Exposure to hazardous volatile organic compounds, PM 10 and CO while walking along streets in urban Guangzhou, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lirong; Wang, Xinming; He, Qiusheng; Wang, Hao; Sheng, Guoying; Chan, L. Y.; Fu, Jiamo; Blake, D. R.

Toxic air pollutants in street canyons are important issues concerning public health especially in some large Asian cities like Guangzhou. In 1998 Guangzhou citizens used public transportation modes, with a majority commuting on foot (42%) or by bicycle (22%). Of the pedestrians, 57% were either senior citizens or students. In the present study, we measured toxic air pollutants while walking along urban streets in Guangzhou to evaluate pedestrian exposure. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were collected with sorbent tubes, and PM 10 and CO were measured simultaneously with portable analyzers. Our results showed that pedestrian exposure to PM 10 (with an average of 303 μg m -3 for all samples) and some toxic VOCs (for example, benzene) was relatively high. Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found to be the most abundant VOCs, and 71% of the samples had benzene levels higher than 30 μg m -3. Benzene, PM 10 and CO in walk-only streets were significantly lower ( ptransportation modes (bus and subway). The good correlations between BTEX, PM 10 and CO in the streets indicated that automotive emission might be their major source. Our study also showed that the risk to pedestrians due to air pollution was misinterpreted by the reported air quality index based on measurement of SO 2, NO x and PM 10 in the government monitoring stations. An urban roadside monitoring station might be needed by air quality monitoring networks in large Asian cities like Guangzhou, in order to survey exposure to air toxics in urban roadside microenvironments.

PM10 concentration levels at an urban and background site in Cyprus: the impact of urban sources and dust storms.

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Achilleos, Souzana; Evans, John S; Yiallouros, Panayiotis K; Kleanthous, Savvas; Schwartz, Joel; Koutrakis, Petros

2014-12-01

Air quality in Cyprus is influenced by both local and transported pollution, including desert dust storms. We examined PM10 concentration data collected in Nicosia (urban representative) from April 1, 1993, through December 11, 2008, and in Ayia Marina (rural background representative) from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2008. Measurements were conducted using a Tapered Element Oscillating Micro-balance (TEOM). PM10 concentrations, meteorological records, and satellite data were used to identify dust storm days. We investigated long-term trends using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) after controlling for day of week, month, temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity. In Nicosia, annual PM10 concentrations ranged from 50.4 to 63.8 μg/m3 and exceeded the EU annual standard limit enacted in 2005 of 40 μg/m3 every year A large, statistically significant impact of urban sources (defined as the difference between urban and background levels) was seen in Nicosia over the period 2000-2008, and was highest during traffic hours, weekdays, cold months, and low wind conditions. Our estimate of the mean (standard error) contribution of urban sources to the daily ambient PM10 was 24.0 (0.4) μg/m3. The study of yearly trends showed that PM10 levels in Nicosia decreased from 59.4 μg/m3 in 1993 to 49.0 μg/m3 in 2008, probably in part as a result of traffic emission control policies in Cyprus. In Ayia Marina, annual concentrations ranged from 27.3 to 35.6 μg/m3, and no obvious time trends were observed. The levels measured at the Cyprus background site are comparable to background concentrations reported in other Eastern Mediterranean countries. Average daily PM10 concentrations during desert dust storms were around 100 μg/m3 since 2000 and much higher in earlier years. Despite the large impact ofdust storms and their increasing frequency over time, dust storms were responsible for a small fraction of the exceedances of the daily PM10 limit. Implications: This

Inflammation response and cytotoxic effects in human THP-1 cells of size-fractionated PM10 extracts in a polluted urban site.

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Schilirò, T; Alessandria, L; Bonetta, S; Carraro, E; Gilli, G

2016-02-01

To contribute to a greater characterization of the airborne particulate matter's toxicity, size-fractionated PM10 was sampled during different seasons in a polluted urban site in Torino, a northern Italian city. Three main size fractions (PM10 - 3 μm; PM3 - 0.95 μm; PM THP-1 cells to evaluate their effects on cell proliferation, LDH activity, TNFα, IL-8 and CYP1A1 expression. The mean PM10 concentrations were statistically different in summer and in winter and the finest fraction PMtest) that could be used in the context of the different monitoring programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wintertime indoor air levels of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 at public places and their contributions to TSP.

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Liu, Yangsheng; Chen, Rui; Shen, Xingxing; Mao, Xiaoling

2004-04-01

From 26 October 2002 to 8 March 2003, particulate matter (PM) concentrations (total suspended particles [TSP], PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) were measured at 49 public places representing different environments in the urban area of Beijing. The objectives of this study were (1) to characterize the indoor PM concentrations in public places, (2) to evaluate the potential indoor sources and (3) to investigate the contribution of PM10 to TSP and the contributions of PM2.5 and PM1 to PM10. Additionally, The indoor and outdoor particle concentrations in the same type of indoor environment were employed to investigate the I/O level, and comparison was made between I/O levels in different types of indoor environment. Construction activities and traffic condition were the major outdoor sources to influence the indoor particle levels. The contribution of PM10 to TSP was even up to 68.8%, while the contributions of PM2.5 and PM1 to PM10 were not as much as that of PM10 to TSP.

Geochemistry and carbon isotopic ratio for assessment of PM10 composition, source and seasonal trends in urban environment.

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Di Palma, A; Capozzi, F; Agrelli, D; Amalfitano, C; Giordano, S; Spagnuolo, V; Adamo, P

2018-08-01

Investigating the nature of PM 10 is crucial to differentiate sources and their relative contributions. In this study we compared the levels, and the chemical and mineralogical properties of PM 10 particles sampled in different seasons at monitoring stations representative of urban background, urban traffic and suburban traffic areas of Naples city. The aims were to relate the PM 10 load and characteristics to the location of the monitoring stations, to investigate the different sources contributing to PM 10 and to highlight PM 10 seasonal variability. Bulk analyses of chemical species in the PM 10 fraction included total carbon and nitrogen, δ 13 C and other 20 elements. Both natural and anthropogenic sources were found to contribute to the exceedances of the EU PM 10 limit values. The natural contribution was mainly related to marine aerosols and soil dust, as highlighted by X-ray diffractometry and SEM-EDS microscopy. The percentage of total carbon suggested a higher contribution of biogenic components to PM 10 in spring. However, this result was not supported by the δ 13 C values which were seasonally homogeneous and not sufficient to extract single emission sources. No significant differences, in terms of PM 10 load and chemistry, were observed between monitoring stations with different locations, suggesting a homogeneous distribution of PM 10 on the studied area in all seasons. The anthropogenic contribution to PM 10 seemed to dominate in all sites and seasons with vehicular traffic acting as a main source mostly by generation of non-exhaust emissions Our findings reinforce the need to focus more on the analysis of PM 10 in terms of quality than of load, to reconsider the criteria for the classification and the spatial distribution of the monitoring stations within urban and suburban areas, with a special attention to the background location, and to emphasize all the policies promoting sustainable mobility and reduction of both exhaust and not

Carbonaceous material in fine particulate matter (PM10) of urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brocco, Domenico; Leonardi, Vittorio; Maso; Marco; Prignani, Patrizia

2006-01-01

Total carbon (TC), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in the fine particulate matter (PM10) were measured in the urban areas of Rome and Marino (Castelli Romani) by means a thermal method with a non-dispersive infrared detector (NDIR). The results showed that carbonaceous material constitutes 30-40% of the total aerosols in Rome and about 20% in Marino [it

Evaluation of sampling inhalable PM10 particulate matter (≤ 10 μm) using co-located high volume samplers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajoy, R R S; Dias, J W C; Rego, E C P; Netto, A D Pereira

2015-01-01

This paper presents the results of the determination of the concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), collected simultaneously by six PM10 high volume samplers from two different manufacturers installed in the same location. Fifteen samples of 24 h were obtained with each equipment at a selected urban area of Rio de Janeiro city. The concentration of PM10 ranged between 10.73 and 54.04 μg m −3 . The samplers were considered comparable to each other, as the adopted methodology presented good repeatability

Particulate pollution of PM10 and PM2.5 due to strong anthropopressure in Sosnowiec city

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Jolanta Cembrzyńska

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Air contamination with particulate matter causes a serious problem in large cities and urban-industrial agglomerations both in Poland and Europe. Anthropogenic sources of air pollution in urban areas are emissions from municipal, industrial and transportation sector. Many epidemiological studies have revealed that exposure to air pollution, especially the fine particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2,5 micrometer, can pose a threat to human health exposed to exceedingly high concentrations of particulate matter. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate PM10 and PM2,5 mass concentrations in autumn and winter season in the city of Sosnowiec, in relation to ambient air quality standards in Poland and the European Union. Results: The average concentrations of PM10 and PM2,5 in autumn-winter seasons in Sosnowiec city 2010–2011 were 2,1 to 2,7 times higher than limit values, specified in the legislation acts.

Monetary Valuation of PM10-Related Health Risks in Beijing China: The Necessity for PM10 Pollution Indemnity.

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Yin, Hao; Xu, Linyu; Cai, Yanpeng

2015-08-21

Severe health risks caused by PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) pollution have induced inevitable economic losses and have rendered pressure on the sustainable development of society as a whole. In China, with the "Polluters Pay Principle", polluters should pay for the pollution they have caused, but how much they should pay remains an intractable problem for policy makers. This paper integrated an epidemiological exposure-response model with economics methods, including the Amended Human Capital (AHC) approach and the Cost of Illness (COI) method, to value the economic loss of PM10-related health risks in 16 districts and also 4 functional zones in Beijing from 2008 to 2012. The results show that from 2008 to 2012 the estimated annual deaths caused by PM10 in Beijing are around 56,000, 58,000, 63,000, 61,000 and 59,000, respectively, while the economic losses related to health damage increased from around 23 to 31 billion dollars that PM10 polluters should pay for pollution victims between 2008 and 2012. It is illustrated that not only PM10 concentration but also many other social economic factors influence PM10-related health economic losses, which makes health economic losses show a time lag discrepancy compared with the decline of PM10 concentration. In conclusion, health economic loss evaluation is imperative in the pollution indemnity system establishment and should be considered for the urban planning and policy making to control the burgeoning PM10 health economic loss.

Winter mass concentrations of carbon species in PM10, PM 2.5 and PM1 in Zagreb air, Croatia.

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Godec, Ranka; Čačković, Mirjana; Šega, Krešimir; Bešlić, Ivan

2012-11-01

The purpose of our investigation was to examine the mass concentrations of EC, OC and TC (EC + OC) in PM(10), PM(2.5) and PM(1) particle fractions. Daily PM(10), PM(2.5) and PM(1) samples were collected at an urban background monitoring site in Zagreb during winter 2009. Average OC and EC mass concentrations were 11.9 and 1.8 μg m(-3) in PM(10), 9.0 and 1.4 μg m(-3) in PM(2.5), and 5.5 and 1.1 μg m(-3) in PM(1). Average OC/EC ratios in PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) were 7.4, 6.9 and 5.4, respectively.

Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 and associated heavy metals at the crossroads and urban background site in Zabrze, Upper Silesia, Poland, during the smog episodes.

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Pastuszka, Jozef S; Rogula-Kozłowska, Wioletta; Zajusz-Zubek, Elwira

2010-09-01

The concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb) associated with PM10 and PM2.5 at the crossroads and the background sites have been studied in Zabrze, Poland, during smog episodes. Although the background level was unusually elevated due to both high particulate emission from the industrial and municipal sources and smog favorable meteorological conditions, significant increase of the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 as well as associated heavy metals in the roadside air compared to the urban background has been documented. The average daily difference between the roadside and corresponding urban background aerosol concentration was equal to 39.5 microg m(-3) for PM10 and 41.2 microg m(-3) for PM2.5. The highest levels of the studied metals in Zabrze appeared for iron carried by PM10 particles: 1,706 (background) and 28,557 ng m(-3) (crossroads). The lowest concentration level (in PM10) has been found for cadmium: 7 and 77 ng m(-3) in the background and crossroads site, respectively. Also the concentrations of heavy metals carried by the fine particles (PM2.5) were very high in Zabrze during the smog episodes. Concentrations of all studied metals associated with PM10 increased at the roadside compared to the background about ten times (one order) while metals contained in PM2.5 showed two to three times elevated concentrations (except Fe-five times and Cr-no increase).

Source and chemical species characterization of PM10 and human health risk assessment of semi-urban, urban and industrial areas of West Bengal, India.

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Ghosh, Suraj; Rabha, Rumi; Chowdhury, Mallika; Padhy, Pratap Kumar

2018-09-01

Levels of particulate matter of size ten micron (PM 10 ) in outdoor air, potential PM 10 -bound seven metals - manganese, zinc, cadmium, lead, copper, nickel and cobalt - and twelve water-soluble organic and inorganic ionic components - fluoride, acetate, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, oxalate, sodium, potassium and calcium - were investigated during two different season. Atmospheric PM 10 samples were collected concurrently from three different sites, i.e., Durgapur (Industrial), Berhampore (Urban) and Bolpur (Semi-urban), West Bengal, India, during summer (April-June 2014) and winter (December 2014-February 2015). Average PM 10 levels were found to be in the range of 189.58-219.96 μg/m 3 at the semi-urban site, 293.41-324.27 μg/m 3 at the urban site and 316.93-344.69 μg/m 3 at the industrial site during summer and winter season respectively. Data on metals and water soluble ions were analyzed statistically (Principal Component Analysis and Factor Analysis) for their source identification and apportionment in the study areas. Principle component analysis models, from three different sites, identified four different factors which share common sources, viz., soil & road re-suspension, motor vehicle and traffic, waste dumping, biomass aerosols, and construction. The pollution load and health risk assessments of selected metals were undertaken in three different sites, within children and adults of the study areas, and were found to be within the safe range. Furthermore, an attempt has also been made to provide basic information on pollution, their sources and exposure pathways for humans in the vicinity of semi-urban, urban and industrial regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparisons of urban and rural PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 mass concentrations and semi-volatile fractions in northeastern Colorado

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N. Clements

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Coarse (PM10−2.5 and fine (PM2.5 particulate matter in the atmosphere adversely affect human health and influence climate. While PM2.5 is relatively well studied, less is known about the sources and fate of PM10−2.5. The Colorado Coarse Rural-Urban Sources and Health (CCRUSH study measured PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 mass concentrations, as well as the fraction of semi-volatile material (SVM in each size regime (SVM2.5, SVM10−2.5, from 2009 to early 2012 in Denver and comparatively rural Greeley, Colorado. Agricultural operations east of Greeley appear to have contributed to the peak PM10−2.5 concentrations there, but concentrations were generally lower in Greeley than in Denver. Traffic-influenced sites in Denver had PM10−2.5 concentrations that averaged from 14.6 to 19.7 µg m−3 and mean PM10−2.5 ∕ PM10 ratios of 0.56 to 0.70, higher than at residential sites in Denver or Greeley. PM10−2.5 concentrations were more temporally variable than PM2.5 concentrations. Concentrations of the two pollutants were not correlated. Spatial correlations of daily averaged PM10−2.5 concentrations ranged from 0.59 to 0.62 for pairs of sites in Denver and from 0.47 to 0.70 between Denver and Greeley. Compared to PM10−2.5, concentrations of PM2.5 were more correlated across sites within Denver and less correlated between Denver and Greeley. PM10−2.5 concentrations were highest during the summer and early fall, while PM2.5 and SVM2.5 concentrations peaked in winter during periodic multi-day inversions. SVM10−2.5 concentrations were low at all sites. Diurnal peaks in PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 concentrations corresponded to morning and afternoon peaks of traffic activity, and were enhanced by boundary layer dynamics. SVM2.5 concentrations peaked around noon on both weekdays and weekends. PM10−2.5 concentrations at sites located near highways generally increased with wind speeds above about 3 m s−1. Little wind speed dependence was

Evolution of air pollution source contributions over one decade, derived by PM10 and PM2.5 source apportionment in two metropolitan urban areas in Greece

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Diapouli, E.; Manousakas, M.; Vratolis, S.; Vasilatou, V.; Maggos, Th; Saraga, D.; Grigoratos, Th; Argyropoulos, G.; Voutsa, D.; Samara, C.; Eleftheriadis, K.

2017-09-01

Metropolitan Urban areas in Greece have been known to suffer from poor air quality, due to variety of emission sources, topography and climatic conditions favouring the accumulation of pollution. While a number of control measures have been implemented since the 1990s, resulting in reductions of atmospheric pollution and changes in emission source contributions, the financial crisis which started in 2009 has significantly altered this picture. The present study is the first effort to assess the contribution of emission sources to PM10 and PM2.5 concentration levels and their long-term variability (over 5-10 years), in the two largest metropolitan urban areas in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki). Intensive measurement campaigns were conducted during 2011-2012 at suburban, urban background and urban traffic sites in these two cities. In addition, available datasets from previous measurements in Athens and Thessaloniki were used in order to assess the long-term variability of concentrations and sources. Chemical composition analysis of the 2011-2012 samples showed that carbonaceous matter was the most abundant component for both PM size fractions. Significant increase of carbonaceous particle concentrations and of OC/EC ratio during the cold period, especially in the residential urban background sites, pointed towards domestic heating and more particularly wood (biomass) burning as a significant source. PMF analysis further supported this finding. Biomass burning was the largest contributing source at the two urban background sites (with mean contributions for the two size fractions in the range of 24-46%). Secondary aerosol formation (sulphate, nitrate & organics) was also a major contributing source for both size fractions at the suburban and urban background sites. At the urban traffic site, vehicular traffic (exhaust and non-exhaust emissions) was the source with the highest contributions, accounting for 44% of PM10 and 37% of PM2.5, respectively. The long

Mapping and Assessment of PM10 and O3 Removal by Woody Vegetation at Urban and Regional Level

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Lina Fusaro

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study is the follow up of the URBAN-MAES pilot implemented in the framework of the EnRoute project. The study aims at mapping and assessing the process of particulate matter (PM10 and tropospheric ozone (O3 removal by various forest and shrub ecosystems. Different policy levels and environmental contexts were considered, namely the Metropolitan city of Rome and, at a wider level, the Latium region. The approach involves characterization of the main land cover and ecosystems using Sentinel-2 images, enabling a detailed assessment of Ecosystem Service (ES, and monetary valuation based on externality values. The results showed spatial variations in the pattern of PM10 and O3 removal inside the Municipality and in the more rural Latium hinterland, reflecting the spatial dynamics of the two pollutants. Evergreen species displayed higher PM10 removal efficiency, whereas deciduous species showed higher O3 absorption in both rural and urban areas. The overall pollution removal accounted for 5123 and 19,074 Mg of PM10 and O3, respectively, with a relative monetary benefit of 161 and 149 Million Euro for PM10 and O3, respectively. Our results provide spatially explicit evidence that may assist policymakers in land-oriented decisions towards improving Green Infrastructure and maximizing ES provision at different governance levels.

PM10 modeling in the Oviedo urban area (Northern Spain) by using multivariate adaptive regression splines

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Nieto, Paulino José García; Antón, Juan Carlos Álvarez; Vilán, José Antonio Vilán; García-Gonzalo, Esperanza

2014-10-01

The aim of this research work is to build a regression model of the particulate matter up to 10 micrometers in size (PM10) by using the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) technique in the Oviedo urban area (Northern Spain) at local scale. This research work explores the use of a nonparametric regression algorithm known as multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) which has the ability to approximate the relationship between the inputs and outputs, and express the relationship mathematically. In this sense, hazardous air pollutants or toxic air contaminants refer to any substance that may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or serious illness, or that may pose a present or potential hazard to human health. To accomplish the objective of this study, the experimental dataset of nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and dust (PM10) were collected over 3 years (2006-2008) and they are used to create a highly nonlinear model of the PM10 in the Oviedo urban nucleus (Northern Spain) based on the MARS technique. One main objective of this model is to obtain a preliminary estimate of the dependence between PM10 pollutant in the Oviedo urban area at local scale. A second aim is to determine the factors with the greatest bearing on air quality with a view to proposing health and lifestyle improvements. The United States National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) establishes the limit values of the main pollutants in the atmosphere in order to ensure the health of healthy people. Firstly, this MARS regression model captures the main perception of statistical learning theory in order to obtain a good prediction of the dependence among the main pollutants in the Oviedo urban area. Secondly, the main advantages of MARS are its capacity to produce simple, easy-to-interpret models, its ability to estimate the contributions of the input variables, and its computational efficiency. Finally, on the basis of

Intervention assessments in the control of PM10 emissions from an urban waste transfer station.

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Barratt, B M; Fuller, G W

2014-05-01

While vehicle emissions present the most widespread cause of breaches of EU air quality standards in urban areas of the UK, the greatest PM10 concentrations are often recorded close to small industrial sites with significant and long-term public exposure within close proximity. This is particularly the case in London, where monitoring in densely populated locations, adjacent to waste transfer stations (WTS), routinely report the highest PM10 concentrations in the city. This study aims to assess the impact of dust abatement measures taken at a WTS in west London and, in so doing, develop analysis techniques transferrable to other similar industrial situations. The study was performed in a 'blinded fashion', i.e., no details of operating times, activities or remediation measures were provided prior to the analysis. The study established that PM10 concentrations were strongly related to the industrial area's working hours and atmospheric humidity. The primary source of local particulate matter during working hours was found to be from the industrial area itself, not from the adjacent road serving the site. CUSUM analysis revealed a strong, sustained change point coinciding with a number of modifications at the WTS. Analysis suggested that introducing a vehicle washer bay, leading to a less dry and dusty yard, and ceasing stock piling and waste handling activities outside of the open shed had the greatest effect on PM10 concentrations. The techniques developed in this study should empower licensing authorities to more effectively characterise and mitigate particulate matter generated by urban industrial activities, thereby improving the health and quality of life of the local population.

Impact of urbanization level on urban air quality: a case of fine particles (PM(2.5)) in Chinese cities.

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Han, Lijian; Zhou, Weiqi; Li, Weifeng; Li, Li

2014-11-01

We examined and compared PM2.5 concentrations in urban and the surrounding regions, and further investigated the impact of urbanization on urban PM2.5 concentrations at the Chinese prefectures. Annual PM2.5 concentrations in most prefectures were greater than 10 μg/m(3), the air quality guideline of the World Health Organization. Those prefectures were mainly distributed along the east coast and southeast of Sichuan province; The urban PM2.5 concentrations ( [Formula: see text] ) in 85 cities were greater than (>10 μg/m(3)) those in the surrounding area. Those cities were mainly located in the Beijing-Sichuan and Shanghai-Guangxi belts. In addition, [Formula: see text] was less than (urban population (R(2) = 0.99, P urban second industry fraction (R(2) = 0.71, P urbanization had considerable impact on PM2.5 concentrations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source identification and long-term monitoring of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10) in an urban region of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yong-Sam Chung; Sun-Ha Kim; Jong-Hwa Moon; Young-Jin Kim; Jong-Myoung Lim; Jin-Hong Lee

2006-01-01

For the identification of air pollution sources, about 500 airborne particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) samples were collected by using a Gent air sampler and a polycarbonate filter in an urban region in the middle of Korea from 2000 to 2003. The concentrations of 25 elements in the samples were measured by using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Receptor modeling was performed on the air monitoring data by using the positive matrix factorization (PMF2) method. According to this analysis, the existence of 6 to 10 PMF factors, such as metal-alloy, oil combustion, diesel exhaust, coal combustion, gasoline exhaust, incinerator, Cu-smelter, biomass burning, sea-salt, and soil dust were identified. (author)

Distribution of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in rural field, rural village and urban areas of northern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Wei; Wang, Chen; Wang, Hongqijie; Chen, Jiwei; Yuan, Chenyi; Li, Tongchao; Wang, Wentao; Shen, Huizhong; Huang, Ye; Wang, Rong; Wang, Bin; Zhang, Yanyan; Chen, Han; Chen, Yuanchen; Tang, Jianhui; Wang, Xilong; Liu, Junfeng; Coveney, Raymond M.; Tao, Shu

2014-01-01

Atmospheric PM 10 were measured for 12 months at 18 sites along a 2500 km profile across northern China. Annual mean PM 10 concentrations in urban, rural village, and rural field sites were 180 ± 171, 182 ± 154, and 128 ± 89 μg/m 3 , respectively. The similarities in PM 10 concentrations between urban and rural village sites suggest that strong localized emissions and severe contamination in rural residential areas are derived from solid fuels combustion in households. High PM 10 concentrations in Wuwei and Taiyuan were caused by either sandstorms or industrial activities. Relatively low PM 10 concentrations were observed in coastal areas of Dalian and Yantai. Particulate air pollution was much higher in winter and spring than in summer and fall. Multiple regression analysis indicates that 35% of the total variance can be attributed to sandstorms, precipitation and residential energy consumption. Over 40% of the measurements in both urban and rural village areas exceeded the national ambient air quality standard. Highlights: • Spatial distribution of PM 10 concentrations in northern China was investigated. • High levels of PM 10 in rural villages were caused by solid fuel emission. • A strong seasonality with high levels of PM 10 in spring and winter was observed. • Influence of sandstorm, energy consumption, and precipitation were evaluated. • Over 40% of the measurements exceeded the national ambient air quality standard. -- PM 10 concentrations in rural villages of China were comparable with those in the cities, indicating severe air pollution in the rural villages caused by coal and biofuel combustion

Ultrastructural alterations in the mouse lung caused by real-life ambient PM10 at urban traffic sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samara, Constantini; Kouras, Athanasios; Kaidoglou, Katerina; Emmanouil-Nikoloussi, Elpida-Niki; Simou, Chrysanthi; Bousnaki, Maria; Kelessis, Apostolos

2015-01-01

Current levels of ambient air particulate matter (PM) are associated with mortality and morbidity in urban populations worldwide. Nevertheless, current knowledge does not allow precise quantification or definitive ranking of the health effects of individual PM components and indeed, associations may be the result of multiple components acting on different physiological mechanisms. In this paper, healthy Balb/c mice were exposed to ambient PM 10 at a traffic site of a large city (Thessaloniki, northern Greece), in parallel to control mice that were exposed to filtered air. Structural damages were examined in ultrafine sections of lung tissues by Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM). Ambient PM 10 samples were also collected during the exposure experiment and characterized with respect to chemical composition and oxidative potential. Severe ultrastructural alterations in the lung tissue after a 10-week exposure of mice at PM 10 levels often exceeding the daily limit of Directive 2008/50/EC were revealed mainly implying PM-induced oxidative stress. The DTT-based redox activity of PM 10 was found within the range of values reported for traffic sites being correlated with traffic-related constituents. Although linkage of the observed lung damage with specific chemical components or sources need further elucidation, the magnitude of biological responses highlight the necessity for national and local strategies for mitigation of particle emissions from combustion sources. - Highlights: • Animal exposure to PM10 was conducted at a traffic site of a large city. • Chemical and toxicological characterization of PM10 was carried out. • Severe degenerative alterations in alveolar cells were revealed. • PM induced oxidative stress from carbonaceous species was suggested

Elemental composition of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in urban environment in South Brazil

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Braga, C. F.; Teixeira, E. C.; Meira, L.; Wiegand, F.; Yoneama, M. L.; Dias, J. F.

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the elemental composition and the concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in the Guaíba Hydrographic Basin with HV PM 10 and dichotomous samplers. Three sampling sites were selected: 8° Distrito, CEASA and Charqueadas. The sampling was conducted from October 2001 to December 2002. The mass concentrations of the samplers were evaluated, while the elemental concentrations of Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn were determined using the Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique. Factor Analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis were applied to the chemical and meteorological variables in order to identify the sources of particulate matter. Industrial activities such as steel plants, coal-fired power plants, hospital waste burning, vehicular emissions and soil were identified as the sources of the particulate matter. Concentration levels higher than the daily and the annual average air quality standards (150 and 50 μg m -3, respectively) set by the Brazilian legislation were not observed.

An integrated approach to identify the origin of PM10 exceedances.

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Amodio, M; Andriani, E; de Gennaro, G; Demarinis Loiotile, A; Di Gilio, A; Placentino, M C

2012-09-01

This study was aimed to the development of an integrated approach for the characterization of particulate matter (PM) pollution events in the South of Italy. PM(10) and PM(2.5) daily samples were collected from June to November 2008 at an urban background site located in Bari (Puglia Region, South of Italy). Meteorological data, particle size distributions and atmospheric dispersion conditions were also monitored in order to provide information concerning the different features of PM sources. The collected data allowed suggesting four indicators to characterize different PM(10) exceedances. PM(2.5)/PM(10) ratio, natural radioactivity, aerosol maps and back-trajectory analysis and particle distributions were considered in order to evaluate the contribution of local anthropogenic sources and to determine the different origins of intrusive air mass coming from long-range transport, such as African dust outbreaks and aerosol particles from Central and Eastern Europe. The obtained results were confirmed by applying principal component analysis to the number particle concentration dataset and by the chemical characterization of the samples (PM(10) and PM(2.5)). The integrated approach for PM study suggested in this paper can be useful to support the air quality managers for the development of cost-effective control strategies and the application of more suitable risk management approaches.

Distribution of the solvent-extractable organic compounds in fine (PM1) and coarse (PM1-10) particles in urban, industrial and forest atmospheres of Northern Algeria.

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Ladji, Riad; Yassaa, Noureddine; Balducci, Catia; Cecinato, Angelo; Meklati, Brahim Youcef

2009-12-20

The distribution of the solvent-extractable organic components in the fine (PM(1)) and coarse (PM(1-10)) fractions of airborne particulate was studied for the first time in Algeria. That was done during October 2006 concurrently in a big industrial district, a busy urban area, and a forest national park located in Algiers, Boumerdes, Blida, respectively, which are the three biggest provinces of Northern Algeria. Most of the organic matter identified in both particle size ranges consisted of n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids, with minor contributions coming from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), oxygenated PAHs, and other polar compounds (e.g., caffeine and nicotine). The potential emission sources of airborne contaminants were reconciled by combining the values of n-alkane carbon preference index (CPI) and selected diagnostic ratios of PAHs, calculated in both size ranges. The mean cumulative concentrations of PAHs reached 3.032 ng m(-3) at the Boumerdes site, urban, 80% of which (i.e. 2.246 ng m(-3)) in the PM(1) fraction, 6.462 ng m(-3) at Rouiba-Réghaia, industrial district, (5.135 ng m(-3) or 80% in PM(1)), and 0.512 ng m(-3) at Chréa, forested mountains (0.370 ng m(-3) or 72% in PM(1)). Similar patterns were shown by all organic groups, which resulted overall enriched in the fine particles at the three sites. Carcinogenic and mutagenic potencies associated to PAHs were evaluated by multiplying the concentrations of "toxic" compounds times the corresponding potency factors normalized vs. benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), and were found to be both acceptable.

Ultrastructural alterations in the mouse lung caused by real-life ambient PM{sub 10} at urban traffic sites

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Samara, Constantini, E-mail: csamara@chem.auth.gr [Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thesaloniki (Greece); Kouras, Athanasios; Kaidoglou, Katerina [Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thesaloniki (Greece); Emmanouil-Nikoloussi, Elpida-Niki; Simou, Chrysanthi; Bousnaki, Maria [Laboratory of Histology-Embryology and Anthropology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thesaloniki (Greece); Kelessis, Apostolos [Environmental Department, Municipality of Thessaloniki, Kleanthous 18, 54 642 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2015-11-01

Current levels of ambient air particulate matter (PM) are associated with mortality and morbidity in urban populations worldwide. Nevertheless, current knowledge does not allow precise quantification or definitive ranking of the health effects of individual PM components and indeed, associations may be the result of multiple components acting on different physiological mechanisms. In this paper, healthy Balb/c mice were exposed to ambient PM{sub 10} at a traffic site of a large city (Thessaloniki, northern Greece), in parallel to control mice that were exposed to filtered air. Structural damages were examined in ultrafine sections of lung tissues by Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM). Ambient PM{sub 10} samples were also collected during the exposure experiment and characterized with respect to chemical composition and oxidative potential. Severe ultrastructural alterations in the lung tissue after a 10-week exposure of mice at PM{sub 10} levels often exceeding the daily limit of Directive 2008/50/EC were revealed mainly implying PM-induced oxidative stress. The DTT-based redox activity of PM{sub 10} was found within the range of values reported for traffic sites being correlated with traffic-related constituents. Although linkage of the observed lung damage with specific chemical components or sources need further elucidation, the magnitude of biological responses highlight the necessity for national and local strategies for mitigation of particle emissions from combustion sources. - Highlights: • Animal exposure to PM10 was conducted at a traffic site of a large city. • Chemical and toxicological characterization of PM10 was carried out. • Severe degenerative alterations in alveolar cells were revealed. • PM induced oxidative stress from carbonaceous species was suggested.

The direct influence of ship traffic on atmospheric PM2.5, PM10 and PAH in Venice.

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Contini, D; Gambaro, A; Belosi, F; De Pieri, S; Cairns, W R L; Donateo, A; Zanotto, E; Citron, M

2011-09-01

The direct influence of ship traffic on atmospheric levels of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM(2.5), PM(10)) and fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been estimated in the urban area of Venice. Data analysis has been performed on results collected at three sites over the summer, when ship traffic is at a maximum. Results indicate that monitoring of the PM daily concentrations is not sufficiently detailed for the evaluation of this contribution, even though it could be useful for specific markers such as PAHs. Therefore a new methodology, based on high temporal resolution measurements coupled with wind direction information and the database of ship passages of the Harbour Authority of Venice has been developed. The sampling sites were monitored with optical detectors (DustTrack(®) and Mie pDR-1200) operating at a high temporal resolution (20s and 1s respectively) for PM(2.5) and PM(10). PAH in the particulate and gas phases were recovered from quartz fibre filters and polyurethane foam plugs using pressurised solvent extraction, the extracts were then analysed by gas chromatography- high-resolution mass spectrometry. Our results shows that the direct contribution of ships traffic to PAHs in the gas phase is 10% while the contribution to PM(2.5) and to PM(10) is from 1% up to 8%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of annual air pollution levels with PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and associated heavy metals in Algiers, Algeria.

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Talbi, Abdelhamid; Kerchich, Yacine; Kerbachi, Rabah; Boughedaoui, Ménouèr

2018-01-01

Concentrations of particulate matter less than 1  μm, 2.5  μm, 10 μm and their contents of heavy metals were investigated in two different stations, urban and roadside at Algiers (Algeria). Sampling was conducted during two years by a high volume samplers (HVS) equipped with a cascade impactor at four levels stage, for one year sampling. The characterization of the heavy metals associated to the particulate matter (PM) was carried out by X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF). The annual average concentration of PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 in both stations were 18.24, 32.23 and 60.01 μg m -3 respectively. The PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations in roadside varied from 13.46 to 25.59 μg m -3 , 20.82-49.85 μg m -3 and 45.90-77.23 μg m -3 respectively. However in the urban station, the PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations varied from 10.45 to 26.24 μg m -3 , 18.53-47.58 μg m -3 and 43.8-91.62 μg m -3 . The heavy metals associated to the PM were confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-Ray analyses (SEM-EDX). The different spots of PM 2.5 analysis by SEM-EDX shows the presence of nineteen elements with anthropogenic and natural origins, within the heavy metal detected, the lead was found with maximum of 5% (weight percent). In order to determine the source contributions of PM levels at the two sampling sites sampling, principal compound analysis (PCA) was applied to the collected data. Statistical analysis confirmed anthropogenic source with traffic being a significant source and high contribution of natural emissions. At both sites, the PM 2.5 /PM 10 ratio is lower than that usually recorded in developed countries. The study of the back-trajectories of the air masses starting from Sahara shows that desert dust influences the concentration and the composition of the PM measured in Algiers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of PM10 by Forests as a Nature-Based Solution for Air Quality Improvement in the Metropolitan City of Rome

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Federica Marando

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Nature-based solutions have been identified by the European Union as being critical for the enhancement of environmental qualities in cities, where urban and peri-urban forests play a key role in air quality amelioration through pollutant removal. A remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS approach was applied to the Metropolitan City (MC of Rome to assess the seasonal particulate matter (PM10 removal capacity of evergreen (broadleaves and conifers and deciduous species. Moreover, a monetary evaluation of PM10 removal was performed on the basis of pollution externalities calculated for Europe. Deciduous broadleaves represent the most abundant tree functional group and also yielded the highest total annual PM10 deposition values (1769 Mg. By contrast, PM10 removal efficiency (Mg·ha−1 was 15%–22% higher in evergreen than in deciduous species. To assess the different removal capacity of the three functional groups in an area with homogeneous environmental conditions, a study case was performed in a peri-urban forest protected natural reserve (Castelporziano Presidential Estate. This study case highlighted the importance of deciduous species in summer and of evergreen communities as regards the annual PM10 removal balance. The monetary evaluation indicated that the overall PM10 removal value of the MC of Rome amounted to 161.78 million Euros. Our study lends further support to the crucial role played by nature-based solutions for human well-being in urban areas.

Multi-criteria Analysis of Air Pollution with SO(2) and PM(10) in Urban Area Around the Copper Smelter in Bor, Serbia.

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Nikolić, Djordje; Milošević, Novica; Mihajlović, Ivan; Zivković, Zivan; Tasić, Viša; Kovačević, Renata; Petrović, Nevenka

2010-02-01

This work presents the results of 4 years long monitoring of concentrations of SO(2) gas and PM(10) in the urban area around the copper smelter in Bor. The contents of heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, and As in PM(10) were determined and obtained values were compared to the limit values provided in EU Directives. Manifold excess concentrations of all the components in the atmosphere of the urban area of the townsite Bor were registered. Through application of a multi-criteria analysis by using PROMETHEE/GAIA method, the zones were ranked according to the level of pollution.

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Simulation of PM10 Dispersion Caused by Rail Transit Construction Activity: A Real Urban Street Canyon Model

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Wang, Yang; Zhou, Ying; Zuo, Jian

2018-01-01

Particle emissions derived from construction activities have a significant impact on the local air quality, while the canyon effect with reduced natural ventilation contributes to the highest particulate pollution in urban environments. This study attempted to examine the effect of PM10 emissions derived from the construction of a rail transit system in an urban street canyon. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model based on a real street canyon with different height ratios, this study formulates the impact of height ratio and wind directions on the dispersion and concentration of PM10. The results indicate that parallel flow would cause the concentration of PM10 at the end of the street canyons in all height ratios, and the trends in horizontal, vertical and lateral planes in all street canyons are similar. While in the condition of perpendicular flow, double-eddy circulations occur and lead to the concentration of PM10 in the middle part of the street canyon and leeward of backwind buildings in all height ratios. Furthermore, perpendicular flow will cause the concentration of PM10 to increase if the upwind buildings are higher than the backwind ones. This study also shows that the dispersion of PM10 is strongly associated with wind direction in and the height ratios of the street canyons. Certain measures could, therefore, be taken to prevent the impact on people in terms of the PM10 concentration and the heights of street canyons identified in this research. Potential mitigation strategies are suggested, include measurements below 4 m according to governmental regulations, dust shields, and atomized water. PMID:29522495

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Simulation of PM10 Dispersion Caused by Rail Transit Construction Activity: A Real Urban Street Canyon Model.

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Wang, Yang; Zhou, Ying; Zuo, Jian; Rameezdeen, Raufdeen

2018-03-09

Particle emissions derived from construction activities have a significant impact on the local air quality, while the canyon effect with reduced natural ventilation contributes to the highest particulate pollution in urban environments. This study attempted to examine the effect of PM 10 emissions derived from the construction of a rail transit system in an urban street canyon. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model based on a real street canyon with different height ratios, this study formulates the impact of height ratio and wind directions on the dispersion and concentration of PM 10 . The results indicate that parallel flow would cause the concentration of PM 10 at the end of the street canyons in all height ratios, and the trends in horizontal, vertical and lateral planes in all street canyons are similar. While in the condition of perpendicular flow, double-eddy circulations occur and lead to the concentration of PM 10 in the middle part of the street canyon and leeward of backwind buildings in all height ratios. Furthermore, perpendicular flow will cause the concentration of PM 10 to increase if the upwind buildings are higher than the backwind ones. This study also shows that the dispersion of PM 10 is strongly associated with wind direction in and the height ratios of the street canyons. Certain measures could, therefore, be taken to prevent the impact on people in terms of the PM 10 concentration and the heights of street canyons identified in this research. Potential mitigation strategies are suggested, include measurements below 4 m according to governmental regulations, dust shields, and atomized water.

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD Simulation of PM10 Dispersion Caused by Rail Transit Construction Activity: A Real Urban Street Canyon Model

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Yang Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Particle emissions derived from construction activities have a significant impact on the local air quality, while the canyon effect with reduced natural ventilation contributes to the highest particulate pollution in urban environments. This study attempted to examine the effect of PM10 emissions derived from the construction of a rail transit system in an urban street canyon. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD model based on a real street canyon with different height ratios, this study formulates the impact of height ratio and wind directions on the dispersion and concentration of PM10. The results indicate that parallel flow would cause the concentration of PM10 at the end of the street canyons in all height ratios, and the trends in horizontal, vertical and lateral planes in all street canyons are similar. While in the condition of perpendicular flow, double-eddy circulations occur and lead to the concentration of PM10 in the middle part of the street canyon and leeward of backwind buildings in all height ratios. Furthermore, perpendicular flow will cause the concentration of PM10 to increase if the upwind buildings are higher than the backwind ones. This study also shows that the dispersion of PM10 is strongly associated with wind direction in and the height ratios of the street canyons. Certain measures could, therefore, be taken to prevent the impact on people in terms of the PM10 concentration and the heights of street canyons identified in this research. Potential mitigation strategies are suggested, include measurements below 4 m according to governmental regulations, dust shields, and atomized water.

Suspended Particulates Concentration (PM10 under Unstable Atmospheric Conditions over Subtropical Urban Area (Qena, Egypt

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M. El-Nouby Adam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the suspended particulates (PM10 in the atmosphere under unstable atmospheric conditions. The variation of PM10 was investigated and primary statistics were employed. The results show that, the PM10 concentrations values ranged from 6.00 to 646.74 μg m−3. The average value of PM10 is equal to 114.32 μg m−3. The high values were recorded in April and May (155.17 μg m−3 and 171.82 μg m−3, respectively and the low values were noted in February and December (73.86 μg m−3 and 74.05 μg m−3, respectively. The average value of PM10 of the hot season (125.35 × 10−6 g m−3 was higher than its value for the cold season (89.27 μg m−3. In addition, the effect of weather elements (air temperature, humidity and wind on the concentration of PM10 was determined. The multiple R between PM10 and these elements ranged from 0.05 to 0.47 and its value increased to reach 0.73 for the monthly average of the database used. Finally, the PM10 concentrations were grouped depending on their associated atmospheric stability class. These average values were equal to 122.80 ± 9 μg m−3 (highly unstable or convective, 109.37 ± 12 μg m−3 (moderately unstable and 104.42 ± 15 μg m−3 (slightly unstable.

Study of the chemical elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particles of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in the urban and rural areas of South Brazil

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Dallarosa, Juliana; Calesso Teixeira, Elba; Meira, Lindolfo; Wiegand, Flavio

2008-07-01

The purpose of this work is to study the chemical elements and PAHs associated with atmospheric particulate in samples of PM 10 collected in the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre—MAPA, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In addition, to study the chemical elements associated with particles of different fractions of PM 10-2.5 and PM 2.5 using dichotomous sampling, in urban (MAPA) and rural areas. Two types of samplers were used: HV PM 10 and Dichotomous (PM 10-2.5 and PM 2.5). Samples were collected during 2002 and 2005. The concentration of the elements Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn was determined by PIXE (Particle-Induced X-ray Emission), while the concentrations of 16 major PAHs were determined according to EPA with a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GS/MS). Results showed that elements of anthropogenic origin (V, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, and S) were mainly associated with the fraction PM 2.5, while the soil dust (Si, Al, Ti and Fe) were found mainly on fraction PM 10-2.5. In samples of PM 10, the most frequent PAHs found were Bgp, Flt, BaA, Chr, B(b + k)F, BaP and Dba. The types of emission and their association with the atmospheric parameters were studied applying the statistical analysis of the principal component method. The main sources found in the area under study were vehicles, industries (steel mills and a coal-fired power station), dust, sea breeze, and burning.

The Effects of Bus Ridership on Airborne Particulate Matter (PM10 Concentrations

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Jaeseok Her

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Air pollution caused by rapid urbanization and the increased use of private vehicles seriously affects citizens’ health. In order to alleviate air pollution, many cities have replaced diesel buses with compressed natural gas (CNG buses that emit less exhaust gas. Urban planning strategies such as transit-oriented development (TOD posit that reducing private vehicle use and increasing public transportation use would reduce air pollution levels. The present study examined the effects of bus ridership on airborne particulate matter (PM10 concentrations in the capital region of Korea. We interpolated the levels of PM10 from 128 air pollution monitoring stations, utilizing the Kriging method. Spatial regression models were used to estimate the impact of bus ridership on PM10 levels, controlling for physical environment attributes and socio-economic factors. The analysis identified that PM10 concentration levels tend to be lower in areas with greater bus ridership. This result implies that urban and transportation policies designed to promote public transportation may be effective strategies for reducing air pollution.

The Concentrations and Reduction of Airborne Particulate Matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1 at Shelterbelt Site in Beijing

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Jungang Chen

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Particulate matter is a serious source of air pollution in urban areas, where it exerts adverse effects on human health. This article focuses on the study of subduction of shelterbelts for atmospheric particulates. The results suggest that (1 the PM mass concentration is higher in the morning or both morning and noon inside the shelterbelts and lower mass concentrations at other times; (2 the particle mass concentration inside shelterbelt is higher than outside; (3 the particle interception efficiency of the two forest belts over the three months in descending order was PM10 > PM1 > PM2.5; and (4 the two shelterbelts captured air pollutants at rates of 1496.285 and 909.075 kg/month and the major atmospheric pollutant in Beijing city is PM10. Future research directions are to study PM mass concentration variation of shelterbelt with different tree species and different configuration.

Source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in major urban Greek agglomerations using a hybrid source-receptor modeling process.

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Argyropoulos, G; Samara, C; Diapouli, E; Eleftheriadis, K; Papaoikonomou, K; Kungolos, A

2017-12-01

A hybrid source-receptor modeling process was assembled, to apportion and infer source locations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in three heavily-impacted urban areas of Greece, during the warm period of 2011, and the cold period of 2012. The assembled process involved application of an advanced computational procedure, the so-called Robotic Chemical Mass Balance (RCMB) model. Source locations were inferred using two well-established probability functions: (a) the Conditional Probability Function (CPF), to correlate the output of RCMB with local wind directional data, and (b) the Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF), to correlate the output of RCMB with 72h air-mass back-trajectories, arriving at the receptor sites, during sampling. Regarding CPF, a higher-level conditional probability function was defined as well, from the common locus of CPF sectors derived for neighboring receptor sites. With respect to PSCF, a non-parametric bootstrapping method was applied to discriminate the statistically significant values. RCMB modeling showed that resuspended dust is actually one of the main barriers for attaining the European Union (EU) limit values in Mediterranean urban agglomerations, where the drier climate favors build-up. The shift in the energy mix of Greece (caused by the economic recession) was also evidenced, since biomass burning was found to contribute more significantly to the sampling sites belonging to the coldest climatic zone, particularly during the cold period. The CPF analysis showed that short-range transport of anthropogenic emissions from urban traffic to urban background sites was very likely to have occurred, within all the examined urban agglomerations. The PSCF analysis confirmed that long-range transport of primary and/or secondary aerosols may indeed be possible, even from distances over 1000km away from study areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of PM10, PM2.5, and PM2 5-10 concentrations in Santiago, Chile, from 1989 to 2001.

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Koutrakis, Petros; Sax, Sonja N; Sarnat, Jeremy A; Coull, Brent; Demokritou, Phil; Oyola, Pedro; Garcia, Javier; Gramsch, Ernesto

2005-03-01

Daily particle samples were collected in Santiago, Chile, at four urban locations from January 1, 1989, through December 31, 2001. Both fine PM with da Ambient Air Quality Standards and the European Union concentration limits. Mean PM2.5 levels during the cold season (April through September) were more than twice as high as those observed in the warm season (October through March); whereas coarse particle levels were similar in both seasons. PM concentration trends were investigated using regression models, controlling for site, weekday, month, wind speed, temperature, and RH. Results showed that PM2.5 concentrations decreased substantially, 52% over the 12-year period (1989-2000), whereas PM2.5-10 concentrations increased by approximately 50% in the first 5 years and then decreased by a similar percentage over the following 7 years. These decreases were evident even after controlling for significant climatic effects. These results suggest that the pollution reduction programs developed and implemented by the Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente (CONAMA) have been effective in reducing particle levels in the Santiago Metropolitan region. However, particle levels remain high and it is thus imperative that efforts to improve air quality continue.

Global distribution and evolvement of urbanization and PM2.5 (1998-2015)

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Yang, Dongyang; Ye, Chao; Wang, Xiaomin; Lu, Debin; Xu, Jianhua; Yang, Haiqing

2018-06-01

PM2.5 concentrations increased and have been one of the major social issues along with rapid urbanization in many regions of the world in recent decades. The development of urbanization differed among regions, PM2.5 pollution also presented discrepant distribution across the world. Thus, this paper aimed to grasp the profile of global distribution of urbanization and PM2.5 and their evolutionary relationships. Based on global data for the proportion of the urban population and PM2.5 concentrations in 1998-2015, this paper investigated the spatial distribution, temporal variation, and evolutionary relationships of global urbanization and PM2.5. The results showed PM2.5 presented an increasing trend along with urbanization during the study period, but there was a variety of evolutionary relationships in different countries and regions. Most countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and some African countries developed with the rapid increase in both urbanization and PM2.5. Under the impact of other socioeconomic factors, such as industry and economic growth, the development of urbanization increased PM2.5 concentrations in most Asian countries and some African countries, but decreased PM2.5 concentrations in most European and American countries. The findings of this study revealed the spatial distributions of global urbanization and PM2.5 pollution and provided an interpretation on the evolution of urbanization-PM2.5 relationships, which can contribute to urbanization policies making aimed at successful PM2.5 pollution control and abatement.

Concentration and source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM10 of urban, industrial and semi-urban areas in Malaysia

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Jamhari, Anas Ahmad; Sahani, Mazrura; Latif, Mohd Talib; Chan, Kok Meng; Tan, Hock Seng; Khan, Md Firoz; Mohd Tahir, Norhayati

2014-04-01

Particulate matter (PM10) associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air were determined at two sites within the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur (urban, KL) and Petaling Jaya (industrial, PJ), and one site outside the Klang Valley, Bangi (semi-urban, BG). This study aimed to determine the concentration and distribution of PAHs in PM10 and the source of origin through principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratio analysis. This study also assessed the health risk from exposure to airborne BaPeq. PM10 samples were collected on glass fiber filter paper using a High Volume Sampler (HVS) for 24 h between September 2010 and April 2011. The filter papers with PM10 were extracted using dichloromethane-methanol (3:1), and analysis of 16 USEPA priority PAHs was determined using gas chromatography with mass spectra (GC-MS). Health risk assessment was estimated using toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) which quantitatively estimate the exposure risk for age specific group. The results showed that the total PAHs concentrations throughout seasonal monsoons for KL, PJ and BG ranged from 1.33 ng m-3 to 2.97 ng m-3, 2.24 ng m-3 to 4.84 ng m-3 and 1.64 ng m-3 to 3.45 ng m-3 respectively. More than 80% of total PAHs consisted of 5-ring and 6-ring PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP). The presence of benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP) with high concentration at all locations suggested a source indicator for traffic emission. PCA and diagnostic ratio analysis also suggested substantial contributions from traffic emission with minimal influence from coal combustion and natural gas emissions. The use of total BaPeq concentration provide a better estimation of carcinogenicity activities, where they contributed to more than 50% of the potential health risk. Health risk assessment showed that the estimated incremental

Trends in arsenic levels in PM10 and PM 2.5 aerosol fractions in an industrialized area.

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García-Aleix, J R; Delgado-Saborit, J M; Verdú-Martín, G; Amigó-Descarrega, J M; Esteve-Cano, V

2014-01-01

Arsenic is a toxic element that affects human health and is widely distributed in the environment. In the area of study, the main Spanish and second largest European industrial ceramic cluster, the main source of arsenic aerosol is related to the impurities in some boracic minerals used in the ceramic process. Epidemiological studies on cancer occurrence in Spain points out the study region as one with the greater risk of cancer. Concentrations of particulate matter and arsenic content in PM10 and PM2.5 were measured and characterized by ICP-MS in the area of study during the years 2005-2010. Concentrations of PM10 and its arsenic content range from 27 to 46 μg/m(3) and from 0.7 to 6 ng/m(3) in the industrial area, respectively, and from 25 to 40 μg/m(3) and from 0.7 to 2.8 ng/m(3) in the urban area, respectively. Concentrations of PM2.5 and its arsenic content range from 12 to 14 μg/m(3) and from 0.5 to 1.4 ng/m(3) in the urban background area, respectively. Most of the arsenic content is present in the fine fraction, with ratios of PM2.5/PM10 in the range of 0.65-0.87. PM10, PM2.5, and its arsenic content show a sharp decrease in recent years associated with the economic downturn, which severely hit the production of ceramic materials in the area under study. The sharp production decrease due to the economic crisis combined with several technological improvements in recent years such as substitution of boron, which contains As impurities as raw material, have reduced the concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and As in air to an extent that currently meets the existing European regulations.

Short-Term Health Impact Assessment of Urban PM10 in Bejaia City (Algeria

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Fatima Benaissa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We used Health Impact Assessment (HIA to analyze the impact on a given population’s health outcomes in terms of all-causes mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations attributable to short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm diameter (PM10 in Bejaia city, for which health effects of air pollution have never been investigated. Two scenarios of PM10 reduction were considered: first, a scenario where the PM10 annual mean is decreased by 5 µg/m3, and then a scenario where this PM10 mean is decreased to 20 µg/m3 (World Health Organization annual air quality guideline (WHO-AQG. Annual mean level of PM10 (81.7 µg/m3 was calculated from objective measurements assessed in situ. Each year, about 4 and 55 deaths could be postponed with the first and the second scenarios successfully. Furthermore, decreasing PM10 annual mean by 5 µg/m3 would avoid 5 and 3 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively, and not exceeding the PM10 WHO-AQG (20 µg/m3 would result in a potential gain of 36 and 23 per 100000 respiratory and cardiac hospitalizations, respectively. Lowering in current levels of PM10 has a nonnegligible impact in terms of public health that it is expected to be higher in the case of long-term effects.

Impact of the global economic crisis on metal levels in particulate matter (PM) at an urban area in the Cantabria Region (Northern Spain)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arruti, A.; Fernandez-Olmo, I.; Irabien, A.

2011-01-01

Air pollution by particulate matter is well linked with anthropogenic activities; the global economic crisis that broke out in the last year may be a proper indicator of this close relationship. Some economic indicators show the regional effects of the crisis on the Cantabria Region. The present work aims to evaluate the impact of the economic crisis on PM10 levels and composition at the major city of the region, Santander. Some metals linked to anthropogenic activities were measured at Santander and studied by Positive Matrix Factorization; this statistical analysis allowed to identify three main factors: urban background, industrial and molybdenum-related factor. The main results show that the temporal trend of the levels of the industrial tracers found in the present study are well agree with the evolution of the studied economic indicators; nevertheless, the urban background tracers and PM10 concentration levels are not well correlated with the studied economic indicators. - Highlights: → The impact of the crisis is higher on the PM-bound metal levels than on the PM levels. → The crisis effects on the trace metal associated to the urban background are negligible. → The temporal trend of the industrial trace metals levels and the studied economic indicators is similar. → The crisis effects on the main industrial tracer levels in PM2.5 and PM10 are similar. - The study presents an evaluation of the economic crisis impact on PM levels and composition at a coastal urban area in the Region of Cantabria (Northern Spain).

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric PM1.0 of urban environments: Carcinogenic and mutagenic respiratory health risk by age groups.

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Agudelo-Castañeda, Dayana M; Teixeira, Elba C; Schneider, Ismael L; Lara, Sheila Rincón; Silva, Luis F O

2017-05-01

We investigated the carcinogenic and mutagenic respiratory health risks related to the exposure to atmospheric PAHs in an urban area. Our study focused in the association of these pollutants and their possible effect in human health, principally respiratory and circulatory diseases. Also, we determined a relationship between the inhalation risk of PAHs and meteorological conditions. We validated the hypothesis that in winter PAHs with high molecular weight associated to submicron particles (PM 1 ) may increase exposure risk, especially for respiratory diseases, bronchitis and pneumonia diseases. Moreover, in our study we verified the relationship between diseases and several carcinogenic PAHs (Ind, BbkF, DahA, BaP, and BghiP). These individual PAHs contributed the most to the potential risk of exposure for inhalation of PM 1.0 . Even at lower ambient concentrations of BaP and DahA in comparison with individual concentrations of other PAHs associated to PM 1.0 . Mainly, research suggests to include carcinogenic and mutagenic PAHs in future studies of environmental health risk due to their capacity to associate to PM 10 . Such carcinogenic and mutagenic PAHs are likely to provide the majority of the human exposure, since they originate from dense traffic urban areas were humans congregate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative roles of emissions and meteorology in the diurnal pattern of urban PM10: analysis of the daylight saving time effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz, Ricardo C

2012-06-01

Daylight saving time (DST) is a common practice in many countries, in which Official Time (OT) is abruptly shifted 1 hour with respect to solar time on two occasions every year (in fall and spring). All anthropogenic emitting processes tied to OT like job and school commuting traffic, abruptly change in this moment their timing with respect to solar time, inducing a sudden shift between emissions and the meteorological factors that control the dispersion and transport of air pollutants. Analyzing 13 years of hourly particulate matter (PM10) concentrations measured in Santiago, Chile, we demonstrate that the DST practice has observable non-trivial effects in the PM10 diurnal cycle. The clearest impact is in the morning peak of PM10 during the fall DST change, which occurs later and has on average a significant smaller magnitude in the days after the DST change as compared to the days before it. This decrease in magnitude is most remarkable because it occurs in a period of the year when overall PM10 concentrations increase due to generally worsening of the dispersion conditions. Results are shown for seven monitoring stations around the city, and for the fall and spring DST changes. They show clearly the interplay of emissions and meteorology in conditioning urban air pollution problems, highlighting the role of the morning and evening transitions of the atmospheric boundary layer in shaping the diurnal pattern of urban air pollutant concentrations.

Reduction of PM emissions from specific sources reflected on key components concentrations of ambient PM10

Science.gov (United States)

Minguillon, M. C.; Querol, X.; Monfort, E.; Alastuey, A.; Escrig, A.; Celades, I.; Miro, J. V.

2009-04-01

The relationship between specific particulate emission control and ambient levels of some PM10 components (Zn, As, Pb, Cs, Tl) was evaluated. To this end, the industrial area of Castellón (Eastern Spain) was selected, where around 40% of the EU glazed ceramic tiles and a high proportion of EU ceramic frits (middle product for the manufacture of ceramic glaze) are produced. The PM10 emissions from the ceramic processes were calculated over the period 2000 to 2007 taking into account the degree of implementation of corrective measures throughout the study period. Abatement systems (mainly bag filters) were implemented in the majority of the fusion kilns for frit manufacture in the area as a result of the application of the Directive 1996/61/CE, leading to a marked decrease in PM10 emissions. On the other hand, ambient PM10 sampling was carried out from April 2002 to July 2008 at three urban sites and one suburban site of the area and a complete chemical analysis was made for about 35 % of the collected samples, by means of different techniques (ICP-AES, ICP-MS, Ion Chromatography, selective electrode and elemental analyser). The series of chemical composition of PM10 allowed us to apply a source contribution model (Principal Component Analysis), followed by a multilinear regression analysis, so that PM10 sources were identified and their contribution to bulk ambient PM10 was quantified on a daily basis, as well as the contribution to bulk ambient concentrations of the identified key components (Zn, As, Pb, Cs, Tl). The contribution of the sources identified as the manufacture and use of ceramic glaze components, including the manufacture of ceramic frits, accounted for more than 65, 75, 58, 53, and 53% of ambient Zn, As, Pb, Cs and Tl levels, respectively (with the exception of Tl contribution at one of the sites). The important emission reductions of these sources during the study period had an impact on ambient key components levels, such that there was a high

Spatiotemporal variations of ambient PM10 source contributions in Beijing in 2004 using positive matrix factorization

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T. Chen

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Source contributions to ambient PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less in Beijing, China were determined with positive matrix factorization (PMF based on ambient PM10 composition data including concentrations of organic carbon (OC, elemental carbon (EC, ions and metal elements, which were simultaneously obtained at six sites through January, April, July and October in 2004. Results from PMF indicated that seven major sources of ambient PM10 were urban fugitive dust, crustal soil, coal combustion, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, biomass burning with municipal incineration, and vehicle emission, respectively. In paticular, urban fugitive dust and crustal soil as two types of dust sources with similar chemical characteristics were differentiated by PMF. Urban fugitive dust contributed the most, accounting for 34.4% of total PM10 mass on an annual basis, with relatively high contributions in all four months, and even covered 50% in April. It also showed higher contributions in southwestern and southeastern areas than in central urban areas. Coal combustion was found to be the primary contributor in January, showing higher contributions in urban areas than in suburban areas with seasonal variation peaking in winter, which accounted for 15.5% of the annual average PM10 concentration. Secondary sulfate and secondary nitrate combined as the largest contributor to PM10 in July and October, with strong seasonal variation peaking in summer, accounting for 38.8% and 31.5% of the total PM10 mass in July and October, respectively. Biomass burning with municipal incineration contributions were found in all four months and accounted for 9.8% of the annual average PM10 mass concentration, with obviously higher contribution in October than in other months. Incineration sources were probably located in southwestern Beijing. Contribution from vehicle emission accounted for 5.0% and exhibited no significant seasonal variation. In sum

Random forest meteorological normalisation models for Swiss PM10 trend analysis

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Grange, Stuart K.; Carslaw, David C.; Lewis, Alastair C.; Boleti, Eirini; Hueglin, Christoph

2018-05-01

Meteorological normalisation is a technique which accounts for changes in meteorology over time in an air quality time series. Controlling for such changes helps support robust trend analysis because there is more certainty that the observed trends are due to changes in emissions or chemistry, not changes in meteorology. Predictive random forest models (RF; a decision tree machine learning technique) were grown for 31 air quality monitoring sites in Switzerland using surface meteorological, synoptic scale, boundary layer height, and time variables to explain daily PM10 concentrations. The RF models were used to calculate meteorologically normalised trends which were formally tested and evaluated using the Theil-Sen estimator. Between 1997 and 2016, significantly decreasing normalised PM10 trends ranged between -0.09 and -1.16 µg m-3 yr-1 with urban traffic sites experiencing the greatest mean decrease in PM10 concentrations at -0.77 µg m-3 yr-1. Similar magnitudes have been reported for normalised PM10 trends for earlier time periods in Switzerland which indicates PM10 concentrations are continuing to decrease at similar rates as in the past. The ability for RF models to be interpreted was leveraged using partial dependence plots to explain the observed trends and relevant physical and chemical processes influencing PM10 concentrations. Notably, two regimes were suggested by the models which cause elevated PM10 concentrations in Switzerland: one related to poor dispersion conditions and a second resulting from high rates of secondary PM generation in deep, photochemically active boundary layers. The RF meteorological normalisation process was found to be robust, user friendly and simple to implement, and readily interpretable which suggests the technique could be useful in many air quality exploratory data analysis situations.

Evaluation of impacts of trees on PM2.5 dispersion in urban streets

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Jin, Sijia; Guo, Jiankang; Wheeler, Stephen; Kan, Liyan; Che, Shengquan

2014-12-01

Reducing airborne particulate matter (PM), especially PM2.5 (PM with aerodynamic diameters of 2.5 μm or less), in urban street canyons is critical to the health of central city population. Tree-planting in urban street canyons is a double-edged sword, providing landscape benefits while inevitably resulting in PM2.5 concentrating at street level, thus showing negative environmental effects. Thereby, it is necessary to quantify the impact of trees on PM2.5 dispersion and obtain the optimum structure of street trees for minimizing the PM2.5 concentration in street canyons. However, most of the previous findings in this field were derived from wind tunnel or numerical simulation rather than on-site measuring data. In this study, a seasonal investigation was performed in six typical street canyons in the residential area of central Shanghai, which has been suffering from haze pollution while having large numbers of green streets. We monitored and measured PM2.5 concentrations at five heights, structural parameters of street trees and weather. For tree-free street canyons, declining PM2.5 concentrations were found with increasing height. However, in presence of trees the reduction rate of PM2.5 concentrations was less pronounced, and for some cases, the concentrations even increased at the top of street canyons, indicating tree canopies are trapping PM2.5. To quantify the decrease of PM2.5 reduction rate, we developed the attenuation coefficient of PM2.5 (PMAC). The wind speed was significantly lower in street canyons with trees than in tree-free ones. A mixed-effects model indicated that canopy density (CD), leaf area index (LAI), rate of change of wind speed were the most significant predictors influencing PMAC. Further regression analysis showed that in order to balance both environmental and landscape benefits of green streets, the optimum range of CD and LAI was 50%-60% and 1.5-2.0 respectively. We concluded by suggesting an optimized tree-planting pattern and

Air pollution studies in terms of PM2.5, PM2.5-10, PM10, lead and black carbon in urban areas of Antananarivo-Madagascar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasoazanany, E. O.; Andriamahenina, N. N.; Ravoson, H. N.; Raoelina Andriambololona; Randriamanivo, L. V.; Ramaherison, H.; Ahmed, H.; Harinoely, M.

2011-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols or particulate matters are chemically complex and dynamic mixtures of solid and liquid particles. Sources of particulate matters include both natural and anthropogenic processes. The present work consists in determining the concentrations of existing elements in the aerosols collected in Andravoahangy and in Ambodin Isotry in Antananarivo city (Madagascar). The size distribution of these elements and their main sources are also studied.The Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer is used for the qualitative and quantitative analyses. The results show that the concentrations of the airborne particulate matters PM 2.5-10 are higher than those of PM 2.5 .The identified elements in the aerosol samples are Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr and Pb. The average concentrations of these elements are also higher in the coarse particles than in the fine particles. The calculation of the enrichment factors by Mason's model shows that Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Pb are of anthropogenic origins. The average concentrations of lead (2.8 ng.m -3 , 31.3 ng.m -3 and 19.6 ng.m -3 respectively in aerosols collected in Andravoahangy in 2007 and in 2008 and in Ambodin Isotry in 2008) are largely lower than the average concentration of 1.8 μg.m -3 obtained in 2000 in the Antananarivo urban areas. The concentration of black carbon is higher in the fine particles. The Air Quality Index category is variable in the two sites.

2005-2014 trends of PM10 source contributions in an industrialized area of southern Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiwei; Chen, Bing; de la Campa, Ana M Sánchez; Alastuey, Andrés; Querol, Xavier; de la Rosa, Jesus D

2018-05-01

Particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) using receptor modelling was determined at an urban (La Linea, LL) and an industrial area (Puente Mayorga, PMY) in Southern Spain with samples collected during 2005-2014. The concentrations of PM10 had been decreasing at both sites in three distinctive periods: 1) the initial PM10 levels approached or exceeded the Spain and EU PM10 annual guidelines of 40 μg/m 3 during 2005-2007 at LL and 2005-2009 at PMY; 2) then PM10 dropped by 25%-∼30 μg/m 3 during 2008-2011 at LL and during 2010-2011 at PMY; 3) since 2012, the PM10 concentrations gradually decreased to major elements. These PM components generally showed a decrease trend, in accord with the trend of PM10 reduction. A PMF model identified seven sources to PM10 contributions. Secondary sulfate, soil/urban/construction dust, and secondary nitrate showed significantly decreasing trends with reduction of 40-60% comparing to the initial levels. The road traffic contribution decreased by 14% from the first to third period. However, sea salt, oil combustion, and industrial metallurgical process had relative stable contributions. These source contribution changes are reasonably governed by the PM emission abatement actions implemented during the past decade, as well as the financial crisis, that accounted for a significant decrease of PM pollution in Southern Spain. We identified that the mitigation efforts on industry, fossil fuel combustion, and urban transportation during the past decade were successful for air quality improvement in a highly industrialized area in Southern Spain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vertical and horizontal variability of PM10 source contributions in Barcelona during SAPUSS

Science.gov (United States)

Brines, Mariola; Dall'Osto, Manuel; Amato, Fulvio; Cruz Minguillón, María; Karanasiou, Angeliki; Alastuey, Andrés; Querol, Xavier

2016-06-01

During the SAPUSS campaign (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies) PM10 samples at 12-hour resolution were simultaneously collected at four monitoring sites located in the urban agglomerate of Barcelona (Spain). A total of 221 samples were collected from 20 September to 20 October 2010. The Road Site (RS) site and the Urban Background (UB) site were located at street level, whereas the Torre Mapfre (TM) and the Torre Collserola (TC) sites were located at 150 m a.s.l. by the sea side within the urban area and at 415 m a.s.l. 8 km inland, respectively. For the first time, we are able to report simultaneous PM10 aerosol measurements, allowing us to study aerosol gradients at both horizontal and vertical levels. The complete chemical composition of PM10 was determined on the 221 samples, and factor analysis (positive matrix factorisation, PMF) was applied. This resulted in eight factors which were attributed to eight main aerosol sources affecting PM10 concentrations in the studied urban environment: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2-9 µg m-3, 10-27 % of PM10 mass on average), (2) road dust (2-4 µg m-3, 8-12 %), (3) mineral dust (5 µg m-3, 13-26 %), (4) aged marine (3-5 µg m-3, 13-20 %), (5) heavy oil (0.4-0.6 µg m-3, 2 %), (6) industrial (1 µg m-3, 3-5 %), (7) sulfate (3-4 µg m-3, 11-17 %) and (8) nitrate (4-6 µg m-3, 17-21 %). Three aerosol sources were found to be enhanced at the ground levels (confined within the urban ground levels of the city) relative to the upper levels: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2.8 higher), (2) road dust (1.8 higher) and (3) local urban industries/crafts workshops (1.6 higher). Surprisingly, the other aerosol sources were relatively homogeneous at both horizontal and vertical levels. However, air mass origin and meteorological parameters also played a key role in influencing the variability of the factor concentrations. The mineral dust and aged marine factors were found to be a mixture of natural and

Evaluation of PM-10 commercial inlets for new surveillance air sampler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langer, G.

1986-01-01

The inlet for the present Rock Flats Plant surveillance sampler does not meet the new but still tentative PM-10 (<10-μm particle mass) criterion for sampling the hazardous fraction of airborne dust. Since this criterion relates mainly to non-radioactive emissions, DOE and EPA are presently in the process of promulgating emission guidelines specifically for non-reactor DOE nuclear facilities. The authors present approach is to select a commercial inlet and modify its, if necessary, to meet the PM-10 criterion, keeping in mind that they may have to recover the dust collected in the inlet. There is no EPA-approved PM-10 inlet design; instead, EPA issued a performance specification. As a nuclear operation, Rocky Flats has to sample continuously to ensure no period remains unmonitored, instead of every sixth day, as set forth by EPA for non-nuclear installations. During this study period, the authors developed an inlet evaluation methodology to meet the above, anticipated EPA requirements. Also, they started testing two potential inlets. 6 references, 2 figures, 1 table

Comprehensive urban air quality studies of Islamabad: elemental characterization of PM10 and PM2.5, source apportionment and transboundary pollutant migration (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waheed, S.; Siddique, N.; Daud, M.

2011-01-01

Long term urban air quality of Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, has been investigated as a part of the joint UNDP/IAEA/RCA/RAS/7/015 project, entitled C haracterization and source identification of particulate air pollution in the Asian region (RCA) . Around 380 pairs of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10-2.5) polycarbonate filters from the Nilore area were collected using GENT sampler. The average PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 masses at this site were found to be 15.02 and 37.01 g/m/sup 3/ respectively that are far below to the Pakistani limit for PM10 of 100 g/m/sup 3/. The average Black Carbon (BC) was found to be 2.58 and 1.22 g/m/sup 3/ corresponding to 20.7% and 4.54% of the fine and coarse mass respectively. The non destructive Ion Beam Analysis method, Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and Proton induced gamma ray emission (PIGE) were employed to quantify more than 40 elements in both fine and coarse fractions. The acquired elemental data has been statistically treated and subjected to mass closure studies, principal component and factor analysis to calculate correlation matrices. The reconstructed mass (RCM) was calculated for both particle modes using soil, sulphate, smoke, sea salt and BC as pseudo sources. Data analysis performed using EPA-PMF3 shows that the fine and coarse data for the suburban site identifies 4 sources; biomass/ combustion, road dust, soil and automobile. Long range transport of pollutants was studied using HYSPLIT4 model. It was observed that high fine soil contributions in this area were mainly from dust storms arriving from west and North West of the country. (author)

Caracterização do MP10 e MP2,5 e distribuição por tamanho de cloreto, nitrato e sulfato em atmosfera urbana e rural de Londrina Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 and size distribution of chloride, nitrate and sulphate in urban and rural atmospheres of Londrina

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Adriana de Marques Freitas

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Samplings of atmospheric particulate matter (PM were carried out between the months of March and April of 2007, simultaneously in two areas of Londrina, an urban (Historical Museum and other rural (Farm School-UEL. PM was collected using the cascade impactor consisting of four impaction stages (0.25 to 10 μm. The results indicated that the fine fraction (PM2.5 represented a significant portion of the mass of PM10 (70 and 67% in the urban and rural places, respectively. Cl-, NO3- and SO4(2- were determined by ion chromatography and the size distribution is presented. Natural and anthropogenic sources were suggested to the ionic components in the fine and coarse mode of PM.

Vertical and horizontal variability of PM10 source contributions in Barcelona during SAPUSS

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M. Brines

2016-06-01

Full Text Available During the SAPUSS campaign (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies PM10 samples at 12-hour resolution were simultaneously collected at four monitoring sites located in the urban agglomerate of Barcelona (Spain. A total of 221 samples were collected from 20 September to 20 October 2010. The Road Site (RS site and the Urban Background (UB site were located at street level, whereas the Torre Mapfre (TM and the Torre Collserola (TC sites were located at 150 m a.s.l. by the sea side within the urban area and at 415 m a.s.l. 8 km inland, respectively. For the first time, we are able to report simultaneous PM10 aerosol measurements, allowing us to study aerosol gradients at both horizontal and vertical levels. The complete chemical composition of PM10 was determined on the 221 samples, and factor analysis (positive matrix factorisation, PMF was applied. This resulted in eight factors which were attributed to eight main aerosol sources affecting PM10 concentrations in the studied urban environment: (1 vehicle exhaust and wear (2–9 µg m−3, 10–27 % of PM10 mass on average, (2 road dust (2–4 µg m−3, 8–12 %, (3 mineral dust (5 µg m−3, 13–26 %, (4 aged marine (3–5 µg m−3, 13–20 %, (5 heavy oil (0.4–0.6 µg m−3, 2 %, (6 industrial (1 µg m−3, 3–5 %, (7 sulfate (3–4 µg m−3, 11–17 % and (8 nitrate (4–6 µg m−3, 17–21 %. Three aerosol sources were found to be enhanced at the ground levels (confined within the urban ground levels of the city relative to the upper levels: (1 vehicle exhaust and wear (2.8 higher, (2 road dust (1.8 higher and (3 local urban industries/crafts workshops (1.6 higher. Surprisingly, the other aerosol sources were relatively homogeneous at both horizontal and vertical levels. However, air mass origin and meteorological parameters also played a key role in influencing the variability of the factor

Ambient air quality of karachi city as reflected by atmospheric particulate matter (PM/sub 10/) concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashmi, D.R.; Shareef, A.

2016-01-01

The present study examines the variation of ambient aerosol (PM/sub 10/) concentrations in Karachi, city. Samples were collected from ten different locations, representative of urban background, residential, traffic and industrial areas from 2007 to 2011. At each location, PM/sub 10/) was measured continuously from 08:00 am to 06:00 pm at local time. The maximum 10 h average particulate matter (PM/sub 10/) mass concentrations were found at Tibet Centre (440.1 mg/m/sup 3/) and minimum at PCSIR Campus (21.7 mg/m/sup 3/) during 2008. A rising trend during 2008 may be due to the civil works for bridges and extension of roads at different locations in Karachi. The results also suggest that urban traffic and industrial areas appeared to have higher PM/sub 10/) concentration than residential and background areas. (author)

Challenges in evaluating PM concentration levels, commuting exposure, and mask efficacy in reducing PM exposure in growing, urban communities in a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Disa; Shibata, Tomoyuki; Wilson, James; Maidin, Alimin

2016-02-01

Particulate matter (PM) contributes to an increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, and preterm birth complications. This project assessed PM exposure in Eastern Indonesia's largest city, where air quality has not been comprehensively monitored. We examined the efficacy of wearing masks as an individual intervention effort to reduce in-transit PM exposures. Handheld particulate counters were used to investigate ambient air quality for spatial analysis, as well as the differences in exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 (μg/m(3)) by different transportation methods [e.g. motorcycle (n=97), pete-pete (n=53), and car (n=55); note: n=1 means 1m(3) of air sample]. Mask efficacy to reduce PM exposure was evaluated [e.g. surgical masks (n=39), bandanas (n=52), and motorcycle masks (n=39)]. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to provide a range of uncertainty in exposure assessment. Overall PM10 levels (91±124 μg/m(3)) were elevated compared to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s 24-hour air quality guideline (50 μg/m(3)). While average PM2.5 levels (9±14 μg/m(3)) were below the WHO's guideline (25 μg/m(3)), measurements up to 139 μg/m(3) were observed. Compared to cars, average motorcycle and pete-pete PM exposures were four and three times higher for PM2.5, and 13 and 10 times higher for PM10, respectively. Only surgical masks were consistent in lowering PM2.5 and PM10 (pmasks. Individual interventions can effectively reduce individual PM exposures; however, policy interventions will be needed to improve the overall air quality and create safer transportation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Weekly cycle of magnetic characteristics of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 in Beijing, China

Science.gov (United States)

SHI, M.; Wu, H.; Zhang, S.; Li, H.; Yang, T.

2013-12-01

In urban areas,fine particle matter with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 um and 10 um (PM2.5-10), and 2.5 um (PM2.5), as an important source of urban particulate matter (PM) pollutants, have significant negative effects on health, atmospheric visibility and climate. PM has increasingly become a significant index of indicating the atmospheric pollution of city. In recent years, Beijing, China has been listed as one of the most serious air pollution city in the world. In order to investigate the sources of air pollutants, a total of 283 pairs of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 samples were collected daily from July, 2010 to June, 2011 in Beijing. Mineral magnetic properties and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 were measured to verify the magnetic materials. Magnetic measures for PM indicated that the major magnetic phase was coarse-grained magnetite-like material. The χlf, χarm, SIRM and χarm/SIRM series of the PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 show seasonal dependences: high values in winter and low values in summer. In additional the parameters analyzed by Time-series methods show a strong cycle about 7 days above 95% confidence level. Weekly cycle of magnetic characteristics of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 show different pattern: the concentration of magnetic particles in PM2.5-10 show high values in mid-week, and particle sizes is steady, while the concentration of magnetic particles in PM2.5 show reverse a weekly cycle pattern, and particle sizes is smaller in the mid-week.Microscopy analyses reveal basically three morphologies of magnetic grains: aggregate, spherules and angular particles. The ultrafine carbonaceous particles which tend to form complex clusters and chain-like structures, most likely come from coal burning and motor vehicle exhaust. Spherical particles in PM2.5 are dominantly composed of Fe, O and C, grain-diameters of particles range from 0.3 to 2 um. Angular particles of Fe

PM2006: a highly scalable urban planning management information system--Case study: Suzhou Urban Planning Bureau

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Changfeng; Liang, Song; Ruan, Yong; Huang, Jie

2008-10-01

During the urbanization process, when facing complex requirements of city development, ever-growing urban data, rapid development of planning business and increasing planning complexity, a scalable, extensible urban planning management information system is needed urgently. PM2006 is such a system that can deal with these problems. In response to the status and problems in urban planning, the scalability and extensibility of PM2006 are introduced which can be seen as business-oriented workflow extensibility, scalability of DLL-based architecture, flexibility on platforms of GIS and database, scalability of data updating and maintenance and so on. It is verified that PM2006 system has good extensibility and scalability which can meet the requirements of all levels of administrative divisions and can adapt to ever-growing changes in urban planning business. At the end of this paper, the application of PM2006 in Urban Planning Bureau of Suzhou city is described.

Saharan dust contributions to PM10 and TSP levels in Southern and Eastern Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, S.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Kallos, G.; Kakaliagou, O.

The analysis of PM10 and TSP levels recorded in rural areas from Southern and Eastern Spain (1996-1999) shows that most of the PM10 and TSP peak events are simultaneously recorded at monitoring stations up to 1000 km apart. The study of the atmospheric dynamics by back-trajectory analysis and simulations with the SKIRON Forecast System show that these high PM10 and TSP events occur when high-dust Saharan air masses are transported over the Iberian Peninsula. In the January-June period, this dust transport is mainly caused by cyclonic activity over the West or South of Portugal, whereas in the summer period this is induced by anticyclonic activity over the East or Southeast Iberian Peninsula. Most of the Saharan intrusions which exert a major influence on the particulate levels occur from May to September (63%) and in January and October. In rural areas in Northeast Spain, where the PM10 annual mean is around 18 μg PM10 m -3, the Saharan dust accounts for 4-7 annual daily exceedances of the forthcoming PM10-EU limit value (50 μg PM10 m -3 daily mean). Higher PM10 background levels are recorded in Southern Spain (30 μg PM10 m -3 as annual mean for rural areas) and very similar values are recorded in industrial and urban areas. In rural areas in Southern Spain, the Saharan dust events accounts for 10-23 annual daily exceedances of the PM10 limit value, a high number when compared with the forthcoming EU standard, which states that the limit value cannot be exceeded more than 7 days per year. The proportion of Sahara-induced exceedances with respect to the total annual exceedances is discussed for rural, urban and industrial sites in Southern Spain.

Ambient air pollutant PM10 and risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in urban China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xin; Qiu, Jie; Qiu, Weitao; He, Xiaochun; Wang, Yixuan; Sun, Qingmei; Cui, Hongmei; Liu, Sufen; Tang, Zhongfeng; Chen, Ya; Yue, Li; Da, Zhenqiang; Lv, Ling; Lin, Xiaojuan; Zhang, Chong; Zhang, Honghong; Xu, Ruifeng; Zhu, Daling; Zhang, Yaqun; Zhao, Nan

2015-01-01

Background: The relationship between air borne particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ) exposure and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is inconclusive. Few studies have been conducted, and fewer were conducted in areas with high levels of PM 10 . Methods: To examine the association between PM 10 and PIH by different exposure time windows during pregnancy, we analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted in Lanzhou, China including 8 745 pregnant women with available information on air pollution during pregnancy. A total of 333 PIH cases (127 gestational hypertension (GH) and 206 preeclampsia (PE)) were identified. PM 10 daily average concentrations of each subject were calculated according to the distance between home/work addresses and monitor stations using an inverse-distance weighting approach. Results: Average PM 10 concentration over the duration of entire pregnancy was significantly associated with PIH (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.23 per 10 μg m −3 increase), PE (OR = 1.16, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.30 per 10 μg m −3 increase), late onset PE (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.32 per10 μg m −3 increase), and severe PE (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.48 per 10 μg m −3 increase). Average PM 10 during the first 12 gestational weeks was associated with the risk of GH (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.21 per 10 μg m −3 increase), and PM 10 exposure before 20 gestational weeks was associated with the risk of severe PE (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.30 per 10 μg m −3 increase). Conclusions: We found that high level exposure to ambient PM 10 during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of PIH, GH and PE and that the strength of the association varied by timing of exposure during pregnancy. (letter)

Chemical composition and source apportionment of PM10 at an urban background site in a high-altitude Latin American megacity (Bogota, Colombia).

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Omar; Sánchez de la Campa, A M; Amato, Fulvio; Catacolí, Ruth A; Rojas, Néstor Y; de la Rosa, Jesús

2018-02-01

Bogota registers frequent episodes of poor air quality from high PM 10 concentrations. It is one of the main Latin American megacities, located at 2600 m in the tropical Andes, but there is insufficient data on PM 10 source contribution. A characterization of the chemical composition and the source apportionment of PM 10 at an urban background site in Bogota was carried out in this study. Daily samples were collected from June 2015 to May 2016 (a total of 311 samples). Organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water soluble compounds (SO 4 2- , Cl - , NO 3 - , NH 4 + ), major elements (Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, P) and trace metals (V, Cd, Pb, Sr, Ba, among others) were analyzed. The results were interpreted in terms of their variability during the rainy season (RS) and the dry season (DS). The data obtained revealed that the carbonaceous fraction (∼51%) and mineral dust (23%) were the main PM 10 components, followed by others (15%), Secondary Inorganic Compounds (SIC) (11%) and sea salt (0.4%). The average concentrations of soil, SIC and OC were higher during RS than DS. However, peak values were observed during the DS due to photochemical activity and forest fires. Although trace metals represented <1% of PM 10 , high concentrations of toxic elements such as Pb and Sb on RS, and Cu on DS, were obtained. By using a PMF model, six factors were identified (∼96% PM 10 ) including fugitive dust, road dust, metal processing, secondary PM, vehicles exhaust and industrial emissions. Traffic (exhaust emissions + road dust) was the major PM 10 source, accounting for ∼50% of the PM 10 . The results provided novel data about PM 10 chemical composition, its sources and its seasonal variability during the year, which can help the local government to define control strategies for the main emission sources during the most critical periods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Ground-Based PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations in China, India, and the U.S.

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Xingchuan Yang

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Urbanization and industrialization have spurred air pollution, making it a global problem. An understanding of the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm and 10 μm, respectively is necessary to mitigate air pollution. We compared the characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and their trends of China, India, and the U.S. from 2014 to 2017. Particulate matter levels were lowest in the U.S., while China showed higher concentrations, and India showed the highest. Interestingly, significant declines in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were found in some of the most polluted regions in China as well as the U.S. No comparable decline was observed in India. A strong seasonal trend was observed in China and India, with the highest values occurring in winter and the lowest in summer. The opposite trend was noted for the U.S. PM2.5 was highly correlated with PM10 for both China and India, but the correlation was poor for the U.S. With regard to reducing particulate matter pollutant concentrations, developing countries can learn from the experiences of developed nations and benefit by establishing and implementing joint regional air pollution control programs.

Inflammatory effects on human lung epithelial cells after exposure to diesel exhaust micron sub particles (PM1.0) and pollen allergens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzarella, G.; Esposito, V.; Bianco, A.; Ferraraccio, F.; Prati, M.V.; Lucariello, A.; Manente, L.; Mezzogiorno, A.; De Luca, A.

2012-01-01

Asthma is currently defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway. Several evidence indicate that vehicle emissions in cities is correlated with the allergic respiratory diseases. In the present study, we evaluated in the A549 cells the production and release of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 after treatment with sub-micron PM 1.0 particles (PM 1.0 ), Parietaria officinalis (ALL), and PM 1.0 + ALL together. Our data demonstrated that PM 1.0 + ALL together exhibited the greatest capacity to induce A549 cells to enhance the expression of IL-4 and IL-5 compared with the only PM 1.0 or ALL treatment. Interestingly, IL-13 that is necessary for allergen-induced airway hyper responsiveness, is increased in cells treated with PM 1.0 + ALL together, but is higher expressed when the cells are treated only with the allergen. Our data support the hypothesis that the urban environment damage the acinar lung units and activates cells of the immune system. - Highlights: ► The genetic factors plays a key role in the development of the asthma. ► Its development can only be made in the presence of specific environmental factors. ► We evaluated in the A549 cells the production and release of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. ► IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 expression increased when the A549 cells are treated with PM 1.0 + ALL together. - The urban environment with the combination of inhalable air pollution and particulate are able to damage the acinar lung units and are able to activate cells of the immune system.

Induction of IL-6 and inhibition of IL-8 secretion in the human airway cell line Calu-3 by urban particulate matter collected with a modified method of PM sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfaro-Moreno, Ernesto; Torres, Victor; Miranda, Javier; Martinez, Leticia; Garcia-Cuellar, Claudia; Nawrot, Tim S.; Vanaudenaerde, Bart; Hoet, Peter; Ramirez-Lopez, Pavel; Rosas, Irma; Nemery, Benoit; Osornio-Vargas, Alvaro Roman

2009-01-01

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) induces inflammatory cytokines. In the present study, we evaluated the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 by an airway cell line exposed to PM with a mean aerodynamic size equal to or less than 10 or 2.5 μm (PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively) collected in Mexico City, using a modified high-volume sampling method avoiding the use of solvents or introducing membrane components into the samples. PM was collected on cellulose-nitrate (CN) membranes modified for collection on high-volume samplers. Composition of the particles was evaluated by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and scanning electron microscopy. The particles (10-160 μg/cm 2 ) were tested on Calu-3 cells. Control cultures were exposed to LPS (10 ng/mL to 100 μg/mL) or silica (10-160 μg/cm 2 ). IL-6 and IL-8 secretions were evaluated by ELISA. An average of 10 mg of PM was recovered form each cellulose-nitrate filter. No evidence of contamination from the filter was found. Cells exposed to PM 10 presented an increase in the secretion of IL-6 (up to 400%), while IL-8 decreased (from 40% to levels below the detection limit). A similar but weaker effect was observed with PM 2.5 . In conclusion, our modified sampling method provides a large amount of urban PM free of membrane contamination. The urban particles induce a decrease in IL-8 secretion that contrasts with the LPS and silica effects. These results suggest that the regulation of IL-8 expression is different for urban particles (complex mixture containing combustion-related particles, soil and biologic components) than for biogenic compounds or pure mineral particles.

Induction of IL-6 and inhibition of IL-8 secretion in the human airway cell line Calu-3 by urban particulate matter collected with a modified method of PM sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alfaro-Moreno, Ernesto, E-mail: ealfaro.incan@gmail.com [Lung Toxicology Unit, Pneumology Section, K.U. Leuven (Belgium); Subdireccion de Investigacion Basica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Avenida San Fernando 22, C.P. 14080, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Torres, Victor [Departamento Farmacologia, Facultad de Medicina, U.N.A.M. (Mexico); Miranda, Javier [Departamento de Fisica Experimental, Instituto de Fisca, U.N.A.M. (Mexico); Martinez, Leticia [Deparatmento de Aerobiologia, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera - Facultad de Medicina, U.N.A.M. (Mexico); Garcia-Cuellar, Claudia [Subdireccion de Investigacion Basica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Avenida San Fernando 22, C.P. 14080, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Nawrot, Tim S.; Vanaudenaerde, Bart; Hoet, Peter [Lung Toxicology Unit, Pneumology Section, K.U. Leuven (Belgium); Ramirez-Lopez, Pavel [Escuela Superior de Ingenieria Quimica e Industrias Extractivas, I.P.N. (Mexico); Rosas, Irma [Deparatmento de Aerobiologia, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera - Facultad de Medicina, U.N.A.M. (Mexico); Nemery, Benoit [Lung Toxicology Unit, Pneumology Section, K.U. Leuven (Belgium); Osornio-Vargas, Alvaro Roman [Subdireccion de Investigacion Basica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Avenida San Fernando 22, C.P. 14080, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2009-07-15

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) induces inflammatory cytokines. In the present study, we evaluated the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 by an airway cell line exposed to PM with a mean aerodynamic size equal to or less than 10 or 2.5 {mu}m (PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5}, respectively) collected in Mexico City, using a modified high-volume sampling method avoiding the use of solvents or introducing membrane components into the samples. PM was collected on cellulose-nitrate (CN) membranes modified for collection on high-volume samplers. Composition of the particles was evaluated by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and scanning electron microscopy. The particles (10-160 {mu}g/cm{sup 2}) were tested on Calu-3 cells. Control cultures were exposed to LPS (10 ng/mL to 100 {mu}g/mL) or silica (10-160 {mu}g/cm{sup 2}). IL-6 and IL-8 secretions were evaluated by ELISA. An average of 10 mg of PM was recovered form each cellulose-nitrate filter. No evidence of contamination from the filter was found. Cells exposed to PM{sub 10} presented an increase in the secretion of IL-6 (up to 400%), while IL-8 decreased (from 40% to levels below the detection limit). A similar but weaker effect was observed with PM{sub 2.5}. In conclusion, our modified sampling method provides a large amount of urban PM free of membrane contamination. The urban particles induce a decrease in IL-8 secretion that contrasts with the LPS and silica effects. These results suggest that the regulation of IL-8 expression is different for urban particles (complex mixture containing combustion-related particles, soil and biologic components) than for biogenic compounds or pure mineral particles.

Evaluation of the oxidative potential of urban Pm and its relation to in vitro induced DNA damage: a spatial and temporal comparison

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quintana B, R. O.; Alfaro M, E.; Garcia C, C. M.; Vazquez L, I. [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Laboratorio de Toxicologia Ambiental, Av. San Fernando No. 22, Col. Seccion 16, 14080 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Rosas P, I. [UNAM, Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Gomez V, V.; Salmon S, M. de J. [UNAM, Instituto de Quimica, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Osornio V, A. R., E-mail: qbro@hotmail.com [University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9 (Canada)

2015-07-01

Some toxic effects of particulate matter (Pm) are related to the oxidative potential (Op) of the particles. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique was used to evaluate the intensity of paramagnetic species (Ps) and EPR plus spin trapping, to evaluate the Op of Pm. We evaluated, in parallel, the DNA degradation potential of PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} collected from three regions of Mexico City in 1991 and 2003. Each region had different sources of pollution; industrial, commercial or residential. Both techniques evaluated Fenton-type reactions in the presence and absence of deferoxamine. PM{sub 10} samples from the industrial region presented similar high Op, independently of sampling year. PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} collected in the commercial and residential regions in 2003 had similarly low Op. The Op induced by PM{sub 10} from the industrial region was completely inhibited by Dfo, and Dfo partially inhibited the Op induced by PM{sub 10} from other regions. PM{sub 2.5} Op was not inhibited by Dfo. Pm from the industrial region was the most potent inductor of DNA degradation, while Pm from residential region was the least potent, correlating with the Op. Dfo inhibited the degradation of DNA induced by Pm. The Op of Pm collected in the industrial and residential region correlated with the DNA degradation. The region, size and year of Pm collection are linked to observed Op variations and DNA degradation induced by Pm. (Author)

Asthma and PM10

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Gilmour M Ian

2000-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract PM10 (the mass of particles present in the air having a 50% cutoff for particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm is the standard measure of particulate air pollution used worldwide. Epidemiological studies suggest that asthma symptoms can be worsened by increases in the levels of PM10. Epidemiological evidence at present indicates that PM10 increases do not raise the chances of initial sensitisation and induction of disease, although further research is warranted. PM10 is a complex mixture of particle types and has many components and there is no general agreement regarding which component(s could lead to exacerbations of asthma. However pro-inflammatory effects of transition metals, hydrocarbons, ultrafine particles and endotoxin, all present to varying degrees in PM10, could be important. An understanding of the role of the different components of PM10 in exacerbating asthma is essential before proper risk assessment can be undertaken leading to advice on risk management for the many asthmatics who are exposed to air pollution particles.

Characterisation and quantification of the sources of PM10 during air pollution episodes in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muir, David; Longhurst, J.W.S.; Tubb, A.

2006-01-01

Data for concentrations of PM 10 and gaseous pollutants from sites in the UK Automatic Urban and Rural Network have been examined during periods of elevated concentrations of PM 10 . The ratios of concentrations of PM 10 to those of the other pollutants were used to determine the most probable source of the additional particles. The hypothesis is that because the concentrations of PM 10 were divided by those of the other pollutants, the ratio should decrease when PM 10 and the other pollutants have a common source. Conversely, the ratio should increase when the sources are different. During episodes where road traffic was the most probable source of the additional particles, the ratios of concentrations of PM 10 to carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen did decrease, but the comparable ratios for sulphur dioxide and ozone increased. In contrast, during episodes known to have been caused by construction activity, all these ratios increased. This is taken to show that the basic hypothesis is valid. For prolonged episodes, it was possible to use data averaged over the total duration of the episode for the purposes of source identification. For sporadic construction, or other short-duration episodes, it was necessary to use time series data. The data have also been used to calculate the differences between hourly average concentrations of pollutants measured during episodes and long-term hourly average concentrations. These have been used to model the additional PM 10 during air pollution episodes associated with construction activities and road traffic emissions. This confirms the lack of relationship between PM 10 and other pollutants during construction works. During episodes arising from road traffic emissions, there was good agreement between measured and modelled additional concentrations of PM 10 when an appropriate factor, F, related to the contribution of road traffic emissions to PM 10 at different site types was applied. The values used were 0.2 (Suburban

Improvement of PM10 prediction in East Asia using inverse modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Youn-Seo; Choi, Dae-Ryun; Kwon, Hi-Yong; Jang, Young-Kee; Han, Jin-Seok

2015-04-01

Aerosols from anthropogenic emissions in industrialized region in China as well as dust emissions from southern Mongolia and northern China that transport along prevailing northwestern wind have a large influence on the air quality in Korea. The emission inventory in the East Asia region is an important factor in chemical transport modeling (CTM) for PM10 (particulate matters less than 10 ㎛ in aerodynamic diameter) forecasts and air quality management in Korea. Most previous studies showed that predictions of PM10 mass concentration by the CTM were underestimated when comparing with observational data. In order to fill the gap in discrepancies between observations and CTM predictions, the inverse Bayesian approach with Comprehensive Air-quality Model with extension (CAMx) forward model was applied to obtain optimized a posteriori PM10 emissions in East Asia. The predicted PM10 concentrations with a priori emission were first compared with observations at monitoring sites in China and Korea for January and August 2008. The comparison showed that PM10 concentrations with a priori PM10 emissions for anthropogenic and dust sources were generally under-predicted. The result from the inverse modeling indicated that anthropogenic PM10 emissions in the industrialized and urbanized areas in China were underestimated while dust emissions from desert and barren soil in southern Mongolia and northern China were overestimated. A priori PM10 emissions from northeastern China regions including Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin were underestimated by about 300% (i.e., the ratio of a posteriori to a priori PM10 emission was a factor of about 3). The predictions of PM10 concentrations with a posteriori emission showed better agreement with the observations, implying that the inverse modeling minimized the discrepancies in the model predictions by improving PM10 emissions in East Asia.

PM10 composition during an intense Saharan dust transport event over Athens (Greece)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Remoundaki, E.; Bourliva, A.; Kokkalis, P.; Mamouri, R.E.; Papayannis, A.; Grigoratos, T.; Samara, C.; Tsezos, M.

2011-01-01

The influence of Saharan dust on the air quality of Southern European big cities became a priority during the last decade. The present study reports results on PM 10 monitored at an urban site at 14 m above ground level during an intense Saharan dust transport event. The elemental composition was determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) for 12 elements: Si, Al, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Ti, S, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mn. PM 10 concentrations exceeded the EU limit (50 μg/m 3 ) several times during the sampling period. Simultaneous maxima have been observed for the elements of crustal origin. The concentrations of all the elements presented a common maximum, corresponding to the date where the atmosphere was heavily charged with particulate matter permanently for an interval of about 10 h. Sulfur and heavy metal concentrations were also associated to local emissions. Mineral dust represented the largest fraction of PM 10 reaching 79%. Seven days back trajectories have shown that the air masses arriving over Athens, originated from Western Sahara. Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) revealed that particle agglomerates were abundant, most of them having sizes < 2 μm. Aluminosilicates were predominant in dust particles also rich in calcium which was distributed between calcite, dolomite, gypsum and Ca-Si particles. These results were consistent with the origin of the dust particles and the elemental composition results. Sulfur and heavy metals were associated to very fine particles < 1 μm. - Highlights: → The paper focuses on the contribution of Saharan dust in PM10 levels at an urban site. → High Ca and Fe, calcite, illite and smectites and poor quartz contents are related to source-regions. → The data sets presented are in very good agreement and are also strongly confirmed by literature. → Dust contribution in PM10 can be of comparable importance for both an urban and a remote location. �

Influence of Saharan dust outbreaks and carbon content on oxidative potential of water-soluble fractions of PM2.5 and PM10

Science.gov (United States)

Chirizzi, Daniela; Cesari, Daniela; Guascito, Maria Rachele; Dinoi, Adelaide; Giotta, Livia; Donateo, Antonio; Contini, Daniele

2017-08-01

Exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) leads to adverse health effects although the exact mechanisms of toxicity are still poorly understood. Several studies suggested that a large number of PM health effects could be due to the oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particles leading to high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The contribution to OP of specific anthropogenic sources like road traffic, biomass burning, and industrial emissions has been investigated in several sites. However, information about the OP of natural sources are scarce and no data is available regarding the OP during Saharan dust outbreaks (SDO) in Mediterranean regions. This work uses the a-cellular DTT (dithiothreitol) assay to evaluate OP of the water-soluble fraction of PM2.5 and PM10 collected at an urban background site in Southern Italy. OP values in three groups of samples were compared: standard characterised by concentrations similar to the yearly averages; high carbon samples associated to combustion sources (mainly road traffic and biomass burning) and SDO events. DTT activity normalised by sampled air volume (DTTV), representative of personal exposure, and normalised by collected aerosol mass (DTTM), representing source-specific characteristics, were investigated. The DTTV is larger for high PM concentrations. DTTV is well correlated with secondary organic carbon concentration. An increased DTTV response was found for PM2.5 compared to the coarse fraction PM2.5-10. DTTV is larger for high carbon content samples but during SDO events is statistically comparable with that of standard samples. DTTM is larger for PM2.5 compared to PM10 and the relative difference between the two size fractions is maximised during SDO events. This indicates that Saharan dust advection is a natural source of particles having a lower specific OP with respect to the other sources acting on the area (for water-soluble fraction). OP should be taken into account in epidemiological

Regression trees modeling and forecasting of PM10 air pollution in urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Stoimenova, M.; Voynikova, D.; Ivanov, A.; Gocheva-Ilieva, S.; Iliev, I.

2017-10-01

Fine particulate matter (PM10) air pollution is a serious problem affecting the health of the population in many Bulgarian cities. As an example, the object of this study is the pollution with PM10 of the town of Pleven, Northern Bulgaria. The measured concentrations of this air pollutant for this city consistently exceeded the permissible limits set by European and national legislation. Based on data for the last 6 years (2011-2016), the analysis shows that this applies both to the daily limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter and the allowable number of daily concentration exceedances to 35 per year. Also, the average annual concentration of PM10 exceeded the prescribed norm of no more than 40 micrograms per cubic meter. The aim of this work is to build high performance mathematical models for effective prediction and forecasting the level of PM10 pollution. The study was conducted with the powerful flexible data mining technique Classification and Regression Trees (CART). The values of PM10 were fitted with respect to meteorological data such as maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction and others, as well as with time and autoregressive variables. As a result the obtained CART models demonstrate high predictive ability and fit the actual data with up to 80%. The best models were applied for forecasting the level pollution for 3 to 7 days ahead. An interpretation of the modeling results is presented.

Concentrations of Platinum Group Elements (Pt, Pd, Rh in Airborne Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 Collected at Selected Canadian Urban Sites: a Case Study

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Celo V.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Increasing environmental concentrations of platinum group elements (PGEs, in particular platinum (Pt, palladium (Pd and rhodium (Rh, from catalytic converters has been reported worldwide. Initially it was believed that the emitted PGEs remain in the roadside environment, but recent studies have shown that fine PGE-containing particles can be transported and distributed at regional and long-range levels. Therefore, the monitoring of PGEs in airborne particulate matter (PM is important for the estimation of potential risks to human health and to the ecosystem. The aim of this study is to present the first results from an analysis on the concentration and distribution of Pt, Pd and Rh in PM collected on Teflon filters at two selected urban sites (Toronto, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta collected within the Canadian National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS network. In this work, a quadruple inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, combined with microwave assisted acid digestion using aqua regia was used. A cation exchange separation was used to alleviate the matrix-induced spectral and nonspectral interferences prior to ICP-MS analysis. To obtain sufficient material needed for PGEs analysis, fine PM (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 mm; PM2.5 and coarse PM (with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 mm; PM10-2.5 samples were combined into composite samples on a seasonal basis. The obtained results will be discussed and compared with literature data.

Variability of levels and composition of PM10 and PM2.5 in the Barcelona metro system

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E. de Miguel

2012-06-01

Full Text Available From an environmental perspective, the underground metro system is one of the cleanest forms of public transportation in urban agglomerations. Current studies report contradicting results regarding air quality in the metro systems: whereas some reveal poor air quality, others report PM levels which are lower or of the same order of magnitude than those measured in traffic sites above ground level. The present work assesses summer and winter indoor air quality and passenger exposure in the Barcelona metro, focusing on PM levels and their metal contents. In addition, the impact on indoor air quality of platform screen door systems (automated systems consisting of closed rail track and platforms is evaluated, to determine whether these systems reduce passenger exposure to PM when compared with conventional systems (open tracks and platforms. In the Barcelona metro PM levels inside the trains in summer are amongst the lowest reported for worldwide metro systems (11–32 μg m−3 PM2.5. This is most likely due to the air conditioning system working in all carriages of the Barcelona metro during the whole year. Levels were considerably higher on the platforms, reaching mean levels of 46 and 125 μg m3 in the new (L9 and old (L3 lines, respectively. PM10 data are also reported in the present study, but comparison with other metro systems is difficult due to the scarcity of data compared with PM2.5. Results showed distinct PM daily cycles, with a drastic increase from 06:00 to 07:00 a.m., a diurnal maximum from 07:00 to 10:00 p.m., and marked decrease between 10:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m. The elements with the highest enrichment were those associated with wheel or brake abrasion products (Ba, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Sb, As, Mo, Co, Sr, among others. Laminar hematite (Fe2O3 was the dominant particle type, being mainly originated by mechanical abrasion of the rail track and wheels. Regarding passenger exposure to PM, the contribution of commuting by metro was

PIXE characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter collected during the winter season in Shanghai city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuanxun; Wang Yingsong; Li Delu; Li Aiguo; Li Yan; Zhang Guilin

2006-01-01

The samples of PM2.5 and PM10 inhalable particulate matter had been collected during the period of December 2002-January 2003 at nineteen representative sites of Shanghai urban and suburb area in order to investigate the chemical characterization of aerosol particle in winter. The samples were analyzed to determine the average concentrations for up to twenty elements by means of particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). It was found that the average elemental concentrations in the urban center are higher than those in the suburb, except for Ti and P. The particulate mass data demonstrate that the ratio range of PM2.5/PM10 is from 0.32 to 0.85 and its average ratio is 0.6. The result of the enrichment factor shows that the inhalable particles may be divided into two categories, i.e., soil elements from the earth crust and anthropogenic pollution elements. It is noticed that toxic or harmful elements such as S, As, Pb, Ni, Mn and Se are enriched mainly in fine particles with diameter less than 2.5 μm. The fingerprints of major pollution sources such as coal (or oil) burning, vehicle exhaust emission and industry are also presented and discussed. (author)

Urban PM in Eastern Germany: Source apportionment and contributions from different spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

van Pinxteren, D.; Fomba, K. W.; Mothes, F.; Spindler, G.; Herrmann, H.

2017-12-01

Understanding the contributions of particulate matter (PM) sources and the source areas impacting total PM levels in a city are important requirements for further developing clean air policies and efficient abatement strategies. This presentation reports on two studies in Eastern Germany providing a detailed picture of present-day urban PM sources and discriminating contributions of local, regional and long-range sources. The "Leipzig Aerosol 2013-15" study yielded contributions of 12 sources to coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles, resolved by Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) from comprehensive chemical speciation of 5-stage Berner impactor samples at 4 different sites in the Leipzig area. Dominant winter-time sources were traffic exhaust and non-exhaust emissions, secondary aerosol formation, and combustion emissions from both biomass and coal burning with different relative importance in different particle size ranges. Local sources dominated PM levels in ultrafine and coarse particles (60% - 80%) while high mass concentrations in accumulation mode particles mainly resulted from regional import into the city (70%). The "PM-East" study compiled PM10 mass and constituents' concentrations at 10 urban and rural sites in Eastern Germany during winter 2016/17, which included a 3-week episode of frequent exceedances of the PM10 limit value. PMF source apportionment is performed for a subset of the sites, including the city of Berlin. Contributions from short-, mid-, and long-range sources, including trans-boundary pollution import from neighbouring countries, are quantitatively assessed by advanced back trajectory statistical methods. Data analysis in PM-East is ongoing and final results will be available by November. Funding is acknowledged from 4 federal states of Germany: Berlin Senate Department for Environment, Transport and Climate Protection; Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology; State Agency for Environment, Nature Conservation and

PM{sub 10} composition during an intense Saharan dust transport event over Athens (Greece)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remoundaki, E., E-mail: remound@metal.ntua.gr [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou (Greece); Bourliva, A. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Department of Geology, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Hellenic Open University, School of Science and Technology, 26335 Patras (Greece); Kokkalis, P.; Mamouri, R.E.; Papayannis, A. [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Laser Remote Sensing Laboratory, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou (Greece); Grigoratos, T.; Samara, C. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Department of Chemistry, Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Tsezos, M. [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou (Greece)

2011-09-15

The influence of Saharan dust on the air quality of Southern European big cities became a priority during the last decade. The present study reports results on PM{sub 10} monitored at an urban site at 14 m above ground level during an intense Saharan dust transport event. The elemental composition was determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) for 12 elements: Si, Al, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Ti, S, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mn. PM{sub 10} concentrations exceeded the EU limit (50 {mu}g/m{sup 3}) several times during the sampling period. Simultaneous maxima have been observed for the elements of crustal origin. The concentrations of all the elements presented a common maximum, corresponding to the date where the atmosphere was heavily charged with particulate matter permanently for an interval of about 10 h. Sulfur and heavy metal concentrations were also associated to local emissions. Mineral dust represented the largest fraction of PM{sub 10} reaching 79%. Seven days back trajectories have shown that the air masses arriving over Athens, originated from Western Sahara. Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) revealed that particle agglomerates were abundant, most of them having sizes < 2 {mu}m. Aluminosilicates were predominant in dust particles also rich in calcium which was distributed between calcite, dolomite, gypsum and Ca-Si particles. These results were consistent with the origin of the dust particles and the elemental composition results. Sulfur and heavy metals were associated to very fine particles < 1 {mu}m. - Highlights: {yields} The paper focuses on the contribution of Saharan dust in PM10 levels at an urban site. {yields} High Ca and Fe, calcite, illite and smectites and poor quartz contents are related to source-regions. {yields} The data sets presented are in very good agreement and are also strongly confirmed by literature. {yields} Dust contribution in PM10 can be of comparable importance for

Assessment of vertically-resolved PM10 from mobile lidar observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-C. Raut

2009-11-01

Full Text Available We investigate in this study the vertical PM10 distributions from mobile measurements carried out from locations along the Paris Peripherique (highly trafficked beltway around Paris, examine distinctions in terms of aerosol concentrations between the outlying regions of Paris and the inner city and eventually discuss the influence of aerosol sources, meteorology, and dynamics on the retrieved PM10 distributions. To achieve these purposes, we combine in situ surface measurements with active remote sensing observations obtained from a great number of research programs in Paris area since 1999. Two approaches, devoted to the conversion of vertical profiles of lidar-derived extinction coefficients into PM10, have been set up. A very good agreement is found between the theoretical and empirical methods with a discrepancy of 3%. Hence, specific extinction cross-sections at 355 nm are provided with a reasonable relative uncertainty lower than 12% for urban (4.5 m2 g−1 and periurban (5.9 m2 g−1 aersols, lower than 26% for rural (7.1 m2 g−1 aerosols, biomass burning (2.6 m2 g−1 and dust (1.1 m2 g−1 aerosols The high spatial and temporal resolutions of the mobile lidar (respectively 1.5 m and 1 min enable to follow the spatiotemporal variability of various layers trapping aerosols in the troposphere. Appropriate specific extinction cross-sections are applied in each layer detected in the vertical heterogeneities from the lidar profiles. The standard deviation (rms between lidar-derived PM10 at 200 m above ground and surface network stations measurements was ~14μg m−3. This difference is particularly ascribed to a decorrelation of mass concentrations in the first meters of the boundary layer, as highlighted through multiangular lidar observations. Lidar signals can be used to follow mass concentrations with an uncertainty lower than 25% above urban areas and provide useful information on PM10 peak forecasting that affect air quality.

FTIR analysis and evaluation of carcinogenic and mutagenic risks of nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in PM1.0.

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Schneider, Ismael Luís; Teixeira, Elba Calesso; Agudelo-Castañeda, Dayana Milena; Silva E Silva, Gabriel; Balzaretti, Naira; Braga, Marcel Ferreira; Oliveira, Luís Felipe Silva

2016-01-15

Nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) represent a group of organic compounds of significant interest due to their presence in airborne particulates of urban centers, wide distribution in the environment, and mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. These compounds, associated with atmospheric particles of size PM1.0) using infrared spectrometry. Carcinogenic and mutagenic risks of the studied NPAHs associated with PM1.0 samples were also determined for two sampling sites: Canoas and Sapucaia do Sul. The results showed that NPAH standard spectra can effectively identify NPAHs in PM1.0 samples. The transmittance and emissivity sample spectra showed broader bands and lower relative intensity than the standard NPAH spectra. The carcinogenic risk and the total mutagenic risk were calculated using the toxic equivalent factors and mutagenic potency factors, respectively. Canoas showed the highest total carcinogenic risk, while Sapucaia do Sul had the highest mutagenic risk. The seasonal analysis suggested that in the study area the ambient air is more toxic during the cold periods. These findings might of significant importance for the decision and policy making authorities.

Chemical Characterization of Outdoor and Subway Fine (PM2.5–1.0) and Coarse (PM10–2.5) Particulate Matter in Seoul (Korea) by Computer-Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (CCSEM)

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Byeon, Sang-Hoon; Willis, Robert; Peters, Thomas M.

2015-01-01

Outdoor and indoor (subway) samples were collected by passive sampling in urban Seoul (Korea) and analyzed with computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM-EDX). Soil/road dust particles accounted for 42%–60% (by weight) of fine particulate matter larger than 1 µm (PM2.5–1.0) in outdoor samples and 18% of PM2.5–1.0 in subway samples. Iron-containing particles accounted for only 3%–6% in outdoor samples but 69% in subway samples. Qualitatively similar results were found for coarse particulate matter (PM10–2.5) with soil/road dust particles dominating outdoor samples (66%–83%) and iron-containing particles contributing most to subway PM10–2.5 (44%). As expected, soil/road dust particles comprised a greater mass fraction of PM10–2.5 than PM2.5–1.0. Also as expected, the mass fraction of iron-containing particles was substantially less in PM10–2.5 than in PM2.5–1.0. Results of this study are consistent with known emission sources in the area and with previous studies, which showed high concentrations of iron-containing particles in the subway compared to outdoor sites. Thus, passive sampling with CCSEM-EDX offers an inexpensive means to assess PM2.5–1.0 and PM10-2.5 simultaneously and by composition at multiple locations. PMID:25689348

Chemical Characterization of Outdoor and Subway Fine (PM2.5–1.0 and Coarse (PM10–2.5 Particulate Matter in Seoul (Korea by Computer-Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (CCSEM

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Sang-Hoon Byeon

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Outdoor and indoor (subway samples were collected by passive sampling in urban Seoul (Korea and analyzed with computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM-EDX. Soil/road dust particles accounted for 42%–60% (by weight of fine particulate matter larger than 1 µm (PM2.5–1.0 in outdoor samples and 18% of PM2.5–1.0 in subway samples. Iron-containing particles accounted for only 3%–6% in outdoor samples but 69% in subway samples. Qualitatively similar results were found for coarse particulate matter (PM10–2.5 with soil/road dust particles dominating outdoor samples (66%–83% and iron-containing particles contributing most to subway PM10–2.5 (44%. As expected, soil/road dust particles comprised a greater mass fraction of PM10–2.5 than PM2.5–1.0. Also as expected, the mass fraction of iron-containing particles was substantially less in PM10–2.5 than in PM2.5–1.0. Results of this study are consistent with known emission sources in the area and with previous studies, which showed high concentrations of iron-containing particles in the subway compared to outdoor sites. Thus, passive sampling with CCSEM-EDX offers an inexpensive means to assess PM2.5–1.0 and PM10-2.5 simultaneously and by composition at multiple locations.

Characterisation and quantification of the sources of PM{sub 10} during air pollution episodes in the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muir, David [Environmental Quality Unit, Department of Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development, Bristol City Council, The CREATE Centre, Smeaton Road, Bristol BS1 6XN (United Kingdom); Longhurst, J.W.S.; Tubb, A. [Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY (United Kingdom)

2006-04-01

Data for concentrations of PM{sub 10} and gaseous pollutants from sites in the UK Automatic Urban and Rural Network have been examined during periods of elevated concentrations of PM{sub 10}. The ratios of concentrations of PM{sub 10} to those of the other pollutants were used to determine the most probable source of the additional particles. The hypothesis is that because the concentrations of PM{sub 10} were divided by those of the other pollutants, the ratio should decrease when PM{sub 10} and the other pollutants have a common source. Conversely, the ratio should increase when the sources are different. During episodes where road traffic was the most probable source of the additional particles, the ratios of concentrations of PM{sub 10} to carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen did decrease, but the comparable ratios for sulphur dioxide and ozone increased. In contrast, during episodes known to have been caused by construction activity, all these ratios increased. This is taken to show that the basic hypothesis is valid. For prolonged episodes, it was possible to use data averaged over the total duration of the episode for the purposes of source identification. For sporadic construction, or other short-duration episodes, it was necessary to use time series data. The data have also been used to calculate the differences between hourly average concentrations of pollutants measured during episodes and long-term hourly average concentrations. These have been used to model the additional PM{sub 10} during air pollution episodes associated with construction activities and road traffic emissions. This confirms the lack of relationship between PM{sub 10} and other pollutants during construction works. During episodes arising from road traffic emissions, there was good agreement between measured and modelled additional concentrations of PM{sub 10} when an appropriate factor, F, related to the contribution of road traffic emissions to PM{sub 10} at different site types

Characterization of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in outdoor/indoor PM10/PM2.5/PM1.0 in Beijing, China.

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Huang, Huiting; Gao, Lirong; Xia, Dan; Qiao, Lin; Wang, Runhua; Su, Guijin; Liu, Wenbin; Liu, Guorui; Zheng, Minghui

2017-06-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were listed in the Stockholm Convention, because of their adverse health effects, persistence, bioaccumulation and ubiquitous presence in the environment. Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), chlorinated derivatives of n-alkanes, have been listed as candidate POPs under Stockholm Convention. Inhalation uptake was an important exposure pathway for non-occupational adult human and the pollution of particle matter has caused great concern. There are some studies focused on POPs such as polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in different size particles. However, there were no studies that discussed CP concentrations in particulate matter (PM) with different sizes. In this study, a total of 30 PM samples were collected both outdoors and indoors at a sampling site in Beijing. These samples were used to investigate the concentrations and distributions of SCCPs and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in PM fractions of different sizes, and to evaluate inhalation exposure risks. The results showed that the average SCCPs and MCCPs in the outdoor PM 10 were 23.9 and 3.6 ng m -3 , while the mean values in indoor were 61.1 and 6.9 ng m -3 , respectively. The levels of SCCPs and MCCPs in indoor and outdoor were relatively high. SCCP and MCCP concentrations in the indoor PM 10 /PM 2.5 /PM 1.0 samples were higher than the corresponding values in the outdoor, because of the using of some products containing CPs in the indoors, like paints and coatings, leather and rubber products. In both outdoor and indoor air, CPs are mainly associated with particles ≤2.5 μm in diameter. The main homolog groups for both SCCPs and MCCPs were C 10-11 Cl 7-8 . It is assumed that SCCPs in the outdoor and indoor PM samples may mainly derive from the production and use of CP-42 and CP-52. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary PM2.5 and PM10 fractions source apportionment complemented by statistical accuracy determination

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Samek Lucyna

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Samples of PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were collected between the years 2010 and 2013 at the urban area of Krakow, Poland. Numerous types of air pollution sources are present at the site; these include steel and cement industries, traffic, municipal emission sources and biomass burning. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence was used to determine the concentrations of the following elements: Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, As and Pb within the collected samples. Defining the elements as indicators, airborne particulate matter (APM source profiles were prepared by applying principal component analysis (PCA, factor analysis (FA and multiple linear regression (MLR. Four different factors identifying possible air pollution sources for both PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were attributed to municipal emissions, biomass burning, steel industry, traffic, cement and metal industry, Zn and Pb industry and secondary aerosols. The uncertainty associated with each loading was determined by a statistical simulation method that took into account the individual elemental concentrations and their corresponding uncertainties. It will be possible to identify two or more sources of air particulate matter pollution for a single factor in case it is extremely difficult to separate the sources.

The nexus between urbanization and PM2.5 related mortality in China.

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Liu, Miaomiao; Huang, Yining; Jin, Zhou; Ma, Zongwei; Liu, Xingyu; Zhang, Bing; Liu, Yang; Yu, Yang; Wang, Jinnan; Bi, Jun; Kinney, Patrick L

2017-08-01

The launch of China's new national urbanization plan, coupled with increasing concerns about air pollution, calls for better understandings of the nexus between urbanization and the air pollution-related health. Based on refined estimates of PM 2.5 related mortality in China, we developed an Urbanization-Excess Deaths Elasticity (U-EDE) indicator to measure the marginal PM 2.5 related mortality caused by urbanization. We then applied statistical models to estimate U-EDE and examined the modification effects of income on U-EDE. Urbanization in China between 2004 and 2012 led to increased PM 2.5 related mortality. A 1% increase in urbanization was associated with a 0.32%, 0.14%, and 0.50% increase in PM 2.5 related mortality of lung cancer, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. U-EDEs were modified by income with an inverted U curve, i.e., lower marginal impacts at the lowest and highest income levels. In addition, we projected the future U-EDE trend of China as a whole and found that China had experienced the peak of U-EDE and entered the second half of the inverted U-shaped curve. In the near future, national average U-EDE in China will decline along with the improvement of income level if no dramatic changes happen. However, the decreased U-EDE only implies that marginal PM 2.5 -related mortality brought by urbanization would decrease in China. Total health damage of urbanization will keep going up in the predictable future because the U-EDE is always positive. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Level, potential sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in particulate matter (PM10) in Naples

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Di Vaio, Paola; Cocozziello, Beatrice; Corvino, Angela; Fiorino, Ferdinando; Frecentese, Francesco; Magli, Elisa; Onorati, Giuseppe; Saccone, Irene; Santagada, Vincenzo; Settimo, Gaetano; Severino, Beatrice; Perissutti, Elisa

2016-03-01

In Naples, particulate matter PM10 associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air were determined in urban background (NA01) and urban traffic (NA02) sites. The principal objective of the study was to determine the concentration and distribution of PAHs in PM10 for identification of their possible sources (through diagnostic ratio - DR and principal component analysis - PCA) and an estimation of the human health risk (from exposure to airborne TEQ). Airborne PM10 samples were collected on quartz filters using a Low Volume Sampler (LVS) for 24 h with seasonal samples (autumn, winter, spring and summer) of about 15 days each between October 2012 and July 2013. The PM10 mass was gravimetrically determined. The PM10 levels, in all seasons, were significantly higher (P gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analysis. The concentration of Benzo[a]Pyrene, BaP (EU and National limit value: 1 ng m-3 in PM10), varied from 0.065 ng m-3 during autumn time to 0.872 ng m-3 in spring time (NA01) and from 0.120 ng m-3 during autumn time to 1.48 ng m-3 of winter time (NA02) with four overshoots. In NA02 the trend of Σ12 PAHs was comparable to NA01 but were observed higher values than NA01. In fact, the mean concentration of Σ12 PAHs, in urban-traffic site was generally 2 times greater than in urban-background site in all the campaigns. PAHs with 5 and 6 ring, many of which are suspected carcinogens or genotoxic agents, (i.e Benzo[a]Pyrene, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]Pyrene, Benzo[b]Fluoranthene, Benzo[k]Fluoranthene and Benzo[g,h,i]Perylene), had a large contribution (∼50-55%) of total PAHs concentration in PM10 in two sites and in each of the campaigns. Diagnostic ratio analysis and PCA suggested a substantial contributions from traffic emission with minimal influence from coal combustion and natural gas emissions. In particular diesel vehicular emissions were the major source of PAHs at the studied sites. The use of Toxicity Equivalence Quantity (TEQ

Total suspended particles (TSP) and breathable particles (PM10) in Aburra Valley, Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saldarriaga Molina, Julio Cesar; Echeverri Londono, Carlos Alberto; Molina Perez Francisco Jose

2004-01-01

In the Aburra's valley, nor-western region of Colombia, inhabited by 3 million people, crossed by 400,000 vehicles; with the presence of establishments of industrial sectors: textile, foods and metal-mechanical; The concentrations of total suspended particles (PST) and breathable particles (PM 1 0) were evaluated, during the period: December of 2000 to June of 2001. The determinations of PST and PM 1 0 were performed in ten stations, distributed of north to the south, covering urban and rural zones with the municipalities of: Girardota, Bello, Medellin, Itagui, Sabaneta and Caldas. When analyzing relation PM 1 0/PST, was that the best statistical correlations are located in the zones center and the south of the valley. In addition the increasing tendency in relation PM 1 0/PST was observed, from 0.527 for the rural station Girardota (North), to 0.813 in the urban station Caldas (South). This gradient in relation PM 1 0/PST apparently this related to the wind regime that predominates in the Valley of Aburra with direction the north-south, which causes that the fine particles migrate of north to the south, increasing relation PM 1 0/PST in the same direction

Growth, extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity, and kinetic characteristic responses of the bloom-forming toxic cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, to atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM>10).

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Xu, Ziran; Wang, Shoubing; Wang, Yuanan; Zhang, Jie

2018-03-01

Atmospheric particulate matter (APM), commonly seen and widely excited in environment, appears great enough to influence the biochemical processes in aquatic microorganisms and phytoplankton. Understanding the response of cyanobacteria to various factors is fundamental for eutrophication control. To clarify the response of cyanobacteria to APM, the effects of PM 2.5 , PM 2.5-10 , and PM >10 on Microcystis aeruginosa were researched. Variabilities in cell density, chlorophyll a, soluble protein, malondialdehyde, extracellular activity, and kinetic parameters of alkaline phosphatase were evaluated by lab-cultured experiments. Results showed that the PM 2.5 had a slight stimulation impact on the growth and enhanced both of the 48- and 72-h extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), the affinity of alkaline phosphatase for substrate, and the 72-h maximum enzymatic reaction velocity (V max ). Moreover, the stimulations in extracellular APA and V max enhanced with the increasing exposure concentrations. We also found there were no obvious distinctions on the effects of growth and alkaline phosphatase in M. aeruginosa between PM 2.5-10 and PM >10 exposure groups. Obviously, inhibitory effects on growth existed in 4.0 and 8.0 mg/L PM 2.5-10 and 8.0 mg/L PM >10 at 120 h. Furthermore, PM 2.5-10 and PM >10 exerted inhibitory effects on the extracellular APA during the 72-h exposure. Simultaneously, the V max was notably inhibited and the affinity of alkaline phosphatase for substrate was more inseparable compared with control in PM 2.5-10 and PM >10 treatments. Nevertheless, the inhibitors in extracellular APA and kinetic parameters were unrelated to PM 2.5-10 and PM >10 exposure concentrations. Two-way ANOVA results revealed that there were significant interactions between exposure concentration and diameter of APM on the 120-h cell density, soluble protein content, APA, and 72 h APA of M. aeruginosa. These results in our study would be meaningful to further

Spatiotemporal estimation of historical PM2.5 concentrations using PM10, meteorological variables, and spatial effect

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Li, Lianfa; Wu, Anna H.; Cheng, Iona; Chen, Jiu-Chiuan; Wu, Jun

2017-10-01

Monitoring of fine particulate matter with diameter health outcomes such as cancer. In this study, we aimed to design a flexible approach to reliably estimate historical PM2.5 concentrations by incorporating spatial effect and the measurements of existing co-pollutants such as particulate matter with diameter additive non-linear model. The spatiotemporal model was evaluated, using leaving-one-site-month-out cross validation. Our final daily model had an R2 of 0.81, with PM10, meteorological variables, and spatial autocorrelation, explaining 55%, 10%, and 10% of the variance in PM2.5 concentrations, respectively. The model had a cross-validation R2 of 0.83 for monthly PM2.5 concentrations (N = 8170) and 0.79 for daily PM2.5 concentrations (N = 51,421) with few extreme values in prediction. Further, the incorporation of spatial effects reduced bias in predictions. Our approach achieved a cross validation R2 of 0.61 for the daily model when PM10 was replaced by total suspended particulate. Our model can robustly estimate historical PM2.5 concentrations in California when PM2.5 measurements were not available.

In vitro investigations of platinum, palladium, and rhodium mobility in urban airborne particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) using simulated lung fluids.

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Zereini, Fathi; Wiseman, Clare L S; Püttmann, Wilhelm

2012-09-18

Environmental concentrations of platinum group elements (PGE) have been increasing since the introduction of automotive catalytic converters to control harmful emissions. Assessments of the human health risks of exposures to these elements, especially through the inhalation of PGE-associated airborne particulate matter (PM), have been hampered by a lack of data on their bioaccessibility. The purpose of this study is to apply in vitro methods using simulated human lung fluids [artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) and Gamble's solution] to assess the mobility of the PGE, platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh) in airborne PM of human health concern. Airborne PM samples (PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1)) were collected in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For comparison, the same extraction experiments were conducted using the standard reference material, Used Auto Catalyst (monolith) (NIST 2557). Pt and Pd concentrations were measured using isotope dilution ICP-Q-MS, while Rh was measured directly with ICP-Q-MS (in collision mode with He), following established matrix separation and enrichment procedures, for both solid (filtered residues) and extracted sample phases. The mobilized fractions measured for PGE in PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) were highly variable, which can be attributed to the heterogenic nature of airborne PM and its composition. Overall, the mobility of PGE in airborne PM samples was notable, with a mean of 51% Rh, 22% Pt, and 29% Pd present in PM(1) being mobilized by ALF after 24 h. For PM(1) exposed to Gamble's solution, a mean of 44% Rh, 18% Pt, and 17% Pd was measured in solution after 24 h. The mobility of PGE associated with airborne PM was also determined to be much higher compared to that measured for the auto catalyst standard reference material. The results suggest that PGE emitted from automotive catalytic converters are likely to undergo chemical transformations during and/or after being emitted in the environment. This study highlights the need

Indoor PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations in primary schools in Sari, Iran.

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Mohammadyan, Mahmoud; Shabankhani, Bijan

2013-09-01

This study was carried out to determine the distribution of particles in classrooms in primary schools located in the centre of the city of Sari, Iran and identify the relationship between indoor classroom particle levels and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations. Outdoor PM2.5 and indoor PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were monitored using a real-time Micro Dust Pro monitor and a GRIMM monitor, respectively. Both monitors were calibrated by gravimetric method using filters. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test showed that all indoor and outdoor data fitted normal distribution. Mean indoor PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations for all of the classrooms were 17.6 μg m(-3), 46.6 μg m(-3), 400.9 μg m(-3), and 36.9 μg m(-3), respectively. The highest levels of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were measured at the Shahed Boys School (69.1 μg m(-3) and 115.8 μg m(-3), respectively). The Kazemi school had the lowest levels of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 (29.1 μg m(-3) and 15.5 μg m(-3), respectively). In schools located near both main and small roads, the association between indoor fine particle (PM2.5 and PM1) and outdoor PM2.5 levels was stronger than that between indoor PM10 and outdoor PM2.5 levels. Mean indoor PM2.5 and PM10 and outdoor PM2.5 were higher than the standards for PM2.5 and PM10, and there was a good correlation between indoor and outdoor fine particle concentrations.

Exposure to urban PM1 in rats: development of bronchial inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Filep, Ágnes; Fodor, Gergely H; Kun-Szabó, Fruzsina; Tiszlavicz, László; Rázga, Zsolt; Bozsó, Gábor; Bozóki, Zoltán; Szabó, Gábor; Peták, Ferenc

2016-03-10

Several epidemiological and laboratory studies have evidenced the fact that atmospheric particulate matter (PM) increases the risk of respiratory morbidity. It is well known that the smallest fraction of PM (PM1 - particulate matter having a diameter below 1 μm) penetrates the deepest into the airways. The ratio of the different size fractions in PM is highly variable, but in industrial areas PM1 can be significant. Despite these facts, the health effects of PM1 have been poorly investigated and air quality standards are based on PM10 and PM2.5 (PM having diameters below 10 μm and 2.5 μm, respectively) concentrations. Therefore, this study aimed at determining whether exposure to ambient PM1 at a near alert threshold level for PM10 has respiratory consequences in rats. Rats were either exposed for 6 weeks to 100 μg/m(3) (alert threshold level for PM10 in Hungary) urban submicron aerosol, or were kept in room air. End-expiratory lung volume, airway resistance (Raw) and respiratory tissue mechanics were measured. Respiratory mechanics were measured under baseline conditions and following intravenous methacholine challenges to characterize the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AH). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed and lung histology was performed. No significant differences were detected in lung volume and mechanical parameters at baseline. However, the exposed rats exhibited significantly greater MCh-induced responses in Raw, demonstrating the progression of AH. The associated bronchial inflammation was evidenced by the accumulation of inflammatory cells in BALF and by lung histology. Our findings suggest that exposure to concentrated ambient PM1 (mass concentration at the threshold level for PM10) leads to the development of mild respiratory symptoms in healthy adult rats, which may suggest a need for the reconsideration of threshold limits for airborne PM1.

Enhanced PM10 bounded PAHs from shipping emissions

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Pongpiachan, S.; Hattayanone, M.; Choochuay, C.; Mekmok, R.; Wuttijak, N.; Ketratanakul, A.

2015-05-01

Earlier studies have highlighted the importance of maritime transport as a main contributor of air pollutants in port area. The authors intended to investigate the effects of shipping emissions on the enhancement of PM10 bounded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mutagenic substances in an industrial area of Rayong province, Thailand. Daily PM10 speciation data across two air quality observatory sites in Thailand during 2010-2013 were collected. Diagnostic binary ratios of PAH congeners, analysis of variances (ANOVA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to evaluate the enhanced genotoxicity of PM10 during the docking period. Significant increase of PAHs and mutagenic index (MI) of PM10 were observed during the docking period in both sampling sites. Although stationary sources like coal combustions from power plants and vehicular exhausts from motorway can play a great role in enhancing PAH concentrations, regulating shipping emissions from diesel engine in the port area like Rayong is predominantly crucial.

Indoor pollution: PM2.5 and PM10 from cigarette smoke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chianese, E.; Barone, G.; Castaldo, R.M.; Riccio, A.

2009-01-01

This work is aimed to establishing the temporal and spatial dispersion of PM 10 and PM 2.5 particulate matter fractions generated by cigarettes smoking in an indoor ambient. To this purpose, PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations were collected with a mobile instrument positioned in a room accommodating a smoking machine. [it

Chemical characteristics and influence of continental outflow on PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 measured at Tuoji island in the Bohai Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junmei; Yang, Lingxiao; Mellouki, Abdelwahid; Wen, Liang; Yang, Yumeng; Gao, Ying; Jiang, Pan; Li, Yanyan; Wang, Wenxing

2016-12-15

To investigate the chemical characteristics and sources of size-segregated particles in the background region, PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 samples were collected in Tuoji Island (TI) during the winter of 2014. Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) including Na + , NH 4 + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cl - , NO 3 - and SO 4 2- , organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were analysed. The average mass concentrations of PM 1.0 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 44.5μg/m 3 , 62.0μg/m 3 and 94.4μg/m 3 , respectively, and particles were importantly enriched in PM 1.0 . Secondary WSIIs (NH 4 + , NO 3 - and SO 4 2- ) were the most abundant species, and their contribution was highest in PM 1.0 . The average values of NOR and SOR were more than 0.1 in PM 1.0 , suggesting that secondary formation of SO 4 2- and NO 3 - from the gas precursors SO 2 and NO 2 occurred in PM 1.0 . Secondary organic carbon accounted for 62.3% in PM 1.0 , 61.9% in PM 1.0-2.5 and 48.9% in PM 2.5-10 of OC, formed mainly in the fine mode. The particles concentrations were mainly affected by air mass from the North China Plain, especially the air mass from the southwest of Shandong province, which had low speed and altitude. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climatology of atmospheric PM10 concentration in the Po Valley

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Bigi, A.; Ghermandi, G.

2014-01-01

The limits to atmospheric pollutant concentration set by the European Commission provide a challenging target for the municipalities in the Po Valley, because of the characteristic climatic conditions and high population density of this region. In order to assess climatology and trends in the concentration of atmospheric particles in the Po Valley, a dataset of PM10 data from 41 sites across the Po Valley have been analysed, including both traffic and background sites (either urban, suburban or rural). Of these 41 sites, 18 with 10 yr or longer record have been analysed for long term trend in de-seasonalized monthly means, in annual quantiles and in monthly frequency distribution. A widespread significant decreasing trend has been observed at most sites, up to few percent per year, by Generalised Least Square and Theil-Sen method. All 41 sites have been tested for significant weekly periodicity by Kruskal-Wallis test for mean anomalies and by Wilcoxon test for weekend effect magnitude. A significant weekly periodicity has been observed for most PM10 series, particularly in summer and ascribed mainly to anthropic particulate emissions. A cluster analysis has been applied in order to highlight stations sharing similar pollution conditions over the reference period. Five clusters have been found, two gathering the metropolitan areas of Torino and Milano and their respective nearby sites and the other three clusters gathering north-east, north-west and central Po Valley sites respectively. Finally the observed trends in atmospheric PM10 have been compared to trends in provincial emissions of particulates and PM precursors, and analysed along with data on vehicular fleet age, composition and fuel sales. Significant basin-wide drop in emissions occurred for gaseous pollutants, contrarily to emissions of PM10 and PM2.5, whose drop resulted low and restricted to few provinces. It is not clear whether the decrease for only gaseous emissions is sufficient to explain the

Water soluble organic carbon in aerosols (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) and various precipitation forms (rain, snow, mixed) over the southern Baltic Sea station.

Science.gov (United States)

Witkowska, Agnieszka; Lewandowska, Anita U

2016-12-15

In the urbanized coastal zone of the Southern Baltic, complex measurements of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were conducted between 2012 and 2015, involving atmospheric precipitation in its various forms (rain, snow, mixed) and PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols. WSOC constituted about 60% of the organic carbon mass in aerosols of various sizes. The average concentration of WSOC was equal to 2.6μg∙m -3 in PM1, 3.6μg∙m -3 in PM2.5 and 4.4μg∙m -3 in PM10. The lowest concentration of WSOC was noted in summer as a result of effective removal of this compound with rainfall. The highest WSOC concentrations in PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols were measured in spring, which should be associated with developing vegetation on land and in the sea. On the other hand, the highest WSOC concentrations in PM1 occurred in winter at low air temperatures and greatest atmospheric stability, when there were increased carbon emissions from fuel combustion in the communal-utility sector and from transportation. WSOC concentrations in precipitation were determined by its form. Mixed precipitation turned out to be the richest in soluble organic carbon (5.1mg·dm -3 ), while snow contained the least WSOC (1.7mg·dm -3 ). Snow and rain cleaned carbon compounds from the atmosphere more effectively when precipitation lasted longer than 24h, while in the case of mixed precipitation WSOC was removed most effectively within the first 24h. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MODELADO DE PARTÍCULAS PM10 Y PM2.5 MEDIANTE REDES NEURONALES ARTIFICIALES SOBRE CLIMA TROPICAL DE SAN FRANCISCO DE CAMPECHE, MÉXICO

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Alberto Antonio Espinosa Guzmán

Full Text Available In this paper, a computational methodology based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN was developed to estimate the index of PM10 and PM2.5 concentration in air of San Francisco de Campeche city. A three layer ANN architecture was trained using an experimental database composed by days of the week, time of day, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and solar radiation. The best ANN architecture, composed by 30 neurons in hidden layer, was obtained using the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM optimization algorithm, logarithmic sigmoid and linear transfer functions. Model results generate predictions with a determination coefficient of 93.01% and 90.10% for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. The proposed methodology can be implemented in several studies as public health, environmental studies, urban development, and degradation of historical monuments.

Short-term exposure to PM 10, PM 2.5, ultrafine particles and CO 2 for passengers at an intercity bus terminal

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yu-Hsiang; Chang, Hsiao-Peng; Hsieh, Cheng-Ju

2011-04-01

The Taipei Bus Station is the main transportation hub for over 50 bus routes to eastern, central, and southern Taiwan. Daily traffic volume at this station is about 2500 vehicles, serving over 45,000 passengers daily. The station is a massive 24-story building housing a bus terminal, a business hotel, a shopping mall, several cinemas, offices, private residential suites, and over 900 parking spaces. However, air quality inside this bus terminal is a concern as over 2500 buses are scheduled to run daily. This study investigates the PM 10, PM 2.5, UFP and CO 2 levels inside and outside the bus terminal. All measurements were taken between February and April 2010. Measurement results show that coarse PM inside the bus terminal was resuspended by the movement of large numbers of passengers. The fine and ultrafine PM in the station concourse were from outside vehicles. Moreover, fine and ultrafine PM at waiting areas were exhausted directly from buses in the building. The CO 2 levels at waiting areas were likely elevated by bus exhaust and passengers exhaling. The PM 10, PM 2.5 and CO 2 levels at the bus terminal were lower than Taiwan's EPA suggested standards for indoor air quality. However, UFP levels at the bus terminal were significantly higher than those in the urban background by about 10 times. Therefore, the effects of UFPs on the health of passengers and workers must be addressed at this bus terminal since the levels of UFPs are higher than >1.0 × 10 5 particles cm -3.

Predictability Analysis of PM10 Concentrations in Budapest

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Ferenczi, Zita

2013-04-01

Climate, weather and air quality may have harmful effects on human health and environment. Over the past few hundred years we had to face the changes in climate in parallel with the changes in air quality. These observed changes in climate, weather and air quality continuously interact with each other: pollutants are changing the climate, thus changing the weather, but climate also has impacts on air quality. The increasing number of extreme weather situations may be a result of climate change, which could create favourable conditions for rising of pollutant concentrations. Air quality in Budapest is determined by domestic and traffic emissions combined with the meteorological conditions. In some cases, the effect of long-range transport could also be essential. While the time variability of the industrial and traffic emissions is not significant, the domestic emissions increase in winter season. In recent years, PM10 episodes have caused the most critical air quality problems in Budapest, especially in winter. In Budapest, an air quality network of 11 stations detects the concentration values of different pollutants hourly. The Hungarian Meteorological Service has developed an air quality prediction model system for the area of Budapest. The system forecasts the concentration of air pollutants (PM10, NO2, SO2 and O3) for two days in advance. In this work we used meteorological parameters and PM10 data detected by the stations of the air quality network, as well as the forecasted PM10 values of the air quality prediction model system. In this work we present the evaluation of PM10 predictions in the last two years and the most important meteorological parameters affecting PM10 concentration. The results of this analysis determine the effect of the meteorological parameters and the emission of aerosol particles on the PM10 concentration values as well as the limits of this prediction system.

Chemical mass balance source apportionment of PM10 and TSP in residential and industrial sites of an urban region of Kolkata, India.

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Gupta, A K; Karar, Kakoli; Srivastava, Anjali

2007-04-02

Daily average PM(10) (particulate matter which passes through a size selective impactor inlet with a 50% efficiency cut-off at 10 microm aerodynamic diameter), TSP (total suspended particulate matter) and their chemical species mass concentrations were measured at residential and industrial sites of an urban region of Kolkata during November 2003-November 2004. Source apportionment using chemical mass balance model revealed that the most dominant source throughout the study period at residential site was coal combustion (42%), while vehicular emission (47%) dominates at industrial site to PM(10). Paved road, field burning and wood combustion contributed 21%, 7% and 1% at residential site, while coal combustion, metal industry and soil dust contributed 34%, 1% and 1% at industrial site, respectively, to PM(10) during the study period. The contributors to TSP included coal combustion (37%), soil dust (19%), road dust (17%) and diesel combustion (15%) at residential site, while soil dust (36%), coal combustion (17%), solid waste (17%), road dust (16%) and tyre wear (7%) at industrial site. Significant seasonal variations of the particulate matters have been observed during the study period. In the monitoring sites total carbon, organic carbon and iron were found to be the marker species of road dust, while organic carbon, total carbon, chloride and sulfate have been observed as the marker species of soil dust in TSP.

40 CFR Table C-4 to Subpart C of... - Test Specifications for PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods

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2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test Specifications for PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods C Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment... Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-4 Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53—Test Specifications for PM10, PM2.5 and...

Variations in atmospheric PM trace metal content in Spanish towns: Illustrating the chemical complexity of the inorganic urban aerosol cocktail

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Moreno, Teresa; Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés; Viana, Mar; Salvador, Pedro; Sánchez de la Campa, Ana; Artiñano, Begoña; de la Rosa, Jesús; Gibbons, Wes

The majority of the Spanish urban population breathe air containing inhalable ambient airborne particles at average concentrations of 30-46 μg m -3 (PM 10) and 20-30 μg m -3 (PM 2.5). Even though the average weight of inhaled urban aerosol is commonly similar, however, there can be large chemical differences between the ambient dusts from different towns, including the more bioreactive elements such as some metals. In this context, we compare the source-apportioned trace metal content of airborne PM 10 and PM 2.5 collected daily over a 1-year period from six population centres in Spain: Barcelona, Alcobendas, Llodio, Huelva, Tarragona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Total average trace metal (ΣTM) PM 10 and PM 2.5 contents vary by up to a factor of around 3, reaching a maximum of ΣTM 10 811 ng m -3 and ΣTM 2.5 503 ng m -3 at Llodio, an industrial but humid site with the lowest PM 10 mass levels but high contamination by Zn, Pb, Mn, Sn, Ni and Cr. In contrast, pollution at Huelva, although another industrially influenced site, instead emphasises Cu and As, whereas Barcelona, where traffic emissions and resuspension contribute to some of the highest average PM 10 levels in Spain, has unusually raised levels of Ti, V and Ba. Such variations in both daily and annual average PM bulk chemistry, particularly in potentially toxic trace metals concentrated in the finer aerosols (such as Cd, As, Pb, Hg and Ni), predict that PM health effects on resident populations from different towns are unlikely to be the same.

Statins attenuate the development of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction induced by exposure to urban particulate matter (PM10)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyata, Ryohei; Hiraiwa, Kunihiko; Cheng, Jui Chih; Bai, Ni; Vincent, Renaud; Francis, Gordon A.; Sin, Don D.; Van Eeden, Stephan F.

2013-01-01

Exposure to ambient air particulate matter (particles less than 10 μm or PM 10 ) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) have well-established anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of statins on the adverse functional and morphological changes in blood vessels induced by PM 10 . New Zealand White rabbits fed with a high fat diet were subjected to balloon injury to their abdominal aorta followed by PM 10 /saline exposure for 4 weeks ± lovastatin (5 mg/kg/day) treatment. PM 10 exposure accelerated balloon catheter induced plaque formation and increased intimal macrophages and lipid accumulation while lovastatin attenuated these changes and promoted smooth muscle cell recruitment into plaques. PM 10 impaired vascular acetylcholine (Ach) responses and increased vasoconstriction induced by phenylephrine as assessed by wire myograph. Supplementation of nitric oxide improved the impaired Ach responses. PM 10 increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in blood vessels and increased the plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1). Incubation with specific inhibitors for iNOS, COX-2 or ET-1 in the myograph chambers significantly improved the impaired vascular function. Lovastatin decreased the expression of these mediators in atherosclerotic lesions and improved endothelial dysfunction. However, lovastatin was unable to reduce blood lipid levels to the baseline level in rabbits exposed to PM 10 . Taken together, statins protect against PM 10 -induced cardiovascular disease by reducing atherosclerosis and improving endothelial function via their anti-inflammatory properties. - Highlights: • Coarse particulate matter (PM 10 ) accelerated balloon injury-induced plaque formation. • Lovastatin decreased intimal macrophages, lipid accumulation, and

PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 1.0—Emissions from industrial plants—Results from measurement programmes in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, C.; Noll, G.; Kalkoff, W.-D.; Baumbach, G.; Dreiseidler, A.

Emission measurement programmes were carried out at industrial plants in several regions of Germany to determine the fine dust in the waste gases; the PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 1.0 fractions were sampled using a cascade impactor technique. The installations tested included plants used for: combustion (brown coal, heavy fuel oil, wood), cement production, glass production, asphalt mixing, and processing plants for natural stones and sand, ceramics, metallurgy, chemical production, spray painting, wood processing/chip drying, poultry farming and waste treatment. In addition waste gas samples were taken from small-scale combustion units, like domestic stoves, firing lignite briquettes or wood. In total 303 individual measurement results were obtained during 106 different measurement campaigns. In the study it was found that in more than 70% of the individual emission measurement results from industrial plants and domestic stoves the PM 10 portion amounted to more than 90% and the PM 2.5 portion between 50% and 90% of the total PM (particulate matter) emission. For thermal industrial processes the PM 1.0 portion constituted between 20% and 60% of the total PM emission. Typical particle size distributions for different processes were presented as cumulative frequency distributions and as frequency distributions. The particle size distributions determined for the different plant types show interesting similarities and differences depending on whether the processes are thermal, mechanical, chemical or mixed. Consequently, for the groups of plant investigated, a major finding of this study has been that the particle size distribution is a characteristic of the industrial process. Attempts to correlate particle size distributions of different plants to different gas cleaning technologies did not lead to usable results.

The local contribution of wood burning to PM10 and PM2.5; De lokale bijdrage van houtverbranding aan PM10 en PM2,5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kos, G.; Weijers, E. [ECN Biomassa, Kolen en Milieuonderzoek, Petten (Netherlands)

2011-04-15

In January 2009, the concentrations of wood smoke in Schoorl, the Netherlands, were established by means of levoglucosan measurements (a hydrocarbon compound that is characteristic for wood smoke). Local wood smoke contributes significantly to the concentration of particulate matter: between 9% and 27% for PM10 and between 30% and 29% for PM2.5. [Dutch] In februari 2009 zijn in Schoorl in Noord-Holland concentraties houtrook bepaald door levoglucosanmetingen (een voor houtrook kenmerkende koolwaterstofverbinding). Lokale houtrook draagt daar significant bij aan de concentratie fijn stof: tussen 9% en 27% voor PM10 en tussen 30% en 39% voor PM2,5.

Temporal and spatial analyses of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and its relationship with meteorological parameters over an urban city in northeast China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaolan; Ma, Yanjun; Wang, Yangfeng; Liu, Ningwei; Hong, Ye

2017-12-01

Temporal and spatial characteristics of atmospheric particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and its relationship with meteorology over Shenyang, a city in northeast China, were statistically analyzed using hourly and daily averaged PM mass concentrations measured at 11 locations and surface meteorological parameters, from January 2014 to May 2016. Using averaged data from 11 stations in Shenyang, it was found that the monthly mean PM2.5 mass concentrations were higher in winter (97.2 ± 11.2 μg m- 3) and autumn (85.5 ± 42.9 μg m- 3), and lower in spring (62.0 ± 14.0 μg m- 3) and summer (42.5 ± 8.4 μg m- 3), similar to the seasonal variation in PM10 concentrations. The monthly ratios of PM2.5/PM10 ranged from 0.41 to 0.87, and were larger in autumn and winter but lowest in spring due to dust activities. PM pollution was concentrated mainly in the central, northern, and western areas of Shenyang in most seasons mainly due to anthropogenic activities such as traffic and residential emission and construction activity as well as natural dust emission. PM concentrations observed over different areas in all seasons generally exhibited two peaks, at 08:00-10:00 local time (LT) and 21:00-23:00 LT, with the exception of PM2.5 in summer, which showed only one peak during the daytime. In addition, PM10 concentrations peaked around 14:00 LT during spring in the western area of Shenyang because of strong thermal and dynamic turbulence, resulting in elevated dust emissions from adjacent dust sources. The relationship between daily PM concentrations and meteorological parameters showed both seasonal and annual variation. Overall, both PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were negatively correlated with atmospheric visibility, with correlation coefficients (R) of 0.71 and 0.56, respectively. In most seasons, PM concentrations also exhibited negative correlations with wind speed, but showed positive correlations with air pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity. Strong wind

Preliminary analysis of variability in concentration of fine particulate matter - PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 in area of Poznań city

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Sówka Izabela

2018-01-01

Full Text Available It is commonly known, that suspended particulate matter pose a threat to human life and health, negatively influence the flora, climate and also materials. Especially dangerous is the presence of high concentration of particulate matter in the area of cities, where density of population is high. The research aimed at determining the variability of suspended particulate matter concentration (PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 in two different thermal seasons, in the area of Poznań city. As a part of carried out work we analyzed the variability of concentrations and also performed a preliminary analysis of their correlation. Measured concentrations of particulate matter were contained within following ranges: PM10 – 8.7-69.6 μg/m3, PM2.5 – 2.2-88.5 μg/m3, PM1.0 – 2.5-22.9 μg/m3 in the winter season and 1.0-42.8 μg/m3 (PM10, 1.2-40.3 μg/m3 (PM2.5 and 2.7-10.4 (PM1.0 in the summer season. Preliminary correlative analysis indicated interdependence between the temperature of air, the speed of wind and concentration of particulate matter in selected measurement points. The values of correlation coefficients between the air temperature, speed of wind and concentrations of particulate matter were respectively equal to: for PM10: -0.59 and -0.55 (Jana Pawła II Street, -0.53 and -0.53 (Szymanowskiego Street, for PM2.5: -0.60 and -0.53 (Jana Pawła II Street and for PM1.0 -0.40 and -0.59 (Jana Pawła II Street.

PM 10-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Concentrations, source characterization and estimating their risk in urban, suburban and rural areas in Kandy, Sri Lanka

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Wickramasinghe, A. P.; Karunaratne, D. G. G. P.; Sivakanesan, R.

2011-05-01

Kandy, a world heritage city, is a rapidly urbanized area in Sri Lanka, with a high population density of ˜6000 hab km -2. As it is centrally located in a small valley of 26 km 2 surrounded by high mountains, emissions from the daily flow of >100,000 vehicles, most are old and poorly maintained, get stagnant over the study area with an increased emphasis on the associated health impacts. Particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered to be major pollutants in vehicular emissions; while PAHs account for the majority of mutagenic potency of PM. The purpose of the current study is to determine the 8 h average concentrations of ambient PM 10 PAHs at twenty sites distributed in the urban, suburban and rural Kandy. Samples on glass micro fibre filters were collected with a high volume air sampler from July/2008 to March/2009, prepared through standard procedures and analyzed for PAHs by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet visible detection. Further, the type and strength of possible anthropogenic emission sources that cause major perturbations to the atmosphere were assessed by traffic volume (24 h) counts and firewood mass burnt/d at each sampling site, with the subsequent societal impact through quantitative cancer risk assessment. The results can serve as a base set to assess the PAH sources, pollution levels and human exposure. Mean total concentrations of 16 prioritized PAHs (∑PAHs) ranged from 57.43 to 1246.12 ng m -3 with 695.94 ng m -3 in urban heavy traffic locations (U/HT), 105.55 ng m -3 in urban light traffic locations, 337.45 ng m -3 in suburban heavy traffic stations, 154.36 ng m -3 in suburban light traffic stations, 192.48 ng m -3 in rural high firewood burning area and 100.31 ng m -3 in rural low firewood burning area. The mean PM 10 concentration was 129 μg m -3 (55-221 μg m -3); which is beyond the WHO air quality standards. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon signature and the spatial variation

Effects of Urban Landscape Pattern on PM2.5 Pollution—A Beijing Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jiansheng; Xie, Wudan; Li, Weifeng; Li, Jiacheng

2015-01-01

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (PM) in air that is less than 2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter, which has negative effects on air quality and human health. PM2.5 is the main pollutant source in haze occurring in Beijing, and it also has caused many problems in other cities. Previous studies have focused mostly on the relationship between land use and air quality, but less research has specifically explored the effects of urban landscape patterns on PM2.5. This study considered the rapidly growing and heavily polluted Beijing, China. To better understand the impact of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 pollution, five landscape metrics including PLAND, PD, ED, SHEI, and CONTAG were applied in the study. Further, other data, such as street networks, population density, and elevation considered as factors influencing PM2.5, were obtained through RS and GIS. By means of correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression, the effects of landscape pattern on PM2.5 concentration was explored. The results showed that (1) at class-level, vegetation and water were significant landscape components in reducing PM2.5 concentration, while cropland played a special role in PM2.5 concentration; (2) landscape configuration (ED and PD) features at class-level had obvious effects on particulate matter; and (3) at the landscape-level, the evenness (SHEI) and fragmentation (CONTAG) of the whole landscape related closely with PM2.5 concentration. Results of this study could expand our understanding of the role of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 and provide useful information for urban planning. PMID:26565799

Effects of Urban Landscape Pattern on PM2.5 Pollution--A Beijing Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jiansheng; Xie, Wudan; Li, Weifeng; Li, Jiacheng

2015-01-01

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (PM) in air that is less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, which has negative effects on air quality and human health. PM2.5 is the main pollutant source in haze occurring in Beijing, and it also has caused many problems in other cities. Previous studies have focused mostly on the relationship between land use and air quality, but less research has specifically explored the effects of urban landscape patterns on PM2.5. This study considered the rapidly growing and heavily polluted Beijing, China. To better understand the impact of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 pollution, five landscape metrics including PLAND, PD, ED, SHEI, and CONTAG were applied in the study. Further, other data, such as street networks, population density, and elevation considered as factors influencing PM2.5, were obtained through RS and GIS. By means of correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression, the effects of landscape pattern on PM2.5 concentration was explored. The results showed that (1) at class-level, vegetation and water were significant landscape components in reducing PM2.5 concentration, while cropland played a special role in PM2.5 concentration; (2) landscape configuration (ED and PD) features at class-level had obvious effects on particulate matter; and (3) at the landscape-level, the evenness (SHEI) and fragmentation (CONTAG) of the whole landscape related closely with PM2.5 concentration. Results of this study could expand our understanding of the role of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 and provide useful information for urban planning.

Particulate matter in rural and urban nursery schools in Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, R.A.O.; Branco, P.T.B.S.; Alvim-Ferraz, M.C.M.; Martins, F.G.; Sousa, S.I.V.

2015-01-01

Studies have been showing strong associations between exposures to indoor particulate matter (PM) and health effects on children. Urban and rural nursery schools have different known environmental and social differences which make their study relevant. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate indoor PM concentrations on different microenvironments of three rural nursery schools and one urban nursery school, being the only study comparing urban and rural nursery schools considering the PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 fractions (measured continuously and in terms of mass). Outdoor PM 2.5 and PM 10 were also obtained and I/O ratios have been determined. Indoor PM mean concentrations were higher in the urban nursery than in rural ones, which might have been related to traffic emissions. However, I/O ratios allowed concluding that the recorded concentrations depended more significantly of indoor sources. WHO guidelines and Portuguese legislation exceedances for PM 2.5 and PM 10 were observed mainly in the urban nursery school. - Highlights: • This is the only study comparing urban and rural nurseries considering PM fractions. • A low number of children in classrooms is enough to increase PM concentrations. • Children in urban nurseries are exposed to higher PM concentrations than in rural. • Children were mainly exposed to the finer fractions, which are worse to health. - PM levels were higher in the urban nursery than in the rural ones, which might have been related to traffic emissions. Still concentrations depended more significantly of indoor sources

An optimum city size? The scaling relationship for urban population and fine particulate (PM_2_._5) concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Lijian; Zhou, Weiqi; Pickett, Steward T.A.; Li, Weifeng; Li, Li

2016-01-01

We utilize the distribution of PM_2_._5 concentration and population in large cities at the global scale to illustrate the relationship between urbanization and urban air quality. We found: 1) The relationship varies greatly among continents and countries. Large cities in North America, Europe, and Latin America have better air quality than those in other continents, while those in China and India have the worst air quality. 2) The relationships between urban population size and PM_2_._5 concentration in large cities of different continents or countries were different. PM_2_._5 concentration in large cities in North America, Europe, and Latin America showed little fluctuation or a small increasing trend, but those in Africa and India represent a “U” type relationship and in China represent an inverse “U” type relationship. 3) The potential contribution of population to PM_2_._5 concentration was higher in the large cities in China and India, but lower in other large cities. - Highlights: • Urban population and PM_2_._5 concentration varies greatly among regions. • Urban population size increase does not always enhances PM_2_._5 concentration. • Population's potential contribution to PM_2_._5 concentration higher in China. - We utilize the distribution of PM_2_._5 concentration and population in large cities at the global scale to illustrate the relationship between urbanization and urban air quality.

DNA-damage effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from urban area, evaluated in lung fibroblast cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calesso Teixeira, Elba; Pra, Daniel; Idalgo, Daniele; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Wiegand, Flavio

2012-01-01

This study was designed to biomonitor the effect of PAH extracts from urban areas on the DNA of lung cell cultures. The analyses of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were performed in atmospheric PM 2.5 and PM 10 collected at three sampling sites with heavy traffic located in the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre (MAPA) (Brazil). The concentrations of 16 major PAHs were determined according to EPA. Comet assay on V79 hamster lung cells was chosen for genotoxicity evaluation. Temperature, humidity, and wind speed were recorded. With regard to the damage index, higher levels were reported in the extract of particulate matter samples from the MAPA during the summer. High molecular weight compounds showed correlation with DNA damage frequency and their respective carcinogenicity. - Highlights: ► Cell line V79 was used to assess the effect of PAHs in PM 2.5 and PM 10 from urban area. ► Temperature showed a significant seasonal variation with the level of DNA damage. ► PAHs with higher molecular weight contributed to higher DNA damage levels. - DNA-damage effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from urban area, showed difference according to season

Adverse biological effects of Milan urban PM looking for suitable molecular markers of exposure

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Mantecca Paride

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The results presented summarise the ones obtained in the coordinated research project Tosca, which extensively analysed the impact of Milan urban PM on human health. The molecular markers of exposure and effects of seasonally and size-fractionated PMs (summer and winter PM10, PM2.5 were investigated in in vitro (human lung cell lines and in vivo (mice systems. The results obtained by the analyses of cytotoxic, pro-inflammatory and genotoxic parameters demonstrate that the biological responses are strongly dependent upon the PM samples seasonal and dimensional variability, that ultimately reflect their chemical composition and source. In fact summer PM10, enriched in crustal elements and endotoxins, was the most cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory fraction, while fine winter PMs induced genotoxic effects and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (like CYP1B1 production, likely as a consequence of the higher content in combustion derived particles reach in PAHs and heavy toxic metals. These outcomes outline the need of a detailed knowledge of the PMs physico-chemical composition on a local scale, coupled with the biological hazard directly associated to PM exposure. Apparently this is the only way allowing scientists and police-makers to establish the proper relationships between the respirable PM quantity/quality and the health outcomes described by clinicians and epidemiologists.

Identification of PM{sub 10} characteristics involved in cellular responses in human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas-2B)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Den Heuvel, Rosette, E-mail: rosette.vandenheuvel@vito.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Den Hond, Elly, E-mail: elly.denhond@wiv-isp.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Govarts, Eva, E-mail: eva.govarts@vito.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Colles, Ann, E-mail: ann.colles@vito.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Koppen, Gudrun, E-mail: gudrun.koppen@vito.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Staelens, Jeroen, E-mail: j.staelens@vmm.be [Flanders Environment Agency (VMM), Unit Air, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp (Belgium); Mampaey, Maja, E-mail: maja.mampaey@lne.vlaanderen.be [LNE (Environment, Nature and Energy Department), Flemish Government, Koning Albert II-laan 20, 1000 Brussels (Belgium); Janssen, Nicole, E-mail: nicole.janssen@rivm.nl [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box, 2720 BA, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Schoeters, Greet, E-mail: greet.schoeters@vito.be [Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); University of Antwerp, Department of Biomedical Sciences, 2000 Antwerp (Belgium)

2016-08-15

Notwithstanding evidence is present that physicochemical characteristics of ambient particles attribute to adverse health effects, there is still some lack of understanding in this complex relationship. At this moment it is not clear which properties (such as particle size, chemical composition) or sources of the particles are most relevant for health effects. This study investigates the in vitro toxicity of PM{sub 10} in relation to PM chemical composition, black carbon (BC), endotoxin content and oxidative potential (OP). In 2013–2014 PM{sub 10} was sampled (24 h sampling, 108 sampling days) in ambient air at three sites in Flanders (Belgium) with different pollution characteristics: an urban traffic site (Borgerhout), an industrial area (Zelzate) and a rural background location (Houtem). To characterize the toxic potential of PM{sub 10}, airway epithelial cells (Beas-2B cells) have been exposed to particles in vitro. Different endpoints were studied including cell damage and death (cell viability) using the Neutral red Uptake assay, the production of pro-inflammatory molecules by interleukin 8 (IL-8) induction and DNA-damaging activity using the FPG-modified Comet assay. The endotoxin levels in the collected samples were analysed and the capacity of PM{sub 10} particles to produce reactive oxygen species (OP) was evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Chemical characteristics of PM{sub 10} (BC, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and meteorological conditions were recorded on the sampling days. PM{sub 10} particles exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity in Beas-2B cells and were found to significantly induce the release of IL-8 in samples from the three locations. Oxidatively damaged DNA was observed in exposed Beas-2B cells. Endotoxin levels above the detection limit were detected in half of the samples. OP was measurable in all samples. Associations between PM{sub 10} characteristics and biological effects of PM{sub 10} were assessed by

Meteorological factors for PM10 concentration levels in Northern Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Santurtún, Ana; Mínguez, Roberto; Villar-Fernández, Alejandro; González Hidalgo, Juan Carlos; Zarrabeitia, María Teresa

2013-04-01

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is made up of a mixture of solid and aqueous species which enter the atmosphere by anthropogenic and natural pathways. The levels and composition of ambient air PM depend on the climatology and on the geography (topography, soil cover, proximity to arid zones or to the coast) of a given region. Spain has particular difficulties in achieving compliance with the limit values established by the European Union (based on recommendations from the World Health Organization) for particulate matter on the order of 10 micrometers of diameter or less (PM10), but not only antropogenical emissions are responsible for this: some studies show that PM10 concentrations originating from these kinds of sources are similar to what is found in other European countries, while some of the geographical features of the Iberian Peninsula (such as African mineral dust intrusion, soil aridity or rainfall) are proven to be a factor for higher PM concentrations. This work aims to describe PM10 concentration levels in Cantabria (Northern Spain) and their relationship with the following meteorological variables: rainfall, solar radiation, temperature, barometric pressure and wind speed. Data consists of daily series obtained from hourly data records for the 2000-2010 period, of PM10 concentrations from 4 different urban-background stations, and daily series of the meteorological variables provided by Spanish National Meteorology Agency. The method used for establishing the relationships between these variables consists of several steps: i) fitting a non-stationary probability density function for each variable accounting for long-term trends, seasonality during the year and possible seasonality during the week to distinguish between work and weekend days, ii) using the marginal distribution function obtained, transform the time series of historical values of each variable into a normalized Gaussian time series. This step allows using consistently time series

PM10 source apportionment study in Pleasant Valley, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egami, R.T.; Chow, J.C.; Watson, J.G.; DeLong, T.

1990-01-01

A source apportionment study was conducted between March 18 and April 4, 1988, at Pleasant Valley, Nevada, to evaluate air pollutant concentrations to which community residents were exposed and the source contributions to those pollutants. Daily PM 10 samples were taken for chemical speciation of 40 trace elements, ions, and organic and elemental carbon. This paper reports that the objectives of this case study are: to determine the emissions source composition of the potential upwind source, a geothermal plant; to measure the ambient particulate concentration and its chemical characteristics in Pleasant Valley; and to estimate the contributions of different emissions sources to PM 10 . The study found that: particulate emissions from the geothermal cooling-tower plume consisted primarily of sulfate, ammonia, chloride, and trace elements; no significant quantities of toxic inorganic species were found in the ambient air; ambient PM 10 concentrations in Pleasant Valley were within Federal standards; and source contribution to PM 10 were approximately 60% geological material; 20% motor vehicle exhaust; and 10% cooling-tower plume

Environmental pollution: quantitative analysis of particulate matter (PM10) by SR-TXRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, Silvana; Melo Junior, Ariston da Silva; Zucchi, Orgheda Luiza Araujo Domingues; Vives, Ana Elisa Sirito de

2007-01-01

The atmospheric pollution is a concern in the great urban centers, due its association with man pathologies. The Campinas region is one of the most urbanized of the Sao Paulo State and an important industrial center. Thus, due to its location and importance were installed three samplers for particulate material (PM 10 ). One sampler was located in downtown of Campinas city, in an avenue with high vehicular flow. Another sampler was installed in the UNICAMP campus and the third one in Paulinia city, near to REPLAN. For downtown of Campinas city PM 10 concentrations higher than regular air quality established by CETESB (150 μg.m -3 ) was observed. The PM 10 values for Paulinia and downtown of Campinas were higher than Barao Geraldo location. Employing SR-TXRF was possible identify and quantify 19 elements in the particulate material samples. All the measurements were performed at Synchrotron Light Source Laboratory, Campinas, SP. After statistics analysis by principal components and cluster analysis was possible to assemble the elements according emission sources. The dusty soil for coarse fraction contributed with 62%, 51% and 46% for Barao Geraldo, Paulinia and downtown of Campinas, respectively. The vehicular emission was responsible for 16% at downtown Campinas city as expected due to high vehicular flow at sampling place. The vehicular and industrial emissions contributed with 20% and 25%, respectively at Paulinia sampling site. The industrial emissions observed for Barao Geraldo and downtown of Campinas city were 27% and 33%, respectively. (author)

Analysis of Particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentration in Khorramabad city

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Seyed Hamed Mirhosseini

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: In this study, the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 in eight station of Khorramabad city was analyzed. Materials and Methods: For this study, the data were taken from April 2010 to March 2011. The eight sampling point were chosen in account to Khorramabad maps. During this period, 240 daily PM samples including coarse particle (PM 10 and fine particle (PM 2.5 were collected. A two-part sampler was used to collect samples of PM. According to one-way ANOVA, multiple comparisons Scheffe, the obtained data were analyzed and then compared with the Environment protection organization standard rates. Khorramabad Results: The results revealed that during measuring the maximum concentration of PM 10 and PM 2.5 was respectively 120.9 and 101.09 μ/m 3 at Shamshirabad station. There was a significant difference between the mean values of PM 10 concentration (μg/m 3 in the seasons of summer. In addition, the mean concentrations of PM 10 in warmer months exceeded to the maximum permissible concentration. Conclusions: Year comparison of PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentration with standard were revealed particle matter concentration in summer season was higher than standard. Although total mean of particle matter was less than standard concentration.

PM 2.5-10, PM 2.5 and associated water-soluble inorganic species at a coastal urban site in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro

Science.gov (United States)

Mariani, Rauda L.; de Mello, William Z.

The concentrations of PM 2.5-10, PM 2.5 and associated water-soluble inorganic species (WSIS) were determined in a coastal site of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, from October 1998 to September 1999 ( n=50). Samples were dissolved in water and analyzed for major inorganic ions. The mean (± standard deviation; median) concentrations of PM 2.5-10 and PM 2.5 were, respectively, 26 (± 16; 21) μg m -3 and 17 (± 13; 14) μg m -3. Their mean concentrations were 1.7-1.8 times higher in dry season (May-October) than in rainy season (November-April). The WSIS comprised, respectively, 34% and 28% of the PM 2.5-10 and PM 2.5 masses. Chloride, Na + and Mg 2+ were the predominant ions in PM 2.5-10, indicating a significant influence of sea-salt aerosols. In PM 2.5, SO 42- (˜97% nss-SO 42-) and NH 4+ were the most abundant ions and their equivalent concentration ratio (SO 42-/NH 4+ ˜1.0) suggests that they were present as (NH 4) 2SO 4 particles. The mean concentration of (NH 4) 2SO 4 was 3.4 μg m -3. The mean equivalent PM 2.5 NO 3- concentration was eight times smaller than those of SO 42- and NH 4+. The PM 2.5 NO 3- concentration in dry season was three times higher than in rainy season, probably due to reaction of NaCl (sea salt) with HNO 3 as a result of higher levels of NO y during the dry season and/or reduced volatilization of NH 4NO 3 due to lower wintertime temperature. Chloride depletion was observed in both size ranges, although more pronouncely in PM 2.5.

Secondary organic carbon quantification and source apportionment of PM10 in Kaifeng, China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WU Lin; FENG Yinchang; WU Jianhui; ZHU Tan; BI Xiaohui; HAN Bo; YANG Weihong; YANG Zhiqiang

2009-01-01

During 2005, the filter samples of ambient PM10 from five sites and the source samples of particulate matter were collected in Kaifeng, Henan province of China. Nineteen elements, water-soluble ions, total carbon (TC) and organic carbon (OC) contained in samples were analyzed. Seven contributive source types were identified and their contributions to ambient PM10 were estimated by chemical mass balance (CMB) receptor model. Weak associations between the concentrations of organic carbon and element carbon (EC) were observed during the sampling periods, indicating that there was secondary organic aerosol pollution in the urban atmosphere. An indirect method of "OC/EC minimum ratio" was applied to estimate the concentration of secondary organic carbon (SOC). The results showed that SOC contributed 26.2%, 32.4% and 18.0% of TC in spring, summer-fall and winter respectively, and the annual average SOC concentration was 7.07 μg/m3, accounting for 5.73% of the total mass in ambient PM10. The carbon species concentrations in ambient PM10 were recalculated by subtracting the SOC concentrations from measured concentrations of TC and OC to increase the compatibility of source and receptor measurements for CMB model.

Local contribution of wood combustion to PM10 and PM2.5; Lokale bijdrage van houtverbranding aan PM10 en PM2,5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kos, G.; Weijers, E. [ECN Biomassa, Kolen en Milieuonderzoek, Petten (Netherlands)

2011-04-15

In February 2009 the concentration of wood smoke in a residential area in Schoorl (Noord-Holland, Netherlands) was investigated over a period of three weeks. The aim was to assess the effect of local particulate matter (PM) emissions - caused by heating with wood stoves in this area - on local PM concentration. [Dutch] In februari 2009 zijn in Schoorl in Noord-Holland concentraties houtrook bepaald door levoglucosanmetingen (een voor houtrook kenmerkende koolwaterstofverbinding). Lokale houtrook draagt daar significant bij aan de concentratie fijn stof: tussen 9% en 27% voor PM10 en tussen 30% en 39% voor PM2,5.

Investigation of Air Quality Index and PM10 and PM2.5 in Arak

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Fatemeh Fazelinia

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background and purpose: In this study, the air quality index and concentration of particles such as PM10 and PM2.5 were investigated in Arak. Materials and Methods: To determine the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5, 60 samples were collected by laser TSI model 8520 in summer and winter 2012. The collection site was around Arak city center. Results: during the sampling period, as a matter of PM10, the cleanest and the most polluted month were December and June with the average of 34.33 µg m-3 and 100.1 µg m-3, respectively. The concentration of PM2.5 was 12.93 and 53.17 µg m-3 for December and June, respectively. Meanwhile, in terms of air quality index (AQI, in 98.3% and 70% of cases, the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5, respectively were less than normal (AQI100. Conclusion: The concentration of PM10 in the study period was less than Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 2006 guideline. Meanwhile, the concentrations of PM2.5 in 30% of air samples were greater than EPA guideline. The average PM2.5/PM10 ratio during the sampling period was 0.41 compared to range 0.15 to 0.25 reported by EPA.

Contribution of road traffic to ambient fine particle concentrations (PM{sub 10}) in Switzerland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hueglin, Ch.; Devos, W.; Gehrig, R.; Hofer, P.; Kobler, J. [Swiss Federal Laboratoires for Materials Testing and Research, EMPA, Dubendorf (Switzerland); Stahel, W.A. [Seminar for Statistics, ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Baltensperger, U. [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Monn, Ch. [Institute for Hygiene and Applied Physiology, ETH Zurich (Switzerland)

2000-07-01

A multivariate receptor model was applied to estimate the contribution of road traffic to ambient levels of fine particles (PM{sub 10}) at different locations in Switzerland. At two roadside sites with heavy local traffic, the road traffic was found to account for 46% and 64% of PM{sub 10}. At an urban background site, the estimated average road traffic contribution was 34%, whereas a slightly higher value was obtained at a suburban site (36%). This results are in good agreement with the findings of a recent study, where a conceptually different approach (dispersion modelling) was applied. (authors)

Pulmonary Function and Incidence of Selected Respiratory Diseases Depending on the Exposure to Ambient PM10

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Artur Badyda

2016-11-01

Full Text Available It is essential in pulmonary disease research to take into account traffic-related air pollutant exposure among urban inhabitants. In our study, 4985 people were examined for spirometric parameters in the presented research which was conducted in the years 2008–2012. The research group was divided into urban and rural residents. Traffic density, traffic structure and velocity, as well as concentrations of selected air pollutants (CO, NO2 and PM10 were measured at selected areas. Among people who live in the city, lower percentages of predicted values of spirometric parameters were noticed in comparison to residents of rural areas. Taking into account that the difference in the five-year mean concentration of PM10 in the considered city and rural areas was over 17 μg/m3, each increase of PM10 by 10 μg/m3 is associated with the decline in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration by 1.68%. These findings demonstrate that traffic-related air pollutants may have a significant influence on the decline of pulmonary function and the growing rate of respiratory diseases.

Statins attenuate the development of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction induced by exposure to urban particulate matter (PM{sub 10})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyata, Ryohei; Hiraiwa, Kunihiko; Cheng, Jui Chih [UBC James Hogg Research Centre, St. Paul' s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Bai, Ni [UBC James Hogg Research Centre, St. Paul' s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Vincent, Renaud [Environmental Health Sciences and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa (Canada); Francis, Gordon A.; Sin, Don D. [UBC James Hogg Research Centre, St. Paul' s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Van Eeden, Stephan F., E-mail: Stephan.vanEeden@hli.ubc.ca [UBC James Hogg Research Centre, St. Paul' s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)

2013-10-01

Exposure to ambient air particulate matter (particles less than 10 μm or PM{sub 10}) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) have well-established anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of statins on the adverse functional and morphological changes in blood vessels induced by PM{sub 10}. New Zealand White rabbits fed with a high fat diet were subjected to balloon injury to their abdominal aorta followed by PM{sub 10}/saline exposure for 4 weeks ± lovastatin (5 mg/kg/day) treatment. PM{sub 10} exposure accelerated balloon catheter induced plaque formation and increased intimal macrophages and lipid accumulation while lovastatin attenuated these changes and promoted smooth muscle cell recruitment into plaques. PM{sub 10} impaired vascular acetylcholine (Ach) responses and increased vasoconstriction induced by phenylephrine as assessed by wire myograph. Supplementation of nitric oxide improved the impaired Ach responses. PM{sub 10} increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in blood vessels and increased the plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1). Incubation with specific inhibitors for iNOS, COX-2 or ET-1 in the myograph chambers significantly improved the impaired vascular function. Lovastatin decreased the expression of these mediators in atherosclerotic lesions and improved endothelial dysfunction. However, lovastatin was unable to reduce blood lipid levels to the baseline level in rabbits exposed to PM{sub 10}. Taken together, statins protect against PM{sub 10}-induced cardiovascular disease by reducing atherosclerosis and improving endothelial function via their anti-inflammatory properties. - Highlights: • Coarse particulate matter (PM{sub 10}) accelerated balloon injury-induced plaque formation. • Lovastatin decreased intimal

Impact of Highly Reflective Materials on Meteorology, PM10 and Ozone in Urban Areas: A Modeling Study with WRF-CHIMERE at High Resolution over Milan (Italy

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Serena Falasca

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Urban Heat Island (UHI is a well-known phenomenon concerning an increasing percentage of the world’s population due to the growth rates of metropolitan areas. Given the health and economic implications of UHIs, several mitigation techniques are being evaluated and tested. In this study, we consider the use of highly reflective materials for urban surfaces, and we carried out numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the CHIMERE model in order to investigate the effects of these materials on the meteorology and air quality in the urban area of Milan (Italy. Results show that an increase in albedo from 0.2 to 0.7 for urban roofs, walls and streets leads to a decrease in UHI intensity by up to 2–3 °C and of the planetary boundary layer (PBL height of about 500 m. However, the difference of PM10 and ozone between urban and surrounding areas increases by a factor of about 2, attributable to the reduction of PBL height and wind speed and to the increased reflected solar radiation that may enhance photochemical production during the daytime. Therefore, if anthropogenic emissions are held at the same levels, the potential benefit to the UHI in terms of thermal discomfort may have negative repercussions on air quality.

Evaluation for Long Term PM10 Concentration Forecasting using Multi Linear Regression (MLR and Principal Component Regression (PCR Models

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Samsuri Abdullah

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Air pollution in Peninsular Malaysia is dominated by particulate matter which is demonstrated by having the highest Air Pollution Index (API value compared to the other pollutants at most part of the country. Particulate Matter (PM10 forecasting models development is crucial because it allows the authority and citizens of a community to take necessary actions to limit their exposure to harmful levels of particulates pollution and implement protection measures to significantly improve air quality on designated locations. This study aims in improving the ability of MLR using PCs inputs for PM10 concentrations forecasting. Daily observations for PM10 in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia from January 2003 till December 2011 were utilized to forecast PM10 concentration levels. MLR and PCR (using PCs input models were developed and the performance was evaluated using RMSE, NAE and IA. Results revealed that PCR performed better than MLR due to the implementation of PCA which reduce intricacy and eliminate data multi-collinearity.

NICKEL SPECIATION OF URBAN PARTICULATE MATTER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kevin C. Galbreath; Charlene R. Crocker; Carolyn M. Nyberg; Frank E. Huggins; Gerald P. Huffman

2003-10-01

A four-step sequential Ni extraction method, summarized in Table AB-1, was evaluated for identifying and quantifying the Ni species occurring in urban total suspended particulate (TSP) matter and fine particulate matter (<10 {micro}m [PM{sub 10}] and <2.5 {micro}m [PM{sub 2.5}] in aerodynamic diameter). The extraction method was originally developed for quantifying soluble, sulfidic, elemental, and oxidic forms of Ni that may occur in industrial atmospheres. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy were used to evaluate the Ni species selectivity of the extraction method. Uncertainties in the chemical speciation of Ni in urban PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} greatly affect inhalation health risk estimates, primarily because of the large variability in acute, chronic, and cancer-causing effects for different Ni compounds.

Variations of PM2.5, PM10 mass concentration and health assessment in Islamabad, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Memhood, Tariq; Tianle, Z.; Ahmad, I.; Li, X.; Shen, F.; Akram, W.; Dong, L.

2018-04-01

Sparse information appears in lack of awareness among the people regarding the linkage between particulate matter (PM) and mortality in Pakistan. The current study is aimed to investigate the seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air of Islamabad to assess the health risk of PM pollution. The sampling was carried out with two parallel medium volume air samplers on Whatman 47 mm quartz filter at a flow rate of 100L/min. Mass concentration was obtained by gravimetric analysis. A noticeable seasonal change in PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration was observed. In case of PM2.5, the winter was a most polluted and spring was the cleanest season of 2017 in Islamabad with 69.97 and 40.44 μgm‑3 mean concentration. Contrary, highest (152.42 μgm‑3) and lowest (74.90 μgm‑3) PM10 mass concentration was observed in autumn and summer respectively. Air Quality index level for PM2.5 and PM10 was remained moderated to unhealthy and good to sensitive respectively. Regarding health risk assessment, using national data for mortality rates, the excess mortality due to PM2.5 and PM10 exposure has been calculated and amounts to over 198 and 98 deaths annually for Islamabad. Comparatively estimated lifetime risk for PM2.5 (1.16×10-6) was observed higher than PM10 (7.32×10-8).

Mass concentration and elemental composition of indoor PM 2.5 and PM 10 in University rooms in Thessaloniki, northern Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Gemenetzis, Panagiotis; Moussas, Panagiotis; Arditsoglou, Anastasia; Samara, Constantini

The mass concentration and the elemental composition of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were measured in 40 rooms (mainly offices or mixed office-lab rooms, and photocopying places) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. A total of 27 major, minor and trace elements were determined by ED-XRF analysis. The PM 2.5/PM 10 concentration ratios averaged 0.8±0.2, while the corresponding elemental ratios ranged between 0.4±0.2 and 0.9±0.2. The concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were significantly higher (by 70% and 50%, respectively) in the smokers' rooms compared to the non-smokers' places. The total elemental concentrations were also higher in the smokers' rooms (11.5 vs 8.2 μg m -3 for PM 2.5, and 10.3 vs 7.6 μg m -3 for PM 2.5-10). Fine particle concentrations (PM 2.5) were found to be quite proportional to smoking strength. On the contrary, the two environments exhibited similar coarse (PM 2.5-10) particle fractions not related to the number of cigarettes smoked. A slight decrease of particle concentrations with increasing the floor level was also observed, particularly for PM 2.5, suggesting that high-level floors are less impacted by near ground-level sources like traffic emissions. Finally, the removal efficiency of air purification systems was evaluated.

Potential impact of particulate matter less than 10 micron (PM10) to ambient air quality of Jakarta and Palembang

Science.gov (United States)

Agustine, I.; Yulinawati, H.; Gunawan, D.; Suswantoro, E.

2018-01-01

Particulate is a main urban air pollutant affects the environment and human wellbeing. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of particulate matter less than 10 micron (PM10) to ambient air quality of Jakarta and Palembang. The analysis is done with calendarPlot Function of openair model, which is based on the calculation of Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) or better known as Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI category of “moderate” dominates Jakarta’s calendar from 2015 to 2016, which indicates the impact of PM10 is the visibility reduction. There was one day with category “unhealthy” that indicates the impact of dust exposure everywhere in Jakarta during 2015. Similar to Jakarta, the AQI category “moderate” also dominates Palembang’s calendar during 2015. However, the AQI category “hazardous” happened for few days in September and October 2015 during forest fires, which indicates the more harmful impacts of PM10, such as reduced visibility, dust exposure everywhere, increased sensitivity in patients with asthma and bronchitis to respiratory illness in all exposed populations. During 2016, AQI category of Jakarta mostly “moderate”, while in Palembang was “good”. Dominant AQI category from 2015 to 2016 shows higher PM10 concentration occurred in Jakarta compared to Palembang.

Chemical mass balance source apportionment of fine and PM10 in the Desert Southwest, USA

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Andrea L. Clements

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Desert Southwest Coarse Particulate Matter Study was undertaken in Pinal County, Arizona, to better understand the origin and impact of sources of fine and coarse particulate matter (PM in rural, arid regions of the U.S. southwestern desert. The desert southwest experiences some of the highest PM10 mass concentrations in the country. To augment previously reported results, 6-week aggregated organic speciation data that included ambient concentrations of n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic acids, and saccharides were used in chemical mass balance modeling (CMB. A set of re-suspended soil samples were analyzed for specific marker species to provide locally-appropriate source profiles for the CMB analysis. These profiles, as well as previously collected plant and fungal spore profiles from the region, were combined with published source profiles for other relevant sources and used in the CMB analysis. The six new region-specific source profiles included both organic and inorganic species for four crustal material sources, one plant detritus source, and one fungal spore source.Results indicate that up to half of the ambient PM2.5 was apportioned to motor vehicles with the highest regional contribution observed in the small urban center of Casa Grande. Daily levels of apportioned crustal material accounted for up to 50% of PM2.5 mass with the highest contributions observed at the sites closest to active agricultural areas. Apportioned secondary PM, biomass burning, and road dust typically contributed less than 35% as a group to the apportioned PM2.5 mass. Crustal material was the primary source apportioned to PM10 and accounted for between 50–90% of the apportioned mass. Of the other sources apportioned to PM10, motor vehicles and road dust were the largest contributors at the urban and one of the rural sites, whereas road dust and meat cooking operations were the largest contributors at the other rural site.

ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF MEASUREMENT OF CONCENTRATIONS OF AIR POLLUTION WITH PM10 AND PM2.5 MEASURING STATION SQUARE OF POZNAN IN BYDGOSZCZ

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Rafał Pasela

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The phenomenon of suspended particulate pollution PM10 and PM2.5 occurs in large urban areas where the main source of their presence is communication, which is primarily related to the combustion of liquid fuels. PM2.5 dust pollution is a major risk factor for diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergy. Act regulating the standards and target dates for reducing concentrations of particulate matter in urban areas and in all the cities of over 100 thousand. residents of the Directive of the European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50/EC of 21 May 2008. on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (CAFE. The acceptable level of average daily concentration of PM10 is 50 μg/m3 and may be exceeded by not more than 35 times a year, while the level of allowable annual average concentration of 40 μg/m3. The aim of this study was to assess the state of air pollution of dust PM10 and PM2.5 for the selected area of the city of Bydgoszcz. The analysis was conducted using data from air monitoring stations located at Poznanska street. The station is owned by the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (VIEP in Bydgoszcz. The studies have shown that the annual average concentration of particulate matter analyzed station in Bydgoszcz in the years 2013-2015 amounted to PM10 41 μg/m3 PM2.5 and 23 μg/m3. The results are on the borderline of acceptable levels of concentration resulting from the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 2 August 2012. The concentrations of particulate matter in ambient air are strongly associated with meteorological conditions. The definitely higher concentrations observed in the autumn-winter season. The decrease in temperature causes the combustion in the boiler house of fuels with a high emissions. The highest average daily concentration of suspended particulate matter was observed on Thursday and Friday in the winter months, and while the lowest concentration was recorded in the

Basic statistics of PM2.5 and PM10 in the atmosphere of Mexico City.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega, E; Reyes, E; Sánchez, G; Ortiz, E; Ruiz, M; Chow, J; Watson, J; Edgerton, S

2002-03-27

The high levels of fine particulate matter in Mexico City are of concern since they may induce severe public health effects as well as the attenuation of visible light. Sequential filter samplers were used at six different sites from 23 February to 22 March 1997. The sampling campaign was carried out as part of the project 'Investigación sobre Materia Particulada y Deterioro Atmosferico-Aerosol and Visibility Evaluation Research'. This research was a cooperative project sponsored by PEMEX and by the US Department of Energy. Sampling sites represent the different land uses along the city, the northwest station, Tlalnepantla, is located in a mixed medium income residential and industrial area. The northeast station, Xalostoc, is located in a highly industrialized area, Netzahualcoyotl is located in a mixed land use area, mainly commercial and residential. Station La Merced is located in the commercial and administrative district downtown. The southwest station is located in the Pedregal de San Angel, in a high-income neighborhood, and the southeast station located in Cerro de la Estrella is a mixed medium income residential and commercial area. Samples were collected four times a day in Cerro de la Estrella (CES), La Merced (MER) and Xalostoc (XAL) with sampling periods of 6 h. In Pedregal (PED), Tlalnepantla (TLA) and Netzahualcoyot1 (NEZ) sampling periods were every 24 h. In this paper the basic statistics of PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations are presented. The average results showed that 49, 61, 46, 57, 51 and 44% of the PM10 consisted of PM2.5 for CES, MER, XAL, PED, TLA and NEZ, respectively. The 24-h average highest concentrations of PM25 and PM10 were registered at NEZ (184 and 267 microg/m3) and the lowest at PED (22 and 39 microg/m3). The highest PM10 correlations were between XAL-CES (0.79), PED-TLA (0.80). In contrast, the highest PM2.5 correlations were between CES-PED (0.74), MER-CES (0.73) and TLA-PED (0.72), showing a lower correlation than the PM10

Comparison of lidar-derived PM10 with regional modeling and ground-based observations in the frame of MEGAPOLI experiment

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J.-C. Raut

2011-10-01

Full Text Available An innovative approach using mobile lidar measurements was implemented to test the performances of chemistry-transport models in simulating mass concentrations (PM10 predicted by chemistry-transport models. A ground-based mobile lidar (GBML was deployed around Paris onboard a van during the MEGAPOLI (Megacities: Emissions, urban, regional and Global Atmospheric POLlution and climate effects, and Integrated tools for assessment and mitigation summer experiment in July 2009. The measurements performed with this Rayleigh-Mie lidar are converted into PM10 profiles using optical-to-mass relationships previously established from in situ measurements performed around Paris for urban and peri-urban aerosols. The method is described here and applied to the 10 measurements days (MD. MD of 1, 15, 16 and 26 July 2009, corresponding to different levels of pollution and atmospheric conditions, are analyzed here in more details. Lidar-derived PM10 are compared with results of simulations from POLYPHEMUS and CHIMERE chemistry-transport models (CTM and with ground-based observations from the AIRPARIF network. GBML-derived and AIRPARIF in situ measurements have been found to be in good agreement with a mean Root Mean Square Error RMSE (and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error MAPE of 7.2 μg m−3 (26.0% and 8.8 μg m−3 (25.2% with relationships assuming peri-urban and urban-type particles, respectively. The comparisons between CTMs and lidar at ~200 m height have shown that CTMs tend to underestimate wet PM10 concentrations as revealed by the mean wet PM10 observed during the 10 MD of 22.4, 20.0 and 17.5 μg m−3 for lidar with peri-urban relationship, and POLYPHEMUS and CHIMERE models, respectively. This leads to a RMSE (and a MAPE of 6.4 μg m−3 (29.6% and 6.4 μg m−3 (27.6% when considering POLYPHEMUS and CHIMERE CTMs, respectively. Wet integrated PM10 computed (between the ground and 1 km above the ground level from lidar, POLYPHEMUS and CHIMERE results

A study of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the atmosphere of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Due to rapid economic growth of the country in the last 25 years, particulate matter (PM) has become a topic of ... created by pollution, as well as by high levels of urbanization. In 2012, the ...... for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of.

Effects of PM10 on human health in the western half of Iran (Ahwaz, Bushehr and Kermanshah Cities

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Sahar Geravandi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims of the Study: Particulate matter pollutants have harmful effects on human health and can intensify mortality and disease. The aim of this study is evaluate to adverse health effects caused by exposure to PM 10 in Ahwaz, Bushehr and Kermanshah Cities during 2011. Materials & Methods: In this study, the Air Q2.2.3 model was used for estimated adverse health effects of exposure to PM 10 . Air Q model provided by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (ECEH. Air Q software proved to be a valid and reliable tool to estimate the potential short term effects of air pollution. Daily concentrations of PM 10 were taken from Department of Environment (ADoE. Then processing data’s and finally the cardiovascular and respiratory disease attributable to this pollutant were calculated.   Results: Results show that the non hospitalized patients suffer from the cardiovascular and respiratory diseases attributable to Pm 10 . The patients from Ahwaz allocate the highest rate of hospital admittance to themselves with 19% respiratory and 20% cardiovascular charts those from Bushehr refer to hospitals 14% for respiratory illness and 15% for cardiac disease and the subjects from Kermanshah go to the hospitals 12% for respiratory complications and 14% for cardiac failures. Conclusions: The results indicate a direct relationship between the concentration of PM 10 and health effects resulting from exposure to them. The highest rate belongs to Ahwaz becomes it has greater concentration of dusty air. Therefore, the higher relative risk value can depict mismanagement in urban air quality.

Morphology changes in human lung epithelial cells after exposure to diesel exhaust micron sub particles (PM1.0) and pollen allergens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esposito, V.; Lucariello, A.; Savarese, L.; Cinelli, M.P.; Ferraraccio, F.; Bianco, A.; De Luca, A.; Mazzarella, G.

2012-01-01

In the recent literature there has been an increased interest in the effects of particulate matter on the respiratory tract. The objective of this study was to use an in vitro model of type II lung epithelium (A549) to evaluate the cell ability to take up sub-micron PM 1.0 particles (PM 1.0 ), Parietaria officinalis (ALL), and PM 1.0 + ALL together. Morphological analysis performed by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) showed that PM and ALL interacted with the cell surface, then penetrating into the cytoplasm. Each single treatment was able to point out a specific change in the morphology. The cells treated appear healthy and not apoptotic. The main effect was the increase of: multilamellar bodies, lysosomal enzymes, microvilli, and presence of vesicle/vacuoles containing particles. These observations demonstrate morphological and functional alterations related to the PM 1.0 and P. officinalis and confirm the induction of the inflammatory response in lung cells exposed to the inhalable particles. - Highlights: ► Cell ability to take up PM 1.0 particles, Parietaria officinalis (ALL), PM 1.0 + ALL. ► The cells treated appear healthy and not apoptotic. ► Each single treatment was able to point out a specific change in the morphology. ► Increase of multilamellar bodies lysosomal enzymes microvilli vesicle with particles. ► Induction of inflammatory response in lung cells exposed to the inhalable particles. - The urban environment with the combination of inhalable air pollution and particulate can damage the acinar lung units and activate cells of the immune system.

Development of a continuous monitoring system for PM10 and components of PM2.5.

Science.gov (United States)

Lippmann, M; Xiong, J Q; Li, W

2000-01-01

While particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters below 10 and 2.5 microns (PM10 and PM2.5) correlate with excess mortality and morbidity, there is evidence for still closer epidemiological associations with sulfate ion, and experimental exposure-response studies suggest that the hydrogen ion and ultrafine (PM0.15) concentrations may be important risk factors. Also, there are measurement artifacts in current methods used to measure ambient PM10 and PM2.5, including negative artifacts because of losses of sampled semivolatile components (ammonium nitrate and some organics) and positive artifacts due to particle-bound water. To study such issues, we are developing a semi-continuous monitoring system for PM10, PM2.5, semivolatiles (organic compounds and NH4NO3), particle-bound water, and other PM2.5 constituents that may be causal factors. PM10 is aerodynamically sorted into three size-fractions: (1) coarse (PM10-PM2.5); (2) accumulation mode (PM2.5-PM0.15); and (3) ultrafine (PM0.15). The mass concentration of each fraction is measured in terms of the linear relation between accumulated mass and pressure drop on polycarbonate pore filters. The PM0.15 mass, being highly correlated with the ultrafine number concentration, provides a good index of the total number concentration in ambient air. For the accumulation mode (PM2.5-PM0.15), which contains nearly all of the semivolatiles and particle-bound water by mass, aliquots of the aerosol stream flow into system components that continuously monitor sulfur (by flame photometry), ammonium and nitrate (by chemiluminescence following catalytic transformations to NO), organics (by thermal-optical analysis) and particle-bound water (by electrolytic hygrometer after vacuum evaporation of sampled particles). The concentration of H+ can be calculated (by ion balance using the monitoring data on NO3-, NH4+, and SO4=).

Characteristics of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10, and Their Relation to Black Carbon in Wuhan, Central China

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Wei Gong

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Hourly average monitoring data for mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and black carbon (BC were measured in Wuhan from December 2013 to December 2014, which has a flourishing steel industry, to analyze the characteristics of PM and their relation to BC, using statistical methods. The results indicate that variations in the monthly average mass concentrations of PM have similar concave parabolic shapes, with the highest values occurring in January and the lowest values appearing in August or September. The correlation coefficient of the linear regression model between PM1 and PM2.5 is quite high, reaching 0.99. Furthermore, the proportion of PM1 contained within PM2.5 is roughly 90%, directly proving that ultrafine particles whose diameter less than 1 μm may be a primary component of PM2.5 in Wuhan. Additionally, better seasonal correlation between PM and BC occurs only in summer and autumn, due to multiple factors such as topography, temperature, and the atmosphere in winter and spring. Finally, analysis of the diurnal variation of PM and BC demonstrates that the traffic emissions during rush hour, exogenous pollutants, and the shallow PBLH with stagnant atmosphere, all contribute to the severe pollution of Wuhan in winter.

Modeling PM2.5 Urban Pollution Using Machine Learning and Selected Meteorological Parameters

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Jan Kleine Deters

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Outdoor air pollution costs millions of premature deaths annually, mostly due to anthropogenic fine particulate matter (or PM2.5. Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is no exception in exceeding the healthy levels of pollution. In addition to the impact of urbanization, motorization, and rapid population growth, particulate pollution is modulated by meteorological factors and geophysical characteristics, which complicate the implementation of the most advanced models of weather forecast. Thus, this paper proposes a machine learning approach based on six years of meteorological and pollution data analyses to predict the concentrations of PM2.5 from wind (speed and direction and precipitation levels. The results of the classification model show a high reliability in the classification of low (25 µg/m3 and low (<10 µg/m3 versus moderate (10–25 µg/m3 concentrations of PM2.5. A regression analysis suggests a better prediction of PM2.5 when the climatic conditions are getting more extreme (strong winds or high levels of precipitation. The high correlation between estimated and real data for a time series analysis during the wet season confirms this finding. The study demonstrates that the use of statistical models based on machine learning is relevant to predict PM2.5 concentrations from meteorological data.

The effect of long-range air mass transport pathways on PM10 and NO2 concentrations at urban and rural background sites in Ireland: Quantification using clustering techniques.

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Donnelly, Aoife A; Broderick, Brian M; Misstear, Bruce D

2015-01-01

The specific aims of this paper are to: (i) quantify the effects of various long range transport pathways nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter with diameter less than 10μm (PM10) concentrations in Ireland and identify air mass movement corridors which may lead to incidences poor air quality for application in forecasting; (ii) compare the effects of such pathways at various sites; (iii) assess pathways associated with a period of decreased air quality in Ireland. The origin of and the regions traversed by an air mass 96h prior to reaching a receptor is modelled and k-means clustering is applied to create air-mass groups. Significant differences in air pollution levels were found between air mass cluster types at urban and rural sites. It was found that easterly or recirculated air masses lead to higher NO2 and PM10 levels with average NO2 levels varying between 124% and 239% of the seasonal mean and average PM10 levels varying between 103% and 199% of the seasonal mean at urban and rural sites. Easterly air masses are more frequent during winter months leading to higher overall concentrations. The span in relative concentrations between air mass clusters is highest at the rural site indicating that regional factors are controlling concentration levels. The methods used in this paper could be applied to assist in modelling and forecasting air quality based on long range transport pathways and forecast meteorology without the requirement for detailed emissions data over a large regional domain or the use of computationally demanding modelling techniques.

Using support vector regression to predict PM10 and PM2.5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weizhen, Hou; Zhengqiang, Li; Yuhuan, Zhang; Hua, Xu; Ying, Zhang; Kaitao, Li; Donghui, Li; Peng, Wei; Yan, Ma

2014-01-01

Support vector machine (SVM), as a novel and powerful machine learning tool, can be used for the prediction of PM 10 and PM 2.5 (particulate matter less or equal than 10 and 2.5 micrometer) in the atmosphere. This paper describes the development of a successive over relaxation support vector regress (SOR-SVR) model for the PM 10 and PM 2.5 prediction, based on the daily average aerosol optical depth (AOD) and meteorological parameters (atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed), which were all measured in Beijing during the year of 2010–2012. The Gaussian kernel function, as well as the k-fold crosses validation and grid search method, are used in SVR model to obtain the optimal parameters to get a better generalization capability. The result shows that predicted values by the SOR-SVR model agree well with the actual data and have a good generalization ability to predict PM 10 and PM 2.5 . In addition, AOD plays an important role in predicting particulate matter with SVR model, which should be included in the prediction model. If only considering the meteorological parameters and eliminating AOD from the SVR model, the prediction results of predict particulate matter will be not satisfying

To what extent can aerosol water explain the discrepancy between model calculated and gravimetric PM10 and PM2.5?

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S. G. Tsyro

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Inter-comparisons of European air quality models show that regional transport models, including the EMEP (Co-operative Programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe aerosol model, tend to underestimate the observed concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5. Obviously, an accurate representation of the individual aerosol constituents is a prerequisite for adequate calculation of PM concentrations. On the other hand, available measurements on the chemical characterization of ambient particles reveal that full chemical PM mass closure is rarely achieved. The fraction unaccounted for by chemical analysis can comprise as much as 30-40% of gravimetric PM10 or PM2.5 mass. The unaccounted PM mass can partly be due to non-C atoms in organic aerosols and/or due to sampling and measurement artefacts. Moreover, a part of the unaccounted PM mass is likely to consist of water associated with particles. Thus, the gravimetrically measured particle mass does not necessarily represent dry PM10 and PM2.5 mass. This is thought to be one of the reasons for models under-prediction of observed PM, if calculated dry PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are compared with measurements. The EMEP aerosol model has been used to study to what extent particle-bound water can explain the chemically unidentified PM mass in filter-based particle samples. Water content of PM2.5 and PM10 has been estimated with the model for temperature 20°C and relative humidity 50%, which are conditions required for equilibration of dust-loaded filters according to the Reference method recommended by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN. Model calculations for Europe show that, depending on particle composition, particle-bound water constitutes 20-35% of the annual mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, which is consistent with existing experimental estimates. At two Austrian sites, in Vienna and Streithofen, where daily measurements of PM2.5 mass

Chemical characterization of outdoor and subway fine (PM(2.5-1.0)) and coarse (PM(10-2.5)) particulate matter in Seoul (Korea) by computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM).

Science.gov (United States)

Byeon, Sang-Hoon; Willis, Robert; Peters, Thomas M

2015-02-13

Outdoor and indoor (subway) samples were collected by passive sampling in urban Seoul (Korea) and analyzed with computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM-EDX). Soil/road dust particles accounted for 42%-60% (by weight) of fine particulate matter larger than 1 µm (PM(2.5-1.0)) in outdoor samples and 18% of PM2.5-1.0 in subway samples. Iron-containing particles accounted for only 3%-6% in outdoor samples but 69% in subway samples. Qualitatively similar results were found for coarse particulate matter (PM(10-2.5)) with soil/road dust particles dominating outdoor samples (66%-83%) and iron-containing particles contributing most to subway PM(10-2.5) (44%). As expected, soil/road dust particles comprised a greater mass fraction of PM(10-2.5) than PM(2.5-1.0). Also as expected, the mass fraction of iron-containing particles was substantially less in PM(10-2.5) than in PM(2.5-1.0). Results of this study are consistent with known emission sources in the area and with previous studies, which showed high concentrations of iron-containing particles in the subway compared to outdoor sites. Thus, passive sampling with CCSEM-EDX offers an inexpensive means to assess PM(2.5-1.0) and PM(10-2.5) simultaneously and by composition at multiple locations.

Ionic and carbonaceous compositions of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 at Gosan ABC Superstation and their ratios as source signature

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S. Kim

2012-02-01

Full Text Available PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 were sampled at Gosan ABC Superstation on Jeju Island from August 2007 to September 2008. The carbonaceous aerosols were quantified with the thermal/optical reflectance (TOR method, which produced five organic carbon (OC fractions, OC1, OC2, OC3, OC4, and pyrolyzed organic carbon (OP, and three elemental carbon (EC fractions, EC1, EC2, and EC3. The mean mass concentrations of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 were 13.7 μg m−3, 17.2 μg m−3, and 28.4 μg m−3, respectively. The averaged mass fractions of OC and EC were 23.0% and 10.4% for PM1.0, 22.9% and 9.8% for PM2.5, and 16.4% and 6.0% for PM10. Among the OC and EC sub-components, OC2 and EC2+3 were enriched in the fine mode, but OC3 and OC4 in the coarse mode. The filter-based PM1.0 EC agreed well with black carbon (BC measured by an Aethalometer, and PM10 EC was higher than BC, implying less light absorption by larger particles. EC was well correlated with sulfate, resulting in good relationships of sulfate with both aerosol scattering coefficient measured by Nephelometer and BC concentration. Our measurements of EC confirmed the definition of EC1 as char-EC emitted from smoldering combustion and EC2+3 as soot-EC generated from higher-temperature combustion such as motor vehicle exhaust and coal combustion (Han et al., 2010. In particular, EC1 was strongly correlated with potassium, a traditional biomass burning indicator, except during the summer, when the ratio of EC1 to EC2+3 was the lowest. We also found the ratios of major chemical species to be a useful tool to constrain the main sources of aerosols, by which the five air masses were well distinguished: Siberia, Beijing, Shanghai, Yellow Sea, and East Sea types. Except Siberian air, the continental background of the study region, Beijing plumes showed the highest EC1 (and OP to sulfate ratio, which implies that this air mass had the highest net warming by aerosols of the four air masses. Shanghai-type air, which was

Characterization of urban aerosol: seasonal variation of mutagenicity and genotoxicity of PM2.5, PM1 and semi-volatile organic compounds.

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Bocchi, Clara; Bazzini, Cristina; Fontana, Federica; Pinto, Giancarlo; Martino, Anna; Cassoni, Francesca

2016-10-01

Urban particulate matter (PM) is an environmental public health concern as it has been classified by the IARC as carcinogenic to humans (group 1) and it's well known that pollutants are more associated with the finest fractions of PM. In this study we characterize urban aerosol in Bologna, county town of Emilia-Romagna in the north of Italy, collecting PM 2.5 , PM 1 and semi-volatile organic compounds using polyurethane foam. Samples were collected in three different seasons (winter, summer and autumn) and were extracted with acetone. On these three fractions we assessed mutagenicity using Salmonella reverse mutation test and genotoxicity by alkaline comet assay and micronucleus assay in human lung cancer cell line, A549. Organic extracts were also characterized for alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated and oxygenated PAHs. We also evaluated associations between the physicochemical parameters of samples and their genotoxicity. The particulate samples, collected in autumn and winter, indicated the presence of both base pair substitution and frameshift mutagens using TA98 and TA100 strains of Salmonella typhimurium and the mutagenicity was more associated with the finest fraction. Enhanced mutagenic response was observed in the absence of enzyme activation. Only a third of comet and a half of micronucleus assays gave positive results that, unlike Salmonella's ones, are not season-related. These results were compared with environmental chemicals concentrations and we found that Salmonella's data correlated with PAHs detected on PM filters and with mass concentrations, whereas the DNA damage correlate only with PAHs extracted from polyurethane foams. The use of different assays was sensitive to detect and identify different classes of airborne mutagenic/genotoxic compounds present in aerosol, showing that monitoring air quality using this methodology is relevant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the Apulia air quality plan on PM10 and benzo(apyrene exceedances

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L. Trizio

2016-03-01

Full Text Available During the last years, several exceedances of PM10 and benzo(apyrene limit values exceedances were recorded in Taranto, a city in southern Italy included in so-called areas at high risk of environmental crisis because of the presence of a heavy industrial district including the largest steel factory in Europe. A study of these critical pollution events showed a close correlation with the wind coming from the industrial site to the adjacent urban area. During 2011, at monitoring sites closes to the industrial area, at least the 65% of PM10 exceedances were related to wind day conditions (characterized by at least 3 consecutive hours of wind coming from 270-360±2deg with an associated speed higher than 7 m/s. For this reason, in 2012 an integrated environmental permit and a regional air quality plan were enacted to reduce pollutant emissions from industrial plants. A study of PM10 levels registered during windy days was performed during critical episodes of pollution highlighting that the difference between windy days and no windy days’ concentrations reduces from 2012 to 2014 in industrial site. False negative events (verified ex-post by observed meteorological data not identified by the forecast model - did not show a significant influence on PM concentration: PM10 values were comparable and sometimes lower than windy days levels. It is reasonable that the new scenario with a relevant reduction emissions form Ilva plant reduced the pollutants contribution from industrial area, contributing to PM10 levels decrease, also in false negative events.

Modelling street level PM10 concentrations across Europe: source apportionment and possible futures

Science.gov (United States)

Kiesewetter, G.; Borken-Kleefeld, J.; Schöpp, W.; Heyes, C.; Thunis, P.; Bessagnet, B.; Terrenoire, E.; Fagerli, H.; Nyiri, A.; Amann, M.

2015-02-01

Despite increasing emission controls, particulate matter (PM) has remained a critical issue for European air quality in recent years. The various sources of PM, both from primary particulate emissions as well as secondary formation from precursor gases, make this a complex problem to tackle. In order to allow for credible predictions of future concentrations under policy assumptions, a modelling approach is needed that considers all chemical processes and spatial dimensions involved, from long-range transport of pollution to local emissions in street canyons. Here we describe a modelling scheme which has been implemented in the GAINS integrated assessment model to assess compliance with PM10 (PM with aerodynamic diameter dispersion calculations, and a traffic increment calculation wherever applicable. At each monitoring station fulfilling a few data coverage criteria, measured concentrations in the base year 2009 are explained to the extent possible and then modelled for the past and future. More than 1850 monitoring stations are covered, including more than 300 traffic stations and 80% of the stations which exceeded the EU air quality limit values in 2009. As a validation, we compare modelled trends in the period 2000-2008 to observations, which are well reproduced. The modelling scheme is applied here to quantify explicitly source contributions to ambient concentrations at several critical monitoring stations, displaying the differences in spatial origin and chemical composition of urban roadside PM10 across Europe. Furthermore, we analyse the predicted evolution of PM10 concentrations in the European Union until 2030 under different policy scenarios. Significant improvements in ambient PM10 concentrations are expected assuming successful implementation of already agreed legislation; however, these will not be large enough to ensure attainment of PM10 limit values in hot spot locations such as Southern Poland and major European cities. Remaining issues are

Sources of the PM10 aerosol in Flanders, Belgium, and re-assessment of the contribution from wood burning

OpenAIRE

Maenhaut, Willy; Vermeylen, Reinhilde; Claeys, Magda; Vercauteren, Jordy; Roekens, Edward

2016-01-01

Abstract: From 30 June 2011 to 2 July 2012 PM10 aerosol samples were simultaneously taken every 4th day at four urban background sites in Flanders, Belgium. The sites were in Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge, and Oostende. The PM10 mass concentration was determined by weighing; organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were measured by thermal-optical analysis, the wood burning tracers levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 8 water-soluble ions we...

Sources of atmospheric aerosols controlling PM10 levels in Heraklion, Crete during winter time

Science.gov (United States)

Kalivitis, Nikolaos; Kouvarakis, Giorgos; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Kandilogiannaki, Maria; Vavadaki, Katerina; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos

2016-04-01

High concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM) in the atmosphere have negative impact to human health. Thresholds for ambient concentrations that are defined by the directive 2008/50/EC are frequently exceeded even at background conditions in the Mediterranean region as shown in earlier studies. The sources of atmospheric particles in the urban environment of a medium size city of eastern Mediterranean are studied in the present work in order to better understand the causes and characteristics of exceedances of the daily mean PM10limit value of 50 μg m-3. Measurements were performed at the atmospheric quality measurement station of the Region of Crete, at the Heraklion city center on Crete island, during the winter/spring period of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. Special emphasis was given to the study of the contribution of Black Carbon (BC) to the levels of PM10. Continuous measurements were performed using a beta-attenuation PM10monitor and a 7-wavelength Aethalometer with a time resolution of 30 and 5 minutes respectively. For direct comparison to background regional conditions, concurrent routine measurements at the atmospheric research station of University of Crete at Finokalia were used as background reference. Analysis of exceedances in the daily PM10 mass concentration showed that the total of the exceedances was related to long range transport of Saharan dust rather than local sources. However, compared to the Finokalia station it was found that there were 20% more exceedances in Heraklion, the addition of transported dust on the local pollution was the reason for the additional exceedance days. Excluding dust events, it was found that the PM10variability was dependent on the BC abundance, traffic during rush hours in the morning and biomass burning for domestic heating in the evening contributed significantly to PM10levels in Heraklion.

An environmental, economical and socio-political analysis of a variety of urban air-pollution reduction policies for primary PM10 and NOx: The case study of the Province of Milan (Northern Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiesa, M.; Perrone, M.G.; Cusumano, N.; Ferrero, L.; Sangiorgi, G.; Bolzacchini, E.; Lorenzoni, A.; Ballarin Denti, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PM10 and NO x emission reduction by different policies have been estimated. • Various actions have been considered, in the transport and residential sectors. • Environmental, economic and socio-political data were jointly evaluated. • Results are reported for the case study of the Province of Milan (Northern Italy). • Bike use fostering best matches cost–benefit results and socio-political acceptance. - Abstract: In the frame of urban air-pollution reduction policies, economic costs and environmental benefits of a variety of actions have been quantitatively assessed for the Province of Milan (Northern Italy), focusing on PM10 and NO x emission sources. Short-to-mid-term interventions that have been taken into consideration include reduction of inner temperature in residential buildings, banning of residential biomass heating systems, banning of diesel fuelled domestic boilers, night-time streets washing, speed limit reduction on highways, circulation restrictions of oldest EURO vehicles, conversion of diesel buses to natural gas, car sharing/biking promotion, DPF adoption in diesel vehicles, extension of road lanes for urban buses, energy efficiency refurbishment in residential buildings. Re*sults emerged from the cost–benefit analysis integrated with socio-political indicators obtained through direct surveys, will contribute, with an holistic and multidisciplinary approach, to drive the local administrators to implement the most suitable actions in one of the most polluted areas in west-Europe

Hospital indoor PM10/PM2.5 and associated trace elements in Guangzhou, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xinhua; Bi Xinhui; Sheng Guoying; Fu Jiamo

2006-01-01

PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected in the indoor environments of four hospitals and their adjacent outdoor environments in Guangzhou, China during the summertime. The concentrations of 18 target elements in particles were also quantified. The results showed that indoor PM2.5 levels with an average of 99 μg m -3 were significantly higher than outdoor PM2.5 standard of 65 μg m -3 recommended by USEPA [United States Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Fact Sheet. EPA's Revised Particulate Matter Standards, 17, July 1997] and PM2.5 constituted a large fraction of indoor respirable particles (PM10) by an average of 78% in four hospitals. High correlation between PM2.5 and PM10 (R 2 of 0.87 for indoors and 0.90 for outdoors) suggested that PM2.5 and PM10 came from similar particulate emission sources. The indoor particulate levels were correlated with the corresponding outdoors (R 2 of 0.78 for PM2.5 and 0.67 for PM10), demonstrating that outdoor infiltration could lead to direct transportation into indoors. In addition to outdoor infiltration, human activities and ventilation types could also influence indoor particulate levels in four hospitals. Total target elements accounted for 3.18-5.56% of PM2.5 and 4.38-9.20% of PM10 by mass, respectively. Na, Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and Ti were found in the coarse particles, while K, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Pb, As and Se existed more in the fine particles. The average indoor concentrations of total elements were lower than those measured outdoors, suggesting that indoor elements originated mainly from outdoor emission sources. Enrichment factors (EF) for trace element were calculated to show that elements of anthropogenic origins (Zn, Pb, As, Se, V, Ni, Cu and Cd) were highly enriched with respect to crustal composition (Al, Fe, Ca, Ti and Mn). Factor analysis was used to identify possible pollution source-types, namely street dust, road traffic and

Hospital indoor PM10/PM2.5 and associated trace elements in Guangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xinhua; Bi, Xinhui; Sheng, Guoying; Fu, Jiamo

2006-07-31

PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected in the indoor environments of four hospitals and their adjacent outdoor environments in Guangzhou, China during the summertime. The concentrations of 18 target elements in particles were also quantified. The results showed that indoor PM2.5 levels with an average of 99 microg m(-3) were significantly higher than outdoor PM2.5 standard of 65 microg m(-3) recommended by USEPA [United States Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Fact Sheet. EPA's Revised Particulate Matter Standards, 17, July 1997] and PM2.5 constituted a large fraction of indoor respirable particles (PM10) by an average of 78% in four hospitals. High correlation between PM2.5 and PM10 (R(2) of 0.87 for indoors and 0.90 for outdoors) suggested that PM2.5 and PM10 came from similar particulate emission sources. The indoor particulate levels were correlated with the corresponding outdoors (R(2) of 0.78 for PM2.5 and 0.67 for PM10), demonstrating that outdoor infiltration could lead to direct transportation into indoors. In addition to outdoor infiltration, human activities and ventilation types could also influence indoor particulate levels in four hospitals. Total target elements accounted for 3.18-5.56% of PM2.5 and 4.38-9.20% of PM10 by mass, respectively. Na, Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and Ti were found in the coarse particles, while K, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Pb, As and Se existed more in the fine particles. The average indoor concentrations of total elements were lower than those measured outdoors, suggesting that indoor elements originated mainly from outdoor emission sources. Enrichment factors (EF) for trace element were calculated to show that elements of anthropogenic origins (Zn, Pb, As, Se, V, Ni, Cu and Cd) were highly enriched with respect to crustal composition (Al, Fe, Ca, Ti and Mn). Factor analysis was used to identify possible pollution source-types, namely street dust, road traffic

Environmental pollution: quantitative analysis of particulate matter (PM{sub 10}) by SR-TXRF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, Silvana; Melo Junior, Ariston da Silva [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo]. E-mails: silvana@fec.unicamp.br; juniorariston@gmail.com; Zucchi, Orgheda Luiza Araujo Domingues [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas]. E-mail: olzucchi@fcfrp.usp.br; Vives, Ana Elisa Sirito de [Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP), Santa Barbara D' Oeste, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo]. E-mail: aesvives@unimep.br

2007-07-01

The atmospheric pollution is a concern in the great urban centers, due its association with man pathologies. The Campinas region is one of the most urbanized of the Sao Paulo State and an important industrial center. Thus, due to its location and importance were installed three samplers for particulate material (PM{sub 10}). One sampler was located in downtown of Campinas city, in an avenue with high vehicular flow. Another sampler was installed in the UNICAMP campus and the third one in Paulinia city, near to REPLAN. For downtown of Campinas city PM{sub 10} concentrations higher than regular air quality established by CETESB (150 {mu}g.m{sup -3}) was observed. The PM{sub 10} values for Paulinia and downtown of Campinas were higher than Barao Geraldo location. Employing SR-TXRF was possible identify and quantify 19 elements in the particulate material samples. All the measurements were performed at Synchrotron Light Source Laboratory, Campinas, SP. After statistics analysis by principal components and cluster analysis was possible to assemble the elements according emission sources. The dusty soil for coarse fraction contributed with 62%, 51% and 46% for Barao Geraldo, Paulinia and downtown of Campinas, respectively. The vehicular emission was responsible for 16% at downtown Campinas city as expected due to high vehicular flow at sampling place. The vehicular and industrial emissions contributed with 20% and 25%, respectively at Paulinia sampling site. The industrial emissions observed for Barao Geraldo and downtown of Campinas city were 27% and 33%, respectively. (author)

Air quality in terms of particulate matter (PM10) and element components in Antananarivo city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raoelina Andriambololona; Rakotondramanana, H.T.; Rasoazanany, E.O.; Randriamanivo, L.V.; Rasolofonirina, M.; Razafy Andrianarivo, R.

2001-01-01

The main objective of this research was to study the size distribution of toxic elements, undesirables ones and PM10 in the aerosols of Antananarivo urban areas using Total reflection X-ray Fluorescence. This work was carried out in the framework of Co-ordinated Research Program organised by the IAEA in 1998. The air sampler DICHOTOMOUS was used for sampling, with which two types of aerosols could be obtained: respirable aerosols or fine particles (aerodynamic diameter below 2.5 μm PM-2 ,5 ) and inhalable or coarse particles (aerodynamic diameter from 2.5 μm to 10μm PM 10 ). Samples were taken from six sampling sites, namely Ambohidahy tunnel, Ambanidia tunnel, Andravoahangy, Soarano, Mahamasina and Ankorondrano. Then, they were digested with acid digestion bomb. The results showed the presence of elements such as sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), kalium (K), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), lead (Pb) in the aerosols. Their concentrations are higher in respirable particles. For classical air pollutant components, particularly lead and PM10, the 1.8 μg.m -3 mean concentration value of lead is largely higher than 0.5μg. m -3 , which is the WHO (World Health organization) adopted value, and above the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) maximum admissible one (1.5 μg.m -3 ) as well. Regarding the size distribution of lead, the results showed that the small particles were mainly enriched in lead. The same observation can also be stated for PM10 with a 240 μg.m -3 mean concentration value , higher than 150 μg.m - 3 , adopted by the two above-mentioned organizations. Therefore, the Antananarivo urban area is classified as saturated zone for both parameters (lead and particulate matter). In addition, the results of Mason enrichment factors showed that the elements such as sulfur (S), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), bromine (Br), and lead (Pb) are from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The elements such as kalium (K), chlorine (Cl), calcium (Ca

Influence of background particulate matter (PM) on urban air quality in the Pacific Northwest.

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Timonen, H; Wigder, N; Jaffe, D

2013-11-15

Elevated particulate matter concentrations due to Asian long-range transport (LRT) are frequently observed in the free troposphere (FT) above the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Transport of this aerosol from the FT to the boundary layer (BL) and its effect to local air quality remain poorly constrained. We used data collected at the Mount Bachelor observatory (MBO, 2.8 km a.s.l) and from ground stations in the Pacific Northwest to study transport of fine particulate matter (PM) from the FT to the BL. During Asian LRT episodes PM concentrations were clearly elevated above the corresponding monthly averages at MBO as well as at low elevation sites across Washington and Oregon. Also, a clear correlation between MBO and low elevation sites was observed, indicating that LRT episodes are seen in both the FT and BL. In addition, drum impactor measurements show that the chemical composition of PM at MBO was similar to that measured at the BL sites. Using a simple regression model, we estimate that during springtime, when the transport from Asia is most effective, the contribution of Asian sources to PM2.5 in clean background areas of the Pacific Northwest was on average 1.7 μg m(-3) (representing approximately 50-80% of PM). The influence of LRT PM was also seen in measurement stations situated in the urban and urban background areas. However, the fraction of LRT PM was less pronounced (36-50% of PM) due to larger local emissions in the urban areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fine and coarse PM composition and sources in rural and urban sites in Switzerland: local or regional pollution?

Science.gov (United States)

Minguillón, M C; Querol, X; Baltensperger, U; Prévôt, A S H

2012-06-15

The chemical composition and sources of ambient particulate matter (PM) in Switzerland were studied. PM(1) and PM(10) samples were collected in winter and summer at an urban background site in Zurich and a rural background site in Payerne. Concentrations of major and trace elements, NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), NH(4)(+), organic and elemental carbon were determined. A subsequent Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis was performed. PM(10) and PM(1) concentrations varied similarly at both sites, with average PM(10) concentrations 24-25 μg/m(3) and 13-14 μg/m(3) in winter and summer, respectively, and average PM(1) concentrations 12-17 μg/m(3) and 6-7 μg/m(3). The influence of local sources was found to be higher in winter. PM was dominated by nitrate and organic matter in winter, and by mineral matter and organic matter in summer. Trace element concentrations related to road traffic (Zn, Cu, Sb, Sn) were higher at Zurich. Concentrations of Tl and Cs, attributed to the influence of a glass industry, were higher at Payerne. The elements mainly present in the coarse fraction were those related to mineral matter and brake and tyre abrasion (Cu, Mn, Ti, Sb, Sr, Bi, Li, La, Nd), and those in the fine fraction were related to high temperature anthropogenic processes (Pb, As, Cd, Tl, Cs). Common PM(1) and PM(1-10) sources identified by PMF were: ammonium nitrate, present in winter, negligible in summer; ammonium sulfate+K(biomass burning)+road traffic; and road traffic itself, related to exhaust emissions in PM(1) and to road dust resuspension in PM(1-10). Size-fraction specific sources were: a PM(1) glass industry source characterized by Cs, Tl, Rb, Li and Na, only present in Payerne; a PM(1) background source characterized by V, Ni, sulfate and Fe; two PM(1-10) mineral-related sources, with higher contribution in summer; a PM(1-10) salt source; and a PM(1-10) organic source, with higher contribution in summer, attributed to bioaerosols. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B

Source Apportionment of PM10 by Positive Matrix Factorization in Urban Area of Mumbai, India

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Indrani Gupta

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Particulate Matter (PM10 has been one of the main air pollutants exceeding the ambient standards in most of the major cities in India. During last few years, receptor models such as Chemical Mass Balance, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF, PCA–APCS and UNMIX have been used to provide solutions to the source identification and contributions which are accepted for developing effective and efficient air quality management plans. Each site poses different complexities while resolving PM10 contributions. This paper reports the variability of four sites within Mumbai city using PMF. Industrial area of Mahul showed sources such as residual oil combustion and paved road dust (27%, traffic (20%, coal fired boiler (17%, nitrate (15%. Residential area of Khar showed sources such as residual oil combustion and construction (25%, motor vehicles (23%, marine aerosol and nitrate (19%, paved road dust (18% compared to construction and natural dust (27%, motor vehicles and smelting work (25%, nitrate (16% and biomass burning and paved road dust (15% in Dharavi, a low income slum residential area. The major contributors of PM10 at Colaba were marine aerosol, wood burning and ammonium sulphate (24%, motor vehicles and smelting work (22%, Natural soil (19%, nitrate and oil burning (18%.

Modeling PM10 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and evaluation of its impact on human health

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Bang Quoc Ho

2017-03-01

Full Text Available According to World Health Organization (WHO and Global Burden of Disease, ambient air pollution is estimated to be responsible for 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012 [1]. Therefore, it is urgent to estimate the impact of air pollution on public health and economic damage. The objectives of this research are: study the distribution of PM10 concentration over Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC and relationship to public health and for proposing solutions of diseases prevention in HCM, Vietnam. EMIssion SENSitivity model was applied to conduct air emission inventory for transportation sector. Then, Finite Volume Model and Transport and Photochemistry Mesoscale Model were used to simulate the meteorology and the spatial distribution of PM10 in HCMC. Together with disease data obtained, the US Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Model was applied for calculating the number of deaths and estimating economic losses due to PM10 pollution. Finally, solutions to reduce PM10 pollution and protect public health are proposed. The results showed that the highest 1-h average concentration of PM10 is 240 μg m−3 in North Eastern of HCMC. The concentration of PM10 for annual average in District 5 ranged from 17 to 49 μg m−3. There are 12 wards of District 5 with PM10 concentration exceeding the WHO guidelines (20 μg m−3 for annual average of PM10 and 50 μg m−3 for 24-h average. The high concentration of PM10 causes 5 deaths yr−1 in District 5 and 204 deaths yr−1 in HCMC, and it causes economic losses of 1.84 billion of USD.

Evaluating strategies to reduce urban air pollution

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Duque, L.; Relvas, H.; Silveira, C.; Ferreira, J.; Monteiro, A.; Gama, C.; Rafael, S.; Freitas, S.; Borrego, C.; Miranda, A. I.

2016-02-01

During the last years, specific air quality problems have been detected in the urban area of Porto (Portugal). Both PM10 and NO2 limit values have been surpassed in several air quality monitoring stations and, following the European legislation requirements, Air Quality Plans were designed and implemented to reduce those levels. In this sense, measures to decrease PM10 and NO2 emissions have been selected, these mainly related to the traffic sector, but also regarding the industrial and residential combustion sectors. The main objective of this study is to investigate the efficiency of these reduction measures with regard to the improvement of PM10 and NO2 concentration levels over the Porto urban region using a numerical modelling tool - The Air Pollution Model (TAPM). TAPM was applied over the study region, for a simulation domain of 80 × 80 km2 with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km2. The entire year of 2012 was simulated and set as the base year for the analysis of the impacts of the selected measures. Taking into account the main activity sectors, four main scenarios have been defined and simulated, with focus on: (1) hybrid cars; (2) a Low Emission Zone (LEZ); (3) fireplaces and (4) industry. The modelling results indicate that measures to reduce PM10 should be focused on residential combustion (fireplaces) and industrial activity and for NO2 the strategy should be based on the traffic sector. The implementation of all the defined scenarios will allow a total maximum reduction of 4.5% on the levels of both pollutants.

Spatial distribution of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) in Seoul Metropolitan Subway stations.

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Kim, Ki Youn; Kim, Yoon Shin; Roh, Young Man; Lee, Cheol Min; Kim, Chi Nyon

2008-06-15

The aims of this study are to examine the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in areas within the Seoul Metropolitan Subway network and to provide fundamental data in order to protect respiratory health of subway workers and passengers from air pollutants. A total of 22 subway stations located on lines 1-4 were selected based on subway official's guidance. At these stations both subway worker areas (station offices, rest areas, ticket offices and driver compartments) and passengers areas (station precincts, subway carriages and platforms) were the sites used for measuring the levels of PM. The mean concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were relatively higher on platforms, inside subway carriages and in driver compartments than in the other areas monitored. The levels of PM10 and PM2.5 for station precincts and platforms exceeded the 24-h acceptable threshold limits of 150 microg/m3 for PM10 and 35 microg/m3 for PM2.5, which are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, levels measured in station and ticket offices fell below the respective threshold. The mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations on platforms located underground were significantly higher than those at ground level (p<0.05).

Source Apportionment and Elemental Composition of PM2.5 and PM10 in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodeir, Mamdouh; Shamy, Magdy; Alghamdi, Mansour; Zhong, Mianhua; Sun, Hong; Costa, Max; Chen, Lung-Chi; Maciejczyk, Polina

2012-07-01

This paper presents the first comprehensive investigation of PM2.5 and PM10 composition and sources in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a multi-week multiple sites sampling campaign in Jeddah between June and September, 2011, and analyzed samples by XRF. The overall mean mass concentration was 28.4 ± 25.4 μg/m 3 for PM2.5 and 87.3 ± 47.3 μg/m 3 for PM10, with significant temporal and spatial variability. The average ratio of PM2.5/PM10 was 0.33. Chemical composition data were modeled using factor analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation to determine five and four particle source categories contributing significant amount of for PM2.5 and PM10 mass, respectively. In both PM2.5 and PM10 sources were (1) heavy oil combustion characterized by high Ni and V; (2) resuspended soil characterized by high concentrations of Ca, Fe, Al, and Si; and (3) marine aerosol. The two other sources in PM2.5 were (4) Cu/Zn source; (5) traffic source identified by presence of Pb, Br, and Se; while in PM10 it was a mixed industrial source. To estimate the mass contributions of each individual source category, the CAPs mass concentration was regressed against the factor scores. Cumulatively, resuspended soil and oil combustion contributed 77 and 82% mass of PM2.5 and PM10, respectively.

Receptor modeling studies for the characterization of PM10 pollution sources in Belgrade

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Mijić Zoran

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to determine the major sources and potential source regions of PM10 over Belgrade, Serbia. The PM10 samples were collected from July 2003 to December 2006 in very urban area of Belgrade and concentrations of Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The analysis of seasonal variations of PM10 mass and some element concentrations reported relatively higher concentrations in winter, what underlined the importance of local emission sources. The Unmix model was used for source apportionment purpose and the four main source profiles (fossil fuel combustion; traffic exhaust/regional transport from industrial centers; traffic related particles/site specific sources and mineral/crustal matter were identified. Among the resolved factors the fossil fuel combustion was the highest contributor (34% followed by traffic/regional industry (26%. Conditional probability function (CPF results identified possible directions of local sources. The potential source contribution function (PSCF and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT receptor models were used to identify spatial source distribution and contribution of regional-scale transported aerosols. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43007 i br. III41011

Sources of the PM10 aerosol in Flanders, Belgium, and re-assessment of the contribution from wood burning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maenhaut, Willy; Vermeylen, Reinhilde; Claeys, Magda; Vercauteren, Jordy; Roekens, Edward

2016-01-01

From 30 June 2011 to 2 July 2012 PM10 aerosol samples were simultaneously taken every 4th day at four urban background sites in Flanders, Belgium. The sites were in Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge, and Oostende. The PM10 mass concentration was determined by weighing; organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were measured by thermal-optical analysis, the wood burning tracers levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 8 water-soluble ions were measured by ion chromatography, and 15 elements were determined by a combination of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. The multi-species dataset was subjected to receptor modeling by PMF. The 10 retained factors (with their overall average percentage contributions to the experimental PM10 mass) were wood burning (9.5%), secondary nitrate (24%), secondary sulfate (12.6%), sea salt (10.0%), aged sea salt (19.2%), crustal matter (9.7%), non-ferrous metals (1.81%), traffic (10.3%), non-exhaust traffic (0.52%), and heavy oil burning (3.0%). The average contributions of wood smoke for the four sites were quite substantial in winter and ranged from 12.5 to 20% for the PM10 mass and from 47 to 64% for PM10 OC. Wood burning appeared to be also a notable source of As, Cd, and Pb. The contribution from wood burning to the PM10 mass and OC was also assessed by making use of levoglucosan as single marker compound and the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008), as done in our previous study on wood burning in Flanders (Maenhaut et al., 2012). However, the apportionments were much lower than those deduced from PMF. It seems that the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008) may not be applicable to wood burning in Flanders. From scatter plots of the PMF-derived wood smoke OC and PM versus levoglucosan, we arrived at conversion factors of 9.7 and 22.6, respectively. - Highlights: • A one-year study with 4 urban background sites and a total of 372

Sources of the PM10 aerosol in Flanders, Belgium, and re-assessment of the contribution from wood burning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maenhaut, Willy, E-mail: willy.maenhaut@ugent.be [Ghent University (UGent), Department of Analytical Chemistry, Krijgslaan 281, S12, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); University of Antwerp - UA, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Antwerpen (Belgium); Vermeylen, Reinhilde; Claeys, Magda [University of Antwerp - UA, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Antwerpen (Belgium); Vercauteren, Jordy; Roekens, Edward [Flemish Environment Agency (VMM), Kronenburgstraat 45, B-2000, Antwerpen (Belgium)

2016-08-15

From 30 June 2011 to 2 July 2012 PM10 aerosol samples were simultaneously taken every 4th day at four urban background sites in Flanders, Belgium. The sites were in Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge, and Oostende. The PM10 mass concentration was determined by weighing; organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were measured by thermal-optical analysis, the wood burning tracers levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 8 water-soluble ions were measured by ion chromatography, and 15 elements were determined by a combination of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. The multi-species dataset was subjected to receptor modeling by PMF. The 10 retained factors (with their overall average percentage contributions to the experimental PM10 mass) were wood burning (9.5%), secondary nitrate (24%), secondary sulfate (12.6%), sea salt (10.0%), aged sea salt (19.2%), crustal matter (9.7%), non-ferrous metals (1.81%), traffic (10.3%), non-exhaust traffic (0.52%), and heavy oil burning (3.0%). The average contributions of wood smoke for the four sites were quite substantial in winter and ranged from 12.5 to 20% for the PM10 mass and from 47 to 64% for PM10 OC. Wood burning appeared to be also a notable source of As, Cd, and Pb. The contribution from wood burning to the PM10 mass and OC was also assessed by making use of levoglucosan as single marker compound and the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008), as done in our previous study on wood burning in Flanders (Maenhaut et al., 2012). However, the apportionments were much lower than those deduced from PMF. It seems that the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008) may not be applicable to wood burning in Flanders. From scatter plots of the PMF-derived wood smoke OC and PM versus levoglucosan, we arrived at conversion factors of 9.7 and 22.6, respectively. - Highlights: • A one-year study with 4 urban background sites and a total of 372

Establishing a link between vehicular PM sources and PM measurements in urban street canyons.

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Eisner, Alfred D; Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Wiener, Russell W; Hahn, Intaek; Drake-Richman, Zora E; Ellenson, William D

2009-12-01

The Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) study, conducted in Brooklyn, NY, USA, in 2005, was designed with multiple goals in mind, two of which were contaminant source characterization and street canyon transport and dispersion monitoring. In the portion of the study described here, synchronized wind velocity and azimuth as well as particulate matter (PM) concentrations at multiple locations along 33rd Street were used to determine the feasibility of using traffic emissions in a complex urban topography as a sole tracer for studying urban contaminant transport. We demonstrate in this paper that it is possible to link downwind concentrations of contaminants in an urban street canyon to the vehicular traffic cycle using Eigen-frequency analysis. In addition, multivariable circular histograms are used to establish directional frequency maxima for wind velocity and contaminant concentration.

PM 10 Nonattainment Areas

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This data layer identifies areas in the U.S. where air pollution levels have not met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM 10 and have been...

Spatiotemporal analysis of the PM10 concentration over the Taranto area.

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Pollice, Alessio; Jona Lasinio, Giovanna

2010-03-01

In this paper, an analysis of air quality data is provided for the municipal area of Taranto (southern Italy) characterized by high environmental risks as formally decreed by the Italian government in the 1990s with two administrative measures. This is due to the massive presence of industrial sites with elevated environmental impact activities along the NW boundary of the city conurbation. The aforementioned activities have effects on the environment and on public health, as a number of epidemiological researches concerning this area reconfirm. The present study is focused on particulate matter as measured by PM10 concentrations at 13 monitoring stations, equipped with analogous instruments based on the Beta absorption technology, either reporting hourly, two-hourly, or daily measurements. Daily estimates of the PM10 concentration surfaces are obtained in order to identify areas of higher concentration (hot spots), possibly related to specific anthropic activities. Preliminary analysis involved addressing several data problems: (1) due to the use of two different validation techniques, a calibration procedure was devised to allow for data comparability; (2) imputation techniques were considered to cope with the large number of missing data, due to both different working periods and occasional malfunctions of PM10 sensors; and (3) reliable weather covariates (wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature, etc.) were obtained and considered within the analysis. Spatiotemporal modelling was addressed by a Bayesian kriging-based model proposed by Le and Zidek (2006) characterized by the use of time varying covariates and a semiparametric covariance structure. Advantages and disadvantages of the model are highlighted and assessed in terms of fit and performance. Estimated daily PM10 concentration surfaces are suitable for the interpretation of time trends and for identifying concentration peaks within the urban area.

PM2.5 and PM10 Emission from agricultural soils by wind erosion

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Soil tillage and wind erosion are a major source of particulate matter less than 2.5 and 10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10) emission from cultivated soil. Fifteen cultivated soils collected from 5 states were tested as crushed (<2.0 mm) and uncrushed (natural aggregation) at 8, 10, and 13 m s-1 wind velocity in...

Estimation of daily PM10 concentrations in Italy (2006-2012) using finely resolved satellite data, land use variables and meteorology.

Science.gov (United States)

Stafoggia, Massimo; Schwartz, Joel; Badaloni, Chiara; Bellander, Tom; Alessandrini, Ester; Cattani, Giorgio; De' Donato, Francesca; Gaeta, Alessandra; Leone, Gianluca; Lyapustin, Alexei; Sorek-Hamer, Meytar; de Hoogh, Kees; Di, Qian; Forastiere, Francesco; Kloog, Itai

2017-02-01

Health effects of air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), have been widely investigated. However, most of the studies rely on few monitors located in urban areas for short-term assessments, or land use/dispersion modelling for long-term evaluations, again mostly in cities. Recently, the availability of finely resolved satellite data provides an opportunity to estimate daily concentrations of air pollutants over wide spatio-temporal domains. Italy lacks a robust and validated high resolution spatio-temporally resolved model of particulate matter. The complex topography and the air mixture from both natural and anthropogenic sources are great challenges difficult to be addressed. We combined finely resolved data on Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm, ground-level PM 10 measurements, land-use variables and meteorological parameters into a four-stage mixed model framework to derive estimates of daily PM 10 concentrations at 1-km2 grid over Italy, for the years 2006-2012. We checked performance of our models by applying 10-fold cross-validation (CV) for each year. Our models displayed good fitting, with mean CV-R2=0.65 and little bias (average slope of predicted VS observed PM 10 =0.99). Out-of-sample predictions were more accurate in Northern Italy (Po valley) and large conurbations (e.g. Rome), for background monitoring stations, and in the winter season. Resulting concentration maps showed highest average PM 10 levels in specific areas (Po river valley, main industrial and metropolitan areas) with decreasing trends over time. Our daily predictions of PM 10 concentrations across the whole Italy will allow, for the first time, estimation of long-term and short-term effects of air pollution nationwide, even in areas lacking monitoring data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 93.116 - Criteria and procedures: Localized CO, PM10, and PM2.5 violations (hot-spots).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., PM10, and PM2.5 violations (hot-spots). 93.116 Section 93.116 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL....116 Criteria and procedures: Localized CO, PM10, and PM2.5 violations (hot-spots). (a) This paragraph... hot-spot analysis in PM10 and PM2.5 nonattainment and maintenance areas for FHWA/FTA projects that are...

Ecotoxicity of water-soluble PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 aerosols at Gosan Climate Observatory (GCO) in Jeju, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J. A.; Lee, M.; Yoon, H. O.; Bae, M. S.

2017-12-01

The water-soluble components of aerosols are rapidly permeated to various biosurfaces through the deposition process due to their high solubility and have profound effects on ecosystem functioning as well as human health. In this context, the ecotoxicity of atmospheric aerosol was assessed, particularly for water-soluble components. For measurements of ecotoxicity of water soluble components, ambient aerosols of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were collected on filters at Gosan Climate Observatory (GCO), Jeju, Korea in May, August, October 2010, March and July 2011. The ecotoxicity was estimated using Vibrio fischeri based on bioluminescence inhibition bioassay. In this study, EC10 (10% effective concentration) value was used as an ecotoxicity indicator. The EC10 value was generally in good relation with major water-soluble constituents such as SO42-, NH4+, and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). The characteristics of ecotoxicity was different in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 aerosols. The EC10 of PM10 was correlated well with SO42- (r=-0.53) and Mg2+(r=-0.52). The ecotoxicity was relatively high in smaller particles with either high NO3-/SO42- ratio or WSOC concentration. The high ecotoxicity was found in outflows mostly from nearby lands especially under stagnant condition.

Non-chemistry coupled PM10 modeling in Chiang Mai City, Northern Thailand: A fast operational approach for aerosol forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Macatangay, Ronald; Bagtasa, Gerry; Sonkaew, Thiranan

2017-09-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF v. 3.7) model was applied to model PM10 data in Chiang Mai city for 10-days during a high haze event utilizing updated land use categories from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). A higher resolution meteorological lateral boundary condition (from 1 degree to 0.25 degree) was also used from the NCEP GDAS/FNL Global Tropospheric Analyses and Forecast Grid system. A 3-category urban canopy model was also added and the Thompson aerosol-aware microphysics parameterization scheme was used to model the aerosol number concentrations that were later converted to PM10 concentrations. Aerosol number concentration monthly climatology was firstly used as initial and lateral boundary conditions to model PM10 concentrations. These were compared to surface data obtained from two stations of the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of Thailand. The results from the modeled PM10 concentrations could not capture the variability (r = 0.29; 0.27 for each site) and underestimated a high PM10 spike during the period studied. The authors then added satellite data to the aerosol climatology that improved the comparison with observations (r = 0.45; 43). However, both model runs still were not able to capture the high PM10 concentration event. This requires further investigation.

Physicochemical properties, in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of PM1.0 and PM2.5 from Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yajuan; Wu, Yizhao; Wang, Yali; Li, Yinsheng; Jin, Chengyu

2017-08-01

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) links with a variety of respiratory diseases. However, compared with coarse particles (PM 10 ) and fine particles (PM 2.5 ), submicrometer particles (PM 1.0 ) may be a more important indicator of human health risks. In this study, the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of PM 1.0 samples from Shanghai were examined using A549 cells, and compared with the effects of PM 2.5 , to better understand the health effects of PM 1.0 in this area. The PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 samples were characterized for morphology, water-soluble inorganic ions, organic and elemental carbon, and metal elements. The cytotoxicity of PMs was measured using cell viability and cell membrane damage assays. The genotoxic effects of PMs were determined using the comet assay, and DNA damage was quantified using olive tail moment (OTM) values. The physicochemical characterization indicated that PM 1.0 was enriched in carbonaceous elements and hazardous metals (Al, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu, and V), whereas PM 2.5 was more abundant in large, irregular mineral particles. The biological results revealed that both PM 1.0 and PM 2.5 could induce significant cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in A549 cells, and that exposure to PM 1.0 caused more extensive toxic effects than exposure to PM 2.5 . The greater cytotoxic effects of PM 1.0 can be attributed to the combined effects of size and chemical composition, whereas the genotoxic effects of PM 1.0 may be mainly associated with chemical species.

The effect of mineral dust transport on PM10 concentrations and physical properties in Istanbul during 2007-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Rosa M.; Kaya, Nefel; Eşer, Övgü; Saltan, Şehnaz

2017-11-01

Mineral dust is the most significant source of natural particulate matter. In urban regions, where > 50% of the world population is currently living, local emissions of particulate matter are further aggravated by mineral dust loadings from deserts. The megacity of Istanbul is located in an area sensitive to local pollution due to transportation (i.e., private cars, public transportation, aircrafts, ships, heavy diesel trucks, etc.), industrial emissions, residential heating, and long-range transport from Europe, Asia, and deserts. In this work, the effect of desert dust transport on PM10 concentrations and physical properties was investigated for the period of 2007-2014 in the touristic area of Aksaray, Istanbul. The Dust Regional Atmospheric Model (DREAM8b) was used to predict dust loading in Istanbul during dust transport events. Variations on surface PM10 concentrations were investigated according to seasons and during dust transport events. Cluster analysis of air mass backward trajectories was useful to understand frequency analysis and air mass trajectory dependence of PM10 concentrations on dust loadings. The effect of desert dust transport on aerosol optical depths was also investigated. It was observed that PM10 concentrations exceeded the air quality standard of 50 μg m- 3 50% of the time during the study period. The largest number of exceedances in air quality standard occurred during the spring and winter seasons. Approximately 40-60% of the dust loading occurs during the spring. Desert dust and non-desert dust sources contribute to 22-72% and 48-81% of the ground-level PM10 concentrations in Aksaray, Istanbul during the study period. Averaged AOD observed during dust transport events in spring and summer ranged 0.35-0.55. Cluster analysis resolved over 82% the variability of individual air mass backward trajectories into 5 clusters. Overall, air masses arriving to Istanbul at 500 m are equally distributed into northern (52%) and southern (48

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Bound to PM 2.5 in Urban Coimbatore, India with Emphasis on Source Apportionment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Mohanraj

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Coimbatore is one of the fast growing industrial cities of Southern India with an urban population of 1.9 million. This study attempts to evaluate the trends of airborne fine particulates (PM 2.5 and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH on them. The PM 2.5 mass was collected in polytetra fluoroethylene filters using fine particulate sampler at monthly intervals during March 2009 to February 2010. PAHs were extracted from PM 2.5 and estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography. It is alarming to note that PM 2.5 values ranged between 27.85 and 165.75 μg/m3 and exceeded the air quality standards in many sampling events. The sum of 9 PAHs bound to PM 2.5 in a single sampling event ranged from 4.1 to 1632.3 ng/m3. PAH diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis results revealed vehicular emissions and diesel-powered generators as predominant sources of PAH in Coimbatore.

The Effect of Economic Growth, Urbanization, and Industrialization on Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentrations in China.

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Li, Guangdong; Fang, Chuanglin; Wang, Shaojian; Sun, Siao

2016-11-01

Rapid economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization in China have led to extremely severe air pollution that causes increasing negative effects on human health, visibility, and climate change. However, the influence mechanisms of these anthropogenic factors on fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations are poorly understood. In this study, we combined panel data and econometric methods to investigate the main anthropogenic factors that contribute to increasing PM 2.5 concentrations in China at the prefecture level from 1999 to 2011. The results showed that PM 2.5 concentrations and three anthropogenic factors were cointegrated. The panel Fully Modified Least Squares and panel Granger causality test results indicated that economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization increased PM 2.5 concentrations in the long run. The results implied that if China persists in its current development pattern, economic growth, industrialization and urbanization will inevitably lead to increased PM 2.5 emissions in the long term. Industrialization was the principal factor that affected PM 2.5 concentrations for the total panel, the industry-oriented panel and the service-oriented panel. PM 2.5 concentrations can be reduced at the cost of short-term economic growth and industrialization. However, reducing the urbanization level is not an efficient way to decrease PM 2.5 pollutions in the short term. The findings also suggest that a rapid reduction of PM 2.5 concentrations relying solely on adjusting these anthropogenic factors is difficult in a short-term for the heavily PM 2.5 -polluted panel. Moreover, the Chinese government will have to seek much broader policies that favor a decoupling of these coupling relationships.

Diagnosis of Dust- and Pollution- Impacted PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 Aerosols Observed at Gosan Climate Observatory

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Shang, X.; Lee, M.; LIM, S.; Gustafsson, O.; Lee, G.; Chang, L.

2017-12-01

In East Asia, dust is prevalent and used to be mixed with various pollutants during transportation, causing a large uncertainty in estimating the climate forcing of aerosol and difficulty in making environmental policy. In order to diagnose the influence of dust particles on aerosol, we conducted a long-term measurement of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 for mass, water-soluble ions, and carbonaceous compounds at Gosan Climate Observatory, South Korea from August 2007 to February 2012. The result of principle component analysis reveals that anthropogenic, typical soil dust, and saline dust impact explain 46 %, 16 %, and 9 % of the total variance for all samples, respectively. The mode analysis of mass distributions provides the criteria to distinguish these principle factors. The anthropogenic impact was most pronounced in PM1 and diagnosed by the PM1 mass higher than mean+σ. If PM10 mass was greater than mean+σ, it was highly likely to be affected by typical soil dust. This criterion is also applicable for PM2.5 mass, which was enhanced by both haze and dust particles, though. In the present study, saline dust was recognized by relatively high concentrations of Na and Cl ions in PM1.0. However, their existence was not manifested by increased mass in any of three PM types.

Health benefits of PM10 reduction in Iran

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Marzouni, Mohammad Bagherian; Moradi, Mahsa; Zarasvandi, Alireza; Akbaripoor, Shayan; Hassanvand, Mohammad Sadegh; Neisi, Abdolkazem; Goudarzi, Gholamreza; Mohammadi, Mohammad Javad; Sheikhi, Reza; Kermani, Majid; Shirmardi, Mohammad; Naimabadi, Abolfazl; Gholami, Moeen; Mozhdehi, Saeed Pourkarim; Esmaeili, Mehdi; Barari, Kian

2017-08-01

Air pollution contains a complex mixture of poisonous compounds including particulate matter (PM) which has wide spectrum of adverse health effects. The main purpose of this study was to estimate the potential health impacts or benefits due to any changes in annual PM10 level in four major megacities of Iran. The required data of PM10 for AirQ software was collected from air quality monitoring stations in four megacities of Iran. The preprocessing was carried out using macro coding in excel environment. The relationship between different presumptive scenarios and health impacts was determined. We also assessed the health benefits of reducing PM10 to WHO Air Quality Guidelines (WHO-AQGs) and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs) levels with regard to the rate of mortality and morbidity in studied cities. We found that the 10 μg/m3 increase in annual PM10 concentration is responsible for seven (95% CI 6-8) cases increase in total number of deaths per 2 × 105 person. We also found that 10.7, 7.2, 5.7, and 5.3% of total death is attributable to short-term exposure to air pollution for Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively. We found that by attaining the WHO's proposed value for PM10, the potential health benefits of 89, 84, 79, and 78% were obtained in Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively. The results also indicated that 27, 10, 3, and 1% of health impacts were attributed to dust storm days for Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran, respectively.

MUTAGENIC AND CYTOTOXIC FACTORS IN PM10 AND PM2.5 FRACTIONS IN ATMOSPHERE IN SOSNOWIEC

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Agnieszka Kozłowska

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Air dust pollution enters human body via respiratory system. Its cytotoxic effect is surveyed using cell lines of mononuclear or pulmonary epithelial cell origins. Mutagenic properties are assessed using short-term assay on Salmonella typhimurium bacterial strains. Mutagenic and cytotoxic properties of air dust pollution – fractions PM10 and PM2.5, which were collected in autumn and in winter, were assessed using Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium strains and MTT cytoxicity assay on mononuclear cell line RAW 264.7, respectively. Samples of dust were collected on glass fiber filters by (Harvard impactor with air flow ca. 9 l/min, splitting samples to the fraction PM10 and PM2.5. Extraction of pollution was carried out using dichlorometane. Extracted samples were dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO before analyses. The highest value of mutagenicity ratio (MR was observed in YG1041 strain with metabolic activation by S9 extract in the PM10 sample of dust collected in winter. The lowest one was observed in TA98 strain without activation in the PM2.5 sample of dust collected in autumn. Winter dust samples, both the fractions PM10 and PM2,5, were toxic for TA98 strain in both test conditions (5S9. MTT cytotoxicity assay using mononuclear cell line RAW 264.7 showed that fractions PM10 and PM2.5 collected in winter were of highest toxic properties. The viability of cells, which were treated with samples of 0,312 m3 air, were 1,7% and 1,6%, respectively, while for autumn samples for PM2,5 the viability was 63%.

Development of methods to examine the effects of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) on human peripheral blood leukocytes

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Zussman, Lisa Ann

In vitro methods to study the effect of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) on leukocyte function using human peripheral blood were developed. These methods were demonstrated using the blood of 1-5 individuals and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) urban PM #1648, diesel PM #1650, silica PM, and a locally collected PM sample (New Jersey PM10). For the blood samples analyzed in this study NIST urban PM and New Jersey PM10 treatment mediated the release of granule contents from peripheral blood leukocytes and induced structural changes associated with degranulation. Flow cytometry revealed PM-induced changes in phagocytosis and cell structure associated with degranulation. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed NIST urban PM-induced cell structure changes were associated with PM internalization. Colorametric and electrophoretic methods showed no PM-induced release of primary granules and a slight PM-induced release of secondary granules associated with only NIST urban PM. Enzyme Immunosorbent Assays detected increased histamine release from basophils treated with NIST urban PM, a locally collected PM, and the soluble and insoluble components of these particles. NIST urban PM was found to be a potent inducer of histamine release in 4 out of 6 individuals tested. Fractionation studies revealed that soluble (aqueous) and insoluble fractions of NIST urban PM contain histamine-releasing activity. This was also demonstrated for the New Jersey PM10 sample for which the soluble fraction exhibited the most activity. Complementary studies with inhibitors of IgE-mediated histamine release conducted on one test subject suggest that PM-induced histamine release was partially mediated by IgE. A new hypothesis has been formed, suggesting that particle toxicity is related to PM-induced histamine release. Due to the bioactive nature of histamine and its association with many cardiopulmonary responses, the PM- mediated release of histamine should be investigated

The Effect of PM 10 on Ischemia- Reperfusion Induced Arrhythmias in Rats

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Esmat Radmanesh

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies show that particulate matter (PM is the principal instigator of some adverse clinical symptoms involving cardiovascular diseases. PM exposure can increase experimental infarct size and potentiate myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias in experimental MI models such as ischemia-reperfusion (I/R injury.The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of particulate matter (PM10 on ischemia- reperfusion induced arrhythmias with emphasis on the protective role of VA as an antioxidant on them. Male Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups (n=10: Control, VAc, Sham, VA, PM1 (0.5 mg/kg, PM2 (2.5 mg/kg, PM3 group (5 mg/kg, PM3 + VA group. Within 48 hours, PM10 was instilled into trachea in two stages. Then the hearts were isolated, transferred to a Langendorff apparatus, and subjected to global ischemia (30 minutes followed by reperfusion (60 minutes. The ischemia- reperfusion induced ventricular arrhythmias were assessed according to the Lambeth conventions.In the present study,the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmiasduring30 minutes ischemia were demonstrated to be more than those in the reperfusion stage. PM exposure increased significantly the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmias in the ischemia and reperfusion duration. Vanillic acid reduced significantly the number, incidence and duration of arrhythmias during the ischemia and reperfusion period.In summary, the results of this study demonstrated that the protective and dysrhythmic effects of VA in the PM exposure rats in I/R model are probably related to its antioxidant properties.

Relationships of relative humidity with PM2.5 and PM10 in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

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Lou, Cairong; Liu, Hongyu; Li, Yufeng; Peng, Yan; Wang, Juan; Dai, Lingjun

2017-10-23

Severe particulate matter (PM, including PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) pollution frequently impacts many cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in China, which has aroused growing concern. In this study, we examined the associations between relative humidity (RH) and PM pollution using the equal step-size statistical method. Our results revealed that RH had an inverted U-shaped relationship with PM 2.5 concentrations (peaking at RH = 45-70%), and an inverted V-shaped relationship (peaking at RH = 40 ± 5%) with PM 10 , SO 2 , and NO 2 . The trends of polluted-day number significantly changed at RH = 70%. The very-dry (RH humidity (RH = 60-70%) conditions positively affected PM 2.5 and exerted an accumulation effect, while the mid-humidity (RH = 70-80%), high-humidity (RH = 80-90%), and extreme-humidity (RH = 90-100%) conditions played a significant role in reducing particle concentrations. For PM 10 , the accumulation and reduction effects of RH were split at RH = 45%. Moreover, an upward slope in the PM 2.5 /PM 10 ratio indicated that the accumulation effects from increasing RH were more intense on PM 2.5 than on PM 10 , while the opposite was noticed for the reduction effects. Secondary transformations from SO 2 and NO 2 to sulfate and nitrate were mainly responsible for PM 2.5 pollution, and thus, controlling these precursors is effective in mitigating the PM pollution in the YRD, especially during winter. The conclusions in this study will be helpful for regional air-quality management.

Modelling of particulate matter pollution (PM10) over the Etang de Berre area Determination of areas of homogeneous pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brocheton, F.; Poulet, D.; Mesbah, B.; Hourdin, G.

2010-01-01

AIRFOBEP is the association in charge of the air quality monitoring in the Etang de Berre area. AIRFOBEP is managing a network of ten sensors to monitor the PMI (particulate matter index) particulate pollution. This network is updated once a year according to the Air Quality Monitoring Plan (PSQA). Optimizing this network needs to know how the particulate pollution is distributed in the area. In other words, to determine the limits of homogeneous zones of PM 10 pollution. The aim of the project presented in this article is to produce a map of homogeneous zones of PM 10 pollution in the Etang de Berre area. The project was carried out in two steps: - PM 10 atmospheric dispersion modeling, using a ADMS-URBAN software, - Statistic classification, based on the well known Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) technique. Results of the atmospheric dispersion modeling was namely adjusted using an original technique for the 'background PM 10 pollution' computation. Good performances have been obtained when comparing modeling and measurements data. Finally, a set of five homogeneous zones was found to well describe the PM 10 pollution level distribution in the Etang de Berre area. (author)

Neural network model for the prediction of PM10 daily concentrations in two sites in the Western Mediterranean.

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de Gennaro, Gianluigi; Trizio, Livia; Di Gilio, Alessia; Pey, Jorge; Pérez, Noemi; Cusack, Michael; Alastuey, Andrés; Querol, Xavier

2013-10-01

An artificial neural network (ANN) was developed and tested to forecast PM10 daily concentration in two contrasted environments in NE Spain, a regional background site (Montseny), and an urban background site (Barcelona-CSIC), which was highly influenced by vehicular emissions. In order to predict 24-h average PM10 concentrations, the artificial neural network previously developed by Caselli et al. (2009) was improved by using hourly PM concentrations and deterministic factors such as a Saharan dust alert. In particular, the model input data for prediction were the hourly PM10 concentrations 1-day in advance, local meteorological data and information about air masses origin. The forecasted performance indexes for both sites were calculated and they showed better results for the regional background site in Montseny (R(2)=0.86, SI=0.75) than for urban site in Barcelona (R(2)=0.73, SI=0.58), influenced by local and sometimes unexpected sources. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis conducted to understand the importance of the different variables included among the input data, showed that local meteorology and air masses origin are key factors in the model forecasts. This result explains the reason for the improvement of ANN's forecasting performance at the Montseny site with respect to the Barcelona site. Moreover, the artificial neural network developed in this work could prove useful to predict PM10 concentrations, especially, at regional background sites such as those on the Mediterranean Basin which are primarily affected by long-range transports. Hence, the artificial neural network presented here could be a powerful tool for obtaining real time information on air quality status and could aid stakeholders in their development of cost-effective control strategies. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study and evaluation of atmospheric pollution in Spain: necessary measures arising from the EC Directive on PM10 and PM2.5 particles in the Ceramic industry

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Rodríguez, S.

2000-02-01

Full Text Available The European Commission Directive, 1999/30/EC, approved on the 22nd of April 1999, on atmospheric particles establishes a standard that is more stringent than the current one. This Directive proposes the monitoring of particles lower than 10 μm (PM10, thoracic particles based on health impact criteria. The proposed EC limits are 40 μgPM10.m-3 and 20 μgPM10.m-3 as annual means in 2005 and 2010, respectively. In accordance with the European Commission (EC, the future PM10 limits will be revised in 2003 if the European States can demonstrate that the exceedances of the new limits are attributed to natural inputs. The exceedances due to natural inputs are more frequent in Mediterranean countries due to the re-suspension of natural soil particles and to the higher frequency of Saharan air mass intrusions. This study summarises the preliminary results obtained from two research projects in Spain focused on: 1 establishing the criteria for the discrimination of natural/anthropogenic inputs of PM10; 2 identifying the events when the proposed limits are exceeded by natural inputs and 3 determining the most suitable monitoring parameter, PM10 or PM2.5, in order to avoid natural interference. Given the importance of the ceramic industry in Castelló, special attention will be placed on the preliminary results obtained this area.La Directiva de la comisión Europea, 1999/30/CE, aprobada el 22 de Abril de 1999, referida a partículas atmosféricas en suspensión, establece una normativa más estricta que la vigente. Esta normativa propone el control de las partículas inferiores a 10 μm (PM10, partículas torácicas basándose en criterios de impacto en la salud. Según esta directiva no se podrán superar medias diarias anuales de 40 μgPM10.m-3 en el 2005 y de 20 μgPM10.m-3 en el 2010. La directiva contempla la revisión de los límites normativos y de los parámetros de control en el 2003, pudiendo variar estos en el caso de que los Estados miembros

Measurement of Ambient Air Particle (TSP, PM10, PM2,5) Around Candidate Location of PLTN Semenanjung Lemahabang

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AgusGindo S; Budi Hari H

2008-01-01

Measurement analysis of ambient air particle (TSP, PM 10 , PM 2,5 ) around location candidate of PLTN (Power Station of Nuclear Energy) Semenanjung Lemahabang has been carried out. The measurement was conducted in May 2007 with a purpose to providing information about concentration of ambient air particle (TSP, PM 10 , PM 2,5 ) and diameter distribution of its air particle. The measurement was conducted in three locations i.e. 1). Balong village 2). Bayuran 3). Bondo. Concentration of TSP, PM 10 , and PM 2,5 per 24 hours in all measured locations in area candidate of PLTN exceed quality standard of national ambient air is specified by government. All measurement locations for the TSP, PM 10 , and PM 2,5 was include category of ISPU (Standard Index of Air Pollution) moderate. (author)

Vertical characteristics and source identification of PM10 in Tianjin

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhimei Xiao; Jianhui Wu; Suqin Han; Yufen Zhang; Hong Xu; Xiaoyong Zhang; Guoliang Shi; Yinchang Feng

2012-01-01

Ambient PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μm) concentrations were measured on a 255 meter tower in Tianjin,China.The samples were collected at four vertical levels (10,40,120 and 220 m).Vertical characteristics for PM10 samples were studied.The results showed that the concentrations of PM10 and constituent species had a negative correlation with the sampling height.The highest concentrations of PM10 and species were obtained at the 10 m level,and the lowest concentrations were measured at the 220 m level.For the fractions of species to total mass,SO42- and NO3- had higher values (fraction) at greater height; while Ca had a higher fraction at lower height.Possible source categories for the PM10 ambient dataset were identified by the principal component analysis method.The possible source categories included crustal dust,vehicles,cement dust,and incineration as well as secondary sulfate and nitrate sources.Analysis of meteorological factors on PM10 concentrations indicated that wind speed and inversion may be the main factors contributing to different concentrations of PM10 at different heights.

Spatiotemporal Association of Real-Time Concentrations of Black Carbon (BC with Fine Particulate Matters (PM2.5 in Urban Hotspots of South Korea

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Sungroul Kim

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the spatiotemporal distributions of black carbon (BC and particulate matters with aerodynamic diameters of less than 2.5 m (PM2.5 concentrations at urban diesel engine emission (DEE hotspots of South Korea. Concentrations of BC and PM2.5 were measured at the entrance gate of two diesel bus terminals and a train station, in 2014. Measurements were conducted simultaneously at the hotspot (Site 1 and at its adjacent, randomly selected, residential areas, apartment complex near major roadways, located with the same direction of 300 m (Site 2 and 500 m (Site 3 away from Site 1 on 4 different days over the season, thrice per day; morning (n = 120 measurements for each day and site, evening (n = 120, and noon (n = 120. The median (interquartile range PM2.5 ranged from 12.6 (11.3–14.3 to 60.1 (47.0–76.0 μg/m3 while those of BC concentrations ranged from 2.6 (1.9–3.7 to 6.3 (4.2–10.3 μg/m3. We observed a strong relationship of PM2.5 concentrations between sites (slopes 0.89–0.9, the coefficient of determination 0.89–0.96 while the relationship for BC concentrations between sites was relatively weak (slopes 0.76–0.85, the coefficient of determination 0.54–0.72. PM2.5 concentrations were changed from 4% to 140% by unit increase of BC concentration, depending on site and time while likely supporting the necessity of monitoring of BC as well as PM2.5, especially at urban DEE related hotspot areas.

Concentrations and source apportionment of PM10 and associated elemental and ionic species in a lignite-burning power generation area of southern Greece.

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Argyropoulos, G; Grigoratos, Th; Voutsinas, M; Samara, C

2013-10-01

Ambient concentrations of PM10 and associated elemental and ionic species were measured over the cold and the warm months of 2010 at an urban and two rural sites located in the lignite-fired power generation area of Megalopolis in Peloponnese, southern Greece. The PM10 concentrations at the urban site (44.2 ± 33.6 μg m(-3)) were significantly higher than those at the rural sites (23.7 ± 20.4 and 22.7 ± 26.9 μg m(-3)). Source apportionment of PM10 and associated components was accomplished by an advanced computational procedure, the robotic chemical mass balance model (RCMB), using chemical profiles for a variety of local fugitive dust sources (power plant fly ash, flue gas desulfurization wet ash, feeding lignite, infertile material from the opencast mines, paved and unpaved road dusts, soil), which were resuspended and sampled through a PM10 inlet onto filters and then chemically analyzed, as well as of other common sources such as vehicular traffic, residential oil combustion, biomass burning, uncontrolled waste burning, marine aerosol, and secondary aerosol formation. Geological dusts (road/soil dust) were found to be major PM10 contributors in both the cold and warm periods of the year, with average annual contribution of 32.6 % at the urban site vs. 22.0 and 29.0 % at the rural sites. Secondary aerosol also appeared to be a significant source, contributing 22.1 % at the urban site in comparison to 30.6 and 28.7 % at the rural sites. At all sites, the contribution of biomass burning was most significant in winter (28.2 % at the urban site vs. 14.6 and 24.6 % at the rural sites), whereas vehicular exhaust contribution appeared to be important mostly in the summer (21.9 % at the urban site vs. 11.5 and 10.5 % at the rural sites). The highest contribution of fly ash (33.2 %) was found at the rural site located to the north of the power plants during wintertime, when winds are favorable. In the warm period, the highest contribution of fly ash was found at the

Predicting PM10 concentration in Seoul metropolitan subway stations using artificial neural network (ANN).

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sechan; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Minhae; Namgung, Hyeong-Gyu; Kim, Ki-Tae; Cho, Kyung Hwa; Kwon, Soon-Bark

2018-01-05

The indoor air quality of subway systems can significantly affect the health of passengers since these systems are widely used for short-distance transit in metropolitan urban areas in many countries. The particles generated by abrasion during subway operations and the vehicle-emitted pollutants flowing in from the street in particular affect the air quality in underground subway stations. Thus the continuous monitoring of particulate matter (PM) in underground station is important to evaluate the exposure level of PM to passengers. However, it is difficult to obtain indoor PM data because the measurement systems are expensive and difficult to install and operate for significant periods of time in spaces crowded with people. In this study, we predicted the indoor PM concentration using the information of outdoor PM, the number of subway trains running, and information on ventilation operation by the artificial neural network (ANN) model. As well, we investigated the relationship between ANN's performance and the depth of underground subway station. ANN model showed a high correlation between the predicted and actual measured values and it was able to predict 67∼80% of PM at 6 subway station. In addition, we found that platform shape and depth influenced the model performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human health risk due to variations in PM10-PM2.5 and associated PAHs levels

Science.gov (United States)

Sosa, Beatriz S.; Porta, Andrés; Colman Lerner, Jorge Esteban; Banda Noriega, Roxana; Massolo, Laura

2017-07-01

WHO (2012) reports that chronic exposure to air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), causes the death of 7 million people, constituting the most important environmental risk for health in the world. IARC classifies contaminated outdoor air as carcinogenic, Group 1 category. However, in our countries there are few studies regarding air pollution levels and possible associated effects on public health. The current study determined PM and associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) levels in outdoor air, identified their possible emission sources and analysed health risks in the city of Tandil (Argentina). PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected using a low volume sampler (MiniVol TAS) in three areas: city centre, industrial and residential. Concentrations were determined by gravimetric methods and the content of the US EPA 16 priority PAHs was found by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Description of the main emission sources and selection of monitoring sites resulted from spatial analysis and the IVE (International Vehicle Emissions) model was used in the characterisation of the traffic flow. Median values of 35.7 μgm-3 and 9.6 μgm-3 in PM10 and PM2.5 respectively and characteristic profiles were found for each area. Local values PAHs associated to PM10 and PM2.5, in general, were lower than 10ngm-3. The estimated Unit Risk for the three areas exceeds US EPA standards (9 × 10-5). The number of deaths attributable to short term exposure to outdoor PM10 was 4 cases in children under 5 years of age, and 21 cases in total population, for a relative risk of 1.037.

Milano summer particulate matter (PM10 triggers lung inflammation and extra pulmonary adverse events in mice.

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Francesca Farina

of PM10sum and could facilitate shedding light on mechanisms underlying the development of urban air pollution related diseases.

[Characterization of water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5 and PM1.0 in summer in Guangzhou].

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Jun; Zhang, Ren-jian; Dong, Lin; Zhang, Tao; Zhu, Li-hua; Han, Jing-lei; Xu, Zhen-cheng

2010-07-01

PM2.5 and PM1.0 samples were collected simultaneously during July of 2008 in Guangzhou. The concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, F-, Cl-, NO3-, and SO4(2-)) were determined by ion chromatography. Meteorological parameters, atmospheric scattering, visibility, and concentrations of trace gases (SO2, NO2, and O3) for this period were also recorded. The results showed the total water-soluble inorganic ions concentrations were (25.5 +/- 10.9) microg x m(-1) and (22. 7 +/- 10.5) microg x m(-3) in PM2.5 and PM1.0, which occupied (47.9 +/- 4.3)% and (49.3 +/- 4.3)% of PM mass respectively. Sulfate was the most abundant ion and contributed (25.8 +/- 4.0)% of PM2.5 mass and (27.5 +/- 4.5)% of PM1.0 mass respectively. High temperature and high ozone level favored the formation of sulfate from sulfur dioxide, while the high relative humidity favored the formation of nitrate were observed. Moreover, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium in PM2.5 and PM1.0 had great impact on the scattering coefficient and visibility degradation.

Re-entrained road dust PM10 emission from selected streets of Krakow and its impact on air quality

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Bogacki Marek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Scientific research studies conducted in various parts of the world confirm that PM10 concentrations in urban air depend to a great extent on the resuspension processes of the dust deposited on the road surface. The paper presents the results of the study related to the determination of the re-entrained PM10 emissions from four selected streets of Krakow (Southern Poland together with the assessment of its impact on air quality. Examined streets are characterised by different traffic intensity (from 500 to over 20 000 vehicles per day and individual vehicle structure. Dust material sampling and estimation of the PM10 emission were conducted according to the U.S. EPA methodology (AP 42 Fifth Edition. Two variants of sample collection were applied: from the road surface including the area at the curb (4 streets and from the road surface alone (1 street. The estimates of resuspended road dust emission as well as the reference values derived from the U.S. EPA guidelines were used to assess the impact of this emission on the PM10 levels in the air at the location of one of the analysed streets. This assessment was conducted using the CALINE4 mathematical model. The study showed that the PM10 emissions from the re-entrained road dust can be responsible for up to 25 % in the winter and 50 % in the summer of the total PM10 concentrations in the air near the roads.

Re-entrained road dust PM10 emission from selected streets of Krakow and its impact on air quality

Science.gov (United States)

Bogacki, Marek; Mazur, Marian; Oleniacz, Robert; Rzeszutek, Mateusz; Szulecka, Adriana

2018-01-01

Scientific research studies conducted in various parts of the world confirm that PM10 concentrations in urban air depend to a great extent on the resuspension processes of the dust deposited on the road surface. The paper presents the results of the study related to the determination of the re-entrained PM10 emissions from four selected streets of Krakow (Southern Poland) together with the assessment of its impact on air quality. Examined streets are characterised by different traffic intensity (from 500 to over 20 000 vehicles per day) and individual vehicle structure. Dust material sampling and estimation of the PM10 emission were conducted according to the U.S. EPA methodology (AP 42 Fifth Edition). Two variants of sample collection were applied: from the road surface including the area at the curb (4 streets) and from the road surface alone (1 street). The estimates of resuspended road dust emission as well as the reference values derived from the U.S. EPA guidelines were used to assess the impact of this emission on the PM10 levels in the air at the location of one of the analysed streets. This assessment was conducted using the CALINE4 mathematical model. The study showed that the PM10 emissions from the re-entrained road dust can be responsible for up to 25 % in the winter and 50 % in the summer of the total PM10 concentrations in the air near the roads.

Source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in a desert region in northern Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jorquera, Héctor; Barraza, Francisco

2013-01-01

Estimating contributions of anthropogenic sources to ambient particulate matter (PM) in desert regions is a challenging issue because wind erosion contributions are ubiquitous, significant and difficult to quantify by using source-oriented, dispersion models. A receptor modeling analysis has been applied to ambient PM 10 and PM 2.5 measured in an industrial zone ∼ 20 km SE of Antofagasta (23.63°S, 70.39°W), a midsize coastal city in northern Chile; the monitoring site is within a desert region that extends from northern Chile to southern Perú. Integrated 24-hour ambient samples of PM 10 and PM 2.5 were taken with Harvard Impactors; samples were analyzed by X Ray Fluorescence, ionic chromatography (NO 3 − and SO 4 = ), atomic absorption (Na + , K + ) and thermal optical transmission for elemental and organic carbon determination. Receptor modeling was carried out using Positive Matrix Factorization (US EPA Version 3.0); sources were identified by looking at specific tracers, tracer ratios, local winds and wind trajectories computed from NOAA's HYSPLIT model. For the PM 2.5 fraction, six contributions were found — cement plant, 33.7 ± 1.3%; soil dust, 22.4 ± 1.6%; sulfates, 17.8 ± 1.7%; mineral stockpiles and brine plant, 12.4 ± 1.2%; Antofagasta, 8.5 ± 1.3% and copper smelter, 5.3 ± 0.8%. For the PM 10 fraction five sources were identified — cement plant, 38.2 ± 1.5%; soil dust, 31.2 ± 2.3%; mineral stockpiles and brine plant, 12.7 ± 1.7%; copper smelter, 11.5 ± 1.6% and marine aerosol, 6.5 ± 2.4%. Therefore local sources contribute to ambient PM concentrations more than distant sources (Antofagasta, marine aerosol) do. Soil dust is enriched with deposition of marine aerosol and calcium, sulfates and heavy metals from surrounding industrial activities. The mean contribution of suspended soil dust to PM 10 is 50 μg/m 3 and the peak daily value is 104 μg/m 3 . For the PM 2.5 fraction, suspended soil dust contributes with an average of 9.3 �

Long-term trend and variability of atmospheric PM10 concentration in the Po Valley

Science.gov (United States)

Bigi, A.; Ghermandi, G.

2014-05-01

The limits to atmospheric pollutant concentration set by the European Commission provide a challenging target for the municipalities in the Po Valley, because of the characteristic climatic conditions and high population density of this region. In order to assess climatology and trends in the concentration of atmospheric particles in the Po Valley, a data set of PM10 data from 41 sites across the Po Valley have been analysed, including both traffic and background sites (either urban, suburban or rural). Of these 41 sites, 18 with 10 yr or longer record have been analysed for long-term trend in deseasonalized monthly means, in annual quantiles and in monthly frequency distribution. A widespread significant decreasing trend has been observed at most sites, up to a few percent per year, by a generalized least squares and Theil-Sen method. All 41 sites have been tested for significant weekly periodicity by Kruskal-Wallis test for mean anomalies and by Wilcoxon test for weekend effect magnitude. A significant weekly periodicity has been observed for most PM10 series, particularly in summer and ascribed mainly to anthropic particulate emissions. A cluster analysis has been applied in order to highlight stations sharing similar pollution conditions over the reference period. Five clusters have been found, two encompassing the metropolitan areas of Turin and Milan and their respective nearby sites and the other three clusters gathering northeast, northwest and central Po Valley sites respectively. Finally, the observed trends in atmospheric PM10 have been compared to trends in provincial emissions of particulates and PM precursors, and analysed along with data on vehicular fleet age, composition and fuel sales. A significant basin-wide drop in emissions occurred for gaseous pollutants, contrarily to emissions of PM10 and PM2.5, whose drop was low and restricted to a few provinces. It is not clear whether the decrease for only gaseous emissions is sufficient to explain the

Particulate matter urban air pollution from traffic car

Science.gov (United States)

Filip, G. M.; Brezoczki, V. M.

2017-05-01

The particulate matters (PM) are very important compounds of urban air pollution. There are a lot of air pollution sources who can generate PM and one of the most important of them it is urban traffic car. Air particulate matters have a major influence on human health so everywhere are looking for PM reducing solutions. It is knows that one of the solution for reduce the PM content from car traffic on ambient urban air is the fluidity of urban traffic car by introduction the roundabout intersections. This paper want to present some particulate matter determinations for PM10 and PM2.5 conducted on the two types of urban intersection respectively traffic light and roundabout intersections in Baia Mare town in the approximate the same work conditions. The determinations were carried out using a portable particulate matter monitor Haz - Dust model EPAM - 5000, who can provide a real time data for PM10, PM 2.5.Determinations put out that there are differences between the two locations regarding the PM content on ambient air. On roundabout intersection the PM content is less than traffic light intersection for both PM10 and PM 2.5 with more than 30%.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Air Pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO in the Inland Basin City of Chengdu, Southwest China

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Kuang Xiao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Most cities in China are experiencing severe air pollution due to rapid economic development and accelerated urbanization. Long-term air pollution data with high temporal and spatial resolutions are needed to support research into physical and chemical processes that affect air quality, and the corresponding health risks. For the first time, data on PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3 and CO concentrations in 23 ambient air quality automatic monitoring stations and routine meteorological were collected between January 2014 and December 2016 to determine the spatial and temporal variation in these pollutants and influencing factors in Chengdu. The annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded the standard of Chinese Ambient Air Quality and World Health Organization guidelines standards at all of the stations. The concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and CO decreased from 2014 to 2016, and the NO2 level was stable, whereas the O3 level increased markedly during this period. The air pollution characteristics in Chengdu showed simultaneously high PM concentrations and O3. High PM concentrations were mainly observed in the middle region of Chengdu and may have been due to the joint effects of industrial and vehicle emissions. Ozone pollution was mainly due to vehicle emissions in the downtown area, and industry had a more important effect on O3 in the northern area with fewer vehicles. The concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and CO were highest in winter and lowest in summer; the highest SO2 concentration was also observed in winter and was lowest in autumn, whereas the O3 concentration peaked in summer. Haze pollution can easily form under the weather conditions of static wind, low temperature and relative humidity, and high surface pressure inside Chengdu. In contrast, severe ozone pollution is often associated with high temperature.

Influences of natural emission sources (wildfires and Saharan dust) on the urban organic aerosol in Barcelona (Western Mediterranean Basis) during a PM event.

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van Drooge, Barend L; Lopez, Jordi F; Grimalt, Joan O

2012-11-01

The urban air quality in Barcelona in the Western Mediterranean Basin is characterized by overall high particulate matter (PM) concentrations, due to intensive local anthropogenic emissions and specific meteorological conditions. Moreover, on several days, especially in summer, natural PM sources, such as long-range transported Saharan dust from Northern Africa or wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula and around the Mediterranean Basin, may influence the levels and composition of the organic aerosol. In the second half of July 2009, daily collected PM(10) filter samples in an urban background site in Barcelona were analyzed on organic tracer compounds representing several emission sources. During this period, an important PM peak event was observed. Individual organic compound concentrations increased two to five times during this event. Although highest increase was observed for the organic tracer of biomass burning, the contribution to the organic aerosol was estimated to be around 6 %. Organic tracers that could be related to Saharan dust showed no correlation with the PM and OC levels, while this was the case for those related to fossil fuel combustion from traffic emissions. Moreover, a change in the meteorological conditions gave way to an overall increase of the urban background contamination. Long-range atmospheric transport of organic compounds from primary emissions sources (i.e., wildfires and Saharan dust) has a relatively moderate impact on the organic aerosol in an urban area where the local emissions are dominating.

Toxic potential of organic constituents of submicron particulate matter (PM1) in an urban road site (Barcelona).

Science.gov (United States)

Mesquita, Sofia R; van Drooge, Barend L; Dall'Osto, Manuel; Grimalt, Joan O; Barata, Carlos; Vieira, Natividade; Guimarães, Laura; Piña, Benjamin

2017-06-01

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a recognized risk factor contributing to a number of diseases in human populations and wildlife globally. Organic matter is a major component of PM, but its contribution to overall toxicity of PM has not been thoroughly evaluated yet. In the present work, the biological activity of organic extracts from PM1 (particles with less than 1 μm of aerodynamic diameter) collected from an urban road site in the centre of Barcelona (NE Spain) was evaluated using a yeast-based assay (AhR-RYA) and different gene expression markers in zebrafish embryos. Dioxin-like activity of the extracts correlated to primary emissions from local traffic exhausts, reflecting weekday/weekend alternance. Expression levels of cyp1a and of gene markers for key cellular processes and development (ier2, fos) also correlated to vehicle emissions, whereas expression of gene markers related to antioxidant defence and endocrine effects (gstal, hao1, ttr) was strongly reduced in samples with strong contribution from regional air masses with aged secondary organic species or with strong influence of biomass burning emissions. Our data suggest that the toxic potential of PM1 organic chemical constituents strongly depends on the emission sources and on the process of ageing from primary to secondary organic aerosols.

Performance characteristics of a low-volume PM10 sampler

Science.gov (United States)

Four identical PM10 pre-separators, along with four identical low-volume (1m3 hr-1) total suspended particulate (TSP) samplers were tested side-by-side in a controlled laboratory particulate matter (PM) chamber. The four PM10 and four TSP samplers were also tested in an oil pipe-cleaning field to ev...

40 CFR 52.378 - Control strategy: PM10

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Control strategy: PM10 52.378 Section 52.378 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Connecticut § 52.378 Control strategy: PM10 (a) Approval...

First Results of the “Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs (CARE” Experiment: Beyond Current Standards for PM10

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Francesca Costabile

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In February 2017 the “Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs (CARE” experiment was carried out in downtown Rome to address the following specific questions: what is the color, size, composition, and toxicity of the carbonaceous aerosol in the Mediterranean urban background area of Rome? The motivation of this experiment is the lack of understanding of what aerosol types are responsible for the severe risks to human health posed by particulate matter (PM pollution, and how carbonaceous aerosols influence radiative balance. Physicochemical properties of the carbonaceous aerosol were characterised, and relevant toxicological variables assessed. The aerosol characterisation includes: (i measurements with high time resolution (min to 1–2 h at a fixed location of black carbon (eBC, elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, particle number size distribution (0.008–10 μ m, major non refractory PM1 components, elemental composition, wavelength-dependent optical properties, and atmospheric turbulence; (ii 24-h measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration, water soluble OC and brown carbon (BrC, and levoglucosan; (iii mobile measurements of eBC and size distribution around the study area, with computational fluid dynamics modeling; (iv characterisation of road dust emissions and their EC and OC content. The toxicological assessment includes: (i preliminary evaluation of the potential impact of ultrafine particles on lung epithelia cells (cultured at the air liquid interface and directly exposed to particles; (ii assessment of the oxidative stress induced by carbonaceous aerosols; (iii assessment of particle size dependent number doses deposited in different regions of the human body; (iv PAHs biomonitoring (from the participants into the mobile measurements. The first experimental results of the CARE experiment are presented in this paper. The objective here is to provide baseline levels of carbonaceous aerosols for Rome, and to address

Characterization of PAHs and metals in indoor/outdoor PM10/PM2.5/PM1 in a retirement home and a school dormitory.

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Hassanvand, Mohammad Sadegh; Naddafi, Kazem; Faridi, Sasan; Nabizadeh, Ramin; Sowlat, Mohammad Hossein; Momeniha, Fatemeh; Gholampour, Akbar; Arhami, Mohammad; Kashani, Homa; Zare, Ahad; Niazi, Sadegh; Rastkari, Noushin; Nazmara, Shahrokh; Ghani, Maryam; Yunesian, Masud

2015-09-15

In the present work, we investigated the characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metal(loid)s in indoor/outdoor PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 in a retirement home and a school dormitory in Tehran from May 2012 to May 2013. The results indicated that the annual levels of indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 were much higher than the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). The most abundant detected metal(loid)s in PM were Si, Fe, Zn, Al, and Pb. We found higher percentages of metal(loid)s in smaller size fractions of PM. Additionally, the results showed that the total PAHs (ƩPAHs) bound to PM were predominantly (83-88%) found in PM2.5, which can penetrate deep into the alveolar regions of the lungs. In general, carcinogenic PAHs accounted for 40-47% of the total PAHs concentrations; furthermore, the smaller the particle size, the higher the percentage of carcinogenic PAHs. The percentages of trace metal(loid)s and carcinogenic PAHs in PM2.5 mass were almost twice as high as those in PM10. This can most likely be responsible for the fact that PM2.5 can cause more adverse health effects than PM10 can. The average BaP-equivalent carcinogenic (BaP-TEQ) levels both indoors and outdoors considerably exceeded the maximum permissible risk level of 1 ng/m(3) of BaP. The enrichment factors and diagnostic ratios indicated that combustion-related anthropogenic sources, such as gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles as well as natural gas combustion, were the major sources of PAHs and trace metal(loid)s bound to PM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Levels of PM2.5/PM10 and associated metal(loid)s in rural households of Henan Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Fuyong; Wang, Wei; Man, Yu Bon; Chan, Chuen Yu; Liu, Wenxin; Tao, Shu; Wong, Ming Hung

2015-04-15

Although a majority of China's rural residents use solid fuels (biomass and coal) for household cooking and heating, clean energy such as electricity and liquid petroleum gas is becoming more popular in the rural area. Unfortunately, both solid fuels and clean energy could result in indoor air pollution. Daily respirable particulate matter (PM≤10 μm) and inhalable particulate matter (PM≤2.5 μm) were investigated in kitchens, sitting rooms and outdoor area in rural Henan during autumn (Sep to Oct 2012) and winter (Jan 2013). The results showed that PM (PM2.5 and PM10) and associated metal(loid)s varied among the two seasons and the four types of domestic energy used. Mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in kitchens during winter were 59.2-140.4% and 30.5-145.1% higher than those during autumn, respectively. Similar with the trends of PM2.5 and PM10, concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Mn in household PM2.5 and PM10 were apparently higher in winter than those in autumn. The highest mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 (368.5 and 588.7 μg m(-3)) were recorded in sitting rooms in Baofeng during winter, which were 5.7 and 3.9 times of corresponding health based guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Using coal can result in severe indoor air pollutants including PM and associated metal(loid)s compared with using crop residues, electricity and gas in rural Henan Province. Rural residents' exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 would be roughly reduced by 13.5-22.2% and 8.9-37.7% via replacing coal or crop residues with electricity. The present study suggested that increased use of electricity as domestic energy would effectively improve indoor air quality in rural China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An integrated tool to assess the role of new planting in PM10 capture and the human health benefits: A case study in London

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwary, Abhishek; Sinnett, Danielle; Peachey, Christopher; Chalabi, Zaid; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Fletcher, Tony; Leonardi, Giovanni; Grundy, Chris; Azapagic, Adisa; Hutchings, Tony R.

2009-01-01

The role of vegetation in mitigating the effects of PM 10 pollution has been highlighted as one potential benefit of urban greenspace. An integrated modelling approach is presented which utilises air dispersion (ADMS-Urban) and particulate interception (UFORE) to predict the PM 10 concentrations both before and after greenspace establishment, using a 10 x 10 km area of East London Green Grid (ELGG) as a case study. The corresponding health benefits, in terms of premature mortality and respiratory hospital admissions, as a result of the reduced exposure of the local population are also modelled. PM 10 capture from the scenario comprising 75% grassland, 20% sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and 5% Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) was estimated to be 90.41 t yr -1 , equating to 0.009 t ha -1 yr -1 over the whole study area. The human health modelling estimated that 2 deaths and 2 hospital admissions would be averted per year. - A combination of models can be used to estimate particulate matter concentrations before and after greenspace establishment and the resulting benefits to human health.

A multivariate study for characterizing particulate matter (PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1)) in Seoul metropolitan subway stations, Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Soon-Bark; Jeong, Wootae; Park, Duckshin; Kim, Ki-Tae; Cho, Kyung Hwa

2015-10-30

Given that around eight million commuters use the Seoul Metropolitan Subway (SMS) each day, the indoor air quality (IAQ) of its stations has attracted much public attention. We have monitored the concentration of particulate matters (PMx) (i.e., PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) in six major transfer stations per minute for three weeks during the summer, autumn, and winter in 2014 and 2015. The data were analyzed to investigate the relationship between PMx concentration and multivariate environmental factors using statistical methods. The average PM concentration observed was approximately two or three times higher than outdoor PM10 concentration, showing similar temporal patterns at concourses and platforms. This implies that outdoor PM10 is the most significant factor in controlling indoor PM concentration. In addition, the station depth and number of trains passing through stations were found to be additional influences on PMx. Principal component analysis (PCA) and self-organizing map (SOM) were employed, through which we found that the number of trains influences PM concentration in the vicinity of platforms only, and PMx hotspots were determined. This study identifies the external and internal factors affecting PMx characteristics in six SMS stations, which can assist in the development of effective IAQ management plans to improve public health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxicity of the readily leachable fraction of urban PM2.5 to human lung epithelial cells: Role of soluble metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Palleschi, Simonetta; Rossi, Barbara; Armiento, Giovanna; Montereali, Maria Rita; Nardi, Elisa; Mazziotti Tagliani, Simona; Inglessis, Marco; Gianfagna, Antonio; Silvestroni, Leopoldo

2018-04-01

Fine airborne particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has been repeatedly associated with adverse health effects in humans. The PM 2.5 soluble fraction, and soluble metals in particular, are thought to cause lung damage. Literature data, however, are not consistent and the role of leachable metals is still under debate. In this study, Winter and Summer urban PM 2.5 aqueous extracts, obtained by using a bio-compatible solution and different contact times at 37 °C, were used to investigate cytotoxic effects of PM 2.5 in cultured lung epithelial cells (A549) and the role played by the leachable metals Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Pb and Cd. Cell viability and migration, as well as intracellular glutathione, extracellular cysteine, cysteinylglycine and homocysteine concentrations, were evaluated in cells challenged with both PM 2.5 extracts before and after ultrafiltration and artificial metal ion solutions mimicking the metal composition of the genuine extracts. The thiol oxidative potential was also evaluated by an abiotic test. Results demonstrate that PM 2.5 bioactive components were released within minutes of PM 2.5 interaction with the leaching solution. Among these are i) low MW (bio-reactivity of Winter PM 2.5 extracts could not be explained by the presence of the studied metals. A possible role for PM 2.5 water-extractable organic components is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of trace elements in urban airborne particulates (PM ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the air quality in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK was performed by determining the trace element content in airborne particulates (PM10). Samples were collected over a 12 month period (March 2011 to April 2012) using two high volume air sampler provided with a PM10 size selective inlet. The concentrations of ...

Measurements of PM₁, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ at Nordic background stations using low-cost equipment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferm, Martin; Areskoug, Hans; Makkonen, Ulla

Mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 in air were measured at four EMEP stations in the Nordic countries during 2006. All stations used the same low-cost equipment for sampling PM1, but used different techniques for the other size fractions. The PM1 filters were analysed for inorganic ions...... for the first half of June. PM1 constituted on average more than half of the PM2.5 concentrations, but was on average less than half of the PM10 concentrations. There were two episodes of high PM1 concentrations during the year, one in May-June and another one in August-September. The highest PM1 concentrations...... on a daily basis. The PM2.5 concentration, which is the parameter that should be measured within EU, correlated fairly well with the concentration of accumulation mode particles (PM1). In June only a minor fraction of PM1 consisted of inorganic ions. Only ammonium and sulphate ions of the measured ions in PM...

Seasonal variation, risk assessment and source estimation of PM 10 and PM10-bound PAHs in the ambient air of Chiang Mai and Lamphun, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Pengchai, Petch; Chantara, Somporn; Sopajaree, Khajornsak; Wangkarn, Sunanta; Tengcharoenkul, Urai; Rayanakorn, Mongkon

2009-07-01

Daily PM10 concentrations were measured at four sampling stations located in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces, Thailand. The sampling scheme was conducted during June 2005 to June 2006; every 3 days for 24 h in each sampling period. The result revealed that all stations shared the same pattern, in which the PM10 (particulate matters with diameter of less than 10 microm) concentration increased at the beginning of dry season (December) and reached its peak in March before decreasing by the end of April. The maximum PM10 concentration for each sampling station was in the range of 140-182 microg/m(3) which was 1.1-1.5 times higher than the Thai ambient air quality standard of 120 microg/m(3). This distinctly high concentration of PM10 in the dry season (Dec. 05-Mar. 06) was recognized as a unique seasonal pattern for the northern part of Thailand. PM10 concentration had a medium level of negative correlation (r = -0.696 to -0.635) with the visibility data. Comparing the maximum PM10 concentration detected at each sampling station to the permitted PM10 level of the national air quality standard, the warning visibility values for the PM10 pollution-watch system were determined as 10 km for Chiang Mai Province and 5 km for Lamphun Province. From the analysis of PM10 constituents, no component exceeded the national air quality standard. The total concentrations of PM10-bond polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are calculated in terms of total toxicity equivalent concentrations (TTECs) using the toxicity equivalent factors (TEFs) method. TTECs in Chiang Mai and Lamphun ambient air was found at a level comparable to those observed in Nagasaki, Bangkok and Rome and at a lower level than those reported at Copenhagen. The annual number of lung cancer cases for Chiang Mai and Lamphun Provinces was estimated at two cases/year which was lower than the number of cases in Bangkok (27 cases/year). The principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA

Spatio-temporal characteristics of PM10 concentration across Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Juneng, Liew; Latif, Mohd Talib; Tangang, Fredolin T.; Mansor, Haslina

The recurrence of forest fires in Southeast Asia and associated biomass burning, has contributed markedly to the problem of trans-boundary haze and the long-range movement of pollutants in the region. Air pollutants, specifically particulate matter in the atmosphere, have received extensive attention, mainly because of their adverse effect on people's health. In this study, the spatial and temporal variability of the PM10 concentration across Malaysia was analyzed by means of the rotated principal component analysis. The results suggest that the variability of the PM10 concentration can be decomposed into four dominant modes, each characterizing different spatial and temporal variations. The first mode characterizes the southwest coastal region of the Malaysian Peninsular with the PM10 showing a peak concentration during the summer monsoon i.e. when the winds are predominantly southerlies or southwesterlies, and a minimal concentration during the winter monsoon. The second mode features the region of western Borneo with the PM10 exhibiting a concentration surge in August-September, which is likely to be the result of the northward shift of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the subsequent rapid arrival of the rainy season. The third mode delineates the northern region of the Malaysian Peninsular with strong bimodality in the PM10 concentration. Seasonally, this component exhibits two concentration maxima during the late winter and summer monsoons, as well as two minima during the inter-monsoon periods. The fourth dominant mode characterizes the northern Borneo region which exhibits weaker seasonality of the PM10 concentration. Generally, the seasonal fluctuation of the PM10 concentration is largely associated with the seasonal variation of rainfall in the country. However, in addition to this, the PM10 concentration also fluctuates markedly in two timescale bands i.e. 10-20 days quasi-biweekly (QBW) and 30-60 days lower frequency (LF) band of the intra

The oxidative potential and biological effects induced by PM10 obtained in Mexico City and at a receptor site during the MILAGRO Campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quintana, Raul; Serrano, Jesus; Gomez, Virginia; Foy, Benjamin de; Miranda, Javier; Garcia-Cuellar, Claudia; Vega, Elizabeth; Vazquez-Lopez, Ines; Molina, Luisa T.; Manzano-Leon, Natalia; Rosas, Irma; Osornio-Vargas, Alvaro R.

2011-01-01

As part of a field campaign that studied the impact of Mexico City pollution plume at the local, sub-regional and regional levels, we studied transport-related changes in PM 10 composition, oxidative potential and in vitro toxicological patterns (hemolysis, DNA degradation). We collected PM 10 in Mexico City (T 0 ) and at a suburban-receptor site (T 1 ), pooled according to two observed ventilation patterns (T 0 → T 1 influence and non-influence). T 0 samples contained more Cu, Zn, and carbon whereas; T 1 samples contained more of Al, Si, P, S, and K (p 4 -2 increased in T 1 during the influence periods. Oxidative potential correlated with Cu/Zn content (r = 0.74; p 1 PM 10 induced greater hemolysis and T 0 PM 10 induced greater DNA degradation. Influence/non-influence did not affect oxidative potential nor biological effects. Results indicate that ventilation patterns had little effect on intrinsic PM 10 composition and toxicological potential, which suggests a significant involvement of local sources. - Highlights: → Transport-related changes in PM 10 composition, oxidative potential and in vitro toxicity were studied. → Cu, Zn, and carbon levels were predominant in urban PM 10 ; receptor site PM 10 was rich in soil elements. → SO 4 -2 was the only component increased in PM 10 from the receptor during the influence periods. → PM 10 oxidative potential correlates with Cu/Zn content but not with studied biological effects. → Ventilation patterns had little effect on PM 10 composition and toxicity. - Mexico City ventilation patterns had little effect on the intrinsic PM 10 composition and toxicological potential, which suggests a significant involvement of local sources as opposed to downwind transport.

Monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 around primary particulate anthropogenic emission sources

Science.gov (United States)

Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés; Rodriguez, Sergio; Plana, Felicià; Mantilla, Enrique; Ruiz, Carmen R.

Investigations on the monitoring of ambient air levels of atmospheric particulates were developed around a large source of primary anthropogenic particulate emissions: the industrial ceramic area in the province of Castelló (Eastern Spain). Although these primary particulate emissions have a coarse grain-size distribution, the atmospheric transport dominated by the breeze circulation accounts for a grain-size segregation, which results in ambient air particles occurring mainly in the 2.5-10 μm range. The chemical composition of the ceramic particulate emissions is very similar to the crustal end-member but the use of high Al, Ti and Fe as tracer elements as well as a peculiar grain-size distribution in the insoluble major phases allow us to identify the ceramic input in the bulk particulate matter. PM2.5 instead of PM10 monitoring may avoid the interference of crustal particles without a major reduction in the secondary anthropogenic load, with the exception of nitrate. However, a methodology based in PM2.5 measurement alone is not adequate for monitoring the impact of primary particulate emissions (such as ceramic emissions) on air quality, since the major ambient air particles derived from these emissions are mainly in the range of 2.5-10 μm. Consequently, in areas characterised by major secondary particulate emissions, PM2.5 monitoring should detect anthropogenic particulate pollutants without crustal particulate interference, whereas PM10 measurements should be used in areas with major primary anthropogenic particulate emissions.

Relación entre las partículas finas (PM 2.5 y respirables PM 10 en la ciudad de Medellín Relation between fine particles (PM 2.5 and breathable particles (PM 10 in Medellin city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Echeverri Londoño

2008-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta parte de los resultados del proyecto 'Patologías respiratorias en niños preescolares y su relación con la contaminación atmosférica de Medellín', realizado por la Universidad de Medellín y la Universidad CES para la Secretaria de Salud de Medellín dentro del contrato 4700026668 de 2006. Se realizaron mediciones simultáneas de partículas finas (PM2.5 y respirables (PM10 durante el período de febrero a octubre de 2007 en varios sitios de la ciudad de Medellín, capital del departamento de Antioquia, habitada aproximadamente por 2’250.000 personas. Los resultados del análisis muestran, en la mayoría de los casos, una correlación positiva y lineal entre los dos parámetros. La relación (PM2.5/PM10 promedio para los sitios o zonas bajo consideración en este estudio fue de aproximadamente 0.67, valor bastante considerable que hace pensar que probablemente se puede cumplir con la norma anual para PM10, pero no para PM2.5. Los resultados obtenidos identifican las partículas finas como uno de los principales problemas de contaminación en la ciudad de Medellín.This article shows part of the results from the project called: 'Respiratory pathologies in pre-school children and their relation to atmospheric contamination in Medellin,' carried out by Universidad de Medellin and Universidad CES for Medellin Health Secretariat according to contract No. 4700026668, year 2006. Simultaneous measurements of fine particles (PM2.5 and breathable particles (PM10 were made from February to October, 2007 in several sites of Medellin, the capital city of Antioquia State, where about 2,250,000 inhabitants live. In almost all cases, analysis results show a positive and linear correlation between both parameters. Average ratio (PM2.5/PM10 for sites and zones tested in this study was 0.67 approximately, which is a very meaningful value, what makes us think that annual norm for PM10 can probably be accomplished, but not the one

Differences in allergic inflammatory responses between urban PM2.5 and fine particle derived from desert-dust in murine lungs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Miao, E-mail: hemiao@mail.cmu.edu.cn [Environment and Non-communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122 (China); Department of Health Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita 870-1201 (Japan); Ichinose, Takamichi, E-mail: ichinose@oita-nhs.ac.jp [Department of Health Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita 870-1201 (Japan); Kobayashi, Makoto [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa 920-0293 (Japan); Arashidani, Keiichi [Department of Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka 807-8555 (Japan); Yoshida, Seiichi [Department of Health Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita 870-1201 (Japan); Nishikawa, Masataka [Environmental Chemistry Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki 305-8506 (Japan); Takano, Hirohisa [Environmental Health Division, Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8530 (Japan); Sun, Guifan [Environment and Non-communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122 (China); Shibamoto, Takayuki [Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2016-04-15

The biological and chemical natures of materials adsorbed onto fine particulate matter (PM2.5) vary by origin and passage routes. The exacerbating effects of the two samples—urban PM2.5 (U-PM2.5) collected during the hazy weather in a Chinese city and fine particles (ASD-PM2.5) collected during Asian sand dust (ASD) storm event days in Japan—on murine lung eosinophilia were compared to clarify the role of toxic materials in PM2.5. The amounts of β-glucan and mineral components were higher in ASD-PM2.5 than in U-PM2.5. On the other hand, organic chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were higher in U-PM2.5 than in ASD-PM2.5. When BALB/c mice were intratracheally instilled with U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 (total 0.4 mg/mouse) with or without ovalbumin (OVA), various biological effects were observed, including enhancement of eosinophil recruitment induced by OVA in the submucosa of the airway, goblet cell proliferation in the bronchial epithelium, synergic increase of OVA-induced eosinophil-relevant cytokines and a chemokine in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and increase of serum OVA-specific IgG1 and IgE. Data demonstrate that U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 induced allergic inflammatory changes and caused lung pathology. U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 increased F4/80{sup +} CD11b{sup +} cells, indicating that an influx of inflammatory and exudative macrophages in lung tissue had occurred. The ratio of CD206 positive F4/80{sup +} CD11b{sup +} cells (M2 macrophages) in lung tissue was higher in the OVA + ASD-PM2.5 treated mice than in the OVA + U-PM2.5 treated mice. These results suggest that the lung eosinophilia exacerbated by both PM2.5 is due to activation of a Th2-associated immune response along with induced M2 macrophages and the exacerbating effect is greater in microbial element (β-glucan)-rich ASD-PM2.5 than in organic chemical-rich U-PM2.5. - Highlights: • The aggravating effects of urban-PM2.5 and desert-PM2.5 on lung eosinophilia were compared. �

Differences in allergic inflammatory responses between urban PM2.5 and fine particle derived from desert-dust in murine lungs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Miao; Ichinose, Takamichi; Kobayashi, Makoto; Arashidani, Keiichi; Yoshida, Seiichi; Nishikawa, Masataka; Takano, Hirohisa; Sun, Guifan; Shibamoto, Takayuki

2016-01-01

The biological and chemical natures of materials adsorbed onto fine particulate matter (PM2.5) vary by origin and passage routes. The exacerbating effects of the two samples—urban PM2.5 (U-PM2.5) collected during the hazy weather in a Chinese city and fine particles (ASD-PM2.5) collected during Asian sand dust (ASD) storm event days in Japan—on murine lung eosinophilia were compared to clarify the role of toxic materials in PM2.5. The amounts of β-glucan and mineral components were higher in ASD-PM2.5 than in U-PM2.5. On the other hand, organic chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were higher in U-PM2.5 than in ASD-PM2.5. When BALB/c mice were intratracheally instilled with U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 (total 0.4 mg/mouse) with or without ovalbumin (OVA), various biological effects were observed, including enhancement of eosinophil recruitment induced by OVA in the submucosa of the airway, goblet cell proliferation in the bronchial epithelium, synergic increase of OVA-induced eosinophil-relevant cytokines and a chemokine in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and increase of serum OVA-specific IgG1 and IgE. Data demonstrate that U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 induced allergic inflammatory changes and caused lung pathology. U-PM2.5 and ASD-PM2.5 increased F4/80 + CD11b + cells, indicating that an influx of inflammatory and exudative macrophages in lung tissue had occurred. The ratio of CD206 positive F4/80 + CD11b + cells (M2 macrophages) in lung tissue was higher in the OVA + ASD-PM2.5 treated mice than in the OVA + U-PM2.5 treated mice. These results suggest that the lung eosinophilia exacerbated by both PM2.5 is due to activation of a Th2-associated immune response along with induced M2 macrophages and the exacerbating effect is greater in microbial element (β-glucan)-rich ASD-PM2.5 than in organic chemical-rich U-PM2.5. - Highlights: • The aggravating effects of urban-PM2.5 and desert-PM2.5 on lung eosinophilia were compared. • Both PM2.5 enhanced

Investigation of air pollution of Shanghai subway stations in ventilation seasons in terms of PM2.5 and PM10.

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Guo, Erbao; Shen, Henggen; He, Lei; Zhang, Jiawen

2017-07-01

In November 2015, the PM 2.5 and PM 10 particulate matter (PM) levels in platforms, station halls, and rail areas of the Shangcheng and Jiashan Road Station were monitored to investigate air pollution in the Shanghai subway system. The results revealed that in subway stations, PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations were significantly higher than those in outdoor environments. In addition, particle concentrations in the platforms exceeded maximum levels that domestic safety standards allowed. Particularly on clear days, PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations in platforms were significantly higher than maximum standards levels. Owing to the piston effect, consistent time-varying trends were exhibited by PM 2.5 concentrations in platforms, station halls, and rail areas. Platform particle concentrations were higher than the amount in station halls, and they were higher on clear days than on rainy days. The time-varying trends of PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations in platforms and station halls were similar to each other. Activities within the station led to most of the inhalable particles within the station area. The mass concentration ratios of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in platforms were within 0.65-0.93, and fine particles were the dominant components.

Correlation Analysis of PM10 and the Incidence of Lung Cancer in Nanchang, China.

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Zhou, Yi; Li, Lianshui; Hu, Lei

2017-10-19

Air pollution and lung cancer are closely related. In 2013, the World Health Organization listed outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic and regarded it as the most widespread carcinogen that humans are currently exposed to. Here, grey correlation and data envelopment analysis methods are used to determine the pollution factors causing lung cancer among residents in Nanchang, China, and identify population segments which are more susceptible to air pollution. This study shows that particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 micron (PM 10 ) is most closely related to the incidence of lung cancer among air pollution factors including annual mean concentrations of SO₂, NO₂, PM 10 , annual haze days, and annual mean Air Pollution Index/Air Quality Index (API/AQI). Air pollution has a greater impact on urban inhabitants as compared to rural inhabitants. When gender differences are considered, women are more likely to develop lung cancer due to air pollution. Smokers are more likely to suffer from lung cancer. These results provide a reference for the government to formulate policies to reduce air pollutant emissions and strengthen anti-smoking measures.

Using geographical semi-variogram method to quantify the difference between NO2 and PM2.5 spatial distribution characteristics in urban areas.

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Song, Weize; Jia, Haifeng; Li, Zhilin; Tang, Deliang

2018-08-01

Urban air pollutant distribution is a concern in environmental and health studies. Particularly, the spatial distribution of NO 2 and PM 2.5 , which represent photochemical smog and haze pollution in urban areas, is of concern. This paper presents a study quantifying the seasonal differences between urban NO 2 and PM 2.5 distributions in Foshan, China. A geographical semi-variogram analysis was conducted to delineate the spatial variation in daily NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations. The data were collected from 38 sites in the government-operated monitoring network. The results showed that the total spatial variance of NO 2 is 38.5% higher than that of PM 2.5 . The random spatial variance of NO 2 was 1.6 times than that of PM 2.5 . The nugget effect (i.e., random to total spatial variance ratio) values of NO 2 and PM 2.5 were 29.7 and 20.9%, respectively. This indicates that urban NO 2 distribution was affected by both local and regional influencing factors, while urban PM 2.5 distribution was dominated by regional influencing factors. NO 2 had a larger seasonally averaged spatial autocorrelation distance (48km) than that of PM 2.5 (33km). The spatial range of NO 2 autocorrelation was larger in winter than the other seasons, and PM 2.5 has a smaller range of spatial autocorrelation in winter than the other seasons. Overall, the geographical semi-variogram analysis is a very effective method to enrich the understanding of NO 2 and PM 2.5 distributions. It can provide scientific evidences for the buffering radius selection of spatial predictors for land use regression models. It will also be beneficial for developing the targeted policies and measures to reduce NO 2 and PM 2.5 pollution levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Air Pollution Quality Index (AQI and Density of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 in the Air of Qom

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Safdari M

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Air pollution has broad social, economical, political and technical aspects. one of the major issues in this regard is taking measures to prevent its increase. Since suspended particles are among the standard pollutants, the present study was carried out with the aim of measuring the amounts of these particles.Methods: In the present study, the suspended particles ( PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were measured at two sites in Qom city. For each of them, 60 samples were selected with the Enviro Check during five consecutive months during summer (2 months and fall.Results: During sampling, PM10 in the period between October 22'th to November 22nd 2007 had the maximum amount with the mean of 117µg/m3 and in the period between September 22'th to October 22nd 2007 it had the minimum amount with the mean of 83µg/m3. PM2.5 in the period between November 22nd to December 22nd 2007 with the mean of 33µg/m3 had the maximum amount and in the period between July 22nd to October 22nd 2007 it had the minimum amount with the mean of 8µg/m3. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the densities of suspended particles PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were below the standard levels on most occasions. The amounts of AQI for them were normal and acceptable.

On the origin and variability of suspended particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations in Cyprus.

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Pikridas, Michael; Vrekoussis, Mihalis; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Kizas, Christos; Savvides, Chrysanthos; Sciare, Jean

2017-04-01

The Eastern Mediterranean (EM) lies at the crossroad of three different continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa). EM is a densely populated region including several cities with 3M inhabitants or more (e.g. Athens, Istanbul, Izmir, and Cairo). It has been identified as the most polluted area in Europe with respect to particulate matter (PM) mainly due to the combination of high photochemical activity, which causes pollutants to oxidize and partitioning in the particle phase, with the elevated pollutants emissions from neighboring regions. In addition, the proximity to Africa and the Middle East allows frequent transport of dust particles. At the center of the Eastern Mediterranean lies the island of Cyprus, which has received very little attention regarding its PM levels despite being the location in Europe most frequently impacted by air masses from the Middle East. Herewith, we present a historical PM archive that spans 2 decades. It involves ongoing monitoring on a daily basis of particulate matter with diameters smaller than 10 μm (PM10), 2.5 μm (PM2.5), and 1 μm (PM1) conducted in at least one, of the 12 currently existing air quality stations in Cyprus since 1997, 2005, and 2009, respectively. The most extended PM datasets correspond a) to the Agia Marina Xyliatou (AMX) monitoring station established at a remote area at the foothills of mount Troodos and b) that of the inland capital, Nicosia. Based on this long-term dataset, the diurnal, temporal and annual variability is assessed. Prior to 2010, PM10 concentration at all sites remained relatively constant, but at different levels, violating the annual EU legislated PM10 limit of 40 μg m-3. Since 2010, coarse mode levels have decreased at all sites. The reported decrease was equal to 30% at AMX. As a result, since 2010 the observed levels comply with the EU legislation threshold. Satellite observations of Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA

PM levels in the Basque Country (Northern Spain): analysis of a 5-year data record and interpretation of seasonal variations

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Viana, M.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Gangoiti, G.; Menéndez, M.

Levels of PM observed at the air quality network from the Basque Country in 1996-2000 ranged from 16 μg PM 10/m 3 at regional background sites, to 35-40 μg TSP/m 3 (equivalent to 25-30 μg PM 10/m 3) at urban background sites, to 40-48 μg TSP/m 3 (30-40 μg PM 10/m 3) at roadside sites; to 50-64 μg TSP/m 3 (35-50 μg PM 10/m 3) at industrial and heavy traffic sites. The EU daily and annual PM 10 limit values for 2005 are not equivalent for the Basque Country, and consequently only the mean 1996-2000 PM levels from one station would exceed the 2005 annual limit value but most of them surpass n=35 exceedances of the daily limit value. The equivalent n to the 2005 annual limit value is around 80. Four major processes exert an influence on PM levels throughout the Basque territory: local and regional anthropogenic contributions, precipitation, African dust and European transport. PM at Llodio (an urban background site under industrial influence and mean PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 1 levels for 2001 of 34, 25 and 21 μg/m 3) is mainly distributed in the fine mode: 74% of PM 10 is constituted by PM 2.5, and 64% of PM 2.5 presents a diameter <1 μm. The particle size distribution of PM varies seasonally with the fine fractions prevailing in summer (PM 2.5/PM 10=80-90%) and the coarser increasing in winter (PM 2.5/PM 10=60-70%). Meso- and synoptic scale processes affecting global PM levels in the Basque Country have been identified (mainly pollution episodes, African, Atlantic and EU transport). The results obtained allowed us to evaluate the impact of the different types of PM episodes on ambient PM levels and particle size fractions.

Sources of the PM10 aerosol in Flanders, Belgium, and re-assessment of the contribution from wood burning.

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Maenhaut, Willy; Vermeylen, Reinhilde; Claeys, Magda; Vercauteren, Jordy; Roekens, Edward

2016-08-15

From 30 June 2011 to 2 July 2012 PM10 aerosol samples were simultaneously taken every 4th day at four urban background sites in Flanders, Belgium. The sites were in Antwerpen, Gent, Brugge, and Oostende. The PM10 mass concentration was determined by weighing; organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were measured by thermal-optical analysis, the wood burning tracers levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 8 water-soluble ions were measured by ion chromatography, and 15 elements were determined by a combination of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. The multi-species dataset was subjected to receptor modeling by PMF. The 10 retained factors (with their overall average percentage contributions to the experimental PM10 mass) were wood burning (9.5%), secondary nitrate (24%), secondary sulfate (12.6%), sea salt (10.0%), aged sea salt (19.2%), crustal matter (9.7%), non-ferrous metals (1.81%), traffic (10.3%), non-exhaust traffic (0.52%), and heavy oil burning (3.0%). The average contributions of wood smoke for the four sites were quite substantial in winter and ranged from 12.5 to 20% for the PM10 mass and from 47 to 64% for PM10 OC. Wood burning appeared to be also a notable source of As, Cd, and Pb. The contribution from wood burning to the PM10 mass and OC was also assessed by making use of levoglucosan as single marker compound and the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008), as done in our previous study on wood burning in Flanders (Maenhaut et al., 2012). However, the apportionments were much lower than those deduced from PMF. It seems that the conversion factors of Schmidl et al. (2008) may not be applicable to wood burning in Flanders. From scatter plots of the PMF-derived wood smoke OC and PM versus levoglucosan, we arrived at conversion factors of 9.7 and 22.6, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Emission characteristics of PM10 from coal-fired industrial boiler].

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Li, Chao; Li, Xing-Hua; Duan, Lei; Zhao, Meng; Duan, Jing-Chun; Hao, Ji-Ming

2009-03-15

Through ELPI (electrical low-pressure impactor) based dilution sampling system, the emission characteristics of PM10 and PM2.5 was studied experimentally at the inlet and outlet of dust catchers at eight different coal-fired industrial boilers. Results showed that a peak existed at around 0.12-0.20 microm of particle size for both number size distribution and mass size distribution of PM10 emitted from most of the boilers. Chemical composition analysis indicated that PM2.5 was largely composed of organic carbon, elementary carbon, and sulfate, with mass fraction of 3.7%-21.4%, 4.2%-24.6%, and 1.5%-55.2% respectively. Emission factors of PM10 and PM2.5 measured were 0.13-0.65 kg x t(-1) and 0.08-0.49 kg x t(-1) respectively for grate boiler using raw coal, and 0.24 kg x t(-1) and 0.22 kg x t(-1) for chain-grate boiler using briquette. In comparison, the PM2.5 emission factor of fluidized bed boiler is 1.14 kg x t(-1), much her than that of grate boiler. Due to high coal consumption and low efficiency of dust separator, coal-fired industrial boiler may become the most important source of PM10, and should be preferentially controlled in China.

Composition and sources of particles in Mannerheimintie during exceedance days of PM{sub 10} limit value in 2009; Hiukkasten koostumus ja laehteet Mannerheimintiellae PM{sub 10}-raja-arvon ylityspaeivinae 2009

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Kupiainen, K.; Stojiljkovic, A.; Ritola, R. (Nordic Envicon Oy, Helsinki (Finland))

2011-06-15

The purpose of the work was to determine sources of thoracic particles (PM{sub 10}) in the center of Helsinki, in Mannerheimintie, in 2009 during the days when the daily average concentration of PM{sub 10} exceeded 50 mug/m3. Work was commissioned by the Helsinki City Public Works department, the Helsinki Environment Centre and the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY (formerly YTV). By the end of the year there were altogether 30 exceedance days. The allowed number of exceedance days per year is 35, so the limit value was not exceeded in 2009. HSY is responsible for monitoring the air quality in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The PM{sub 10} monitoring data in combination with electron microscopy based single particle compositional analysis and receptor modeling was used to evaluate dust source contributions on the exceedance days at HSY's air quality monitoring station in Mannerheimintie. Dust sources related to traction control (winter maintenance and pavement wear by studded tyres) contributed most to the PM{sub 10} concentrations in Mannerheimintie. On 12 exceeding days this group accounted for more than 50 % of PM{sub 10} particles, on 3 days the group alone was sufficient to cause the exceedance. On 3 of the exceedance days long-range transboundary air pollution or traffic exhaust emissions were on the same level with the traction control sources. On 11 days the most significant impact came from construction sites. (orig.)

Relationship between physico-chemical characteristics and potential toxicity of PM10.

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Megido, Laura; Suárez-Peña, Beatriz; Negral, Luis; Castrillón, Leonor; Suárez, Susana; Fernández-Nava, Yolanda; Marañón, Elena

2016-11-01

PM10 was sampled at a suburban location affected by traffic and industry in the north of Spain. The samples were analysed to determine the chemical components of PM10 (organic and elemental carbon, soluble chemical species and metals). The aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of PM10 in terms of the bulk analysis and the physico-chemical properties of the particles. Total carbon, sulphates, ammonium, chlorides and nitrates were found to be the major constituents of PM10. The contribution of the last of these was found to increase significantly with PM10 concentration (Pearson coefficient correlation of 0.7, p-value major risk to human health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local PM10 and PM2.5 emission inventories from agricultural tillage and harvest in northeastern China.

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Chen, Weiwei; Tong, Daniel Q; Zhang, Shichun; Zhang, Xuelei; Zhao, Hongmei

2017-07-01

Mineral particles or particulate matters (PMs) emitted during agricultural activities are major recurring sources of atmospheric aerosol loading. However, precise PM inventory from agricultural tillage and harvest in agricultural regions is challenged by infrequent local emission factor (EF) measurements. To understand PM emissions from these practices in northeastern China, we measured EFs of PM 10 and PM 2.5 from three field operations (i.e., tilling, planting and harvesting) in major crop production (i.e., corn and soybean), using portable real-time PM analyzers and weather station data. County-level PM 10 and PM 2.5 emissions from agricultural tillage and harvest were estimated, based on local EFs, crop areas and crop calendars. The EFs averaged (107±27), (17±5) and 26mg/m 2 for field tilling, planting and harvesting under relatively dry conditions (i.e., soil moisture agricultural dust emissions to regional air quality in northeastern China. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ionic composition of submicron particles (PM1.0) during the long-lasting haze period in January 2013 in Wuhan, central China.

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Cheng, Hairong; Gong, Wei; Wang, Zuwu; Zhang, Fan; Wang, Xinming; Lv, Xiaopu; Liu, Jia; Fu, Xiaoxin; Zhang, Gan

2014-04-01

In January 2013, a long-lasting severe haze episode occurred in Northern and Central China; at its maximum, it covered a land area of approximately 1.4 million km(2). In Wuhan, the largest city in Central China, this event was the most severe haze episode in the 21st century. Aerosol samples of submicron particles (PM1.0) were collected during the long-lasting haze episode at an urban site and a suburban site in Wuhan to investigate the ion characteristics of PM1.0 in this area. The mass concentrations of PM1.0 and its water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) were almost at the same levels at two sites, which indicates that PM1.0 pollution occurs on a regional scale in Wuhan. WSIIs (Na(+), NH4(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Cl(-), NO3(-) and SO4(2-)) were the dominant chemical species and constituted up to 48.4% and 47.4% of PM1.0 at WD and TH, respectively. The concentrations of PM1.0 and WSIIs on haze days were approximately two times higher than on normal days. The ion balance calculations indicate that the particles were more acidic on haze days than on normal days. The results of the back trajectory analysis imply that the high concentrations of PM1.0 and its water-soluble inorganic ions may be caused by stagnant weather conditions in Wuhan. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of bacteria-like particles to PM2.5 aerosol in urban and rural environments

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Wolf, R.; El-Haddad, I.; Slowik, J. G.; Dällenbach, K.; Bruns, E.; Vasilescu, J.; Baltensperger, U.; Prévôt, A. S. H.

2017-07-01

We report highly time-resolved estimates of airborne bacteria-like particle concentrations in ambient aerosol using an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). AMS measurements with a newly developed PM2.5 and the standard (PM1) aerodynamic lens were performed at an urban background site (Zurich) and at a rural site (Payerne) in Switzerland. Positive matrix factorization using the multilinear engine (ME-2) implementation was used to estimate the contribution of bacteria-like particles to non-refractory organic aerosol. The success of the method was evaluated by a size-resolved analysis of the organic mass and the analysis of single particle mass spectra, which were detected with a light scattering system integrated into the AMS. Use of the PM2.5 aerodynamic lens increased measured bacteria-like concentrations, supporting the analysis method. However, at all sites, the low concentrations of this component suggest that airborne bacteria constitute a minor fraction of non-refractory PM2.5 organic aerosol mass. Estimated average mass concentrations were below 0.1 μg/m3 and relative contributions were lower than 2% at both sites. During rainfall periods, concentrations of the bacteria-like component increased considerably reaching a short-time maximum of approximately 2 μg/m3 at the Payerne site in summer.

Mass extinction efficiency and extinction hygroscopicity of ambient PM2.5 in urban China.

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Cheng, Zhen; Ma, Xin; He, Yujie; Jiang, Jingkun; Wang, Xiaoliang; Wang, Yungang; Sheng, Li; Hu, Jiangkai; Yan, Naiqiang

2017-07-01

The ambient PM 2.5 pollution problem in China has drawn substantial international attentions. The mass extinction efficiency (MEE) and hygroscopicity factor (f(RH)) of PM 2.5 can be readily applied to study the impacts on atmospheric visibility and climate. The few previous investigations in China only reported results from pilot studies and are lack of spatial representativeness. In this study, hourly average ambient PM 2.5 mass concentration, relative humidity, and atmospheric visibility data from China national air quality and meteorological monitoring networks were retrieved and analyzed. It includes 24 major Chinese cities from nine city-clusters with the period of October 2013 to September 2014. Annual average extinction coefficient in urban China was 759.3±258.3Mm -1 , mainly caused by dry PM 2.5 (305.8.2±131.0Mm -1 ) and its hygroscopicity (414.6±188.1Mm -1 ). High extinction coefficient values were resulted from both high ambient PM 2.5 concentration (68.5±21.7µg/m 3 ) and high relative humidity (69.7±8.6%). The PM 2.5 mass extinction efficiency varied from 2.87 to 6.64m 2 /g with an average of 4.40±0.84m 2 /g. The average extinction hygroscopic factor f(RH=80%) was 2.63±0.45. The levels of PM 2.5 mass extinction efficiency and hygroscopic factor in China were in comparable range with those found in developed countries in spite of the significant diversities among all 24 cities. Our findings help to establish quantitative relationship between ambient extinction coefficient (visual range) and PM 2.5 & relative humidity. It will reduce the uncertainty of extinction coefficient estimation of ambient PM 2.5 in urban China which is essential for the research of haze pollution and climate radiative forcing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal patterns of particulate matter (PM and associations between PM and mortality in Shenzhen, China

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Fengying Zhang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most studies on air pollution exposure and its associations with human health in China have focused on the heavily polluted industrial areas and/or mega-cities, and studies on cities with comparatively low air pollutant concentrations are still rare. Only a few studies have attempted to analyse particulate matter (PM for the vibrant economic centre Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta. So far no systematic investigation of PM spatiotemporal patterns in Shenzhen has been undertaken and the understanding of pollution exposure in urban agglomerations with comparatively low pollution is still limited. Methods We analyze daily and hourly particulate matter concentrations and all-cause mortality during 2013 in Shenzhen, China. Temporal patterns of PM (PM2.5 and PM10 with aerodynamic diameters of 2.5 (10 μm or less (or less (including particles with a diameter that equals to 2.5 (10 μm are studied, along with the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10. Spatial distributions of PM10 and PM2.5 are addressed and associations of PM10 or PM2.5 and all-cause mortality are analyzed. Results Annual average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 61.3 and 39.6 μg/m3 in 2013. PM2.5 failed to meet the Class 2 annual limit of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. PM2.5 was the primary air pollutant, with 8.8 % of days having heavy PM2.5 pollution. The daily PM2.5/PM10 ratios were high. Hourly PM2.5 concentrations in the tourist area were lower than downtown throughout the day. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were higher in western parts of Shenzhen than in eastern parts. Excess risks in the number of all-cause mortality with a 10 μg/m3 increase of PM were 0.61 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.50–0.72 for PM10, and 0.69 % (95 % CI: 0.55–0.83 for PM2.5, respectively. The greatest ERs of PM10 and PM2.5 were in 2-day cumulative measures for the all-cause mortality, 2-day lag for females and the young (0–65 years, and L02 for males and the elder (>65

[Preliminary study of source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in three cities of China during spring].

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Gao, Shen; Pan, Xiao-chuan; Madaniyazi, Li-na; Xie, Juan; He, Ya-hui

2013-09-01

To study source apportionment of atmospheric PM10 (particle matter ≤ 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) and PM2.5 (particle matter ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) in Beijing,Urumqi and Qingdao, China. The atmospheric particle samples of PM10 and PM2.5 collected from Beijing between May 17th and June 18th, 2005, from Urumqi between April 20th and June 1st, 2006 and from Qingdao between April 4th and May 15th, 2005, were detected to trace the source apportionment by factor analysis and enrichment factor methods. In Beijing, the source apportionment results derived from factor analysis model for PM10 were construction dust and soil sand dust (contributing rate of variance at 45.35%), industry dust, coal-combusted smoke and vehicle emissions (contributing rate at 31.83%), and biomass burning dust (13.57%). The main pollution element was Pb, while the content (median (minimum value-maximum value)was 0.216 (0.040-0.795) µg/m(3)) . As for PM2.5, the sources were construction dust and soil sand dust (38.86%), industry dust, coal-combusted smoke and vehicle emissions (25.73%), biomass burning dust (13.10%) and burning oil dust (11.92%). The main pollution element was Zn (0.365(0.126-0.808) µg/m(3)).In Urumqi, source apportionment results for PM10 were soil sand dust and coal-combusted dust(49.75%), industry dust, vehicle emissions and secondary particles dust (30.65%). The main characteristic pollution element was Cd (0.463(0.033-1.351) ng/m(3)). As for PM2.5, the sources were soil sand dust and coal-combusted dust (43.26%), secondary particles dust (22.29%), industry dust and vehicle emissions (20.50%). The main characteristic pollution element was As (14.599 (1.696-36.741) µg/m(3)).In Qingdao, source apportionment results for PM10 were construction dust (30.91%), vehicle emissions and industry dust (29.65%) and secondary particles dust (28.99%). The main characteristic pollution element was Pb (64.071 (5.846-346.831) µg/m(3)). As for PM2.5, the sources were

Characterization of carbonaceous materials in PM2.5 and PM10 size fractions in Morogoro, Tanzania, during 2006 wet season campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mkoma, Stelyus L.; Chi Xuguang; Maenhaut, Willy

2010-01-01

Atmospheric aerosol samples in PM10 and PM2.5 size fractions were collected in parallel at a rural site in Morogoro during wet season in March and April 2006. All samples were analysed for the particulate matter mass, for organic, elemental, and total carbon (OC, EC, and TC), and for water-soluble OC (WSOC). The average PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations and associated standard deviations were 14 ± 13 μg/m 3 and 7.3 ± 4 μg/m 3 respectively. On average, TC accounted for 33% of the PM10 mass and 44% of the PM2.5 mass for the campaign. The average OC/PM percentage ratios were 27% and 33% in PM10 and PM2.5 size fractions respectively and a larger fraction of the OC was water-soluble. The observed low EC/TC mean percentage ratios of 10-14% respectively for PM10 and PM2.5 fractions indicate that the carbonaceous aerosol originates mainly from biogenic aerosols and/or biomass burning. A simple source apportionment approach was used to apportion the OC to biofuel and charcoal burning. On average, 93% of the PM10 OC was attributed to biofuel and 7% to charcoal burning in the 2006 wet season campaign. However, it is suggested that a contribution to the OC at Morogoro could also come from other natural biogenic matter, and/or biomass burning aerosols. The results for the sources of OC at Morogoro should therefore be considered with great caution.

Preliminary analysis of levels of arsenic and other metalic elements in PM10 sampled near Copper Smelter Bor (Serbia

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Renata Kovačević

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the levels of twenty one elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, S, Se, Sr and Zn in PM10 are presented, as well as SO2 concentration, measured at the sampling site in an urban area of the town of Bor (40,000 inhabitants in eastern Serbia. The sampling site was located in a densely populated city center about 0.65 km away from one of the largest copper mines and copper smelters in Europe. For the first time PM10 was collected using the European standard sampler, during a preliminary campaign in duration of 7 days in early spring 2009. PM10 were sampled on PTFE membrane filters and element concentrations were quantified by GF AAS and ICP AES. Concentration levels and correlations within trace elements, PM10 and SO2 indicated that industrial activities underpinned with meteorological conditions of low wind speed (calm are the main factors that influence air pollution in a densely populated area. It was evident that both PM10 mass concentration and SO2 concentration once exceeded the daily limit values during a measuring period of seven days. Strong relationship was found between PM10 and Mn, Mg, Ca and B daily average concentrations. On the other hand, SO2 correlated strongly with As, Pb, Cd, Cu and S daily average concentrations. These results confirm the relationship between emissions of SO2 from the Copper Smelter Bor and calm meteorological conditions (wind speed less than 0.5 m/sec with the concentration levels of carcinogenic substances of arsenic, lead and cadmium in ambient air.

Association between PM10 concentrations and school absences in proximity of a cement plant in northern Italy.

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Marcon, Alessandro; Pesce, Giancarlo; Girardi, Paolo; Marchetti, Pierpaolo; Blengio, Gianstefano; de Zolt Sappadina, Simona; Falcone, Salvatore; Frapporti, Guglielmo; Predicatori, Francesca; de Marco, Roberto

2014-03-01

Dusts are one of the main air pollutants emitted during cement manufacturing. A substantial part of these are breathable particles that are less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10), which represent a potential threat for the health of the exposed population. This study aimed at evaluating the short-term effects of PM10 concentrations on the health of children, aged 6-14 years, who attended the schools in Fumane (Italy), in proximity (1.2 km) to a large cement plant. School absenteeism was used as a proxy indicator of child morbidity. Time series of daily school absences and PM10 concentrations were collected for 3 school-years from 2007 to 2010 (541 school-days, 462 children on average). The associations between PM10 concentrations and school absence rates in the same day (lag0) and in the following 4 days (lag1 to lag4) were evaluated using generalised additive models, smoothed for medium/long term trends and adjusted for day of the week, influenza outbreaks, daily temperature and rain precipitations. The average concentration of PM10 in the period was 34 (range: 4-183) μg/m(3). An average 10 μg/m(3) increase of PM10 concentration in the previous days (lag0-4) was associated with a statistically significant 2.5% (95%CI: 1.1-4.0%) increase in the rate of school absences. The highest increase in the absence rates (2.4%; 95%CI: 1.2-3.5%) was found 2 days after exposure (lag2). These findings provide epidemiological evidence of the acute health effects of PM10 in areas with annual concentrations that are lower than the legal European Union limit of 40 μg/m(3), and support the need to establish more restrictive legislative standards. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The classification of PM10 concentrations in Johor Based on Seasonal Monsoons

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Hamid, Hazrul Abdul; Hanafi Rahmat, Muhamad; Aisyah Sapani, Siti

2018-04-01

Air is the most important living resource in life. Contaminated air could adversely affect human health and the environment, especially during the monsoon season. Contamination occurs as a result of human action and haze. There are several pollutants present in the air where one of them is PM10. Secondary data was obtained from the Department of Environment from 2010 until 2014 and was analyzed using the hourly average of PM10 concentrations. This paper examined the relation between PM10 concentrations and the monsoon seasons (Northeast Monsoon and Southwest Monsoon) in Larkin and Pasir Gudang. It was expected that the concentration of PM10 would be higher during the Southwest Monsoon as it is a dry season. The data revealed that the highest PM10 concentrations were recorded between 2010 to 2014 during this particular monsoon season. The characteristics of PM10 concentration were compared using descriptive statistics based on the monsoon seasons and classified using the hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward Methods). The annual average of PM10 concentration during the Southwest Monsoon had exceeded the standard set by the Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Guidelines (50 μg/m3) while the PM10 concentration during the Northeast Monsoon was below the acceptable level for both stations. The dendrogram displayed showed two clusters for each monsoon season for both stations excepted for the PM10 concentration during the Northeast Monsoon in Larkin which was classified into three clusters due to the haze in 2010. Overall, the concentration of PM10 in 2013 was higher based on the clustering shown for every monsoon season at both stations according to the characteristics in the descriptive statistics.

Characteristics of PM10 Chemical Source Profiles for Geological Dust from the South-West Region of China

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Yayong Liu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ninety-six particulate matter (PM10 chemical source profiles for geological sources in typical cities of southwest China were acquired from Source Profile Shared Service in China. Twenty-six elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Sr, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Be, Tl and Pb, nine ions (F−, Cl−, SO42−, NO3−, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+, and carbon-containing species (organic carbon and elemental carbon were determined to construct these profiles. Individual source profiles were averaged and compared to quantify similarities and differences in chemical abundances using the profile-compositing method. Overall, the major components of PM10 in geological sources were crustal minerals and undefined fraction. Different chemical species could be used as tracers for various types of geological dust in the region that resulted from different anthropogenic influence. For example, elemental carbon, V and Zn could be used as tracers for urban paved road dust; Al, Si, K+ and NH4+ for agricultural soil; Al and Si for natural soil; and SO42− for urban resuspended dust. The enrichment factor analysis showed that Cu, Se, Sr and Ba were highly enriched by human activities in geological dust samples from south-west China. Elemental ratios were taken to highlight the features of geological dust from south-west China by comparing with northern urban fugitive dust, loess and desert samples. Low Si/Al and Fe/Al ratios can be used as markers to trace geological sources from southwestern China. High Pb/Al and Zn/Al ratios observed in urban areas demonstrated that urban geological dust was influenced seriously by non-crustal sources.

Particle Reduction Strategies - PAREST. PM10-cause analysis based on hypothetical emissions scenarios. Sub-report; Strategien zur Verminderung der Feinstaubbelastung - PAREST. PM10-Ursachenanalyse auf der Basis hypothetischer Emissionsszenarien. Teilbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stern, Rainer [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Meteorologie, Troposphaerische Umweltforschung

2013-06-15

In this report, a PM10 cause analysis is presented, which provides an estimation of the extent to which the emitted substances from ten different source sectors are responsible for the calculated PM10 concentrations in Germany (PM = particulate matter). [German] In diesem Bericht wird eine PM10-Ursachenanalyse vorgestellt, die eine Abschaetzung liefert, in welchem Umfang die in Deutschland von den verschiedenen Verursachergruppen emittierten Stoffe fuer die in Deutschland berechneten PM10-Konzentrationen verantwortlich sind.

Corrigendum to 'A novel model evaluation approach focusing on local and advected contributions to urban PM2.5 levels - application to Paris, France' published in Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 1483-1505, 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petetin, H.; Beekmann, M.; Sciare, J.; Bressi, M.; Rosso, A.; Sanchez, O.; Ghersi, V.

2014-01-01

Complete text of publication follows: Due to an oversight in the production process, an essential word (overestimation) was left out of the abstract. The correct version of the abstract can be seen below. Aerosol simulations in chemistry transport models (CTMs) still suffer from numerous uncertainties, and diagnostic evaluations are required to point out major error sources. This paper presents an original approach to evaluate CTMs based on local and imported contributions in a large mega-city rather than urban background concentrations. The study is applied to the CHIMERE model in the Paris region (France) and considers the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its main chemical constituents (elemental and organic carbon, nitrate, sulfate and ammonium), for which daily measurements are available during a whole year at various stations (PARTICULES project). Back-trajectory data are used to locate the upwind station, from which the concentration is identified as the import, the local production being deduced from the urban concentration by subtraction. Uncertainties on these contributions are quantified. Small biases in urban background PM2.5 simulations (bias of +16 %) hide significant error compensations between local and advected contributions, as well as in PM2.5 chemical compounds. In particular, winter time organic matter (OM) imports appear strongly underestimated while local OM and elemental carbon (EC) production is overestimated all along the year. Erroneous continental wood burning emissions and missing secondary organic aerosol (SOA) pathways may explain errors on advected OM, while the carbonaceous compounds overestimation is likely to be related to errors in emissions and dynamics. A statistically significant local formation of nitrate is also highlighted from observations, but missed by the model. Together with the overestimation of nitrate imports, it leads to a bias of +51% on the local PM2.5 contribution. Such an evaluation finally gives more

Simulating the meteorology and PM10 concentrations in Arizona dust storms using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (Wrf-Chem).

Science.gov (United States)

Hyde, Peter; Mahalov, Alex; Li, Jialun

2018-03-01

Nine dust storms in south-central Arizona were simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry model (WRF-Chem) at 2 km resolution. The windblown dust emission algorithm was the Air Force Weather Agency model. In comparison with ground-based PM 10 observations, the model unevenly reproduces the dust-storm events. The model adequately estimates the location and timing of the events, but it is unable to precisely replicate the magnitude and timing of the elevated hourly concentrations of particles 10 µm and smaller ([PM 10 ]).Furthermore, the model underestimated [PM 10 ] in highly agricultural Pinal County because it underestimated surface wind speeds and because the model's erodible fractions of the land surface data were too coarse to effectively resolve the active and abandoned agricultural lands. In contrast, the model overestimated [PM 10 ] in western Arizona along the Colorado River because it generated daytime sea breezes (from the nearby Gulf of California) for which the surface-layer speeds were too strong. In Phoenix, AZ, the model's performance depended on the event, with both under- and overestimations partly due to incorrect representation of urban features. Sensitivity tests indicate that [PM 10 ] highly relies on meteorological forcing. Increasing the fraction of erodible surfaces in the Pinal County agricultural areas improved the simulation of [PM 10 ] in that region. Both 24-hr and 1-hr measured [PM 10 ] were, for the most part, and especially in Pinal County, extremely elevated, with the former exceeding the health standard by as much as 10-fold and the latter exceeding health-based guidelines by as much as 70-fold. Monsoonal thunderstorms not only produce elevated [PM 10 ], but also cause urban flash floods and disrupt water resource deliveries. Given the severity and frequency of these dust storms, and conceding that the modeling system applied in this work did not produce the desired agreement between simulations and

Surface chemical characterization of PM{sub 10} samples by XPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atzei, Davide, E-mail: datzei@unica.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Cagliari, Complesso Universitario di Monserrato, S.S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari (Italy); Fantauzzi, Marzia; Rossi, Antonella [Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Cagliari, Complesso Universitario di Monserrato, S.S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari (Italy); Fermo, Paola [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi Milano, Via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Piazzalunga, Andrea [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi Milano, Via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e del territorio, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20122 Milano (Italy); Valli, Gianluigi; Vecchi, Roberta [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano (Italy)

2014-07-01

Samples of particulate matter (PM) collected in the city of Milan during wintertime were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal optical transmittance (TOT), ionic chromatography (IC) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in order to compare quantitative bulk analysis and surface analysis. In particular, the analysis of surface carbon is here presented following a new approach for the C1s curve fitting aiming this work to prove the capability of XPS to discriminate among elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) and to quantify the carbon-based compounds that might be present in the PM. Since surface of urban PM is found to be rich in carbon it is important to be able to distinguish between the different species. XPS results indicate that aromatic and aliphatic species are adsorbed on the PM surface. Higher concentrations of (EC) are present in the bulk. Also nitrogen and sulfur were detected on the surfaces and a qualitative and quantitative analysis is provided. Surface concentration of sulfate ion is equal to that found by bulk analysis; moreover surface analysis shows an additional signal due to organic sulfur not detectable by the other methods. Surface appears to be also enriched in nitrogen.

Correlation Analysis of PM10 and the Incidence of Lung Cancer in Nanchang, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yi; Li, Lianshui; Hu, Lei

2017-01-01

Air pollution and lung cancer are closely related. In 2013, the World Health Organization listed outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic and regarded it as the most widespread carcinogen that humans are currently exposed to. Here, grey correlation and data envelopment analysis methods are used to determine the pollution factors causing lung cancer among residents in Nanchang, China, and identify population segments which are more susceptible to air pollution. This study shows that particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 micron (PM10) is most closely related to the incidence of lung cancer among air pollution factors including annual mean concentrations of SO2, NO2, PM10, annual haze days, and annual mean Air Pollution Index/Air Quality Index (API/AQI). Air pollution has a greater impact on urban inhabitants as compared to rural inhabitants. When gender differences are considered, women are more likely to develop lung cancer due to air pollution. Smokers are more likely to suffer from lung cancer. These results provide a reference for the government to formulate policies to reduce air pollutant emissions and strengthen anti-smoking measures. PMID:29048397

Correlation Analysis of PM10 and the Incidence of Lung Cancer in Nanchang, China

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Yi Zhou

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Air pollution and lung cancer are closely related. In 2013, the World Health Organization listed outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic and regarded it as the most widespread carcinogen that humans are currently exposed to. Here, grey correlation and data envelopment analysis methods are used to determine the pollution factors causing lung cancer among residents in Nanchang, China, and identify population segments which are more susceptible to air pollution. This study shows that particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 micron (PM10 is most closely related to the incidence of lung cancer among air pollution factors including annual mean concentrations of SO2, NO2, PM10, annual haze days, and annual mean Air Pollution Index/Air Quality Index (API/AQI. Air pollution has a greater impact on urban inhabitants as compared to rural inhabitants. When gender differences are considered, women are more likely to develop lung cancer due to air pollution. Smokers are more likely to suffer from lung cancer. These results provide a reference for the government to formulate policies to reduce air pollutant emissions and strengthen anti-smoking measures.

Assessment of the long-term impacts of PM10 and PM2.5 particles from construction works on surrounding areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Azarmi, Farhad; Kumar, Prashant; Marsh, Daniel; Fuller, Gary

2016-02-01

Construction activities are common across cities; however, the studies assessing their contribution to airborne PM10 (≤10 μm) and PM2.5 (≤2.5 μm) particles on the surrounding air quality are limited. Herein, we assessed the impact of PM10 and PM2.5 arising from construction works in and around London. Measurements were carried out at 17 different monitoring stations around three construction sites between January 2002 and December 2013. Tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM 1400) and OSIRIS (2315) particle monitors were used to measure the PM10 and PM2.5 fractions in the 0.1-10 μm size range along with the ambient meteorological data. The data was analysed using bivariate concentration polar plots and k-means clustering techniques. Daily mean concentrations of PM10 were found to exceed the European Union target limit value of 50 μg m(-3) at 11 monitoring stations but remained within the allowable 35 exceedences per year, except at two monitoring stations. In general, construction works were found to influence the downwind concentrations of PM10 relatively more than PM2.5. Splitting of the data between working (0800-1800 h; local time) and non-working (1800-0800 h) periods showed about 2.2-fold higher concentrations of PM10 during working hours when compared with non-working hours. However, these observations did not allow to conclude that this increase was from the construction site emissions. Together, the polar concentration plots and the k-means cluster analysis applied to a pair of monitoring stations across the construction sites (i.e. one in upwind and the other in downwind) confirmed the contribution of construction sources on the measured concentrations. Furthermore, pairing the monitoring stations downwind of the construction sites showed a logarithmic decrease (with R(2) about 0.9) in the PM10 and PM2.5 concentration with distance. Our findings clearly indicate an impact of construction activities on the nearby downwind areas and a need

Monitoring of 7Be in surface air of varying PM10 concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, J.H.; Liu, C.C.; Cho, I.C.; Niu, H.

2014-01-01

In this study, beryllium-7 ( 7 Be) concentrations of surface air were monitored throughout a span of 23 years (1992–2012) in the Taiwanese cities Yilan, Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. During this period, particulate matter (PM) concentrations, in terms of PM 10 , were collected monthly from the nearest air-quality pollutant monitoring stations and compared against 7 Be concentrations. Seasonal monsoons influenced 7 Be concentrations in all cities, resulting in high winter and low summer concentrations. In addition, the meteorological conditions caused seasonal PM 10 variations, yielding distinct patterns among the cities. There was no correlation between 7 Be and PM 10 in the case cities. The average annual 7 Be concentrations varied little among the cities, ranging from 2.9 to 3.5 mBq/m 3 , while the PM 10 concentrations varied significantly from 38 μg/m 3 in Yilan to 92 μg/m 3 in Kaohsiung depending on the degree of air pollution and meteorological conditions. The correlation between the 7 Be concentration and gross-beta activities (A β ) in air implied that the 7 Be was mainly attached to crustal PM and its concentration varied little among the cities, regardless of the increase in anthropogenic PM in air-polluted areas. - Highlights: • Both 7 Be and PM 10 concentrations were monitored in four Taiwanese cities from 1992 to 2012. • Seasonal variations of 7 Be and PM 10 were explained based on on meteorological and pollution conditions. • The annual concentrations of 7 Be varied little among the four cities even in high PM environment. • 7 Be is believed to mainly attach to natural PM in the cities that exhibited varying PM 10 concentrations

Receptor modeling of PM2.5, PM10 and TSP in different seasons and long-range transport analysis at a coastal site of Tianjin, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Shaofei; Han, Bin; Bai, Zhipeng; Chen, Li; Shi, Jianwu; Xu, Zhun

2010-09-15

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM(2.5), PM(10) and TSP) were sampled synchronously during three monitoring campaigns from June 2007 to February 2008 at a coastal site in TEDA of Tianjin, China. Chemical compositions including 19 elements, 6 water-solubility ions, organic and elemental carbon were determined. principle components analysis (PCA) and chemical mass balance modeling (CMB) were applied to determine the PM sources and their contributions with the assistance of NSS SO(4)(2)(-), the mass ratios of NO(3)(-) to SO(4)(2)(-) and OC to EC. Air mass backward trajectory model was compared with source apportionment results to evaluate the origin of PM. Results showed that NSS SO(4)(2)(-) values for PM(2.5) were 2147.38, 1701.26 and 239.80 ng/m(3) in summer, autumn and winter, reflecting the influence of sources from local emissions. Most of it was below zero in summer for PM(10) indicating the influence of sea salt. The ratios of NO(3)(-) to SO(4)(2)(-) was 0.19 for PM(2.5), 0.18 for PM(10) and 0.19 for TSP in winter indicating high amounts of coal consumed for heating purpose. Higher OC/EC values (mostly larger than 2.5) demonstrated that secondary organic aerosol was abundant at this site. The major sources were construction activities, road dust, vehicle emissions, marine aerosol, metal manufacturing, secondary sulfate aerosols, soil dust, biomass burning, some pharmaceutics industries and fuel-oil combustion according to PCA. Coal combustion, marine aerosol, vehicular emission and soil dust explained 5-31%, 1-13%, 13-44% and 3-46% for PM(2.5), PM(10) and TSP, respectively. Backward trajectory analysis showed air parcels originating from sea accounted for 39% in summer, while in autumn and winter the air parcels were mainly related to continental origin. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of urban heat island phenomenon on PM concentration: an observation study during the summer half-year in metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Li-Wei

2018-01-01

Air circulation due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect can influence the dispersion of air pollutants in a metropolis. This study focusses on the influence of the UHI effect on particulate matter (PM; including PM2.5 and PM2.5-10) between May and September 2010-2012 in the Taipei basin. Meteorological and PM data were obtained from the sites, owned by the governmental authorities. The analysis was carried out using t test, relative indices (RIs), Pearson product-moment correlation and stepwise regression. The results show that the RI values for PM were the highest at moderate UHI intensity (MUI; 2 °C ≤ UHI < 4 °C) rather than at strong UHI intensity (SUI; 4 °C ≤ UHI) during the peak time for anthropogenic emissions (20:00 LST). Neither the accumulation of PM nor the surface convergence occurred in the hot centre, as shown by the case study. At MUI, more than 89 % of the synoptic weather patterns showed that the weather was clear and hot or that the atmosphere was stable. The variation in PM was associated with horizontal and vertical air dispersion. Poor horizontal air dispersion, with subsidence, caused an increase in PM at MUI. However, the updraft motion diluted the PM at SUI. The stepwise regression models show that the cloud index and surface air pressure determined the variation in PM2.5-10, while cloud index, wind speed and mixing height influenced the variation in PM2.5. In conclusion, a direct relationship between UHI effect and PM was not obvious.

Individual and Interactive Influences of Anthropogenic and Ecological Factors on Forest PM2.5 Concentrations at an Urban Scale

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Guoliang Yun

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Integration of Landsat images and multisource data using spatial statistical analysis and geographical detector models can reveal the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic activities and ecological factors on concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5. This approach has been used in many studies to estimate biomass and forest disturbance patterns and to monitor carbon sinks. However, the approach has rarely been used to comprehensively analyze the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic factors (e.g., population density, impervious surface percentage and ecological factors (e.g., canopy density, stand age, and elevation on PM2.5 concentrations. To do this, we used Landsat-8 images and meteorological data to retrieve quantitative data on the concentrations of particulates (PM2.5, then integrated a forest management planning inventory (FMPI, population density distribution data, meteorological data, and topographic data in a Geographic Information System database, and applied a spatial statistical analysis model to identify aggregated areas (hot spots and cold spots of particulates in the urban area of Jinjiang city, China. A geographical detector model was used to analyze the individual and interactive influences of anthropogenic and ecological factors on PM2.5 concentrations. We found that particulate concentration hot spots are mainly distributed in urban centers and suburbs, while cold spots are mainly distributed in the suburbs and exurban region. Elevation was the dominant individual factor affecting PM2.5 concentrations, followed by dominant tree species and meteorological factors. A combination of human activities (e.g., population density, impervious surface percentage and multiple ecological factors caused the dominant interactive effects, resulting in increased PM2.5 concentrations. Our study suggests that human activities and multiple ecological factors

Seasonal variability of PM2.5 composition and sources in the Klang Valley urban-industrial environment

Science.gov (United States)

Amil, Norhaniza; Talib Latif, Mohd; Firoz Khan, Md; Mohamad, Maznorizan

2016-04-01

This study investigates the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) variability in the Klang Valley urban-industrial environment. In total, 94 daily PM2.5 samples were collected during a 1-year campaign from August 2011 to July 2012. This is the first paper on PM2.5 mass, chemical composition and sources in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia, covering all four seasons (distinguished by the wind flow patterns) including haze events. The samples were analysed for various inorganic components and black carbon (BC). The chemical compositions were statistically analysed and the temporal aerosol pattern (seasonal) was characterised using descriptive analysis, correlation matrices, enrichment factor (EF), stoichiometric analysis and chemical mass closure (CMC). For source apportionment purposes, a combination of positive matrix factorisation (PMF) and multi-linear regression (MLR) was employed. Further, meteorological-gaseous parameters were incorporated into each analysis for improved assessment. In addition, secondary data of total suspended particulate (TSP) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) sampled at the same location and time with this study (collected by Malaysian Meteorological Department) were used for PM ratio assessment. The results showed that PM2.5 mass averaged at 28 ± 18 µg m-3, 2.8-fold higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual guideline. On a daily basis, the PM2.5 mass ranged between 6 and 118 µg m-3 with the daily WHO guideline exceeded 43 % of the time. The north-east (NE) monsoon was the only season with less than 50 % sample exceedance of the daily WHO guideline. On an annual scale, PM2.5 mass correlated positively with temperature (T) and wind speed (WS) but negatively with relative humidity (RH). With the exception of NOx, the gases analysed (CO, NO2, NO and SO2) were found to significantly influence the PM2.5 mass. Seasonal variability unexpectedly showed that rainfall, WS and wind direction (WD) did not significantly correlate

The oxidative potential and biological effects induced by PM{sub 10} obtained in Mexico City and at a receptor site during the MILAGRO Campaign

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quintana, Raul [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City (Mexico); Serrano, Jesus [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico); Gomez, Virginia [Instituto de Quimica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico); Foy, Benjamin de [Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (United States); Miranda, Javier [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico); Garcia-Cuellar, Claudia [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City (Mexico); Vega, Elizabeth [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexico City (Mexico); Vazquez-Lopez, Ines [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City (Mexico); Molina, Luisa T. [Molina Center for Energy and the Environment, CA (United States); Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States); Manzano-Leon, Natalia [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City (Mexico); Rosas, Irma [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico); Osornio-Vargas, Alvaro R., E-mail: osornio@ualberta.ca [Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City (Mexico); Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta, 1048 RTF, 8308 114 St, Edmonton, AB T6G 2V2 (Canada)

2011-12-15

As part of a field campaign that studied the impact of Mexico City pollution plume at the local, sub-regional and regional levels, we studied transport-related changes in PM{sub 10} composition, oxidative potential and in vitro toxicological patterns (hemolysis, DNA degradation). We collected PM{sub 10} in Mexico City (T{sub 0}) and at a suburban-receptor site (T{sub 1}), pooled according to two observed ventilation patterns (T{sub 0} {yields} T{sub 1} influence and non-influence). T{sub 0} samples contained more Cu, Zn, and carbon whereas; T{sub 1} samples contained more of Al, Si, P, S, and K (p < 0.05). Only SO{sub 4}{sup -2} increased in T{sub 1} during the influence periods. Oxidative potential correlated with Cu/Zn content (r = 0.74; p < 0.05) but not with biological effects. T{sub 1} PM{sub 10} induced greater hemolysis and T{sub 0} PM{sub 10} induced greater DNA degradation. Influence/non-influence did not affect oxidative potential nor biological effects. Results indicate that ventilation patterns had little effect on intrinsic PM{sub 10} composition and toxicological potential, which suggests a significant involvement of local sources. - Highlights: > Transport-related changes in PM{sub 10} composition, oxidative potential and in vitro toxicity were studied. > Cu, Zn, and carbon levels were predominant in urban PM{sub 10}; receptor site PM{sub 10} was rich in soil elements. > SO{sub 4}{sup -2} was the only component increased in PM{sub 10} from the receptor during the influence periods. > PM{sub 10} oxidative potential correlates with Cu/Zn content but not with studied biological effects. > Ventilation patterns had little effect on PM{sub 10} composition and toxicity. - Mexico City ventilation patterns had little effect on the intrinsic PM{sub 10} composition and toxicological potential, which suggests a significant involvement of local sources as opposed to downwind transport.

EVALUATION OF THE SMPS-APS SYSTEM AS A CONTINUOUS MONITOR FOR MEASURING PM2.5, PM10 AND COARSE (PM2.5-10) CONCENTRATIONS. (R827352C011)

Science.gov (United States)

Respirable particulate matter (PM) has been linked to mortality and morbidity by a variety of epidemiological studies. This research has led to the creation of a new PM standard for particles with diameters 2.5). Since the conclusion of these studie...

Elemental characterization and source apportionment of PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} in the western coastal area of central Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, Chin-Yu; Chiang, Hung-Che [National Environmental Health Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan (China); Lin, Sheng-Lun [Super Micro Mass Research and Technology Center, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Kaohsiung 83347, Taiwan (China); Chen, Mu-Jean; Lin, Tzu-Yu [National Environmental Health Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan (China); Chen, Yu-Cheng, E-mail: yucheng@nhri.org.tw [National Environmental Health Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan Town, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan (China); Department of Occupational Safety and Health, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan (China)

2016-01-15

ABSTRACT: This study investigated seasonal variations in PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} mass and associated trace metal concentrations in a residential area in proximity to the crude oil refinery plants and industrial parks of central Taiwan. Particle measurements were conducted during winter, spring and summer in 2013 and 2014. Twenty-six trace metals in PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} were analyzed using ICP-MS. Multiple approaches of the backward trajectory model, enrichment factor (EF), Lanthanum enrichment and positive matrix fraction (PMF) were used to identify potential sources of particulate metals. Mean concentrations of PM{sub 10} in winter, spring and summer were 76.4 ± 22.6, 33.2 ± 9.9 and 37.4 ± 17.0 μg m{sup −3}, respectively, while mean levels of PM{sub 2.5} in winter, spring and summer were 47.8 ± 20.0, 23.9 ± 11.2 and 16.3 ± 8.2 μg m{sup −3}, respectively. The concentrations of carcinogenic metals (Ni, As and adjusted Cr(VI)) in PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} exceeded the guideline limits published by WHO. The result of EF analysis confirmed that Mo, Sb, Cd, Zn, Mg, Cr, As, Pb, Cu, Ni and V were attributable to anthropogenic emission. PMF analysis demonstrated that trace metals in PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} were from the similar sources, such as coal combustion, oil combustion and traffic-related emission, except for soil dust and crustal element emissions only observed in PM{sub 10} and secondary aluminum smelter only observed in PM{sub 2.5}. Considering health-related particulate metals, the traffic-related emission and coal combustion for PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5}, respectively, are important to control for reducing potential carcinogenic risk. The results could aid efforts to clarify the impact of source-specific origins on human health. - Highlights: • Multiple approaches to identify sources of PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} metals were used. • Four similar sources contributed to metals in PM{sub 10} and PM{sub 2.5} in the study area. • Six