INVESTIGATION OF THE CORRELATION

BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND URBAN

AIR QUALITY

ANDREADIS LEFTERIS

Supervisor: Professor Nicolas Moussiopoulos

ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKIDEPT. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LAB. OF HEAT TRANSFER &ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Thessaloniki, 16/10/2013

Presentation structure

• Objectives

• Air Quality and Climate Change

• Climate change and urban air pollution

impacts

• The necessity for combined

countermeasures

• Conclusions

Thesis Objectives

• Investigation of the correlations

created in the triangle

Climate change (CC)

Air Quality/air pollutants (AQ)

Greenhouse Gases(GHG)

• Implications

• Emerge of combined

countermeasures

Air Quality and Climate Change (1/11)

• Air Pollutants (AQ)

Tropospheric Ozone (O3)

Particulate Matter (PM)

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAH), benzene

Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Nickel,

Mercury

Air Quality and Climate Change (2/11)

• Greenhouse Gases

Water vapor (H2O)

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Tropospheric Ozone(O3)

Methane (CH4)

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)

Air Quality and Climate Change (3/11)

Avg Annual Temperature

(1901-2008)

Avg Annual Rainfall

(1901-2008)

Cyprus situation in respect to Climate Change

Air Quality and Climate Change (4/11)

SO2CO

Greece situation in respect to Climate Change

Air Quality and Climate Change (5/11)

PM10PM10

Σταθμός Αττικής (2012)

Greece situation in regard to Air Quality

Air Quality and Climate Change (6/11)

O3NO2

Greece situation in regard to Air Quality

Air Quality and Climate Change (7/11)

Avg range 1996-2008

Λονδίνο

O3 in relation to NOx and Temperature

Air Quality and Climate Change (8/11)Climate Change impacts on Air Quality

AQ Impacts Reasons

Ο3 IncreaseAcceleration of

photochemical reactions

PM

(sulfates)Increase Faster oxidation SO2

PM

(nitrates)Decrease

Transition from particulate

phase to gas phase

SO2+ΝΟx Decrease

Acceleration of oxidation

rate to sulfuric and nitric

acid

HgVolatility

increase

Evaporation and transport

throughout ecosystems

Temperature Increase leads to:

Air Quality and Climate Change (9/11)Air Quality impacts on Climate Change

Precursors AQ Phenomenon* Impact

CO, NOx,

VOC, H2

Tropospheric Ο3

Photochemical

pollutionRadiation retention

- Primary PM (soot) Classic smog Radiation retention

NOx, SO2,

VOC, NH3

Secondary PM

(sulfate + nitrate)

Clouds

condensation

Radiation reflection

(Global Dimming)

* Due to AQ concentrations increase

Air Quality and Climate Change (10/11)Air Quality impacts on Climate Change

GHG and AQ impacts on radiation retention

(Πηγή: IPCC, 2013)

Air Quality and Climate Change(11/11)Air Quality impacts on GHG

AQ / AQ

precursors

Short-term*

O3 (~6 months)

Long-term* O3

(10-15 years)

Long-term* CH4

(10-15 years)

CO Increase Increase Increase

NOx Increase Decrease Decrease

VOC Increase Increase Increase

H2 Small Increase Increase Increase

* Variations dut to increasing concentrations of

AQ/AQ precursors

Climate Change and urban Air Quality

impacts (1/3)

Climate change forecasting for 2080-2099 versus1980-1999

(Source: IPCC, 2007)

Climate Change and urban Air Quality

impacts (2/3)Urban Heat Island (UHI) Phenomenon

• Factors affecting the intensity of UHI:

Morphology and population density

Lack of green / blue areas

Structures that prevent air circulation

• UHI impacts:

More hot days and tropical nights

Increasing energy demand

Increasing mortality rate in heat wave events

UHI is called an urban area that is significantly warmer than its

surroundings due to human factors.

Climate Change and urban Air Quality

impacts (3/3)AQ impacts on health and environment

AQ Health impactsEnvironmental

impacts

Ο3 Respiratory problemsVegetation

destruction

COCardiovascular and nervous

system suppression-

ΝΟ2 Respiratory problems Acid rain

PMRespiratory problems,

Cardiovascular diseases

Reduction of the

vegetation in some

species

SO2 Respiratory problems

Changes in

vegetation and acid

rain

some VOCBlood diseases, causing

cancer-

AQHealth

impacts

Pb Anemia

As

Respiratory,

cardiovascular,

lung cancer

CdKidney

diseases

Ni Skin conditions

The necessity for combined

countermeasures (1/3)Measures that decrease GHG but increase AQ

Category Measure GHG impact AQ impact

TransportationUse of diesel

instead of petrolCO2 decrease NOx and PM increase

TransportationUse of biofuels

(≤5%)CO2 decrease NOx and PM increase

Air

Transportation

Increased engine

performanceCO2 decrease NOx increase

Waste

managementCombustion CH4 decrease

NOx, PM, CO and

PAH increase

The necessity for combined

countermeasures (2/3)Measures that decrease AQ but increase GHG

Category Measure GHG impact AQ impact

Energy

production

Emissions desulphurization

(FGD)CO2 increase SO2 decrease

Transportations

Use of anti-pollution

devices diesel (DPF, SCR,

lean NOx traps)

N2O increase NOx, PM

decrease

Production and

use of fuelDesulfurized fuels

CO2 increase

in refineries

SO2 decrease

in

transportation

The necessity for combined

countermeasures (3/3)Measures that decrease both AQ and GHG

Category Measure GHG impact AQ impact

Energy production Renewables, CHP Decrease Decrease

Energy production Natural gas over oil and coal CO2 decreaseSO2, NOx

decrease

Demand

management

Traffic reduction through

promoting public transportationDecrease Decrease

Energy

conservationUse of insulation in buildings Decrease Decrease

TransportationUse of new technologies and

fuels (i.e. hybrids, H2)CO2 decrease Decrease

Home appliances Energy efficient appliances Decrease Decrease

Conclusions

• Climate change affects air quality and vice versa

• In recent years a decrease in all air pollutants

except O3 is noted

• With 95% certainty, global warming is a fact and is

attributable to human activities (IPCC, 2013)

• Most of the suggested measures address each

phenomenon separately (either AQ or CC)

• Necessity for combined coping of climate change

and urban air quality

Thank you!