Publications by authors named "C F Braban"
Under the EU Air Quality Directive (AQD) 2008/50/EC member states are required to undertake routine monitoring of PM composition at background stations. The AQD states for PM speciation this should include at least: nitrate , sulfate , chloride (Cl), ammonium (NH4), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC). Until 2017, it was the responsibility of each country to determine the methodology used to report the composition for the inorganic components of PM.
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- Anthropogenic activities release around 2,000 metric tons of mercury annually, affecting remote ecosystems and leading to inconsistencies in reported emissions and atmospheric concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Despite reported increases in mercury emissions over the past 30 years, data analysis shows a declining trend in atmospheric mercury levels, indicating that actual emissions must have decreased significantly, contradicting existing inventories.
- By using statistical modeling of data from 51 monitoring stations, the study highlights a decline in mercury concentrations from 2005 to 2020, suggesting that reductions in local emissions, rather than reemissions of legacy mercury, are primarily responsible for these trends and raising questions about the reliability of current emission inventories.
Background: Exposure to air pollution can exacerbate asthma with immediate and long-term health consequences. Behaviour changes can reduce exposure to air pollution, yet its 'invisible' nature often leaves individuals unaware of their exposure, complicating the identification of appropriate behaviour modifications. Moreover, making health behaviour changes can be challenging, necessitating additional support from healthcare professionals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsthma, characterized by airway inflammation, sensitization and constriction, and leading to symptoms including cough and dyspnoea, affects millions of people globally. Air pollution is a known asthma trigger, yet how it is experienced is understudied and how individuals with asthma interact with air quality information and manage exacerbation risks is unclear. This study aimed to explore how people living with asthma in Scotland, UK, experienced and managed their asthma in relation to air pollution.
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- PM (fine particulate matter) is linked to acute asthma attacks and long-term respiratory issues, with exposure varying significantly according to different environments.
- Low-cost sensors were used by 28 non-smoking asthma patients in Scotland to track their PM exposure over a week, coinciding with their activities and health notes.
- The study found that higher PM exposure correlated with increased asthma symptoms but did not impact the use of rescue inhalers, highlighting gaps in current air quality monitoring that need to be addressed for better health insight.