Development of intergrated management approach to reduce risk of exposure to dust storms in northeast edge of Taklimakan desert, Xinjiang, China | |
| Author | Aili, Aishajiang |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.EV-16-02 |
| Subject(s) | Dust storms--China Dust control Environmental aspects Air pollution Meteorological research Countermeasures |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering and Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. EV-16-02 |
| Abstract | Dust storms have a wide range of environmental and health impacts. This work developed an integrated approach to reduce potential risk of exposure to dust storms in the northeast edge of Taklimakan desert, China. The integrated approach considered the tr ansport pathway , potential local and distant source regions of air pollutants, health effects, as well as the importance of meteorology and man made factors on the dust storm occurrence frequency. Finally, an early warning system has been developed which To assess the source regions of dust storms, 48 h backward trajectories of air masses arriving at the Bugur County, which is located at the northeast edge of Taklimakan d esert, on the dust y season (spring) and non dusty month (August , representing non dusty season ) in the period of 1999 2013 , were determined using Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model version 4 (HYSPLIT 4). The trajectories were categorized by k means clustering into 5 clusters (1a 5a) in the dusty season and 2 cluster s (1b and 2b) in the non dusty season which show distinct features in terms of the trajectory origins and the entry direction to the site . D aily levels of three a ir pollutant s measured at a station located in Bugur County were analyzed for each air mass cluster in dusty season . The results show ed that high levels of and NO 2 were mostly associated with cluster 1 a and cluster 5a which had trajectories pass ing over t he anthropogenic source regions while high TSP was mainly observed in cluster 4a which has a longer pathway over the shifting sand desert area . Both local and distant sources may contribute to the high pollution levels on the dusty days. Thus on strong dust storm days not only higher TSP but also higher SO 2 and NO2 levels were observed as compared to normal days. The effects of dust storms on public health were investigated using hospital records and the information collected by a questionnaire survey conducted by this study for 100 days (February - May 2013). The time series analyses (simple regression, cross-correlation for lag effects, Poisson regression with generalized additive model) were applied together with principal component analysis (PCA) to reveal the association between the daily numbers of inpatients/outpatients, the air pollutants (TSP, SO 2 and NO2) and meteorology (temperature and wind speed). PCA was applied on the questionnaire survey results (810 respondents, 10 health symptoms) to reveal the association between dust weather types and occurrence frequency of heath symptoms of different degrees of severity. Results of the analysis showed strong associations between dust weather and the health effects in the study area. Diseases related to the respiratory system and ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) were more susceptible to dust weather conditions and air pollution levels than other diseases. SO2 had a stronger influence on increase in likelihood of hospital visits than NO2 and TSP. Elder people of above 60 and young children of below 15 were more sensitive to dust storms. |
| Year | 2016 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. EV-16-02 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Nguyen, Thi Kim Oanh |
| Examination Committee(s) | Visvanathan, Chettiyappan ;Shrestha, Rajenda Prasad |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | China Scholarship Council (CSC) |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2016 |