The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality
Air pollutants, such as ozone, have adverse impacts on human health and cause, for example, respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In the United Kingdom (UK), peak surface ozone concentrations typically occur in the spring and summer and are controlled by emission of precursor gases, tropospheric...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2016-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/12/124004 |
| _version_ | 1797748727312547840 |
|---|---|
| author | R J Pope E W Butt M P Chipperfield R M Doherty S Fenech A Schmidt S R Arnold N H Savage |
| author_facet | R J Pope E W Butt M P Chipperfield R M Doherty S Fenech A Schmidt S R Arnold N H Savage |
| author_sort | R J Pope |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air pollutants, such as ozone, have adverse impacts on human health and cause, for example, respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In the United Kingdom (UK), peak surface ozone concentrations typically occur in the spring and summer and are controlled by emission of precursor gases, tropospheric chemistry and local meteorology which can be influenced by large-scale synoptic weather regimes. In this study we composite surface and satellite observations of summer-time (April to September) ozone under different UK atmospheric circulation patterns, as defined by the Lamb weather types. Anticyclonic conditions and easterly flows are shown to significantly enhance ozone concentrations over the UK relative to summer-time average values. Anticyclonic stability and light winds aid the trapping of ozone and its precursor gases near the surface. Easterly flows (NE, E, SE) transport ozone and precursor gases from polluted regions in continental Europe (e.g. the Benelux region) to the UK. Cyclonic conditions and westerly flows, associated with unstable weather, transport ozone from the UK mainland, replacing it with clean maritime (North Atlantic) air masses. Increased cloud cover also likely decrease ozone production rates. We show that the UK Met Office regional air quality model successfully reproduces UK summer-time ozone concentrations and ozone enhancements under anticyclonic and south-easterly conditions for the summer of 2006. By using established ozone exposure-health burden metrics, anticyclonic and easterly condition enhanced surface ozone concentrations pose the greatest public health risk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:08:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1c4d87bffb647faa38c67edbe8caca1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:08:59Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1c4d87bffb647faa38c67edbe8caca12023-08-09T14:13:37ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262016-01-01111212400410.1088/1748-9326/11/12/124004The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortalityR J Pope0E W Butt1M P Chipperfield2R M Doherty3S Fenech4A Schmidt5S R Arnold6N H Savage7School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UKSchool of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UKSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKMet Office, Exeter, EX1 3PB, UKAir pollutants, such as ozone, have adverse impacts on human health and cause, for example, respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In the United Kingdom (UK), peak surface ozone concentrations typically occur in the spring and summer and are controlled by emission of precursor gases, tropospheric chemistry and local meteorology which can be influenced by large-scale synoptic weather regimes. In this study we composite surface and satellite observations of summer-time (April to September) ozone under different UK atmospheric circulation patterns, as defined by the Lamb weather types. Anticyclonic conditions and easterly flows are shown to significantly enhance ozone concentrations over the UK relative to summer-time average values. Anticyclonic stability and light winds aid the trapping of ozone and its precursor gases near the surface. Easterly flows (NE, E, SE) transport ozone and precursor gases from polluted regions in continental Europe (e.g. the Benelux region) to the UK. Cyclonic conditions and westerly flows, associated with unstable weather, transport ozone from the UK mainland, replacing it with clean maritime (North Atlantic) air masses. Increased cloud cover also likely decrease ozone production rates. We show that the UK Met Office regional air quality model successfully reproduces UK summer-time ozone concentrations and ozone enhancements under anticyclonic and south-easterly conditions for the summer of 2006. By using established ozone exposure-health burden metrics, anticyclonic and easterly condition enhanced surface ozone concentrations pose the greatest public health risk.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/12/124004tropospheric ozoneLamb weather typespremature mortality |
| spellingShingle | R J Pope E W Butt M P Chipperfield R M Doherty S Fenech A Schmidt S R Arnold N H Savage The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality Environmental Research Letters tropospheric ozone Lamb weather types premature mortality |
| title | The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| title_full | The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| title_fullStr | The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| title_short | The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| title_sort | impact of synoptic weather on uk surface ozone and implications for premature mortality |
| topic | tropospheric ozone Lamb weather types premature mortality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/12/124004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rjpope theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT ewbutt theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT mpchipperfield theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT rmdoherty theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT sfenech theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT aschmidt theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT srarnold theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT nhsavage theimpactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT rjpope impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT ewbutt impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT mpchipperfield impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT rmdoherty impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT sfenech impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT aschmidt impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT srarnold impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality AT nhsavage impactofsynopticweatheronuksurfaceozoneandimplicationsforprematuremortality |