuses on the estimated amount of particulate matter and gas pollutants emitted by those vehicles between the years 2010–2015. The calculations have been done using COPERT software and are based on measured and gathered data from 156 bus lines. The emissions inventory presented in this paper is the first highly detailed research done for a fleet of urban buses in one of the largest urban areas in Poland. It was analysed using CORINAIR methodology. The conducted research has a couple of utilitarian aims. The first is an assessment of the emission reduction brought about by urban bus modernization. The second aim is estimating the contribution of particulate matter and gas pollutants by urban bus emissions in the Krakow area. It estimated that emissions from public transportation constitute 2.07% of the total emissions from road transportation in Krakow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Despite the various measures taken to reduce air pollution in France, the French continue to use high-emission vehicles. We propose to evaluate the Willingness To Pay (WTP) for four means of transport: two high-emission vehicles (diesel taxi and diesel personal vehicle) and two low-emission vehicles (rented electric vehicle and public transport). Successive messages revealing the effects of air pollution on health and the environment are provided to individuals in a different order. The information conveyed changes both of the WTP of individuals and of their choices. However, the use of high-emission vehicles has not diminished, personal vehicles remain the most popular. Using data collected from our survey, a multinomial logit model is used to determine individual choices. We find that improving individuals' confidence in air pollution recommendations would be a good way to lead them to choose low-emission rather than high-emission means of transport. Moreover, these estimates also indicate that individuals who attach great importance to comfort are less likely to choose low-emission vehicles than those who value price above other factors. Individual interest can therefore prevail over collective interest, thus verifying the theory of the tragedy of the commons. Different policies (taxes, subsidies, or standard) to encourage people to adopt low-emission vehicles are then tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fine particles associated with haze pollution threaten the health of more than 400 million people in China. It is therefore of great importance to thoroughly investigate and understand their composition. To determine the physicochemical properties in atmospheric fine particles at the micrometer level, we described a sensitive and feasible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method using Ag foil as a substrate. This novel method enhanced the Raman signal intensities up to 10,000 a.u. for ν(NO 3 −) in fine particles. The SERS effect of Ag foil was further studied experimentally and theoretically and found to have an enhancement factor of the order of ~104. Size-fractionated real particle samples with aerodynamic diameters of 0.4–2.5 μm were successfully collected on a heavy haze day, allowing ready observation of morphology and identification of chemical components, such as soot, nitrates, and sulfates. These results suggest that the Ag-foil-based SERS technique can be effectively used to determine the microscopic characteristics of individual fine particles, which will help to understand haze formation mechanisms and formulate governance policies. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Korea has the highest air pollution among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Since the recent environmental analysis (Kim et al., 2017) reported the feasibility of replacing taxis with electric vehicles (EVs) in metropolitan cities from a 'tank-to-wheel' emission perspective, various stakeholders have attempted to reduce air pollution by activating the EV market in Korea in accordance with international trends. Nevertheless, no holistic study has yet been published on the nationwide changes in air quality caused by EV diffusion from the perspective of 'well-to-wheel' emissions. This paper presents the results of estimating the stability of the electric power supply and fine particulate matter emissions in some cases, and the results of examining the structure of public discourse using big social media data. From the findings of our study, we made the following conclusions: (1) If the market share of EVs exceeds 12.5% before 2030 in Korea's domestic market, the supply and demand of stable energy will be threatened. (2) Under traditional energy mix conditions, the popularization of EVs may slightly reduce air pollution over metropolitan roads, but drastically increase air pollution near power plants that utilize fossil fuels. (3) Social media discussions show that the public is neither concerned about EVs being possible sources of pollutants, nor about potential instabilities in the energy market. (4) To obtain a socially acceptable energy mix, energy policy decision makers can select emission-free energy sources, such as nuclear power and renewable energy, depending on their priorities and based on power demand management to suppress excessive electrification. Highlights • The rapid expanding electric car market can threaten the supply and demand of stable enegy. • The effects of improving the air quality by electric cars differ depending on the region. • The public does not concern about electricity supply as well as air pollution by electric cars. • Policy makers can choose either nuclear power or renewable energy depending on their priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Over the last three decades, rapid industrialization in China has generated an unprecedentedly high level of air pollution and associated health problems. Given that China accounts for one-fifth of the world population and suffers from severe air pollution, a comprehensive review of the indicators accounting for the health costs in relation to air pollution will benefit evidence-based and health-related environmental policy-making. This paper reviews the conventional static and the new dynamic approach adopted for air pollution-related health cost accounting in China and analyzes the difference between the two in estimating GDP loss. The advantages of adopting the dynamic approach for health cost accounting in China, with conditions guaranteeing its optimal performance are highlighted. Guidelines on how one can identify an appropriate approach for health cost accounting in China are put forward. Further, we outline and compare the globally-applicable and China-specific indicators adopted by different accounting methodologies, with their pros and cons being discussed. A comprehensive account of the available databases and methodologies for health cost accounting in China are outlined. Future directions to guide health cost accounting in China are provided. Our work provides valuable insights into future health cost accounting research in China. Our study has strengthen the view that the dynamic approach is comparatively more preferred than the static approach for health cost accounting in China, if more data is available to train the dynamic models and improve the robustness of the parameters employed. In addition, future dynamic model should address the socio-economic impacts, including benefits or losses of air pollution polices, to provide a more robust policy picture. Our work has laid the key principles and guidelines for selecting proper econometric approaches and parameters. We have also identified a proper estimation method for the Value of Life in China, and proposed the integration of engineering approaches, such as the use of deep learning and big data analysis for health cost accounting at the fine-grained level (city-district or sub-regional level). Our work has also identified the gap for more accurate health cost accounting at the fine-grained level in China, which will subsequently affect the quality of health-related air pollution policy decision-making at such levels, and the health-related quality of life of the citizens in China. Highlights • The dynamic health cost accounting a preferred approach in China • Future dynamic model should address parameter robustness and socio-economic impacts. • Guidelines for selecting proper econometric approaches and parameters stated • Estimation methods for Values of Life in China and integration of methods proposed • Accurate health cost accounting at fine spatial resolutions needed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normally, the temperature decreases with altitude, allowing air pollutants to rise and disperse. During inversion episodes, warmer air at higher altitude traps air pollutants at the ground. By merging vertical temperature profile data from NASA with pollution monitors and health care records, we show that inversions increase the PM10 levels by 25% and children's respiratory health problems by 5.5%. Low-income children are particularly affected, and differences in baseline health seem to be a key mediating factor behind the effect of pollution on the SES health gap. Policies that improve dissemination of information on inversion status may hence improve child health, either through private action or via policies that curb emissions during inversion episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quality has significantly improved in Europe over the past few decades. Nonetheless we still find high concentrations in measurements mainly in specific regions or cities. This dimensional shift, from EU-wide to hot-spot exceedances, calls for a novel approach to regional air quality management (to complement EU-wide existing policies). The SHERPA (Screening for High Emission Reduction Potentials on Air quality) modelling tool was developed in this context. It provides an additional tool to be used in support to regional/local decision makers responsible for the design of air quality plans. It is therefore important to evaluate the quality of the SHERPA model, and its behavior in the face of various kinds of uncertainty. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis techniques can be used for this purpose. They both reveal the links between assumptions and forecasts, help in-model simplification and may highlight unexpected relationships between inputs and outputs. Thus, a policy steered SHERPA module - predicting air quality improvement linked to emission reduction scenarios - was evaluated by means of (1) uncertainty analysis (UA) to quantify uncertainty in the model output, and (2) by sensitivity analysis (SA) to identify the most influential input sources of this uncertainty. The results of this study provide relevant information about the key variables driving the SHERPA output uncertainty, and advise policy-makers and modellers where to place their efforts for an improved decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico City's bus rapid transit (BRT) network, Metrobus, was introduced in an attempt to reduce congestion, increase city transport efficiency and cut air polluting emissions. In June 2005, the first BRT line in the metropolitan area began service. We use the differences-in-differences technique to make the first quantitative assessment of the policy impact of a BRT system on air polluting emissions. The air pollutants considered are carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO X ), particulate matter of less than 10 μm (PM 10 ), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ). The ex-post analysis uses real field data from air quality monitoring stations for periods before and after BRT implementation. Results show that BRT constitutes an effective environmental policy, reducing emissions of CO, NO X , and PM 10 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urban air pollution level in Indian cities is one of the major concerns for policy makers due to its impact on public health. The growth in population and increase in associated motorised road transport demand is one of the major causes of increasing air pollution in most urban areas along with other sources e.g., road dust, construction dust, biomass burning etc. The present study documents the development of an urban local air quality management (ULAQM) framework at urban hotspots (non-attainment area) and a pathway for the flow of information from goal setting to policy making. The ULAQM also includes assessment and management of air pollution episodic conditions at these hotspots, which currently available city/regional-scale air quality management plans do not address. The prediction of extreme pollutant concentrations using a hybrid model differentiates the ULAQM from other existing air quality management plans. The developed ULAQM framework has been applied and validated at one of the busiest traffic intersections in Delhi and Chennai cities. Various scenarios have been tested targeting the effective reductions in elevated levels of NO x and PM 2.5 concentrations. The results indicate that a developed ULAQM framework is capable of providing an evidence-based graded action to reduce ambient pollution levels within the specified standard level at pre-identified locations. The ULAQM framework methodology is generalised and therefore can be applied to other non-attainment areas of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black carbon mitigation has received increasing attention for its potential contribution to both climate change mitigation and air pollution control. Although different bottom-up models concerned with unit mitigation costs of various technologies allow the assessment of alternative policies for optimized cost-effectiveness, the lack of adequate data often forced many reluctant explicit and implicit assumptions that deviate away from actual situations of rural residential energy consumption in developing countries, where most black carbon emissions occur. To gauge the theory-practice gap in black carbon mitigation – the unit cost differences that lie between what is estimated in the theory and what is practically achieved on the ground – this study conducted an extensive field survey and analysis of nine mitigation technologies in rural China, covering both northern and southern regions with different residential energy consumption patterns. With a special focus on two temporal characteristics of those technologies – lifetimes and annual utilization rates, this study quantitatively measured the unit cost gaps and explain the technical as well as sociopolitical mechanisms behind. Structural and behavioral barriers, which have affected the technologies’ performance, are discussed together with policy implications to narrow those gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring exactly where air pollution comes from, and identifying the key factors that influence it, can provide a scientific basis for the rational formulation and effective implementation of air pollution policies in China. Based on the data from 2001 to 2012 covering PM 2.5 concentrations in 285 Chinese cities, we use dynamic spatial panel models to empirically analyze the key driving factors of this air pollution. Results show that China’s urban smog demonstrates both obvious global spatial autocorrelation and local spatial agglomeration. There is a significant inverted “U-shaped” curve between economic development level and air pollution, and most cities are in the phase in which pollution is increasing in conjunction with improvements to the economy. Due to a rapid increase in population in built up areas, a high-proportion of secondary industry, a coal-dominated energy structure and increasing traffic intensity, China’s smog problem is becoming more and more serious. FDI probably will not play a future role in mitigating the air pollution. Central heating in winter in northern China further aggravates local smog to a certain extent. Because China’s haze pollution presents path-dependent characteristics and spatial spillover effects in the time dimension and in the space dimension respectively, so smog alleviation policies should be implemented based both on the strategies of maximizing effort and regional joint prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural fires are a double-edged sword that allow for cost-efficient land management in the tropics but also cause accidental fires and emissions of carbon and pollutants. To control fires in Amazon, it is currently unclear whether policy-makers should prioritize command-and-control or incentive-based instruments such as REDD +. Aiming to generate knowledge about the relative merits of the two policy approaches, this paper presents a spatially-explicit agent-based model that simulates the causal effects of four policy instruments on intended and unintended fires. All instruments proved effective in overturning the predominance of highly profitable but risky fire-use and decreasing accidental fires, but none were free from imperfections. The performance of command-and-control proved highly sensitive to the spatial and social reach of enforcement. Side-effects of incentive-based instruments included a disproportionate increase in controlled fires and a reduced acceptance of conservation subsidies, caused by the prohibition of reckless fires, and also indirect deforestation. The instruments that were most effective in reducing deforestation were not the most effective in reducing fires and vice-versa, which suggests that the two goals cannot be achieved with a single policy intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world population is demonstrating an increasing awareness about the ecological impacts of air quality, including impacts on human health. The Veneto region and, more generally, the Po Valley (NE Italy), are characterised by frequent exceedance of limit values for air quality, in particular particulate matter (PM 10), which causes these areas to be listed as hotspots; thus, this region has some of the worst air pollution in Europe. The aim of the current research was to analyse a 10 year-long time series of air quality data (2011–2021) in the Veneto region to investigate the influence of selected factors on air quality, such as natural processes (meteorological conditions), environmental policies, and health emergency measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, the considered pollutants, PM 10 , NO, and NO 2 , presented a decreasing trend during the last ten years. The reduction in nitrogen oxides was clearly improved after the implementation of a specific environmental protocol (the "New Agreement of Po Valley Basin"). Conversely, the PM 10 concentration seemed to be affected by other important emission sources, such as domestic heating systems, agricultural activities, and animal farms, which are not as strongly regulated as emission sources such as traffic. The 2020 lockdown mainly influenced nitrogen oxide concentrations. • Italy has infringed on the EU law regarding ambient air quality. • One of the more polluted Italian areas is the Po Valley, including the Veneto region. • A long time series of the air quality data region was statistically analysed. • Only nitrogen oxide concentrations were significantly reduced during the last ten years. • Environmental policies have mainly addressed traffic emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between mobile source emissions and subsequent human exposure is crucial for emissions control. Determining this relationship over space is fundamental to improve the accuracy and precision of public policies. In this study, we evaluated the spatial patterns of link-based PM 2.5 emissions and subsequent human exposure in a large Canadian metropolitan area - the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This study was performed in three stages. First, we estimated vehicle emissions using transportation models and emission simulators. Then we evaluated human exposure to PM 2.5 emissions using the Intake fraction (iF) approach. Finally, we applied geostatistical methods to assess spatial patterns of vehicle emissions and subsequent human exposure based on three prospective goals: i) classification of emissions (Global Moran's I test), ii) level of emission exposure (Getis-Ord General G test), and; iii) location of emissions (Anselin Local Moran's I). Our results showed that passenger vehicles accounted for the highest total amount of PM 2.5 emissions, representing 57% emissions from all vehicles. Examining only the emissions from passenger vehicles, on average, each person in the GTHA inhales 2.58 × 10 −3 ppm per day. Accounting the emissions from buses and trucks, on average each person inhales 0.12 × 10 −3 and 1.91 × 10 −3 ppm per day, respectively. For both PM 2.5 emissions and human exposure using iF approach, our analysis showed Moran's Index greater than 0 for all vehicle categories, suggesting the presence of significant clusters (p-value <0.01) in the region. Our study indicates that air pollution control policy must be developed for the whole region, because of the spatial distribution of housing and businesses centers and inter-connectivity of transportation networks across the region, where a policy cannot simply be based on a municipal or other boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s tremendous economic growth in the past three decades has resulted in a number of environmental problems, including the deterioration of air quality. In particular, fine particulate matter (PM) has received increasing attention from scientists, governmental agencies, and the public due to its adverse impacts on human health. Monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of air pollution is important for understanding its transport mechanisms and making effective environmental policies. The main goal of this study, therefore, was to quantify the spatial patterns and movement of air pollution in China at annual, daily, and hourly scales, so that the underlying drivers could be better understood. We used remote sensing data and landscape metrics together to capture spatiotemporal signatures of air pollution. Our results show that, at the annual scale, PM 2.5 concentrations in China increased gradually from 1999 to 2011, with the highest concentrations occurring in the North China Plain as well as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. The total population affected by air pollution was about 975 million in 2010 (about 70% of China’s population). Our more detailed analysis on daily and hourly scale further revealed that a heavy air pollution event occurred, expanded, aggregated, and finally dissipated over Northern China during Oct. 6–12, 2014, suggesting that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region a center of severe pollution. Crop stalks burning in agricultural areas in this region seemed to be one of the leading drivers, along with coal burning and transportation emissions. Our study demonstrates that spatial pattern analysis with landscape metrics is effective for analyzing source-sink dynamics of air pollution and its potential drivers. Our findings of major source areas and movement trajectories should be useful for making air pollution control policies to improve China’s air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of extreme haze episodes in China in recent years has triggered the Chinese government to take action to tackle the serious air quality problems. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) accounts for much of China's poor air quality; given the health risks associated with such pollution, the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban PM 2.5 concentrations constitute a matter of significant interest within the Chinese research and policy communities. Using the first long-term datasets available in relation to PM 2.5 levels, obtained from a year-long monitoring program of concentrations utilizing 945 monitoring stations in 190 cities in China in 2014, we found significant differences in PM 2.5 concentrations among cities, ranging between 18.7 and 131.4 μg/m 3 , with an average of at 61 ± 20 μg/m 3 ; only 18 (or 9.5%) of the 190 monitored cities could meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of China. PM 2.5 concentrations are generally highest in the cities east of the Hu Line and north of the Yangtze River due to high PM emissions from transport and coal combustion and unfavorable atmospheric conditions. We also observed marked seasonal variations in concentration levels, with the highest levels occurring during winter and the lowest in summer. By grouping Chinese cities according to their size, our econometric analysis shows a positive correlation between PM 2.5 concentrations and the size of the urban area, urban population, share of secondary industry and population density, and a first increasing and then decreasing relationship between GDP per capita and PM 2.5 concentration. Urban expansion and structural economic change has thus contributed to an increase in urban PM 2.5 emissions. Without careful planning, continuing urbanization will precipitate further severe air pollution causing significant health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid industrialization in China has brought forward serious and harmful atmospheric pollution. In this study, spatial econometric analysis was used to analyze the spatial change and the driving forces behind the industrial sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) discharge in China from 2001 to 2014. The study found that the amount of industrial SO 2 discharge (ISOD) increased first and then decreased during this period. ISOD intensity witnessed a fluctuating drop. There were large differences among intercity ISOD amount and intensity, which had various spatial patterns. Global Moran's I of ISOD amount and intensity had a tendency to increase on the whole, showed positive spatial autocorrelation, and revealed a more and more remarkable clustered spatial pattern. Local spatial autocorrelation analysis found that the spatial patterns of ISOD amount and intensity changed considerably over space and time. The spatial patterns of ISOD were significantly influenced by the regional differences in land use and environmental policy. The study also found that the driving forces of ISOD in China changed significantly from 2001 to 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that the special characteristics of indoor air pollution make closed environments quite different from outdoor environments, the conceptual ideas for assessing air quality indoors and outdoors are similar. Therefore, the elaboration of International Standards for air quality characterization in view of controlling indoor air quality should resort to this common basis. In this short review we describe the possibilities of standardization of tools dedicated to indoor air quality characterization with a focus on the tools permitting to study the indoor air chemistry. The link between indoor exposure and health as well as the critical processes driving the indoor air quality are introduced. Available International Standards for the assessment of indoor air quality are depicted. The standards comprise requirements for the sampling on site, the analytical procedures, and the determination of material emissions. To date, these standardized procedures assure that indoor air, settled dust and material samples are analyzed in a comparable manner. However, existing International Standards exclusively specify conventional, event-driven target-screening using discontinuous measurement methods for long-lived pollutants. Therefore, this review draws a parallel between physico-chemical processes in indoor and outdoor environments. The achievements in atmospheric sciences also improve our understanding of indoor environments. The community of atmospheric scientists can be both ideal and supporter for researchers in the area of indoor air quality characterization. This short review concludes with propositions for future standardization activities for the chemical characterization of indoor air quality. Future standardization efforts should focus on: (i) the elaboration of standardized measurement methods and measurement strategies for online monitoring of long-lived and short-lived pollutants, (ii) the assessment of the potential and the limitations of non-target screening, (iii) the paradigm shift from event-driven investigations to systematic approaches to characterize indoor environments, and (iv) the development of tools for policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural ventilation (NV) is a key sustainable solution for reducing the energy use in buildings, improving thermal comfort, and maintaining a healthy indoor environment. However, the energy savings and environmental benefits are affected greatly by ambient air pollution in China. Here we estimate the NV potential of all major Chinese cities based on weather, ambient air quality, building configuration, and newly constructed square footage of office buildings in the year of 2015. In general, little NV potential is observed in northern China during the winter and southern China during the summer. Kunming located in the Southwest China is the most weather-favorable city for natural ventilation, and reveals almost no loss due to air pollution. Building Energy Simulation (BES) is conducted to estimate the energy savings of natural ventilation in which ambient air pollution and total square footage at each city must be taken into account. Beijing, the capital city, displays limited per-square-meter saving potential due to the unfavorable weather and air quality for natural ventilation, but its largest total square footage of office buildings makes it become the city with the greatest energy saving opportunity in China. Our analysis shows that the aggregated energy savings potential of office buildings at 35 major Chinese cities is 112 GWh in 2015, even after allowing for a 43 GWh loss due to China’s serious air pollution issue especially in North China. 8–78% of the cooling energy consumption can be potentially reduced by natural ventilation depending on local weather and air quality. The findings here provide guidelines for improving current energy and environmental policies in China, and a direction for reforming building codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years several European air pollution policies have been based on a cost-effectiveness approach. In the European Union, the European Commission starts using the multi-pollutant, multi-effect GAINS (Greenhouse Gas Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies) model to identify cost-effective National Emission Ceilings and specific emission control measures for each Member State to reach these targets. In this paper, we apply the GAINS methodology to the case of Italy with 20 subnational regions. We present regional results for different approaches to environmental target setting for PM2.5 pollution in the year 2030. We have obtained these results using optimization techniques consistent with those of GAINS-Europe, but at a higher resolution. Our results show that an overall health-impact oriented approach is more cost-effective than setting a nation-wide limit value on ambient air quality, such as the one set for the year 2030 by the European Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. The health-impact oriented approach implies additional emission control costs of 153 million €/yr on top of the baseline costs, compared to 322 million €/yr for attaining the nation-wide air quality limit. We provide insights into the distribution of costs and benefits for regions within Italy and identify the main beneficiaries of a health-impact approach over a limit-value approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve air quality, knowledge of the sources and locations of air pollutant emissions is critical. However, for many global cities, no previous estimates exist of how much exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), the largest environmental cause of mortality, is caused by emissions within the city vs. outside its boundaries. We use the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP) global-through-urban reduced complexity air quality model with a high-resolution, global inventory of pollutant emissions to quantify the contribution of emissions by source type and location for 96 global cities. Among these cities, we find that the fraction of PM 2.5 exposure caused by within-city emissions varies widely (μ = 37%; σ = 22%) and is not well-explained by surrounding population density. The list of most-important sources also varies by city. Compared to a more mechanistically detailed model, InMAP predicts urban measured concentrations with lower bias and error but also lower correlation. Predictive accuracy in urban areas is not particularly high with either model, suggesting an opportunity for improving global urban air emission inventories. We expect the results herein can be useful as a screening tool for policy options and, in the absence of available resources for further analysis, to inform policy action to improve public health. • The contributions of different air pollution sources vary widely among cities. • The contributions of within-city vs. external emission sources to a city's air pollution also varies widely among cities. • The contributions above cannot be accurately predicted without air quality modeling. • An opportunity exists to improve global emission inventories in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Short-sea shipping visibly contributes to particles concentrations in coastal areas. • The bottom-up model predicts consistent particle number concentration, PN, values. • Differently, contribution of ships on PM2.5 cannot be inferred by bottom-up model. • Existing regional fuel quality restrictions mostly reduce PM2.5 emissions. • Cleaner fuels and available after-treatment systems highly reduce PN/PM2.5 levels. Several studies indicate that short-sea shipping is an important source of air pollution for coastal areas and port cities. This paper reports results of a non-reactive particles dispersion model and a new set of experiments implemented for the Channel of Procida (Italy), an area with a high signal-to-noise ratio, due to intense marine traffic and low background pollution. The model successfully predicts particle number concentrations but underestimates PM 2.5 data. Model and experiments show that thanks to the EU policies on marine fuels, the Channel of Procida already has good air quality levels. Besides, the paper demonstrates that fostering the use of LNG or methanol or the application of an exhaust-gas-cleaning-system may allow reducing particles emissions well above 90%. The reliability of control strategies and the benefits for the population suggest that the introduction of regulations on particles emissions for ships can be a realistic option for the future environmental policy agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) are increasingly employed in environmental health (EH) epidemiology and, provided methods and reporting are sound, contribute to translating science evidence to policy. Ambient air pollution (AAP) is both among the leading environmental causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and of growing policy relevance due to health co-benefits associated with greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Objectives We reviewed the published AAP SRMA literature (2009 to mid-2015), and evaluated the consistency of methods, reporting and evidence evaluation using a 22-point questionnaire developed from available best-practice consensus guidelines and emerging recommendations for EH. Our goal was to contribute to enhancing the utility of AAP SRMAs to EH policy. Results and discussion We identified 43 studies that used both SR and MA techniques to examine associations between the AAPs PM 2.5 , PM 10, NO 2 , SO 2 , CO and O 3 , and various health outcomes. On average AAP SRMAs partially or thoroughly addressed 16 of 22 questions (range 10–21), and thoroughly addressed 13 of 22 (range 5–19). We found evidence of an improving trend over the period. However, we observed some weaknesses, particularly infrequent formal reviews of underlying study quality and risk-of-bias that correlated with lower frequency of thorough evaluation for key study quality parameters. Several other areas for enhanced reporting are highlighted. Conclusions The AAP SRMA literature, in particular more recent studies, indicate broad concordance with current and emerging best practice guidance. Development of an EH-specific SRMA consensus statement including a risk-of-bias evaluation tool, would be a contribution to enhanced reliability and robustness as well as policy utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzene is known as a human carcinogen, whose annual mean concentration exceeded the EU limit value (5 μg/m 3 ) only in very few locations in Europe during 2012. Nevertheless 10% to 12% of the EU-28 urban population was still exposed to benzene concentrations above the WHO reference level of 1.7 μg/m 3 . WHO recommended a wise choice of monitoring stations positioning in proximity of “hot spots” to define and assess the representativeness of each site paying attention to micro-scale conditions. In this context benzene and other VOCs of health concern (toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) concentrations have been investigated, with weekly passive sampling for one year, both in outdoor and indoor air in inhabited buildings in close proximity (180 m far up to 1100 m) of an integrated steel plant in NE of Italy. Even though the outdoor mean annual benzene concentration was below the EU limit in every site, in the site closest to the works the benzene concentration was above 5 μg/m 3 in 14 weeks. These events were related to a benzene over toluene ratio above one, which is diagnostic for the presence of an industrial source, and to meteorological factors. These information pointed at the identification of the coke ovens of the plant as the dominant outdoor source of benzene. Benzene gradients with the increasing distance from coke ovens have been found for both outdoor and indoor air. Linear models linking outdoor to indoor benzene concentrations have been then identified, allowing to estimate indoor exposure from ambient air benzene data. In the considered period, a narrow area of about 250 m appeared impacted at a higher degree than the other sites both considering outdoor and indoor air. Passive BTEX sampling permits to collect information on both ambient air and daily life settings, allowing to assemble a valuable data support for further environmental cost-benefit analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents alternative measures of environmental inequality in the 50 U.S. states for exposure to industrial air pollution. We examine three methodological issues. First, to what extent are environmental inequality measures sensitive to spatial scale and population weighting? Second, how do sensitivities to different segments of the overall distribution affect rankings by these measures? Third, how do vertical and horizontal (inter-group) inequality measures relate to each other? We find substantive differences in rankings by different measures and conclude that no single indicator is sufficient for addressing the entire range of equity concerns that are relevant to environmental policy; instead multiple measures are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we present the rational and design of a methodology to support Integrated Environmental Assessment using the DPSIR (Driving Forces–Pressures–State–Impact–Response) causal-effect framework and non-monotonic Fuzzy Cognitive Maps. The methodology is based on key pillars in environmental management, namely connecting the socioeconomic and the natural environment dimensions into a policy oriented context; integration of stakeholders with inter-sectorial synergies and tradeoffs; handling of ambiguities and uncertainties intrinsic to environmental modeling and representation of complex non-linear cause-effect relationships in the form of Fuzzy Inference Systems, capable of adapting dynamically the influence between indicators. The methodology has the potential to support the development of informed policies and improves reliability through transparent, traceable and reproducible results. The illustrative example assesses the impact of air pollution abatement policies according to expert perceptions using proactive scenarios; the results revealed that, despite some positive changes, air protection activities are missing an overall strategic vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution problems in China are related to imperfect legislation and potential integration problems among legislation, plans, and policies from the perspective of legislation, planning, and policy-making. Recent English-language articles focus on revision of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law of China. The purpose of this study is to make the overall system for prevention and control of air pollution in China understood by a broader audience by providing an overview of the pertinent legislation, plans, and policies, since such a review has not been presented so far. At the beginning of this article, we clarify the key definitions of legislation, plan, and policy and establish a preliminary analytical framework for evaluating the integration of legislation, plans, and policies. Then we present a variety of pieces of legislation at national, local, and international levels, including the Constitution, national laws, national administrative regulations and departmental rules, and local regulations and rules that were selected because of their direct and close relation to the prevention and control of air pollution, especially particulate matter. We divide the history of legislation since 1956 into four phases: preceding (1956–1978), beginning (1979–1999), development (2000–2013), and improvement (since 2014), putting emphases on changes in legislation in each phase. We also describe the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, the 12th Five-Year Plan on Prevention and Control of Air Pollution in Key Regions, the Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, and a series of policies on energy conservation, emission reduction, and energy use. We then comment on challenges of defects within the legislation framework and integration problems among legislation, plans, and policies. Finally, we put forward some improvement measures to address the challenges: (1) stipulating special provisions for prevention and control of motor vehicle pollution, (2) empowering local environmental protection bureaus to enforce the air-pollutant-emission permit system, (3) improving the feasibility of the air-pollutant-emission trading system, (4) clarifying government responsibility and intensifying penalties, and (5) integrating relations among legislation, plans, and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is a major health hazard in China and a serious focus of governmental concern. To reduce the levels of air pollution will take a strategic realignment of priorities for all of the major players responsible for monitoring and implementing environmental controls to air emissions. Gaining and maintaining compliance of on-the-ground company directors and managers is essential to adequate pollution control, but to date little is known about how managers of heavily polluting companies view pro-environmental measures in their company operation. This paper identifies common characteristics of managers in heavy polluting industries, and measures the impact these characteristics have on corporate environmental behavior based on the survey data that was collected in 2013 from sixty energy companies in China's Shaanxi Province. Personal characteristics of these managers include age, gender, place of birth, level of education, average monthly household income, department, position, environmental awareness, and environmental behavior. Empirical results show that 33.5% of managers that belong to companies with high corporate environmental behavior scores also have the highest level of environmental awareness and environmental behavior. Managers' environmental behavior, awareness and education are significantly positively correlated to corporate environmental behavior. The research also discovered that managers' seniority is positively correlated with corporate environmental behavior, which indicates that senior managers have higher environmental awareness and knowledge. The paper concluded that distinct differences between senior management types related to their core underlying values and these differences matter both for environmental protection and training. Understanding how company directors and managers view their roles in relationship to company environmental protection will require a nuanced approach that rejects a simple uni-dimensional conceptualization of company managers' relationship to environmental implementation. By extension, a “single-service” educational approach will also need to be rejected since one message aimed at one set of values will not tap into the range of environmental motivations and values currently held by those in management positions and therefore will be less effective than training approaches that are targeted at specific types of managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research on business participation in voluntary environmental programs emphasizes a variety of explanations, including regulatory pressure and incentives, market pressure, self-regulation, and firm size. However, most of this literature focuses on cases from North America and Europe. The contribution of this research is to examine how well this literature applies to a different geographical region and policy context by examining the case of Japan's recent policy mix to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds following revisions to Japan's Air Pollution Control Law. The scientific and policy significance of this case includes a high level of private sector voluntary participation and a sizable reduction in volatile organic compound emissions (44.1 percent). Moreover, the case is related to the major global air pollution priorities of particulate matter and ozone, since volatile organic compounds are important precursors of these two secondary pollutants. This was also the first case in Japan's environmental policy to use a combination of regulatory and voluntary approaches. This study draws upon records of official policy discussions, data related to relevant industry associations, and other primary source documents to test hypotheses on participation in voluntary programs for two relatively large emitting industries with high emission capture rates in Japan: the chemical and printing industries. The results indicate that explanations for the participation of Japanese firms are largely consistent with arguments based on North American and European cases regarding regulatory pressure and incentives, market pressure, and self-regulation, but only partially consistent regarding the role of firm size. The analysis shows that there were similarities and differences in the factors influencing the participation of the two industries which were partly related to industrial associations and industrial structure. In addition, the results highlight the importance of two points which are less emphasized by existing literature, the business-government bargaining process, and how to maintain the credibility of regulatory threats and avoid regulatory capture. Several policy implications for the design of voluntary approaches are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For reducing health impacts from air pollution, it is important to know the sources contributing to human exposure. This study systematically reviewed and analysed available source apportionment studies on particulate matter (of diameter of 10 and 2.5 microns, PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) performed in cities to estimate typical shares of the sources of pollution by country and by region. A database with city source apportionment records, estimated with the use of receptor models, was also developed and available at the website of the World Health Organization. Systematic Scopus and Google searches were performed to retrieve city studies of source apportionment for particulate matter. Six source categories were defined. Country and regional averages of source apportionment were estimated based on city population weighting. A total of 419 source apportionment records from studies conducted in cities of 51 countries were used to calculate regional averages of sources of ambient particulate matter. Based on the available information, globally 25% of urban ambient air pollution from PM 2.5 is contributed by traffic, 15% by industrial activities, 20% by domestic fuel burning, 22% from unspecified sources of human origin, and 18% from natural dust and salt. The available source apportionment records exhibit, however, important heterogeneities in assessed source categories and incompleteness in certain countries/regions. Traffic is one important contributor to ambient PM in cities. To reduce air pollution in cities and the substantial disease burden it causes, solutions to sustainably reduce ambient PM from traffic, industrial activities and biomass burning should urgently be sought. However, further efforts are required to improve data availability and evaluation, and possibly to combine with other types of information in view of increasing usefulness for policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effects of policy making for air pollution abatement in Spain between 2000 and 2020 under an integrated assessment approach with the AERIS model for number of pollutants (NO x /NO 2 , PM 10 /PM 2.5 , O 3 , SO 2 , NH 3 and VOC). The analysis of the effects of air pollution focused on different aspects: compliance with the European limit values of Directive 2008/50/EC for NO 2 and PM 10 for the Spanish air quality management areas; the evaluation of impacts caused by the deposition of atmospheric sulphur and nitrogen on ecosystems; the exceedance of critical levels of NO 2 and SO 2 in forest areas; the analysis of O 3 -induced crop damage for grapes, maize, potato, rice, tobacco, tomato, watermelon and wheat; health impacts caused by human exposure to O 3 and PM 2.5 ; and costs on society due to crop losses (O 3 ), disability-related absence of work staff and damage to buildings and public property due to soot-related soiling (PM 2.5 ). In general, air quality policy making has delivered improvements in air quality levels throughout Spain and has mitigated the severity of the impacts on ecosystems, health and vegetation in 2020 as target year. The findings of this work constitute an appropriate diagnosis for identifying improvement potentials for further mitigation for policy makers and stakeholders in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, China has witnessed substantial progress in urbanization and industrialization and has become the manufacturing center of the world, but has suffered from severe environmental deterioration, especially air pollution. National and provincial governments have adopted a series of policy tools aiming at energy conservation and emission reduction, varying from energy saving regulations to cleaner production policies. This paper investigates provincial energy saving and emission reduction policies by evaluating their effectiveness on local air pollution control. Relying on a panel data regression analysis on a sample of 26 provinces and four centrally-controlled municipalities over a ten-year period from 2002 to 2011, we find empirical support for the positive impacts of provincial energy saving regulations and two environmental standards on the improvement of local air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasingly stringent standards, it is important to assess whether the proposed emission reduction will result in ambient concentrations that meet the standards. The Software for Model Attainment Test--Community Edition (SMAT-CE) is developed for demonstrating attainment of air quality standards of O3 and Pm².5. SMAT-CE improves computational efficiency and provides a number of advanced visualization and analytical functionalities on an integrated GIS platform. SMAT-CE incorporates historical measurements of air quality parameters and simulated air pollutant concentrations under a number of emission inventory scenarios to project the level of compliance to air quality standards in a targeted future year. An application case study of the software based on the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) shows that SMAT-CE is capable of demonstrating the air quality attainment of annual Pm².5 and 8-hour O3 for a proposed emission control policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) is a key indicator of air pollution brought into the air by a variety of natural and human activities. As it can be suspended over long time and travel over long distances in the atmosphere, it can cause a wide range of diseases that lead to a significant reduction of human life. The size of particles has been directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Small particles of concern include “inhalable coarse particles” with a diameter of 2.5 to 10 μm and “fine particles” smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter. As the source–effect relationship of PM remains unclear, it is not easy to define such effects from individual sources such as long-range transport of pollution. Because of the potent role of PM and its associated pollutants, detailed knowledge of their human health impacts is of primary importance. This paper summarizes the basic evidence on the health effects of particulate matter. An in-depth analysis is provided to address the implications for policy-makers so that more stringent strategies can be implemented to reduce air pollution and its health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commuting is considered as one of the high-exposure periods among various daily activities, especially in high vehicle-density metropolitan areas. There is a growing awareness of the need to change our transportation habits by reducing our use of cars and shifting instead to active transport, i.e. walking or cycling. A review was undertaken using the ISI web of knowledge database with the objective to better understand personal exposure during commuting by different modes of transport, and to suggest potential strategies to minimise exposure. The air pollutants studied include particulate matter, PM black carbon, BC and particle number concentration. We focused only in European studies in order to have comparable situation in terms of vehicle fleet and policy regulations applied. Studies on personal exposure to air pollutants during car commuting are more numerous than those dealing with other types of transport, and typically conclude by emphasising that travelling by car involves exposure to relatively high particulate matter, PM exposure concentrations. Thus, compared to other transport methods, travelling by car has been shown to involve exposure both to higher PM and BC as compared with cycling. Widespread dependence on private car transport has produced a significant daily health threat to the urban commuter. However, a forward-looking, integrated transport policy, involving the phased renovation of existing public vehicles and the withdrawal of the more polluting private vehicles, combined with incentives to use public transport and the encouragement of commuter physical exercise, would reduce commuters' exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor vehicles are one of the major sources of air pollution in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The government took various policies to convert the petroleum vehicles on road to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), which allows both air quality improvements and energy security benefits. One of the market friendly policies to encourage the fuel switch was to increase the price differential between CNG and petrol and diesel. This has allowed a wide-scale adoption of CNG as the fuel of choice. However, several years into the policy, there is now a widespread belief among the policymakers that the CNG conversion may have increased car ownership and car travel due to their lower running costs, resulting in more congestion and a reversal of the strategy is on the cards. It is therefore important to test the hypothesis whether CNG conversion had genuinely increased car ownership and car travel in Dhaka city. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey and an econometric intervention analysis to understand the impact of CNG conversion on car ownership and car travel in Dhaka. Attention is also given to disentangle the self-selection and price-induced travel effects of CNG conversion. Results show that ownership did not increase, but travel of on-road vehicles increased due to the CNG policy. However, additional congestion costs are still around one half of the health benefits brought about by the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of modern industrialization has caused heavy environmental pollution. Environmental protection is a basic national policy of China. In 2011, China began to implement the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan for National Environmental Protection" (12th FYP_NEP). Using the survey data of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Shandong Province of China, this paper empirically explores the impact of 12th FYP_NEP on the energy utilization and operating efficiencies of SMEs. It is found that the environmental policy "12th FYP_NEP" has a significant incentive effect on both efficiency performance of Chinese SMEs, and has a greater positive impact on operating efficiency. Our heterogeneity analysis showed the following results. The incentive effect is different in different industries and enterprises of different sizes. The policy "12th FYP_NEP" has a greater positive impact on the energy utilization efficiency of SMEs in China's first and second tier cities, but it has no significant impact on their operation efficiency. This shows that SMEs in first and second tier cities are more effective in coping with the national environmental policy reform strategy. It can be seen that the promulgation of China's environmental policies can significantly improve the energy utilization awareness of these SMEs. The incentive effect of the policy on the two efficiency performances of SMEs in cities with "heavy air pollution" is greater, indicating that the implementation effect of "12th FYP_NEP" on SMEs in such cities is better. The enlightenments are as follows: the current situation of Chinese SMEs is that the energy utilization efficiency is low, while the operating efficiency is high. Most enterprises attach great importance to their own operating profits and economic development, and the awareness of energy utilization needs to be greatly strengthened. "12th FYP_NEP" has obvious positive effect on the energy utilization and operating efficiencies of SMEs, but there are slight differences among different types of enterprises. It is suggested that governments can refine their own environmental regulation standards and implement different environmental regulations for different types of enterprises, so as to enhance the performance of domestic enterprises most effectively. • This paper used the China survey data on SMEs over the period 2010–2013. • It is found that the Chinese "12th FYP_NEP" has a significant incentive effect on efficiency performance of Chinese SMEs. • The incentive effect is different in different industries and enterprises of different sizes. • The policy makes for improving the energy efficiency of SMEs in first and second-tier cities and heavy-polluted cities. • Chinese SMEs should attach great importance to energy utilization rather than operating profits only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To design and implement an effective emission control strategy for black carbon (BC), the locations and strength of BC sources must be identified. Lack of accurate source information from the Russian Federation has created difficulty for a range of research and policy activities in the Arctic because Russia occupies the largest landmass in the Arctic Circle. A project was initiated to resolve emission sources of BC in the Russian Federation by using the Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF). It used atmospheric BC data from two Arctic sampling stations at Alert Nunavut, Canada, and Tiksi Bay, Russia. The geographical regions of BC emission sources in Russia were identified and summarized as follows: (1) a region surrounding Moscow, (2) regions in Eurasia stretching along the Ural Mountains from the White Sea to the Black Sea, and (3) a number of scattered areas from western Siberia to the Russian Far East. Particulate potassium ions, non-marine sulfate, and vanadium were used to assist in resolving the source types: forest fire/biomass burning, coal-fired power plant, and oil combustion. Correlating these maps with the BC map helped to resolve source regions of BC emissions and connect them to their corresponding source types. The results imply that a region south of Moscow and another north of the Ural Mountains could be significant BC sources, but none of the grid cells in these regions could be linked to forest fires, oil combustion, or coal-fired power plants based on these three markers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A regulation was implemented on 9/1/2009, excluding Euro 0, I and II heavy duty vehicles from entering Amsterdam's Low Emission Zone (LEZA). The current study investigated whether and to what extent this regulation had an effect on air quality. Data for a period starting two years before the regulation up to 31 December 2010 were obtained from two monitoring sites within the LEZA, one located in a street frequently used by heavy-duty vehicles, and one at an urban background location. The difference in concentrations of NO2, NOx, PM10 and soot, between the two sites was attributed to traffic. Soot was measured by two proxies, Elemental Carbon (EC) and Absorbance that showed a significant mutual correlation. The traffic contribution concentrations measured were adjusted for wind direction, wind speed, type of day (weekday/weekend) and traffic intensity. Since the implementation of the LEZA, the traffic contribution concentrations compared to the roadside site concentrations were decreased by 4.9% (95%-CI: 3.0–6.9%) for NO2, 5.9% (95%-CI: 3.7–6.4%) for NOx, 5.8% (95%-CI: 3.3–8.4%) for PM10, 7.7% (95%-CI: 2.3–13.0%) for Absorbance and 12.9% (95%-CI: 5.2–20.5%) for EC. The current study demonstrated significant decreases in traffic-related air pollution concentrations in the vicinity of a roadside monitoring station after the implementation of a low emission zone in Amsterdam. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The uncertain, future development of emissions of short-lived trace gases and aerosols forms a key factor for future air quality and climate forcing. The Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) only explore part of this range as they all assume that worldwide ambitious air pollution control policies will be implemented. In this study, we explore how different assumptions on future air pollution policy and climate policy lead to different concentrations of air pollutants for a set of RCP-like scenarios developed using the IMAGE model. These scenarios combine low and high air pollution variants of the scenarios with radiative forcing targets in 2100 of 2.6 W m−2 and 6.0 W m−2. Simulations using the global atmospheric chemistry and transport model TM5 for the present-day climate show that both climate mitigation and air pollution control policies have large-scale effects on pollutant concentrations, often of similar magnitude. If no further air pollution policies would be implemented, pollution levels could be considerably higher than in the RCPs, especially in Asia. Air pollution control measures could significantly reduce the warming by tropospheric ozone and black carbon and the cooling by sulphate by 2020, and in the longer term contribute to enhanced warming by methane. These effects tend to cancel each other on a global scale. According to our estimates the effect of the worldwide implementation of air pollution control measures on the total global mean direct radiative forcing in 2050 is +0.09 W m−2 in the 6.0 W m−2 scenario and −0.16 W m−2 in the 2.6 W m−2 scenario. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: An analysis of the hourly SO2 pollution patterns with time can be a useful tool for policy makers and stakeholders in developing more effective local policies in relation to air quality as it facilitates a deeper understanding of concentrations and potential source apportionment. A detailed analysis of hourly inter-annual, seasonal and weekday-specific SO2 concentration patterns using data obtained from 6 cities involved in the Aphekom project was conducted. This type of analysis has been done for other pollutants but less so for SO2, and not in a systematic fashion for a number of European cities. Methods: Individual diurnal SO2 profiles and working weekday versus weekend specific 24-hr plots were generated using hourly SO2 measurements from a roadside and an urban background monitoring sites for 1993, 2001 and 2009 for each of the 6 European cities (Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, London, Paris, and Vienna). This facilitated the assessment of city specific patterns and comparison of changes with time. Results: SO2 concentrations varied throughout the day and tended to be lower on the weekends. A general decreasing trend for SO2 levels with time was observable at all stations. Discussion & Conclusion: This study provides a useful European perspective on patterns of exposure. For the 6 EU cities examined, road traffic, heating, and shipping in port cities appeared to be important sources of SO2 emissions, and hence the driving components widely reflected in the diurnal profiles with lower levels on the weekend likely due to lower traffic volume and industry related emissions. Although ambient SO2 concentrations have fallen over the assessed study period at all measurement sites, the daily patterns remained relatively unchanged. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]