Health effects of black carbon in the city of Barcelona

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (1) ◽  
pp. 4539
Author(s):  
Aurelio Tobias ◽  
Cristina Reche ◽  
Angeliki Karanasiou ◽  
Fulvio Amato ◽  
Jorge Pey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
The City

scholarly journals Black carbon over Mexico: the effect of atmospheric transport on mixing state, mass absorption cross-section, and BC/CO ratios

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Subramanian ◽  
G. L. Kok ◽  
D. Baumgardner ◽  
A. Clarke ◽  
Y. Shinozuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Absorption Cross Section ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Absorption Cross ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Wet Scavenging ◽  
The City ◽  
Absorption Photometer

Abstract. A single particle soot photometer (SP2) was operated on the NCAR C-130 during the MIRAGE campaign (part of MILAGRO), sampling black carbon (BC) over Mexico. The highest BC concentrations were measured over Mexico City (sometimes as much as 2 μg/m3) and over hill-fires to the south of the city. The age of plumes outside of Mexico City was determined using a combination of HYSPLIT trajectories, WRF-FLEXPART modeling and CMET balloon tracks. As expected, older, diluted air masses had lower BC concentrations. A comparison of carbon monoxide (CO) and BC suggests a CO background of around 65 ppbv, and a background-corrected BC/COnet ratio of 2.89±0.89 (ng/m3-STP)/ppbv (average ± standard deviation). This ratio is similar for fresh emissions over Mexico City, as well as for aged airmasses. Comparison of light absorption measured with a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP) and the SP2 BC suggests a BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) of 10.9±2.1 m2/g at 660 nm (or 13.1 m2/g @ 550 nm, assuming MAC is inversely dependent on wavelength). This appears independent of aging and similar to the expected absorption cross-section for aged BC, but values, particularly in fresh emissions, could be biased high due to instrument artifacts. SP2-derived BC coating indicators show a prominent thinly-coated BC mode over the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), while older air masses show both thinly-coated and thickly-coated BC. Some 2-day-old plumes do not show a prominent thickly-coated BC mode, possibly due to preferential wet scavenging of the likely-hydrophilic thickly-coated BC.

scholarly journals Ultrafine Particle Features Associated with Pro-Inflammatory and Oxidative Responses: Implications for Health Studies

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 414
Author(s):  
Francesca Costabile ◽  
Maurizio Gualtieri ◽  
Carla Ancona ◽  
Silvia Canepari ◽  
Stefano Decesari
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Carbonaceous Aerosol ◽  
In Vitro Tests ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Major Purpose ◽  
Health Studies ◽  
Oxidative Responses

Suspected detrimental health effects associated with ultrafine particles (UFPs) are impressive. However, epidemiological evidence is still limited. This is potentially due to challenges related to UFP exposure assessment and the lack of consensus on a standard methodology for UFPs. It is imperative to focus future health studies on those UFP metrics more likely to represent health effects. This is the purpose of this paper, where we extend the results obtained during the CARE (“Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs”) experiment started in 2017 in Rome. The major purpose is to investigate features of airborne UFPs associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses. Aerosol chemical, microphysical, and optical properties were measured, together with the oxidative potential, at temporal scales relevant for UFPs (minutes to hours). The biological responses were obtained using both in-vivo and in-vitro tests carried out directly under environmental conditions. Findings indicate that caution should be taken when assessing health-relevant exposure to UFPs through the conventional metrics like total particle number concentration and PM2.5 and Black Carbon (BC) mass concentration. Conversely, we recommend adding to these, a UFP source apportionment analysis and indicators for both ultrafine black carbon and the size of particles providing most of the total surface area to available toxic molecules.

scholarly journals Comparison of measured residential black carbon levels outdoors and indoors with fixed-site monitoring data and with dispersion modelling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Gruzieva ◽  
Antonios Georgelis ◽  
Niklas Andersson ◽  
Tom Bellander ◽  
Christer Johansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Monitoring Data ◽  
Dispersion Modelling ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Site Monitoring

AbstractEpidemiologic studies on health effects of air pollution usually rely on time-series of ambient monitoring data or on spatially modelled levels. Little is known how well these estimate residential outdoor and indoor levels. We investigated the agreement of measured residential black carbon (BC) levels outdoors and indoors with fixed-site monitoring data and with levels calculated using a Gaussian dispersion model. One-week residential outdoor and indoor BC measurements were conducted for 15 families living in central Stockholm. Time-series from urban background and street-level monitors were compared to these measurements. The observed weekly concentrations were also standardized to reflect annual averages, using urban background levels, and compared spatially to long-term levels as estimated by dispersion modelling. Weekly average outdoor BC level was 472 ng/m3 (range 261–797 ng/m3). The corresponding fixed-site urban background and street levels were 313 and 1039 ng/m3, respectively. Urban background variation explained 50% of the temporal variation in residential outdoor levels averaged over 24 h. Modelled residential long-term outdoor levels were on average comparable with the standardized measured home outdoor levels, and explained 49% of the spatial variability. The median indoor/outdoor ratio across all addresses was 0.79, with no difference between day and night time. Common exposure estimation approaches in the epidemiology of health effects related to BC displayed high validity for residencies in central Stockholm. Urban background monitored levels explained half of the outdoor day-to-day variability at residential addresses. Long-term dispersion modelling explained half of the spatial differences in outdoor levels. Indoor BC concentrations tended to be somewhat lower than outdoor levels.

scholarly journals Black Carbon as an Additional Indicator of the Adverse Health Effects of Airborne Particles Compared with PM10and PM2.5

2011 ◽  
Vol 119 (12) ◽  
pp. 1691-1699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole A.H. Janssen ◽  
Gerard Hoek ◽  
Milena Simic-Lawson ◽  
Paul Fischer ◽  
Leendert van Bree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Airborne Particles ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health

Genotoxicity and chronic health effects of automobile exhaust: a study on the traffic policemen in the city of Lanzhou

1998 ◽  
Vol 415 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohong Zhao ◽  
Jingping Niu ◽  
Yumei Wang ◽  
Chunsheng Yan ◽  
Xunling Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Automobile Exhaust ◽  
Traffic Policemen ◽  
The City

scholarly journals Comparison of measurements of peroxyacyl nitrates and primary carbonaceous aerosol concentrations in Mexico City determined in 1997 and 2003

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 2277-2285 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Marley ◽  
J. S. Gaffney ◽  
R. Ramos-Villegas ◽  
B. Cárdenas González
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Atmospheric Measurements ◽  
Important Species ◽  
The City

Abstract. The concentrations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in ambient air can be a good indicator of air quality and the effectiveness of control strategies for reducing ozone levels in urban areas. As PAN is formed by the oxidation of reactive hydrocarbons in the presence of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), it is a direct measure of the peroxyacyl radical levels produced from reactive organic emissions in the urban air shed. Carbon soot, known as black carbon (BC) or elemental carbon (EC), is a primary atmospheric aerosol species and is a good indicator of the levels of combustion emissions, particularly from diesel engines, in major cities. Mexico City is the second largest megacity in the world and has long suffered from poor air quality. Reported here are atmospheric measurements of PAN and BC obtained in Mexico City during the Mexico Megacity 2003 field study. These results are compared with measurements obtained earlier during the Investigación sobre Materia Particulada y Deterioro Atmosférico – Aerosol and Visibility Research (IMADA-AVER) campaign in 1997 to obtain an estimate of the changes in emissions in Mexico City and the effectiveness of control strategies adopted during that time. Concentrations of PAN in 1997 reached a maximum of 34 ppb with an average daily maximum of 15 ppb. The PAN levels recorded in 2003 were quite different, with an average daily maximum of 3 ppb. This dramatic reduction in PAN levels observed in 2003 indicate that reactive hydrocarbon emissions have been reduced in the city due to controls on olefins in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and also due to the significant number of newer vehicles with catalytic converters that have replaced older higher emission vehicles. In contrast, black/elemental carbon levels were similar in 1997 and 2003 indicating little improvement likely due to the lack of controls on diesel vehicles in the city. Thus, while air quality and ozone production have improved, Mexico City and other megacities continue to be a major source of black carbon aerosols, which can be an important species in determining regional radiative balance and climate.

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