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This study presents a GIS-based method integrating hourly transport pathways and wind-field grid reconstruction, straw open burning (SOB) source identification, and a two-stage spatiotemporal multi-box modeling approach to quantify the contribution of external sources of SOB to elevated urban PM2.5 concentrations during a specific pollution episode (PE) at a high temporal resolution of 1 h. Taking Jilin Province as an empirical study, the contribution of SOB in province-wide farmlands to urban haze episodes in Changchun during the SOB season of 2020–2021 was evaluated quantitatively using a combination of multi-source datasets. The results showed that Changchun experienced three severe PEs and one heavy PE during the study period, and the total PM2.5 contributions from SOB sources were 352 μg m−3, 872 μg m−3, and 1224 μg m−3 during the three severe PEs, respectively; these accounted for 7%, 27%, and 23% of the urban cumulative PM2.5 levels, which were more obvious than the contribution during the PE. The total PM2.5 contribution from SOB sources (4.9 μg m−3) was only 0.31% of the urban cumulative PM2.5 level during the heavy PE. According to the analysis of the impact of individual factors, some policy suggestions are put forward for refined SOB management, including control spatial scope, burning time interval, as well as burning area limit under different urban and transport pathways’ meteorological conditions and different transport distances.

The Meteorological Synthesizing Centre-West (MSC-W) of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) has been performing model calculations in support of the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) for more than 30 years. The EMEP MSC-W chemical transport model is still one of the key tools within European air pollution policy assessments. Traditionally, the model has covered all of Europe with a resolution of about 50 km × 50 km, and extending vertically from ground level to the tropopause (100 hPa). The model has changed extensively over the last ten years, however, with flexible processing of chemical schemes, meteorological inputs, and with nesting capability: the code is now applied on scales ranging from local (ca. 5 km grid size) to global (with 1 degree resolution). The model is used to simulate photo-oxidants and both inorganic and organic aerosols. In 2008 the EMEP model was released for the first time as public domain code, along with all required input data for model runs for one year. The second release of the EMEP MSC-W model became available in mid 2011, and a new release is targeted for summer 2012. This publication is intended to document this third release of the EMEP MSC-W model. The model formulations are given, along with details of input data-sets which are used, and a brief background on some of the choices made in the formulation is presented. The model code itself is available at www.emep.int, along with the data required to run for a full year over Europe.

This study discusses the coastal sediment budget for the Ishikawa coast using 12 years of observational datasets; it involves an understanding the local and regional sediment dynamics, the intensity of the transport processes in the region, and sediment supply from a local river. Although alongshore sediment transport and sediment budgets have been analyzed in previous studies, only a few conducted cross-shore sediment transport evaluations. The concentration of suspended sediments will be determined in this study, taking into account the influence of waves that are associated with the coastal current. The cross-shore sediment transport using sediment budget analysis indicated that the net alongshore sediment transport directions in the surf and offshore zones are opposite on the Ishikawa coast. The increase in the sediment budget of the surf zone can be attributed to the river sediment supply and longshore sediment transport inflow. Because of the significant outflow components of longshore and cross-shore sediment transports, the offshore zone budget showed a decreasing trend. A detailed sensitivity study was performed by varying the input parameters, in order to determine the possible ranges of net transport rates and sediment transport to the adjacent coasts. The results demonstrated the possibility of a clockwise residual sediment circulation. Our method can be used to analyze the alongshore sediment transport for other coasts and supplement future studies on coastal sedimentology and sediment budgets.

Severe haze pollution that occurred in January 2014 in Wuhan was investigated. The factors leading to Wuhan’s PM 2.5 pollution and the characteristics and formation mechanism were found to be significantly different from other megacities, like Beijing. Both the growth rates and decline rates of PM 2.5 concentrations in Wuhan were lower than those in Beijing, but the monthly PM 2.5 value was approximately twice that in Beijing. Furthermore, the sharp increases of PM 2.5 concentrations were often accompanied by strong winds. A high-precision modeling system with an online source-tagged method was established to explore the formation mechanism of five haze episodes. The long-range transport of the polluted air masses from the North China Plain (NCP) was the main factor leading to the sharp increases of PM 2.5 concentrations in Wuhan, which contributed 53.4% of the monthly PM 2.5 concentrations and 38.5% of polluted days. Furthermore, the change in meteorological conditions such as weakened winds and stable weather conditions led to the accumulation of air pollutants in Wuhan after the long-range transport. The contribution from Wuhan and surrounding cities to the PM 2.5 concentrations was determined to be 67.4% during this period. Under the complex regional transport of pollutants from surrounding cities, the NCP, East China, and South China, the five episodes resulted in 30 haze days in Wuhan. The findings reveal important roles played by transregional and intercity transport in haze formation in Wuhan.

This paper concerns transportation planning with a specific focus on the regional level. In the context of spatial and transport integrated planning, the paper proposes a structured and systematic identification of the plans. At the European level, specific indications, prescriptive communications, and finalized funds are given to the national infrastructures by means of the TEN-T plan and program, while a Communication and specific guidelines for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan have been published as a useful tool to uniform and compare urban transport planning. However, there are no indications for the planning of transport at the regional scale. This paper focuses on regional transport plans, analyzing the general contents and deepening and comparing the contents related to public transport. A case study of Italy is presented. Reference is made to the national guidelines and therefore to the transport plans approved in Italy by the regions. The Italian experience, and the results evidenced, could be a valid reference for all European or extra-European regions or, in any case, for intermediate territorial planning between the national and local ones.

One of the ways to improve energy efficiency in transportation is through efforts aimed at increasing the usage of public transportation by residents. This, in turn, is closely related to residents’ preferences. One of the most frequently cited factors influencing the attractiveness and quality of public transportation is the frequency of connections. This is important not only for urban transport but also regional transport, which has significantly lower passenger flows. This paper aims to present how the frequency of connections affects the attractiveness of regional transport. An original method for determining the attractiveness of public transport, based on the share of adult, senior, and youth passengers with single tickets and monthly passes, is introduced. The results of research on the structure of passengers and flows to/from the district center are presented. Based on the research results, attractiveness factors are calculated for each town. The statistical analysis clearly indicates there is a strong correlation between the attractiveness of regional transport and the frequency of connections (Rs = 0.807, p = 0.001). Moreover, for every connection increase, the number of adult passengers will increase by an average of 1.5. Assuming that these additional passengers switch from individual to public transportation, the resulting reduction in energy consumption due to an increase of one connection is 0.33–0.69 kWh for each kilometer traveled by these passengers.

Transport, as an object of research and design, is directly influenced by other functional components of the territory, it is caused by them, but at the same time it determines them in terms of limitations and development. A comprehensive approach to the design of transport systems involves a wide range of analytical and synthetic activities. Transport and territory are interrelated, while transport is one of the main factors defining the functionality of territorial structures. The development of transport systems brings greater availability of work, services, and leisure activities. The transport solution in the territory must be directed towards the adequate satisfaction of the transport needs, which are characterized by the intensity of the transport relations in the territory, depending on the time and quality of the relocation. The article presents a methodology for the design of regional public passenger transport lines, in accordance with the principles of sustainable mobility, supporting the competitiveness of public passenger transport and the efficient use of resources. The proposed methodology presupposes an already completed and processed analytical phase of the transport planning process and includes the impact of public passenger transport on the external environment. The methodology is applicable under the conditions of designing a completely new transport service system, as well as in the process of reorganizing existing transport systems, including rail and bus transport.

The Fenwei Plain (FWP) remains one of the worst PM2.5-polluted regions in China, although its air quality has improved in recent years. To evaluate the regional transport characteristics of PM2.5 emitted by coal-fired power plants in the FWP in wintertime, the primary PM2.5, SO2, and NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants with large units (≥300 MW) in 11 cities of the area in January 2019 were collected based on the Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). The spatial distribution and source contribution of primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations were investigated using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model and the California Puff (CALPUFF) model. The results showed that secondary PM2.5 was transported over a larger range than primary PM2.5 and that secondary nitrate was the main component of the total PM2.5 concentration, accounting for more than 70%. High concentrations of primary, secondary, and total PM2.5 mainly occurred in the Shaanxi region of the FWP, especially in Xianyang, where the PM2.5 concentrations were the highest among the 11 cities, even though its pollutant emissions were at moderate levels. The PM2.5 concentrations in Sanmenxia and Yuncheng primarily came from regional transport, accounting for 64% and 68%, respectively, while those in other cities were dominated by local emissions, accounting for more than 63%. The results may help to understand the regional transport characteristics of pollutants emitted from elevated point sources over a complex terrain.

In the framework of sustainable development, the most important goal in the transport sector is sustainable mobility. It is necessary to improve the quality of the means of transport and the organisation of their operation in transport systems in addition to the management systems, coordination, and integration of individual types of transport. The aim of this paper is to propose a complex system of public transport lines in the region to achieve an effective transport service, in accordance with the principles of sustainable mobility, supporting the development of an integrated transport system. This research presents a proposal for the public transport lines of the region of Prešov in Slovakia, which is currently connected to an integrated transport system (IDS Východ). The proposal is defined by the tracing and functions of the lines, the mode of transport and headways on individual lines, the necessary number of vehicles for the operation of individual lines, transfer times at relevant points and directions, and the border of the radius of attractive daily commuting to the centre of the region, as well as a rough timetable for each line. Using an analytical hierarchical process (AHP method), we determine the two most suitable variants of traffic services. The results indicate that based on the multicriteria evaluation of these variants using descriptors, it is possible to determine the optimal variant of the transport service of the region, which will be introduced into a functional integrated transport system.

The low-cost and easy-to-use nature of rapidly developed PM2.5 sensors provide an opportunity to bring breakthroughs in PM2.5 research to resource-limited countries in Southeast Asia (SEA). This review provides an evaluation of the currently available literature and identifies research priorities in applying low-cost sensors (LCS) in PM2.5 environmental and health research in SEA. The research priority is an outcome of a series of participatory workshops under the umbrella of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project–Monsoon Asia and Oceania Networking Group (IGAC–MANGO). A literature review and research prioritization are conducted with a transdisciplinary perspective of providing useful scientific evidence in assisting authorities in formulating targeted strategies to reduce severe PM2.5 pollution and health risks in this region. The PM2.5 research gaps that could be filled by LCS application are identified in five categories: source evaluation, especially for the distinctive sources in the SEA countries; hot spot investigation; peak exposure assessment; exposure–health evaluation on acute health impacts; and short-term standards. The affordability of LCS, methodology transferability, international collaboration, and stakeholder engagement are keys to success in such transdisciplinary PM2.5 research. Unique contributions to the international science community and challenges with LCS application in PM2.5 research in SEA are also discussed.