scholarly journals Combination of Different Approaches to Infer Local or Regional Contributions to PM2.5 Burdens in Graz, Austria

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4222
Author(s):  
Bernadette Kirchsteiger ◽  
Magdalena Kistler ◽  
Thomas Steinkogler ◽  
Christopher Herzig ◽  
Andreas Limbeck ◽  
...  

In early 2017 high particulate matter (PM) levels were observed across mid-Europe, including Austria. Here we characterize PM pollution in the city of Graz during January to March 2017, a period with substantial exceedances (34 days) of the European Union (EU) PM10 short time limit value. This study evaluates whether the observed exceedances can be attributed to the accumulation of pollutants emitted by local sources or to a larger scale pollution episode including transport. The analyses are based on the ratios of PM10 concentrations determined at an urban and background site, and the analyses of chemical composition of PM2.5 samples (i.e., water soluble ions, organic and elemental carbon, anhydro-sugars, humic-like substances, aluminum, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Source apportionment was realized using a macro-tracer model. Overall, the combination of different approaches (PM10 ratios, chemical composition, and macro-tracer derived source apportionment) enabled a conclusive identification of time periods characterized by the accumulation of emissions from local sources or regional pollution episodes.

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 8247-8268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Bozzetti ◽  
Imad El Haddad ◽  
Dalia Salameh ◽  
Kaspar Rudolf Daellenbach ◽  
Paola Fermo ◽  
...  

Abstract. We investigated the seasonal trends of OA sources affecting the air quality of Marseille (France), which is the largest harbor of the Mediterranean Sea. This was achieved by measurements of nebulized filter extracts using an aerosol mass spectrometer (offline-AMS). In total 216 PM2. 5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter  <  2.5 µm) filter samples were collected over 1 year from August 2011 to July 2012. These filters were used to create 54 composite samples which were analyzed by offline-AMS. The same samples were also analyzed for major water-soluble ions, metals, elemental and organic carbon (EC ∕ OC), and organic markers, including n-alkanes, hopanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lignin and cellulose pyrolysis products, and nitrocatechols. The application of positive matrix factorization (PMF) to the water-soluble AMS spectra enabled the extraction of five factors, related to hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), cooking OA (COA), biomass burning OA (BBOA), oxygenated OA (OOA), and an industry-related OA (INDOA). Seasonal trends and relative contributions of OA sources were compared with the source apportionment of OA spectra collected from the AMS field deployment at the same station but in different years and for shorter monitoring periods (February 2011 and July 2008). Online- and offline-AMS source apportionment revealed comparable seasonal contribution of the different OA sources. Results revealed that BBOA was the dominant source during winter, representing on average 48 % of the OA, while during summer the main OA component was OOA (63 % of OA mass on average). HOA related to traffic emissions contributed on a yearly average 17 % to the OA mass, while COA was a minor source contributing 4 %. The contribution of INDOA was enhanced during winter (17 % during winter and 11 % during summer), consistent with an increased contribution from light alkanes, light PAHs (fluoranthene, pyrene, phenanthrene), and selenium, which is commonly considered as a unique coal combustion and coke production marker. Online- and offline-AMS source apportionments revealed evolving levoglucosan : BBOA ratios, which were higher during late autumn and March. A similar seasonality was observed in the ratios of cellulose combustion markers to lignin combustion markers, highlighting the contribution from cellulose-rich biomass combustion, possibly related to agricultural activities.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianqian Xue ◽  
Ying-Ze Tian ◽  
Yang Wei ◽  
Danlin Song ◽  
Fengxia Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract PM2.5 samples collected over a 1-year period in a Chinese megacity were analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water soluble ions, elements and organic markers such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, steranes, and n-alkanes. In order to study the applicability of organic markers in source apportionment, this study analyzes the relationship between organic and inorganic components, and four scenarios were implemented by incorporating different combinations of organic and inorganic tracers. A positive correlation of SO42− with 4 rings PAHs can prove that coal burning directly emits a portion of sulfate. A positive correlation of NO3− with 5-7 rings PAHs are found, implying collective impacts from the vehicle source. The concentrations of OC and EC positively correlate with the 5-7 rings PAHs and Cu and Zn, which proves that part of Cu and Zn comes from vehicle emissions. Five factors were identified by incorporating only conventional components, including secondary source (SS, 30%), urban fugitive dust (UFD, 14%), cement dust (CD, 4%), traffic source (TS, 19%) and coal combustion (CC, 14%). Six factors were identified by incorporating conventional components and PAHs, including SS (28%), UFD (15%), CD (4%), CC (13%), gasoline vehicles (GV, 12%) and diesel vehicles (DV, 10%). Eight factors were identified by incorporating conventional components, PAHs, hopanes, and n-alkanes, including SS (26%), UFD (17%), CD (3%), GV (14%), DV (8%), immature coal combustion (ICC, 5%), mature coal combustion (MCC, 10%) and biogenic source (BS, 1%).


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Yoshika Sekine ◽  
◽  
Nami Takahashi ◽  
Yuri Ohkoshi ◽  
Akihiro Takemasa ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa Zalakeviciute ◽  
Katiuska Alexandrino ◽  
Yves Rybarczyk ◽  
Alexis Debut ◽  
Karla Vizuete ◽  
...  

Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is one of the key pollutants causing health risks worldwide. While the preoccupation for increased concentrations of these particles mainly depends on their sources and thus chemical composition, some regions are yet not well investigated. In this work the composition of chemical elements of atmospheric PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 µm), collected at the urban and suburban sites in high elevation tropical city, were chemically analysed during the dry and wet seasons of 2017–2018. A large fraction (~ 68%) of PM10 composition in Quito, Ecuador is accounted for by water-soluble ions and 16 elements analysed using UV/VIS spectrophotometer and Inductively Coupled Plasma—Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to study a correlation between the chemical composition of urban pollution and meteorological parameters. The suburban area displays an increase in PM10 concentrations and natural elemental markers during the dry (increased wind intensity, resuspension of soil dust) season. Meanwhile, densely urbanized area shows increased total PM10 concentrations and anthropogenic elemental markers during the wet season, which may point to the worsened combustion and traffic conditions. This might indicate the prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory problems in motorized areas of the cities in the developing world.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 847
Author(s):  
Hao Xiao ◽  
Hua-Yun Xiao ◽  
Zhong-Yi Zhang ◽  
Neng-Jian Zheng ◽  
Qin-kai Li ◽  
...  

Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium (SNA) are the dominant components of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in PM2.5, which are of great significance for understanding the sources and transformation mechanisms of PM2.5. In this study, daily PM2.5 samples were collected from September 2017 to August 2018 within the Guiyang urban area and the concentrations of the major WSIs in the PM2.5 samples were characterized. The results showed that the average concentration of SNA (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+) was 15.01 ± 9.35 μg m−3, accounting for 81.05% (48.71–93.76%) of the total WSIs and 45.33% (14.25–82.43%) of the PM2.5 and their possible chemical composition in PM2.5 was (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3. The highest SOR (sulfur oxidation ratio) was found in summer, which was mainly due to the higher temperature and O3 concentrations, while the lowest NOR (nitrogen oxidation ratio) found in summer may ascribe to the volatilization of nitrates being accelerated at higher temperature. Furthermore, the nitrate formation was more obvious in NH4+-rich environments so reducing NH3 emissions could effectively control the formation of nitrate. The results of the trajectory cluster analysis suggested that air pollutants can be easily enriched over short air mass trajectories from local emission sources, affecting the chemical composition of PM2.5.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh R. Harper ◽  
Cristina Santin ◽  
Stefan H. Doerr ◽  
Cynthia A. Froyd ◽  
Dania Albini ◽  
...  

It is well established in the world’s fire-prone regions that wildfires can considerably change the hydrological dynamics of freshwater catchments. Limited research, however, has focused on the potential impacts of wildfire ash toxicity on aquatic biota. Here, we assess the chemical composition and toxicity of ash generated from wildfires in six contrasting vegetation types distributed globally (UK grassland, Spanish pine forest, Spanish heathland, USA chaparral, Australian eucalypt forest and Canadian spruce forest). Acute (48h) immobilisation tests were conducted on the extensively studied aquatic macroinvertebrate Daphnia magna, a sensitive indicator of aquatic contaminants. We found significant differences between the chemical composition and toxicity of these ash types. The UK and Spanish ash had no detectable toxicity to Daphnia magna, whereas the Australian eucalypt, USA chaparral and Canadian spruce ash all caused significant toxicity (immobilisation). The principal characteristics of the latter ash types were their high pH, and NO3−, Cl− and conductivity levels. Elevated water-soluble and total concentrations of metals (e.g. Mn, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu and As) and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were not linked to toxicity.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1180
Author(s):  
Jingqiao Zhang ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Li Yan ◽  
Wenwen Ding ◽  
Ruize Liu ◽  
...  

Analysis of chemical composition characteristics of PM2.5 under different pollution degrees can reveal the changes of pollution sources. In order to make clear the evolution process of PM2.5 compositions in autumn and winter, PM2.5 samples were continuously collected and analyzed at Liaocheng city, China. The collected samples were classified as clean days (CLD), mild-moderate pollution days (MMD) and severe-serious pollution days (SSD). It was concluded that with the increase of pollution degrees, the concentrations of water-soluble ions and carbon components increased significantly, while elements only increased slightly. In addition, as the pollution degrees increased, the percentage of NO3−, SO42− and NH4+ increased significantly, from 23.0% in CLD to 49.0% in SSD, while the percentage of other components decreased, especially crust material. The PMF analyzed results showed that secondary transformation (36.7%), combustion sources (20.4%), secondary organic aerosols (SOA) (11.7%), vehicle sources (11%), dust (10.5%) and industrial processes (9.7%) were the main sources of PM2.5 during autumn and winter in Liaocheng. The contribution of secondary transformation reached 57% at the SSD level, which indicated that it was the main reason for the increase of PM2.5 concentrations. The air mass mainly came from five paths to Liaocheng. The secondary transformation contribution of the air mass with short transmission distance was higher, while the contribution of the dust was higher from the long distance.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankang Liu ◽  
Honglei Wang ◽  
Yi Cui ◽  
Lijuan Shen ◽  
Yan Yin ◽  
...  

Particle size distribution, water soluble ions, and black carbon (BC) concentration in a long-term haze-fog episode were measured using a wide-range particle spectrometer (WPS), a monitor for aerosols and gases (MARGA), and an aethalometer (AE33) in Nanjing from 16 to 27 November, 2018. The observation included five processes of clean, mist, mix, haze, and fog. Combined with meteorological elements, the HYSPLIT model, and the IMPROVE model, we analyzed the particle size distribution, chemical composition, and optical properties of aerosols in different processes. The particle number size distribution (PNSD) in five processes differed: It was bimodal in mist and fog and unimodal in clean, mix, and haze. The particle surface area size distribution (PSSD) in different processes showed a bimodal distribution, and the second peak of the mix and fog processes shifted to a larger particle size at 480 nm. The dominant air masses in five processes differed and primarily originated in the northeast direction in the clean process and the southeast direction in the haze process. In the mist, mix, and fog processes local air masses dominated. NO3− was the primary component of water soluble ions, with the lowest proportion of 45.6% in the clean process and the highest proportion of 53.0% in the mix process. The ratio of NH4+ in the different processes was stable at approximately 23%. The ratio of SO42− in the clean process was 26.2%, and the ratio of other processes was approximately 20%. The average concentration of BC in the fog processes was 10,119 ng·m−3, which was 3.55, 1.80, 1.60, and 1.46 times that in the processes of clean, mist, mix, and haze, respectively. In the different processes, BC was primarily based on liquid fuel combustion. NO3−, SO42−, and BC were the main contributors to the atmospheric extinction coefficient and contributed more than 90% in different processes. NO3− contributed 398.43 Mm−1 in the mix process, and SO42− and BC contributed 167.90 Mm−1 and 101.19 Mm−1, respectively, during the fog process.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Li ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Yaru Wang ◽  
Chen Wu ◽  
Yiheng Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract. To investigate the cloud water chemistry and the effects of cloud processes on aerosol properties, comprehensive field observations of cloud water, aerosols, and gas-phase species were conducted at a mountaintop site in Hong Kong in October and November 2016. The chemical composition of cloud water including water-soluble ions, dissolved organic matter (DOM), carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids, and trace metals was quantified. The measured cloud water was very acidic with a mean pH of 3.63, as the ammonium (174 μeq L−1) was insufficient for neutralizing the dominant sulfate (230 μeq L−1) and nitrate (160 μeq L−1). Substantial DOM was found in cloud water, with carbonyl compounds and carboxylic acids accounting for 18.2 % and 5.6 %, respectively. Different from previous observations, concentrations of methylglyoxal (19.1 μM) and glyoxal (6.72 μM) were higher than that of formaldehyde (1.59 μM). The partitioning of carbonyls between cloud water and the gas phase was also investigated. The measured aqueous fractions of dicarbonyls were comparable to the theoretical estimations, while significant aqueous-phase supersaturation was found for less soluble monocarbonyls, suggesting complicated effects of both physical and chemical processes. In-cloud oxidation played an important role in increasing DOM and sulfate in the cloud water. Abundant glyoxal is suggested to be the most likely precursor of cloud water organics. The aqueous formation of organics was enhanced by photochemistry and under less-acidic conditions. Moreover, as a result of the cloud processes, DOM mass fractions were found to be significantly elevated in in-cloud aerosols, which was likely to contribute to the increase in droplet-mode mass fraction of cloud processed aerosols. This study demonstrates the significant role of clouds in altering the chemical composition and physical properties of aerosols via scavenging and aqueous processes, and provides valuable information about aerosol–cloud interactions in subtropical and coastal regions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 189 ◽  
pp. 361-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farimah Shirmohammadi ◽  
Sina Hasheminassab ◽  
Dongbin Wang ◽  
James J. Schauer ◽  
Martin M. Shafer ◽  
...  

This study examines the associations between the oxidative potential of ambient PM2.5and PM0.18, measured by means of the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, and their chemical constituents and modeled sources. Particulate matter (PM) samples were collected from 2012–2013 in Central Los Angeles (LA) and 2013–2014 in Anaheim, California, USA. Detailed chemical analyses of the PM samples, including carbonaceous species, inorganic elements and water-soluble ions, were conducted. Univariate analysis indicated a high correlation (R> 0.60) between the DTT activity and the concentrations of carbonaceous species at both sites. The strongest correlations were observed between DTT and organic tracers of primary vehicle tailpipe emissions including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hopanes as well as EC, with higher correlations for PM0.18versusPM2.5components. Moreover, metals and trace elements (e.g., Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Sb) in both size ranges were also associated with DTT activity. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis was performed on DTT activity and PM sources identified by a Molecular Marker-Chemical Mass Balance (MM-CMB) model (i.e.major carbonaceous sources: vehicle tailpipe emissions, wood smoke, primary biogenic and secondary organic carbon) together with other typical sources of ambient PM (i.e.crustal material, vehicular abrasion, secondary ions and sea salt). Overall, our findings illustrate the relative importance of different traffic sources on the oxidative potential of ambient PM. Despite major reductions of tailpipe emissions, the lack of similar reductions (and possibly an increase) in non-tailpipe emissions makes them an important source of traffic-related PM in Los Angeles and their increasing role in the overall PM toxicity raises concerns for public health.


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