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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]

The concept and theory of ecological compensation (EC) have been widely studied in the past 20 years, but its practical effects have not yet been agreed upon. Based on a panel data from 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2018, this paper examines the impact of air ecological compensation (AEC) policy on air pollutant emissions and its mechanism with time-varying DID model. The study found that AEC will reduce the emissions of sulfur dioxide, PM2.5, industrial smoke and dust, which remained significant after a series of robustness test. Mechanism analysis concluded that AEC can reduce air pollutant emissions mainly by promoting green technology innovation, strengthening pollution treatment intensity and improving energy efficiency. The effect of AEC varied with city characteristics, in cities with high proportion of Industrial, low environmental regulation intensity and high fiscal pressure, AEC have significant or better policy effects, while, AEC does not have significant policy effects in cities with high environmental regulations intensity and low financial pressure. China should consider further promoting the pilot scope of AEC, but it also needs to improve the compensation standard and compensation mechanism to achieve better policy effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Air pollutant emissions from the global cement plants have decoupled from clinker production between 1990 and 2020. • The hotspots of air pollutant emissions are gradually shifting towards emerging economies. • Historically, emission controls have offset the rise in NO x emission intensity due to technical turnover. • Stricter emission standards in the cement industry of emerging economies are essential to reverse emission increase from growing demand. • Ongoing efforts to strengthen emission controls in the cement industries of China and developed countries are crucial for further sustainability. Assessing historical emission trajectories and forecasting future changes at the unit level for the global cement industry are vital for summarizing past experiences in green management and designing a plant-by-plant transition roadmap. Here, we evaluate the evolution of major air pollutant emissions during 1990−2020 and explore mitigation pathways for future sustainable development, based on a developed unit-level global cement emissions database. Our findings indicate that strengthening emission standards is an effective strategy for decoupling air pollutant emissions from clinker production, particularly for emerging economies. Without stringent emission controls, these economies contributed to 49.1%, 39.8% and 74.1% of SO 2 , NO x , and PM 2.5 emissions in 2020. With stricter standards, emerging economies can achieve a 0.6 Mt NO x emission reduction despite a 70% growth in cement demand from 2020 to 2060. By deepening mitigation efforts, China and developed countries can reduce NO x and PM 2.5 emissions by 1.4 and 0.9 Mt, respectively, by 2030. [Display omitted] [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]

Lockdown restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to air, road and marine traffic limitations as well as to limitations of economic activities causing thus considerable reductions of air pollutant emissions and air quality levels. This paper aims at studying the impact of these restrictions, due to pandemic, on air pollutant emissions and on atmospheric pollutant concentrations in the Greater Area of Athens, Greece. Air pollutant emission levels and emission reductions due to COVID-19 containment measures were calculated and related to air pollutant concentrations from six air quality monitoring stations. Findings showed significant road, marine and air traffic emission reductions, ranging from 20 to 90%. In the analysis conducted, the relation between air pollutant levels and the corresponding emissions was identified showing that the most important contributor to high air pollutant levels is road traffic. The conclusions drawn on air quality levels may provide policy makers with useful insights in order to plan and apply more efficient measures to reduce air pollution and comply with air quality standards and European Directives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China's energy consumption, about 50% of coal is used for power generation conversion, and the resulting environmental impact and air pollution problems cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to improve the level of clean coal utilization. Based on the background that the country currently grants a subsidy of RMB 0.01/kWh for the "near-zero emission" of thermal power, this paper applies system dynamics (SD) modeling to simulate the impact of different policy scenarios on the promotion and effects of "near-zero emission" of thermal power. From the perspective of promotion speed and emission reduction contribution, simulation analysis found that thermal power "near-zero emission" technology can bring more significant environmental benefits and has promotion value. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) After 2020, if the current subsidy of RMB 0.01/kWh continues to be implemented, the "near-zero emission" retrofit of stock units can be fully completed in early 2026. (2) Compared with no policy subsidies, the cumulative emission reduction of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and soot will be approximately 15.13 million tons, 15.13 million tons and 2.37 million tons from the beginning of 2016 to the beginning of 2026, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The road transport sector, particularly public transport, generates significant greenhouse gas emissions due to the excessive use of petroleum-based fuels. The use of alternative fuels with lower environmental impacts is therefore a major challenge to move towards a more sustainable public transport sector. In this context, the current study presents an environmental life cycle assessment of alternative buses, including hybrid (diesel-electricity), electric, and fuel cell buses at a city level in Oujda, Morocco. This study is perfromed according to three main outputs: total energy use by fuel type, GHG emissions, and criteria air pollutants. It is concluded that electric and fuel cell buses represent efficient and sustainable alternatives to public transport during the operational phase and their deployment in Oujda city can potentially offer significant environmental savings in terms of GHG emissions and air pollutants during both the WTT and TTW phases. • Alternative fuels are identified for sustainable development. • The environmental life cycle assessment of various alternative buses is performed. • The impacts of selected alternative buses on human health and ecosystem quality are determined. • The electric and fuel cell buses have performed as the best options for sustainable public transportation. [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.

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a crucial role in addressing climate change and urban air quality concerns. China has emerged as the global largest EV market with 1.2 million EVs sold in 2018. This study established a novel life cycle energy use and emission inventory collecting up-to-date data including the electricity generation mix, emission controls in the power and industrial sectors, and the energy use in the fuel transport to estimate the well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG), and air pollutant emissions for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and gasoline passenger vehicles in China. The results show that an average BEV has 35% lower WTW GHG emissions than an average gasoline car. BEVs reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions by 98% and 34%, respectively, but have comparable or slightly higher primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Compact and small-size vehicles generally have lower GHG and air pollutant emissions than mid- and large-size vehicles. Class A vehicles contribute the most in the absolute amount of GHG and air pollutant emissions and therefore have the biggest potential for emission reduction. Our results suggest that global policymakers should continue to promote the transition to clean power sources, emission control, and fuel economy regulations, which are critical to enhancing emission mitigation benefits of BEVs. We also suggest EV development strategies should be formulated targeting vehicle class with the biggest emission mitigation potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate how pre-treatment of herbaceous straw biomass for ash control affects the release of nitrogen species during combustion and gasification. To comprehend the formation of NO and its precursors, NH 3 and HCN, the release of these species was investigated and compared under both combustion and gasification-like conditions at 950 °C. The effects of various upgrading methods, such as torrefaction, water-leaching, a combination of leaching and torrefaction, and CaCO 3 addition, were studied. The assessment of nitrogen release was divided into two consecutive conversion steps – devolatilization/pyrolysis and ash/char reactions. The release of nitrogen is highly dependent on the reaction conditions. For instance, the emissions of NO from the combustion conditions (3 vol% O 2) for all fuel samples were, on average, six times higher than under gasification conditions (14.5 vol% H 2 O and 5 vol% CO 2). The emissions of NO from the combustion and gasification of torrefied biomass were, on average, 20 % higher than those from raw biomass. Water-leaching had a suppressing effect on NO formation during char conversion. Approximately 62 % of the char-N formed NO for raw and torrefied material, whereas only 26 %–35 % was formed for pre- or postwashed samples. The effect of the applied pre-treatment approaches on the release of nitrogen was particularly significant during char conversion. Increasing calcium and decreasing potassium content had catalytic effects, mainly on the conversion of volatile-N to NH 3. The Ca-doped biomass feedstock showed approximate 10 % increase in volatile-N to NH 3 conversion compared to the source material. [Display omitted] • Pre-treatment of biomass has a significant impact on the potential recovery of nitrogen compounds from it. • Emission of NH 3 , HCN, and NO from biomass was studied under well-controlled conditions through single-particle experiments. • The release of nitrogen oxide is largely influenced by the reaction conditions. • Mineral composition influences the release of NH 3 , HCN, and NO during devolatilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a pilot test at a sewage sludge incineration plant and shows its results considering the impacts of reducing the minimum combustion temperature from 850°C to 800°C. The lowering leads to an actual reduction of the average combustion temperature by 25 K and a significant reduction in the fuel oil consumption for support firing. The test shall be used for providing evidence that the changed combustion conditions do not result in higher air pollutant emissions. The analysis focusses on the effects of the combustion temperature on nitrogen oxides (NOx) and total organic carbon emissions. The evaluation of all continuously monitored emissions shows reduced emission levels compared to the previous years, especially for NOx. [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.

The air pollutant emissions of the ships at port represent a small percentage of the overall emissions from shipping however they are concentrated in a small area. In Mytilene, Lesvos, the port is located within the city limits, resulting in air pollution, congestion and noise, especially during the tourist season. The aim of this study is to estimate the quantities of particulate matter and CO2 emitted by ships in the port of Mytilene and to explore the potential of shore side electricity to reduce the emissions. The emissions were estimated using the bottom-up methodology, based on the activity of the ships in the port (berthing, maneuvering). Simulation of renewable energy sources was made using Homer Energy microgrid simulation software. The results showed that between the 10th and 20th of August 2012, there were 40 calls of passenger ships, tankers and bulk carriers in the port of Mytilene, emitting 441 kg of PM10 and 282 metric tonnes of CO2. About 63% of PM10 and 77% of CO2 were emitted at the berthing phase and the remaining during the maneuvering. These emissions could be reduced by providing electricity to the ships from a hybrid renewable energy system with wind turbines and photovoltaics, connected to the grid. Simulations showed that the total energy requirements of the ships in the port of Mytilene could be covered by four 1.5 MW wind turbines combined with a 5 MW photovoltaics. With this configuration, renewable energy will exceed the ships' electricity needs for most of the time in order not to increase the power station's load. The excess energy could be fed to the islands' grid, so a costly battery storage system is not necessary to handle the variations of alternative energy. In this way, a considerable reduction of the CO2 and PM10 emissions by the ships in the port occurs, providing a viable solution for a cleaner and healthier environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the US Renewable Fuel Standard is expected to increase the construction and operation of new biofuel facilities. Allowing this industry to grow without adversely affecting air quality is an important sustainability goal sought by multiple stakeholders. However, little is known about how the emission controls potentially required to comply with air quality regulations might impact biorefinery cost and deployment strategies such as siting and sizing. In this study, we use a baseline design for a lignocellulosic hydrocarbon biofuel production process to assess how the integration of emission controls impacts the minimum fuel selling price ( MFSP) of the biofuel produced. We evaluate the change in MFSP for two cases as compared to the baseline design by incorporating (i) emission controls that ensure compliance with applicable federal air regulations and (ii) advanced control options that could be used to achieve potential best available control technology ( BACT) emission limits. Our results indicate that compliance with federal air regulations can be achieved with minimal impact on biofuel cost (~$0.02 per gasoline gallon equivalent ( GGE) higher than the baseline price of $5.10 GGE−1). However, if air emissions must be further reduced to meet potential BACT emission limits, the cost could increase nontrivially. For example, the MFSP could increase to $5.50 GGE−1 by adopting advanced emission controls to meet potential boiler BACT limits. Given tradeoffs among emission control costs, permitting requirements, and economies of scale, these results could help inform decisions about biorefinery siting and sizing and mitigate risks associated with air permitting. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Due to the relevance of fossil fuels in the electricity matrix in Spain, the electrical sector plays a crucial role in mitigation policies such as carbon taxes. Increased prices of electricity can act as an incentive to enhance energy efficiency contributing to CO2abatement. This paper evaluates a tax on electricity consumption (ECT). Focusing on energy efficiency commitments for Spain as established by EU Authorities for Horizon 2020 (H2020), a pricing model was created to assess economic impacts and its effectiveness in meeting this commitment. The analysis was performed by considering two scenarios, without (Scenario 1) and with (Scenario 2) tax recycling between the new tax and employer-paid social security benefits or contributing to price stability. In Scenario 2, the tax reform is achieved with tax recycling, offsetting the introduction of the ECT by reducing employer-paid social security payments. Two alternative restrictions on the tax reform were considered for the simulation of Scenario 2. In the first case, a restriction was imposed to ensure revenue neutrality (2-I). In the second case, the restriction ought to maintain price stability (2-II). Results from different scenarios offer an important range of possibilities for policy decisions. The results show that with a tax rate equal to 1%, there is a remarkable reduction of CO2emissions from the electricity sector, and the same happens with other sectors that the literature identifies as drivers of such emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]