Search

Heat and electricity generation are major sources of air pollution in many large cities worldwide. In Siberian cities, the heat supply significantly contributes to air pollution, as coal remains the primary energy fuel in most of Asian Russia. Krasnoyarsk, the second-largest city in the macro-region by population, serves as a clear example of urban air pollution. In recent years, public authorities have implemented several measures to reduce pollutant emissions. These measures include modernizing thermal power stations, replacing inefficient small boiler houses, and converting residential heating to more environmentally friendly types of fuel. However, our analysis shows that these policies have not yet resulted in a significant transition away from using coal for heating. One of the primary reasons is that alternative fuels are unable to compete with coal in terms of price. The proposal suggests transitioning private households to pellet heating. Our goal is to evaluate the potential environmental and economic impacts of this measure. We estimate the necessary subsidy size for the successful implementation of both initiatives. In conclusion, converting households from coal to pellet heating can reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and suspended particles by 0.2%, 8.5%, 4.4%, and 2.7%, respectively, of the total pollutant emissions in Krasnoyarsk. Furthermore, this conversion can provide economic benefits by supporting local pellet producers who heavily rely on export markets. If practically implemented, the proposed approach could solve one of the most significant development issues of one of the largest Russian cities within a few years, with only 2.5% of the annual city budget expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOx and NOx emissions originating from the combustion of fuels during the operation of industrial boilers are one of the primary contributors to regional and local air pollution, which have major effects on human well-being and ecosystems. As governmental bodies attempt to regulate and enforce emission norms, the industries operating the boilers are presented with an opportunity to optimise their fuel mix configurations to achieve a reduction in SOx, NOx, and CO2 emissions while ensuring the financial sustainability of plant operations. In this study, a System Dynamic simulation model is constructed from the perspective of an individual plant to facilitate the analysis of SOx, NOx, and CO2 emissions and the expenditure incurred through energy use and pollution control systems under different fuel-mix configurations, market conditions, and policy scenarios. The model facilitates the identification of alternative fuel-mix configurations to replace existing single-fuel firing systems while also reducing both emissions and expenditure. To demonstrate the model, exemplar data based on prevalent market and policy conditions in India are used to identify alternative fuel-mixes for typical 40TPH boiler. The experiments additionally highlight the significance of having an appropriate penalty or tax on emissions to foster compliance with emission norms in the industry without adversely impacting their financial sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beijing has been publishing daily reports on its air quality since 2000, and while the air pollution index (API) shows that the air quality has improved greatly since 2000, this is not the perception of Beijing's residents. The new national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS-2012), which includes the monitoring of PM2.5, has posed stricter standards for evaluating air quality. With the new national standard, the air quality in Beijing is calculated using both NAAQS-2012 and the previous standard. The annual attainment rate has dropped from 75.5% to 50.7%. The spatial analysis of air quality shows that only a background station could attain the national standard, while urban and suburban stations exceed the national standard. Among the six pollutants included in the NAAQS-2012, PM2.5 is the major contributor to the air quality index (AQI) comparing with the five other pollutants. The results indicate that under previous NAAQS without PM2.5 monitoring, the air quality has improved greatly in the past decade. By considering PM2.5, the air quality attainment has dropped greatly. Furthermore, a great effort is needed for local government to bring down the PM2.5 concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the evolution of local environmental policy in the context of energy transition and particularly the implementation of RES. The study concerns Kraków, whose policy has been compared with other cities and metropolises and was analysed in a timespan of about 30 years. It was hypothesised that, until recently, RES were treated in the city with reserve concerning their feasibility in local environmental and economic conditions, but since RES have been appreciated as a viable means to effectively combat low-stack emissions, the local air quality targets have been integrated with global decarbonisation goals. This launched a dedicated subsidy stream for RES installations and contributed to the sharp increase in the number of installations. Trend analysis techniques have been used to study environmental indicators in relation to the evolution of municipal policies, the expenditures, and their effects. The review confirms that the implementation of RES had not been a priority for Kraków but a complementary measure to those aimed at improving air quality. The recent integration of the environmental and RES policies has been the next step that is now helping to pursue both the city's strategic goals: further air quality improvement and climate neutrality by 2050. Kraków may serve as an example of a city that has treated RES in a manner adequate to local conditions and capabilities, thus achieving the intended goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial emissions are of major concern, especially in developing countries. Hence, there is a need for studies that investigate the trends in industrial emissions in these countries. The purpose of this study is to discuss trends in industrial emissions in Kazakhstan and the air pollution level in its industrial cities. Data on emission limit values from the permitting documents of twenty-one power plants and nine metallurgical enterprises of Kazakhstan were analyzed. Eight cities (out of fourteen) had a "high" level of atmospheric air pollution according to the Air Pollution Index in 2019. Most of the considered enterprises increased their emission limit values compared to the previous permitting period. In some cities there is a lack of monitoring stations, indicating the need for improving the spatial coverage of the air quality monitoring network in the industrial cities of Kazakhstan. The location of industrial plants far outside the cities could reduce the exposure of the urban population to air pollution. Kazakhstan urgently needs to adopt stringent emissions standards for coal-fired power plants and heavy industrial plants. The national air quality standards and definitions of air pollutants need to be updated based on the latest scientific knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution causes more damage to health and economy than previously understood, contributing to approximately one in six deaths globally. However, pollution reduction policies remain controversial even when proven effective and cost negative, partially because of misunderstanding and growing mistrust in science. We used an expert assessment to bridge these research–policy divides in the State of Utah, USA, combining quantitative estimates from 23 local researchers and specialists on the human health and economic costs of air pollution. Experts estimated that air pollution in Utah causes 2480 to 8000 premature deaths annually (90% confidence interval) and decreases the median life expectancy by 1.1 to 3.6 years. Economic costs of air pollution in Utah totaled $0.75 to $3.3 billion annually, up to 1.7% of the state's gross domestic product. Though these results were generally in line with available estimates from downscaled national studies, they were met with surprise in the state legislature, where there had been an almost complete absence of quantitative health and economic cost estimates. We discuss the legislative and personal responses of Utah policy makers to these results and present a framework for increasing the assimilation of data into decision making via regional expert assessment. In conclusion, combining quantitative assessments from local experts is a responsive and cost-effective tool to increase trust and information uptake during time-sensitive policy windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the middle of 2019, Thailand introduced an urgent measure to solve the haze and fine particles problem caused by preharvest sugarcane. The measure is to eradicate the burning of sugarcane before harvesting within the next four years. This study focuses on estimation of future reduced air emissions from the implementation of this measure. The study results showed that without the implementation of the measure in the production season 2022/23, the amount of burned sugarcane will be as high as 102.4 ± 1.0 Mt/yr, resulting in the release of small particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5) emissions into the atmosphere at 30.6 ± 8.6 kt/yr, which is about a 21% increase in emissions from the 2018/19 season. However, with the government's enforcement of the measure to reduce burned sugarcane, the amount of air emissions will immediately be reduced in the first year. In order to effectively implement the sugarcane burning reduction measure, in which the harvesting methods will change from cutting burned sugarcane to cutting fresh sugarcane with human labor and with machinery, the government must provide financial support, to farmers, of approximately 3.3 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of human labor and 2.9 USD per ton of fresh sugarcane for the use of machinery. The costs of investment to reduce PM2.5 emissions can be calculated in the range of 9.7−11.0 million USD per kiloton of PM2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]