Synergistic effects of temperature and humidity on the symptoms of COPD patients.

This panel study investigates how temperature, humidity, and their interaction affect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients' self-reported symptoms. One hundred and six COPD patients from Shanghai, China, were enrolled, and age, smoking status, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, and lung function index were recorded at baseline.

[Seasonal variations in the vertical distribution of aerosols during dry haze periods in regions around Shanghai].

Based on the onboard lidar data from CALIPSO satellite of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from January 2007 to November 2010, the vertical distribution of optical and micro-physical properties of aerosols around Shanghai during the haze periods when relative humidity less than 80% were revealed by analyzing the parameters of 532 nm total attenuated backscatter coefficient, volume depolarization ratio and total attenuated color ratio. The results showed that during dry haze periods, the scattering ability of lower troposphere (0-2 km) was the highest and the main constituents were regular aerosols. The scattering ability of the upper troposphere (8-10 km) was the lowest and the proportion of irregular aerosols was the highest among the five altitude layers.

Characteristics and sources of non-methane hydrocarbons and halocarbons in wintertime urban atmosphere of Shanghai, China.

The characteristics and sources of major hydrocarbons and halocarbons in the wintertime ambient air of urban center of Shanghai, a mega city of China, were investigated. Propane, toluene, ethyl acetate, and benzene were the most abundant hydrocarbons. The majority of species showed significant variability in mixing ratios with occasional episodic increases.

Characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured in Shanghai, China.

To better understand the characteristics of ambient abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Shanghai, one of the biggest metropolis of China, VOCs were measured with a gas chromatography system equipped with a mass-selective detector (GC/MSD) from July 2006 to February 2010. An intensive measurement campaign was conducted (eight samples per day with a 3 hour interval) during May 2009. The comparison of ambient VOCs collected in different regions of Shanghai shows that the concentrations are slightly higher in the busy commercial area (28.