scholarly journals 9-year trends of PM<sub>10 </sub>sources and oxidative potential in a rural background site in France

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille Joanna Borlaza ◽  
Samuël Weber ◽  
Anouk Marsal ◽  
Gaëlle Uzu ◽  
Véronique Jacob ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Particulate Pollution ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Long Term Study

Abstract. Long-term monitoring at sites with relatively low particulate pollution could provide an opportunity to identify changes in pollutant concentration and potential effects of current air quality policies. In this study, a 9-year sampling of PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 µm) was performed in a rural background site in France from February 28, 2012 to December 22, 2020. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) method was used to apportion sources of PM10 based on quantified chemical constituents and specific chemical tracers from collected filters. Oxidative potential (OP), an emerging health-metric that measures PM capability to potentially cause anti-oxidant imbalance in the lung, was also measured using two acellular assays: dithiothreitol (DTT) and ascorbic acid (AA). The contribution of PMF-resolved sources to OP were also estimated using multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis. In terms of mass contribution, the dominant sources are secondary aerosols (nitrate- and sulphate-rich), associated with long-range transport (LRT). However, in terms of OP contributions, the main drivers are traffic, mineral dust, and biomass burning factors. There is also some OP contribution apportioned to the sulphate- and nitrate-rich sources influenced by processes and aging during LRT that could have encouraged mixing with other anthropogenic sources. The study indicates much lower OP values than in urban areas. A substantial decrease (58 % reduction from year 2012 to 2020) in the mass contributions from the traffic factor was found, however, this is not clearly reflected in its OP contribution. Nevertheless, the findings in this long-term study in the OPE site could signal effectiveness of implemented emission control policies, as also seen in other long-term studies conducted in Europe, mainly for urban areas.

Temporal patterns and trends of surface ozone concentrations over Portugal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Gama ◽  
Alexandra Monteiro ◽  
Myriam Lopes ◽  
Ana Isabel Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Ozone Concentrations ◽  
Long Term Study

&lt;p&gt;Tropospheric ozone (O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;) is a critical pollutant over the Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, due to systematic exceedances to the thresholds for the protection of human health. Due to the location of Portugal, on the Atlantic coast at the south-west point of Europe, the observed O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations are very much influenced not only by local and regional production but also by northern mid-latitudes background concentrations. Ozone trends in the Iberian Peninsula were previously analysed by Monteiro et al. (2012), based on 10-years of O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; observations. Nevertheless, only two of the eleven background monitoring stations analysed in that study are located in Portugal and these two stations are located in Porto and Lisbon urban areas. Although during pollution events O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; levels in urban areas may be high enough to affect human health, the highest concentrations are found in rural locations downwind from the urban and industrialized areas, rather than in cities. This happens because close to the sources (e.g., in urban areas) freshly emitted NO locally scavenges O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;. A long-term study of the spatial and temporal variability and trends of the ozone concentrations over Portugal is missing, aiming to answer the following questions:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;-&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; What is the temporal variability of ozone concentrations?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;-&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; Which trends can we find in observations?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;-&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; How were the ozone spring maxima concentrations affected by the COVID-19 lockdown during spring 2020?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this presentation, these questions will be answered based on the statistical analysis of O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations recorded within the national air quality monitoring network between 2005 and 2020 (16 years). The variability of the surface ozone concentrations over Portugal, on the timescales from diurnal to annual, will be presented and discussed, taking into account the physical and chemical processes that control that variability. Using the TheilSen function from the OpenAir package for R (Carslaw and Ropkins 2012), which quantifies monotonic trends and calculates the associated p-value through bootstrap simulations, O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; concentration long-term trends will be estimated for the different regions and environments (e.g., rural, urban).&amp;#160; Moreover, taking advantage of the unique situation provided by the COVID-19 lockdown during spring 2020, when the government imposed mandatory confinement and citizens movement restriction, leading to a reduction in traffic-related atmospheric emissions, the role of these emissions on ozone levels during the spring period will be studied and presented.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carslaw and Ropkins, 2012. Openair&amp;#8212;an R package for air quality data analysis. Environ. Model. Softw. 27-28,52-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2011.09.008&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Monteiro et al., 2012. Trends in ozone concentrations in the Iberian Peninsula by quantile regression and clustering. Atmos. Environ. 56, 184-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.03.069&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals New particle formation, growth and apparent shrinkage at a rural background site in western Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 10537-10555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simo Hakala ◽  
Mansour A. Alghamdi ◽  
Pauli Paasonen ◽  
Ville Vakkari ◽  
Mamdouh I. Khoder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
High Solar Radiation ◽  
Particle Formation And Growth ◽  
Condensation Sink

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosols have significant effects on human health and the climate. A large fraction of these aerosols originates from secondary new particle formation (NPF), where atmospheric vapors form small particles that subsequently grow into larger sizes. In this study, we characterize NPF events observed at a rural background site of Hada Al Sham (21.802∘ N, 39.729∘ E), located in western Saudi Arabia, during the years 2013–2015. Our analysis shows that NPF events occur very frequently at the site, as 73 % of all the 454 classified days were NPF days. The high NPF frequency is likely explained by the typically prevailing conditions of clear skies and high solar radiation, in combination with sufficient amounts of precursor vapors for particle formation and growth. Several factors suggest that in Hada Al Sham these precursor vapors are related to the transport of anthropogenic emissions from the coastal urban and industrial areas. The median particle formation and growth rates for the NPF days were 8.7 cm−3 s−1 (J7 nm) and 7.4 nm h−1 (GR7−12 nm), respectively, both showing highest values during late summer. Interestingly, the formation and growth rates increase as a function of the condensation sink, likely reflecting the common anthropogenic sources of NPF precursor vapors and primary particles affecting the condensation sink. A total of 76 % of the NPF days showed an unusual progression, where the observed diameter of the newly formed particle mode started to decrease after the growth phase. In comparison to most long-term measurements, the NPF events in Hada Al Sham are exceptionally frequent and strong both in terms of formation and growth rates. In addition, the frequency of the decreasing mode diameter events is higher than anywhere else in the world.

scholarly journals Long-Term Trends in PAH Concentrations and Sources at Rural Background Site in Central Europe

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radek Lhotka ◽  
Petra Pokorná ◽  
Naděžda Zíková
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Local Heating ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Probable Origin ◽  
Bivariate Probability

An increased burden due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is a long-term air quality problem in Central and Eastern Europe. Extensive PAH monitoring has been implemented at the National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice (NAOK), a rural background site in the Czech Republic, as a representative for Central Europe. Data from NAOK are used for evaluation of PAH concentration trends and source apportionment. In total, concentrations of 14 PAHs in particulate matter (PM10) and in the gas phase between 2006 and 2016 were evaluated. The highest concentrations were measured at the beginning of the study period in 2006. Mean annual concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, for example, showed a weak, however statistically significant decreasing trend. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to determine the sources of PAHs at NAOK, with three factors resolved. The probable origin areas of PMF factors were identified by the conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) and the potential source contribution function (PSCF) methods. The NAOK is affected by local sources of PAHs, as well as by regional and long-range transport. The PAH concentrations correlate negatively with industrial production and traffic intensity. High PAH emissions have been linked to local heating, suggesting that the planned replacement of obsolete combustion sources in the households could improve the overall air quality situation, not only with respect to PAHs.

Source to Sea – Investigation of Microplastics in an agricultural catchment in Eastern England

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gertruda Zieniute ◽  
Daniel Magnone ◽  
Mark Macklin
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Shellfish Aquaculture ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Riverbed Sediments ◽  
River Catchments ◽  
Environmental Compartments

&lt;p&gt;Global plastic demand has led to a growing abundance of microplastics being detected across all environmental compartments. These microplastics pose a long-term health risk to ecosystems through accumulation, ingestion and leaching of chemicals. Knowledge of microplastics in river catchments has been limited due to their complexity, however as microplastics have a terrestrial origin, freshwater systems are considered to be a key pathway to other environments. They can transport microplastics to marine environments, act as temporary and long-term storage and aid degradation of larger plastics into smaller fragments that enter the aquatic system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As microplastics are linked to anthropogenic sources, much of the focus has been placed on urban and industrial areas, but in this study, we aim to assess a rural, agricultural catchment. River Witham catchment in Eastern England covers the area of 3,000km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; with a population of ~400,000. The river provides important drainage for the high-grade agricultural land in the fens and it discharges into the Wash, which is England&amp;#8217;s largest nature reserve as well as an important area for shellfish aquaculture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This presentation will address the preliminary findings of this project by detailing the spatial variability of microplastics storage in riverbed sediments in an agricultural catchment. Data suggests that microplastic concentration could be as high in rural areas as it is in urban areas. The findings are expected to help improve the knowledge of microplastic contamination on a catchment level and to act as a basis for regional environmental protection.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Supplementary material to "9-year trends of PM<sub>10 </sub>sources and oxidative potential in a rural background site in France"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille Joanna Borlaza ◽  
Samuël Weber ◽  
Anouk Marsal ◽  
Gaëlle Uzu ◽  
Véronique Jacob ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Supplementary Material

scholarly journals Understanding the environmental factors related to the decrease in Pediatric Emergency Department referrals for acute asthma during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Dondi ◽  
Ludovica Betti ◽  
Claudio Carbone ◽  
Ada Dormi ◽  
Marco Paglione ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Acute Asthma ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Asthma Exacerbations

Background: Asthma exacerbations, a common reason for Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) referral, can be triggered by multiple factors, including infections, air pollution and allergens. Lockdown measures and other public health interventions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic determined radical changes to behavioral and social habits, that were reflected by a reduction in the transmission of all respiratory pathogens and in the emissions of relevant air pollution anthropogenic sources. Objective: This study aims to describe how restrictions during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacted the PED referral for asthma exacerbations and their potentially associated environmental triggers in densely populated urban areas. Methods: PED referrals for acute asthma from 2015 to 2020 were compared to air pollution and pollen data. To this purpose, historical daily concentration records of PM2.5, PM10 (including specific chemical tracers), as well as NO2, C6H6, tree, grass and weed pollen were analyzed. Results: In 2020, asthma-related PED referrals decreased up to 85%, compared to the average referral rate of the previous 5 years (P<0.01). The drastic drop in PED referrals was associated with a reduction of high-priority cases by 50-60%, unlike PED referrals for overall diagnoses, showing a larger contribution for severe outcomes. A concomitant diminished contribution of traffic-related air pollution was shown. Conclusions: The lower rate of asthma exacerbations in childhood can be related to synergic interactions of the multiple effects of lockdown measures which induced lower viral infection rates and decreased exposure to outdoor allergens. The reduction of traffic-related air pollution determined a weakening of inflammatory properties of urban PM.

scholarly journals Comparison of the oxidative potential of primary (POA) and secondary (SOA) organic aerosols derived from α-pinene and gasoline engine exhaust precursors

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1031
Author(s):  
Christopher Lovett ◽  
Mohamad Baasiri ◽  
Khairallah Atwi ◽  
Mohammad H. Sowlat ◽  
Farimah Shirmohammadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Gasoline Engine ◽  
Flow Reactor ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Engine Exhaust

Background: Primary (POA) and secondary (SOA) organic aerosols, deriving from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources, represent a major fraction of ambient particulate matter (PM) and play an important role in the etiology of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, largely through systemic inflammation and cellular oxidative stress. The relative contributions of these species to the inhalation burden, however, are rather poorly characterized. In this study, we measured the in vitro oxidative stress response of alveolar macrophages exposed to primary and secondary PM derived from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources. Methods: POA and SOA were generated within an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) fed by pure, aerosolized α-pinene or gasoline engine exhaust, as representative emissions of biogenic and anthropogenic sources, respectively. The OFR utilized an ultraviolet (UV) lamp to achieve an equivalent atmospheric aging process of several days. Results: Anthropogenic SOA produced the greatest oxidative response (1900 ± 255 µg-Zymosan/mg-PM), followed by biogenic (α-pinene) SOA (1321 ± 542 µg-Zymosan/mg-PM), while anthropogenic POA produced the smallest response (51.4 ± 64.3 µg-Zymosan/mg-PM). Conclusions: These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and controlling anthropogenic emissions in the urban atmosphere, while also taking into consideration spatial and seasonal differences in SOA composition. Local concentrations of biogenic and anthropogenic species contributing to the oxidative potential of ambient PM may vary widely, depending on the given region and time of year, due to factors such as surrounding vegetation, proximity to urban areas, and hours of daylight.

scholarly journals New particle formation, growth and shrinkage at a rural background site in western Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simo Hakala ◽  
Mansour A. Alghamdi ◽  
Pauli Paasonen ◽  
Mamdouh Khoder ◽  
Kimmo Neitola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
High Solar Radiation ◽  
Particle Formation And Growth

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosols have significant effects on human health and the climate. A large fraction of these aerosols originates from secondary new particle formation (NPF), where atmospheric vapors form small particles that subsequently grow into larger sizes. In this study, we characterize NPF events observed at a rural background site of Hada Al Sham (21.802° N, 39.729° E), located in western Saudi-Arabia, during the years 2013–2015. Our analysis shows that NPF events occur very frequently at the site, as 73 % of all the 454 classified days were NPF days. The high NPF frequency is likely 20 explained by the typically prevailing conditions of clear skies and high solar radiation, in combination with sufficient amounts of precursor vapors for particle formation and growth. In Hada Al Sham, the precursor vapors seem to be related to the transport of anthropogenic emissions from the coastal urban and industrial areas, since no NPF events are observed in air masses coming from the sparsely inhabited inland. The median particle formation and growth rates for the NPF days were 8.7 cm−3 s−1 (J7nm) and 7.4 nm h−1 (GR7–12nm), respectively, both showing highest values during late summer. In addition, the 25 formation and growth rates increase as a function of the condensation sink, likely reflecting the common anthropogenic sources of large primary particles and NPF precursor vapors. 76 % of the NPF days showed an unusual progression, where the observed diameter of the newly formed particle mode started to decrease after the growth phase. In comparison to most long-term measurements, the NPF events in Hada Al Sham are exceptionally frequent and strong. In addition, the frequency of the decreasing mode diameter events is higher than anywhere else in the world.

scholarly journals Nitro- and oxy-PAHs in grassland soils from decade-long sampling in central Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wietzoreck ◽  
B. A. M. Bandowe ◽  
J. Hofman ◽  
J. Martiník ◽  
B. Nežiková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
Annual Variations ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

AbstractLong-term exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitrated (NPAHs) and oxygenated (OPAHs) derivatives can cause adverse health effects due to their carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and oxidative potential. The distribution of PAH derivatives in the terrestrial environment has hardly been studied, although several PAH derivatives are ubiquitous in air and long-lived in soil and water. We report the multi-annual variations in the concentrations of NPAHs, OPAHs and PAHs in soils sampled at a semi-urban (Mokrá, Czech Republic) and a regional background site (Košetice, Czech Republic) in central Europe. The concentrations of the Σ18NPAHs and the Σ11+2OPAHs and O-heterocycles were 0.31 ± 0.23 ng g−1 and 4.03 ± 3.03 ng g−1, respectively, in Košetice, while slightly higher concentrations of 0.54 ± 0.45 ng g−1 and 5.91 ± 0.45 ng g−1, respectively, were found in soil from Mokrá. Among the 5 NPAHs found in the soils, 1-nitropyrene and less so 6-nitrobenzo(a)pyrene were most abundant. The OPAHs were more evenly distributed. The ratios of the PAH derivatives to their parent PAHs in Košetice indicate that they were long-range transported to the background site. Our results show that several NPAHs and OPAHs are abundant in soil and that gas-particle partitioning is a major factor influencing the concentration of several semi-volatile NPAHs and OPAHs in the soils. Complete understanding of the long-term variations of NPAH and OPAH concentrations in soil is limited by the lack of kinetic data describing their formation and degradation.

scholarly journals Measurements of atmospheric mercury species at a German rural background site from 2009 to 2011 – methods and results

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Weigelt ◽  
Christian Temme ◽  
Elke Bieber ◽  
Andreas Schwerin ◽  
Maik Schuetze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Mercury Species ◽  
Total Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
Gaseous Mercury

Environmental context Mercury is a very hazardous substance for human and environmental health. Systematic long-term direct measurements in the atmosphere can provide valuable information about the effect of emission controls on the global budget of atmospheric mercury, and offer insight into source–receptor transboundary transport of mercury. A complete setup for the measurement of the four most relevant atmospheric mercury species (total gaseous mercury, gaseous oxidised mercury, particle-bound mercury, and gaseous elemental mercury) has been operating at the rural background site of Waldhof, Germany, since 2009. We present the dataset for 2009–2011, the first full-speciation time series for atmospheric mercury reported in Central Europe. Abstract Measurements of mercury species started in 2009 at the air pollution monitoring site ‘Waldhof’ of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Waldhof (52°48′N, 10°45′E) is a rural background site located in the northern German lowlands in a flat terrain, 100km south-east of Hamburg. The temporally highly resolved measurements of total gaseous mercury (TGM), gaseous oxidised mercury (GOM), particle-bound mercury (PBMPM2.5, with particulate matter of a diameter of ≤2.5µm) and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) cover the period from 2009 to 2011. The complete measurement procedure turned out to be well applicable to detect GOM and PBMPM2.5 levels in the range of 0.4 to 65pgm–3. As the linearity of the analyser was proven to be constant over orders of magnitude, even larger concentrations can be measured accurately. The 3-year median concentration of GEM is found to be 1.61ngm–3, representing typical northern hemispheric background concentrations. With 6.3pgm–3, the 3-year average concentration of PBMPM2.5 is found to be approximately six times higher than the 3-year average GOM concentration. During winter the PBMPM2.5 concentration is on average twice as high as the PBMPM2.5 summer concentration, whereas the GOM concentration shows no clear seasonality. However, on a comparatively low level, a significant diurnal cycle is shown for GOM concentrations. This cycle is most likely related to photochemical oxidation mechanisms. Comparison with selected North American long-term mercury speciation datasets shows that the Waldhof 3-year median speciated mercury data represent typical rural background values.

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