Estimating health and economic benefits of reductions in air pollution from agriculture

Health impact of policies to reduce agriculture-related air pollutants in the UK: The relative contribution of change in PM2.5 exposure and diets to morbidity and mortality

Food systems can negatively impact health outcomes through unhealthy diets and indirectly through ammonia emissions originating from agricultural production, which contribute to air pollution and consequently cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes. In the UK, ammonia emissions from agriculture have not declined in the same way as other air pollutants in recent years. We applied a novel integrated modelling framework to assess the health impacts from six ammonia reduction scenarios to 2030: two agriculture scenarios - a "Current trends" scenario projecting current mitigation measures to reflect a low ambition future, and "High ambition mitigation" based on measures included in the Climate Change Committee's Balanced Pathway to Net Zero; three dietary scenarios - a "Business as usual" based on past trajectories, "Fiscal" applying 20% tax on meat and dairy and 20% subsidy on fruit and vegetables, and "Innovation" applying a 30% switch to plant-based alternatives; one combination of "High ambition mitigation" and "Innovation". Compared to "Current trends", the "High ambition mitigation" scenario would result in a reduction in premature mortality of 13,000, increase life years by 90,000 and reduce incidence of respiratory diseases by 270,000 cases over a 30 year period. Compared to Business as Usual, the dietary scenarios would reduce the number of premature deaths by 65,000 and 550,000-600,000 life years gained over 30 years, with most of the benefits gained by reducing ischemic heart disease (incidence reduction: 190,000). The "High ambition combination" would lead to 67,000 deaths averted, 536,000 incidence reductions and 650,000 life-years gained. For all scenarios, older age groups and those living in lower income households would experience the greatest benefits, because of higher underlying mortality rates or higher levels of risk factors. Our study shows that combining mitigation policies targeting agricultural production systems with diet-related policies would lead to significant reductions in emissions and improvement in health outcomes.

MXene Supported Surface Plasmon Polaritons for Optical Microfiber Ammonia Sensing

The properties of surface plasmons are notoriously dependent on the supporting materials system. However, new capabilities cannot be obtained until the technique of surface plasmon enabled by advanced two-dimensional materials is well understood. Herein, we present the experimental demonstration of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) supported by single-layered MXene flakes (Ti3C2Tx) coating on an optical microfiber and its application as an ammonia gas sensor. Enabled by its high controllability of chemical composition, unique atomistically thin layered structure, and metallic-level conductivity, MXene is capable of supporting not only plasmon resonances across a wide range of wavelengths but also a selective sensing mechanism through frequency modulation. Theoretical modeling and optics experiments reveal that, upon adsorbing ammonia molecules, the free electron motion at the interface between the SiO2 microfiber and the MXene coating is modulated (i.e., the modulation of the SPPs under applied light), thus inducing a variation in the evanescent field. Consequently, a wavelength shift is produced, effectively realizing a selective and highly sensitive ammonia sensor with a 100 ppm detection limit. The MXene supported SPPs open a promising path for the application of advanced optical techniques toward gas and chemical analysis.

Chemical characterization of volatile organic compounds emitted by animal manure

Animal manure is considered a valuable organic fertilizer due to its important nutrient content enhancing soil fertility and plant growth in agriculture. Besides its beneficial role as fertilizer, animal manure represents a significant source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), playing a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. Understanding the composition of VOCs Understanding VOCs from animal manure is crucial for assessing their environmental impact, as they can cause air pollution, odors, and harm to human health and ecosystems. Laboratory studies enhance field measurements by providing a precise inventory of manure emissions, addressing gaps in existing literature. Both approaches complement each other in advancing our understanding of manure emissions. In this context, we conducted an experimental study involving various animal manures (cow, horse, sheep, and goat) taken from a farm in Grignon (near Paris, France). We employed atmospheric simulation chambers within a controlled laboratory environment. The analysis of VOCs involved the combination of Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole ion guide-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-QiTOF-MS) and Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Using PTR-QiTOF-MS, 368 compounds were detected and quantified within the manure samples. The complementary analysis by TD-GC-MS enhanced our identification of VOCs. Our findings revealed various chemical groups of VOCs, including oxygenated compounds (e.g., ethanol, cresol, acetaldehyde, etc.), nitrogenated compounds (ammonia, trimethylamine, etc.), sulfur compounds (methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, etc.), aromatic compounds (phenols and indoles), terpenes (isoprene, D-limonene, etc.) and halogenated compounds. Cow manure exhibited the highest VOC emission fluxes, followed by goat, sheep, and horse manures. Notably, oxygenated VOCs were dominant contributors to total VOC emission fluxes in all samples. Statistical analysis highlighted the distinct nature of cow manure emissions, characterized by oxygenated compounds and nitrogenated compounds. In addition, goat manure was isolated from the other samples with high emissions of compounds having both oxygen and nitrogen atoms in their molecular formulas (e.g., CH3NO2). The experimental dataset obtained in this study provides an inventory reference for both VOCs and their emission fluxes in animal manures. Furthermore, it highlights odorant compounds and VOCs that serve as atmospheric aerosol precursor. Future studies can explore the effectiveness of various manure treatment methods to promote sustainable agriculture practices.

Inorganic PM2.5 reduction in Kanto, Japan: The role of ammonia and its emission sources control strategies

Ammonia (NH3) is attracting attention as a carbon-free energy source and a significant precursor to inorganic PM2.5 (hereafter PM2.5), aside from NOx and SOx. Since the emission of NH3 has often been overlooked compared to NOx and SOx, this study aims to reveal the role of NH3 and its emission control on PM2.5 in Kanto, Japan. With the aid of gas ratio (GR) quantitatively defining the stoichiometry between the three precursors to PM2.5, and the aid of atmospheric modeling software ADMER-PRO, coupled with thermodynamics calculations, the spatiotemporal distribution along with PM2.5 reduction under different NH3 emission cutoff strategies in Kanto had been revealed for the first time. The cutoff of NH3 emission could effectively reduce the PM2.5 concentration, with sources originated from agriculture, human/pet activities, and vehicle sources, overall giving a 93.32% PM2.5 reduction. Different cutoff strategies lead to distinct reduction efficiencies of the overall and local PM2.5 concentrations, with GR as a crucial factor. The regions with GR ∼1, are sensitive to the NH3 concentration for forming PM2.5, at which the NH3 reduction strategies should be applied with high priority. On the other hand, installing a new NH3 emission source should be avoided in the region with GR < 1, suppressing the so-yielded PM2.5 pollution. The future PM2.5 pollution control related to the NH3 emission control strategies based on GR, which is stoichiometry-based and applicable to regions other than Kanto, has been discussed.

The effect of education expenditure on air pollution: Evidence from China

Education expenditure is essential in mitigating air pollution, but the relationship between education expenditure and air pollution lacks in-depth discussion. Utilizing data at the county level in China during 2007-2021, this study estimates the effect of education expenditure from local governments on air pollution. Our findings demonstrate that education expenditure significantly and negatively affects air pollution, which remains robust after addressing endogeneity. The mechanism analysis presents that education expenditure reduces air pollution through the composition, technique, and income effects. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of education expenditure exhibits marked regional heterogeneity. Specifically, the role of education expenditure is significant in strong regulation, key, eastern, and central regions. By considering interaction terms, we identify the moderating effects of human capital, economic development, infrastructure construction, and public service for education expenditure. The cost-benefit analysis emphasizes that education expenditure improves social welfare. Our findings can inspire local governments to place more emphasis on air quality and public education expenditure.

Source apportionment of atmospheric ammonia in suburban Beijing revealed through 15N-stable isotopes

Addressing the urgent issue of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) emissions is crucial in combating poor air quality in megacities. Previous research has highlighted the significant contribution of nonagricultural sources, particularly fossil fuel emissions, to urban NH3 levels. However, there is limited assessment of NH3 dynamics in suburban areas. This study focuses on four suburban sites in Beijing, covering a 16 to 22-month observation period, to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of NH3 concentrations. The δ15N-stable isotope method is employed to identify NH3 sources and their contributions. Our results demonstrate that agricultural sources (53 %) dominate atmospheric NH3 emissions in suburban areas of Beijing, surpassing nonagricultural sources, and primarily emanate from local sources. Notably, fertilizer application (37 ± 11 %) and livestock breeding (32 ± 6 %) emerge as the primary contributors in summer and spring, respectively, leading to significantly elevated NH3 concentrations during these seasons. Even in autumn and winter, both agricultural (49 %) and nonagricultural (51 %) sources contribute almost equally to NH3 emissions. This study emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts to control atmospheric NH3 pollution in Beijing City, with particular attention to addressing both vehicular and agricultural emissions.

Health burden associated with tillage-related PM2.5 pollution in the United States, and mitigation strategies

Exposure to airborne particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In agriculture, the practice of tilling generates PM2.5 emissions that can jeopardize human health. This paper estimates the annual deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from CVD and COPD attributable to PM2.5 emissions from corn, soybean, cotton, and wheat tillage in the contiguous United States. Primary PM2.5 from crop-tillage combination was calculated using values obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Emissions Inventory, 2017, while deaths and DALYs estimates were calculated using data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation's global burden of risk factors study, the US decennial census, and the US Centers for Disease Control. We also propose and implement a conceptual framework for identifying the optimal subsidy upon accounting for health benefits arising from reducing conventional tillage, and we discuss strategies to achieve conservation tillage. Annual PM2.5 emissions from crop tillage is about 0.25 million tons. We estimate that approximately 1000 annual deaths and 22,000 DALYs from CVD, as well as 300 annual deaths and 7400 DALYs from COPD, were attributable to tillage-related PM2.5 emissions. Tillage related primary PM2.5 emissions contribute about 0.002 % of total CVD and COPD deaths in the United States, and its related health economic value loss is about 12.9 billion USD annually. About 350 annual deaths may be averted upon a shift from conventional to conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is generally adopted when the pecuniary and soil health benefits exceed those from adopting intensive tillage. Agricultural policies and on-farm measures that may help reduce intensive tillage, and the related PM2.5 emissions, include subsidies for adopting conservation tillage and carbon capture credits, use of herbicides and herbicide-tolerant crops, protecting herbicide-tolerance traits, planting cover crops, and use of windbreaks.

The global and regional air quality impacts of dietary change

Air pollution increases cardiovascular and respiratory-disease risk, and reduces cognitive and physical performance. Food production, especially of animal products, is a major source of methane and ammonia emissions which contribute to air pollution through the formation of particulate matter and ground-level ozone. Here we show that dietary changes towards more plant-based flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets could lead to meaningful reductions in air pollution with health and economic benefits. Using systems models, we estimated reductions in premature mortality of 108,000-236,000 (3-6%) globally, including 20,000-44,000 (9-21%) in Europe, 14,000-21,000 (12-18%) in North America, and 49,000-121,000 (4-10%) in Eastern Asia. We also estimated greater productivity, increasing economic output by USD 0.6-1.3 trillion (0.5-1.1%). Our findings suggest that incentivising dietary changes towards more plant-based diets could be a valuable mitigation strategy for reducing ambient air pollution and the associated health and economic impacts, especially in regions with intensive agriculture and high population density.

Source appointment and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in paddy grain from Thailand and Laos

Rice is a staple meal for the majority of Asians. However, human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from paddy grain is largely unknown in Thailand and Laos. Therefore, information on the quantitative measurement and assessment of the health problems caused by PAHs was analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of total PAHs in paddy grain in Thailand and Laos were 38.86 ± 5.13 and 11.35 ± 1.96 ng g^-1, respectively. The highest concentration of PAHs in Thailand was B[k]F, whereas D[a,h]A was found to be the highest in Laos. A p-value less than 0.05 was defined, which showed B[b]F and B[k]F from Thailand and Laos were significant, which indicated that they could be from a different pollutant source. The main finding of this study, which was supported by the diagnostic ratios of PAHs and HCA, was that the primary source of PAHs was assumed to be incomplete combustion of petroleum products, which was caused by the burning of industrial fuels or vehicle exhausts, as well as open burning. The findings suggest that these two nations have similar PAH origins. Agricultural waste burning and transportation emissions are well-known sources of PAHs in Thailand and Laos. The cancer risk assessment method was based on the accumulation of PAHs from paddy grains. An ILCR of 1.0E-06 to 1.0E-04 was considered a tolerable limit of cancer risk, while a risk > 1.0E-04 was considered a concern in terms of cancer risk. The findings indicated that while PAH emissions exist, their contribution to global toxicity may be anticipated to be low in inhalation exposure. The higher values of ingestion and dermal risk estimated were regarded as the tolerable limit of cancer risk in children and adults from both countries, indicating that cancer risk in both nations falls within the "acceptable level" range.

Potential health and economic impacts of shifting manufacturing from China to Indonesia or India

The diversification or decoupling of production chains from China to alternative Asian countries such as India or Indonesia would impact the spatial distribution of anthropogenic emissions, with corresponding economic impacts due to mortality associated with particulate matter exposure. We evaluated these changes using the Community Earth System Model, the Integrated Exposure-Response (IER) model and Willingness To Pay (WTP) method. Significant effects on PM_2.5 related mortality and economic cost for these deaths were seen in many East, Southeast and South Asian countries, particularly those immediately downwind of these three countries. Transferring all of export-related manufacturing to Indonesia resulted in significant mortality decreases in China and South Korea by 78k (5 per 100k) and 1k (2 per 100k) respectively, while Indonesia's mortality significantly increased (73.7k; 29 per 100k), as well as India, Pakistan and Nepal. When production was transferred to India, mortality rates in East Asia show similar changes to the Indonesian scenario, while mortalities in India increased dramatically (87.9k; 6 per 100k), and mortalities in many neighbors of India were also severely increased. Nevertheless, the economic costs for PM_2.5 related mortality were much smaller than national GDP changes in China (0.9 % of GDP vs. 18.3 % of GDP), India (2.7 % of GDP vs. 84.3 % of GDP) or Indonesia (9.4 % of GDP vs. 337 % of GDP) due to shifting all of export-related production lines from China to India or Indonesia. Morally, part of the benefits of economic activity should be used to compensate the neighboring communities where mortality increases occur.

Air pollution-induced health impacts and health economic losses in China driven by US demand exports

Understanding how trade between regions or countries drives the transfer of air pollution has attracted considerable interest recently, but few studies have explored the various transfer pathways or evaluated economic losses due to the health impact of such air pollution. Here, we assess the air pollutant emissions and related health impacts and economic losses in China caused by export trade due to US demand by combining the linked multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model, GEOS-Chem model, integrated exposure-response model, and the willingness to pay method. We show that the air pollutant emissions embedded in China's export due to the US demand reached 5792.38 Kt in 2012 (2.48% of the total), which includes direct exports of intermediate (40.27%) and final (33.61%) products and indirect exports of intermediate products via domestic provinces (16.43%, domestic spillover) and other countries (9.69%, foreign spillover). The resulting increase in PM_2.5 (<2.8 μg m^-3) leads to additional 27,963 deaths in 30 provinces, with a higher death toll in coastal areas and the corresponding economic loss was higher in more developed regions and reached USD 2.08 billion. This study highlights the region-different air pollution and health impacts in China embedded in the US-demand trade, and provides a framework for the analysis of health and economic losses hidden in global trade, particularly between developing and developed countries.

Optimization and modeling of ammonia nitrogen removal from anaerobically digested liquid dairy manure using vacuum thermal stripping process

During anaerobic digestion (AD) of liquid dairy manure, organic nitrogen converts to ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and subsequently escalates the NH₃-N concentrations in manure. Among different available NH₃-N removal processes treating anaerobically digested liquid dairy manure (ADLDM), vacuum thermal stripping is reported to be an effective technique. However, none of the studies have performed multi-parameter optimization, which is of utmost significance in maximizing process efficiency. In this study, critical operational parameters for vacuum thermal stripping of NH₃-N from ADLDM were optimized and modeled for the first time via integrating grey relational analysis (GRA)-based Taguchi design, response surface methodology (RSM), and RSM-artificial neural network (ANN). The initial experimental trials conducted using the GRA coupled with Taguchi L₁₆ orthogonal array revealed the order of influence of the process parameters on NH₃-N removal as vacuum pressure (kPa) > temperature (°C) > treatment time (min) > mixing speed (rpm) > pH. The values of the first three most influential operating parameters were then further optimized and modeled using RSM and RSM-ANN models. Under the optimized conditions (temperature: 69.6 °C, vacuum pressure: 43.5 kPa, and treatment time: 87.65 min), the NH₃-N removal efficiency of 93.58 ± 0.59 % was experimentally observed and was in line with the RSM and RSM-ANN models' predicted values. While the RSM-ANN model showed a better prediction potential than did the RSM model when compared statistically. Moreover, the nutrient contents (nitrogen, N and sulfur, S) of the recovered NH₃-N as ammonium sulfate ((NH₄)₂SO₄) were in reasonable agreement with the market-available (NH₄)₂SO₄ fertilizer. The results presented in this study provide important insights into improving the treatment process performance and will help design and operate future pilot- and full-scale vacuum thermal stripping processes in dairy farms.

Ammonia emissions from agriculture and their contribution to fine particulate matter: A review of implications for human health

Atmospheric ammonia (NH₃) released from agriculture is contributing significantly to acidification and atmospheric NH₃ may have on human health is much less readily available. The potential direct impact of NH₃ on the health of the general public is under-represented in scientific literature, though there have been several studies which indicate that NH₃ has a direct effect on the respiratory health of those who handle livestock. These health impacts can include a reduced lung function, irritation to the throat and eyes, and increased coughing and phlegm expulsion. More recent studies have indicated that agricultural NH₃ may directly influence the early on-set of asthma in young children. In addition to the potential direct impact of ammonia, it is also a substantial contributor to the fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) fraction (namely the US and Europe); where it accounts for the formation of 30% and 50% of all PM_2.5 respectively. PM_2.5 has the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and cause long term illnesses such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Hence, PM_2.5 causes economic losses which equate to billions of dollars (US) to the global economy annually. Both premature deaths associated with the health impacts from PM_2.5 and economic losses could be mitigated with a reduction in NH₃ emissions resulting from agriculture. As agriculture contributes to more than 81% of all global NH₃ emissions, it is imperative that food production does not come at a cost to the world's ability to breathe; where reductions in NH₃ emissions can be easier to achieve than other associated pollutants.

Air pollutant emissions from global food systems are responsible for environmental impacts, crop losses and mortality

Food systems are important contributors to global emissions of air pollutants. Here, building on the EDGAR-FOOD database of greenhouse gas emissions, we estimate major air pollutant compounds emitted by different stages of the food system, at country level, during the past 50 years, resulting from food production, processing, packaging, transport, retail, consumption and disposal. Air pollutant estimates from food systems include total nitrogen and its components (N₂O, NH₃ and NO_x), SO₂, CO, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) and particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, black carbon and organic carbon). We show that 10% to 90% of air pollutant emissions come from food systems, resulting from steady increases over the past five decades. In 2018, more than half of total N (and 87% of ammonia) emissions come from food systems and up to 35% of particulate matter. Food system emissions are responsible for about 22.4% of global mortality due to poor air quality and 1.4% of global crop production losses.

Volatilisations of ammonia from the soils amended with modified and nitrogen-enriched biochars

Biochar's capacity to abate NH₃ emissions from fertilised agricultural soils may be enhanced through both modifications and formulation of slow-release biochar-based N fertilisers but there is a dearth of data in this area. Sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) were used to modify biochars which are denoted as BSAD, BHPO and BKOH, respectively. Nitrogen (N) enrichment was performed using urea and ammonium nitrate and the enriched biochars are denoted as BUR and BAN, respectively. The biochars were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ammonia abatement potentials of both the modified and N-enriched biochars were assessed in the incubation experiments which lasted for 30 days. Urea was used as a control while non-modified biochar (PrBC) was included for comparison. Compared to the control, PrBC, BKOH, BHPO, BSAD, BUR and BAN attenuated gaseous NH₃ emissions by 57.62%, 63.06%, 73.23% and 74.85%, 79.93% and 82.88%, respectively. Biochar modifications increased the content of oxygen containing surface groups especially carboxyl and sulphoxide in the case of BSAD as depicted from the instrumental analysis data, which most probably increased the sorption of NH₃ and its transformation to nitrates thus, resulting in a higher NH₃ abatement capacity than that of PrBC. XPS data indicated that N-enrichment resulted in reactions of N with the surface groups of biochar which slowed its release, concomitantly lowering NH₃ volatilisation better than even the modified biochars.

Assessment of PM2.5-related health effects: A comparative study using multiple methods and multi-source data in China

In China, PM_2.5 pollution has caused extensive death and economic loss. Thus, an accurate assessment of the spatial distribution of these losses is crucial for delineating priority areas for air pollution control in China. In this study, we assessed the PM_2.5 exposure-related health effects according to the integrated exposure risk function and non-linear power law (NLP) function in 338 prefecture-level cities in China by utilizing online monitoring data and the PM_2.5 Hindcast Database (PHD). Our results revealed no significant difference between the monitoring data and PHD (p value = 0.66 > 0.05). The number of deaths caused by PM_2.5-related Stroke (cerebrovascular disease), ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer at the national level estimated through the NLP function was 0.27 million (95% CI: 0.06-0.50), 0.23 million (95% CI: 0.08-0.38), 0.31 million (95% CI: 0.04-0.57), and 0.31 million (95% CI: 0.16-0.40), respectively. The total economic cost at the national level in 2016 was approximately US$80.25 billion (95% CI: 24.46-132.25). Based on a comparison of Z statistics, we propose that the evaluation results obtained using the NLP function and monitoring data are accurate. Additionally, according to scenario simulations, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin, and other cities should be priority areas for PM_2.5 pollution control to achieve considerable health benefits. Our statistics can help improve the accuracy of PM_2.5-related health effect assessments in China.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Air Quality, and PM2.5 Reduction-Induced Health Benefits: A Comparative Study for Three Significant Periods in Beijing

Previous studies have estimated the influence of control measures on air quality in the ecological environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few have attached importance to the comparative study of several different periods and evaluated the health benefits of PM2.5 decrease caused by COVID-19. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the control measures' impact on air pollutants in 16 urban areas in Beijing and conducted a comparative study across three different periods by establishing the least squares dummy variable model and difference-in-differences model. We discovered that restriction measures did have an apparent impact on most air pollutants, but there were discrepancies in the three periods. The Air Quality Index (AQI) decreased by 7.8%, and SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO concentrations were lowered by 37.32, 46.76, 53.22, 34.07, and 19.97%, respectively, in the first period, while O3 increased by 36.27%. In addition, the air pollutant concentrations in the ecological environment, including O3, reduced significantly, of which O3 decreased by 7.26% in the second period. Furthermore, AQI and O3 concentrations slightly increased compared to the same period in 2019, while other pollutants dropped, with NO2 being the most apparent decrease in the third period. Lastly, we employed health effects and environmental value assessment methods to evaluate the additional public health benefits of PM2.5 reduction owing to the restriction measures in three periods. This research not only provides a natural experimental basis for governance actions of air pollution in the ecological environment, but also points out a significant direction for future control strategies.

Coordinated health effects attributable to particulate matter and other pollutants exposures in the North China Plain

Hebei Province, located in the North China Plain (NCP) and encircling Beijing and Tianjin, has been suffering from severe air pollution. The monthly average fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentration was up to 276 μg/m³ in Hebei Province, which adversely affects human health. However, few studies evaluated the coordinated health impact of exposure to PM (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) and other key air pollutants (SO₂, NO₂, CO, and surface ozone (O₃)). In this study, we systematically analyzed the health risks (both mortality and morbidity) due to multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province. The economic loss associated with these health consequences was estimated using the value of statistical life (VSL) and cost of illness (COI) methods. Our results show the health burden and economic loss attributable to multiple ambient air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province is substantial. In 2017, the total premature mortality from multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province was 69,833 (95% CI: 55,549-83,028), which was 2.9 times higher than that of the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). Most of the potential economic loss (79.65%) was attributable to premature mortality from air pollution. The total economic loss due to the health consequences of multiple air pollutants exposures was 175.16 (95% CI: 134.61-224.61) billion Chinese Yuan (CNY), which was 4.92% of Hebei Province's annual gross domestic product (GDP). Thus, the adverse health effects and economic loss caused by exposure to multiple air pollutants should be seriously taken into consideration. To alleviate these damages, Hebei's government ought to establish more stringent measures and regulations to better control air pollution.

Evaluating PM2.5 -Related health costs in China-Evidence from 140 Chinese cities

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, China's economy has grown rapidly, and the health condition of Chinese residents has significantly improved. However, this rapid economic and social development has also brought a series of environmental problems, such as serious haze pollution, of which the main contents are PM_2.5 particles. The objective of this study is to quantitatively estimate the PM_2.5 -related health costs in China.

METHODS

Based on city-level data from 140 major Chinese cities as well as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta city clusters in 2010, the value of a statistical life method based on willingness to pay was employed. Moreover, global and local Moran's I values were calculated to examine the spatial distribution of the health cost of haze pollution in China.

RESULTS

In areas with heavy haze pollution or a high level of economic development, residents' health costs will also be higher. In addition, there is a spatial aggregation phenomenon in the spatial distribution of health costs in China, which is mainly in the form of "high-high" aggregation, with high-value cities converging with other high-value cities.

CONCLUSIONS

The health cost of haze pollution in China is very considerable, and there are regional differences.

Enhancements in Ammonia and Methane from Agricultural Sources in the Northeastern Colorado Front Range Using Observations from a Small Research Aircraft

Quantifying ammonia (NH₃) to methane (CH₄) enhancement ratios from agricultural sources is important for understanding air pollution and nitrogen deposition. The northeastern Colorado Front Range is home to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that produce large emissions of NH₃ and CH₄. Isolating enhancements of NH₃ and CH₄ in this region due to agriculture is complicated because CAFOs are often located within regions of oil and natural gas (O&NG) extraction that are a major source of CH₄ and other alkanes. Here, we utilize a small research aircraft to collect in situ 1 Hz measurements of gas-phase NH₃, CH₄, and ethane (C₂H₆) downwind of CAFOs during three flights conducted in November 2019. Enhancements in NH₃ and CH₄ are distinguishable up to 10 km downwind of CAFOs with the most concentrated portions of the plumes typically below 0.25 km AGL. We demonstrate that NH₃ and C₂H₆ can be jointly used to separate near-source enhancements in CH₄ from agriculture and O&NG. Molar enhancement ratios of NH₃ to CH₄ are quantified for individual CAFOs in this region, and they range from 0.8 to 2.7 ppbv ppbv^-1. A multivariate regression model produces enhancement ratios and quantitative regional source contributions that are consistent with prior studies.

Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Health Impact and Economic Loss upon Exposure to PM2.5 in China

Exposure to PM_2.5 can seriously endanger public health. Policies for controlling PM_2.5 need to consider health hazards under different circumstances. Unlike most studies on the concentration, distribution, and influencing factors of PM_2.5, the present study focuses on the impact of PM_2.5 on human health. We analysed the spatial-temporal evolution of health impact and economic loss caused by PM_2.5 exposure using the log-linear exposure-response function and benefit transfer method. The results indicate that the number of people affected by PM_2.5 pollution fluctuated and began to decline after reaching a peak in 2014, benefiting from the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. Regarding the total economic loss, the temporal pattern continued to rise until 2014 and then declined, with an annual mean of 86,886.94 million USD, accounting for 1.71% of China’s GDP. For the spatial pattern, the health impact and economic loss show a strong spatial correlation and remarkable polarisation phenomena, with high values in East China, North China, Central China, and South China, but low values in Southwest China, Northwest China, and Northeast China. The spatial-temporal characterisation of PM_2.5 health hazards is visualised and analysed accordingly, which can provide a reference for more comprehensive and effective policy decisions.

OUP accepted manuscript

Healthy soil is foundational to human health. Healthy soil is needed to grow crops, provides food, and sustains populations. It supports diverse ecosystems and critical ecological services such as pollination. It stores water and prevents floods. It captures carbon and slows global climate change. Soil pollution is a great and growing threat to human health. Soil may be polluted by heavy metals, organic chemicals such as pesticides, biological pathogens, and micro/nanoplastic particles. Pollution reduces soil's ability to yield food. It results in food crop contamination and disease. Soil pollutants wash into rivers causing water pollution. Deforestation causes soil erosion, liberates sequestered pollutants, and generates airborne dust. Pollution of air, water, and soil is responsible for at least 9 million deaths each year. More than 60% of pollution-related disease and death is due to cardiovascular disease. Recognizing the importance of pollution to human health, the European Commission and the EU Action Plan for 2050: A Healthy Planet for All, have determined that air, water, and soil pollution must be reduced to levels that cause no harm to human or ecosystem health. We are thus required to create a toxic-free environment, respect the concept of a safe operating space for humanity, and sustain the health of our planet for future generations. This review article summarizes current knowledge of the links between soil health and human health and discusses the more important soil pollutants and their health effects.

Voisin Rational Grazing as a Sustainable Alternative for Livestock Production

Current livestock practices do not meet current real-world social and environmental requirements, pushing farmers away from rural areas and only sustaining high productivity through the overuse of fossil fuels, causing numerous environmental side effects. In this narrative review, we explore how the Voisin Rational Grazing (VRG) system responds to this problem. VRG is an agroecological system based on four principles that maximise pasture growth and ruminant intake, while, at the same time, maintaining system sustainability. It applies a wide range of regenerative agricultural practices, such as the use of multispecies swards combined with agroforestry. Planning allows grazing to take place when pastures reach their optimal resting period, thus promoting vigorous pasture regrowth. Moreover, paddocks are designed in a way that allow animals to have free access to water and shade, improving overall animal welfare. In combination, these practices result in increased soil C uptake and soil health, boost water retention, and protect water quality. VRG may be used to provide ecosystem services that mitigate some of the current global challenges and create opportunities for farmers to apply greener practices and become more resilient. It can be said that VRG practitioners are part of the initiatives that are rethinking modern livestock agriculture. Its main challenges, however, arise from social constraints. More specifically, local incentives and initiatives that encourage farmers to take an interest in the ecological processes involved in livestock farming are still lacking. Little research has been conducted to validate the empirical evidence of VRG benefits on animal performance or to overcome VRG limitations.

Impact of manure compost amendments on NH3 volatilization in rice paddy ecosystems during cultivation

Livestock manure has been widely used in agriculture to improve soil productivity and quality. However, intensive application can significantly enhance soil nitrogen (N) availability and facilitate ammonia (NH₃) volatilization during rice cultivation. The effects of different rates of manure application on the NH₃ volatilization rate, its mechanism, and their relationships have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, field trials were conducted to investigate NH₃ volatilization in rice paddy soils amended with different livestock manure, cattle manure (CM), and swine manure (SM), at a rate of 0 (NPK), 10, 20, and 40 Mg ha^-1 during cultivation. Moreover, the soil physicochemical and biological properties and rice N uptake were investigated. Ultra-fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) was measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Manure application significantly increased NH₃ emissions compared to the control. Much higher volatilization rates were observed in the SM soils than in the CM soils, even when the same amount of N was applied. This is mainly related to the higher labile NH₄⁺ concentration and urease activity in SM soils. With increasing application levels, NH₃ emission rates proportionally increased in the SM, but there was no significant difference in the CM. Livestock manure application significantly increased NH₃ volatilization, particularly during the initial manure application and additional fertilization stages during rice cultivation. The results showed that the application of livestock manure significantly increased NH₃ volatilization. Moreover, the biochemical properties of manure composts, including labile N and urease activity, mainly affected NH₃ dynamics in rice paddies during cultivation rather than their type. Irrespective of manure application, PM_2.5, did not show a significant difference at the initial stage of cultivation. NH₃ volatilization was not significantly correlated with the formation of PM_2.5. It is necessary to develop effective strategies for mitigating NH₃ volatilization and maintaining soil quality without decreasing rice productivity in paddy ecosystems.

NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in ambient PM2.5-related metabolic disorders in diabetic model mice but not in wild-type mice

AIMS

To explore the role of nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5)-related metabolic disorders.

METHODS

In this study, the C57BL/6 and db/db mice were exposed to concentrated PM_2.5 or filtered air (FA) using Shanghai Meteorological and Environmental Animal Exposure System (Shanghai-METAS) for 12 weeks. Indices of lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were measured, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that PM_2.5 exposure increased circulatory insulin, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in both C57BL/6 and db/db mice. The levels of NLRP3-related circulatory inflammatory cytokines including both interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1β in serum were increased in the PM_2.5-exposed mice and accompanied by the elevation in fasting blood glucose and insulin. The results also showed that exposure to PM_2.5 promoted the activation of NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), simultaneously accompanied by the increase of IL-18 and IL-1β expression in VAT, but the statistically significant difference only found in the db/db mice, not in C57BL/6 mice.

CONCLUSION

The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome might be not the main mechanism of PM_2.5-related metabolic disorders in wide type mice but it partly mediated the exacerbation of metabolic disorders in diabetic model mice.

Health and economic impacts from PM2.5 pollution transfer attributed to domestic trade in China: a provincial-level analysis

In recent years, severe air pollution has had a serious impact on the health and economy of residents and has attracted great attention. Due to the spatial separation between consumption and production, the transfer of PM_2.5 pollution and its health and economic effects caused by interprovincial trade have not been taken seriously. In this study, economic, atmospheric, and epidemiological models were combined to assess air pollution transfer and its health and economic impacts that are attributed to provincial trade in China. The analyses were performed under the PM_2.5 transfer scenario in which economically developed areas in eastern China transferred many health and economic impacts to inland areas through interprovincial trade in 2012. As a result of interprovincial trade, 1980 (95% CI 0, 4114) extra deaths and 208,000 (95% CI 74.5, 395.6) additional illnesses accrued, but 0.184 (95% CI 0.017, 0.372) billion USD of residents' economic loss was avoided in China. The results illustrate the serious impact of domestic trade on regional health and economics. It is necessary to comprehensively consider supply chains in designing policies to mitigate the negative health and economic impacts of air pollution across China.

Slow pyrolysis liquid in reducing NH3 emissions from cattle slurry - Impacts on plant growth and soil organisms

A substantial percentage of manure nitrogen (N) can be lost as gaseous ammonia (NH₃) during storage and field spreading. Lowering slurry pH is a simple and accepted method for preserving its N. Efficiency of slow pyrolysis liquid (PL) produced from birch (Betula sp.) as an acidifying agent, and its ability to reduce NH₃ emissions following surface application of cattle slurry, was studied in a field experiment. Untreated slurry (US) and slurries acidified with PL and sulfuric acid (SA) were applied to the second harvest of a grass ley. Immediate NH₃ emissions, grass biomass, N-yield and possible toxic impacts on soil nematodes and enchytraeids were examined. Furthermore, the effects on soil respiration, nitrogen dynamics and seed germination were studied in subsequent laboratory experiments. In the field, over one third of the water-extractable ammonium-N (NH₄-N) applied was lost through NH₃ volatilization from US. SA and PL acidified slurries reduced NH₃-N emission rate equally from 3.4 to <0.04 kg ha^-1 h^-1. Acidification with SA resulted in the highest and that with PL in the lowest grass dry matter (DM) and N yield. Neither SA nor PL acidification had negative effects on soil enchytraeids or nematodes. Reduced yield production, seed germination and delayed microbial activity after PL slurry application were most probably caused by the PL containing organic compounds. However, later increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) production and improved seed germination suggest that these compounds were rapidly volatilized and/or degraded by soil microbes. Though PL efficiently cut NH₃ emission from surface-spread slurry, further studies on appropriate application methods and possible phytotoxicity are needed.

Health Cost Estimation of Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Assessing the Pollution Reduction Potential of Zero-Emission Vehicles in Toronto, Canada

Fossil fuel vehicles, emitting air toxics into the atmosphere, impose a heavy burden on the economy through additional health care expenses and ecological degradation. Air pollution is responsible for millions of deaths and chronic and acute health problems every year, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The fossil-fuel-based transportation system releases tons of toxic gases into the atmosphere putting human health at risk, especially in urban areas. This analysis aims to determine the economic burden of environmental and health impacts caused by Highway 401 traffic. Due to the high volume of vehicles driving on the Toronto Highway 401 corridor, there is an annual release of 3771 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). These emissions are mainly emitted onsite through the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel. The integration of electric and hydrogen vehicles shows maximum reductions of 405–476 g CO2e per vehicle-kilometer. Besides these carbon dioxide emissions, there is also a large amount of hazardous air pollutants. To examine the impact of air pollution on human health, the mass and concentrations of criteria pollutants of PM2.5 and NOx emitted by passenger vehicles and commercial trucks on Highway 401 were determined using the MOVES2014b software. Then, an air dispersion model (AERMOD) was used to find the concentration of different pollutants at the receptor’s location. The increased risk of health issues was calculated using hazard ratios from literature. Finally, the health cost of air pollution from Highway 401 traffic was estimated to be CAD 416 million per year using the value of statistical life, which is significantly higher than the climate change costs of CAD 55 million per year due to air pollution.

Transdisciplinary research and clinical priorities for better health

Modern medicine makes it possible for many people to live with multiple chronic diseases for decades, but this has enormous social, financial, and environmental consequences. Preclinical, epidemiological, and clinical trial data have shown that many of the most common chronic diseases are largely preventable with nutritional and lifestyle interventions that are targeting well-characterized signaling pathways and the symbiotic relationship with our microbiome. Most of the research priorities and spending for health are focused on finding new molecular targets for the development of biotech and pharmaceutical products. Very little is invested in mechanism-based preventive science, medicine, and education. We believe that overly enthusiastic expectations regarding the benefits of pharmacological research for disease treatment have the potential to impact and distort not only medical research and practice but also environmental health and sustainable economic growth. Transitioning from a primarily disease-centered medical system to a balanced preventive and personalized treatment healthcare system is key to reduce social disparities in health and achieve financially sustainable, universal health coverage for all. In this Perspective article, we discuss a range of science-based strategies, policies, and structural reforms to design an entire new disease prevention-centered science, educational, and healthcare system that maximizes both human and environmental health.

Spatial Spillover Effects of Air Pollution on the Health Expenditure of Rural Residents: Based on Spatial Durbin Model

Background: Air pollution is one source of harm to the health of residents, and the impact of air pollution on health expenditure has become a hot topic worldwide. However, few studies aim at the spatial spillover effects of air pollution on the health expenditure of rural residents (HE-RR), including the impact on the health expenditure in neighboring areas. Objective: Based on the existing research, this paper further introduces the spatial dimension and uses the Spatial Durbin model to discuss the impact of environmental pollution on the health expenditure of rural residents (HE-RR). Methods: Based on provincial panel data during 2002–2015 in China, the Spatial Durbin model was used to investigate the spatial spillover effect of the average annual concentration of PM2.5 (AAC-PM2.5) on the health expenditure of rural residents (HE-RR). Results: There was a significant positive correlation between AAC-PM2.5 and health expenditure of rural residents (HE-RR) in neighboring areas at a significant level of 5% (COEF: 2.546, Z: 2.340), that is, AAC-PM2.5 has a spatial spillover effect on PC-HE-RR in neighboring areas, and the spatial spillover effect is greater than the direct effect. The migration and diffusion of PM2.5 pollution will affect the air quality of neighboring areas, leading to the health risk not only from the local PM2.5 pollution but also the nearby PM2.5 pollution. Conclusion: The results show a significant positive relationship between air pollution and HE-RR in neighboring areas, and the spatial spillover effect is greater than the direct effect.

Spatiotemporal assessment of health burden and economic losses attributable to short-term exposure to ground-level ozone during 2015-2018 in China

BACKGROUND

Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution is currently the one of the severe environmental problems in China. Although existing studies have quantified the O3-related health impact and economic loss, few have focused on the acute health effects of short-term exposure to O3 and have been limited to a single temporal and spatial dimension.

METHODS

Based on the O3 concentration obtained from ground monitoring networks in 334 Chinese cities in 2015-2018, this study used a two-stage exposure parameter weighted Log-linear exposure-response function to estimate the cause-specific mortality for short-term exposure to O3.

RESULTS

The value of statistical life (VSL) method that were used to calculate the economic loss at the city-level. Our results show that in China, the national all-cause mortality attributed to O3 was 0.27(95% CI: 0.14-0.55) to 0.39 (95% CI: 0.20-0.67) million across 2015-2018. The estimated economic loss caused by O3 was 387.76 (95% CI: 195.99-904.50) to 594.08 (95% CI: 303.34-1140.65) billion CNY, accounting for 0.52 to 0.69% of total reported GDP. Overall, the O3 attributed health and economic burden has begun to decline in China since 2017. However, highly polluted areas still face severe burden, and undeveloped areas suffer from high GDP losses.

CONCLUSIONS

There are substantial health impacts and economic losses related to short-term O3 exposure in China. The government should pay attention to the emerging ozone pollution, and continue to strengthen the intervention in traditional priority areas while solving the pollution problem in non-priority areas.

Air quality-related health damages of food

Agriculture is a major contributor to air pollution, the largest environmental risk factor for mortality in the United States and worldwide. It is largely unknown, however, how individual foods or entire diets affect human health via poor air quality. We show how food production negatively impacts human health by increasing atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and we identify ways to reduce these negative impacts of agriculture. We quantify the air quality-related health damages attributable to 95 agricultural commodities and 67 final food products, which encompass >99% of agricultural production in the United States. Agricultural production in the United States results in 17,900 annual air quality-related deaths, 15,900 of which are from food production. Of those, 80% are attributable to animal-based foods, both directly from animal production and indirectly from growing animal feed. On-farm interventions can reduce PM2.5-related mortality by 50%, including improved livestock waste management and fertilizer application practices that reduce emissions of ammonia, a secondary PM2.5 precursor, and improved crop and animal production practices that reduce primary PM2.5 emissions from tillage, field burning, livestock dust, and machinery. Dietary shifts toward more plant-based foods that maintain protein intake and other nutritional needs could reduce agricultural air quality-related mortality by 68 to 83%. In sum, improved livestock and fertilization practices, and dietary shifts could greatly decrease the health impacts of agriculture caused by its contribution to reduced air quality.

Co-benefits of changing diet. A modelling assessment at the regional scale integrating social acceptability, environmental and health impacts

Several commentaries have suggested that the overconsumption of animal foods exerts several detrimental effects on human and environmental health. However, no studies have accurately estimated the impact of a reduction in animal food consumption on mortality due to the direct effects on metabolic health (i.e. animal protein and saturated fat intake as modulators of pathways leading to cardiovascular disease, cancer and accelerated ageing), and indirect effects on health due to excessive exposure to pollutants (i.e. PM₁₀ concentrations originated by livestock ammonia emissions). The proposed modelling approach is innovative since it integrates social acceptability, environmental and health impacts. It is adopted to investigate different scenarios at a regional scale presenting the Lombardy region case study. The work focuses on the impact on the human and environmental health of diets characterized by three different animal protein intake levels. Our integrated assessment modelling approach faces the issue from two points of view. On one side, it estimates the mortality due to the population exposure to PM₁₀ concentrations including the inorganic fraction originated by livestock ammonia emissions, on the other, it evaluates the mortality (i.e. total, cardiovascular and cancer) due to high dietary animal protein and/or saturated fat intake. The impacts of the mentioned animal protein intake levels of diets are also estimated through the people willingness to change their eating behaviour. The importance of putting in place end-of-pipe and energy measures in order to reduce ammonia and methane emissions from the breeding activities, going further the current EU legislation on air quality and climate, is emphasized.

A Simple Technique Based on Digital Images for Determination of Nitrogen Dioxide in Ambient Air

The lockdown to prevent the coronavirus spread resulted in an immediate reduction in gas concentration worldwide. This fact shows the importance of nitrogen dioxide as a pollutant gas directly associated with human activities. For indoor exposure, NO₂ has been associated with effects on the respiratory system. In outdoor environments, ozone reaches a maximum after NO₂ peaks, and acid rain arises with NO₂ oxidation to forms nitric acid. Therefore, monitoring the NO₂ concentration in atmospheric air can help prevent respiratory diseases and lower the concentration of other atmospheric pollutants. The experiment proposed in this article uses a low-cost passive sampler for the NO₂ collection. An innovative and straightforward technique to determine the gas concentration through a gel-dyed formation and based on digital image analysis RGB colors channel are split by the software ImageJ. Results of digital image analysis and spectrophotometry were statistically agreed at a 95% confidence level. The advantages of the technique include low cost, the ready availability of components, ease of use, and sensitivity. The achievable resolution of nitrogen dioxide concentrations is 9 ppb for 24-h sampling.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11270-021-05031-4.

Economic, social and political issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic

This article contributes to the assessment of public policies to control the incidence of COVID-19 in several ways. (1) It contains a brief historical and comparative overview of selected pandemics, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) It provides a simple original model which could be used to prioritize the admission of COVID-19 sufferers to hospital (taking into account available hospital capacity) and (3) it specifies a second model to evaluate desired social choices involving the trade-off between the severity of social restrictions (taking into account their impact on the incidence of COVID-19) and the level of economic activity. Bergson-type welfare functions are utilized in the second model. It also critically examines the proposition that the isolation (lockdown) of social groups is a desirable method of limiting the incidence of COVID-19. This leads onto the consideration of the extent to which personal freedom of choice (liberty) ought to be restricted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A brief outline follows illustrating the factors that are likely to hinder economic recovery from COVID-19. Particular attention is paid to the moral and ethical questions raised by policies to control COVID-19. These appear to have received little attention in the relevant economic literature.

A mixed-methods community-based participatory research to explore stakeholder's perspectives and to quantify the effect of crop residue burning on air and human health in Central India: study protocol

Background

Crop residue burning adversely affects air quality and consequently human health. India, being one of the largest agro-economies of the world, produces around 500 Million tonnes of crop residue annually most of which is burnt on-farm. However, integrated studies that simultaneously quantify the effects of crop residue burning while exploring the subjective determinants of the practice are lacking in India. This paper describes the protocol for a longitudinal mixed methods research study employing a community-based participatory approach to fill this gap.

Methods

Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected in a rural setting of the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh, over 1 year. A steering committee comprising of the research team and community representatives will be formed. The proportion of cultivable land burnt in one crop burning season will be estimated. The association between crop residue burning, level of ambient air pollutants, and pulmonary function of village residents will be determined. Focus groups, interviews, and participatory rural appraisal methods will be used to explore stakeholder perspectives about crop residue burning. Potential barriers and opportunities for substituting burning with an alternative crop residue management technique will be ascertained as the basis for future interventions. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (No: NIREH/BPL/IEC/2019–20/1494, dt 06/01/2020).

Discussion

This manuscript describes the protocol for a novel community-based participatory study to investigate thoroughly the phenomenon of crop residue burning from the perspective of the agricultural community through their active collaboration. The lack of comprehensive evidence regarding the factors responsible for crop residue burning in India underlines the importance of implementing this study protocol to fill in this critical gap in knowledge. While acknowledging that findings of this study will be not generalizable to agricultural communities other than the one studied, it is expected that the study will generate baseline evidence that might be beneficial in developing and implementing an appropriate intervention strategy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-020-09844-6.

Assessing NO2-related health effects by non-linear and linear methods on a national level

Exposure to NO₂ pollution has a significant adverse effect on residents' health. However, few studies have assessed the health effects associated with NO₂ pollution. Compared with PM_2.5 pollution, the harmfulness of NO₂ pollution has not been quantitatively studied or clearly identified. In this study, we assessed the NO₂ exposure-related health effects by non-linear and linear methods, taking advantage of online monitoring and survey data. We also assessed the economic cost of NO₂ pollution in 338 cities in China. Our results showed that the average annual concentration of NO₂ in the top fifteen cities with more than ten million permanent residents (except for Shenzhen, in the Guangdong province) exceeded the annual Grade II standards (40 μg/m³). The estimated national NO₂-related all-cause mortality for non-linear and linear methods were 388.5 × 10³ (95% CI: 198.1 × 10³-748.2 × 10³) and 374.1 × 10³ (95% CI: 194.3 × 10³-695.9 × 10³), respectively. The total calculated national economic cost was about 28.8 billion US$ (95% CI: 14.7-55.4) in 2016. In addition, the comparison results showed that the harm caused by PM_2.5 pollution was about four times that of NO₂ pollution. Our statistics contribute to the limited research on NO₂ pollution's effects on health and the economy in China.

Fossil Energy Use, Climate Change Impacts, and Air Quality-Related Human Health Damages of Conventional and Diversified Cropping Systems in Iowa, USA

Cropping system diversification can reduce the negative environmental impacts of agricultural production, including soil erosion and nutrient discharge. Less is known about how diversification affects energy use, climate change, and air quality, when considering farm operations and supply chain activities. We conducted a life cycle study using measurements from a nine-year Iowa field experiment to estimate fossil energy (FE) use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, PM_2.5-related emissions, human health impacts, and other agronomic and economic metrics of contrasting crop rotation systems and herbicide regimes. Rotation systems consisted of 2-year corn-soybean, 3-year corn-soybean-oat/clover, and 4-year corn-soybean-oat/alfalfa-alfalfa systems. Each was managed with conventional and low-herbicide treatments. FE consumption was 56% and 64% lower in the 3-year and 4-year rotations than in the 2-year rotation, and GHG emissions were 54% and 64% lower. Diversification reduced combined monetized damages from GHG and PM_2.5-related emissions by 42% and 57%. Herbicide treatment had no significant impact on environmental outcomes, while corn and soybean yields and whole-rotation economic returns improved significantly under diversification. Results suggest that diversification via shifting from conventional corn-soybean rotations to longer rotations with small grain and forage crops substantially reduced FE use, GHG emissions, and air quality damages, without compromising economic or agronomic performance.

Societal benefits of halving agricultural ammonia emissions in China far exceed the abatement costs

Mitigating agricultural ammonia (NH₃) emissions in China is urgently needed to avoid further damage to human and ecosystem health. Effective and feasible mitigation strategies hinge on integrated knowledge of the mitigation potential of NH₃ emissions and the associated economic costs and societal benefits. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of marginal abatement costs and societal benefits for NH₃ mitigation in China. The technical mitigation potential of agricultural NH₃ emissions is 38–67% (4.0–7.1 Tg N) with implementation costs estimated at US$ 6–11 billion. These costs are much lower than estimates of the overall societal benefits at US$ 18–42 billion. Avoiding unnecessary fertilizer use and protein-rich animal feed could provide 30% of this mitigation potential without additional abatement costs or decreases in agricultural productivity. Optimizing human diets with less animal-derived products offers further potential for NH₃ reduction of 12% by 2050.

Global largest agricultural ammonia (NH₃) emissions in China have caused severe damage to both ecosystem and human health, yet no policy is formulated to reduce NH₃ emissions. Here, the authors show that halving agricultural NH₃ emissions with feasible technical mitigation options in China generates far more societal benefits than abatement costs.

Public health benefits of optimizing urban industrial land layout - The case of Changsha, China

In China, ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) causes a large health burden and raises specific concerns for policymakers. However, assessments of the health effects associated with air pollution from industrial land layouts remain inadequate. This study established a comprehensive assessment framework to quantify the health and economic impacts of PM_2.5 exposure at different industrial geographical locations. This framework aims to optimize the spatial distribution of industrial emissions to achieve the lowest public health costs in Changsha, a representative industrial city in China. Health effects were estimated by applying the integrated exposure-response model and a long-range pollution dispersion model (CALPUFF). The value of statistical life (VSL) was used to monetize health outcomes. It was found that implementing an optimal industrial land layout can yield considerable social and financial benefits. Compared with the current industrial space layout, in 2030, the averted contribution by Changsha's industrial sector to PM_2.5-related mortality and corresponding economic losses will be 60.8% and 0.69 billion US dollars (USD), respectively. The results of optimization analyses highlighted that population density and emission location are significant factors affecting the health burden. This method can identify the optimal geographical allocation of industrial land with minimal expected health and economic burden. These results will also provide policymakers with a measurable assessment of health risks related to industrial spatial planning and the associated health costs to enhance the effectiveness of efforts to improve air quality.

External Costs of Agriculture Derived from Payments for Agri-Environment Measures: Framework and Application to Switzerland

The costs of unintended side effects of agriculture such as water pollution cannot be directly observed in markets. However, the values society places on healthy agricultural environments are increasingly reflected in payments to farmers for measures to avoid or reduce environmental damage. This paper presents a framework for estimating external costs of agriculture from payment rates of agri-environment measures addressing specific externality issues. The framework is applied to the broad range of agri-environment measures implemented in Swiss agricultural policy. Estimates of external costs are derived for emissions of greenhouse gases, ammonia, nitrate and pesticides, soil erosion, habitat deficits, and animal suffering. The total external costs of Swiss agriculture are estimated at CHF 3.651 billion (CHF 3494 per hectare) when the calculations are based on the agri-environment measures’ average avoidance costs and of CHF 5.560 billion (CHF 5321 per hectare) when the calculations are based on highest observed avoidance costs. Potential applications include internalization policies, evaluations of agri-environment support, and integrated environmental and economic accounting.

Mitigation strategies for reducing air pollution

Today, it is increasingly recognized that air pollution hurts human health. Consequently, efficient mitigation strategies need to be implemented for substantial environmental and health co-benefits. A valid approach to reducing the air pollution effects on the environment and human health is proposed. Specific guidelines have been elucidated by differentiating them on the base of the final stakeholders (citizens, enterprises, and public authorities), of the emission sources (transport, household energy, industry, and energy generation sector, agriculture, and shipping area), and of the field of implementation (urban and extra-urban context). This paper can provide useful information for governments for the implementation of a strategic plan focused on emphasizing multi-pollutant emission reductions and overall air pollution-related risk.

Measured ammonia emissions from tropical and subtropical pastures: A comparison with 2006 IPCC, 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC, and EMEP/EEA (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme and European Environmental Agency) inventory estimates

Agriculture is the largest source of ammonia (NH₃) emissions. As NH₃ is an indirect greenhouse gas, NH₃ measurements are crucial to improving greenhouse gas emission inventory estimates. Moreover, NH₃ emissions have wider implications for environmental and human health. Only a few studies have measured NH₃ emissions from pastures in the tropics and subtropics and none has compared emissions to inventory estimates. The objectives of this study were to (1) measure NH₃ emissions from dairy pastures in tropical and subtropical regions; (2) calculate NH₃ emissions factors (EF) for each campaign; and (3) compare measured EF with those based on the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1, 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Tier 1, and the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme/European Environmental Agency (EMPE/EEA) Tier 2 inventory estimates. Pasture NH₃ emissions were measured on 3 dairy farms in Costa Rica. On each dairy, NH₃ emissions were measured twice during the wet season and once during the dry season using a micrometeorological integrated horizontal-flux mass-balance method. Emissions were measured from excreta (dung and urine) deposited by grazing cattle and the subsequent application of organic (slurry) or synthetic fertilizer (ammonium nitrate or urea). Measured EF for all campaigns [from grazing cattle excreta and any subsequent slurry or fertilizer application; 4.9 ± 0.9% of applied nitrogen (mean ± SE)] were similar to those of the EMEP/EEA Tier 2 approach (6.1 ± 0.9%; mean ± SE) and 4 times lower than 2006 IPCC and 2019 Refinement to 2006 IPCC Tier 1 default estimates (17.7 ± 1.4 and 18.2 ± 0.9%, respectively; mean ± SE). Measured EF for excreta deposited on pasture and excreta both deposited on pasture and slurry application [3.9 ± 2.1 and 4.2 ± 2.1% (mean ± 95% CI), respectively] were 5 times lower than default EF assumed by 2006 IPCC and 2019 Refinement to 2006 IPCC methodology (both 20 and 21%, respectively), whereas EMEP/EAA estimates were similar [6.0 and 4.6 ± 0.3% (mean ± 95% CI), respectively]. This suggests an overestimation of EF from excreta deposited on pasture and slurry applications in tropical and subtropical regions by IPCC methodologies. Furthermore, rainfall, which is not included as a parameter in the current EMEP/EEA Tier 2 methodology, appeared to reduce NH₃ emissions, suggesting that accounting for this in the inventory methodologies could improve inventory estimates.

Estimating health burden and economic loss attributable to short-term exposure to multiple air pollutants in China

Existing studies focused on the evaluation of health burden of long-term exposure to air pollutants, whereas limited information is available on short-term exposure, particularly in China. Air pollutant concentrations in 338 Chinese cities in 2017 were used to estimate the air pollutants related health burden which was defined as premature mortalities from all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory disease as well as hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Log-linear model was used as the exposure-response function to estimate the health burden attributable to each air pollutant. The value of statistical life and cost of illness methods were used to estimate economic loss of the premature mortalities and hospital admissions, respectively. The national all-cause premature mortalities attributable to all air pollutants was 1.35 million, accounting for 17.2% of reported deaths in China in 2017. Among all-cause premature mortality, contributions of PM_2.5, PM_2.5-10, NO₂, SO₂, O₃ and CO were11.1%, 5.2%, 28.9%, 9.6%, 23.0%, and 22.2%, respectively. The national cardiovascular and respiratory premature mortalities were 0.77 and 0.21 million, respectively. About 7.8 million cardiovascular and respiratory disease hospital admissions were attributed to short-term exposure to all air pollutants. The economic loss of the overall health burden (premature mortality and hospital admissions) was 2065.54 billion Yuan, which was equivalent to 2.5% of the national GDP in 2017. The health burden and economic loss attributable to short-term exposure to ambient air pollutant are substantial in China. It suggested that the adverse health effects attributable to short-term exposure to air pollutant should not be neglected in China. In order to reduce the health impact of air pollution, each city should develop air pollution prevention and control measures based on existing scientific evidence.

Did Haze Pollution Harm the Quality of Economic Development?—An Empirical Study Based on China’s PM2.5 Concentrations

Based on the PM2.5 haze data of China’s provinces between 2004–2016, this paper systematically explores the impact of haze pollution on the quality of China’s economic development, as well as its transmission mechanisms. This is achieved by measuring the quality of economic development with total factor productivity. Furthermore, this paper innovatively uses precipitation as an instrumental variable for mitigating the endogeneity of the haze pollution variable, by which the impact of haze pollution on the quality of China’s economic development is estimated within the framework of two-stage least squares. It is found that: the haze pollution has degraded the quality of China’s economic development significantly; the labor supply loss, counter urbanization and human capital disruption are the three major transmission channels through which haze pollution affects the quality of China’s economic development; strengthening government’s environmental management is effective in mitigating the adverse impact of haze pollution on the economic development quality; and that China’s unique fiscal decentralization system has exacerbated the negative economic effect of haze pollution. The policy implications of this paper are as follows: Improvement of economic development quality is a prerequisite for the transition of economic development mode; and the governmental management of haze is conducive to enhancing the quality of atmospheric environment and economic development, and to promoting the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.

Temporal characteristics and vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia and ammonium in winter in Beijing

To understand the temporal characteristics and vertical distributions of ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium (NH₄) in urban Beijing, we conducted ground-based and tower-based measurements of gaseous NH₃ and submicron aerosol composition. The average mixing ratio of NH₃ was 16.5 ± 7.4 ppb, ranging from 3.8 to 36.9 ppb. Gas-to-particle partitioning of NH_x (=NH₃ + NH₄) played a significant role on NH₃ concentration as the molar ratio of NH₃ to NH_x decreased as a function of NH₄ concentration. The NH₃ concentrations increased as a function of PM₁ at lower levels (<125 μg m^-3), but remained relatively constant at higher PM and NH₄ levels, indicating an enhanced gas-to-particle conversion of NH₃ during highly polluted conditions. The potential sources of NH_x were found to include fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning. Regional transport could also play an important role on NH₃ concentration during the formation stage of haze episodes due to particle-to-gas conversion. Four distinctive types of vertical profiles (87% of the time) of both NH₃ and fine particle light extinction coefficient (b_ext) were observed and they were associated with well-mixed atmosphere, fast accumulation of local emissions, regional transport aloft, and the formation of low urban boundary layer, respectively. However, the vertical profiles of NH₃ typically (96% of the time) showed a more homogeneous characteristic than those of b_ext below 260 m, except periods with both strong temperature inversion and large aerosol gradient, the formation of urban boundary layer shall cause a significant transition in the vertical distribution of NH₃ below 260 m. During highly polluted situations (PM₁ > 125 μg m^-3), the strong effect of gas-to-particle partitioning of NH_x sometimes (7% of the time) caused opposite trends in vertical profiles of NH₃ and b_ext.

Comparison of health and economic impacts of PM2.5 and ozone pollution in China

Many studies have reported associations between air pollution and health impacts, but few studies have explicitly differentiated the economic effects of PM_2.5 and ozone at China's regional level. This study compares the PM_2.5 and ozone pollution-related health impacts based on an integrated approach. The research framework combines an air pollutant emission projection model (GAINS), an air quality model (GEOS-Chem), a health model using the latest exposure-response functions, medical prices and value of statistical life (VSL), and a general equilibrium model (CGE). Results show that eastern provinces in China encounter severer loss from PM_2.5 and more benefit from mitigation policy, whereas the lower income western provinces encounter severer health impacts and economic burdens due to ozone pollution, and the impact in southern and central provinces is relatively lower. In 2030, without control policies, PM _2.5 pollution could lead to losses of 2.0% in Gross Domestic Production (GDP), 210 billion Chinese Yuan (CNY) in health expenditure and a life loss of around 10,000 billion, while ozone pollution could contribute to GDP loss by 0.09% (equivalent to 78 billion CNY), 310 billion CNY in health expenditure, and a life loss of 2300 billion CNY (equivalent to 2.7% of GDP). By contrast, with control policies, the GDP and VSLs loss in 2030 attributable to ambient air pollution could be reduced significantly. We also find that the health and economic impacts of ozone pollution are significantly lower than PM_2.5, but are much more difficult to mitigate. The Chinese government should promote air pollution control policies that could jointly reduce PM_2.5 and ozone pollution.

Characterization of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Swine Manure Biogas Digestate Storage

Livestock manure is one of the major sources of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions; however, characteristics of VOCs emitted from biogas digestate (BD) storage, which is a common manure practice, remain unclear. The objective of this study was to characterize VOC emissions during BD storage through the dynamic emission vessel method, to identify the VOC emissions that have potential odor and/or toxic effects. The results revealed the detection of 49 VOCs with seven classes, whose total concentration varied from 171.35 to 523.71 μg m−3. The key classes of the 49 VOCs included Oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), olefins and halogenated hydrocarbons. The top four compositions, accounting for 74.38% of total VOCs (TVOCs), included ethanol, propylene, acetone and 2-butanone. The top four odorous VOCs, accounting for only 5.15% of the TVOCs, were toluene, carbon disulfide, ethyl acetate and methyl sulfide, with the concentration ranging from 13.25 to 18.06 μg m−3. Finally, 11 main hazardous air pollutant VOCs, accounting for 32.77% of the TVOCs, were propylene, 2-butanone, toluene, methyl methacrylate, etc., with the concentration ranging from 81.05 to 116.96 μg m−3. Results could contribute to filling the knowledge gaps in the characteristics of VOC emissions from biogas digestate (BD), and provide a basis for exploring mitigation strategies on odor and hazardous air pollutions.

Exploring the economy-wide effects of agriculture on air quality and health: Evidence from Europe

Agricultural emissions strongly contribute to fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) and associated effects on human health. Environmentally-extended input-output models and a regional atmospheric chemistry model (WRF-Chem) were combined to conduct an economy-wide assessment of air pollution and pre-mature mortality in the European Union (EU), associated with a 20% increase in the final demand for the output of the agricultural sector. Model results revealed significant differences in air pollution originating from agricultural growth across the 28 EU countries (EU-28). The highest impact of agricultural growth on PM2.5 concentrations occur over the Northern Balkan countries (Bulgaria and Romania) and northern Italy. However, the highest excess mortality rates in the EU-28 due to changes in emissions and enhanced PM2.5 concentrations are observed in Malta, Greece, Spain and Cyprus. The least affected countries are mostly located in the northern part of Europe, with the exception of the Scandinavian Countries, which have relatively good air quality under current conditions. Our integrated modelling framework results highlight the importance of capturing both the direct and indirect air pollution emissions of economic sectors via upstream supply chains and underscore the non-linear response of surface PM2.5 levels and their health impacts to emission fluxes.