Search

This study systematically examined the potential impacts of doping CeO2 and Fe(C5]H5])2 nanoparticles as fuel-borne catalysts (FBCs) to ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel on the physical, chemical and toxicological characteristics of diesel particulate matter (DPM). The FBCs-doped fuels are effective in promoting soot oxidation and reducing the DPM mass emissions, but lead to a significant increase in the total particle counts due to the formation of self-nucleated metallic nanoparticles. Compared to undoped ULSD, the FBCs-doped fuels result in higher concentrations of particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes, higher fractions of organic carbon (OC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in particles, show slight alterations in soot nanostructure, reduce soot ignition temperature and activation energy. Exposure of the human-type II cell alveolar epithelial cells (A549) to DPM derived from FBCs-doped fuels shows a decrease in cell viability and alterations in the global gene expression with a broad range of biochemical pathways. The overall variations in DPM characteristics are mainly caused by the catalytic combustion process, and are related to the type, properties and contents of FBCs used in diesel fuel as well as the engine operating conditions. Environmental and health implications of the study are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the current and future air pollution and associated health impacts in Pakistan. In this study, the Pakistan Integrated Energy Model (Pak-IEM) is used to assess current and future energy consumption in Pakistan. To assess air pollution levels and associated health impacts, we used the Greenhouse gas and Air pollution INteractions and Synergies (GAINS) model. A linkage has been established between both the models to feed the energy outputs from Pak-IEM into GAINS for exploring different scenarios. Mainly, the emissions of three air pollutants (SO, NO, and PM) as well as the associated health impacts of increased emissions are assessed. Baseline emission scenario (BES) shows a growth in emissions of SO, NO, and PM by a factor of 2.4, 2.2, and 2.5 between 2007 and 2030. In terms of health impacts, by 2030, annual mean concentrations of fine particles (PM) would increase to more than 150 μg/m in some parts of Punjab region of Pakistan, for which loss in statistical life expectancy is calculated to increase from 30 to 60 months in 2007 up to 60-100 months in 2030 on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effects of blending five different oxygenated compounds, diglyme (DGM), palm oil methyl ester (PME), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl adipate (DEA) and butanol (Bu) with ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD), on engine performance, particulate mass concentrations, organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon fractions of the particles and particle size distributions from a single cylinder, direct injection stationary diesel engine with the engine working at a constant engine speed and at three engine loads. A small increase in the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was observed with the use of oxygenates blended with ULSD. All five oxygenates were found to be effective at reducing particulate mass emissions at medium and high engine loads, with butanol being the most effective and DGM being the least effective. Analysis of the relative contribution of changes in the OC and EC emissions to the reduction of particulate matter indicated that under the same oxygen content, EC made a dominant contribution to the reduction of particulate mass. The results also indicated that reduction in both particle mass and number emissions was affected not only by the oxygen content, but also by the chemical structure and thermophysical properties of oxygenates as well as engine operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Effects of butanol addition to B20 on physicochemical and toxicological characteristics of PM were investigated. [•] The butanol addition slightly increases BSFC and BTE. [•] The PM2.5, EC and particle-phase PAHs emissions decreased, with the increased OC fraction in PM. [•] The total number of particles as well particle geometric mean diameter decreased. [•] Reduction in the cytotoxicity of particle extracts was observed with butanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Combustion experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of using blends of ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) with biodiesel or n-butanol on physicochemical and toxicological characteristics of particulate emissions from a non-road diesel engine. The results indicated that compared to ULSD, both the blended fuels could effectively reduce the particulate mass and elemental carbon emissions, with butanol being more effective than biodiesel. The proportion of organic carbon and volatile organic compounds in particles increased for both blended fuels. However, biodiesel blended fuels showed lower total particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions. The total number emissions of particles ≤560nm in diameter decreased gradually for the butanol blended fuels, but increased significantly for the biodiesel blended fuels. Both the blended fuels indicated lower soot ignition temperature and activation energy. All the particle extracts showed a decline in cell viability with the increased dose. However, the change in cell viability among test fuels is not statistically significant different with the exception of DB-4 (biodiesel–diesel blend containing 4% oxygen) used at 75% engine load. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stationary diesel engines, especially diesel generators, are increasingly being used in both developing countries and developed countries because of increased power demand. Emissions from such engines can have adverse effects on the environment and public health. In this study, particulate emissions from a domestic stationary diesel generator running on ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) and biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil were characterized for different load conditions. Results indicated a reduction in particulate matter (PM) mass and number emissions while switching diesel to biodiesel. With increase in engine load, it was observed that particle mass increased, although total particle counts decreased for all the fuels. The reduction in total number concentration at higher loads was, however, dependent on percentage of biodiesel in the diesel-biodiesel blend. For pure biodiesel (B100), the reduction in PM emissions for full load compared to idle mode was around 9%, whereas for ULSD the reduction was 26%. A large fraction of ultrafine particles (UFPs) was found in the emissions from biodiesel compared to ULSD. Nearly 90% of total particle concentration in biodiesel emissions comprised ultrafine particles. Particle peak diameter shifted from a smaller to a lower diameter with increase in biodiesel percentage in the fuel mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There has been an increasing concern about the emissions of airborne particulate matter (PM) from diesel engines because of their close association with adverse health and environmental impacts. Among the alternative fuels being considered, biodiesel made by the transesterification of waste cooking oil has received wide attention in recent years because of its low cost and the added advantage of reducing waste oil disposal. This study was conducted to make a comparative evaluation of the particulate-bound elements emitted from ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) and waste cooking oil-derived biodiesel (B100) and a blend of both the fuels (B50). It was observed that the PM mass concentrations were reduced by about 36% when B100 was used. Crustal elements such as Mg, K and Al were found to be in higher concentrations compared to other elements emitted from both B100 and ULSD. Zn, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mg, Ba, K were found to be higher in the biodiesel exhaust while Co, Pb, Mn, Cd, Sr, and As were found to be higher in the ULSD exhaust. To evaluate the potential health risk due to inhalation of PM emitted from diesel engines running on ULSD and B100, health risk estimates based on exposure and dose–response assessments of particulate-bound elements were calculated assuming exposure for 24 h. The findings indicate that the exposure to PM of the B100 exhaust is relatively more hazardous and may pose adverse health effects compared to ULSD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Atmospheric nutrients have recently gained increased attention as significant additional sources of new nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading to aquatic ecosystems. The levels of nutrients (NO3 −–N, NH4 +–N, ON, DIP and OP) in aerosols and rainwater were measured and their respective deposition fluxes were estimated in the Marina catchment area, Singapore, from April 2007 to March 2008. During the study period, the mean atmospheric dry particulate fluxes (mgm−2 month−1) were 21.64±13.56, 2.95±1.73, 24.21±9.59, 4.48±1.74 and 7.19±2.83 for NO3 −–N, NH4 +–N, ON, DIP and OP, respectively. In addition, the mean wet deposition fluxes (mgm−2 month−1) were 59.60±45.29, 30.39±12.99, 39.03±20.70, 1.79±1.03 and 2.46±1.29 for NO3 −–N, NH4 +–N, ON, DIP and OP, respectively. Wet deposition made a larger contribution to total fluxes than dry deposition for N species especially NO3 − and NH4 +, but P species showed the opposite trend. Both TN and TP showed different seasonal variations with peak wet deposition fluxes in Dec 2007 and Jan 2008 as compared to dry deposition fluxes which peaked during the inter-monsoon (IM) period. Other than the local emissions, air mass backward trajectory analysis indicated that the atmospheric nutrient concentration may be affected by transboundary transport of nutrients from regional sources during different monsoon seasons. Statistical correlation analysis showed that the deposition fluxes were associated with meteorological factors. In addition, the N:P ratio in annual total (dry particulate+wet) atmospheric deposition flux in this study was 10.5, implying that the aquatic ecosystems in Singapore, fed principally by atmospheric nutrients, may tend toward N-limitation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gas cooking is an important indoor source of fine particles (PM2.5). The chemical characteristics of PM2.5 emitted from different cooking methods, namely, steaming, boiling, stir-frying, pan-frying and deep-frying were investigated in a domestic kitchen. Controlled experiments were conducted to measure the mass concentration of PM2.5 and its chemical constituents (elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals and ions) arising from these five cooking methods. To investigate the difference in particle properties of different cooking emissions, the amount and type of food, and the heat setting on the gas stove were kept constant during the entire course of the experiments. Results showed that deep-frying gave rise to the largest amount of PM2.5 and most chemical components, followed by pan-frying, stir-frying, boiling, and steaming. Oil-based cooking methods released more organic pollutants (OC, PAHs, and organic ions) and metals, while water-based cooking methods accounted for more water-soluble (WS) ions. Their source profiles are also presented and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The atmosphere over Brazilian cities is influenced by a variety of emissions sources. In this study, aerosol collection and back-trajectory analysis were used to determine the influence of local and remote sources. Aerosols were collected at three locations within the state of São Paulo: one megacity and two cities in which sugar cane burning in the surroundings is observed. We quantified the major water-soluble inorganic ions and trace metals. As expected, vehicle emissions influenced the atmosphere of the megacity heavily, and sugar cane burning influenced that of the other locations. During the period of this experiment the back-trajectory analysis revealed that air masses are transported into the state from the northeast of Brazil, where biomass burning occurs. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the two principal components account for 48.5% of the total data variance. We conclude that local sources have a strong impact on the concentrations of particulate matter and pollutants. Remote sources also contribute to the concentrations of aerosol pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intensive field study was conducted in Sumatra, Indonesia, during a peat fire episode to investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of particulate emissions in peat smoke and to provide necessary data for source- receptor analyses. Ambient air sampling was carried out at three different sites located at varying distances from the peat fires to determine changes in mass and number concentrations of PM2.5 and its chemical composition (carbonaceous and nitrogenous materials, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, water-soluble inorganic and organic ions, and total and water-soluble metals). The three sites represent a rural site directly affected by the local peat combustion, a semirural site, and an urban site situated downwind of the peat fires. The mass concentration of PM2.5 and the number concentration of airborne particles were as high as 1600 µg/m³ and 1.7 × 105 cm-3, respectively, in the vicinity of peat fires. The major components of PM2.5 in peat smoke haze were carbonaceous particles, particularly organic carbon, NO3-, and SO42-, while the less abundant constituents included ions such as NH4+, NO2-, Na+, K+ organic acids, and metals such as Al, Fe, and Ti. Source apportionment by chemical mass balance receptor modeling indicates that peat smoke can travel long distances and significantly affect the air quality at locations downwind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Incense is habitually burned in various religious settings ranging from the Eastern temples to the Western churches and in residential homes of their devotees, representing one of the most significant sources of combustion-derived particulate matter in indoor air. Incense smoke has been known to be associated with adverse health effects, which could be due to the release of the submicron-sized particles, including ultrafine and nanoparticles. However, there is currently a lack of information available in the literature on the emission rates of particles from incense smoke in terms of their particle number, a metric generally regarded as a better indicator of health risks rather than the particle mass. In this study, real-time characterization of the size distribution and number concentration of sub-micrometer-sized particles (5.6–560nm) emitted from incense smoke was made, for the first time, for four different brands of sandalwood and aloeswood incense sticks commonly used by different religious groups. In addition, the respective emission rates were determined on hourly and mass basis based on mass balance equations. The measurements showed that the particle emission rates ranged from 5.10×1012 to 1.42×1013 h−1 or 3.66×1012 to 1.23×1013 g−1 and that the peak diameters varied from 93.1 to 143.3nm. Airborne particles in the nanometer range (5.6–50nm), in the ultrafine range (50–100nm) and in the accumulation mode range (100–560nm) accounted for 1% to 6%, 16% to 55% and 40% to 60% of the total particle counts, respectively, depending on the brand of incense sticks. To assess the potential health threat due to inhalation of particles released from incense burning, the number of particles of different sizes that can be possibly deposited in the respiratory tract were evaluated for an exposed individual based on known deposition fractions in the literature. The findings indicate that incense smoke may pose adverse health effects depending on exposure duration and intensity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Toxic particulate elements present in cigarette smoke pose health threats to the life of smokers due to direct inhalation and at the same time increase health risks to non-smokers present in the vicinity of smokers because of their exposure. This study conducted a series of experiments using a controlled experimental chamber, equipped with simulated smoking conditions for characterization of particulate trace elements in mainstream and sidestream cigarette smoke. Four popular commercial cigarette brands available in Singapore market were used in this study. The target elements for extraction and analysis were Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sn, Sr, Te, Tl and Zn of both water-soluble and total constituents. The human health risk assessment results showed that the sidestream smoke had higher concentrations of toxic elements than those in the mainstream smoke. However, risk assessment analysis revealed that the sidestream smoke resulted in less human health risks compared to the mainstream smoke due to the influence of dilution of particulate emissions in sidestream smoke prior to inhalation exposure experienced by non-smokers. The cumulative non-cancer and cancer risks of toxic elements varied from 2.0 to 3.1 and from 398.4×10−6 to 626.1×10−6 due to inhalation of cigarette smoke by an active smoker. In the case of non-smokers, the risks were estimated under three possible cases of exposure. The cumulative cancer risks under three different cases were greater than the permissible limits. Therefore, it could be concluded that the toxic particulate elements present in cigarette smoke have significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects due to inhalation exposure in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the rapid spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) within and across countries and the need to protect public health, governments worldwide introduced unprecedented measures such as restricted road and air travel and reduced human mobility in 2020. The curtailment of personal travel and economic activity provided a unique opportunity for researchers to assess the interplay between anthropogenic emissions of primary air pollutants, their physical transport, chemical transformation, ultimate fate and potential health impacts. In general, reductions in the atmospheric levels of outdoor air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed in many countries during the lockdowns. However, the levels of ozone (O 3), a secondary air pollutant linked to asthma and respiratory ailments, and secondary PM were frequently reported to remain unchanged or even increase. An increase in O 3 can enhance the formation of secondary PM 2.5 , especially secondary organic aerosols, through the atmospheric oxidation of VOCs. Given that the gaseous precursors of O 3 (VOCs and NO x) are also involved in the formation of secondary PM 2.5, an integrated control strategy should focus on reducing the emission of the common precursors for the co-mitigation of PM 2.5 and O 3 with an emphasis on their complex photochemical interactions. Compared to outdoor air quality, comprehensive investigations of indoor air quality (IAQ) are relatively sparse. People spend more than 80% of their time indoors with exposure to air pollutants of both outdoor and indoor origins. Consequently, an integrated assessment of exposure to air pollutants in both outdoor and indoor microenvironments is needed for effective urban air quality management and for mitigation of health risk. To provide further insights into air quality, we do a critical review of scientific articles, published from January 2020 to December 2020 across the globe. Finally, we discuss policy implications of our review in the context of global air quality improvement. [Display omitted] • We studied the effects of the implementation of lockdown on air quality. • Reduction in primary air pollutants was observed in most cities during lockdowns. • Secondary PM and O 3 increased in some cities under favorable weather conditions. • Exposure to high levels of PM can aggravate the health status of COVID-19 patients. • Indoor air quality assessment merits a serious consideration during lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved ion chromatographic (IC) method has been developed for the separation of nitrate in filter extracts in the presence of high concentrations of nitrite. This analytical method was successfully used for an indirect measurement of ozone (O3) in outdoor and indoor air, following its collection using a nitrite-impregnated passive sampler. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification, using the modified IC method, were 6 µg l-1 (3σ) and 20 µg 1-l (10σ), respectively. Improved detection limits and low baseline noise were obtained with the use of eluent generator and high-capacity ion exchange column. The optimized method was used for assessing O3 concentration in both indoor and outdoor environments of 28 child care centers (CCCs) located in different parts of Singapore. The O3 concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 11.95 parts per billion (ppb) in indoor and from 3.2 to 21.7 ppb in outdoor environments during the study period. It was found that, among the CCCs investigated in this study, air-conditioned CCCs and those located in close proximity to traffic emissions had significantly lower O3 concentrations indoors.1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Regional smoke-induced haze in Southeast Asia, caused by uncontrolled forest and peat fires in Indonesia, is of major environmental and health concern. In this study, we estimated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk due to exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) as emitted from peat fires at Kalimantan, Indonesia. For the health risk analysis, chemical speciation (exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual fractions) of 12 trace metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn) in PM2.5 was studied. Results indicate that Al, Fe and Ti together accounted for a major fraction of total metal concentrations (~83%) in PM2.5 emissions in the immediate vicinity of peat fires. Chemical speciation reveals that a major proportion of most of the metals, with the exception of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Cd, was present in the residual fraction. The exchangeable fraction of metals, which represents their bioavailability, could play a major role in inducing human health effects of PM2.5. This fraction contained carcinogenic metals such as Cd (39.2ngm−3) and Ni (249.3ngm−3) that exceeded their WHO guideline values by several factors. Health risk estimates suggest that exposure to PM2.5 emissions in the vicinity of peat fires poses serious health threats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil (WCO) is gaining increased attention as an alternative fuel due to lower particulate emissions and other beneficial factors such as low cost and utilization of waste oil. However, very little information is available on toxicity of airborne particulate matter (PM) emitted from biodiesel combustion. In this study, PM emitted from WCO-derived biodiesel (B100) was analyzed for its toxic potential together with ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) as a reference fuel and their blend (B50). Human lung epithelial carcinoma cells (A549) were used for this comparative toxicity study. Results indicate that cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were higher for B100 relative to ULSD. Furthermore, caspase 3/7 activity indicates that cell death induced by B100 was due to either caspase independent apoptotic process or other programmed cell death pathways. The toxicity was also evaluated for different engine load conditions. It was observed that at lower loads there was no significant difference in the toxicological response of B100 and ULSD. However, with increase in the engine load, B100 and B50 showed significantly higher toxicity and oxidative stress compared to ULSD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Laser printers are one of the common indoor equipment in schools, offices, and various other places. Laser printers have recently been identified as a potential source of indoor air pollution. This study examines the characteristics of ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter <100 nm) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from laser printers housed in a commercial printing center. The results indicated that apart from the printer type, the age of printers, and the number of pages printed, the characteristics of UFPs emitted from printers also depend on indoor ventilation conditions. It was found that at reduced ventilation rates of indoor air, there was a rise in the number concentration of UFPs in the printing center. Interestingly, the contribution of UFPs to the total number of submicrometer-sized particles was observed to be higher at a sampling point far away from the printer than the one in the immediate vicinity of the printer. Black carbon (BC) measurements showed a good correlation (rs = 0.82) with particles in the size range of 100-560 nm than those with diameters less than 100 nm (rs = 0.33 for 50-100 nm, and rs = -0.19 for 5.6-50 nm particles). Measurements of VOCs in the printing center showed high levels of m-, o-, and p-xylene, styrene, and ethylbenzenes during peak hours of printing. Although toluene was found in higher levels, its concentration decreased during peak hours compared to those during nonoperating hours of the printing center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]