Tag: Monitoring data

EANET Research Fellowship Programme (2016-2018) – Comparison of Observed and Modeled Nitrogen Dioxide Accounting Meteorological Conditions and Oxides of Nitrogen Emissions in China

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

 

Fellowship_China_2016

21 July 2020 – Niigata, Japan

EANET’s fellowship program aims at funding researchers from EANET participating countries to carry out research pertaining to acid deposition at the Network Center in Japan. Cuihong Chen from China was awarded the EANET fellowship for 2016. Chen studied the comparison of observed and modeled nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from 2013 to 2015, during summer, accounting sensitivity of meteorological conditions, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission constraints.

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Identifying NOx Emission Sources to Minimize Emissions

NOx is an important trace gas in the atmosphere, emitted mainly from anthropogenic sources, such as the combustion of fossil fuels. It plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry by involving in the formation of ozone and secondary particulate matter. Over the past several years, NOx emissions in China have been increasing rapidly and are resulting in serious atmospheric pollution problems, such as acidic rain, atmospheric haze, and high ozone concentration. This in turn causing harm to human health, environment, and ecosystem. Therefore, identifying NOx emission sources and efforts to minimize the emissions are necessary. Chen’s research findings provided a good insight into the relationship between satellite observation and modeling of NO2.

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Meteorological  and NOx Emissions’ Impacts on NO2

For the study, Chen used NASA’s satellite data and chemical transport models. She found a good correlation (slope 1.15 and a correlation coefficient of 0.79) between satellite NO2 and Modeled NO2. The study reported an increase in tropospheric NO2 by 4.26% in 2014 compared to that of 2013. The impacts of meteorological conditions and NOx emissions on the increase of tropospheric NO2 in 2014 were 2.95% and 1.31%, respectively. The meteorological fields contributed a 3.57% increase in tropospheric NO2 in 2015.

The study concluded that NOX emission increased in 2014 and decreased in 2015 during the summer, compared to the level of 2013. The reduction of NO2 in 2015 was mainly due to the decline of NOX emissions in China because of the implementation of emission reduction and control measures. The researcher suggested that uncertainty in satellite data and model simulation are needed to be reduced by the development of a non-linear relationship approach in future studies.

 

The authors acknowledged the Network Center for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) for financial support and observation data.

Read the full article by Chen et al. in the EANET Science Bulletin Volume 5.

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Photo credits: Shanghai by Derek Lee, free of copyright license.

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Scientific Outputs by the Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of EANET

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Scientific outputs by Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of EANET_image

9 July 2020 – Niigata, Japan

The Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of EANET has published a review on air pollution and tree and forest decline in East Asia.

 

The Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of EANET

Task Forces established under the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the EANET are leading scientific assessment and research activities on acid deposition, air pollution, and their effects. The Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of EANET has been conducting scientific assessment and research activities based on the “Strategy Paper for Future Direction of EANET on Monitoring of Effects on Agricultural Crops, Forest and Inland Water by Acidifying Species and Related Chemical Substances”.

As one of the activities in line with the strategy paper, the regional condition of forest decline and its relationship with air pollution have been compiled as the scientific review led mainly by Task Force members from Japan, China, Russia, and Malaysia based on scientific literature published in the respective countries.

 

Tree and Forest Decline in East Asia

Tree and forest declines related to air pollution have been observed with industrialization in the countries of Northeast Asia and their causes have been shifting depending on the time period. Firstly, a direct effect of SO2 was the main cause, however, causes have been shifting to acidification and nitrogen deposition, and then ozone, particulate matter (PM), and the interlinkage with climate change. Haze phenomena due to forest fires have been increasing in tropical and boreal forests and emitted PM inhibits photosynthesis.

In recent years, chronically high ozone concentrations may have had adverse effects on tree physiology in conjunction with climate change. Under the changing climate, no apparent effect of air pollution on tree decline was reported recently. However, monitoring air pollution is important to identify the cause of tree decline. Further economic growth in Southeast Asia is projected. The expansion of the monitoring network in tropical and boreal forests has been proposed in the review. Also, it was pointed out that countermeasures, such as restoration of urban trees and rural forests, would be important to ensure future ecosystem services.

 

The review work was started as one of the activities of the Task Force on Soil and Vegetation Monitoring of the EANET. The study was also supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP19H00955. The studies in Russia were funded by the Russian Fund Fundamental Researches, the projects numbers are 03- 04-49565, 05-04-97219, 05-05-97259, 12-04-31036, by the Russian Fund Fundamental Researches and Irkutsk Region Government, the project 14-44-04067, by the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Integration Project 17 with using equipment of “Baikal analytical center”, Irkutsk.

 

Read the full scientific review: Takahashi et al. 2020. Air pollution monitoring and tree and forest decline in East Asia: A review Science of the Total Environment 742, 140288

Curious about EANET’s research activities? Find out more on the Research activities’ or Publications’ pages.

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Photo credits: Featured image by Alberto Bigoni free of copyright license.

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Understanding Rain and Acid Deposition Phenomenon in Indonesia

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Understanding Rain and Acid Deposition Phenomenon in Indonesia Featured image

14 July 2020 – Bangkok, Thailand

The Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency, BMKG, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Indonesia, KLHK, and the IPB University, organized a webinar on “Rain and Acid Deposition Phenomenon in Indonesia” on Tuesday, 14 July 2020. The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) Secretariat Coordinator and EANET’s Representatives for Indonesia joined the event online to introduce the Network and its activities in Indonesia.

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Acid Deposition’s Impacts on the Environment in Indonesia Explained

Rain and Acid Deposition Phenomenon in Indonesia Webinar500 participants from different regions of Indonesia attended the webinar, eager to learn about the impacts on the environment of acid deposition in Indonesia.

The Webinar was opened by a Keynote Speech delivered by Ir. Herman Hermawan, Senior Policy expert, KLHK. It was followed by a presentation by Dr. Ir. Dodo Gunawan, Head of Center of Information and Climate Change, BMKG, and member of EANET’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), focusing on the “Quality of Chemical Composition of Rainwater in Indonesia”.

Prof. Dr. Ir. H. Hari Sukadi Alikodra, Professor of Faculty of Forestry, IPB University, delivered a presentation on “Rain and Phenomenon of Acid Deposition in Indonesia: Potential Impact on Agriculture and Food Security”. After that, Mr. Djurit Teguh Prakoso, Head of Sub Directorate at KLHK and EANET Contact Person for Indonesia, delivered a presentation on “Policy Control on Air Pollution and Acid Deposition”.

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Monitoring Acid Deposition Data in Indonesia with EANET

To introduce EANET and its contribution to the region, Mr. Tomi Haryadi, Coordinator, Secretariat for the EANET, delivered a presentation on “EANET: Intergovernmental Cooperation on Acid Deposition in Asia Region”. Lastly, Ms. Retno Puji Lestari, Researcher at KLHK and also EANET National QA/QC Manager for Indonesia, delivered a presentation on Acid Deposition Monitoring in Indonesia.

Interested in finding out more about acid deposition data in Indonesia? Visit EANET’s site information page to read more about EANET’s monitoring sites in Bandung, Jakarta, Kototabang, Maros, and Serpong.

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Photo credits: Featured image of Banda Aceh by Arto Marttinen free of the copyright license. Event image: courtesy of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, all rights reserved.