1
|
Kumar P, Debele SE, Khalili S, Halios CH, Sahani J, Aghamohammadi N, Andrade MDF, Athanassiadou M, Bhui K, Calvillo N, Cao SJ, Coulon F, Edmondson JL, Fletcher D, Dias de Freitas E, Guo H, Hort MC, Katti M, Kjeldsen TR, Lehmann S, Locosselli GM, Malham SK, Morawska L, Parajuli R, Rogers CD, Yao R, Wang F, Wenk J, Jones L. Urban heat mitigation by green and blue infrastructure: Drivers, effectiveness, and future needs. Innovation (N Y) 2024; 5:100588. [PMID: 38440259 PMCID: PMC10909648 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of urbanization and global warming leads to urban overheating and compounds the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events due to climate change. Yet, the risk of urban overheating can be mitigated by urban green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI), such as parks, wetlands, and engineered greening, which have the potential to effectively reduce summer air temperatures. Despite many reviews, the evidence bases on quantified GBGI cooling benefits remains partial and the practical recommendations for implementation are unclear. This systematic literature review synthesizes the evidence base for heat mitigation and related co-benefits, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes recommendations for their implementation to maximize their benefits. After screening 27,486 papers, 202 were reviewed, based on 51 GBGI types categorized under 10 main divisions. Certain GBGI (green walls, parks, street trees) have been well researched for their urban cooling capabilities. However, several other GBGI have received negligible (zoological garden, golf course, estuary) or minimal (private garden, allotment) attention. The most efficient air cooling was observed in botanical gardens (5.0 ± 3.5°C), wetlands (4.9 ± 3.2°C), green walls (4.1 ± 4.2°C), street trees (3.8 ± 3.1°C), and vegetated balconies (3.8 ± 2.7°C). Under changing climate conditions (2070-2100) with consideration of RCP8.5, there is a shift in climate subtypes, either within the same climate zone (e.g., Dfa to Dfb and Cfb to Cfa) or across other climate zones (e.g., Dfb [continental warm-summer humid] to BSk [dry, cold semi-arid] and Cwa [temperate] to Am [tropical]). These shifts may result in lower efficiency for the current GBGI in the future. Given the importance of multiple services, it is crucial to balance their functionality, cooling performance, and other related co-benefits when planning for the future GBGI. This global GBGI heat mitigation inventory can assist policymakers and urban planners in prioritizing effective interventions to reduce the risk of urban overheating, filling research gaps, and promoting community resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
- Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
- School of Architecture, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Sisay E. Debele
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Soheila Khalili
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Christos H. Halios
- School of Built Environment, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6BU, UK
| | - Jeetendra Sahani
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Nasrin Aghamohammadi
- School Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Kent St, Bentley 6102, Western Australia
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia
| | - Maria de Fatima Andrade
- Atmospheric Sciences Department, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | | | - Kamaldeep Bhui
- Department of Psychiatry and Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Wadham College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nerea Calvillo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK
| | - Shi-Jie Cao
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
- School of Architecture, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Frederic Coulon
- Cranfield University, School of Water, Environment and Energy, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Jill L. Edmondson
- Plants, Photosynthesis, Soil Cluster, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - David Fletcher
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Edmilson Dias de Freitas
- Atmospheric Sciences Department, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Hai Guo
- Air Quality Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Madhusudan Katti
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Faculty Excellence Program for Leadership in Public Science, North Carolina State University, Chancellor, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Thomas Rodding Kjeldsen
- Departments of Architecture & Civil Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Steffen Lehmann
- School of Architecture, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Giuliano Maselli Locosselli
- Department of Tropical Ecosystems Functioning, Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba 13416-000, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shelagh K. Malham
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5 AB, UK
| | - Lidia Morawska
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Science and Technology, QLD, Australia
| | - Rajan Parajuli
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Christopher D.F. Rogers
- Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Runming Yao
- School of Built Environment, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6BU, UK
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Green Buildings and Built Environments, Ministry of Education, School of the Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jannis Wenk
- Departments of Architecture & Civil Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Laurence Jones
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
- Liverpool Hope University, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Hope Park, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Halios CH, Landeg-Cox C, Lowther SD, Middleton A, Marczylo T, Dimitroulopoulou S. Chemicals in European residences - Part I: A review of emissions, concentrations and health effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Sci Total Environ 2022; 839:156201. [PMID: 35623519 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
One of the more important classes of potentially toxic indoor air chemicals are the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). However, due to a limited understanding of the relationships between indoor concentrations of individual VOCs and health outcomes, there are currently no universal health-based guideline values for VOCs within Europe including the UK. In this study, a systematic search was conducted designed to capture evidence on concentrations, emissions from indoor sources, and health effects for VOCs measured in European residences. We identified 65 individual VOCs, and the most commonly measured were aromatic hydrocarbons (14 chemicals), alkane hydrocarbons (9), aldehydes (8), aliphatic hydrocarbons (5), terpenes (6), chlorinated hydrocarbons (4), glycol and glycol ethers (3) and esters (2). The pathway of interest was inhalation and 8 individual aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 alkanes and 6 aldehydes were associated with respiratory health effects. Members of the chlorinated hydrocarbon family were associated with cardiovascular neurological and carcinogenic health effects and some were irritants as were esters and terpenes. Eight individual aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 alkanes and 6 aldehydes identified in European residences were associated with respiratory health effects. Of the 65 individual VOCs, 52 were from sources associated with building and construction materials (e.g. brick, wood products, adhesives and materials for flooring installation etc.), 41 were linked with consumer products (passive, electric and combustible air fresheners, hair sprays, deodorants) and 9 VOCs were associated with space heating, which may reflect the relatively small number of studies discussing emissions from this category of sources. A clear decrease in concentrations of formaldehyde was observed over the last few years, whilst acetone was found to be one of the most abundant but underreported species. A new approach based on the operational indoor air quality surveillance will both reveal trends in known VOCs and identify new compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christos H Halios
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK
| | - Charlotte Landeg-Cox
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK
| | - Scott D Lowther
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK
| | - Alice Middleton
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK
| | - Tim Marczylo
- Toxicology Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK
| | - Sani Dimitroulopoulou
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Science Group, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Halios CH, Barlow JF. Observations of the Morning Development of the Urban Boundary Layer Over London, UK, Taken During the ACTUAL Project. Boundary Layer Meteorol 2017; 166:395-422. [PMID: 31983757 PMCID: PMC6952043 DOI: 10.1007/s10546-017-0300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The study of the boundary layer can be most difficult when it is in transition and forced by a complex surface, such as an urban area. Here, a novel combination of ground-based remote sensing and in situ instrumentation in central London, UK, is deployed, aiming to capture the full evolution of the urban boundary layer (UBL) from night-time until the fully-developed convective phase. In contrast with the night-time stable boundary layer observed over rural areas, the night-time UBL is weakly convective. Therefore, a new approach for the detection of the morning-transition and rapid-growth phases is introduced, based on the sharp, quasi-linear increase of the mixing height. The urban morning-transition phase varied in duration between 0.5 and 4 h and the growth rate of the mixing layer during the rapid-growth phase had a strong positive relationship with the convective velocity scale, and a weaker, negative relationship with wind speed. Wind shear was found to be higher during the night-time and morning-transition phases than the rapid-growth phase and the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy near the mixing-layer top was around six times larger than surface shear production in summer, and around 1.5 times larger in winter. In summer under low winds, low-level jets dominated the UBL, and shear production was greater than buoyant production during the night-time and the morning-transition phase near the mixing-layer top. Within the rapid-growth phase, buoyant production dominated at the surface, but shear production dominated in the upper half of the UBL. These results imply that regional flows such as low-level jets play an important role alongside surface forcing in determining UBL structure and growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christos H. Halios
- Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB UK
| | - Janet F. Barlow
- Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kent CW, Grimmond S, Barlow J, Gatey D, Kotthaus S, Lindberg F, Halios CH. Evaluation of Urban Local-Scale Aerodynamic Parameters: Implications for the Vertical Profile of Wind Speed and for Source Areas. Boundary Layer Meteorol 2017; 164:183-213. [PMID: 32025040 PMCID: PMC6979542 DOI: 10.1007/s10546-017-0248-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nine methods to determine local-scale aerodynamic roughness length ( z 0 ) and zero-plane displacement ( z d ) are compared at three sites (within 60 m of each other) in London, UK. Methods include three anemometric (single-level high frequency observations), six morphometric (surface geometry) and one reference-based approach (look-up tables). A footprint model is used with the morphometric methods in an iterative procedure. The results are insensitive to the initial z d and z 0 estimates. Across the three sites, z d varies between 5 and 45 m depending upon the method used. Morphometric methods that incorporate roughness-element height variability agree better with anemometric methods, indicating z d is consistently greater than the local mean building height. Depending upon method and wind direction, z 0 varies between 0.1 and 5 m with morphometric z 0 consistently being 2-3 m larger than the anemometric z 0 . No morphometric method consistently resembles the anemometric methods. Wind-speed profiles observed with Doppler lidar provide additional data with which to assess the methods. Locally determined roughness parameters are used to extrapolate wind-speed profiles to a height roughly 200 m above the canopy. Wind-speed profiles extrapolated based on morphometric methods that account for roughness-element height variability are most similar to observations. The extent of the modelled source area for measurements varies by up to a factor of three, depending upon the morphometric method used to determine z d and z 0 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sue Grimmond
- Department of Meteorology, Reading University, RG6 6UR Reading, UK
| | - Janet Barlow
- Department of Meteorology, Reading University, RG6 6UR Reading, UK
| | - David Gatey
- Risk Management Solutions, EC3R 8NB London, UK
| | - Simone Kotthaus
- Department of Meteorology, Reading University, RG6 6UR Reading, UK
| | - Fredrik Lindberg
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Halios CH, Helmis CG. Temporal evolution of the main processes that control indoor pollution in an office microenvironment: a case study. Environ Monit Assess 2010; 167:199-217. [PMID: 19562496 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-009-1043-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2009] [Accepted: 06/04/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the relative contribution of the outdoor concentration, the ventilation rate, the geometric characteristics of the indoor environment (i.e., extent of indoor surfaces and indoor volume), the deposition, and chemical reactions to the indoor air quality of the office microenvironment. For this case study, the NO, NO2, and O3 concentrations indoors and outdoors and TVOCs and CO2 concentrations indoors were measured in an office microenvironment in Athens, Greece, that was ventilated both naturally and mechanically. The calculated ventilation and loss rates and the measured outdoor concentrations of NO, NO2, and O3 were set as input to Multi-chamber Indoor Air Quality Model in order to study the temporal variation of the indoor NO, NO2, and O3 concentrations. Results showed that when the ventilation rate and outdoor concentration are high, the relative contribution of the transport process contributes significantly, while the chemical process depends on the contemporary interplay between the indoor O3, NO, and NO2 concentrations and lighting levels. The significance of each process was further examined by performing sensitivity tests, and it was found that the most important parameters were the deposition velocities, the UV infiltration rates (which determines the indoor chemical reaction rates), the ventilation rates, and the filtration (when a mechanical ventilation system is used). The effect of the hydrocarbon chemistry was not significant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christos H Halios
- Department of Environmental Physics and Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, University of Athens, Building Phys-5, University Campus, 157 84, Athens, Greece.
| | | |
Collapse
|