Browsing by Subject "Particulate matter"

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    Air pollution by particulate matter and ammonia at suburban and rural sites in the North China Plain
    (2011) Kopsch, Jenny; Fangmeier, Andreas
    The thesis presented here was conducted at the Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology at the University of Hohenheim within the scope of the first Sino-German International Research Training Group (IRTG) ?Modeling Material Flows and Production Systems for Sustainable Resource Use in Intensified Crop Production in the North China Plain?. The project is jointly performed by the University of Hohenheim and the China Agricultural University (CAU) Beijing and financed by the German Research Foundation and the Chinese Ministry of Education. The present study was performed in the framework of subproject 1.3 of the IRTG which had the major aim to study air pollution and atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the North China Plain (NCP). For that purpose data on concentrations of atmospheric pollutants were required in order to assess the level of exposure to pollution of both population and environment in the NCP. This study represents the initial work in the NCP in 2005 and 2006 in order to monitor air pollution and dry nitrogen deposition and its effects. Within this work experiments were conducted to monitor concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, TSP, NOx and NH3 in the NCP. Ammonia monitoring and biomonitoring were synchronised in order to study the potential effects of nitrogen deposition on Molinia caerulea. Since there was no air monitoring network existing in the NCP at the onset of this study, one major part of the work consisted of setting up and testing of European measuring devices under the special conditions in the NCP. The measurements have been therefore the starting point of field observations in the NCP and especially the PM monitoring operated at the agricultural study site Dongbeiwang (DBW) was a key element of the field campaign in order to study pollutant concentrations in the NCP but also the influences of the nearby megacity Beijing. Sampling with the High Volume Sampler Digitel DHA 80 proved to be suitable for the conditions in the NCP. The levels of daily PM10 measured in this study exceeded European (50 µg m-3) and Chinese (150 µg m-3) thresholds by far. Also the EU standard for the number of tolerated daily exceedances (35 times per year) was not met in the Beijing area. Results of PM10 measurements at DBW showed 126 exceedances of the daily mean European threshold in only 128 days in 2005 and 43 exceedances in 44 days in 2006. The maximum daily mean of 412 µg m-3 also reflects the high PM10 peak concentrations in the study region. Results of daily PM2.5 measurements at DBW in 2005 and in 2006 showed exceedances of the U. S. daily average air quality standard of 35 µg m-3 for 99 % of the data (mean value in 2005: 222 µg m-3 and in 2006: 123 µg m-3). High daily PM2.5 peak concentrations were observed especially during the winter. Overall, only under extreme meteorological conditions such as heavy rainfalls PM levels of less than 50 µg m-3 were detected at DBW. Diurnal and hourly variations of PM levels were demonstrated. Glass fibre filters proved to be suitable for the collection of high PM loads whereas quartz fibre filters are much more suitable for the laboratory analysis of N species. Determination of particulate ammonium and nitrate on glass fibre filters of spring season was tested and showed averaged concentrations of 2.4 and 13.1 µg m-3 (TSP) and 8.0 and 11.6 µg m-3 (PM10), respectively. The mass spectrometric measurements were challenging due to the filter material and δ15N/14N ratios were found to be very heterogeneous ranging from -3.0 ? to 44.3 ?, referring to both filter types. The simple and low-cost passive sampling method used (Radiellos®) also proved to be an appropriate tool for evaluating ammonia exposure in the NCP. The seasonal ammonia levels were in the range from 9 to 43 µg m-3 at DBW, Wuqiao and Quzhou, which indicates intensive agricultural activity in the whole NCP. No relationship was found between atmospheric ammonia levels and plant growth parameters of Molinia caerulea and thus, growth of these test plants was not related to gaseous dry deposition of ammonia. The NOx measurements in NCP did not yield reliable data within given time. Overall, multiple sources are assumed to interplay at the study site namely, local dust (such as harvest), traffic, biomass burning, coal combustion, secondary aerosol and industrial emissions from Beijing area. Long-range transported air pollutants such as pollutants from Hebei and Shandong province or deserts as well as the weather pattern greatly influence the atmospheric pollution at DBW and NCP in general.
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    Fallstudien zu Stickstoffdioxid und Feinstaub - Untersuchung und Vergleich verschiedener Pflanzenarten und Dachflächen im urbanen Raum
    (2022) Neher, Philipp; Fangmeier, Andreas
    More and more people are living in cities. Therefore, one of the main tasks of municipalities is to ensure a good quality of life for people living in cities. Among many other factors, air quality plays a decisive role, because we all need air to live and consume many litres of it every day. This study therefore deals with the question of whether urban vegetation, especially green roofs, can contribute to an improvement in air quality. In order to answer this question, parameters reflecting air quality were recorded on several roof surfaces. The parameters investigated were primarily particles in the range of 2.5 to 80 micrometres and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Airborne particles were recorded using Sigma-2-samplers and NO2 using Palmes tubes. On the other hand, morphological leaf characteristics of different plant species were examined microscopically and a statement was made about the "filtering capacities" of the species. In support of this, heavy metal contents in the substrate and wash-out were investigated. Investigations on roof surfaces showed that, due to the height difference, significantly lower pollutant levels were recorded on roof surfaces than at street level. For NO2, about 50 % lower values were recorded. The comparison between greened and ungreened roof surfaces showed slightly significantly lower values for both particulate matter and NO2 on greened roofs. Investigations on the different plant species showed that plants with a structurally rich leaf surface, dense and tall growth, "filter" more particles from the ambient air than low-growing species or species with a smooth leaf surface. In summary, it can be stated that green roofs can lead to a slight improvement in air quality with regard to particulate matter and NO2. The decisive factors here are the choice of plants used in greening systems and ultimately also the distance to the emitters.
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    Modelling of particulate matter and ammonia emissions from German agriculture
    (2016) Beletskaya, Olga; Zeddies, Jürgen
    Agricultural production comes along with numerous environmental effects, such as contribution to climate change, harmful to health emission impacts as well as eutrophication and acidification of soils and waters. Political regulations and environmental protection measures at the national and international level shall support development of sustainable agriculture. The intention of this work is to analyze the alterations of particulate matter, ammonia, and greenhouse gas losses from German agriculture arising due to adaptations in agricultural and environmental policy, and to find out efficient PM and NH3emission abatement options. To show, how certain economic and political conditions and their adjustment over time do affect amount of NH3, PM, and GHG released from agriculture and to evaluate emission mitigation options, economic-ecological static integer linear model, EFEM (Economic Farm Emission Model), has been developed. Following exogenous parameters have been integrated into the model: emission factors and the activities data stemming from FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) and census databases. In EFEM farm structure, production activities and extrapolation tool are represented in the system of interrelated modules for five farm types, i.e., arable farms, forage-growing, mixed and intensive livestock farms (one with the emphasises on pig husbandry and another one specializing in poultry production). The modelling is done for three German counties and each of them has focus regions, which are exemplary for important sources of PM, NH3, and GHG emissions in agriculture. Thus, following study regions have been chosen: Baden-Württemberg characterized by forage growing prevailing there, Lower Saxony marked by intensive livestock productions and Brandenburg due to its sandy arable sites at risk of erosion. The individual scenarios analyse abatement and financial efficiency of the adjustments of emission sources. Emission sources are adjusted in the framework of the emission relevant agricultural production practice, as exclusion of urea from mineral fertilization practices, switching from slurry to solid manure based livestock housing systems, introduction of crude protein reduced feeding by pigs and poultry, environmentally friendly slurry storage and land application, reduced tillage, and installation of exhaust air treatment systems in pig barns. Relatively efficient abatement of NH3 results from the exclusion of urea from fertilization practice at farms and in regions with higher land endowments, the switch from liquid to solid manure based housing system for cattle and the injection of liquid manure into the soil and covering manure storage with granulate at farms and in regions with comparatively high livestock density. Efficient PM and GHG emission reductions, mainly due to carbon sequestration, follows the introduction of the reduced tillage. Installation of Exhaust Air Treatment Systems, such as one-stage and multiple-stage chemical scrubbers, results in relatively expensive but more efficient measure for the reduction of both NH3 and PM losses. Net benefit, as the difference between reduced costs of damage for human health and environment and mitigation costs, gives the insight into the effect of abatement measure for the overall economy. Among all scenarios analysed in this study, the emission abatement options assuring maximal net benefits and emissions reduction are combined together and suggested as the abatement strategy at the farm and policy level. The scenario results are compared with national emission abatement ratios proposed by the European Commission for the years between 2020 and 2029. However, this efficiency of each individual abatement measure varies for study regions due to their individual conditions. Increasing attention to environmental problems at the regional and global level requires higher contribution of scientists from all over the world to the definition of pollution and emission abatement status. This study demonstrates the relevance of further investigation of PM and NH3 emissions in and from agriculture and of the ways to abate them.