A team of researchers will examine Toronto's air for six-weeks this summer from a rooftop lab for THE CIX project, part of NOAA鈥檚 atmospheric emissions and reactions international field campaign 

TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2023 鈥� As Toronto gets hotter, muggier and wildfire smoke increasingly wafts through the atmosphere, researchers at 91亚色 are leading a team of atmospheric scientists in testing the city鈥檚 air pollution from their rooftop Air Quality Research Station for six weeks this summer. 

Preliminary results show the negative impacts on Toronto鈥檚 air quality caused by wildfire smoke. Although Toronto鈥檚 air pollution has generally been improving over the past few decades, smoke in the city is reversing these improvements. 

The research project, Toronto Halogens, Emissions, Contaminants, and Inorganics eXperiment (), with science lead Associate Professor and logistics lead Assistant Professor , both of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science, is designed to analyze areas of uncertainty in the air we breathe to better understand what is contributing to the city's air pollution.  

One of the things the team hopes to understand, is how a soupy mix of trace chemicals will sometimes combine to create little understood, new and changing threats that can contribute to worse air quality, including emissions from products we use every day, such as paint and pesticides and even perfume, greenhouse gases, as well as perfluorocarboxylic acids (known as 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥�), and particulate matter - tiny particles of smoke, dust, pollen, emissions and fumes. 

鈥淭here is still so much we don鈥檛 know about what鈥檚 impacting the air we breathe, and until we do, it鈥檚 difficult to effectively target contaminants that are affecting our air quality now and into the future,鈥� says Young. 

This project is important as it allows us to take a robust look at all the pollutants circulating in the air. The Montreal Protocol was successful in helping to fix the ozone layer above us because we knew what to target, but ground-level ozone and other contaminants can still be an issue, particularly spiking on hot summer days, creating poor air quality which can impact people鈥檚 health."  

Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen dioxide mixes with volatile organic compounds鈥�(VOCs) and sunlight. Although emissions of VOCs from fossil fuels have been declining, consumer and industrial volatile chemical products are an increasing, but understudied, source of VOCs. 

THE CIX project is part of an international field campaign 鈥� Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas () 鈥� across North America organized by the NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with projects in New 91亚色 City, Chicago, Los Angeles, as well as Toronto. NOAA and NASA launched their massive air quality research summer campaign today with scientists from NOAA, NASA and 21 universities from three countries. State-of-the-art instruments are being deployed in multiple, coordinated research campaigns this month, including at 91亚色, to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades.  

At 91亚色, researchers from 91亚色 U, the University of Toronto, University of 91亚色 (UK), the University of British Columbia, and Environment and Climate Change Canada are already taking readings from a room packed with unique, sophisticated and highly sensitive equipment 鈥� some of which was shipped from the UK and BC 鈥� on the roof of the Petrie Science Building on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus. 

The goal of the campaign is to assess air quality across urban centres to understand what is impacting air pollution and how it鈥檚 changing. THE CIX team hopes to better understand several areas that contribute to air pollution in the GTA. 

In addition to the rooftop measurements, the , a flying science laboratory packed with instruments, will cruise over campus this August to take air quality readings from higher in the atmosphere to compare with the rooftop readings. 

Data collected by THE CIX will also be compared with key air pollution observations from the recently launched NASA TEMPO instrument, the first geostationary satellite dedicated to air quality over North America. 

The post Breathe deeply: 91亚色 U leads atmospheric scientists in analyzing city's air pollution appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 researchers find meteorology played an important and unaccounted role

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2021 鈥� Observational data shows air pollution in India decreased drastically in the first COVID-19 lockdown when emissions from vehicles naturally declined, but 91亚色 researchers say those numbers only tell part of the story 鈥� blue skies and an absence of visible smog can be deceiving and hide pollutants that could potentially cause health issues.

Air pollution results from a complex mix of interactions between emissions, meteorology, such as wind direction and rain, as well as chemistry, but looking only at observational data as many recent studies have done without take meteorology into account, skews the numbers.

The researchers found that some air pollutants didn鈥檛 drop nearly as much as first thought and even more surprising was that ozone levels increased even as other pollutants decreased. The air looked much cleaner, but that allowed more sunshine to get through, creating conditions for ozone (0₃) to increase up to 30 per cent.

鈥淭o accurately quantify the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry needs to be considered in addition to emissions,鈥� says 91亚色 postdoctoral researcher Leigh Crilley, who led the Faculty of Science research along with 91亚色 Associate Professor and team. 鈥淥ur research shows the decline in local emissions had less influence on the decrease in air pollutants than first thought.鈥�

Cora Young

As the national lockdown in India reduced major urban sources of air pollution, such as traffic, industry and construction, it gave the researchers an opportunity to study the contribution of local sources of air pollutants during normal meteorological conditions.

To get a clearer picture of potential decreases in air pollution, Crilley and Young focussed their study on nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and 0₃, as well as what was happening meteorologically at multiple locations within two cities in India 鈥� Delhi and Hyderabad 鈥� during the start of the first lockdown, from March 24 to April 24, 2020.

Air pollution is a known health risk and India has some of the worst air pollution globally resulting in a disproportionally high level of mortality and disease. It is estimated that air pollution exposure, particularly PM_2.5, resulted in the death of 1.27 million people in 2017.

Cities in India also have some of the highest 0₃ levels in the world, which can be formed from a complexity of sources and chemistry, either NOx-limited or volatile organic compounds (VOC)-limited.

The researchers used hourly data from air quality monitoring stations for levels of PM_2.5, NOx and 0_3, and hourly meteorological and visibility data. They compared that data to the same dates from the previous three years to evaluate changes due to the lockdown. A boosted regression tree model was built to account for the influence of meteorology on observed levels.

When only taking observational data into account, NOx and PM_2.5 fell by up to 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, but when meteorology was factored in, those percentages fell to less than eight per cent for PM_2.5 and between five and 30 per cent in both cities, while 0₃ increased.

They found that local sources of emissions, such as vehicles and the burning of fuels, had less influence on air pollution levels than regional emissions sources, while weather events and atmospheric chemical processes contributed independently to air pollutant levels.

鈥淲e demonstrate that regional sources, such as rural and agriculturally based emissions, that may have been less affected by the lockdown, have a significant influence on PM_2.5 levels in Delhi and Hyderabad after weather-normalization. This indicates that future PM_2.5 mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources,鈥� says Young.

鈥淥verall, this study highlights the impact of emissions, meteorology and chemistry on air pollution and that all three should be considered when assessing the effects of any short-term intervention on air pollutants.鈥�

In addition, the research team found that ozone production in Delhi is likely VOC-limited and, as such, attempts to mitigate it should focus on dominant VOC sources.

The researchers say this really points to the need regulators to understand the complex factors involved in air pollution if they are going to make policies to reduce pollutants and ozone.

The paper, , was published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

-30-

91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317,听sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Air pollution decrease in India during COVID-19 lockdown not as high as originally thought appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 researchers find meteorology played an important and unaccounted role

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2021 鈥� Observational data shows air pollution in India decreased drastically in the first COVID-19 lockdown when emissions from vehicles naturally declined, but 91亚色 researchers say those numbers only tell part of the story 鈥� blue skies and an absence of visible smog can be deceiving and hide pollutants that could potentially cause health issues.

Air pollution results from a complex mix of interactions between emissions, meteorology, such as wind direction and rain, as well as chemistry, but looking only at observational data as many recent studies have done without take meteorology into account, skews the numbers.

The researchers found that some air pollutants didn鈥檛 drop nearly as much as first thought and even more surprising was that ozone levels increased even as other pollutants decreased. The air looked much cleaner, but that allowed more sunshine to get through, creating conditions for ozone (0₃) to increase up to 30 per cent.

鈥淭o accurately quantify the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry needs to be considered in addition to emissions,鈥� says 91亚色 postdoctoral researcher Leigh Crilley, who led the Faculty of Science research along with 91亚色 Associate Professor and team. 鈥淥ur research shows the decline in local emissions had less influence on the decrease in air pollutants than first thought.鈥�

Cora Young

As the national lockdown in India reduced major urban sources of air pollution, such as traffic, industry and construction, it gave the researchers an opportunity to study the contribution of local sources of air pollutants during normal meteorological conditions.

To get a clearer picture of potential decreases in air pollution, Crilley and Young focussed their study on nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and 0₃, as well as what was happening meteorologically at multiple locations within two cities in India 鈥� Delhi and Hyderabad 鈥� during the start of the first lockdown, from March 24 to April 24, 2020.

Air pollution is a known health risk and India has some of the worst air pollution globally resulting in a disproportionally high level of mortality and disease. It is estimated that air pollution exposure, particularly PM_2.5, resulted in the death of 1.27 million people in 2017.

Cities in India also have some of the highest 0₃ levels in the world, which can be formed from a complexity of sources and chemistry, either NOx-limited or volatile organic compounds (VOC)-limited.

The researchers used hourly data from air quality monitoring stations for levels of PM_2.5, NOx and 0_3, and hourly meteorological and visibility data. They compared that data to the same dates from the previous three years to evaluate changes due to the lockdown. A boosted regression tree model was built to account for the influence of meteorology on observed levels.

When only taking observational data into account, NOx and PM_2.5 fell by up to 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, but when meteorology was factored in, those percentages fell to less than eight per cent for PM_2.5 and between five and 30 per cent in both cities, while 0₃ increased.

They found that local sources of emissions, such as vehicles and the burning of fuels, had less influence on air pollution levels than regional emissions sources, while weather events and atmospheric chemical processes contributed independently to air pollutant levels.

鈥淲e demonstrate that regional sources, such as rural and agriculturally based emissions, that may have been less affected by the lockdown, have a significant influence on PM_2.5 levels in Delhi and Hyderabad after weather-normalization. This indicates that future PM_2.5 mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources,鈥� says Young.

鈥淥verall, this study highlights the impact of emissions, meteorology and chemistry on air pollution and that all three should be considered when assessing the effects of any short-term intervention on air pollutants.鈥�

In addition, the research team found that ozone production in Delhi is likely VOC-limited and, as such, attempts to mitigate it should focus on dominant VOC sources.

The researchers say this really points to the need regulators to understand the complex factors involved in air pollution if they are going to make policies to reduce pollutants and ozone.

The paper, , was published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

-30-

91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317,听sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Air pollution decrease in India during COVID-19 lockdown not as high as originally thought appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, April 20, 2021 鈥� With Earth Day 2021 on the horizon, 91亚色 researchers in the areas of environment and climate change are available to discuss the world鈥檚 ecosystems, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking 鈥� the key elements of this year鈥檚 theme, .

is a geography professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and an Arctic hydrologist, who studies northern hydrology, microclimate, and the hydrology of extreme environments. She can talk about:

• Northern wetlands, snow cover, and the effects of climate change and climate variability in the Canadian High Arctic
• The impact of dust and volcanic ash on the hydrology of slopes and wetlands in Iceland

听, assistant professor of atmospheric science at the Lassonde School of Engineering, studies climate dynamics. He uses a combination of models, observations, and mathematical analysis to investigate how motions in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere and ocean influence climate.听 He can speak to:

• The processes driving long-term changes in temperature and precipitation
• The processes driving long-term changes in extreme precipitation
• The processes driving long-term changes in Arctic sea ice
• Variability of the ocean circulation and its relationship to other aspects of climate change

听 is a professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science and Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering. He听is a co-inventor of the Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer and the UV Index, and can talk about:

• Communicating Science
• Ozone layer depletion
• Ozone and climate change

听 is assistant professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and an expert in disaster and emergency management areas. He has done extensive field research on wildfire, and studies existing wildfire policy in Canada. He can discuss:

• Climate change鈥檚 impact on wildfire
• Fire management and under climate stressors
• Reform needed to fire management; challenges in learning to 鈥渓ive with鈥� fire rather than just fight it
• The provincial differences in fire management with conflicting pressures from the public, industry, and various levels of governments
• Disaster and emergency policy that can make Canada and rest of the world safer

听Calvin Lakhan, a research associate and co-investigator of the听听project in the Faculty of Environmental Studies and Urban Change, can discuss:

• The grey area of going green and the dangers of green washing and misleading environmental claims
• Poor recycling policy and environmental outcomes, including how recycling is now actually doing more harm than good, and is no longer sustainable given the current waste management systems
• The socio-economic inequality that prevents poor and marginalized groups from participating in sustainable waste management practices

, associate professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and the director of Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, is an expert in the politics of Indigenous peoples and the impact of unconventional resource extraction in Canada. She can speak to:

• The political economy of land claims, treaties and self-government, especially in the Arctic and northern areas where resource extractions are prevalent
• Indigenous rights in the contexts of climate change, environmental security, and community health

, associate professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, who teaches courses in environmental planning, urban and landscape ecology, and environmental design, is available to discuss:

• Climate change and land-use planning
• Environmental politics in urban and regional planning
• Energy and emissions reductions
• Toronto urban region as a microcosm of global issues related to environmental and urban change
• Climate justice in planning, and resilience, for example, lessons learned from the 2014 floods in Burlington

91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.听

Media Contact:

Gloria Suhasini, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647.463.4354,听suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Earth Day 2021: 91亚色 experts in environment and climate change available for interviews appeared first on News@91亚色.