 |
|
Fighting pollution by forecasting the future
November 02, 2004EUREKA project E! 2634 EUROENVIRON TEAP (Tool Evaluating Air quality impact of air Pollution) has created a real-time software solution to provide pollution forecasts for industrial plants, cities and air quality authorities. It will change the way pollution is dealt with and is set to increase the lead partner's turnover by 25%.
The TEAP software program runs daily on a set of interconnected PCs, providing a detailed pollution forecast based on complex mathematical and chemical modelling, information about the source factory (or factories) and their business, together with over a gigabyte of meteorological data that is updated daily. The pollution forecast takes 18 hours to run and covers the subsequent 48-72 hours, highlighting any potential alerts where predicted pollutant levels exceed EU directive limits.
"TEAP simulates a comprehensive series of scenarios and uses email and SMS messages to alert managers as soon as a problem is forecast," says Dr Roberto San José, Director of the Environmental Software and Modelling Group at the Technical University of Madrid. These alerts allow managers to take pre emptive action.
"To date, air quality authorities have reacted after an incident by ordering cuts in factory production, sometimes when the pollution was caused by increased traffic and unusual climatic conditions," says San José. "With TEAP, potential causes can be highlighted in advance and accurately simulated to provide an action plan before the pollution outbreak occurs. Managers will be advised when production processes need to be cut or optimised to comply with EU directives, and they can also be given predictions of relevant implementation costs."
TEAP was developed in conjunction with INDRA S.A. (Spain) and the Lithuanian Institute of Physics led by Dr Vidmantas Ulevicius. This partner investigated the factors determining the formation, transport, chemical transformation and deposition of various pollutants, as well as their impact on ecosystems.
"Environmental problems are growing in complexity and scope. Local management solutions can no longer address many of today's problems. Awareness of the significant influence that human activities have on the natural environment and ecosystems is increasing," says Ulevicius.
The TEAP software program is expected to create an increase in the lead partner's turnover in the order of 25%, having developed a market worth about EUR0.3 million consisting of both the industrial companies causing air pollution and the authorities that manage them.
"EUREKA was an excellent framework for developing TEAP. It facilitated the exchange of ideas between the European partners and gave us a 'seal of quality' for the development of the project," says San José.
EUREKA is...
A European Network for market-oriented R&D
- strengthening European competitiveness
- promoting innovation in market-oriented collaborative projects
- involving industry, research centres and universities across Europe
resulting in innovative products, processes and services.
Eureka
"To date, air quality authorities have reacted after an incident by ordering cuts in factory production, sometimes when the pollution was caused by increased traffic and unusual climatic conditions," says San José. "With TEAP, potential causes can be highlighted in advance and accurately simulated to provide an action plan before the pollution outbreak occurs. Managers will be advised when production processes need to be cut or optimised to comply with EU directives, and they can also be given predictions of relevant implementation costs."
TEAP was developed in conjunction with INDRA S.A. (Spain) and the Lithuanian Institute of Physics led by Dr Vidmantas Ulevicius. This partner investigated the factors determining the formation, transport, chemical transformation and deposition of various pollutants, as well as their impact on ecosystems.
"Environmental problems are growing in complexity and scope. Local management solutions can no longer address many of today's problems. Awareness of the significant influence that human activities have on the natural environment and ecosystems is increasing," says Ulevicius.
The TEAP software program is expected to create an increase in the lead partner's turnover in the order of 25%, having developed a market worth about EUR0.3 million consisting of both the industrial companies causing air pollution and the authorities that manage them.
"EUREKA was an excellent framework for developing TEAP. It facilitated the exchange of ideas between the European partners and gave us a 'seal of quality' for the development of the project," says San José.
EUREKA is...
A European Network for market-oriented R&D
- strengthening European competitiveness
- promoting innovation in market-oriented collaborative projects
- involving industry, research centres and universities across Europe
resulting in innovative products, processes and services.
Eureka
Air Pollution Current Events and Air Pollution News RSSLichens function as indicators of nitrogen pollution in forests
Scientists have found lichens can give insight into nitrogen air pollution effects on Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ecosystems, and protecting them provides safeguards for less sensitive species.
Pollution, everyday allergens, may be sources of laryngitis
Everyday exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, allergens, and air pollution may be the root of chronic cases of laryngitis, says new research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Chicago, IL.
Fuel Emissions From Marine Vessels Remain a Global Concern
Marine vessels are no longer resting in a safe harbor. The forecast for clear skies and smooth sailing for oceanic vessels has been impeded by worldwide concerns of their significant contributions to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that impact the Earth's climate.
Tracking Down the Menace in Mexico City Smog
A new report by scientists who are part of the international MILAGRO Campaign indicates that some of the most harmful air pollution in Mexico City may not come from motor vehicles but instead originates with industrial sources - and that the culprit may be garbage incineration.
Dirty air brings rain -- then again, maybe not
An international team of scientists, headed by Prof. Daniel Rosenfeld of the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has come up with a surprising finding to the disputed issue of whether air pollution increases or decreases rainfall. The conclusion: both can be true, depending on local environmental conditions.
Global survey highlights need for cancer prevention campaigns to correct misbeliefs
Many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate the threat from environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimizing the hazards of behaviours well established as cancer risk factors, according to the first global survey on the topic.
Many U.S. Public Schools in 'Air Pollution Danger Zone'
One in three U.S. public schools are in the "air pollution danger zone," according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC).
Newly detected air pollutant mimics damaging effects of cigarette smoke
A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, Louisiana scientists are reporting in a study scheduled for presentation today at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Air pollution damages more than lungs: Heart and blood vessels suffer too
As athletes from around the world compete in the Beijing Olympics, many are on alert for respiratory problems caused by air pollution. They should also be concerned about its toxic effects on the heart and cardiovascular system, mounting research shows.
Scientists to Assess Beijing Olympics Air Pollution Control Efforts
As the Summer Olympics in Beijing kicks off this week, the event is giving scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how the atmosphere responds when a heavily populated region substantially curbs everyday industrial emissions.
More Air Pollution Current Events and Air Pollution News Articles
 | Air Pollution Control (3rd Edition) by C. David Cooper, F. C. Alley Since the First Edition appeared, Air Pollution Control: A Design Approach has become the leading air pollution control text on the strengths of good writing, comprehensive coverage, an emphasis on design, and excellent real-world examples. The Third Edition continues this tradition of excellence, incorporating new and updated information throughout the text while retaining the topical... |
 | Air Pollution: Its Origin and Control (3rd Edition) by Kenneth Wark, Cecil F. Warner, Wayne T. Davis A well-respected air pollution text, this book is suitable for a variety of engineers and scientists who wish to gain an introduction to the field of air pollution. Known for its detailed development and application of equations, the text emphasizes an understanding of the relationship between sources and control of air pollution, rather than being a simple "handbook" on the subject. ... |
 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Fourth Edition by Daniel Vallero Fundamentals of Air Pollution is an important and widely used textbook in the environmental science and engineering community. Written shortly after the passage of the seminal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the third edition was quite timely. Surprisingly, the text has remained relevant for university professors, engineers, scientists, policy makers and students up to recent years. However,... |
 | Air Pollution Control Engineering by Noel De Nevers This text covers the whole air pollution field, from an engineering perspective. The principal topics are control devices and their theory. The book uses many more examples than other texts to help the student see the magnitudes of important quantities and to show and practice the practical application of theoretical treatments presented. The other half is devoted to topics that form some of the... |
 | Air Pollution and Health in Rapidly Developing Countries by Gordon McGranahan, Frank Murray * As many as 1 billion people, mostly women and children, are regularly exposed to indoor air pollution levels exceeding WHO guidelines by up to 100 times* Nearly three-fifths of total global exposure to air pollutants occurs in the rural areas of developing countries. Worldwide, this translates into as many as 3 million deaths a yearAt every level of economic development, ambient air pollution... |
 | Sources and Control of Air Pollution by R.J. Heinsohn, R. L. Kabel The objectives of this engineering textbook are to (1) provide a thorough understanding of natural and anthropogenic sources of air pollution and (2) introduce ways that pollution can be prevented or minimized by the application of pollution control practices. Control practices are described by mass and energy balances that relate removal efficiency to process input parameters. Presented in... |
 | Air Pollution Meteorology and Dispersion by S. Pal Arya Air Pollution Meteorology and Dispersion provides a concise yet thorough review of the basic theories, models, experiments, and observations of pollutant dispersal in the atmosphere. It offers the theoretical and empirical bases of frequently used dispersion models while emphasizing the limitations and uncertainties inherent in these models. Organized into twelve chapters, the material is... |
 | Air Pollution (True Books: Environment) by Rhonda Lucas Donald |
 | Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Third Edition by Richard W. Boubel, Donald L. Fox, Bruce Turner, Arthur C. Stern This new edition of the premier air pollution textbook is completely updated and revised to include all components of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Fundamentals of Air Pollution, Third Edition covers the spectrum of topics pertinent to the study of air pollution: elements, sources, effects, measurement, monitoring, meteorology, and regulatory and engineering control. In addition, the... |
 | Air Pollution Control Engineering (Handbook of Environmental Engineering) (Handbook of Environmental Engineering) A panel of respected air pollution control educators and practicing professionals critically survey the both principles and practices underlying control processes, and illustrate these with a host of detailed design examples for practicing engineers. The authors discuss the performance, potential, and limitations of the major control processes-including fabric filtration, cyclones, electrostatic... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |