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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Air".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 19714

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuanchen Chen

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Guest Editor

College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, China
Interests: quantitative assessment of air pollutant (e.g. PM2.5, PAHs, BC, etc.) emissions, climate and health effects; environmental processes of emerging pollutants (e.g. pesticides, PFASs etc.) under extreme climate; internal exposure to emerging pollutants and health effects
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Prof. Dr. Wei Du

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science & Technology, Kunming 650032, China
Interests: solid fuel combustion; household air pollution; health and environmental impact assessment; biomass utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Long Chen

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Guest Editor

School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Interests: air pollution; atmospheric modeling; biogeochemical cycling of mercury

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil fuels, including biomass and coals, are still widely consumed around the world, especially in the rural areas of developing countries. The amount of air pollutants released from burning coal or biomass fuels in traditional stoves used is hundreds of times higher than that from burning an equal volume of fuel in electric power generation or other industrial processes. Thus, though rural household fuel usage is much smaller, it represents a significant source of emission into the air with its primary PM_2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs). The concentrations of pollutants in the indoor air of rural households using coal and biomass fuels can be tens to hundreds of times higher above indoor air quality standard, far higher than those using clean fuels. Emissions from burning coal and biomass in rural households will not only result in local air pollution in rural areas but also have a significant impact on regional air quality. Indoor air pollution and regional ambient air pollution caused by solid fuel combustion can pose many serious health problems, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, neural tube defects, immune system dysfunction, etc. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently estimated millions of people suffered premature deaths annually in the world. Therefore, the great impacts of regional air pollution (including household air pollution and ambient air pollution) and public health induced by solid fuel combustion should be critically concerned.

This Special Issue seeks research papers on air pollution from combustion of solid fuels and the association between personal exposure to various pollutants and health outcomes. We particularly encourage the submission of interdisciplinary research and multicountry collaborative research. Further, papers which are involved in policy efficiency on solid fuel use to reduce air pollution and improve the health status of rural residents are very welcome. We welcome original research papers using different study designs as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Prof. Dr. Yuanchen Chen
Prof. Dr. Wei Du
Prof. Dr. Long Chen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Solid fuel combustion
Traditional stoves
Cooking and heating activities
Household air pollution
Ambient air pollution
Particulate matters
Organic pollutants
Gaseous pollutants
Cleaner fuels
Rural areas
Personal exposure assessments
Health outcomes

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 231 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution: Filling the Data Gap and Future Priorities

by Wei Du, Long Chen and Yuanchen Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15024; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215024 - 15 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1256

Abstract

To date, some 3 billion people worldwide still rely on solid fuels (e.g., wood, coal,
crop residues, animal dung, etc.) as a source of residential energy for cooking and space heating[...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 1037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomass Smoke Exposure and Atopy among Young Children in the Western Highlands of Guatemala: A Prospective Cohort Study

by Wenxin Lu, Laura Ann Wang, Jennifer Mann, Alisa Jenny, Carolina Romero, Andrea Kuster, Eduardo Canuz, Ajay Pillarisetti, Kirk R. Smith, John Balmes and Lisa Thompson

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14064; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114064 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1723

Abstract

Women and children in rural regions of low-income countries are exposed to high levels of household air pollution (HAP) as they traditionally tend to household chores such as cooking with biomass fuels. Early life exposure to air pollution is associated with aeroallergen sensitization and developing allergic diseases at older ages. This prospective cohort study assigned HAP-reducing chimney stoves to 557 households in rural Guatemala at different ages of the study children. The children’s air pollution exposure was measured using personal CO diffusion tubes. Allergic outcomes at 4–5 years old were assessed using skin prick tests and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)-based questionnaires. Children assigned to improved stoves before 6 months old had the lowest HAP exposure compared to the other groups. Longer exposure to the unimproved stoves was associated with higher risks of maternal-reported allergic asthma (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.11–5.48) and rhinitis symptoms (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.13–3.58). No significant association was found for sensitization to common allergens such as dust mites and cockroaches based on skin prick tests. Reducing HAP by improving biomass burning conditions might be beneficial in preventing allergic diseases among children in rural low-income populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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11 pages, 358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Autocorrelation and Temporal Convergence of PM_2.5 Concentrations in Chinese Cities

by Huan Wang, Zhenyu Chen and Pan Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13942; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113942 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1615

Abstract

Scientific study of the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of haze is important for the governance of haze pollution and the formulation of environmental policies. This study used panel data of the concentrations of particulate matter sized < 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) in 340 major cities from 1999 to 2016 to calculate the spatial distribution correlation by the spatial analysis method and test the temporal convergence of the urban PM_2.5 concentration distribution using an econometric model. It found that the spatial autocorrelation of PM_2.5 seemed positive, and this trend increased over time. The yearly concentrations of PM_2.5 were converged, and the temporal convergence fluctuated under the influence of specific historical events and economic backgrounds. The spatial agglomeration effect of PM_2.5 concentrations in adjacent areas weakened the temporal convergence of PM_2.5 concentrations. This paper introduced policy implications for haze prevention and control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

15 pages, 1138 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Analysis of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 1997 to 2017, China

by Hui Guo, Feng Zhou, Yawen Zhang and Zhen’an Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10770; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710770 - 29 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1762

Abstract

Economic development is responsible for excessive sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, environmental pressure increases, and human and environmental risks. This study used spatial autocorrelation, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index model to study the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and influencing factors of SO₂ emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 1997 to 2017. Our results show that the total SO₂ emissions in the YREB rose from 513.14 × 10⁴ t to 974.00 × 10⁴ t before dropping to 321.97 × 10⁴ t. The SO₂ emissions from 11 provinces first increased and then decreased, each with different turning points. For example, the emission trends changed in Yunnan in 2011 and in Anhui in 2015, while the other nine provinces saw their emission trends change during 2005–2006. Furthermore, the SO₂ emissions in the YREB showed a significant agglomeration phenomenon, with a Moran index of approximately 0.233–0.987. Moreover, the EKC of SO₂ emissions and per capita GDP in the YREB was N-shaped. The EKCs of eight of the 11 provinces were N-shaped (Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Chongqing) and those of the other three were inverted U-shaped (Jiangsu, Yunnan, and Hubei). Thus, economic development can both promote and inhibit the emission of SO₂. Finally, during the study period, the technical effect (approximately −1387.97 × 10⁴–130.24 × 10⁴ t) contributed the most, followed by the economic (approximately 27.81 × 10⁴–1255.59 × 10⁴ t), structural (approximately −56.45 × 10⁴–343.90 × 10⁴ t), and population effects (approximately 4.25 × 10⁴–39.70 × 10⁴ t). Technology was the dominant factor in SO₂ emissions reduction, while economic growth played a major role in promoting SO₂ emissions. Therefore, to promote SO₂ emission reduction, technological innovations and advances should be the primary point of focus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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18 pages, 5232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Adding Low Concentration of Oxygenates in Mineral Diesel Oil and Biodiesel on the Concentration of NO, NO₂ and Particulate Matter in the Exhaust Gas of a One-Cylinder Diesel Generator

by Rafael R. Maes, Geert Potters, Erik Fransen, Rowan Van Schaeren and Silvia Lenaerts

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7637; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137637 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1836

Abstract

Air quality currently poses a major risk to human health worldwide. Transportation is one of the principal contributors to air pollution due to the quality of exhaust gases. For example, the widely used diesel fuel is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). To reduce the content NOx and PM, different oxygenated compounds were mixed into a mineral diesel available at the pump, and their effect on the composition of exhaust gas emissions was measured using a one-cylinder diesel generator. In this setup, adding methanol gave the best relative results. The addition of 2000 ppm of methanol decreased the content of NO by 56%, 2000 ppm of isopropanol decreased NO₂ by 50%, and 2000 ppm ethanol decreased PM by 63%. An interesting question is whether it is possible to reduce the impact of hazardous components in the exhaust gas even more by adding oxygenates to biodiesels. In this article, alcohol is added to biodiesel in order to establish the impact on PM and NOx concentrations in the exhaust gases. Adding methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol at concentrations of 2000 ppm and 4000 ppm did not improve NOx emissions. The best results were using pure RME for a low NO content, pure diesel for a low NO₂ content, and for PM there were no statistically significant differences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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11 pages, 3645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Household Coal Combustion on Indoor Ultrafine Particles—A Preliminary Case Study and Implication on Exposure Reduction

by Zhihan Luo, Ran Xing, Wenxuan Huang, Rui Xiong, Lifan Qin, Yuxuan Ren, Yaojie Li, Xinlei Liu, Yatai Men, Ke Jiang, Yanlin Tian and Guofeng Shen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5161; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095161 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2104

Abstract

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) significantly affect human health and climate. UFPs can be produced largely from the incomplete burning of solid fuels in stoves; however, indoor UFPs are less studied compared to outdoor UFPs, especially in coal-combustion homes. In this study, indoor and outdoor UFP concentrations were measured simultaneously by using a portable instrument, and internal and outdoor source contributions to indoor UFPs were estimated using a statistical approach based on highly temporally resolved data. The total concentrations of indoor UFPs in a rural household with the presence of coal burning were as high as 1.64 × 10⁵ (1.32 × 10⁵–2.09 × 10⁵ as interquartile range) #/cm³, which was nearly one order of magnitude higher than that of outdoor UFPs. Indoor UFPs were unimodal, with the greatest abundance of particles in the size range of 31.6–100 nm. The indoor-to-outdoor ratio of UFPs in a rural household was about 6.4 (2.7–16.0), while it was 0.89 (0.88–0.91) in a home without strong internal sources. A dynamic process illustrated that the particle number concentration increased by ~5 times during the coal ignition period. Indoor coal combustion made up to over 80% of indoor UFPs, while in an urban home without coal combustion sources indoors, the outdoor sources may contribute to nearly 90% of indoor UFPs. A high number concentration and a greater number of finer particles in homes with the presence of coal combustion indicated serious health hazards associated with UFP exposure and the necessity for future controls on indoor UFPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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15 pages, 2083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Variation and Influencing Factors of TSP and Anions in Coastal Atmosphere of Zhanjiang City, China

by Ji-Biao Zhang, Yu-Mei Rong, Qi-Feng Yin, Peng Zhang, Li-Rong Zhao and Chun-Liang Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042030 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2012

Abstract

Water-soluble anions and suspended fine particles have negative impacts on ecosystems and human health, which is a current research hotspot. In this study, coastal suburb, coastal urban area, coastal tourist area, and coastal industrial area were explored to study the spatiotemporal variation and influencing factors of water-soluble anions and total suspended particles (TSP) in Zhanjiang atmosphere. In addition, on-site monitoring, laboratory testing, and analysis were used to identify the difference of each pollutant component at the sampling stations. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, PO₄³⁻, and TSP were 29.8 μg/m³, 19.6 μg/m³, 45.6 μg/m³, 13.5 μg/m³, and 0.28 mg/m³, respectively. The concentration of Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, PO₄³⁻, and atmospheric TSP were the highest in coastal urban area, while the concentration of SO₄²⁻ was the highest in coastal industrial area. Moreover, there were significantly seasonal differences in the concentration of various pollutants (p < 0.05). Cl⁻ and SO₄²⁻ were high in summer, and NO₃⁻ and TSP were high in winter. Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, PO₄³⁻, and TSP had significant correlations with meteorological elements (temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed). Besides, the results showed the areas with the most serious air pollution were coastal urban area and coastal industrial area. Moreover, the exhaust emissions from vehicles, urban enterprise emissions, and seawater evaporation were responsible for the serious air pollution in coastal urban area. It provided baseline information for the coastal atmospheric environment quality in Zhanjiang coastal city, which was critical to the mitigation strategies for the emission sources of air pollutants in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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14 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Household Energy Choice for Cooking in Northern Sudan: A Multinomial Logit Estimation

by Philbert Mperejekumana, Huan Li, Rucong Wu, Jiaxin Lu, Obid Tursunov, Hussien Elshareef, Mohamed S. Gaballah, Nsengiyumva Jean Nepo, Yuguang Zhou and Renjie Dong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11480; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111480 - 31 Oct 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3586

Abstract

Traditional biomass utilization is connected with negative environmental and human health impacts. However, its transition to cleaner cooking fuels is still low where the household’s fuels preferences play an important role in the process. To examine the factors that influence the household’s cooking fuel choice in Northern Sudan, a multinomial logit model (MNL) was used to analyze data collected from Kassala state in two selected districts, New Halfa and Nahr Atabara. The findings show that the most utilized fuels are still firewood and charcoal, which are used by 63.4% of all respondents. The results also revealed that socioeconomic factors have an impact on household fuel choice, where one additional unit of credit access may boost the possibility of choosing LPG by 22.7%. Furthermore, one additional level of education would reduce 5.4% of charcoal users while simultaneously raising 10% of current liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) users. Therefore, the study suggests initiating mobilization and training programs to raise awareness and encourage the usage of cleaner fuels. This study will provide policymakers with information on household cooking energy utilization while designing and developing policies related to energy. It will also contribute to the expanding body of literature concerning the transition to clean cooking fuels from traditional biomass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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12 pages, 1449 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Rare Earth Elements on Blood Pressure and Their Exposure Biomarkers: Evidence from Animal Experiments

by Yiming Pang, Jianjun Jiang, Kexin Li, Lailai Yan, Yanqiu Feng, Junli Wang, Xiaolu Cao, Zhiwen Li and Bin Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189836 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2449

Abstract

Solid fuel combustion is an important source of the release of rare earth elements (REEs) into the ambient environment, resulting in potential adverse effects on human cardiovascular health. Our study aimed to identify reliable exposure biomarkers of REE intake and their potential role in blood pressure change. A total of 24 rats were administered with 14 REE chlorides at four doses (six rats per group). Fur samples were collected both before and after administration. Blood samples were collected after 12 weeks of REE intake. The REE concentrations in rat fur and blood samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. For each week, blood pressure, as well as heart rate and pulse pressure, were measured. The linear mixed-effect model was used to analyze the relationship between REE administration dose and blood pressure change. We found that the REE concentration in fur, but not blood, samples exhibited significant dose–response relationships with administration dose. It suggested that hair samples are a more efficient matrix for indicating the exposure level of a population to REEs than blood samples. However, there was no dose–response relationships between the administration dose and blood pressure change of rats, or with heart rate and pulse pressure for the 14 REEs. We also did not find a dose–response relationship between REE administration levels and plasma concentration of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine, as an important DNA oxidative stress damage biomarker. In conclusion, hair samples are more suitable as a sample type to reliably assess exposure to REEs than blood samples, and REEs did not have a direct adverse effect on blood pressure in our rat model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Fuel Combustion and Air Pollution)

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