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Background: Air pollution by fine aerosol particles is among the leading causes of poor health and premature mortality worldwide. The growing awareness of this issue has led several countries to implement air pollution legislation. However, populations in large parts of the world are still exposed to high levels of ambient particulate pollution. The main aim of this work is to evaluate the potential impact of implementing current air quality standards for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the European Union (EU), United States (US) and other countries where PM2.5 levels are high.Methods: We use a high-resolution global atmospheric chemistry model combined with epidemiological concentration response functions to investigate premature mortality attributable to PM2.5 in adults ≥30 years and children <5 years. We perform sensitivity studies to estimate the reductions in mortality that could be achieved if the PM2.5 air quality standards of the EU and US and other national standards would be implemented worldwide.Results: We estimate the global premature mortality by PM2.5 at 3.15 million/year in 2010. China is the leading country with about 1.33 million, followed by India with 575 thousand and Pakistan with 105 thousand per year. For the 28 EU member states we estimate 173 thousand and for the United States 52 thousand premature deaths in 2010. Based on sensitivity analysis, applying worldwide the EU annual mean standard of 25 μg/m(3) for PM2.5 could reduce global premature mortality due to PM2.5 exposure by 17 %; while within the EU the effect is negligible. With the 2012 revised US standard of 12 μg/m(3) premature mortality by PM2.5 could drop by 46 % worldwide; 4 % in the US and 20 % in the EU, 69 % in China, 49 % in India and 36 % in Pakistan. These estimates take into consideration that about 22 % of the global PM2.5 related mortality cannot be avoided due to the contribution of natural PM2.5 sources, mainly airborne desert dust and PM2.5 from wild fires.Conclusions: Our results reflect the need to adopt stricter limits for annual mean PM2.5 levels globally, like the US standard of 12 μg/m(3) or an even lower limit to substantially reduce premature mortality in most of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The skill of the EMAC atmospheric chemistry-climate model to predict the aerosol optical depth (AOD) is evaluated by comparing with remote sensing data products from AERONET, MODIS, MISR and CALIOP with a focus on the Mediterranean region. In addition, calculated aerosol concentrations are compared with measurements from the CASTNET, IMPROVE, EMEP, EANET and CAWNET networks. Calculated sulphate concentrations are in good agreement with the measurements, whilst the agreement is less satisfactory for ammonium and nitrate, possibly because of measurement artefacts. The model reproduces the main spatial atmospheric distribution of the sulphate and ammonium aerosols. For nitrate some differences are found when compared to observations. The analysis of black and organic carbon (BC and OC) over Europe shows that the model typically overestimates observed BC concentrations by a factor of 1.6 and underestimates OC by a factor of 2.6. For the USA BC and OC are in general overestimated and for China BC and OC are in general underestimated by the model. The seasonal distribution of elevated AODs is well represented by the model when compared to MODIS and MISR, though AODs are somewhat low-biased. Calculated annual mean AODs are in general lower than of AERONET and the temporal correlation coefficients vary between 0.11 and 0.68. High temporal correlation coefficients are found for biomass burning regions (South America and West Africa), indicating that the seasonal cycle of this source category is well represented in the model, based on the GFED inventory. High temporal correlation coefficients are obtained for the Mediterranean region during summer, which indicates that the model captures the dust intrusions. Our model calculations show that inorganic particles and associated water are the most abundant aerosol components over Europe, North America and Asia, whilst over the Mediterranean during summer dust dominates the total AOD. An analysis of the meridional vertical distribution of model calculated dust indicates good agreement with CALIOP observations for locations near the Mediterranean and over northern Africa. The modelled underestimation of the AODs over Europe and the USA is larger at low than at high relative humidity, indicating that the concentrations of hygroscopic aerosols are too low. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a tribute to science teacher Wolff-Michael Roth in the U.S. It states that Roth's ideas on authentic science learning, environmental activism, and cultural studies have generated broad discussions and research in various communities, as well as inspiration to several researchers. It notes that Roth's passion and unique way of generating ideas and methods from social sciences and philosophy have earned various recognitions from different science communities.

Observations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a surface sampling network and simulation results from the EMAC (ECHAM5/MESSy for Atmospheric Chemistry) model were analyzed to assess the impact of increased emissions of VOCs and nitrogen oxides from U.S. oil and natural gas (O&NG) sources on air quality. In the first step, the VOC observations were used to optimize the magnitude and distribution of atmospheric ethane and higher-alkane VOC emissions in the model inventory for the base year 2009. Observation-based increases of the emissions of VOCs and NO x stemming from U.S. oil and natural gas (O&NG) sources during 2009-2014 were then added to the model, and a set of sensitivity runs was conducted for assessing the influence of the increased emissions on summer surface ozone levels. For the year 2014, the added O&NG emissions are predicted to affect surface ozone across a large geographical scale in the United States. These emissions are responsible for an increased number of days when the averaged 8-h ozone values exceed 70 ppb, with the highest sensitivity being in the central and midwestern United States, where most of the O&NG growth has occurred. These findings demonstrate that O&NG emissions significantly affect the air quality across most of the United States, can regionally offset reductions of ozone precursor emissions made in other sectors, and can have a determining influence on a region's ability to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) obligations for ozone.

Assessment of the global burden of disease is based on epidemiological cohort studies that connect premature mortality to a wide range of causes, including the long-term health impacts of ozone and fine particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5). It has proved difficult to quantify premature mortality related to air pollution, notably in regions where air quality is not monitored, and also because the toxicity of particles from various sources may vary. Here we use a global atmospheric chemistry model to investigate the link between premature mortality and seven emission source categories in urban and rural environments. In accord with the global burden of disease for 2010 (ref. 5), we calculate that outdoor air pollution, mostly by PM2.5, leads to 3.3 (95 per cent confidence interval 1.61-4.81) million premature deaths per year worldwide, predominantly in Asia. We primarily assume that all particles are equally toxic, but also include a sensitivity study that accounts for differential toxicity. We find that emissions from residential energy use such as heating and cooking, prevalent in India and China, have the largest impact on premature mortality globally, being even more dominant if carbonaceous particles are assumed to be most toxic. Whereas in much of the USA and in a few other countries emissions from traffic and power generation are important, in eastern USA, Europe, Russia and East Asia agricultural emissions make the largest relative contribution to PM2.5, with the estimate of overall health impact depending on assumptions regarding particle toxicity. Model projections based on a business-as-usual emission scenario indicate that the contribution of outdoor air pollution to premature mortality could double by 2050.