Seasonal dynamics of coarse atmospheric particulate matter between 2.5 μm and 80 μm in Beijing and the impact of 2008 Olympic Games

2016 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Norra ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Volker Dietze ◽  
Nina Schleicher ◽  
Mathieu Fricker ◽  
...  
2008 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia A. Alves

In spite of accounting for 10-70% of the atmospheric aerosol mass, particulate-phase organic compounds are not well characterised, and many aspects of aerosol formation and evolution are still unknown. The growing awareness of the impact of particulate aerosols on climate, and the incompletely recognised but serious effects of anthropogenic constituents on air quality and human health, have conducted to several scientific studies. These investigations have provided information about the behaviour of atmospheric particulate matter and the description of the character of its carbonaceous content. The compilation of such results is important as they append to the emergent global-wide dataset of the organic composition of atmospheric aerosols. The contribution of the major emission sources to regional particulate pollution can be diagnosed by using specific molecular markers. This overview is mainly focused on results obtained with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, since it is the analytical method of choice in elucidating the solvent-extractable organic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter. A synopsis of the selection of organic tracers and the application of geochemical parameters to the analysis of organic constituents as a tool for source apportionment is shown here. Besides the assessment of current knowledge, this paper also presents the identification of further areas of concern.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D. Schiferl ◽  
Colette L. Heald ◽  
David Kelly

Abstract. Changing atmospheric composition, induced primarily by industrialization and climate change, can impact plant health and may have implications for global food security. Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) can enhance crop production through the redistribution of light from sunlight to shaded leaves. Nitrogen transported through the atmosphere can also increase crop production when deposited onto cropland by reducing nutrient limitations in these areas. We employ a crop model (pDSSAT), coupled to input from an atmospheric chemistry model (GEOS-Chem), to predict the impact of PM and nitrogen deposition on crop production. In particular, the crop model considers the resource and physiological restrictions to enhancements in growth from these atmospheric inputs. We find that the global enhancement in crop production due to PM in 2010 under the most realistic scenario is 2.3 %, 11.0 %, and 3.4 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively. These crop enhancements are smaller than those previously found when resource restrictions were not accounted for. Using the same model setup, we assess the effect of nitrogen deposition on crops and find modest increases (~ 2 % in global production for all three crops). This study highlights the need for better observations of the impacts of PM on crop growth and the cycling of nitrogen throughout the plant-soil system to reduce uncertainty in these interactions.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Zhihua Su ◽  
Zongqi Duan ◽  
Bing Deng ◽  
Yunlong Liu ◽  
Xing Chen

The absence of motor vehicle traffic and suspended human activities during the COVID-19 lockdown period in China produced a unique experiment to assess the efficiency of air pollution mitigation. Herein, we synthetically analyzed monitoring data of atmospheric pollutants together with meteorological parameters to investigate the impact of human activity pattern changes on air quality in Guiyang, southwestern China. The results show that the Air Quality Index (AQI) during the lockdown period decreased by 7.4% and 23.48% compared to pre-lockdown levels and the identical lunar period during the past 3 years, respectively, which exhibited optimal air quality due to reduced emissions. The sharp decrease in NO2 concentration reduced the “titration” effect and elevated the O3 concentration by 31.94% during the lockdown period. Meteorological conditions significantly impacted air quality, and serious pollution events might also occur under emission reductions. Falling wind speeds and increasing relative humidity were the direct causes of the pollution event on February 1st. The “first rain” increases the hygroscopicity of atmospheric particulate matter and then elevate its concentration, while continuous rainfall significantly impacted the removal of atmospheric particulate matter. As impacted by the lockdown, the spatial distribution of the NO2 concentration sharply decreased on the whole, while the O3 concentration increased significantly. The implications of this study are as follows: Measures should be formulated to prevent O3 pollution when emission reduction measures are being adopted to improve air quality, and an emphasis should be placed on the impact of secondary aerosols formation by gas-particle conversion.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayant Nirmalkar ◽  
Tsatsral Batmunkh ◽  
Jinsang Jung

Abstract. The impact of biomass burning (BB) on atmospheric particulate matter of


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 4301-4315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D. Schiferl ◽  
Colette L. Heald ◽  
David Kelly

Abstract. Changing atmospheric composition, induced primarily by industrialization and climate change, can impact plant health and may have implications for global food security. Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) can enhance crop production through the redistribution of light from sunlight to shaded leaves. Nitrogen transported through the atmosphere can also increase crop production when deposited onto cropland by reducing nutrient limitations in these areas. We employ a crop model (pDSSAT), coupled to input from an atmospheric chemistry model (GEOS-Chem), to estimate the impact of PM and nitrogen deposition on crop production. In particular, the crop model considers the resource and physiological restrictions to enhancements in growth from these atmospheric inputs. We find that the global enhancement in crop production due to PM in 2010 under the most realistic scenario is 2.3, 11.0, and 3.4 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively. These crop enhancements are smaller than those previously found when resource restrictions were not accounted for. Using the same model setup, we assess the effect of nitrogen deposition on crops and find modest increases (∼ 2 % in global production for all three crops). This study highlights the need for better observations of the impacts of PM on crop growth and the cycling of nitrogen throughout the plant–soil system to reduce uncertainty in these interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Hubai ◽  
Nora Kováts ◽  
Gábor Teke

AbstractAtmospheric particulate matter (PM) is one of the major environmental concerns in Europe. A wide range of studies has proved the ecotoxic potential of atmospheric particles. PM exerts chemical stress on vegetation by its potentially toxic constituents; however, relatively few studies are available on assessing phytotoxic effects under laboratory conditions. In our study, aqueous extract of particulate matter was prepared and used for treatment. Experiment was following the procedure defined by the No. 227 OECD Guideline for the Testing of Chemicals: Terrestrial Plant Test. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants were used; elucidated toxicity was assessed based on morphological and biochemical endpoints such as biomass, chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b, carotenoids, and protein content. Biomass reduction and protein content showed a clear dose–effect relationship; the biomass decreased in comparison with the control (100%) in all test groups (TG) at a steady rate (TG1: 87.73%; TG2: 71.77%; TG3: 67.01%; TG4: 63.63%). The tendency in protein concentrations compared to the control was TG1: 113.61%; TG2: 148.21% TG3: 160.52%; TG4: 157.31%. However, pigments showed a ‘Janus-faced’ effect: nutrient content of the sample caused slight increase at lower doses; actual toxicity became apparent only at higher doses (chlorophyll-a concentration decrease was 84.47% in TG4, chlorophyll-b was 77.17%, and finally, carotene showed 83.60% decrease in TG4).


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document