scholarly journals Presenting SAPUSS: solving aerosol problem by using synergistic strategies at Barcelona, Spain

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 18741-18815 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
A. Alastuey ◽  
M. C. Minguillon ◽  
M. Alier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Road Traffic ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
The City ◽  
Aerosol Source

Abstract. This paper presents the summary of the key objectives, instrumentation and logistic details, goals, and initial scientific findings of the Marie Curie Action FP7-EU SAPUSS project carried out in the Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) from 20 September–20 October 2010. The experiment involved concurrent measurements of aerosols with multiple techniques occurring simultaneously. The key objective is to deduce point aerosol source characteristics and to understand the atmospheric processes responsible for their generations and transformations. The unique approach is the large variety of instrumentation deployed simultaneously in six monitoring sites in Barcelona (NE Spain) and around the city, including: a main road traffic site, two urban background sites, a regional background site and two tower sites (150 m and 545 m a.s.l., 150 m and 80 m above ground, respectively). The SAPUSS experiment allows us to interpret the variability of aerosols levels and composition in an Urban Mediterranean, an environment not well characterized so far. During SAPUSS different air mass scenarios were encountered, including warm Saharan, cold Atlantic, wet European and stagnant Regional ones and presenting different local meteorology and boundary layer conditions. Analysis of part of the data collected allows us to compare the monitoring sites as well as to draw scientific conclusions about relevant air quality parameters. High levels of traffic-related gaseous pollutants were measured at the urban ground level monitoring sites, whereas layers of tropospheric ozone were recorded at tower levels. Particularly, tower level night time average ozone concentrations (80 ± 25 μg m−3) were up to double than ground level ones. Particle number concentrations (N>5: 9980 ± 6500 cm−1, average of all measurements) were generally traffic dependent, although a contribution from two different types of nucleation events was also found. Analysis of the particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations shows an enhancement of coarse particles (PM2.5-10) at the urban ground level (+64%, average 11.7 μg m−3) but of fine ones (PM1) at urban tower level (+28%, average 14.4 μg m−3). Preliminary modeling findings reveal an underestimation of the fine accumulation aerosols. In summary, this paper lays the foundation of SAPUSS, an integrated study of relevance to many other similar urban Mediterranean coastal environment sites.

scholarly journals Presenting SAPUSS: Solving Aerosol Problem by Using Synergistic Strategies in Barcelona, Spain

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 8991-9019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
A. Alastuey ◽  
M. C. Minguillon ◽  
M. Alier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Ozone Concentrations ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract. This paper presents the summary of the key objectives, instrumentation and logistic details, goals, and initial scientific findings of the European Marie Curie Action SAPUSS project carried out in the western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) during September–October in autumn 2010. The key SAPUSS objective is to deduce aerosol source characteristics and to understand the atmospheric processes responsible for their generations and transformations – both horizontally and vertically in the Mediterranean urban environment. In order to achieve so, the unique approach of SAPUSS is the concurrent measurements of aerosols with multiple techniques occurring simultaneously in six monitoring sites around the city of Barcelona (NE Spain): a main road traffic site, two urban background sites, a regional background site and two urban tower sites (150 m and 545 m above sea level, 150 m and 80 m above ground, respectively). SAPUSS allows us to advance our knowledge sensibly of the atmospheric chemistry and physics of the urban Mediterranean environment. This is well achieved only because of both the three dimensional spatial scale and the high sampling time resolution used. During SAPUSS different meteorological regimes were encountered, including warm Saharan, cold Atlantic, wet European and stagnant regional ones. The different meteorology of such regimes is herein described. Additionally, we report the trends of the parameters regulated by air quality purposes (both gaseous and aerosol mass concentrations); and we also compare the six monitoring sites. High levels of traffic-related gaseous pollutants were measured at the urban ground level monitoring sites, whereas layers of tropospheric ozone were recorded at tower levels. Particularly, tower level night-time average ozone concentrations (80 ± 25 μg m−3) were up to double compared to ground level ones. The examination of the vertical profiles clearly shows the predominant influence of NOx on ozone concentrations, and a source of ozone aloft. Analysis of the particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations shows an enhancement of coarse particles (PM2.5–10) at the urban ground level (+64%, average 11.7 μg m−3) but of fine ones (PM1) at urban tower level (+28%, average 14.4 μg m−3). These results show complex dynamics of the size-resolved PM mass at both horizontal and vertical levels of the study area. Preliminary modelling findings reveal an underestimation of the fine accumulation aerosols. In summary, this paper lays the foundation of SAPUSS, an integrated study of relevance to many other similar urban Mediterranean coastal environment sites.

scholarly journals Assessment of wood burning versus fossil fuel contribution to wintertime black carbon and carbon monoxide concentrations in Athens, Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 10219-10236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athina-Cerise Kalogridis ◽  
Stergios Vratolis ◽  
Eleni Liakakou ◽  
Evangelos Gerasopoulos ◽  
Nikolaos Mihalopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Monitoring Site ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Ambient Concentrations ◽  
Co Concentrations

Abstract. The scope of this study was to estimate the contribution of fossil fuel and wood burning combustion to black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) during wintertime, in Athens. For that purpose, in situ measurements of equivalent black carbon (eBC) and CO were simultaneously conducted in a suburban and an urban background monitoring site in Athens during the 3 months of winter 2014–2015. For the deconvolution of eBC into eBC emitted from fossil fuel (BCff) and wood burning (BCwb), a method based on the spectral dependency of the absorption of pure black carbon and brown carbon was used. Thereafter, BCwb and BCff estimated fractions were used along with measured CO concentrations in a multiple regression analysis, in order to quantify the contribution of each one of the combustion sources to the ambient CO levels. For a comparative analysis of the results, we additionally estimated the wood burning and fossil fuel contribution to CO, calculated on the basis of their CO ∕ NOx emission ratios. The results indicate that during wintertime BC and CO are mainly emitted by local sources within the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA). Fossil fuel combustion, mainly from road traffic, is found to be the major contributor to both eBC in PM2.5 and CO ambient concentrations in AMA. However, wintertime wood burning makes a significant contribution to the observed eBC (of about 30 %) and CO concentrations (on average, 11 and 16 % of total CO in the suburban and urban background sites respectively). Both BC and CO from biomass burning (BCwb and COwb, respectively) present a clear diurnal pattern, with the highest concentrations during night-time, supporting the theory of local domestic heating being their main source.

scholarly journals On the spatial distribution and evolution of ultrafine aerosols in urban air

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 16603-16646 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
A. Alastuey ◽  
C. O'Dowd ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Regional Background ◽  
The City

Abstract. Sources and evolution of ultrafine particles (<0.1 μ m diameter) were investigated both horizontally and vertically in the large urban agglomerate of Barcelona, Spain. Within the SAPUSS project (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies), a large number of instruments was deployed simultaneously at different monitoring sites (road, two urban background, regional background, urban tower 150 μa.s.l., urban background tower site 80 m a.s.l.) during a 4 week period in September-October 2010. Particle number concentrations (N>5nm) are highly correlated with black carbon (BC) at all sites only under strong vehicular traffic influences. By contrast, under clean atmospheric conditions (low condensation sinks, CS) such correlation diverges towards much higher N/BC ratios at all sites, indicating additional sources of particles including secondary production of freshly nucleated particles. This is also evident in the urban background annual mean diurnal trend of N/BC, showing a midday peak in all seasons. Size-resolved aerosol distributions (N10-500) as well as particle number concentrations (N>5nm) allow us to identify two types of nucleation and growth events: a regional type event originating in the whole study region and impacting almost simultaneously the urban city of Barcelona and the surrounding background area; and an urban type which originates only within the city centre but whose growth continues while transported away from the city to the regional background. Furthermore, during these clean air days, higher N are found at tower level than at ground level only in the city centre whereas such a difference is not so pronounced at the remote urban background tower. In other words, this study suggests that the column of air above the city ground level possesses the best compromise between low CS and high vapour source, hence enhancing the concentrations of freshly nucleated particles. By contrast, within stagnant polluted atmospheric conditions, higher N and BC concentrations are always measured at ground level relative to tower level at all sites. Our study suggests that the city centre is a source of both non-volatile traffic primary (29–39%) and secondary freshly nucleated particles (up to 61–71%) at all sites. We suggest that organic compounds evaporating from freshly emitted traffic particles are a possible candidate for new particle formation within the city and urban plume.

scholarly journals Increase of secondary organic aerosol over four years in an urban environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Via ◽  
María Cruz Minguillón ◽  
Cristina Reche ◽  
Xavier Querol ◽  
Andrés Alastuey
Keyword(s):  
Inorganic Compounds ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Fine Aerosol ◽  
One Year ◽  
Radiation Conditions

Abstract. The evolution of fine aerosol (PM1) species as well as the contribution of potential sources to the total organic aerosol (OA) at an urban background site (Palau Reial, PR, 80 m a.s.l) in the western Mediterranean basin (WMB) was investigated. For this purpose, an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) was deployed to acquire real-time measurements for two one-year periods: May 2014–May 2015 (period A) and Sep 2017–Oct 2018 (period B). Total PM1 concentrations showed a slight decrease (from 10.1 to 9.6 µg · m−3 from A to B), although the relative contribution of both inorganic and organic compounds varied significantly. Regarding inorganic compounds, SO42−, black carbon and NH4+ showed a significant decrease from period A to B, whilst NO3− concentration was found higher in B. Source apportionment revealed OA was 46 % and 70 % of secondary origin (SOA) in periods A and B, respectively. Two oxygenated secondary sources (OOA) were differentiated by their oxidation status (i.e. aging): less-oxidized (LO-OOA) and more-oxidized (MO-OOA). Disregarding winter periods, where LO-OOA production is not favoured, LO-OOA transformation into MO-OOA was found more effective in period B. The highest MO-OOA-to-LO-OOA ratio (1.5) was found in September–October 2018, implying an accumulation effect after the high temperature and solar radiation conditions in the summer season. In addition, SOA was found sensitive to a NOx-polluted ambient and to other pollutants, especially to ozone, which could be enhancing its production specially during afternoon hours. The anthropogenic primary OA sources identified, cooking-like OA (COA), hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), and biomass burning OA (BBOA), decreased from period A to B in both absolute concentrations and relative contribution (as a whole, 44 % and 40 %, respectively). However, their concentrations and proportion to OA grow rapidly during highly-polluted episodes. The influence of certain atmospheric episodes on OA sources was also assessed. Both SOA factors seem linked with long and medium-range circulations, especially those coming from inland Europe and the Mediterranean (triggering mainly MO-OOA) and summer breeze-driven regional circulation (triggering mainly LO-OOA). In contrast, POA pollution is enhanced either during air-cleaning episodes or stagnation anticyclonic events.

scholarly journals On the spatial distribution and evolution of ultrafine particles in Barcelona

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 741-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
A. Alastuey ◽  
C. O'Dowd ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Regional Background ◽  
The City ◽  
Background Area

Abstract. Sources and evolution of ultrafine particles were investigated both horizontally and vertically in the large urban agglomerate of Barcelona, Spain. Within the SAPUSS project (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies), a large number of instruments was deployed simultaneously at different monitoring sites (road, two urban background, regional background, urban tower 150 m a.s.l., urban background tower site 80 m a.s.l.) during a 4 week period in September–October 2010. Particle number concentrations (N>5 nm) are highly correlated with black carbon (BC) at all sites only under strong vehicular traffic influences. By contrast, under cleaner atmospheric conditions (low condensation sink, CS) such correlation diverges towards much higher N/BC ratios at all sites, indicating additional sources of particles including secondary production of freshly nucleated particles. Size-resolved aerosol distributions (N10–500) as well as particle number concentrations (N>5 nm) allow us to identify three types of nucleation and growth events: (1) a regional type event originating in the whole study region and impacting almost simultaneously the urban city of Barcelona and the surrounding urban background area; (2) a regional type event impacting only the regional background area but not the urban agglomerate; (3) an urban type event which originates only within the city centre but whose growth continues while transported away from the city to the regional background. Furthermore, during these clean air days, higher N are found at tower level than at ground level only in the city centre whereas such a difference is not so pronounced at the remote urban background tower. In other words, this study suggests that the column of air above the city ground level possesses the optimal combination between low CS and high vapour source, hence enhancing the concentrations of freshly nucleated particles. By contrast, within stagnant polluted atmospheric conditions, higher N and BC concentrations are always measured at ground level relative to tower level at all sites. Our study suggests that the city centre of Barcelona is a source of non-volatile traffic primary particles (29–39% of N>5 nm), but other sources, including secondary freshly nucleated particles contribute up to 61–71% of particle number (N>5 nm) at all sites. We suggest that organic compounds evaporating from freshly emitted traffic particles are a possible candidate for new particle formation within the city and urban plume.

Building with Water:

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-166
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kassler-Taub
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Alternative Path ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The City

From the fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, military engineers in the Mediterranean devised a new strategy for defending a city built on a peninsular site: a navigable canal was excavated through the neck of the landmass, severing the city from the coast and isolating it within the sea. In Building with Water: The Rise of the Island-City in the Early Modern Mediterranean, Elizabeth Kassler-Taub traces the development and dissemination of this overlooked urban type. She details how the “island-city” first emerged in the Adriatic and Ionian territories of the Venetian stato da mar and later swept across Spanish and Portuguese outposts in the western Mediterranean basin, where it was absorbed into a shared Iberian vernacular. By reconstructing the circulation of the island-city through this sprawling network of colonial frontiers, Kassler-Taub argues, we can chart an alternative path of architectural influence in the region, one that shifts our attention beyond the Italian and Spanish mainlands.

scholarly journals Increase in secondary organic aerosol in an urban environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 8323-8339
Author(s):  
Marta Via ◽  
María Cruz Minguillón ◽  
Cristina Reche ◽  
Xavier Querol ◽  
Andrés Alastuey
Keyword(s):  
Inorganic Compounds ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Urban Background ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Fine Aerosol ◽  
Oxidation Status ◽  
Radiation Conditions ◽  
Urban Background Site

Abstract. The evolution of fine aerosol (PM1) species as well as the contribution of potential sources to the total organic aerosol (OA) at an urban background site in Barcelona, in the western Mediterranean basin (WMB) was investigated. For this purpose, a quadrupole aerosol chemical speciation monitor (Q-ACSM) was deployed to acquire real-time measurements for two 1-year periods: May 2014–May 2015 (period A) and September 2017–October 2018 (period B). Total PM1 concentrations showed a slight decrease (from 10.1 to 9.6 µg m−3 from A to B), although the relative contribution of inorganic and organic compounds varied significantly. Regarding inorganic compounds, SO42-, black carbon (BC) and NH4+ showed a significant decrease from period A to B (−21 %, −18 % and −9 %, respectively), whilst NO3- concentrations were higher in B (+8 %). Source apportionment revealed OA contained 46 % and 70 % secondary OA (SOA) in periods A and B, respectively. Two secondary oxygenated OA sources (OOA) were differentiated by their oxidation status (i.e. ageing): less oxidized (LO-OOA) and more oxidized (MO-OOA). Disregarding winter periods, when LO-OOA production was not favoured, LO-OOA transformation into MO-OOA was found to be more effective in period B. The lowest LO-OOA-to-MO-OOA ratio, excluding winter, was in September–October 2018 (0.65), implying an accumulation of aged OA after the high temperature and solar radiation conditions in the summer season. In addition to temperature, SOA (sum of OOA factors) was enhanced by exposure to NOx-polluted ambient and other pollutants, especially to O3 and during afternoon hours. The anthropogenic primary OA sources identified, cooking-related OA (COA), hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), and biomass burning OA (BBOA), decreased from period A to B in both absolute concentrations and relative contribution (as a whole, 44 % and 30 %, respectively). However, their concentrations and proportion to OA grew rapidly during highly polluted episodes. The influence of certain atmospheric episodes on OA sources was also assessed. Both SOA factors were boosted with long- and medium-range circulations, especially those coming from inland Europe and the Mediterranean (triggering mainly MO-OOA) and summer breeze-driven regional circulation (mainly LO-OOA). In contrast, POA was enhanced either during air-renewal episodes or stagnation anticyclonic events.

Evaluation of Ground Water Quality For AL Shuwayja area –Wasit Provence Using GIS Technique

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ali Nasser Hilo
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Ground Water ◽  
Water Quality Index ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Ground Water Quality ◽  
Water Index ◽  
The City

The low level of water in rivers in Iraq leads to poor water quality, on that basis; we need to assess Iraq's water resources for uses of irrigation and drinking water. This study present a model accounts for ground water quality by using a water quality index (WQI) for the region defined between the city of Kut and the city of Badra in Wasit province. this study relies on a system of wells set up along the path through the Badra –Kut  and around it  up to 78 wells. The study showed poor quality of ground water in the region of study and it is unsuitability for irrigation and drinking water, as well as provided a solution to the water accumulated in the Shuwayja to reduce the bad effect on groundwater by using a system of branch and collection canals  then pumping at the effluent  of Al  Shuwayja in seasons of rainy season ..Water quality index calculated depend on the basis of various physic-chemical parameters as PH, Ec , TDS, TSS, Nacl , SO4 ,Na , and  Mg. The resultant and analytical are present with use of Arch GIS program – geostastical analysis for the water index and water quality parameters

Considerations on Ambient Levels of Ozone Concentrations and Relationship with NOx in an Urban Environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 824-829
Author(s):  
Cornel Ianache ◽  
Laurentiu Predescu ◽  
Mirela Predescu ◽  
Dumitru Dumitru
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Oxides ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Weekend Effect ◽  
Monitoring Site ◽  
Ground Level Ozone ◽  
Ozone Concentrations

The serious air pollution problem has determined public concerns, worldwide. One of the main challenges for countries all over the world is caused by the elevated levels of ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations and its anthropogenic precursors. Ploiesti city, as one of the major urban area of Romania, is facing the same situation. This research aims to investigate spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of O3 in relationship with nitrogen oxides (NOx) using statistical analysis methods. Hourly O3 and NOx measurements were collected during 2014 year in Ploiesti. The results obtained showed that the ozone spatial distribution was non-normal for each month in 2014. The diurnal cycle of ground-level ozone concentrations showed a mid-day peak, while NOx diurnal variations presented 2 daily peaks, one in the morning (7:00 a.m.) and one in the afternoon (between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.). In addition, it was observed a distinct pattern of weekly variations for O3 and NOx. Like in many other urban areas, the results indicated the presence of the �ozone weekend effect� in Ploiesti during the 2014 year, ozone concentrations being slightly higher on weekends compared to weekdays. For the same monitoring site, the nitrogen oxides were less prevalent on Saturdays and Sundays, probably due to reducing of road traffic and other pollution-generating activities on weekends than during the week.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document