scholarly journals Assessing SO2, NO2 and O3 in rural areas of the North West Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morongoa Morongoa Ngoasheng ◽  
Johan Paul Beukes ◽  
Pieter G. Van Zyl ◽  
Jan -S. Swartz ◽  
Victor Loate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Inversion Layer ◽  
Passive Samplers ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
The West ◽  
North West ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Standard Limit

Air quality monitoring has been lacking in the rural and western North West Province. Here ambient sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations, monitored with passive samplers at 10 sites, are presented. Widespread SO2 and NO2 problems weren’t observed. However, regular O3 standard limit exceedances are likely across the province. Increased SO2 and NO2 concentrations in the colder and drier months were evident. Inversion layer trapping of low-level emissions during the colder months and open biomass burning in the drier months increased ground level pollutant concentrations. Wet deposition of SO2 and NO2, and enhanced SO2 conversion to particulate sulphate, result in lower wet season concentrations. O3 concentrations were lower from May to July and higher from August to March. Three phenomena contributed to this. Firstly, shorter daylight hours (less photochemistry) and secondly, lower biogenic volatile organic compound (O3 precursors) concentrations during the colder months. Thirdly, the late winter/early spring open biomass burning peak lead to elevated carbon monoxide (CO) concentration (also an O3 precursor). Spatial patterns indicated higher SO2 concentrations in the west, due mainly to industrial emissions. The NO2 spatial map indicated two areas of higher concentration, i.e. Bapong in the east due mainly to industrial emissions, and Taung with its higher population density. The O3 spatial map was almost the inverse of NO2. The lower O3 and higher NO2 around Taung showed that O3 is titrated there. Additionally, the results indicate that non-point source emissions of NO2 are high enough to results in exceedances of the O3 standard limit. Overlay back trajectory maps showed that sites in the east are more frequently impacted by pollution transported from the Mpumalanga Highveld, Vaal Triangle and the Johannesburg-Pretoria megacity if compared to the west. Conversely, cleaner air masses impact the west more than sites in the east.

scholarly journals Aerosol from Biomass Combustion in Northern Europe: Influence of Meteorological Conditions and Air Mass History

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
Jun Noda ◽  
Robert Bergström ◽  
Xiangrui Kong ◽  
Torbjörn L. Gustafsson ◽  
Borka Kovacevik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Submicron Particles ◽  
Biomass Combustion ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Marine Origin ◽  
High Concentrations

Alkali-containing submicron particles were measured continuously during three months, including late winter and spring seasons in Gothenburg, Sweden. The overall aims were to characterize the ambient concentrations of combustion-related aerosol particles and to address the importance of local emissions and long-range transport for atmospheric concentrations in the urban background environment. K and Na concentrations in the particulate matter PM1 size range were measured by an Alkali aerosol mass spectrometer (Alkali-AMS) and a cluster analysis was conducted. Local meteorological conditions and trace gas and PM concentrations were also obtained for a nearby location. In addition, back trajectory analyses and chemical transport model (CTM) simulations were included for the evaluation. The Alkali-AMS cluster analysis indicated three major clusters: (1) biomass burning origin, (2) mixture of other combustion sources, and (3) marine origin. Low temperatures and low wind speed conditions correlated with high concentrations of K-containing particles, mainly owing to local and regional emissions from residential biomass combustion; transport of air masses from continental Europe also contribute to Cluster 1. The CTM results indicate that open biomass burning in the eastern parts of Europe may have contributed substantially to high PM2.5 concentrations (and to Cluster 1) during an episode in late March. According to the CTM results, the mixed cluster (2) is likely to include particles emitted from different source types and no single geographical source region seems to dominate for this cluster. The back trajectory analysis and meteorological conditions indicated that the marine origin cluster was correlated with westerly winds and high wind speed; this cluster had high concentrations of Na-containing particles, as expected for sea salt particles.

scholarly journals Drought-induced biomass burning as a source of black carbon to the Central Himalaya since 1781 CE as reconstructed from the Dasuopu Ice Core

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel D. Barker ◽  
Susan Kaspari ◽  
Paolo Gabrielli ◽  
Anna Wegner ◽  
Emilie Beaudon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Central Himalaya ◽  
North West ◽  
Ice Core Record ◽  
Dasuopu Glacier

Abstract. Himalayan glaciers are melting due to atmospheric warming with the potential to limit access to water for more than 25 % of the global population that reside in these glacier meltwater catchments. Black carbon has been implicated as a factor that is contributing to Himalayan glacier melt, but its sources and mechanisms of delivery to the Himalayas remain controversial. Here, we provide a 211-year ice core record spanning 1781–1992 CE for refractory black carbon (rBC) deposition from the Dasuopu glacier ice core, that has to date provided the highest elevation ice core record (7200 m). We report an average rBC concentration of 1.5 µg/L (SD = 5.0, n = 1628) over the 211-year period. An increase in the frequency and magnitude of rBC deposition occurs after 1877 CE, accompanied by decreased snow accumulation associated with a shift in the North Atlantic Oscillation Index to a positive phase. Typically, rBC is deposited onto Dasuopu glacier during the non-monsoon season, and short-lived increases in rBC concentration are associated with periods of drought within neighboring regions in north-west India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Using a combination of spectral and back trajectory analyses, and comparison with a concurrent analysis of trace metals at equivalent depths in the same ice core, we show that biomass burning resulting from dry conditions is a source of rBC to the central Himalaya, and is responsible for deposition that is up to 60 times higher than the average rBC concentration over the time period analyzed. We suggest that biomass burning is a significant source of rBC to the central Himalaya, and that the rBC record can be used to identify periods of drought in nearby regions that are up-wind of Dasuopu glacier.

scholarly journals Aerosol from Biomass Combustion in Northern Europe: Influence of Meteorological Conditions and Air Mass History

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Noda ◽  
Robert Bergström ◽  
Xiangrui Kong ◽  
Torbjörn L. Gustafsson ◽  
Borka Kovacevik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Submicron Particles ◽  
Biomass Combustion ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Marine Origin ◽  
High Concentrations

Alkali-containing submicron particles were measured continuously during three months, including late winter and spring seasons in Gothenburg, Sweden. The overall aims were to characterize the ambient concentrations of combustion-related aerosol particles and to address the importance of local emissions and long-range transport for the atmospheric concentrations in the urban background environment. K and Na concentrations in the PM1 size range were measured by an alkali aerosol mass spectrometer (Alkali-AMS) and a cluster analysis was conducted. Local meteorological conditions and some other data sets were obtained, and back trajectory analyses and chemical transport model (CTM) simulations were included for the evaluation. The Alkali-AMS cluster analysis indicated three major clusters: 1) biomass burning origin, 2) mixture of other combustion sources, and 3) marine origin. Low temperatures and low wind speed conditions correlated with high concentrations of K-containing particles, mainly due to regional emissions from residential biomass combustion; transport of air masses from continental Europe also contribute to cluster 1. The CTM results indicate that open biomass burning in the eastern parts of Europe may have contributed substantially to high PM2.5 concentrations (and to cluster 1) during an episode in late March. According to the CTM results the mixed cluster (2) is likely to include particles emitted from different source types and no single geographical source region seems to dominate for this cluster. The back trajectory analysis and meteorological conditions indicated that the marine origin cluster was correlated with westerly winds and high wind speed; this cluster had high concentrations of Na-containing particles, as expected for sea salt particles.

Excavations at Fishbourne, 1963. Third Interim Report

1964 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Keyword(s):  
Interim Report ◽  
The West ◽  
Civic Society ◽  
North West ◽  
The Third ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
The Future ◽  
Set Up

Early in 1963 much of the land occupied by the Roman building at Fishbourne was purchased by Mr. I. D. Margary, M.A., F.S.A., and was given to the Sussex Archaeological Trust. The Fishbourne Committee of the trust was set up to administer the future of the site. The third season's excavation, carried out at the desire of this committee, was again organized by the Chichester Civic Society.1 About fifty volunteers a day were employed from 24th July to 3rd September. Excavation concentrated upon three main areas; the orchard south of the east wing excavated in 1962, the west end of the north wing, and the west wing. In addition, trial trenches were dug at the north-east and north-west extremities of the building and in the area to the north of the north wing. The work of supervision was carried out by Miss F. Pierce, M.A., Mr. B. Morley, Mr. A. B. Norton, B.A., and Mr. J. P. Wild, B.A. Photography was organized by Mr. D. B. Baker and Mrs. F. A. Cunliffe took charge of the pottery and finds.

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