Environmental management: a country-level evaluation of atmospheric particulate matter removal by the forests of India.

Particulate matter (PM) is a critical air pollutant, responsible for an array of ailments leading to premature mortality worldwide. Nature-based solutions for mitigation of PM and especially role of forests in mitigating PM from an ecosystem perspective are less explored. Forests provide a natural pollution abatement strategy by providing a surface area for the deposition of PM.

Black carbon concentration in the central Himalayas: Impact on glacier melt and potential source contribution.

This study discusses year-long (October 2016-September 2017) observations of atmospheric black carbon (BC) mass concentration, its source and sector contributions using a chemical transport model at a high-altitude (28°12'49.21″N, 85°36'33.77″E, 4900 masl) site located near the Yala Glacier in the central Himalayas, Nepal.

Proinflammatory Effects in Human Lung Tissue of Respirable Smoke Extracts from Indoor Cooking in Nepal.

Exposure to biomass smoke is believed to increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying responses to biomass smoke in human lungs. This study had two objectives: first, to quantify "real-life" exposures to particulate matter <2 μm in diameter (PM) and carbon monoxide (CO) measured during cooking on stoves in rural areas of Nepal in different geographical settings; and second, to assess the effect of biomass smoke extracts on inflammatory responses in human lung tissue.

Cookstove Smoke Impact on Ambient Air Quality and Probable Consequences for Human Health in Rural Locations of Southern Nepal.

Residential emission from traditional biomass cookstoves is a major source of indoor and outdoor air pollution in developing countries. However, exact quantification of the contribution of biomass cookstove emissions to outdoor air is still lacking. In order to address this gap, we designed a field study to estimate the emission factors of PM (particulate matter of less than 2.

Ambient endotoxin in PM and association with inflammatory activity, air pollutants, and meteorology, in Chitwan, Nepal.

Background: Endotoxin associated with ambient PM (particulate matter) has been linked to adverse respiratory symptoms, but there have been few studies of ambient endotoxin and its association with co-pollutants and inflammation.

Objectives: Our aim was to measure endotoxin associated with ambient PM (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter<10μm) in summer 2016 at four locations in Chitwan, Nepal, and investigate its association with meteorology, co-pollutants, and inflammatory activity.

Methods: PM concentrations were recorded and filter paper samples were collected using E-samplers; PM PM, black carbon (BC), methane (CH), and carbon monoxide (CO) were also measured.

Seasonal trends, meteorological impacts, and associated health risks with atmospheric concentrations of gaseous pollutants at an Indian coastal city.

This study presents surface ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements conducted at Bhubaneswar from December 2010 to November 2012 and attempts for the very first time a health risk assessment of the atmospheric trace gases. Seasonal variation in average 24 h O3 and CO shows a distinct winter (December to February) maxima of 38.98 ± 9.