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We conducted on-site studies in Kyoto City, Japan, to evaluate the effect of air pollution by automobile gas exhaust on the leaf photosynthetic functions of four urban roadside tree species. Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) are major air pollutants that are related to automobile gas exhaust. The species-specific response of leaf photosynthesis to air pollution was obtained for single-year data, in which at the high air pollution sites, Rhododendron × pulchrum, Rhaphiolepis indica, and Prunus × yedoensis had a higher restriction of maximum photosynthesis (Amax), while the opposite trend was obtained for Ginkgo biloba. When the data were pooled across the years from 2007 to 2019 in R. pulchrum, the dose-dependent effect of NO and NO2 on photosynthesis became obvious, in which they decreased Amax and increased the long-term leaf water use efficiency. A spatial variability map for R. pulchrum showed a lower Amax and higher water use efficiency at the heavy traffic areas in Kyoto City, which suggests that R. pulchrum increased tolerance to air pollution and water stress at the expense of the leaf photosynthesis. This study revealed the importance of the evaluation of the species-specific response of photosynthesis to air pollution for the efficient use of urban trees, even in regions with relatively low atmospheric pollution levels such as < 40 ppb of NO or NO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correlation between atmospheric pollution due to the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and the non-methane hydrocarbon/nitrogen oxide (NMHC/NO x ) ratio has been determined. We supposed the source of NMHC in a region using the NMHC/NO x ratio without needing to consider diffusion and dilution due to meteorological conditions. At general measurement stations in Neyagawa and Higashiosaka cities in Osaka Prefecture, the NMHC/NO x ratio was high in summer though the NMHC and NO x concentrations were high in early winter. Conversely, measurements of the ratio at a traffic measurement station in Shijonawate did not have this pattern. That is, NMHC emission increased with the temperature in Neyagawa and Higashiosaka. It was concluded the waste plastic processing facility increased the NMHC/NO x ratio by comparing the change in the annually averaged NMHC/NO x ratio at Neyagawa and Higashiosaka with the developments of disposal and treatment facilities in Neyagawa. In the case of Neyagawa, ventilation is not suitable for improving indoor air quality, because the outdoor pollution level can be higher than that indoors. The NMHC/NO x ratio is a useful index to evaluate the change in the regional environment due to VOC pollution, and it can judge whether outdoor air can improve indoor air quality by ventilation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To understand the effect of the NH3 emissions from vehicles, the NH4 + bulk deposition and concentrations of gaseous NH3 were measured at two sites in Saitama prefecture, Japan, one at the roadside of an arterial road (Kounosu), and the other in an agricultural area (Kisai). We observed that the NH4 + were measured at two sites in Saitama prefecture, Japan, one at the roadside of an arterial road (Kounosu), and the other in an agricultural area (Kisai). We observed that the NH4 + bulk deposition and NH3 concentration were significantly increased in Kounosu; the effect of NH3 emissions from vehicles was confirmed. NOx was a primary pollutant mainly emitted by vehicle exhaust in the vicinity of arterial roads, and the relationship between NO x and sum of gaseous NH3 and particulate NH4 + (T-NH4 +) was examined. The [T-NH4 +/NO x ] ratios in Kounosu ranged from 0.08 to 0.23 (average 0.15), and in Kisai they ranged from 0.16 to 0.67 (average 0.39). In Kounosu, the effect of vehicle exhaust was great, but seasonal variation was small. The contribution ratio of NH3 from vehicle emissions increased at low temperatures, while that from the non-vehicle emissions increased at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]