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We examined the trade-offs between in-car aerosol concentrations, ventilation and respiratory infection transmission under three ventilation settings: windows open (WO); windows closed with air-conditioning on ambient air mode (WC-AA); and windows closed with air-conditioning on recirculation (WC-RC). Forty-five runs, covering a total of 324 km distance on a 7.2-km looped route, were carried out three times a day (morning, afternoon, evening) to monitor aerosols (PM2.5; particulate matter < 2.5 μm and PNC; particle number concentration), CO2 and environmental conditions (temperature and relative humidity). Ideally, higher ventilation rates would give lower in-car pollutant concentrations due to dilution from outdoor air. However, in-car aerosol concentrations increased with ventilation (WO > WC-AA > WC-RC) due to the ingress of polluted outdoor air on urban routes. A clear trade-off, therefore, exists for the in-car air quality (icAQ) versus ventilation; for example, WC-RC showed the least aerosol concentrations (i.e. four-times lower compared with WO), but corresponded to elevated CO2 levels (i.e. five-times higher compared with WO) in 20 mins. We considered COVID-19 as an example of respiratory infection transmission. The probability of its transmission from an infected occupant in a five-seater car was estimated during different quanta generation rates (2–60.5 quanta hr-1) using the Wells-Riley model. In WO, the probability with 50%-efficient and without facemasks under normal speaking (9.4 quanta hr-1) varied only by upto 0.5%. It increased by 2-fold in WC-AA (<1.1%) and 10-fold in WC-RC (<5.2%) during a 20 mins trip. Therefore, a wise selection of ventilation settings is needed to balance in-car exposure in urban areas affected by outdoor air pollution and that by COVID-19 transmission. We also successfully developed and assessed the feasibility of using sensor units in static and dynamic environments to monitor icAQ and potentially infer COVID-19 transmission. Further research is required to develop automatic-alarm systems to help reduce both pollutant exposure and infection from respiratory COVID-19 transmission.
Prashant Kumar; Hamid Omidvarborna; Arvind Tiwari; Lidia Morawska. The nexus between in-car aerosol concentrations, ventilation and the risk of respiratory infection. Environment International 2021, 157, 106814 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar, Hamid Omidvarborna, Arvind Tiwari, Lidia Morawska. The nexus between in-car aerosol concentrations, ventilation and the risk of respiratory infection. Environment International. 2021; 157 ():106814.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar; Hamid Omidvarborna; Arvind Tiwari; Lidia Morawska. 2021. "The nexus between in-car aerosol concentrations, ventilation and the risk of respiratory infection." Environment International 157, no. : 106814.
Severe episodic air pollution blankets entire cities and regions and have a profound impact on humans and their activities. We compiled daily fine particle (PM2.5) data from 100 cities in five continents, investigated the trends of number, frequency, and duration of pollution episodes, and compared these with the baseline trend in air pollution. We showed that the factors contributing to these events are complex; however, long-term measures to abate emissions from all anthropogenic sources at all times is also the most efficient way to reduce the occurrence of severe air pollution events. In the short term, accurate forecasting systems of such events based on the meteorological conditions favouring their occurrence, together with effective emergency mitigation of anthropogenic sources, may lessen their magnitude and/or duration. However, there is no clear way of preventing events caused by natural sources affected by climate change, such as wildfires and desert dust outbreaks.
Lidia Morawska; Tong Zhu; Nairui Liu; Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh; Maria De Fatima Andrade; Benjamin Barratt; Parya Broomandi; Giorgio Buonanno; Luis Carlos Belalcazar Ceron; Jianmin Chen; Yan Cheng; Greg Evans; Mario Gavidia; Hai Guo; Ivan Hanigan; Min Hu; Cheol H. Jeong; Frank Kelly; Laura Gallardo; Prashant Kumar; Xiaopu Lyu; Benjamin J. Mullins; Claus Nordstrøm; Gavin Pereira; Xavier Querol; Nestor Yezid Rojas Roa; Armistead Russell; Helen Thompson; Hao Wang; Lina Wang; Tao Wang; Aneta Wierzbicka; Tao Xue; Celine Ye. The state of science on severe air pollution episodes: Quantitative and qualitative analysis. Environment International 2021, 156, 106732 .
AMA StyleLidia Morawska, Tong Zhu, Nairui Liu, Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh, Maria De Fatima Andrade, Benjamin Barratt, Parya Broomandi, Giorgio Buonanno, Luis Carlos Belalcazar Ceron, Jianmin Chen, Yan Cheng, Greg Evans, Mario Gavidia, Hai Guo, Ivan Hanigan, Min Hu, Cheol H. Jeong, Frank Kelly, Laura Gallardo, Prashant Kumar, Xiaopu Lyu, Benjamin J. Mullins, Claus Nordstrøm, Gavin Pereira, Xavier Querol, Nestor Yezid Rojas Roa, Armistead Russell, Helen Thompson, Hao Wang, Lina Wang, Tao Wang, Aneta Wierzbicka, Tao Xue, Celine Ye. The state of science on severe air pollution episodes: Quantitative and qualitative analysis. Environment International. 2021; 156 ():106732.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLidia Morawska; Tong Zhu; Nairui Liu; Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh; Maria De Fatima Andrade; Benjamin Barratt; Parya Broomandi; Giorgio Buonanno; Luis Carlos Belalcazar Ceron; Jianmin Chen; Yan Cheng; Greg Evans; Mario Gavidia; Hai Guo; Ivan Hanigan; Min Hu; Cheol H. Jeong; Frank Kelly; Laura Gallardo; Prashant Kumar; Xiaopu Lyu; Benjamin J. Mullins; Claus Nordstrøm; Gavin Pereira; Xavier Querol; Nestor Yezid Rojas Roa; Armistead Russell; Helen Thompson; Hao Wang; Lina Wang; Tao Wang; Aneta Wierzbicka; Tao Xue; Celine Ye. 2021. "The state of science on severe air pollution episodes: Quantitative and qualitative analysis." Environment International 156, no. : 106732.
Car microenvironments significantly contribute to the daily pollution exposure of commuters, yet health and socioeconomic studies focused on in-car exposure are rare. This study aims to assess the relationship between air pollution levels and socioeconomic indicators (fuel prices, city-specific GDP, road density, the value of statistical life (VSL), health burden and economic losses resulting from exposure to fine particulate matter ≤2.5 µm; PM2.5) during car journeys in ten cities: Dhaka (Bangladesh); Chennai (India); Guangzhou (China); Medellín (Colombia); São Paulo (Brazil); Cairo (Egypt); Sulaymaniyah (Iraq); Addis Ababa (Ethiopia); Blantyre (Malawi); and Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania). Data collected by portable laser particle counters were used to develop a proxy of car-user exposure profiles. Hotspots on all city routes displayed higher PM2.5 concentrations and disproportionately high inhaled doses. For instance, the time spent at the hotspots in Guangzhou and Addis Ababa was 26% and 28% of total trip time, but corresponded to 54% and 56%, respectively, of the total PM2.5 inhaled dose. With the exception of Guangzhou, all the cities showed a decrease in per cent length of hotspots with an increase in GDP and VSL. Exposure levels were independent of fuel prices in most cities. The largest health burden related to in-car PM2.5 exposure was estimated for Dar-es-Salam (81.6 ± 39.3 μg m−3), Blantyre (82.9 ± 44.0) and Dhaka (62.3 ± 32.0) with deaths per 100,000 of the car commuting population per year of 2.46 (2.28–2.63), 1.11 (0.97–1.26) and 1.10 (1.05–1.15), respectively. However, the modest health burden of 0.07 (0.06–0.08), 0.10 (0.09–0.12) and 0.02 (0.02–0.03) deaths per 100,000 of the car commuting population per year were estimated for Medellin (23 ± 13.7 μg m−3), São Paulo (25.6 ± 11.7) and Sulaymaniyah (22.4 ± 15.0), respectively. Lower GDP was found to be associated with higher economic losses due to health burdens caused by air pollution in most cities, indicating a socioeconomic discrepancy. This assessment of health and socioeconomic parameters associated with in-car PM2.5 exposure highlights the importance of implementing plausible solutions to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives in these cities.
Prashant Kumar; Sarkawt Hama; Rana Alaa Abbass; Thiago Nogueira; Veronika S. Brand; K.V. Abhijith; Maria De Fatima Andrade; Araya Asfaw; Kosar Hama Aziz; Shi-Jie Cao; Ahmed El-Gendy; Mukesh Khare; Adamson S. Muula; S.M. Shiva Nagendra; Aiwerasia Vera Ngowi; Khalid Omer; Yris Olaya; Abdus Salam. Potential health risks due to in-car aerosol exposure across ten global cities. Environment International 2021, 155, 106688 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar, Sarkawt Hama, Rana Alaa Abbass, Thiago Nogueira, Veronika S. Brand, K.V. Abhijith, Maria De Fatima Andrade, Araya Asfaw, Kosar Hama Aziz, Shi-Jie Cao, Ahmed El-Gendy, Mukesh Khare, Adamson S. Muula, S.M. Shiva Nagendra, Aiwerasia Vera Ngowi, Khalid Omer, Yris Olaya, Abdus Salam. Potential health risks due to in-car aerosol exposure across ten global cities. Environment International. 2021; 155 ():106688.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar; Sarkawt Hama; Rana Alaa Abbass; Thiago Nogueira; Veronika S. Brand; K.V. Abhijith; Maria De Fatima Andrade; Araya Asfaw; Kosar Hama Aziz; Shi-Jie Cao; Ahmed El-Gendy; Mukesh Khare; Adamson S. Muula; S.M. Shiva Nagendra; Aiwerasia Vera Ngowi; Khalid Omer; Yris Olaya; Abdus Salam. 2021. "Potential health risks due to in-car aerosol exposure across ten global cities." Environment International 155, no. : 106688.
The number of daily commuters in Greater Cairo has exceeded 15 million nevertheless personal exposure studies in transport microenvironments are limited. The aim of this study is to quantify PM2.5 exposure during peak hours in four transport modes of Greater Cairo - car (windows-open, windows-closed with recirculation and AC-on), microbus (windows-open), cycling and walking - and understand its underlying drivers. Data was collected using a pDR-1500 monitor and analysed to capture concentration variations, spatial variability, exposure doses, commuting costs versus inhaled doses, health burden and economic losses. Car with recirculation resulted in the least average PM2.5 concentrations (32±6 μg/m3), followed by walking (77±35 μg/m3), car with windows-open (82±32 μg/m3), microbus with windows-open (96±29 μg/m3) and cycling (100±28 μg/m3). Evening hours observed average PM2.5 concentrations by 26-58% lesser than morning. Spatial variability analysis showed that 75th-90th percentile PM2.5 concentrations coincided with congested spots. Cycling and walking lanes are rare hence commuters are exposed to surges in PM2.5 concentrations when passing near construction and solid waste burning sites. Cycling and walking also resulted in inhaling 40-times and 32-times higher PM2.5 dose per kilometer than for car with recirculation. Commuting by microbus cost (with windows-open) ~45% of car cost (with recirculation) but it resulted in 4-times higher inhaled PM2.5 dose. As expected due to the lowest PM2.5 exposure concentrations, health burden resulting from car travel (with recirculation) caused the least death rates of 0.07 (95% CI 0.07-0.08) prematures deaths per 100,000 commuters/year while microbus with windows-open resulted in the highest death rates; 0.52 (95% CI 0.49-0.56). Microbus deaths represent 57% of national economic losses due to PM2.5 exposure amongst the four transport modes. This study provides real-time exposure data and analyses its implications on commuter health as a first step in informed decision-making and better urban planning.
Rana Alaa Abbass; Prashant Kumar; Ahmed El-Gendy. Fine particulate matter exposure in four transport modes of Greater Cairo. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 791, 148104 .
AMA StyleRana Alaa Abbass, Prashant Kumar, Ahmed El-Gendy. Fine particulate matter exposure in four transport modes of Greater Cairo. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 791 ():148104.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRana Alaa Abbass; Prashant Kumar; Ahmed El-Gendy. 2021. "Fine particulate matter exposure in four transport modes of Greater Cairo." Science of The Total Environment 791, no. : 148104.
The adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) represents a novel means to mitigate natural hazards. In the framework of the OPERANDUM project, this study introduces a methodology to assess the efficiency of the NBSs and a series of Open-Air Laboratories (OALs) regarded as a proof-of-concept for the wider uptake of NBSs. The OALs are located in Finland, Greece, UK, Italy, and Ireland. The methodology is based on a wide modeling activity, incorporated in the context of future climate scenarios. Herein, we present a series of models’ chains able to estimate the efficiency of the NBSs. While the presented models are mainly well-established, their coupling represents a first fundamental step in the study of the long-term efficacy and impact of the NBSs. In the selected sites, NBSs are utilized to cope with distinct natural hazards: floods, droughts, landslides, salt intrusion, and nutrient and sediment loading. The study of the efficacy of NBSs to mitigate these hazards belongs to a series of works devoted to the implementation of NBSs for environmental purposes. Our findings prove that land management plays a crucial role in the process. Specifically, the selected NBSs include intensive forestry; the conversion of urban areas to grassland; dunes; marine seagrass; water retention ponds; live cribwalls; and high-density plantations of woody vegetation and deep-rooted herbaceous vegetation. The management of natural resources should eventually consider the effect of NBSs on urban and rural areas, as their employment is becoming widespread.
Glauco Gallotti; Marco Santo; Ilektra Apostolidou; Jacopo Alessandri; Alberto Armigliato; Bidroha Basu; Sisay Debele; Alessio Domeneghetti; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Prashant Kumar; Angeliki Mentzafou; Francesco Pilla; Beatrice Pulvirenti; Paolo Ruggieri; Jeetendra Sahani; Aura Salmivaara; Arunima Basu; Christos Spyrou; Nadia Pinardi; Elena Toth; Silvia Unguendoli; Umesh Pillai; Andrea Valentini; George Varlas; Giorgia Verri; Filippo Zaniboni; Silvana Di Sabatino. On the Management of Nature-Based Solutions in Open-Air Laboratories: New Insights and Future Perspectives. Resources 2021, 10, 36 .
AMA StyleGlauco Gallotti, Marco Santo, Ilektra Apostolidou, Jacopo Alessandri, Alberto Armigliato, Bidroha Basu, Sisay Debele, Alessio Domeneghetti, Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri, Prashant Kumar, Angeliki Mentzafou, Francesco Pilla, Beatrice Pulvirenti, Paolo Ruggieri, Jeetendra Sahani, Aura Salmivaara, Arunima Basu, Christos Spyrou, Nadia Pinardi, Elena Toth, Silvia Unguendoli, Umesh Pillai, Andrea Valentini, George Varlas, Giorgia Verri, Filippo Zaniboni, Silvana Di Sabatino. On the Management of Nature-Based Solutions in Open-Air Laboratories: New Insights and Future Perspectives. Resources. 2021; 10 (4):36.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGlauco Gallotti; Marco Santo; Ilektra Apostolidou; Jacopo Alessandri; Alberto Armigliato; Bidroha Basu; Sisay Debele; Alessio Domeneghetti; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Prashant Kumar; Angeliki Mentzafou; Francesco Pilla; Beatrice Pulvirenti; Paolo Ruggieri; Jeetendra Sahani; Aura Salmivaara; Arunima Basu; Christos Spyrou; Nadia Pinardi; Elena Toth; Silvia Unguendoli; Umesh Pillai; Andrea Valentini; George Varlas; Giorgia Verri; Filippo Zaniboni; Silvana Di Sabatino. 2021. "On the Management of Nature-Based Solutions in Open-Air Laboratories: New Insights and Future Perspectives." Resources 10, no. 4: 36.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) for hydro-meteorological risks (HMRs) reduction and management are becoming increasingly popular, but challenges such as the lack of well-recognised standard methodologies to evaluate their performance and upscale their implementation remain. We systematically evaluate the current state-of-the art on the models and tools that are utilised for the optimum allocation, design and efficiency evaluation of NBS for five HMRs (flooding, droughts, heatwaves, landslides, and storm surges and coastal erosion). We found that methods to assess the complex issue of NBS efficiency and cost-benefits analysis are still in the development stage and they have only been implemented through the methodologies developed for other purposes such as fluid dynamics models in micro and catchment scale contexts. Of the reviewed numerical models and tools MIKE-SHE, SWMM (for floods), ParFlow-TREES, ACRU, SIMGRO (for droughts), WRF, ENVI-met (for heatwaves), FUNWAVE-TVD, BROOK90 (for landslides), TELEMAC and ADCIRC (for storm surges) are more flexible to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of specific NBS such as wetlands, ponds, trees, parks, grass, green roof/walls, tree roots, vegetations, coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, oyster reefs, sea salt marshes, sandy beaches and dunes. We conclude that the models and tools that are capable of assessing the multiple benefits, particularly the performance and cost-effectiveness of NBS for HMR reduction and management are not readily available. Thus, our synthesis of modelling methods can facilitate their selection that can maximise opportunities and refute the current political hesitation of NBS deployment compared with grey solutions for HMR management but also for the provision of a wide range of social and economic co-benefits. However, there is still a need for bespoke modelling tools that can holistically assess the various components of NBS from an HMR reduction and management perspective. Such tools can facilitate impact assessment modelling under different NBS scenarios to build a solid evidence base for upscaling and replicating the implementation of NBS.
Prashant Kumar; Sisay E. Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Nidhi Rawat; Belen Marti-Cardona; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Bidroha Basu; Arunima Sarkar Basu; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Glauco Gallotti; Juvonen Jaakko; Laura S. Leo; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Seung-Jae Mun; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Jan Pfeiffer; Francesco Pilla; Julius Pröll; Martin Rutzinger; Marco Antonio Santo; Srikanta Sannigrahi; Christos Spyrou; Heikki Tuomenvirta; Thomas Zieher. Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: Modelling methods, advantages and limitations. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 784, 147058 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar, Sisay E. Debele, Jeetendra Sahani, Nidhi Rawat, Belen Marti-Cardona, Silvia Maria Alfieri, Bidroha Basu, Arunima Sarkar Basu, Paul Bowyer, Nikos Charizopoulos, Glauco Gallotti, Juvonen Jaakko, Laura S. Leo, Michael Loupis, Massimo Menenti, Slobodan B. Mickovski, Seung-Jae Mun, Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri, Jan Pfeiffer, Francesco Pilla, Julius Pröll, Martin Rutzinger, Marco Antonio Santo, Srikanta Sannigrahi, Christos Spyrou, Heikki Tuomenvirta, Thomas Zieher. Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: Modelling methods, advantages and limitations. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 784 ():147058.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar; Sisay E. Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Nidhi Rawat; Belen Marti-Cardona; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Bidroha Basu; Arunima Sarkar Basu; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Glauco Gallotti; Juvonen Jaakko; Laura S. Leo; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Seung-Jae Mun; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Jan Pfeiffer; Francesco Pilla; Julius Pröll; Martin Rutzinger; Marco Antonio Santo; Srikanta Sannigrahi; Christos Spyrou; Heikki Tuomenvirta; Thomas Zieher. 2021. "Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: Modelling methods, advantages and limitations." Science of The Total Environment 784, no. : 147058.
Urban civilization has a high impact on the environment and human health. The pollution level of indoor air can be 2–5 times higher than the outdoor air pollution, and sometimes it reaches up to 100 times or more in natural/mechanical ventilated buildings. Even though people spend about 90% of their time indoors, the importance of indoor air quality is less noticed. Indoor air pollution can be treated with techniques such as chemical purification, ventilation, isolation, and removing pollutions by plants (phytoremediation). Among these techniques, phytoremediation is not given proper attention and, therefore, is the focus of our review paper. Phytoremediation is an affordable and more environmentally friendly means to purify polluted indoor air. Furthermore, studies show that indoor plants can be used to regulate building temperature, decrease noise levels, and alleviate social stress. Sources of indoor air pollutants and their impact on human health are briefly discussed in this paper. The available literature on phytoremediation, including experimental works for removing volatile organic compound (VOC) and particulate matter from the indoor air and associated challenges and opportunities, are reviewed. Phytoremediation of indoor air depends on the physical properties of plants such as interfacial areas, the moisture content, and the type (hydrophobicity) as well as pollutant characteristics such as the size of particulate matter (PM). A comprehensive summary of plant species that can remove pollutants such as VOCs and PM is provided. Sources of indoor air pollutants, as well as their impact on human health, are described. Phytoremediation and its mechanism of cleaning indoor air are discussed. The potential role of green walls and potted-plants for improving indoor air quality is examined. A list of plant species suitable for indoor air phytoremediation is proposed. This review will help in making informed decisions about integrating plants into the interior building design.
Samaneh Bandehali; Taghi Miri; Helen Onyeaka; Prashant Kumar. Current State of Indoor Air Phytoremediation Using Potted Plants and Green Walls. Atmosphere 2021, 12, 473 .
AMA StyleSamaneh Bandehali, Taghi Miri, Helen Onyeaka, Prashant Kumar. Current State of Indoor Air Phytoremediation Using Potted Plants and Green Walls. Atmosphere. 2021; 12 (4):473.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSamaneh Bandehali; Taghi Miri; Helen Onyeaka; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "Current State of Indoor Air Phytoremediation Using Potted Plants and Green Walls." Atmosphere 12, no. 4: 473.
The evolution of low-cost sensors (LCSs) has made the spatio-temporal mapping of indoor air quality (IAQ) possible in real-time but the availability of a diverse set of LCSs make their selection challenging. Converting individual sensors into a sensing network requires the knowledge of diverse research disciplines, which we aim to bring together by making IAQ an advanced feature of smart homes. The aim of this review is to discuss the advanced home automation technologies for the monitoring and control of IAQ through networked air pollution LCSs. The key steps that can allow transforming conventional homes into smart homes are sensor selection, deployment strategies, data processing, and development of predictive models. A detailed synthesis of air pollution LCSs allowed us to summarise their advantages and drawbacks for spatio-temporal mapping of IAQ. We concluded that the performance evaluation of LCSs under controlled laboratory conditions prior to deployment is recommended for quality assurance/control (QA/QC), however, routine calibration or implementing statistical techniques during operational times, especially during long-term monitoring, is required for a network of sensors. The deployment height of sensors could vary purposefully as per location and exposure height of the occupants inside home environments for a spatio-temporal mapping. Appropriate data processing tools are needed to handle a huge amount of multivariate data to automate pre-/post-processing tasks, leading to more scalable, reliable and adaptable solutions. The review also showed the potential of using machine learning technique for predicting spatio-temporal IAQ in LCS networked-systems.
Hamid Omidvarborna; Prashant Kumar; Joe Hayward; Manik Gupta; Erick Nascimento. Low-Cost Air Quality Sensing towards Smart Homes. Atmosphere 2021, 12, 453 .
AMA StyleHamid Omidvarborna, Prashant Kumar, Joe Hayward, Manik Gupta, Erick Nascimento. Low-Cost Air Quality Sensing towards Smart Homes. Atmosphere. 2021; 12 (4):453.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHamid Omidvarborna; Prashant Kumar; Joe Hayward; Manik Gupta; Erick Nascimento. 2021. "Low-Cost Air Quality Sensing towards Smart Homes." Atmosphere 12, no. 4: 453.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are being deployed around the world in order to address hydrometeorological hazards, including flooding, droughts, landslides and many others. The term refers to techniques inspired, supported and copied from nature, avoiding large constructions and other harmful interventions. In this work the development and evaluation of an NBS applied to the Spercheios river basin in Central Greece is presented. The river is susceptible to heavy rainfall and bank overflow, therefore the intervention selected is a natural water retention measure that aims to moderate the impact of flooding and drought in the area. After the deployment of the NBS, we examine the benefits under current and future climate conditions, using various climate change scenarios. Even though the NBS deployed is small compared to the rest of the river, its presence leads to a decrease in the maximum depth of flooding, maximum velocity and smaller flooded areas. Regarding the subsurface/groundwater storage under current and future climate change and weather conditions, the NBS construction seems to favor long-term groundwater recharge.
Christos Spyrou; Michael Loupis; Νikos Charizopoulos; Ilektra Apostolidou; Angeliki Mentzafou; George Varlas; Anastasios Papadopoulos; Elias Dimitriou; Depy Panga; Lamprini Gkeka; Paul Bowyer; Susanne Pfeifer; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar. Evaluating Nature-Based Solution for Flood Reduction in Spercheios River Basin under Current and Future Climate Conditions. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3885 .
AMA StyleChristos Spyrou, Michael Loupis, Νikos Charizopoulos, Ilektra Apostolidou, Angeliki Mentzafou, George Varlas, Anastasios Papadopoulos, Elias Dimitriou, Depy Panga, Lamprini Gkeka, Paul Bowyer, Susanne Pfeifer, Sisay Debele, Prashant Kumar. Evaluating Nature-Based Solution for Flood Reduction in Spercheios River Basin under Current and Future Climate Conditions. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (7):3885.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristos Spyrou; Michael Loupis; Νikos Charizopoulos; Ilektra Apostolidou; Angeliki Mentzafou; George Varlas; Anastasios Papadopoulos; Elias Dimitriou; Depy Panga; Lamprini Gkeka; Paul Bowyer; Susanne Pfeifer; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "Evaluating Nature-Based Solution for Flood Reduction in Spercheios River Basin under Current and Future Climate Conditions." Sustainability 13, no. 7: 3885.
To bring to fruition the capability of nature-based solutions (NBS) in mitigating hydro-meteorological risks (HMRs) and facilitate their widespread uptake require a consolidated knowledge-base related to their monitoring methods, efficiency, functioning and the ecosystem services they provide. We attempt to fill this knowledge gap by reviewing and compiling the existing scientific literature on methods, including ground-based measurements (e.g. gauging stations, wireless sensor network) and remote sensing observations (e.g. from topographic LiDAR, multispectral and radar sensors) that have been used and/or can be relevant to monitor the performance of NBS against five HMRs: floods, droughts, heatwaves, landslides, and storm surges and coastal erosion. These can allow the mapping of the risks and impacts of the specific hydro-meteorological events. We found that the selection and application of monitoring methods mostly rely on the particular NBS being monitored, resource availability (e.g. time, budget, space) and type of HMRs. No standalone method currently exists that can allow monitoring the performance of NBS in its broadest view. However, equipments, tools and technologies developed for other purposes, such as for ground-based measurements and atmospheric observations, can be applied to accurately monitor the performance of NBS to mitigate HMRs. We also focused on the capabilities of passive and active remote sensing, pointing out their associated opportunities and difficulties for NBS monitoring application. We conclude that the advancement in airborne and satellite-based remote sensing technology has signified a leap in the systematic monitoring of NBS performance, as well as provided a robust way for the spatial and temporal comparison of NBS intervention versus its absence. This improved performance measurement can support the evaluation of existing uncertainty and scepticism in selecting NBS over the artificially built concrete structures or grey approaches by addressing the questions of performance precariousness. Remote sensing technical developments, however, take time to shift toward a state of operational readiness for monitoring the progress of NBS in place (e.g. green NBS growth rate, their changes and effectiveness through time). More research is required to develop a holistic approach, which could routinely and continually monitor the performance of NBS over a large scale of intervention. This performance evaluation could increase the ecological and socio-economic benefits of NBS, and also create high levels of their acceptance and confidence by overcoming potential scepticism of NBS implementations.
Prashant Kumar; Sisay E. Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Nidhi Rawat; Belen Marti-Cardona; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Bidroha Basu; Arunima Sarkar Basu; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Juvonen Jaakko; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Jan Pfeiffer; Francesco Pilla; Julius Pröll; Beatrice Pulvirenti; Martin Rutzinger; Srikanta Sannigrahi; Christos Spyrou; Heikki Tuomenvirta; Zoran Vojinovic; Thomas Zieher. An overview of monitoring methods for assessing the performance of nature-based solutions against natural hazards. Earth-Science Reviews 2021, 217, 103603 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar, Sisay E. Debele, Jeetendra Sahani, Nidhi Rawat, Belen Marti-Cardona, Silvia Maria Alfieri, Bidroha Basu, Arunima Sarkar Basu, Paul Bowyer, Nikos Charizopoulos, Juvonen Jaakko, Michael Loupis, Massimo Menenti, Slobodan B. Mickovski, Jan Pfeiffer, Francesco Pilla, Julius Pröll, Beatrice Pulvirenti, Martin Rutzinger, Srikanta Sannigrahi, Christos Spyrou, Heikki Tuomenvirta, Zoran Vojinovic, Thomas Zieher. An overview of monitoring methods for assessing the performance of nature-based solutions against natural hazards. Earth-Science Reviews. 2021; 217 ():103603.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar; Sisay E. Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Nidhi Rawat; Belen Marti-Cardona; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Bidroha Basu; Arunima Sarkar Basu; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Juvonen Jaakko; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Jan Pfeiffer; Francesco Pilla; Julius Pröll; Beatrice Pulvirenti; Martin Rutzinger; Srikanta Sannigrahi; Christos Spyrou; Heikki Tuomenvirta; Zoran Vojinovic; Thomas Zieher. 2021. "An overview of monitoring methods for assessing the performance of nature-based solutions against natural hazards." Earth-Science Reviews 217, no. : 103603.
Nature-based solutions are increasingly implemented to tackle disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Their rising popularity over grey solutions is partially explained by their number of additional benefits (so called co-benefits) for the socio-ecological system (SES). Frameworks are available to monitor and assess co-benefits, however, these frameworks are lacking clear guidance and ex-ante quantification of co-benefits and potential disbenefits of NBS. Another limitation is the accessibility and quality (representativeness) of data for computing indicators, especially, going towards larger scales (regional, pan-European). To develop a comprehensive framework and method for assessing and estimating possible side effects in advance, this paper aligns to existing frameworks but goes beyond those by providing practical guidance on data sourcing (including possible proxy variables) and quantification of both co-benefits and disbenefits. The resulting framework will support decision-making on area specific suitability of NBS for disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, it will enhance the planners’ knowledge and understanding of linked processes which can lead to potential positive and negative side effects; thus, this guidance will build a base for selecting suitable locations and NBS interventions.
Joy Ommer; Edoardo Bucchignani; Laura S. Leo; Milan Kalas; Saša Vranić; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar; Hannah L. Cloke; Silvana Di Sabatino. Quantifying co-benefits and potential disbenefits of NBS for Disaster Risk Reduction: a practical framework for ex-ante assessment. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleJoy Ommer, Edoardo Bucchignani, Laura S. Leo, Milan Kalas, Saša Vranić, Sisay Debele, Prashant Kumar, Hannah L. Cloke, Silvana Di Sabatino. Quantifying co-benefits and potential disbenefits of NBS for Disaster Risk Reduction: a practical framework for ex-ante assessment. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoy Ommer; Edoardo Bucchignani; Laura S. Leo; Milan Kalas; Saša Vranić; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar; Hannah L. Cloke; Silvana Di Sabatino. 2021. "Quantifying co-benefits and potential disbenefits of NBS for Disaster Risk Reduction: a practical framework for ex-ante assessment." , no. : 1.
Abstract
Under climate change scenarios, it is important to evaluate the changes in recent behavior of heavy precipitation events, the resulting flood risk, and the detrimental impacts of the peak flow of water on human well-being, properties, infrastructure, and the natural environment. Normally, flood risk is estimated using the stationary flood frequency analysis technique. However, a site’s hydroclimate can shift beyond the range of historical observations considering continuing global warming. Therefore, flood-like distributions capable of accounting for changes in the parameters over time should be considered. The main objective of this study is to apply non-stationary flood frequency models using the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution to model the changes in flood risk under two scenarios: (1) without nature-based solutions (NBS) in place and; (2) with NBS i.e. wetlands, retention ponds and weir/low head dam implemented. In the GEV model, the first two moments i.e. location and scale parameters of the distribution were allowed to change as a function of time-variable covariates, estimated by maximum likelihood. The methodology is applied to OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage hydro-meteo risks, which is in Europe. The time-dependent 100-year design quantiles were estimated for both the scenarios. We obtained daily precipitation data of climate models from the EURO-CORDEX project dataset for 1951–2020 and 2022–2100 representing historical and future simulations, respectively. The hydrologic model, HEC-HMS was used to simulate discharges/flood hydrograph without and with NBS in place for these two periods: historical (1951-2020) and future (2022-2100). The results showed that the corresponding time-dependent 100-year floods were remarkably high for the without NBS scenario in both the periods. Particularly, the high emission scenario (RCP 8.5) resulted in dramatically increased flood risks in the future. The simulation without NBS also showed that flooded area is projected to increase by 25% and 40% for inundation depth between 1.5 and 3.5 m under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively. For inundation depth above 3.5 m, the flooded area is anticipated to rise by 30% and 55% in both periods respectively. With the implementation of NBS, the flood risk was projected to decrease by 20% (2022–2050) and 45% (2071–2100) with a significant decrease under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. This study can help improve existing methods to adapt to the uncertainties in a changing environment, which is critical to develop climate-proof NBS and improve NBS planning, implementation, and effectiveness assessment.
Keywords: Nature-based solutions; flood frequency analysis; climate change; wetlands; GEV model
Acknowledgments
This work has been carried out under the framework of OPERANDUM (OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage hydro-meteo risks) project, which is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement No: 776848.
Sisay Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Fabrice Renaud; Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah; Christos Spyrou; Thomas Zieher; Silvana Di Sabatino; Prashant Kumar. Evaluating nature-based solutions in a non-stationary climate with changing risk of flooding. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleSisay Debele, Jeetendra Sahani, Silvia Maria Alfieri, Paul Bowyer, Nikos Charizopoulos, Michael Loupis, Massimo Menenti, Fabrice Renaud, Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah, Christos Spyrou, Thomas Zieher, Silvana Di Sabatino, Prashant Kumar. Evaluating nature-based solutions in a non-stationary climate with changing risk of flooding. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSisay Debele; Jeetendra Sahani; Silvia Maria Alfieri; Paul Bowyer; Nikos Charizopoulos; Michael Loupis; Massimo Menenti; Fabrice Renaud; Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah; Christos Spyrou; Thomas Zieher; Silvana Di Sabatino; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "Evaluating nature-based solutions in a non-stationary climate with changing risk of flooding." , no. : 1.
Global warming due to anthropogenic emission of green-house gases has induced climate change which is disturbing and will continue to impact the ecology and energy balance of our earth environment. The duration, frequency and intensity of extreme hot days in summers called heatwaves have increased with the beginning of the 21st century worldwide and have been projected to increase. Associated human health loss or damage can be managed or mitigated by planning proper management strategies, such as nature-based green and/or blue solutions in advance, along with proper evaluation of the risk of heat. Since heat stress is more pronounced in urban and built areas, most studies for heatwave risk assessment have been limited to big cities. The risk variation in semi-urban, sub-urban and rural areas has not been much investigated. The heat risk develops with time because of changing climate and socio-demographics, and risk assessment is needed to be done utilising recent data on climate and population characteristics. In this study, the heatwave or extreme hot (99 percentile) temperature risk has been estimated by using statistical approach on summer daily temperature and mortality data from Aberdeenshire and South East (SE) England, UK for the duration 1981-2018. A distributed-lag nonlinear model from Poisson regression family was applied to model the relationship between daily temperature and mortality. We calculated relative risk (RR) and mortality attributable fraction (AF) due to high temperature by comparing the extreme heat with the minimum mortality temperature. AF was calculated by dividing the number of excess deaths due to heat from all the days of the time-series by the total number of deaths. The overall risk in SE England was noted 56 % higher (RR 1.067) than Aberdeenshire (RR 1.043), with 36% more excess death in SE England (AF 0.15% and 0.11% respectively) due to different levels of people’s adaptation and resilience to different climate conditions. The outcome of this study can help in site focused mitigation strategies to certain areas at most risk and develop a scientific framework for early warning, planning and managing the health impacts of heatwave in more rustic regions.
Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research andinnovation programme; funded by and carried out within the framework of OPERANDUM project (Grant no. 776848).
Jeetendra Sahani; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar. Heatwave risk for two regions of the UK: Aberdeenshire and South East England . 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleJeetendra Sahani, Sisay Debele, Prashant Kumar. Heatwave risk for two regions of the UK: Aberdeenshire and South East England . . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeetendra Sahani; Sisay Debele; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "Heatwave risk for two regions of the UK: Aberdeenshire and South East England ." , no. : 1.
The majority of people spend most of their time indoors, where they are exposed to indoor air pollutants. Indoor air pollution is ranked among the top ten largest global burden of a disease risk factor as well as the top five environmental public health risks, which could result in mortality and morbidity worldwide. The spent time in indoor environments has been recently elevated due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak when the public are advised to stay in their place for longer hours per day to protect lives. This opens an opportunity to low-cost air pollution sensors in the real-time Spatio-temporal mapping of IAQ and monitors their concentration/exposure levels indoors. However, the optimum selection of low-cost sensors (LCSs) for certain indoor application is challenging due to diversity in the air pollution sensing device technologies. Making affordable sensing units composed of individual sensors capable of measuring indoor environmental parameters and pollutant concentration for indoor applications requires a diverse scientific and engineering knowledge, which is not yet established. The study aims to gather all these methodologies and technologies in one place, where it allows transforming typical homes into smart homes by specifically focusing on IAQ. This approach addresses the following questions: 1) which and what sensors are suitable for indoor networked application by considering their specifications and limitation, 2) where to deploy sensors to better capture Spatio-temporal mapping of indoor air pollutants, while the operation is optimum, 3) how to treat the collected data from the sensor network and make them ready for the subsequent analysis and 4) how to feed data to prediction models, and which models are best suited for indoors.
Hamid Omidvarborna; Prashant Kumar. How low-cost air pollution sensors could make homes smarter? 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleHamid Omidvarborna, Prashant Kumar. How low-cost air pollution sensors could make homes smarter? . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHamid Omidvarborna; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "How low-cost air pollution sensors could make homes smarter?" , no. : 1.
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) refer to the sustainable management, protection and use of nature to preserve the ecosystem and prevent the loss of biodiversity. Given the multiple environmental, social, and economic benefits they provide to society, NBS have been increasingly promoted and implemented in cities, especially for air pollution mitigation and the improving of human thermal comfort and well-being. Several databases and web platforms already exist, which document these beneficial impacts of NBS in our cities by collecting and exposing existing NBS case studies and projects from around globe. However, the effort of cataloging and storing NBS data according to common and harmonized principles and standards seems yet sporadic and uncoordinated at the global and European level, especially in the context of natural hazard-related disasters. Nature-based solutions have been indeed recently emerged as viable and effective measures to mitigate the impacts of hydro-meteorological phenomena such as floods, landslide, etc. in both urban and rural environments, an aspect not often emphasized in the existing databases.
Driven by the ambition of overcoming these two main gaps, an innovative geo-catalogue of existing NBS has been developed within the framework of GeoIKP, the NBS web-platform newly created by the EU H2020 project OPERANDUM.
The geo-catalogue represents a comprehensive, geo-referenced, database of NBS case studies which are specifically designed to mitigate the risk and impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards, under a variety of environmental setting and hazard categories. It therefore represents a novel and open-access data source to learn about, and explore, the usability of NBS in fulfilling climate mitigation and adaptation objectives over a wide range of hydro-meteorological hazards.
Case studies collected from various resources (NBS platforms, scientific literature, technical reports, OPERANDUM living labs, etc.) are revised, classified and harmonized according to internationally recognized standard and classification schemes (e.g., INSPIRE legislation, MAES classification, etc.) which allow to characterize each NBS through a comprehensive set of parameters, including the type of hazard and ecosystem, the societal challenges and driving policies linked to it, the type of intervention and its spatial coverage, among many others.
The highly structured and comprehensive data model adopted here enables to query the database and/or filter the results based on a multitude of individual parameters which encompass all different dimensions of NBS (e.g. geophysical, societal, environmental, etc.). This not only allows for a straightforward and automatic association to one or more thematic aspects of NBS, but also enhances standardization, discoverability and interoperability of NBS data.
Laura S. Leo; Sisay Debele; Joy Ommer; Saša Vranić; Zahra Amirzada; Irina Pavlova; Edoardo Bucchignani; Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Prashant Kumar; Milan Kalas; Silvana Di Sabatino. Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Hazards: the OPERANDUM Database. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleLaura S. Leo, Sisay Debele, Joy Ommer, Saša Vranić, Zahra Amirzada, Irina Pavlova, Edoardo Bucchignani, Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah, Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri, Slobodan B. Mickovski, Prashant Kumar, Milan Kalas, Silvana Di Sabatino. Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Hazards: the OPERANDUM Database. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura S. Leo; Sisay Debele; Joy Ommer; Saša Vranić; Zahra Amirzada; Irina Pavlova; Edoardo Bucchignani; Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah; Alejandro Gonzalez-Ollauri; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Prashant Kumar; Milan Kalas; Silvana Di Sabatino. 2021. "Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Hazards: the OPERANDUM Database." , no. : 1.
Climate change is the most significant threat to life on Earth. It results from natural and anthropogenic emissions of air pollutants, especially greenhouse gases (GHGs), causing large-scale effects on the climate (IPCC, 2013). In other words, the complicated relationship between air pollution and climate change is primarily driven by GHGs (Von Schneidemesser et al., 2015; Xu and Lamarque, 2018). Water vapor, ozone (O3), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) are among the GHGs causing global warming, although the latter two account for 90% of GHGs and are primarily emitted by the burning of fossil fuels (Kumar and Imam, 2013; EPA, 2020; Kumar et al., 2020a). As depicted in Figure 1, air pollution and climate change are inextricably linked in terms of (i) emission sources, (ii) climate characteristics and chemistry, and (iii) mitigation measures. They both entail significant consequences for human health. For instance, particulate matter (PM) are not only associated with adverse health impacts (Heal et al., 2012) but also have a circuitous climatic impact, as they can serve as cloud buildup nuclei and thus influence climate forcing as well as meteorological phenomena, e.g., dissipating or capturing inward irradiation (Williams, 2012; Von Schneidemesser et al., 2015; Maione et al., 2016). Likewise, global temperature rise, drought, declining water resources, shrinking ice sheets, flooding and erosion in coastal areas, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and increasing extreme weather events present irrefutable evidence of global warming (Figure 1). Although these global issues are seen as distinct problems in numerous fields of research and policy, they are inevitably connected, and any alleviation policy in one area could affect circumstances in another (Von Schneidemesser et al., 2015), requiring a holistic approach to solutions. Figure 1. A simple schematic diagram showing the interconnections between air pollution, climate and human health. Global warming makes cities warmer, while urbanisation intensifies this process via urban heat island generation and aerosol radiative forcing. The consequences of interactions among climate change, the urban heat island effect, and air pollution are expected to increase the risk of poor human health in cities globally by the middle of the twenty-first century. Investigation into linkages between climate variables (e.g., temperature, relative humidity, air quality index) and health risks (e.g., mouth, foot and hand disease) revealed that the health impacts of climate change were more substantial in areas of lower air quality (Du et al., 2019). Air pollution affects atmospheric evaporation by increasing the volume of field occurrence irradiation in the climate system, which is the essential force for evaporation (Yao, 2017). In addition, it is suggested that high PM2.5 concentrations in earth's atmosphere may result in inadequate moisture for crop production. Furthermore, hotter metropolitan climates escalate the impacts of air contamination on mortality associated with pneumonia disease. In Hong Kong, the acute mortality effects of pneumonia have been found to increase with warmer weather and be further exacerbated during peak hours of air pollution, indicating that a hotter city climate due to global warming and urbanism may raise the risks of air contamination-pneumonia (e.g., Sun et al., 2019). In short, global warming and urban development are making metropolitan areas warmer and influencing the chemistry of urban air pollution. Climate change could influence the lifespan, dispersion, and associated health impacts of many different pollutants, including PM2.5 (e.g., Xu and Lamarque, 2018). Therefore, climate change and air pollution mitigation measures have ramifications for one another. For example, Shindell et al. (2012) highlighted 14 mitigation measures for specific air pollutants, such as black carbon and CH4, which can decrease anticipated global mean temperature by ~0.5°C by 2050 and enhance food security and human health simultaneously. A goal-oriented climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda has the potential to both protect our wellbeing and future, and to diminish the yearly seven million deaths from air pollution across the world (Schmale et al., 2014). Shindell et al. (2017) also suggested that decreasing short-lived climate pollutants over the coming 25 years can significantly lower the anticipated 0.5°C change in future climate scenarios as a near-term target, as well as offering numerous possible co-benefits in terms of accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The contemporary overconsumption of energy is one central cause of GHG emissions and, subsequently, global warming and climate change. Developing a sustainable energy program and effectively managing natural resources are key to tackling this issue. Other important steps include reducing the demand for energy generated from fossil fuels, improving the efficiency of products over the life cycle, reusing and recycling materials where prudent, and switching to cleaner fuels in the transportation sector. Global warming will have tremendous ramifications for people's wellbeing, particularly in terms of water- and vector-borne contagious diseases (Shuman, 2010). The routes through which climate change and related variabilities influence human health are connected to different social, natural, biological and economic factors. At the same time, the development, spread, and endurance of pathogens play an important role in disease transmission (Figure 2). Global warming could pose hazards to human health and wellbeing by triggering rises in extreme weather and climate-related events (e.g., droughts, heatwaves, floods) and air pollution (Rahmstorf and Coumou, 2011; Watts et al., 2015). The geography of ecological effects and impacts on the wellbeing of climate change-driven pollutants are inconsistent (Adger, 2006). In...
Prashant Kumar. Climate Change and Cities: Challenges Ahead. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 2021, 3, 1 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar. Climate Change and Cities: Challenges Ahead. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. 2021; 3 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar. 2021. "Climate Change and Cities: Challenges Ahead." Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 3, no. : 1.
Green infrastructure (GI) is effective in reducing PM concentrations in near-road environments, but how such reductions in concentration compared with relative respiratory deposition doses (RDDs) is rarely discussed. We quantified variations in RDD in the presence of three GI types (trees, hedges and tree-hedge combinations), and compared them with PM reduced by the GI under different wind directions and seasons through the assessment of data collected during multiple field campaigns. We also studied three scenarios (sitting, walking, running) to investigate RDD in adults and children during different possible activities in the presence of GI at public parks or gardens or in front of houses. Finally, we illustrated particle mass distribution before and after different GI configurations to explore the reasons for variations in RDD. Changes in RDD displayed a trend of %ΔRDDPM10 > %ΔRDDPM2.5 = %ΔRDDPM1, compared to the changes in PM concentrations of %ΔPM1 > %ΔPM10 > %ΔPM2.5. A maximum reduction (25%) in RDD was observed for PM10 in the presence of the tree-hedge combination, and this combination emerged as the most effective GI type in lowering the RDD. The changes in ratios of mass median diameter and deposition fraction of roughly ±0.2 before and after the GI led to differences between %∆PM and %∆RDD. Cross-winds (perpendicular to road direction) led to greater variations between %∆PM and %∆RDD, whereas parallel winds (along the road) led to similar variations in %∆RDD and %∆PM. Particle mass distributions revealed the absence of a peak around particle diameter 2.5 μm in the presence of GI. The highest difference in RDD behind GI was observed in the presence of a hedge-tree combination during different physical activities.
K. V. Abhijith; Prashant Kumar. Evaluation of respiratory deposition doses in the presence of green infrastructure. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health 2021, 14, 911 -924.
AMA StyleK. V. Abhijith, Prashant Kumar. Evaluation of respiratory deposition doses in the presence of green infrastructure. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. 2021; 14 (6):911-924.
Chicago/Turabian StyleK. V. Abhijith; Prashant Kumar. 2021. "Evaluation of respiratory deposition doses in the presence of green infrastructure." Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health 14, no. 6: 911-924.
Street canyons are generally highly polluted urban environments due to high traffic emissions and impeded dispersion. Green infrastructure (GI) is one potential passive control system for air pollution in street canyons, yet optimum GI design is currently unclear. This review consolidates findings from previous research on GI in street canyons and assesses the suitability of different GI forms in terms of local air quality improvement. Studies on the effects of various GI options (trees, hedges, green walls, green screens and green roofs) are critically evaluated, findings are synthesised, and possible recommendations are summarised. In addition, various measurement methods used for quantifying the effectiveness of street greening for air pollution reduction are analysed. Finally, we explore the findings of studies that have compared plant species for pollution mitigation. We conclude that the influences of different GI options on air quality in street canyons depend on street canyon geometry, meteorological conditions and vegetation characteristics. Green walls, green screens and green roofs are potentially viable GI options in existing street canyons, where there is typically a lack of available planting space. Particle deposition to leaves is usually quantified by leaf washing experiments or by microscopy imaging techniques, the latter of which indicates size distribution and is more accurate. The pollutant reduction capacity of a plant species largely depends on its macromorphology in relation to the physical environment. Certain micromorphological leaf traits also positively correlate with deposition, including grooves, ridges, trichomes, stomatal density and epicuticular wax amount. The complexity of street canyon environments and the limited number of previous studies on novel forms of GI in street canyons mean that offering specific recommendations is currently unfeasible. This review highlights a need for further research, particularly on green walls and green screens, to substantiate their efficacy and investigate technical considerations.
Mamatha Tomson; Prashant Kumar; Yendle Barwise; Pascal Perez; Hugh Forehead; Kristine French; Lidia Morawska; John F. Watts. Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons. Environment International 2020, 146, 106288 .
AMA StyleMamatha Tomson, Prashant Kumar, Yendle Barwise, Pascal Perez, Hugh Forehead, Kristine French, Lidia Morawska, John F. Watts. Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons. Environment International. 2020; 146 ():106288.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMamatha Tomson; Prashant Kumar; Yendle Barwise; Pascal Perez; Hugh Forehead; Kristine French; Lidia Morawska; John F. Watts. 2020. "Green infrastructure for air quality improvement in street canyons." Environment International 146, no. : 106288.
Urban Heat Island (UHI) is posing a significant challenge due to growing urbanisations across the world. Green infrastructure (GI) is popularly used for mitigating the impact of UHI, but knowledge on their optimal use is yet evolving. The UHI effect for large cities have received substantial attention previously. However, the corresponding effect is mostly unknown for towns, where appreciable parts of the population live, in Europe and elsewhere. Therefore, we analysed the possible impact of three vegetation types on UHI under numerous scenarios: baseline/current GI cover (BGI); hypothetical scenario without GI cover (HGI-No); three alternative hypothetical scenarios considering maximum green roofs (HGR-Max), grasslands (HG-Max) and trees (HT-Max) using a dispersion model ADMS-Temperature and Humidity model (ADMS-TH), taking a UK town (Guildford) as a case study area. Differences in an ambient temperature between three different landforms (central urban area, an urban park, and suburban residential area) were also explored. Under all scenarios, the night-time (0200 h; local time) showed a higher temperature increase, up to 1.315 °C due to the lowest atmospheric temperature. The highest average temperature perturbation (change in ambient temperature) was 0.563 °C under HGI-No scenario, followed by HG-Max (0.400 °C), BGI (0.343 °C), HGR-Max (0.326 °C) and HT-Max (0.277 °C). Furthermore, the central urban area experienced a 0.371 °C and 0.401 °C higher ambient temperature compared with its nearby suburban residential area and urban park, respectively. The results allow to conclude that temperature perturbations in urban environments are highly dependent on the type of GI, anthropogenic heat sources (buildings and vehicles) and the percentage of land covered by GI. Among all other forms of GI, trees were the best-suited GI which can play a viable role in reducing the UHI. Green roofs can act as an additional mitigation measure for the reduction of UHI at city scale if large areas are covered.
Arvind Tiwari; Prashant Kumar; Gopinath Kalaiarasan; Thor-Bjørn Ottosen. The impacts of existing and hypothetical green infrastructure scenarios on urban heat island formation. Environmental Pollution 2020, 274, 115898 .
AMA StyleArvind Tiwari, Prashant Kumar, Gopinath Kalaiarasan, Thor-Bjørn Ottosen. The impacts of existing and hypothetical green infrastructure scenarios on urban heat island formation. Environmental Pollution. 2020; 274 ():115898.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArvind Tiwari; Prashant Kumar; Gopinath Kalaiarasan; Thor-Bjørn Ottosen. 2020. "The impacts of existing and hypothetical green infrastructure scenarios on urban heat island formation." Environmental Pollution 274, no. : 115898.
Particulate matter (PM) is a crucial health risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The smaller size fractions, ≤2.5μm (PM2.5; fine particles) and ≤0.1μm (PM0.1; ultrafine particles), show the highest bioactivity but acquiring sufficient mass for in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies is challenging. We review the suitability of available instrumentation to collect the PM mass required for these assessments. Five different microenvironments representing the diverse exposure conditions in urban environments are considered in order to establish the typical PM concentrations present. The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and PM0.1 were found near traffic (i.e. roadsides and traffic intersections), followed by indoor environments, parks and behind roadside vegetation. We identify key factors to consider when selecting sampling instrumentation. These include PM concentration on-site (low concentrations increase sampling time), nature of sampling sites (e.g. indoors; noise and space will be an issue), equipment handling and power supply. Physicochemical characterisation requires micro- to milli-gram quantities of PM and it may increase according to the processing methods (e.g. digestion or sonication). Toxicological assessments of PM involve numerous mechanisms (e.g. inflammatory processes and oxidative stress) requiring significant amounts of PM to obtain accurate results. Optimising air sampling techniques are therefore important for the appropriate collection medium/filter which have innate physical properties and the potential to interact with samples. An evaluation of methods and instrumentation used for airborne virus collection concludes that samplers operating cyclone sampling techniques (using centrifugal forces) are effective in collecting airborne viruses. We highlight that predictive modelling can help to identify pollution hotspots in an urban environment for the efficient collection of PM mass. This review provides guidance to prepare and plan efficient sampling campaigns to collect sufficient PM mass for various purposes in a reasonable timeframe.
Prashant Kumar; Gopinath Kalaiarasan; Alexandra E. Porter; Alessandra Pinna; Michał M. Kłosowski; Philip Demokritou; Kian Fan Chung; Christopher Pain; D.K. Arvind; Rossella Arcucci; Ian M. Adcock; Claire Dilliway. An overview of methods of fine and ultrafine particle collection for physicochemical characterisation and toxicity assessments. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 756, 143553 .
AMA StylePrashant Kumar, Gopinath Kalaiarasan, Alexandra E. Porter, Alessandra Pinna, Michał M. Kłosowski, Philip Demokritou, Kian Fan Chung, Christopher Pain, D.K. Arvind, Rossella Arcucci, Ian M. Adcock, Claire Dilliway. An overview of methods of fine and ultrafine particle collection for physicochemical characterisation and toxicity assessments. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 756 ():143553.
Chicago/Turabian StylePrashant Kumar; Gopinath Kalaiarasan; Alexandra E. Porter; Alessandra Pinna; Michał M. Kłosowski; Philip Demokritou; Kian Fan Chung; Christopher Pain; D.K. Arvind; Rossella Arcucci; Ian M. Adcock; Claire Dilliway. 2020. "An overview of methods of fine and ultrafine particle collection for physicochemical characterisation and toxicity assessments." Science of The Total Environment 756, no. : 143553.