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In the Republic of Korea, air pollutant emissions are annually estimated and published. These emissions are used to formulate and evaluate national air quality policies. In this study, the 2021 National Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory in the Republic of Korea was estimated. In addition, emission sources and primary causes affecting changes in emissions were analyzed. As a result, air pollutant emissions in the Republic of Korea were 57,317 tons of PM-2.5, 160,993 tons of SOx, 884,454 tons of NOx, 1,002,810 tons of VOCs, and 262,008 tons of NH3. PM-2.5, SOx, and NOx emissions in 2021 were lower than those in 2020 because of the reduction policy effects, such as the shutdown of old coal-fired power plants and stricter emission standards in workplaces. However, emissions of VOCs and NH3 in 2021 increased those in 2020 due to socioeconomic effects, particularly in everyday activity sector. Specifically, it was caused by increased use of paint for construction and shipbuilding to meet rising demands as well as a rise in cattle numbers due to increased meat consumption. Spatially, Gyeonggi-do had the highest emissions of PM-2.5, NOx, and VOCs due to its dense populations and heavy traffic, while Ulsan and Chungcheongnam-do had the highest emissions of SOx and NH3 from production process in their large national industrial complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the Republic of Korea, air pollutant emissions are annually estimated and published. These emissions are used to formulate and evaluate national air quality policies. In this study, the 2021 National Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory in the Republic of Korea was estimated. In addition, emission sources and primary causes affecting changes in emissions were analyzed. As a result, air pollutant emissions in the Republic of Korea were 57,317 tons of PM-2.5, 160,993 tons of SOx, 884,454 tons of NOx, 1,002,810 tons of VOCs, and 262,008 tons of NH3. PM-2.5, SOx, and NOx emissions in 2021 were lower than those in 2020 because of the reduction policy effects, such as the shutdown of old coal-fired power plants and stricter emission standards in workplaces. However, emissions of VOCs and NH3 in 2021 increased those in 2020 due to socioeconomic effects, particularly in everyday activity sector. Specifically, it was caused by increased use of paint for construction and shipbuilding to meet rising demands as well as a rise in cattle numbers due to increased meat consumption. Spatially, Gyeonggi-do had the highest emissions of PM-2.5, NOx, and VOCs due to its dense populations and heavy traffic, while Ulsan and Chungcheongnam-do had the highest emissions of SOx and NH3 from production process in their large national industrial complexes.

The increasing number of vehicles operating in Poland, especially passenger vehicles, justifies the need to conduct air pollution emission tests in the context of the impact of vehicles on the natural environment. Firstly, this article reviews the publications related to air pollutant emissions and passenger vehicles traveling on Polish roads. However, it presents a special method using advanced research equipment to determine air pollutant emissions. The above research methods are justified in implementing clean transport zones. Real Driving Emissions represent an essential procedure in the implementation of clean transport zones in Poland, verifying the actual emissions of air pollutants and modeling this phenomenon using the results of real air pollutant emissions. The results of this research state that establishing a link between a vehicle's air pollutant emissions and its age can support making transport or delivery planning more sustainable and choosing less carbon-intensive means of transport to reduce the negative impact of transport on the environment. The scientific novelty of the proposed solutions is the verification of the actual emissions of Euro 6 vehicles and the modeling of air pollutant emissions as a function of speed and acceleration. The research results are included in this article and will become input data for further analysis in examining the impact of vehicle operating age on air pollution emissions. Consequently, the novelty of the present research also lies in its focus on the verification of the impact of operating age, particularly in the context of vehicles exceeding 15 years of age, on air pollutant emissions. By establishing a correlation between a vehicle's air pollutant emissions and its operating age, it becomes possible to make transport or delivery planning more sustainable. Furthermore, the selection of less carbon-intensive means of transport can contribute to reducing the negative impact of transport on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quite efficient tool to tackle climate change is green finance. By applying autoregressive distributed lag-error correction model to analyze 2011–2019 provincial data in China, this study investigated how green finance influences carbon neutrality targets, while taking considerations of industrial ecologicalization and environmental tax to thoroughly analyze interactions in the long term as well as the short term. Research outcomes indicated that, throughout the research period, green finance had greatly improved and that the measuring system was appropriate. The outcomes also demonstrated that the error correction coefficient matches the predicted adverse effect. While long-term reductions in carbon emissions per capita were significantly impacted by green finance and industrial ecologicalization. The short-term estimation's findings, nevertheless, confirmed that environmental taxes considerably reduced carbon emissions per capita. However, it was shown that environmental taxes had a negligible long-term impact on air pollution emissions. Meanwhile, green finance and industry ecologicalization showed a significant short-term impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the increasing global consumption of concrete drives notable environmental burdens from its production, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, interest in mitigation efforts is increasing. Yet current environmental impact quantification tools rely on user decision-making to select data for each concrete constituent, have inconsistent scopes and system boundaries, and often utilize third-party life cycle inventories. These factors limit customization or tracking of data and hinder the ability to draw robust comparisons among concrete mixtures to mitigate its environmental burdens. To address these issues, we introduce a cohesive, unified dataset of material, energy, and emission inventories to quantify the environmental impacts of concrete. In this work, we detail the synthesis of this open dataset and create an environmental impact assessment tool using this data. Models can be customized to be region specific, expanded to varying concrete mixtures, and support data visualization throughout each production stage. We perform a scenario analysis of impacts to produce a representative concrete mixture across the United States, with results ranging from 189 kg CO2-eq/m3 of concrete (California) to 266 kg CO2-eq/m3 of concrete (West Virginia). The largest driver of GHG, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, and volatile organic compound emissions as well as energy demand is cement production, but aggregate production is the largest driver of water consumption and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) emissions.

This paper addresses the growing concern over air pollutant emissions (NOx, SOx, PM, CO2) from ocean-going vessels in harbor areas and the role of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems in mitigating these emissions during vessel berthing. However, the slow progress in global shore power facilities is attributed to safety- and specification-related concerns. Our study conducts a comprehensive analysis, comparing international shore power regulations, with a specific focus on the IEC/IEEE 80005-1 standard and guidelines from various ship classification societies. We introduce checklists, scoring tables, and spider diagrams to evaluate the regulatory content, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes the significance of a well-defined operational process for high-voltage shore connection (HVSC) to ensure the safety of OPS operations. We present process diagrams for key operational stages, based on IEC/IEEE 80005-1 specifications and evaluation criteria. The ultimate goal of this research is to drive the global adoption of shore power and foster the establishment of shore power facilities worldwide. This aligns with the broader environmental protection objectives of achieving cleaner ports and reducing emissions for a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, embodied energy, and air pollutant emissions of alkali-activated mortars and conventional portland cement (PC)-based mortars. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) do not require the use of PC to offer cementitious properties; these materials can valorize industrial waste streams and noncementitious natural resources. In this work, several AAMs containing blast-furnace slag and natural pozzolans were examined. Comparisons were drawn both based on the production on 1 m3 of material and based on ratios of GHG emissions to mortar strength. To facilitate robust assessments, mechanical and material properties were determined. GHG emissions, embodied energy, and nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb) emissions for the alkali-activated mortars were lower than their conventional counterparts. However, the AAMs exhibited higher volatile organic compound (VOC) and particulate matter 10 microns or smaller (PM10) emissions. When ratios of GHG emissions to strength were examined, results indicated that the lower environmental impacts of AAMs could be desirable relative to PC mortars, even when the AAMs displayed lower mechanical strength. These findings suggest that, depending on application, AAMs could contribute to environmental impact-mitigation strategies.

Abstract This study aims to estimate the amount of air pollutants emitted from heavy industrial facilities in North Korea. The heavy industry sector in North Korea was classified according to the South Korean definition, and the air pollutant emissions that it generated were estimated for 2017. Emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx) by the heavy industry sector in North Korea were 22, 73, and 31%, respectively, of those in South Korea’ air pollutant emissions. Moreover, the CO, NOx, and SOx emissions comprised 0.6, 124, and 24%, respectively, of the total air pollutant emission in North Korea estimated from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research version 5.0 (EDGAR v5.0). Geographically, the NOx emissions were concentrated in the western part of North Korea, while CO and SOx were concentrated in North Hamgyong Province.

This paper addresses the growing concern over air pollutant emissions (NOx, SOx, PM, CO2) from ocean-going vessels in harbor areas and the role of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems in mitigating these emissions during vessel berthing. However, the slow progress in global shore power facilities is attributed to safety- and specification-related concerns. Our study conducts a comprehensive analysis, comparing international shore power regulations, with a specific focus on the IEC/IEEE 80005-1 standard and guidelines from various ship classification societies. We introduce checklists, scoring tables, and spider diagrams to evaluate the regulatory content, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes the significance of a well-defined operational process for high-voltage shore connection (HVSC) to ensure the safety of OPS operations. We present process diagrams for key operational stages, based on IEC/IEEE 80005-1 specifications and evaluation criteria. The ultimate goal of this research is to drive the global adoption of shore power and foster the establishment of shore power facilities worldwide. This aligns with the broader environmental protection objectives of achieving cleaner ports and reducing emissions for a sustainable future.

This study employs the grey models to explore Nigeria's road transport energy consumption, vehicle population and vehicular emissions. The vehicular emissions were evaluated using the European Environment Agency Tier 1 Approach, based on the fuel consumption. A baseline scenario, based on historical data and three other alternative scenarios were developed. The study considered fuel quality, vehicle technology and survival rates as the key drivers of scenario formulation. Results show that vehicle population increases by about 3.58 % annually from 12.9 million units in 2018 to 38.5 million in 2050. Analysis of the alternative pathways reveals that their adoption would significantly reduce road transport energy consumption and air pollutant emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal combustion engines contribute significantly to global warming and air pollution in urban areas with high population densities and abundant vehicular movement. Alternative energy vehicle, such as hybrid and electric vehicles, are being developed to address these concerns. However, a gradual transition to electrification while maintaining the existing fuel infrastructure appears more feasible than the rapid proliferation of battery-powered electric vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles are recognized as an important means of improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions by introducing changes in driving modes to enhance energy consumption efficiency. Catalyst activation does not occur in cold starts, making it challenging to control exhaust emissions. In Korea, urban driving patterns characterized by speeds below 60 km/h often results in insufficient catalyst activation. Therefore, research on the characteristics of urban driving and cold-start conditions is essential. This study analyzed the urban driving characteristics of domestic hybrid vehicles reflecting urban conditions through chassis tests and examined the variations in the external temperature and engine contribution to assess the control capability of the hybrid system. Confirming that minimizing the engine preheating time during cold starts and efficiently utilizing energy stored in the motor can enhance fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emission rates. • Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions are predominantly generated during vehicle operation. • Hybrid electirc vehicles have the best fuel efficiency. • The hybrid system is controlled and operated by the state of charge. • Enhancing both fuel efficiency and emission control is achieved through hybrid systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial park is an area where energy consumption and pollutant emissions are concentrated, and energy infrastructure (power plants and industrial boilers) is the main consumers of energy. Facing the great pressure of climate change, it is essential to reduce pollutant emissions from energy infrastructure. In this work, taking the energy infrastructure (power plants and industrial boilers) of the national industrial parks in Henan Province as the research object, we have established energy-related CO2 emission inventory and air pollutants (SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5, VOCs, CO, and NH3) emission inventories. Besides, this study also designed five scenarios with 2030 as the target year, including baseline scenario (BAU), energy structure adjustment scenario (ESA), energy efficiency improvement scenario (EEI), waste heat recovery scenario (WHR), and best available end technology scenario (BAT) to explore the potential for emissions reduction. The results show that by comparing the emission reduction benefits of the four emission reduction scenarios in 2030, the BAT scenario has the greatest effect on reducing SO2, PM10, PM2.5, and NOx (reduction rate ranges from 47 to 81%). In 2030, the emission reduction potential of EEI, ESA, and WHR for pollutants (except for NH3) is 25–35%, 5–21%, and 1–4%, respectively. For the parks containing power plants, not only the best end-of-pipe technology and clean energy must be used, but also the application of energy-saving technologies. For parks containing only industrial boilers, we should use the best end-of-pipe technology and increase the proportion of clean energy. The study will provide valuable references for the development of parks and energy infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorology and long-term trends in air pollutant concentrations may obscure the results from short-term policies implemented to improve air quality. This study presents changes in CO, NO2, O3, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 based on their anomalies during the COVID-19 partial (Phase 2) and total (Phase 3) lockdowns in Mexico City (MCMA). To minimise the impact of the air pollutant long-term trends, pollutant anomalies were calculated using as baseline truncated Fourier series, fitted with data from 2016 to 2019, and then compared with those from the lockdown. Additionally, days with stagnant conditions and heavy rain were excluded to reduce the impact of extreme weather changes. Satellite observations for NO2 and CO were used to contrast the ground-based derived results. During the lockdown Phase 2, only NO2 exhibited significant decreases (p < 0.05) of between 10 and 23% due to reductions in motor vehicle emissions. By contrast, O3 increased (p < 0.05) between 16 and 40% at the same sites where NO2 decreased. During Phase 3, significant decreases (p < 0.05) were observed for NO2 (43%), PM10 (20%), and PM2.5 (32%) in response to the total lockdown. Although O3 concentrations were lower in Phase 3 than during Phase 2, those did not decrease (p < 0.05) from the baseline at any site despite the total lockdown. SO2 decreased only during Phase 3 in a near-road environment. Satellite observations confirmed that NO2 decreased and CO stabilised during the total lockdown. Air pollutant changes during the lockdown could be overestimated between 2 and 10-fold without accounting for the influences of meteorology and long-term trends in pollutant concentrations. Air quality improved significantly during the lockdown driven by reduced NO2 and PM2.5 emissions despite increases in O3, resulting in health benefits for the MCMA population. A health assessment conducted suggested that around 588 deaths related to air pollution exposure were averted during the lockdown. Our results show that to reduce O3 within the MCMA, policies must focus on reducing VOCs emissions from non-mobile sources. The measures implemented during the COVID-19 lockdowns provide valuable information to reduce air pollution through a range of abatement strategies for emissions other than from motor vehicles.

Solid waste collection, transfer and transportation (SWCTT) is a fundamental component of solid waste management systems that contributes to both the costs and environmental emissions associated with managing solid waste. The objective of this study is to project the fuel consumption and fuel costs of SWCTT in Tehran from 2018 to 2032. A further objective is to evaluate the air pollutant emissions from fuel consumption of SWCTT vehicles. For these purposes Waste Guidance System (WAGS) and Energy and Environment software were applied. Results of the present study showed that more than 39 million dollars would be required during the next 15 years in the SWCTT sector to supply 366 million liters of diesel fuel. In the context of local air pollution impact, about 9902.8, 6161.7, 73.5, 2639.6, 8065.5 and 4839.2 of NOX, SO2, SO3, CO, CH and SPM will be anticipated to be emitted by SWCTT sector in Tehran during the studied period.

Abandoned oil and gas wells, improperly plugged or unplugged, present a risk to current and future oil and gas development because they provide a potential pathway for unwanted gas and fluid migration to the surface. The appropriate emission factor for gaseous emissions from these wells is uncertain, as a limited number of studies have reported abandoned wells as a methane emissions source. A helicopter-based survey that mapped methane concentration and located wells by detecting magnetic anomalies was conducted in Hillman State Park in southwestern Pennsylvania. Although well finding via aerial survey was successful, elevated methane concentrations due to emissions from wells in the survey area were not detected by helicopter as abandoned wells were likely too small a source of methane to detect from elevations that helicopters fly at (tens of meters). Measurement of methane emission rates from 31 wells were collected using several techniques that are compared and evaluated for their effectiveness: Hi Flow sampler, field-portable flame ionization detector, infrared camera, dynamic flux chamber and bag sampling. Nine of the 31 wells were buried; average methane flux for these wells was not statistically different from the background. Mass flow rate from the remaining 22 wells ranged from non-detection (less than 0.09 kg CH4/day) to 4.18 kg CH4/day with a mean of 0.70 kg/well/day (median of 0.24 kg CH4/day/well) and a sample standard of error of 0.21 kg CH4/well/day. This emission factor, while not intended for exclusive use in developing a methane emissions inventory for abandoned oil and gas wells, contributes to the growing amount of methane emissions data for this source category. The results from the aerial survey, ground-based well location verification and emissions measurements, and the evaluation of measurement approaches described here, provide a comprehensive characterization of abandoned wells in one field that can inform future measurement studies.

In Korea, rice is a major staple grain and it is mainly cultivated using various types of agricultural machinery. Air pollutants emitted from agricultural machinery have their origins mainly from the exhaustion of internal combustion engines. In this study, the emission characteristics of five main air pollutants by the European Environment Agency’s Tier 1 method for rice cultivation were analyzed. Diesel is a main fuel for agricultural machinery and gasoline is generally used only for rice transplanters as a fuel in Korea. Tractors consume 46% of total fuel consumption and 56% of diesel fuel consumption. Gasoline used for rice transplanters accounts for about 17% of the total fuel consumption each year. Tractors and rice transplanters emit 82% of all total pollutants. From 2011 to 2019, the total amount of air pollutant emissions decreased by 15%. That accounted for the reduction of rice cultivation fields in those periods. Rice transplanting operation accounts for 42% of total emissions. Then, harrowing, harvesting, tilling, leveling, and pest control operations generated 10%, 10%, 8%, 8%, and 7% of total emissions, respectively. The contribution of each air pollutant held 54% of CO, 39% of NOx, 5% of NMVOC, and 2% of TSP from the total emission inventory. The three major regions emitting air pollutants from mechanized agricultural practices were Jeollanam-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Jeollabuk-do, which consume 55% of the total fuel usage in rice farming. The total amount of air pollutant emissions from rice cultivation practices in 2019 was calculated as 8448 tons in Korea.

The article presents the research related to the feasibility of introduction of alternative power source vehicles (hybrid system) into the public passenger transport (PPT) implemented as public service obligation of public passenger transport (PSO_PPT). The study examines and evaluates the existing implementation of 10 lines of PSO_PPT and implements the methods of mathematical calculations of the energy necessary to overcome the driving resistances of vehicles operating on these lines. The applied mathematical methods also include calculations of possible energy savings from implementing regenerative braking and a simulation of the reduction in air pollutant emissions. Furthermore the article presents the development of the experimental methods involving measurement of driving speeds, fuel consumption, altitude differences, number of brake applications as well as the time of braking during the bus ride along one of the observed lines in the pilot region. The results on the observed line were compared with mathematical calculations of the possible amount of energy regeneration. Based on the comparative analysis, we introduced the regeneration factor and used it to correct the previous mathematical calculations of the possible amount of energy regeneration due to braking on the other 9 lines in the selected pilot region. The final analysis has proven the eligibility of such research, which has demonstrated significant effects in energy savings (7 %) and the reduction of emissions (20 %) in the pilot area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollutant emissions from incomplete combustion of raw coal in low-efficiency residential heating stoves greatly contribute to winter haze in China. Semi-coke coals and improved heating stoves are expected to lower air pollutant emissions and are vigorously promoted by the Chinese government in many national and local plans. In this study, the thermal performance and air pollutant emissions from semi-coke combustion in improved heating stoves were measured in a pilot rural county and compared to the baseline of burning raw coal to quantify the mitigation potential of air pollutant emissions. A total of five stove-fuel combinations were tested, and 27 samples from 27 different volunteered households were obtained. The heating efficiency of improved stoves increased, but fuel consumption appeared higher with more useful energy output compared to traditional stoves. The emission factors of PM 2.5 , SO 2 , and CO 2 of semi-coke burning in specified improved stoves were lower than the baseline of burning raw coal chunk, but no significant NOx and CO decreases were observed. The total amount of PM 2.5 and SO 2 emissions per household in one heating season was lower, but CO, CO 2 , and NOx increased when semi-coke coal and specified improved stoves were deployed. Most differences were not statistically significant due to the limited samples and large variation, indicating that further evaluation would be needed to make conclusions that could be considered for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We decompose factors affecting China's energy-related air pollutant (NOx, PM2.5, and SO2) emission changes into different effects using structural decomposition analysis (SDA). We find that, from 2005 to 2012, investment increased NOx, PM2.5, and SO2 emissions by 14.04, 7.82 and 15.59 Mt respectively, and consumption increased these emissions by 11.09, 7.98, and 12.09 Mt respectively. Export and import slightly increased the emissions on the whole, but the rate of the increase has slowed down, possibly reflecting the shift in China's foreign trade structure. Energy intensity largely reduced NOx, PM2.5, and SO2 emissions by 12.49, 14.33 and 23.06 Mt respectively, followed by emission efficiency that reduces these emissions by 4.57, 9.08, and 17.25 Mt respectively. Input-output efficiency slightly reduces the emissions. At sectoral and sub-sectoral levels, consumption is a great driving factor in agriculture and commerce, whereas investment is a great driving factor in transport, construction, and some industrial subsectors such as iron and steel, nonferrous metals, building materials, coking, and power and heating supply. Energy intensity increases emissions in transport, chemical products and manufacturing, but decreases emissions in all other sectors and subsectors. Some policies arising from our study results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present allometric-scaling relationships between non-point-source emissions of air pollutants and settlement population, using 3030 urban settlements in Great Britain (home to ca. 80% of the population of that region). Sub-linear scalings (slope 0.6) were found for the oxides of nitrogen (NO _x ) and microscopic airborne particles (PM _10 and PM _2.5 ). That is, emissions of these pollutants from larger cities are lower per capita than would be expected when compared to the same population dispersed in smaller settlements. The scalings of traffic-related emissions are disaggregated into a component due to under-use of roads in small settlements and a fraction due to congestion in large settlements. We use these scalings of emissions, along with a scaling related to urban form, to explain quantitatively how and why urban airshed-average air pollutant concentrations also scale with population. Our predicted concentration scaling with population is strongly sub-linear, with a slope about half that of the emissions scaling, consistent with satellite measurements of NO _2 columns over large cities across Europe. We demonstrate that the urban form of a particular settlement can result in the airshed-average air pollution of that settlement being much larger or smaller than expected. We extend our analysis to predict that the likelihood of occurrence of local air pollution hotspots will scale super-linearly with population, a testable hypothesis that awaits suitable data. Our analysis suggests that coordinated management of emissions and urban form would strongly reduce the likelihood of local pollutant hotspots occurring whilst also ameliorating the urban heat island effect under climate change.

Quantifying environmental load displacement from developed countries (the North) to developing countries (the South) is of particular importance for understanding the environmental implications of consumption in the North and global sustainability. Based on a global input–output model, this paper estimates emissions transfers between the North and the South for eight types of air pollutants from a consumption perspective, with a focus on emissions transfers between the North and China. The results show that 14%–30% of air pollutant emissions in the South were caused by consumption in the North in 2007. There is a large ‘pollution deficit’ between the North and South, which significantly increased during the period 1995–2007, that favors the theory of ecologically unequal exchange. Although the emissions per capita of the North from production for most air pollutants decreased over this period, the emissions per capita from consumption increased or decreased more mildly. The decomposition of emissions transfers further shows that South–South trade in intermediates has played an increasingly important role in environmental load displacement from the North to the South. It is important to assess the sustainability of so-called ‘weightless economies’ in the North from a global perspective that takes environmental load displacement into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With fast economic development, industrialization and urbanization, China faces increasing pressures on carbon emission reduction, and especially on air pollutants (SO 2 , NOx, PM) reduction, particularly the notorious haze issue caused by air pollution in recent years. Pursuing co-benefits is an effective approach to simultaneously respond to both carbon and air pollutant problems. In this paper, the AIM/CGE (Asia–Pacific Integrated Assessment Model/Computational General Equilibrium) model and GAINS (Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies)-China model are combined together to project future CO 2 and air pollutants emissions in China, as well as reduction costs and co-benefit effects. Considering implementation of carbon mitigation policy and air pollutant mitigation technologies, four scenarios (S1, S2, S3 and S4) are analyzed. Results indicate that by implementing both carbon and air pollutant mitigation (S4), CO 2 emission per GDP can be reduced by 41% by 2020, compared with the 2005 level, and SO 2 , NOx and PM2.5 emissions would change by a factor 0.8, 1.26 and 1.0 of the 2005 level, respectively in 2030. The real co-benefits of emission reductions (S2 minus S4) for SO 2 , NOx and PM2.5 are 2.4 Mt, 2.1 Mt and 0.3 Mt in 2020, and the corresponding cost reduction co-benefits are 4, 0.11, and 0.8 billion €, respectively. Provincial disparity analysis reveals that regions with higher co-benefits are those with higher GDP such as Guangdong, Shandong and Jiangsu, energy production bases such as Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, low coal quality provinces such as Sichuan (for SO 2 ), and industrial base provinces such as Liaoning. Cost-effectiveness is finally discussed for policy implications, which suggests that investment in less developed western regions is more cost-effective and easier in reducing CO 2 or air pollutant emissions than in developed eastern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We developed a hybrid LCI model to calculate the shale-to-well energy and emissions of shale gas production in China. [•] The process model is based on the first horizontal well in China, and IO model uses 2007 economy benchmark data. [•] The shale-to-well energy was calculated to be 59 TJ, 42% of product chain use and 58% of on-site consumption. [•] The shale-to-well GHG emissions were 5500 metric tons of CO2e. [•] The onsite water consumption of well construction was 25,000m3, and was dominated by fracturing water use, about 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of advanced biofuel production facilities is still at a nascent stage, and the biorefineries could face challenges in obtaining air permits required for their construction and operation because they are novel emission sources. To fill gaps in knowledge regarding potential emissions, we perform a detailed federal regulatory analysis and estimate air pollutant emissions for an advanced biorefinery that produces renewable diesel blendstock (RDB) from lignocellulosic biomass via aerobic respiration documented in Part 1 of the paper. We evaluate 12 design permutations that include two feedstocks, a uniform format blend (UFB) and corn stover; three biorefinery scales, 2,000, 5,200, and 9,100 dry metric tons per day (dmtd) of lignocellulosic biomass feed; and two lignin uses, as either a boiler fuel or for pellet production. We also evaluate 6 additional design permutations by incorporating non-emitting renewable power, which could reduce up to 63% carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NO x) each, 21% volatile organic compounds (VOC), and 43% hazardous air pollutants (HAP) as opposed to on-site power production, for biorefineries that produce pellets, using either UFB or corn stover. Our results indicate that all 18 design permutations would be classified as a major source under the Clean Air Act's New Source Review program without additional emission controls. Compared to using lignin as a boiler fuel, diverting lignin for pellet production reduces the emissions of CO up to 88%, NO x up to 73%, sulfur dioxide (SO 2) up to 99%, VOCs up to 72%, and HAPs up to 66%. Additionally, we explore control options that could further reduce emissions and assess whether reductions are enough to achieve minor source classification. Insights from our analysis can help biorefinery developers and regulators develop permitting strategies to mitigate investment risks. • Air emissions from 12 biorefinery process design variations are quantified. • Biorefineries would be classified as major sources without additional controls. • Control options are available for compliance with applicable federal regulations. • Diverting lignin for pellet production could reduce air emissions by at least 66%. • Integrating non-emitting renewable power could help achieve minor source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China implemented the Promoting the Big and Quashing the Small Policy (PBQSP) in 2007 to alleviate air pollution due to coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). However, how the policy affected the air pollutant emissions remains poorly understood. We compared the air pollutant emissions between decommissioned and newly-built CFPPs under the PBQSP by developing a plant-level supply chain emission inventory model, taking Shandong, China's top provincial-level coal power producer, as the case area. The results indicated that compared to a 27.4% increase in electricity produced in Shandong from 2010 to 2014, the NOx, particulate matter (PM), Hg, and SO 2 emissions disproportionately increased by 10.3%, 11.7%, 11.8% and 0.5%, respectively. It was found that the PBQSP policy has made great contribution to air pollution mitigation, as the supply chain emission intensities (emissions per kilowatt-hour) of NO X , PM, Hg and SO 2 of the newly-built CFPPs are three-quarters, two-fifths, three-fifths, and four-fifths lower, respectively, than those of the decommissioned CFPPs. However, coal transport route changes caused an increase in NO X , PM, and SO 2 emissions by 44.0%, 45.5%, and 55.6%, respectively, during the transportation stage, which offset the PBQSP overall mitigation effect. By building a comprehensive assessment framework for air pollutant control policies, our study provides insights for formulating coordinated mitigation measures for the pollutant-intensive industries, such as promoting efficient air pollutant control technologies including the spray dust suppression devices. • A supply chain emission inventory model was built to assess the mitigation effect. • Technological improvement led to the decline of the emission intensity. • The coal transport route changes resulted in a net increase in air pollutants. • Policy implications for comprehensive pollutant mitigation were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction operations generate significant air pollutant emissions, including carbon emissions and diesel exhaust emissions. Controlling operational efficiency is the most important strategy for reducing air pollutants emitted from construction operations. However, current practices to assess air pollutant emissions from construction operations tend to ignore the variability of the operational efficiency that results from different resource allotting and scheduling. In this context, this paper presents a methodology for incorporating the analysis of operational efficiency into quantifying the amount of exhaust emission from construction operations. Case studies are presented to examine how and to what extent planning decisions affect the amount of air pollutants emitted from construction operations and to identify the impact that possible alternatives have on the schedule and cost of projects. The findings of case studies indicate that considering environmental aspects in the planning stage could contribute to a project's increased integrated value, which includes schedule, cost, and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, size segregated measurement data between 1992 and 2008 at Gosan, Jeju, Korea were analyzed. Long-term trend of aerosol composition changes related to the emission change was analyzed and direct radiative forcing due to aerosols over Gosan was calculated. The concentration variations of ion components and carbonaceous aerosols matched well to the emission changes in Northeast Asia, and the concentration variations of the elements with natural origin were highly correlated to the frequency of dust storms in the region. The net aerosol forcing varied from −4.48 W m−2 to 0.53 W m−2 at Gosan and it was increasing. This was mainly because of continuous decrease of sulfate concentration and steady increase of EC concentration in the region. It was found that for the determination of the direct aerosol radiative forcing, relative humidity (RH) was most critical during summer season when it was high (over 75%), and EC was most critical during spring and fall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taking the construction of high-speed rail as a "quasi-natural experiment", the panel data of 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2004 to 2018 were selected as samples, and a difference-in-differences model was constructed to study the impact of high-speed rail construction on air pollutant emissions. Furthermore, the meditating effect model and difference-in-differences model were built to explore the paths of high-speed railway construction affecting air pollutant emissions. According to the study, the construction of high-speed rail reduces industrial sulfur dioxide emissions and increases the emission of industrial smoke and dust, which are more obvious in areas with good economic conditions. The role of high-speed rail in reducing emissions is realized through the structure effect, technological effect and substitution effect. However, the construction/renovation process of high-speed rail lines or stations does increase the industrial smoke and dust emissions. In this study, the bidirectional effects of high-speed rail construction on different air pollutant emissions were identified, including the high-speed rail construction process into the research. Multiple paths of action were proposed, bridging the gap of existing studies. The study reveals that controlling the air pollution emissions throughout the full life cycle of the high-speed rail, from the construction process to its operation, was essential. [Display omitted] • Construction of HSR reduces industrial SO 2 but increases industrial smoke and dust. • Areas with good economic conditions are better at reducing pollutant emission. • The construction process of HSR lines or stations increases pollutant emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a widely grown crop in Asia. China (30%) and India (21%) contribute to about half of the world''s total rice production. In this study, three major rice-producing countries in Asia are considered, India, Thailand and the Philippines (the later two contributing 4% and 2% of the world''s rice production). Rice straw is one of the main field based residues produced along with this commodity and its applications vary widely in the region. Although rice production practises vary from one country to another, open burning of straw is a common practice in these countries. In this study, an approach was followed aiming at (a) determining the quantity of rice straw being subject to open field burning in those countries, (b) congregating pollutant specific emissions factors for rice straw burning, and (c) quantifying the resulting air pollutant emissions. Uncertainties in the results obtained as compared to a global approach are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The pearl river delta (PRD) region is one of the most important industrial and manufacturing centers of China and the world. In order to explore the regional mixing ratios of halocarbons in the PRD atmosphere and to reconcile the major halocarbon emission sources, air samples were collected in an urban site in Guangzhou City, a semi-urban site in Panyu and a rural site on Dinghu Mountain, as well as roadside sites and vehicular tunnels of the PRD in 2001 and 2004. The samples were analyzed for a variety of carbon-containing compounds. The results revealed elevated regional mixing ratios of most halocarbons, especially trichloroethene (C2HCl3), methyl iodide (CH3I), tetrachloroethene (C2Cl4), bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon-1211, CBrClF2), 1-dichloro-1,1-fluoroethane (HCFC-142b, CH3CClF2) and trichloromethane (CHCl3) when compared with the background levels of the western Pacific and East Asian coast, and the Northern Hemisphere suggesting that there are significant sources of halocarbons in the PRD region. Higher dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12, CCl2F2), 1,1,1-trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC-113, CCl2FCClF2), dibromomethane (CH2Br2) and tribromomethane (CHBr3) mixing ratios were found in the tunnels and roadside samples when compared with the ambient samples. In these samples, CH2Br2 and CHBr3 correlated well with each other and methyl bromide (CH3Br) suggesting they are associated with exhaust emissions from vehicles running on leaded gasoline. High levels of methyl halides: methyl chloride (CH3Cl), CH3Br and CH3I, and CH2Br2, bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), CHBr3 and dimethyl sulfide (C2H6S, DMS) were simultaneously observed in the oceanic air masses that originated from the coastal areas of southeast China and had passed over the Pearl River Estuary. Good correlations were found between CH2Br2 and CHBr3 with linear regression slopes of 0.17 and 0.15 for the Dinghu Mountain and Guangzhou City samples, respectively, and between CH3I and CHBr3, and DMS suggesting that emissions from the coastal territorial ecosystems of the PRD are important sources of the methyl halides, CH2Br2, CHBrCl2, CHBr3 and DMS observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the development of the maritime module within the framework of the Transport and Environment Database System (TRENDS) project. A detailed database has been constructed for the calculation of energy consumption and air pollutant emissions. Based on an in-house database of commercial vessels kept at the Technical University of Denmark, relationships between the fuel consumption and size of different vessels have been developed, taking into account the fleet''s age and service speed. The technical assumptions and factors incorporated in the database are presented, including changes from findings reported in Methodologies for Estimating air pollutant Emissions from Transport (MEET). The database operates on statistical data provided by Eurostat, which describe vessel and freight movements from and towards EU 15 major ports. Data are at port to Maritime Coastal Area (MCA) level, so a bottom-up approach is used. A port to MCA distance database has also been constructed for the purpose of the study. This was the first attempt to use Eurostat maritime statistics for emission modelling; and the problems encountered, since the statistical data collection was not undertaken with a view to this purpose, are mentioned. Examples of the results obtained by the database are presented. These include detailed air pollutant emission calculations for bulk carriers entering the port of Helsinki, as an example of the database operation, and aggregate results for different types of movements for France. Overall estimates of SO x and NO x emission caused by shipping traffic between the EU 15 countries are in the area of 1 and 1.5 million tonnes, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Air pollutants and CO2 emissions have a common important source, namely energy consumption. Considering fairness and efficiency, the provincial coordinated allocation of energy consumption, air pollutant emission, and carbon emission (EAC) quotas is of great significance to promote provincial development and achieve national energy conservation and emission reduction targets. A weighted environment zero-sum-gains data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA) model is constructed to optimize the efficiency of the initial provincial quotas under the fairness principle, so as to realize the fairness and efficiency of allocation. The empirical analysis in 2020 shows that the optimal allocation scheme proposed in this study is better than the national planning scheme in terms of fairness and efficiency, and the optimal scheme based on the initial allocation of priority order of "capacity to pay egalitarianism > historical egalitarianism > population egalitarianism" is the fairest. The optimal allocation scheme in 2025 can achieve absolute fairness. In this scheme, the pressures of energy conservation and emission reduction undertaken by different provinces vary greatly. The implementation of regional coordinated development strategies can narrow this gap and improve the enforceability of this scheme. Combined with the analysis of energy conservation and emission reduction in seven categories and three major national strategic regions, we put forward corresponding measures to provide decision support for China's energy conservation and emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Korea, rice is a major staple grain and it is mainly cultivated using various types of agricultural machinery. Air pollutants emitted from agricultural machinery have their origins mainly from the exhaustion of internal combustion engines. In this study, the emission characteristics of five main air pollutants by the European Environment Agency's Tier 1 method for rice cultivation were analyzed. Diesel is a main fuel for agricultural machinery and gasoline is generally used only for rice transplanters as a fuel in Korea. Tractors consume 46% of total fuel consumption and 56% of diesel fuel consumption. Gasoline used for rice transplanters accounts for about 17% of the total fuel consumption each year. Tractors and rice transplanters emit 82% of all total pollutants. From 2011 to 2019, the total amount of air pollutant emissions decreased by 15%. That accounted for the reduction of rice cultivation fields in those periods. Rice transplanting operation accounts for 42% of total emissions. Then, harrowing, harvesting, tilling, leveling, and pest control operations generated 10%, 10%, 8%, 8%, and 7% of total emissions, respectively. The contribution of each air pollutant held 54% of CO, 39% of NOx, 5% of NMVOC, and 2% of TSP from the total emission inventory. The three major regions emitting air pollutants from mechanized agricultural practices were Jeollanam-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Jeollabuk-do, which consume 55% of the total fuel usage in rice farming. The total amount of air pollutant emissions from rice cultivation practices in 2019 was calculated as 8448 tons in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filtration of cathode air is one of the challenges in operating proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The poisoning with air contaminants can lead to rapid performance degradation and initiate an aging process of the fuel cell. Various commercially available cathode filters are being tested in a laboratory gas test bench within the research project X-EMU (03B10502B and 03B10502B2). A literature review of harmful gas contaminants in the air used for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the cathode side was conducted. Experimental investigations took place at 40 °C with synthetic humid air containing low concentration contaminants such as ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and toluene. Test durations varied from 3 to 24 h depending on the filtration efficiency. Each gas contaminant showed different reactions with the investigated filters. The filters did not let sulfur-containing components pass. However, carbon monoxide could not be filtrated by any of the tested filters. The filtration of nitrogen oxides was not efficient for all tested filters, while additional filter materials were essential for a successful filtration of ammonia. Comparative results lead to a discussion of possible effects on a fuel cell with an outlook on optimization of the filtration behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating accurately airborne pollutant emissions source information (source strength and location) is important for achieving effective air pollution management or adequate emergency responses to accidents. Inversion method is one of the useful tools to identify the source parameters. The atmospheric dispersion scheme has been proven to be the key to determining the source inversion performance by influencing the accuracy of the dispersion models. Modifying the atmospheric dispersion scheme is an important potential method to improve the inversion performance, but this has not been studied previously. To fill this gap, a novel approach for parameter sensitivity analysis combined with an optimization method was proposed to improve the source inversion performance by optimizing empirical scheme. The dispersion coefficients σ y and σ z of the typical BRIGGS scheme under different atmospheric dispersion conditions were optimized and used for air pollutant dispersion and source inversion. The results showed that the prediction performance of the air pollutant concentrations was greatly improved with statistical indices |FB| and NMSE decreased by 0.22 and 2.07, respectively; FAC2 and R increased by 0.10, and 0.08, respectively. For source inversion, the results of the significance analysis suggested that the accuracy in the source strength and location parameter (x0) were both significantly improved by ∼271% (relative deviation reduced from 60.0% to 16.2%) and ∼121% (absolute deviation reduced from 27.6 to 12.5 m). The improvement of source strength inversion accuracy was more significant under unstable atmospheric conditions (stability class A, B, and C); the mean absolute relative deviation was reduced by 97.5%. These results can help to obtain more accurate source information and to provide reliable reference for air pollution managements or emergency response to accidents. This study provides a novel and versatile approach to improve estimation performance of pollutant emission sources and enhances our understanding of source inversion. [Display omitted] • A sensitivity analysis–optimization model is proposed to optimize dispersion scheme. • An optimized scheme for dispersion coefficients σ y and σ z is proposed. • The optimized scheme produced more accurate predictions for pollutant concentration. • Source strength inversion accuracy was significantly improved by ∼271%. • Source inversion accuracy was better improved in unstable atmospheric conditions. Summary of the main finding : Source inversion performance was significantly improved based on the proposed novel approach combining sensitivity analysis and optimization models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]