Long-term atmospheric corrosion of mild steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuente, D. de la; Diaz, I.; Simancas, J.; Chico, B.; Morcillo, M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Atmospheric corrosion rate stabilises after the first 4-6 years of exposure. → Great compaction of the rust layers in rural and urban atmospheres. → Corrosion (in rural and urban) deviates from common behaviour of bilogarithmic law. → Typical structures of lepidocrocite, goethite and akaganeite are identified. → Formation of hematite (industrial atmosphere) and ferrihydrite (marine atmosphere). - Abstract: A great deal of information is available on the atmospheric corrosion of mild steel in the short, mid and even long term, but studies of the structure and morphology of corrosion layers are less abundant and generally deal with those formed in just a few years. The present study assesses the structure and morphology of corrosion product layers formed on mild steel after 13 years of exposure in five Spanish atmospheres of different types: rural, urban, industrial and marine (mild and severe). The corrosion layers have been characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Long-term corrosion is seen to be more severe in the industrial and marine atmospheres, and less so in the rural and urban atmospheres. In all cases the corrosion rate is seen to decrease with exposure time, stabilising after the first 4-6 years of exposure. The most relevant aspects to be noted are (a) the great compaction of the rust layers formed in the rural and urban atmospheres, (b) the formation of hematite and ferrihydrite phases (not commonly found) in the industrial and marine atmospheres, respectively and (c) identification of the typical morphological structures of lepidocrocite (sandy crystals and flowery plates), goethite (cotton balls structures) and akaganeite (cotton balls structures and cigar-shaped crystals).

Diffusion from a point source in an urban atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essa, K.S.M.; El-Otaify, M.S.

2005-01-01

In the present paper, a model for the diffusion of material from a point source in an urban atmosphere is incorporated. The plume is assumed to have a well-defined edge at which the concentration falls to zero. The vertical wind shear is estimated using logarithmic law, by employing most of the available techniques of stability categories. The concentrations estimated from the model were compared favorably with the field observations of other investigators

An Atmosphere-based Method for Detection and Quantification of Methane Emisions from Natural Gas Infrastructure in an Urban Environment

Science.gov (United States)

McKain, K.; Down, A.; Raciti, S. M.; Budney, J.; Hutyra, L.; Floerchinger, C. R.; Herndon, S. C.; Nehrkorn, T.; Zahniser, M. S.; Sargent, M. R.; Jackson, R. B.; Phillips, N. G.; Wofsy, S. C.

2015-12-01

Methane emissions from the natural gas supply-chain are highly uncertain and can vary widely among components and processes. We present an atmosphere-based method for detecting and quantifying the area and time-averaged surface flux of methane from natural gas infrastructure, and its application to the case-study of Boston, Massachusetts. Continuous measurements of atmospheric methane at a network of stations, inside and outside the city, are used to quantify the atmospheric methane gradient due to emissions from the urban area. Simultaneous observations of atmospheric ethane, and data on the ethane and methane content of the pipeline gas flowing through the region, are used to trace the atmospheric methane enhancement to the natural gas source. An atmospheric transport model is used to quantitatively relate the observed methane enhancement to a surface flux from the whole urban region. We find that methane emissions from natural gas in the urban region over one year was equal to 2.7 ± 0.6 % of the natural gas delivered to the region. Our findings for Boston suggest natural-gas-consuming regions, generally, may be larger sources of methane to the atmosphere than is current estimated and represent areas of significant resource loss.

Megacities and large urban agglomerations in the coastal zone: interactions between atmosphere, land, and marine ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

von Glasow, Roland; Jickells, Tim D; Baklanov, Alexander; Carmichael, Gregory R; Church, Tom M; Gallardo, Laura; Hughes, Claire; Kanakidou, Maria; Liss, Peter S; Mee, Laurence; Raine, Robin; Ramachandran, Purvaja; Ramesh, R; Sundseth, Kyrre; Tsunogai, Urumu; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Zhu, Tong

2013-02-01

Megacities are not only important drivers for socio-economic development but also sources of environmental challenges. Many megacities and large urban agglomerations are located in the coastal zone where land, atmosphere, and ocean meet, posing multiple environmental challenges which we consider here. The atmospheric flow around megacities is complicated by urban heat island effects and topographic flows and sea breezes and influences air pollution and human health. The outflow of polluted air over the ocean perturbs biogeochemical processes. Contaminant inputs can damage downstream coastal zone ecosystem function and resources including fisheries, induce harmful algal blooms and feedback to the atmosphere via marine emissions. The scale of influence of megacities in the coastal zone is hundreds to thousands of kilometers in the atmosphere and tens to hundreds of kilometers in the ocean. We list research needs to further our understanding of coastal megacities with the ultimate aim to improve their environmental management.

Ionization rates and profiles of electron concentration in Martian atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komitov, B.; Spasov, S.; Gogoshev, M.

1981-01-01

The ionization and vertical profiles of electron concentration in the Martian atmosphere are calculated as functions of the solar zenith angles varying from O deg to 90 deg. A neutral atmospheric model based on direct mass-spectometric measurements from the Viking-1 landing modul is employed in the calculation. The Earth data of the ionization solar flux at the same level of the solar activity and for the month of the Viking-1 measurements reduced for the Mars orbit are used. The numerical result for the photoionization rates and quasi-equilibrium electron-concentration profiles in the upper Martian atmosphere at different solar zenith angles from 0 deg to 100 deg are presented. It is shown that the maxima of both quantities decrease and move towards the upper atmosphere regions. The calculated electron density at the zenith solar angle of 40 deg are compared to Viking-1 experimental data and a good agreement is achieved

Triple oxygen isotopes indicate urbanization affects sources of nitrate in wet and dry atmospheric deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, David M.; Tsunogai, Urumu; Ding, Dong; Ohyama, Takuya; Komatsu, Daisuke D.; Nakagawa, Fumiko; Noguchi, Izumi; Yamaguchi, Takashi

2018-05-01

Atmospheric nitrate deposition resulting from anthropogenic activities negatively affects human and environmental health. Identifying deposited nitrate that is produced locally vs. that originating from long-distance transport would help inform efforts to mitigate such impacts. However, distinguishing the relative transport distances of atmospheric nitrate in urban areas remains a major challenge since it may be produced locally and/or be transported from upwind regions. To address this uncertainty we assessed spatiotemporal variation in monthly weighted-average Δ17O and δ15N values of wet and dry nitrate deposition during one year at urban and rural sites along the western coast of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, downwind of the East Asian continent. Δ17O values of nitrate in wet deposition at the urban site mirrored those of wet and dry deposition at the rural site, ranging between ˜ +23 and +31 ‰ with higher values during winter and lower values in summer, which suggests the greater relative importance of oxidation of NO2 by O3 during winter and OH during summer. In contrast, Δ17O values of nitrate in dry deposition at the urban site were lower (+19 - +25 ‰) and displayed less distinct seasonal variation. Furthermore, the difference between δ15N values of nitrate in wet and dry nitrate deposition was, on average, 3 ‰ greater at the urban than rural site, and Δ17O and δ15N values were correlated for both forms of deposition at both sites with the exception of dry deposition at the urban site. These results suggest that, relative to nitrate in wet and dry deposition in rural environments and wet deposition in urban environments, nitrate in dry deposition in urban environments forms from relatively greater oxidation of NO by peroxy radicals and/or oxidation of NO2 by OH. Given greater concentrations of peroxy radicals and OH in cities, these results imply that dry nitrate deposition results from local NOx emissions more so than wet

Direct measurement of electron density in microdischarge at atmospheric pressure by Stark broadening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Lifang; Ran Junxia; Mao Zhiguo

2005-01-01

We present a method and results for measurement of electron density in atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge. The electron density of microdischarge in atmospheric pressure argon is measured by using the spectral line profile method. The asymmetrical deconvolution is used to obtain Stark broadening. The results show that the electron density in single filamentary microdischarge at atmospheric pressure argon is 3.05x10 15 cm -3 if the electron temperature is 10,000 K. The result is in good agreement with the simulation. The electron density in dielectric barrier discharge increases with the increase of applied voltage

Pathways for the Oxidation of Sarin in Urban Atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerald E. Streit; James E. Bossert; Jeffrey S. Gaffney; Jon Reisner; Laurie A. McNair; Michael Brown; Scott Elliott

1998-11-01

Terrorists have threatened and carried out chemicalhiological agent attacks on targets in major cities. The nerve agent sarin figured prominently in one well-publicized incident. Vapors disseminating from open containers in a Tokyo subway caused thousands of casualties. High-resolution tracer transport modeling of agent dispersion is at hand and will be enhanced by data on reactions with components of the urban atmosphere. As a sample of the level of complexity currently attainable, we elaborate the mechanisms by which sarin can decompose in polluted air. A release scenario is outlined involving the passage of a gas-phase agent through a city locale in the daytime. The atmospheric chemistry database on related organophosphorus pesticides is mined for rate and product information. The hydroxyl,radical and fine-mode particles are identified as major reactants. A review of urban air chernistry/rnicrophysics generates concentration tables for major oxidant and aerosol types in both clean and dirty environments. Organic structure-reactivity relationships yield an upper limit of 10-1' cm3 molecule-' S-* for hydrogen abstraction by hydroxyl. The associated midday loss time scale could be as little as one hour. Product distributions are difficult to define but may include nontoxic organic oxygenates, inorganic phosphorus acids, sarin-like aldehydes, and nitrates preserving cholinergic capabilities. Agent molecules will contact aerosol surfaces in on the order of minutes, with hydrolysis and side-chain oxidation as likely reaction channels.

Measurement and analysis of ambient atmospheric particulate matter in urban and remote environments

Science.gov (United States)

Hagler, Gayle S. W.

Atmospheric particulate matter pollution is a challenging environmental concern in both urban and remote locations worldwide. It is intrinsically difficult to control, given numerous anthropogenic and natural sources (e.g. fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning, dust, and seaspray) and atmospheric transport up to thousands of kilometers after production. In urban regions, fine particulate matter (particles with diameters under 2.5 mum) is of special concern for its ability to penetrate the human respiratory system and threaten cardiopulmonary health. A second major impact area is climate, with particulate matter altering Earth's radiative balance through scattering and absorbing solar radiation, modifying cloud properties, and reducing surface reflectivity after deposition in snow-covered regions. While atmospheric particulate matter has been generally well-characterized in populated areas of developed countries, particulate pollution in developing nations and remote regions is relatively unexplored. This thesis characterizes atmospheric particulate matter in locations that represent the extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of air pollution-the rapidly-developing and heavily populated Pearl River Delta Region of China, the pristine and climate-sensitive Greenland Ice Sheet, and a remote site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In China, fine particles were studied through a year-long field campaign at seven sites surrounding the Pearl River Delta. Fine particulate matter was analyzed for chemical composition, regional variation, and meteorological impacts. On the Greenland Ice Sheet and in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the carbonaceous fraction (organic and elemental carbon) of particulate matter was studied in the atmosphere and snow pack. Analyses included quantifying particulate chemical and optical properties, assessing atmospheric transport, and evaluating post-depositional processing of carbonaceous species in snow.

The effect of atmospheric thermal conditions and urban thermal pollution on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkart, Katrin; Schneider, Alexandra; Breitner, Susanne; Khan, Mobarak Hossain; Kraemer, Alexander; Endlicher, Wilfried

2011-01-01

This study assessed the effect of temperature and thermal atmospheric conditions on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Bangladesh. In particular, differences in the response to elevated temperatures between urban and rural areas were investigated. Generalized additive models (GAMs) for daily death counts, adjusted for trend, season, day of the month and age were separately fitted for urban and rural areas. Breakpoint models were applied for determining the increase in mortality above and below a threshold (equivalent) temperature. Generally, a 'V'-shaped (equivalent) temperature-mortality curve with increasing mortality at low and high temperatures was observed. Particularly, urban areas suffered from heat-related mortality with a steep increase above a specific threshold. This adverse heat effect may well increase with ongoing urbanization and the intensification of the urban heat island due to the densification of building structures. Moreover, rising temperatures due to climate change could aggravate thermal stress. - Highlights: → Temperature exhibits a strong influence on mortality in Bangladesh. → Mortality increases at low and high end of the temperature range. → Temperature is increased in the urban area of Dhaka, particular during summer. → Urban areas are facing increased risk of heat-related mortality. → Urbanization and climate change are likely to increase heat-related mortality. - Mortality in Bangladesh is strongly affected by thermal atmospheric conditions with particularly urban areas facing excess mortality above a specific threshold temperature.

Characterization, source identification and apportionment of selected metals in TSP in an urban atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Munir H; Shaheen, N; Jaffar, M

2006-03-01

To understand the metal distribution characteristics in the atmosphere of urban Islamabad, total suspended particulate (TSP) samples were collected on daily 12 h basis, at Quaid-i-Azam University campus, using high volume sampler. The TSP samples were treated with HNO(3)/HClO(4) based wet digestion method for the quantification of eight selected metals; Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni and Cd by FAAS method. The monitoring period ran from June 2001 to January 2002, with a total of 194 samples collected on cellulose filters. Effects of different meteorological conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction on selected metal levels were interpreted by means of multivariate statistical approach. Enhanced metal levels for Fe (930 ng/m(3)), Zn (542 ng/m(3)) and Pb (210 ng/m(3)) were found on the mean scale while Mn, Cr, Co and Ni emerged as minor contributors. Statistical correlation study was also conducted and a strong correlation was observed between Pb-Cr (r=0.611). The relative humidity showed some significant influence on atmospheric metal distribution while other meteorological parameters showed weak relationship with TSP metal levels. Regarding the origin of sources of heavy metals in TSP, the statistical procedure identified three source profiles; automobile emissions, industrial/metallurgical units, and natural soil dust. The metal levels were also compared with those reported for other parts of the world which showed that the metal levels in urban atmosphere of Islamabad are in exceedence than those of European industrial and urban sites while comparable with some Asian sites.

Angular dependent transport of auroral electrons in the upper atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lummerzheim, D.; Rees, M.H.

1989-01-01

The transport of auroral electrons through the upper atmosphere is analyzed. The transport equation is solved using a discrete ordinate method including elastic and inelastic scattering of electrons resulting in changes of pitch angle, and degradation in energy as the electrons penetrate into the atmosphere. The transport equation is solved numerically for the electron intensity as a function of altitude, pitch angle, and energy. In situ measurements of the pitch angle and energy distribution of precipitating electrons over an auroral arc provide boundary conditions for the calculation. The electron spectra from various locations over the aurora present a variety of anisotropic pitch angle distributions and energy spectra. Good agreement is found between the observed backscattered electron energy spectra and model predictions. Differences occur at low energies (below 500 eV) in the structure of the pitch angle distribution. Model calculations were carried out with various different phase functions for elastic and inelastic collisions to attempt changing the angular scattering, but the observed pitch angle distributions remain unexplained. We suggest that mechanisms other than collisional scattering influence the angular distribution of auroral electrons at or below 300 km altitude in the low energy domain. (author)

Urban planning and interactions with atmospheric pollution in Arve valley

Science.gov (United States)

Langlois de Septenville, William; Cossart, Étienne

2017-04-01

Atmospheric pollution is a major concern of urbanised areas and territory managers have to conduct efficient policies to decrease population exposure and vulnerability. Even if pollution peaks are subject to an important mediatisation and to a large part of preventive actions, background pollution remains responsible of the largest sanitary effects. They depend on (1) the concentration and the duration of the exposure and (2) to the kind of pollutants considered. Many sources of pollutants can be identified in urban areas as heating, industry or traffic; and each of them generates specific particles. Currently, the major part of pollution risk studies focuses on modelling particle emissions and their dissemination in the environment. These kinds of studies highlight the hazard intensity and its spatiality, commonly named the hazard exposure. Another part of risk studies, less frequent, considers the vulnerability. Vulnerability is a complex concept that involves a wide range of scales and objects ranging from biophysical parameters to social characteristics. They notably concern accessibility to information, knowledge and perceptions about the risk. The Arve valley (south-east of France) is subject to heavy pollution concentrations. High levels recording in this area have imposed the implementation of an Atmosphere Protection Plan. This type of plan is triggered if a peak occurs and enforces provisional binding measures for polluters, such as highway speed limitation for traffic emissions. These measures are only focused on emissions and have no effect for reducing vulnerability and exposition, for a long- and short-term time scales. An opportunity to ensure this objective is to consider how local urban morphologies can combine exposition and vulnerability situations. Indeed, cities have been planned without taking into account atmospheric pollution and morphologies. This context may conduct to the increase in both of these two risk components and producing

Simulation of trace metals and PAH atmospheric pollution over Greater Paris: Concentrations and deposition on urban surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Thouron, L.; Seigneur, C.; Kim, Y.; Legorgeu, C.; Roustan, Y.; Bruge, B.

2017-10-01

Urban areas can be subject not only to poor air quality, but also to contamination of other environmental media by air pollutants. Here, we address the potential transfer of selected air pollutants (two metals and three PAH) to urban surfaces. To that end, we simulate meteorology and air pollution from Europe to a Paris suburban neighborhood, using a four-level one-way nesting approach. The meteorological and air quality simulations use urban canopy sub-models in order to better represent the effect of the urban morphology on the air flow, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition of air pollutants to urban surfaces. This modeling approach allows us to distinguish air pollutant deposition among various urban surfaces (roofs, roads, and walls). Meteorological model performance is satisfactory, showing improved results compared to earlier simulations, although precipitation amounts are underestimated. Concentration simulation results are also satisfactory for both metals, with a fractional bias Paris region. The model simulation results suggest that both wet and dry deposition processes need to be considered when estimating the transfer of air pollutants to other environmental media. Dry deposition fluxes to various urban surfaces are mostly uniform for PAH, which are entirely present in fine particles. However, there is significantly less wall deposition compared to deposition to roofs and roads for trace metals, due to their coarse fraction. Meteorology, particle size distribution, and urban morphology are all important factors affecting air pollutant deposition. Future work should focus on the collection of data suitable to evaluate the performance of atmospheric models for both wet and dry deposition with fine spatial resolution.

Modeling and evaluation of urban pollution events of atmospheric heavy metals from a large Cu-smelter.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bing; Stein, Ariel F; Castell, Nuria; Gonzalez-Castanedo, Yolanda; Sanchez de la Campa, A M; de la Rosa, J D

2016-01-01

Metal smelting and processing are highly polluting activities that have a strong influence on the levels of heavy metals in air, soil, and crops. We employ an atmospheric transport and dispersion model to predict the pollution levels originated from the second largest Cu-smelter in Europe. The model predicts that the concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) in an urban area close to the Cu-smelter can reach 170, 70, and 30 ng m−3, respectively. The model captures all the observed urban pollution events, but the magnitude of the elemental concentrations is predicted to be lower than that of the observed values; ~300, ~500, and ~100 ng m−3 for Cu, Zn, and As, respectively. The comparison between model and observations showed an average correlation coefficient of 0.62 ± 0.13. The simulation shows that the transport of heavy metals reaches a peak in the afternoon over the urban area. The under-prediction in the peak is explained by the simulated stronger winds compared with monitoring data. The stronger simulated winds enhance the transport and dispersion of heavy metals to the regional area, diminishing the impact of pollution events in the urban area. This model, driven by high resolution meteorology (2 km in horizontal), predicts the hourly-interval evolutions of atmospheric heavy metal pollutions in the close by urban area of industrial hotspot.

Runaway electron beam in atmospheric pressure discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oreshkin, E V; Barengolts, S A; Chaikovsky, S A; Oreshkin, V I

2015-01-01

A numerical simulation was performed to study the formation of a runaway electron (RAE) beam from an individual emission zone in atmospheric pressure air discharges with a highly overvolted interelectrode gap. It is shown that the formation of a RAE beam in discharges at high overvoltages is much contributed by avalanche processes. (paper)

Atmospheric aerosol in an urban area: Comparison of measurement instruments and methodologies and pulmonary deposition assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berico, M.; Luciani, A.; Formignani, M.

1996-07-01

In March 1995 a measurement campaign of atmospheric aerosol in the Bologna urban area (Italy) was carried out. A transportable laboratory, set up by ENEA (Italian national Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) Environmental Department (Bologna), was utilized with instruments for measurement of atmospheric aerosol and meteorological parameters. The aim of this campaign was of dual purpose: to characterize aerosol in urban area and to compare different instruments and methodologies of measurements. Mass concentrations measurements, evaluated on a 23-hour period with total filter, PM10 dichotomous sampler and low pressure impactor (LPI Berner), have provided information respectively about total suspended particles, respirable fraction and granulometric parameters of aerosol. Eight meteorologic parameters, number concentration of submicromic fraction of aerosol and mass concentration of micromic fraction have been continually measured. Then, in a daytime period, several number granulometries of atmospheric aerosol have also been estimated by means of diffusion battery system. Results related to different measurement methodologies and granulometric characteristics of aerosol are presented here. Pulmonary deposition of atmospheric aerosol is finally calculated, using granulometries provided by LPI Brener and ICRP 66 human respiratory tract model

Assessing the impact of atmospheric chemistry on the fate, transport, and transformation of adulticides in an urban atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Guberman, S.; Yoon, S.; Guagenti, M. C.; Sheesley, R. J.; Usenko, S.

2017-12-01

Urban areas are literal hot spots of mosquito-borne disease transmission and air pollution during the summer months. Public health authorities release aerosolized adulticides to target adult mosquitoes directly in to the atmosphere to control mosquito populations and reduce the threat of diseases (e.g. Zika). Permethrin and malathion are the primary adulticides for controlling adult mosquito populations in Houston, TX and are typically sprayed at night. After being released into the atmosphere adulticides are subject to atmospheric oxidation initiated by atmospheric oxidants (e.g. O3 and NO3) which are driven by anthropogenic air pollutants (e.g. NOx; NO and NO2). Particulate matter (PM) samples were measured at both application and downwind locations. Sampling sites were determined using the combination of atmospheric plume transport models and adulticide application data provided by Harris County Public Health Mosquito Division. Atmospheric PM samples were taken using a Mobile Laboratory, equipped with total suspended PM and PM2.5 (PM with diameter Interestingly, during malathion-use periods, atmospheric malaoxon concentrations measured in the PM2.5 samples were similar to corresponding TSP samples. This suggests that the majority of the malathion (and malaoxon) was associated with fine PM. During permethrin-use periods, atmospheric permethrin concentrations measured in the PM2.5 samples were an order and half lower in magnitude. This suggests that permethrin may be undergoing less volatilization into the gas phase after application as compared to malathion (and or malaoxon). Unlike permethrin, malathion was not sprayed with a carrier or a synergistic compound. As a result, malathion may be more prone to volatilization. The atmospheric oxidation and migration to fine PM may result in decreased efficacy and increase atmospheric transport, both of which have environmental and human health consequences.

MERCURY IN ATMOSPHERE OVER RURAL, URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL PARTS OF ZAGREB CITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislav A. Palinkaš

1990-12-01

Full Text Available In recent years Zagreb city encounters severe pollution problems in aquatic, terrrestrial and atmospheric environment. A random or permanent monitoring of some inorganic gaseous pollutants in atmosphere has already been organized and published alsewhere. By means of a sophisticated mercury vapor analyser with a Zeeman effect background corrector, however, continuous registration along two traverses (monitoring routes over rural, urban and industrial parts of Zagreb has been elaborated for the first lime. Data show strong anthropogenic influence in the Žitnjak industrial area. The anomaly high 105 ngm Hg, on the 22 October moved slightly to downtown by change of wind direction on the 31 October. Intensity raised as much as 155 ngm Hg, 13 times augmented in comparison to a background value on the Medvednica mountain. Explanation should be sought in denser public traffic, change of wind direction and lowering of atmospheric pressure.

New Particle Formation in an Urban Atmosphere: The Role of Various Ingredients Investigated in the CLOUD Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Baltensperger, U.; Xiao, M.; Hoyle, C.; Dada, L.; Garmash, O.; Stolzenburg, D.; Molteni, U.; Lehtipalo, K.; El-Haddad, I.; Dommen, J.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols play an important role on climate via aerosol-radiation interaction and aerosol-cloud interaction. The latter is strongly influenced by new particle formation (NPF). The physical and chemical mechanisms behind the NPF process are still under investigation. Great advancements were made in resolving chemical and physical mechanisms of NPF with a series of experiments conducted at the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber facility at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland), including binary nucleation of sulfuric acid - water, ternary nucleation of sulfuric acid - water with ammonia or dimethylamine as well as oxidation products (highly oxygenated molecules, HOMs) from biogenic precursors with and without the presence of sulfuric acid. Here, we investigate possible NPF mechanisms in urban atmospheres, where large populations are exposed to high aerosol concentrations; these mechanisms are still missing and are urgently needed. Urban atmospheres are highly polluted with high concentrations of SO2, ammonia, NOx and volatile organic vapors from anthropogenic activity as well as with high particle concentrations, which provide a high condensation sink for condensable gases. Aromatic hydrocarbons from industrial activities, traffic and residential combustion are present at high concentrations and contribute significantly to photochemical smog in the urban environment.The experiments were conducted at the CLOUD chamber facility during the CLOUD11 campaign in fall 2016. Three aromatic hydrocarbons were selected: toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (1,2,4-TMB) and naphthalene (NPT). Experiments were also conducted with mixtures of the three aromatic hydrocarbons to better represent the urban atmosphere. All the experiments were conducted in the presence of sulfuric acid concentrations with or without the addition of ammonia and NOx. New particle formation rates and early growth rates derived for each precursor and their mixture, together with sulfuric acid and

Los Angeles megacity: a high-resolution land–atmosphere modelling system for urban CO2 emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Feng

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Megacities are major sources of anthropogenic fossil fuel CO2 (FFCO2 emissions. The spatial extents of these large urban systems cover areas of 10 000 km2 or more with complex topography and changing landscapes. We present a high-resolution land–atmosphere modelling system for urban CO2 emissions over the Los Angeles (LA megacity area. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-Chem model was coupled to a very high-resolution FFCO2 emission product, Hestia-LA, to simulate atmospheric CO2 concentrations across the LA megacity at spatial resolutions as fine as  ∼  1 km. We evaluated multiple WRF configurations, selecting one that minimized errors in wind speed, wind direction, and boundary layer height as evaluated by its performance against meteorological data collected during the CalNex-LA campaign (May–June 2010. Our results show no significant difference between moderate-resolution (4 km and high-resolution (1.3 km simulations when evaluated against surface meteorological data, but the high-resolution configurations better resolved planetary boundary layer heights and vertical gradients in the horizontal mean winds. We coupled our WRF configuration with the Vulcan 2.2 (10 km resolution and Hestia-LA (1.3 km resolution fossil fuel CO2 emission products to evaluate the impact of the spatial resolution of the CO2 emission products and the meteorological transport model on the representation of spatiotemporal variability in simulated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We find that high spatial resolution in the fossil fuel CO2 emissions is more important than in the atmospheric model to capture CO2 concentration variability across the LA megacity. Finally, we present a novel approach that employs simultaneous correlations of the simulated atmospheric CO2 fields to qualitatively evaluate the greenhouse gas measurement network over the LA megacity. Spatial correlations in the atmospheric CO2 fields reflect the coverage of

Atmospheric particulate mercury at the urban and forest sites in central Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Siudek, Patrycja; Frankowski, Marcin; Siepak, Jerzy

2016-02-01

Particulate mercury concentrations were investigated during intensive field campaigns at the urban and forest sites in central Poland, between April 2013 and October 2014. For the first time, quantitative determination of total particulate mercury in coarse (PHg2.2) and fine (PHg0.7) aerosol samples was conducted in Poznań and Jeziory. The concentrations in urban fine and coarse aerosol fractions amounted to mercury concentrations. A strong impact of meteorological conditions (wind velocity, air mass direction, air temperature, and precipitation amount) on particulate mercury concentrations was also observed. In particular, higher variation and concentration range of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 was reported for wintertime measurements. An increase in atmospheric particulate mercury during the cold season in the study region indicated that coal combustion, i.e., residential and industrial heating, is the main contribution factor for the selected particle size modes. Coarse particulate Hg at the urban site during summer was mainly attributed to anthropogenic sources, with significant contribution from resuspension processes and long-range transport. The highest values of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 were found during westerly and southerly wind events, reflecting local emission from highly polluted areas. The period from late fall to spring showed that advection from the southern part of Poland was the main factor responsible for elevated Hg concentrations in fine and coarse particles in the investigated region. Moreover, September 2013 could be given as an example of the influence of additional urban activities which occurred approx. 10 m from the sampling site-construction works connected with replacement of the road surface, asphalting, etc. The concentrations of particulate Hg (>600.0 pg m(-3)) were much higher than during the following months when any similar situation did not occur. Our investigations confirmed that Hg in urban aerosol samples was predominantly related to local

Atmospheric pollutants in peri-urban forests of Quercus ilex: evidence of pollution abatement and threats for vegetation.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Gómez, Héctor; Aguillaume, Laura; Izquieta-Rojano, Sheila; Valiño, Fernando; Àvila, Anna; Elustondo, David; Santamaría, Jesús M; Alastuey, Andrés; Calvete-Sogo, Héctor; González-Fernández, Ignacio; Alonso, Rocío

2016-04-01

Peri-urban vegetation is generally accepted as a significant remover of atmospheric pollutants, but it could also be threatened by these compounds, with origin in both urban and non-urban areas. To characterize the seasonal and geographical variation of pollutant concentrations and to improve the empirical understanding of the influence of Mediterranean broadleaf evergreen forests on air quality, four forests of Quercus ilex (three peri-urban and one remote) were monitored in different areas in Spain. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), nitric acid (HNO3) and ozone (O3) were measured during 2 years in open areas and inside the forests and aerosols (PM10) were monitored in open areas during 1 year. Ozone was the only air pollutant expected to have direct phytotoxic effects on vegetation according to current thresholds for the protection of vegetation. The concentrations of N compounds were not high enough to directly affect vegetation but could be contributing through atmospheric N deposition to the eutrophization of these ecosystems. Peri-urban forests of Q. ilex showed a significant below-canopy reduction of gaseous concentrations (particularly NH3, with a mean reduction of 29-38%), which indicated the feasibility of these forests to provide an ecosystem service of air quality improvement. Well-designed monitoring programs are needed to further investigate air quality improvement by peri-urban ecosystems while assessing the threat that air pollution can pose to vegetation.

Source apportionment of atmospheric bulk deposition in the Belgrade urban area using Positive Matrix factorization

Science.gov (United States)

Tasić, M.; Mijić, Z.; Rajšić, S.; Stojić, A.; Radenković, M.; Joksić, J.

2009-04-01

The primary objective of the present study was to assess anthropogenic impacts of heavy metals to the environment by determination of total atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Atmospheric depositions (wet + dry) were collected monthly, from June 2002 to December 2006, at three urban locations in Belgrade, using bulk deposition samplers. Concentrations of Fe, Al, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, V, As and Cd were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Based upon these results, the study attempted to examine elemental associations in atmospheric deposition and to elucidate the potential sources of heavy metal contaminants in the region by the use of multivariate receptor model Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF).

Source apportionment of atmospheric bulk deposition in the Belgrade urban area using Positive Matrix factorization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasic, M; Mijic, Z; Rajsic, S; Stojic, A; Radenkovic, M; Joksic, J

2009-01-01

The primary objective of the present study was to assess anthropogenic impacts of heavy metals to the environment by determination of total atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Atmospheric depositions (wet + dry) were collected monthly, from June 2002 to December 2006, at three urban locations in Belgrade, using bulk deposition samplers. Concentrations of Fe, Al, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, V, As and Cd were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Based upon these results, the study attempted to examine elemental associations in atmospheric deposition and to elucidate the potential sources of heavy metal contaminants in the region by the use of multivariate receptor model Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF).

Atmospheric transport of urban-derived NHx: Evidence from nitrogen concentration and δ15N in epilithic mosses at Guiyang, SW China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xueyan; Xiao Huayun; Liu Congqiang; Li Youyi; Xiao Hongwei

2008-01-01

Nitrogen concentration and δ 15 N in 175 epilithic moss samples were investigated along four directions from urban to rural sites in Guiyang, SW China. The spatial variations of moss N concentration and δ 15 N revealed that atmospheric N deposition is dominated by NH x -N from two major sources (urban sewage NH 3 and agricultural NH 3 ), the deposition of urban-derived NH x followed a point source pattern characterized by an exponential decline with distance from the urban center, while the agricultural-derived NH x was shown to be a non-point source. The relationship between moss N concentration and distance (y = 1.5e -0.13x + 1.26) indicated that the maximum transporting distance of urban-derived NH x averaged 41 km from the urban center, and it could be determined from the relationship between moss δ 15 N and distance [y = 2.54 ln(x) - 12.227] that urban-derived NH x was proportionally lower than agricultural-derived NH x in N deposition at sites beyond 17.2 km from the urban center. Consequently, the variation of urban-derived NH x with distance from the urban center could be modeled as y = 56.272e -0.116x - 0.481 in the Guiyang area. - Tissue N concentration and δ 15 N in epilithic mosses may be indicators for atmospheric transport of urban-derived NH x

Parameters of a supershort avalanche electron beam generated in atmospheric-pressure air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarasenko, V. F.

2011-01-01

Conditions under which the number of runaway electrons in atmospheric-pressure air reaches ∼5 × 10 10 are determined. Recommendations for creating runaway electron accelerators are given. Methods for measuring the parameters of a supershort avalanche electron beam and X-ray pulses from gas-filled diodes, as well as the discharge current and gap voltage, are described. A technique for determining the instant of runaway electron generation with respect to the voltage pulse is proposed. It is shown that the reduction in the gap voltage and the decrease in the beam current coincide in time. The mechanism of intense electron beam generation in gas-filled diodes is analyzed. It is confirmed experimentally that, in optimal regimes, the number of electrons generated in atmospheric-pressure air with energies T > eU m , where U m is the maximum gap voltage, is relatively small.

Parameters of a supershort avalanche electron beam generated in atmospheric-pressure air

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, V. F.

2011-05-01

Conditions under which the number of runaway electrons in atmospheric-pressure air reaches ˜5 × 1010 are determined. Recommendations for creating runaway electron accelerators are given. Methods for measuring the parameters of a supershort avalanche electron beam and X-ray pulses from gas-filled diodes, as well as the discharge current and gap voltage, are described. A technique for determining the instant of runaway electron generation with respect to the voltage pulse is proposed. It is shown that the reduction in the gap voltage and the decrease in the beam current coincide in time. The mechanism of intense electron beam generation in gas-filled diodes is analyzed. It is confirmed experimentally that, in optimal regimes, the number of electrons generated in atmospheric-pressure air with energies T > eU m , where U m is the maximum gap voltage, is relatively small.

Metallic corrosion in the polluted urban atmosphere of Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo; Wang, Da-Wei; Guo, Hai; Ling, Zhen-Hao; Cheung, Kalam

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore the relationship between air pollutants, particularly acidic particles, and metallic material corrosion. An atmospheric corrosion test was carried out in spring-summer 2012 at a polluted urban site, i.e., Tung Chung in western Hong Kong. Nine types of metallic materials, namely iron, Q235 steel, 20# steel, 16Mn steel, copper, bronze, brass, aluminum, and aluminum alloy, were selected as specimens for corrosion tests. Ten sets of the nine materials were all exposed to ambient air, and then each set was collected individually after exposure to ambient air for consecutive 6, 13, 20, 27, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, and 70 days, respectively. After the removal of the corrosion products on the surface of the exposed specimens, the corrosion rate of each material was determined. The surface structure of materials was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after the corrosion tests. Environmental factors including temperature, relative humidity, concentrations of gaseous pollutants, i.e., sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), and particulate-phase pollutants, i.e., PM₂.₅ (FSP) and PM₁₀ (RSP), were monitored. Correlation analysis between environmental factors and corrosion rate of materials indicated that iron and carbon steel were damaged by both gaseous pollutants (SO₂ and NO₂) and particles. Copper and copper alloys were mainly corroded by gaseous pollutants (SO₂ and O₃), while corrosion of aluminum and aluminum alloy was mainly attributed to NO₂ and particles.

Are Electronic Conferences a Solution in Search of an Urban Problem?

Science.gov (United States)

Klecka, Cari; Clift, Renee; Cheng, Yu-Ming

2005-01-01

This article briefly reviews initiatives that have attempted to create communities of educators using Web-based, electronic conferencing. The authors critically analyze the advocacy for electronic communication as a medium for bringing educators together across time and distance with an emphasis on what is known about urban schools, access to…

Atmospheric scanning electron microscope for correlative microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Ian E G; Dennison, Clare L; Nishiyama, Hidetoshi; Suga, Mitsuo; Sato, Chikara; Yarwood, Andrew; O'Toole, Peter J

2012-01-01

The JEOL ClairScope is the first truly correlative scanning electron and optical microscope. An inverted scanning electron microscope (SEM) column allows electron images of wet samples to be obtained in ambient conditions in a biological culture dish, via a silicon nitride film window in the base. A standard inverted optical microscope positioned above the dish holder can be used to take reflected light and epifluorescence images of the same sample, under atmospheric conditions that permit biochemical modifications. For SEM, the open dish allows successive staining operations to be performed without moving the holder. The standard optical color camera used for fluorescence imaging can be exchanged for a high-sensitivity monochrome camera to detect low-intensity fluorescence signals, and also cathodoluminescence emission from nanophosphor particles. If these particles are applied to the sample at a suitable density, they can greatly assist the task of perfecting the correlation between the optical and electron images. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mutagenicity in Salmonella of a Simulated Urban-Smog Atmosphere Generated Using a Mobile Reaction Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

The EPA Mobile Reaction Chamber (MRC) is a 24-foot trailer containing a 14.3-m3 Teflon lined photochemical chamber used to generate simulated urban atmospheres. Photochemistry in the MRC is catalyzed by 120 fluorescent bulbs evenly mixed with black light bulbs and UV bulbs (300 &...

Model developments in TERRA_URB, the upcoming standard urban parametrization of the atmospheric numerical model COSMO(-CLM)

Science.gov (United States)

Wouters, Hendrik; Blahak, Ulrich; Helmert, Jürgen; Raschendorfer, Matthias; Demuzere, Matthias; Fay, Barbara; Trusilova, Kristina; Mironov, Dmitrii; Reinert, Daniel; Lüthi, Daniel; Machulskaya, Ekaterina

2015-04-01

In order to address urban climate at the regional scales, a new efficient urban land-surface parametrization TERRA_URB has been developed and coupled to the atmospheric numerical model COSMO-CLM. Hereby, several new advancements for urban land-surface models are introduced which are crucial for capturing the urban surface-energy balance and its seasonal dependency in the mid-latitudes. This includes a new PDF-based water-storage parametrization for impervious land, the representation of radiative absorption and emission by greenhouse gases in the infra-red spectrum in the urban canopy layer, and the inclusion of heat emission from human activity. TERRA_URB has been applied in offline urban-climate studies during European observation campaigns at Basel (BUBBLE), Toulouse (CAPITOUL), and Singapore, and currently applied in online studies for urban areas in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Helsinki, Singapore, and Melbourne. Because of its computational efficiency, high accuracy and its to-the-point conceptual easiness, TERRA_URB has been selected to become the standard urban parametrization of the atmospheric numerical model COSMO(-CLM). This allows for better weather forecasts for temperature and precipitation in cities with COSMO, and an improved assessment of urban outdoor hazards in the context of global climate change and urban expansion with COSMO-CLM. We propose additional extensions to TERRA_URB towards a more robust representation of cities over the world including their structural design. In a first step, COSMO's standard EXTernal PARarameter (EXTPAR) tool is updated for representing the cities into the land cover over the entire globe. Hereby, global datasets in the standard EXTPAR tool are used to retrieve the 'Paved' or 'sealed' surface Fraction (PF) referring to the presence of buildings and streets. Furthermore, new global data sets are incorporated in EXTPAR for describing the Anthropogenic Heat Flux (AHF) due to human activity, and optionally the

Pollutant Plume Dispersion in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over Idealized Urban Roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Colman C. C.; Liu, Chun-Ho

2013-05-01

The Gaussian model of plume dispersion is commonly used for pollutant concentration estimates. However, its major parameters, dispersion coefficients, barely account for terrain configuration and surface roughness. Large-scale roughness elements (e.g. buildings in urban areas) can substantially modify the ground features together with the pollutant transport in the atmospheric boundary layer over urban roughness (also known as the urban boundary layer, UBL). This study is thus conceived to investigate how urban roughness affects the flow structure and vertical dispersion coefficient in the UBL. Large-eddy simulation (LES) is carried out to examine the plume dispersion from a ground-level pollutant (area) source over idealized street canyons for cross flows in neutral stratification. A range of building-height-to-street-width (aspect) ratios, covering the regimes of skimming flow, wake interference, and isolated roughness, is employed to control the surface roughness. Apart from the widely used aerodynamic resistance or roughness function, the friction factor is another suitable parameter that measures the drag imposed by urban roughness quantitatively. Previous results from laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling also support the aforementioned approach for both two- and three-dimensional roughness elements. Comparing the UBL plume behaviour, the LES results show that the pollutant dispersion strongly depends on the friction factor. Empirical studies reveal that the vertical dispersion coefficient increases with increasing friction factor in the skimming flow regime (lower resistance) but is more uniform in the regimes of wake interference and isolated roughness (higher resistance). Hence, it is proposed that the friction factor and flow regimes could be adopted concurrently for pollutant concentration estimate in the UBL over urban street canyons of different roughness.

Electron density measurement of non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma using dispersion interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshimura, Shinji; Kasahara, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi

2017-10-01

Medical applications of non-equilibrium atmospheric plasmas have recently been attracting a great deal of attention, where many types of plasma sources have been developed to meet the purposes. For example, plasma-activated medium (PAM), which is now being studied for cancer treatment, has been produced by irradiating non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma with ultrahigh electron density to a culture medium. Meanwhile, in order to measure electron density in magnetic confinement plasmas, a CO2 laser dispersion interferometer has been developed and installed on the Large Helical Device (LHD) at the National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan. The dispersion interferometer has advantages that the measurement is insensitive to mechanical vibrations and changes in neutral gas density. Taking advantage of these properties, we applied the dispersion interferometer to electron density diagnostics of atmospheric pressure plasmas produced by the NU-Global HUMAP-WSAP-50 device, which is used for producing PAM. This study was supported by the Grant of Joint Research by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS).

Isotopic evidence for enhanced fossil fuel sources of aerosol ammonium in the urban atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yuepeng; Tian, Shili; Liu, Dongwei; Fang, Yunting; Zhu, Xiaying; Gao, Meng; Gao, Jian; Michalski, Greg; Wang, Yuesi

2018-04-20

The sources of aerosol ammonium (NH 4 + ) are of interest because of the potential of NH 4 + to impact the Earth's radiative balance, as well as human health and biological diversity. Isotopic source apportionment of aerosol NH 4 + is challenging in the urban atmosphere, which has excess ammonia (NH 3 ) and where nitrogen isotopic fractionation commonly occurs. Based on year-round isotopic measurements in urban Beijing, we show the source dependence of the isotopic abundance of aerosol NH 4 + , with isotopically light (-33.8‰) and heavy (0 to +12.0‰) NH 4 + associated with strong northerly winds and sustained southerly winds, respectively. On an annual basis, 37-52% of the initial NH 3 concentrations in urban Beijing arises from fossil fuel emissions, which are episodically enhanced by air mass stagnation preceding the passage of cold fronts. These results provide strong evidence for the contribution of non-agricultural sources to NH 3 in urban regions and suggest that priority should be given to controlling these emissions for haze regulation. This study presents a carefully executed application of existing stable nitrogen isotope measurement and mass-balance techniques to a very important problem: understanding source contributions to atmospheric NH 3 in Beijing. This question is crucial to informing environmental policy on reducing particulate matter concentrations, which are some of the highest in the world. However, the isotopic source attribution results presented here still involve a number of uncertain assumptions and they are limited by the incomplete set of chemical and isotopic measurements of gas NH 3 and aerosol NH 4 + . Further field work and lab experiments are required to adequately characterize endmember isotopic signatures and the subsequent isotopic fractionation process under different air pollution and meteorological conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observation of fluxes of electrons scattered by the atmosphere in the second Araks experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyachov, S.B.; Managadze, G.G.

1980-01-01

This paper describes the results of the USHBA spectrometer measurements of the fluxes of atmospheric scattered electrons in the second Araks experiment. The experimental data are presented for heights from 100 to 140 km. The spectral distributions of the scattered electron fluxes are given and the altitude variation of their intensity is compared with the atmosphere models. The conclusion is made about the possible effect of rocket gassing on the electron scattering processes for definite angles of injection

Improving Rates of Post-Essure Hysterosalpingography in an Urban Population Using Electronic Tracking Reminders.

Science.gov (United States)

Virginia Hu, Yu-Han; Arora, Kavita Shah

2017-02-01

To demonstrate the efficacy of electronic reminders for follow-up hysterosalpingography (HSG) after Essure hysteroscopic sterilization in an urban tertiary care hospital obstetrics and gynecology practice. Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Obstetrics and gynecology practice at a university-affiliated urban tertiary care teaching hospital. Two hundred and fifty patients who underwent Essure hysteroscopic sterilization between June 2011 and July 2014. Implementation of electronic reminders for the office staff. Two hundred and fifty of 259 patients (96.5%) underwent Essure hysteroscopic sterilization and successful placement of coils into bilateral Fallopian tubes. Among these 250 patients, 135 (54%) returned for HSG at 3 months post-Essure as advised at the time of procedure. The use of electronic reminders prompted another 45 patients (18%) to return for HSG, improving the total post-Essure follow-up rate to 72%. Electronic reminders for the office staff of an urban tertiary care hospital's obstetrics and gynecology practice is an effective method for improving the rate of post-Essure HSG. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electron-ion recombination study in argon at atmospheric pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kafrouni, Hanna.

1979-01-01

This study deals with a wall-stabilized arc burning in argon at atmospheric pressure. A transient mode is obtained using a fast thyristor connected to the electrodes, which short-circuits the discharge. By means of two wavelengths laser interferometry and spectroscopy measurements we have determined the temporal changes of the electron density, ground state atom density and excited atom density. We have shown that, when the electric field is suppressed, the electron temperature rapidly decreases to the gas temperature before changing electron and atom densities. This phenomenon is applied to determine the gas temperature and to evaluate the role played by ionization in electron density balance. The coefficients of ambipolar diffusion, ionization and recombination and an apparent recombination coefficient are determined versus electron temperature and compared with theoretical values [fr

Characterizing Ecosystem and Watershed Response to Atmospheric Loading at the Urban Fringe

Science.gov (United States)

Curto, V.; Lopez, S.; Hogue, T.; Rademacher, L.

2006-12-01

The southern California region, although highly urbanized and densely populated, is also characterized by steep mountain ranges with extensive forests and diverse ecosystems. Growing population pressure in the region has forced continuing development at the urban fringe. The large mountain systems situated on the windward side of the Los Angeles basin experience high atmospheric nitrogen deposition rates from various urban pollutants. Arroyo Seco, a watershed located on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, is no exception to this trend. The present study uses hydrologic and geochemical data to assess current watershed dynamics and ecosystem responses to the impacts of regional urbanization. The Arroyo Seco stream runs through a deeply incised canyon originating in the San Gabriel Mountains and draining into the Los Angeles River. The current riparian habitat, which comprises only 15 percent of the total land cover within the watershed, contains over 705 species of plants and animals. We focused our studies on the upper reaches of the basin (~18 square miles), which remains undeveloped and consists primarily of chaparral and evergreen forests. This portion of the watershed has an average watershed slope of approximately 6 percent and relatively porous soils. However, estimated runoff ratio from the existing USGS gage and local precipitation gages indicates fairly high runoff (discharge/precipitation ratio of 0.29). Weekly stream samples have been collected over a several year period and analyzed for standard geochemical constituents and stable isotopes to assess deposition impacts on ecosystem function and overall watershed behavior. Stable isotopes of water measured in the weekly Arroyo Seco stream samples deviate from the global meteoric water line (GMWL), particularly during summer months. High evaporative rates in the summer may be responsible for the distinct summer pattern and overall deviation from the GMWL of stream isotope values. An

Investigating diesel engines as an atmospheric source of isocyanic acid in urban areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. H. Jathar

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Isocyanic acid (HNCO, an acidic gas found in tobacco smoke, urban environments, and biomass-burning-affected regions, has been linked to adverse health outcomes. Gasoline- and diesel-powered engines and biomass burning are known to emit HNCO and hypothesized to emit precursors such as amides that can photochemically react to produce HNCO in the atmosphere. Increasingly, diesel engines in developed countries like the United States are required to use selective catalytic reduction (SCR systems to reduce tailpipe emissions of oxides of nitrogen. SCR chemistry is known to produce HNCO as an intermediate product, and SCR systems have been implicated as an atmospheric source of HNCO. In this work, we measure HNCO emissions from an SCR system-equipped diesel engine and, in combination with earlier data, use a three-dimensional chemical transport model (CTM to simulate the ambient concentrations and source/pathway contributions to HNCO in an urban environment. Engine tests were conducted at three different engine loads, using two different fuels and at multiple operating points. HNCO was measured using an acetate chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The diesel engine was found to emit primary HNCO (3–90 mg kg fuel−1 but we did not find any evidence that the SCR system or other aftertreatment devices (i.e., oxidation catalyst and particle filter produced or enhanced HNCO emissions. The CTM predictions compared well with the only available observational datasets for HNCO in urban areas but underpredicted the contribution from secondary processes. The comparison implied that diesel-powered engines were the largest source of HNCO in urban areas. The CTM also predicted that daily-averaged concentrations of HNCO reached a maximum of ∼ 110 pptv but were an order of magnitude lower than the 1 ppbv level that could be associated with physiological effects in humans. Precursor contributions from other combustion sources (gasoline and biomass

Investigating Diesel Engines as an Atmospheric Source of Isocyanic Acid in Urban Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, D.; Jathar, S.; Heppding, C.; Link, M.; Akherati, A.; Kleeman, M.; De Gouw, J. A.; Veres, P. R.; Roberts, J. M.

2017-12-01

Isocyanic acid (HNCO), an acidic gas found in tobacco smoke, urban environments and biomass burning-affected regions, has been linked to adverse health outcomes. Gasoline- and diesel-powered engines and biomass burning are known to emit HNCO and hypothesized to emit precursors such as amides that can photochemically react to produce HNCO in the atmosphere. Increasingly, diesel engines in developed countries like the United States are required to use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems to reduce tailpipe emissions of oxides of nitrogen. SCR chemistry is known to produce HNCO as an intermediate product, and SCR systems have been implicated as an atmospheric source of HNCO. In this work, we measure HNCO emissions from an SCR system-equipped diesel engine and, in combination with earlier data, use a three-dimensional chemical transport model (CTM) to simulate the ambient concentrations and source/pathway contributions to HNCO in an urban environment. Engine tests were conducted at three different engine loads, using two different fuels and at multiple operating points. HNCO was measured using an acetate chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The diesel engine was found to emit primary HNCO (3-90 mg kg-fuel-1) but we did not find any evidence that the SCR system or other aftertreatment devices (i.e., oxidation catalyst and particle filter) produced or enhanced HNCO emissions. The CTM predictions compared well with the only available observational data sets for HNCO in urban areas but under-predicted the contribution from secondary processes. The comparison implied that diesel-powered engines were the largest source of HNCO in urban areas. The CTM also predicted that daily-averaged concentrations of HNCO reached a maximum of 110 pptv but were an order of magnitude lower than the 1 ppbv level that could be associated with physiological effects in humans. Precursor contributions from other combustion sources (gasoline and biomass burning) and wintertime conditions

Plasma density enhancements created by the ionization of the Earth's upper atmosphere by artificial electron beams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neubert, Torsten; Banks, P.M.

line) and down-going differential energy flux. The equations are solved numerically, using the MSIS atmospheric model and the IRI ionospheric model. The results from the model compare well with recent observations from the CHARGE 2 sounding rocket experiment. Two aspects of the beam-neutral atmosphere...... interaction are discussed: First we investigate the limits on the electron beam current that can be emitted from a space. craft without substantial spacecraft charging. This question is important because the charging of the spacecraft to positive potentials limits the current and the escape energy of the beam...... electrons and thereby limits the ionization of the neutral atmosphere. As an example we find from CHARGE 2 observations and from the model calculations that below about 180 km, secondary electrons generated through the ionization of the neutral atmosphere by 1-10 keV electron beams from sounding rockets...

A multi-scale approach to monitor urban carbon-dioxide emissions in the atmosphere over Vancouver, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Christen, A.; Crawford, B.; Ketler, R.; Lee, J. K.; McKendry, I. G.; Nesic, Z.; Caitlin, S.

2015-12-01

Measurements of long-lived greenhouse gases in the urban atmosphere are potentially useful to constrain and validate urban emission inventories, or space-borne remote-sensing products. We summarize and compare three different approaches, operating at different scales, that directly or indirectly identify, attribute and quantify emissions (and uptake) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in urban environments. All three approaches are illustrated using in-situ measurements in the atmosphere in and over Vancouver, Canada. Mobile sensing may be a promising way to quantify and map CO2 mixing ratios at fine scales across heterogenous and complex urban environments. We developed a system for monitoring CO2 mixing ratios at street level using a network of mobile CO2 sensors deployable on vehicles and bikes. A total of 5 prototype sensors were built and simultaneously used in a measurement campaign across a range of urban land use types and densities within a short time frame (3 hours). The dataset is used to aid in fine scale emission mapping in combination with simultaneous tower-based flux measurements. Overall, calculated CO2 emissions are realistic when compared against a spatially disaggregated scale emission inventory. The second approach is based on mass flux measurements of CO2 using a tower-based eddy covariance (EC) system. We present a continuous 7-year long dataset of CO2 fluxes measured by EC at the 28m tall flux tower 'Vancouver-Sunset'. We show how this dataset can be combined with turbulent source area models to quantify and partition different emission processes at the neighborhood-scale. The long-term EC measurements are within 10% of a spatially disaggregated scale emission inventory. Thirdly, at the urban scale, we present a dataset of CO2 mixing ratios measured using a tethered balloon system in the urban boundary layer above Vancouver. Using a simple box model, net city-scale CO2 emissions can be determined using measured rate of change of CO2 mixing ratios

Urban-rural solar radiation loss in the atmosphere of Greater Cairo region, Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robaa, S.M.

2009-01-01

A comparative study for measured global solar radiation, G, during the period (1969-2006) and the corresponding global radiation loss in the atmosphere, R L %, over urban and rural districts in Greater Cairo region have been performed. The climatic variabilities of G radiation at the urban and rural sites are also investigated and discussed. Monthly, seasonal and annual mean values of extraterrestrial radiation, Go, and R L % during four successive periods, (1969-1978), (1979-1988), (1989-1998) and (1999-2006) at the above two sites have been calculated and investigated. The results revealed that urban area was always received lower amount of solar radiation due to urbanization factors. The yearly mean values of G radiation were distinctly decreased from maximum value 21.93 and 22.62 MJ m -2 during 1970 year to minimum value 17.57 and 17.87 MJ m -2 during 2004 and 2006 years with average decrease rate 0.09 and 0.10 MJ m -2 per year for the urban and rural areas, respectively. Also, the seasonal and annual mean anomalies of G radiation have been also gradually decreased from maximum values during the eldest period (1969-1978) to minimum values during the recent period (1999-2006). R L % over the urban area was always higher than that rural area. The urban-rural R L % differences range from 0.61% in 1999 year to 4.19% in 2002 year and 2.20% as average value. The yearly mean of R L % values distinctly gradually increase from minimum value 29.47% and 27.28% during 1970 year to maximum value 43.50% and 42.60% during 2004 and 2006 years with average increase rate 0.28% and 0.32% per year for the urban and rural areas, respectively. The minimum value of R L % (26.88%) occurred at rural area during summer season of the eldest period (1969-1978) while the maximum value of R L % (51.27%) occurred at the urban area during winter season of the last recent urbanized period (1999-2006). The linear trend of the yearly variations of R L % revealed that G values will reach zero

High resolution electron attachment to molecules of atmospheric relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senn, G.

2000-10-01

This Ph.D. thesis is divided into three parts. The first is an introduction into the field of electron attachment. In the second part the experimental apparatus is described, and in the third part the results are presented. In the present thesis molecules were chosen for our investigations that are not only of academic interest but that also play an important role for applications or even the life on this planet. All the molecules studied in this work are of atmospheric relevance. NO, and OClO, are involved in the ozone depletion of the stratosphere. The D-layer of the ionosphere is an upper boundary of the ozone layer, therefore the interaction of the electrons from the D-layer with O 3 might play an important role for the chemistry in that part of the atmosphere. Especially the interaction of slow electrons (that will be present in the D-layer in large numbers) with ozone was emphasized in the present study. The production of O - and O 2 - by dissociative electron attachment to ozone was measured for incident electron energies between 0 and 10eV. A previously unobserved sharp structure was discovered in the formation of O - ions for electrons with zero kinetic energy. This additional cross section peak has important consequences for the role of ozone in the anion formation process in the ionosphere. Since OClO is a night time reservoir for chlorine atoms (Cl) and chlorine monoxide (ClO) both of which play a critical role in the depletion of the stratospheric ozone, we have studied negative ion formation following electron impact (0-10eV) to OClO. Despite its atmospheric relevance the mechanism of dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to NO is still a matter of controversy. DEA was studied at high energy resolution and with a kinetic-energy analysis of the O - fragment in two independent crossed electron-molecular-beam experiments. The DEA cross section exhibits a vertical onset near 7.45eV that corresponds to the energy threshold of the DEA channel O - ( 2 P

Urban Biomining Meets Printable Electronics: End-To-End at Destination Biological Recycling and Reprinting

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Lynn J. (Principal Investigator); Koehne, Jessica; Gandhiraman, Ram; Navarrete, Jesica; Spangle, Dylan

2017-01-01

Space missions rely utterly on metallic components, from the spacecraft to electronics. Yet, metals add mass, and electronics have the additional problem of a limited lifespan. Thus, current mission architectures must compensate for replacement. In space, spent electronics are discarded; on earth, there is some recycling but current processes are toxic and environmentally hazardous. Imagine instead an end-to-end recycling of spent electronics at low mass, low cost, room temperature, and in a non-toxic manner. Here, we propose a solution that will not only enhance mission success by decreasing upmass and providing a fresh supply of electronics, but in addition has immediate applications to a serious environmental issue on the Earth. Spent electronics will be used as feedstock to make fresh electronic components, a process we will accomplish with so-called 'urban biomining' using synthetically enhanced microbes to bind metals with elemental specificity. To create new electronics, the microbes will be used as 'bioink' to print a new IC chip, using plasma jet electronics printing. The plasma jet electronics printing technology will have the potential to use martian atmospheric gas to print and to tailor the electronic and chemical properties of the materials. Our preliminary results have suggested that this process also serves as a purification step to enhance the proportion of metals in the 'bioink'. The presence of electric field and plasma can ensure printing in microgravity environment while also providing material morphology and electronic structure tunabiity and thus optimization. Here we propose to increase the TRL level of the concept by engineering microbes to dissolve the siliceous matrix in the IC, extract copper from a mixture of metals, and use the microbes as feedstock to print interconnects using mars gas simulant. To assess the ability of this concept to influence mission architecture, we will do an analysis of the infrastructure required to execute

The effect of atmospheric thermal conditions and urban thermal pollution on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkart, Katrin; Schneider, Alexandra; Breitner, Susanne; Khan, Mobarak Hossain; Krämer, Alexander; Endlicher, Wilfried

2011-01-01

This study assessed the effect of temperature and thermal atmospheric conditions on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Bangladesh. In particular, differences in the response to elevated temperatures between urban and rural areas were investigated. Generalized additive models (GAMs) for daily death counts, adjusted for trend, season, day of the month and age were separately fitted for urban and rural areas. Breakpoint models were applied for determining the increase in mortality above and below a threshold (equivalent) temperature. Generally, a 'V'-shaped (equivalent) temperature-mortality curve with increasing mortality at low and high temperatures was observed. Particularly, urban areas suffered from heat-related mortality with a steep increase above a specific threshold. This adverse heat effect may well increase with ongoing urbanization and the intensification of the urban heat island due to the densification of building structures. Moreover, rising temperatures due to climate change could aggravate thermal stress. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intensifying the Atmospheric

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

2012-01-01

The phenomenological concept of urban atmospheres is more often applied as an aesthetic description of the metropolitan space as such. This conceptualization is supported in this paper; however, I strive to give the concept a post-phenomenological axial turn. While phenomenology, due to its under...... sufficiently intense. All things considered, the paper should be read as a sociological contribution to theoretically reconstruct the concept of urban atmospheres in the light of spatial morphology....

Atmospheric Mercury Transport Across Southern Lake Michigan: Influence from the Chicago/Gary Urban Area

Science.gov (United States)

Gratz, L. E.; Keeler, G. J.; Dvonch, J. T.

2008-12-01

The local and regional impacts of mercury emissions from major urban and industrial areas are critical to quantify in order to further understand mercury cycling in the environment. The Chicago/Gary urban area is one such location in which mercury emissions from industrial sources are significant and regional mercury transport needs to be further examined. Speciated atmospheric mercury was measured in Chicago, IL and Holland, MI from July to November 2007 to better characterize the impact of Chicago/Gary on southwest Michigan. Previous work under the 1994-1995 Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study (LMMBS) indicated that the highest levels of mercury deposition in southwest Michigan occurred with transport from the Chicago/Gary area, particularly with rapid transport where less mercury was deposited close to sources(1). However, at that time it was not possible to measure reactive gas phase mercury (RGM), a highly-soluble form of mercury in industrial emissions that is readily removed from the atmosphere. Since the LMMBS, the development of speciated mercury systems has made it possible to continuously monitor gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), particulate mercury (HgP), and RGM. These measurements are useful for understanding atmospheric mercury chemistry and differentiating between local and regional source impacts due to the different behaviors of reactive and elemental mercury. Results from 2007 show that, on average, Hg0 and HgP were 1.5 times higher and RGM was 2 times higher in Chicago than in Holland. Mean mercury wet deposition was nearly 3 times higher in Chicago than in Holland. Meteorological analysis indicates that transport across the lake from Chicago/Gary occurred frequently during the study. Additional measurements of O3, SO2, meteorological parameters, event mercury and trace element precipitation samples, and modeled back-trajectories are used to discern regional transport events from local deposition and characterize the impact of the Chicago/Gary urban

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urban atmospheric particulate matter in the city of Naples (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Caricchia, Anna Maria; Chiavarini, Salvatore; Pezza, Massimo

An investigation on PAH in the atmospheric particulate matter of the city of Naples has been carried out. Urban atmospheric particulate matter was sampled in three sampling sites (West, East and central areas of the city), whose characteristics were representative of the prevailing conditions. In each site, 24 h samplings for 7 consecutive days were performed during three sampling campaigns, in 1996-1997. The results were comparable with those reported in literature for similar investigations. Total PAH were in the range 2-130 ng m -3, with a seasonal variation (autumn/winter vs. summer) in the range 1.5-4.5. The relative contribution of diesel engines vs. gasoline fuelled engines was evidenced.

Electron-impact vibrational excitation of the hydroxyl radical in the nighttime upper atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Laurence; Brunger, Michael J.

2018-02-01

Chemical processes produce vibrationally excited hydroxyl (OH) in a layer centred at an altitude of about 87 km in the Earth's atmosphere. Observations of this layer are used to deduce temperatures in the mesosphere and to observe the passage of atmospheric gravity waves. Due to the low densities and energies at night of electrons at the relevant altitude, it is not expected that electron-impact excitation of OH would be significant. However, there are unexplained characteristics of OH densities and radiative emissions that might be explained by electron impact. These are measurements of higher than expected densities of OH above 90 km and of emissions at higher energies that cannot be explained by the chemical production processes. This study simulates the role of electron impact in these processes, using theoretical cross sections for electron-impact excitation of OH. The simulations show that electron impact, even in a substantial aurora, cannot fully explain these phenomena. However, in the process of this investigation, apparent inconsistencies in the theoretical cross sections and reaction rates were found, indicating that measurements of electron-impact excitation of OH are needed to resolve these problems and scale the theoretical predictions to allow more accurate simulations.

Impact of urban atmospheric environment on hospital admissions in the elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edelci Nunes da Silva

2012-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of intra-urban atmospheric conditions on circulatory and respiratory diseases in elder adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional study based on data from 33,212 hospital admissions in adults over 60 years in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, from 2003 to 2007. The association between atmospheric variables from Congonhas airport and bioclimatic index, Physiological Equivalent Temperature, was analyzed according to the district's socioenvironmental profile. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression models were used. RESULTS: There was an increase in hospital admissions due to circulatory diseases as average and lowest temperatures decreased. The likelihood of being admitted to the hospital increased by 12% with 1ºC decrease in the bioclimatic index and with 1ºC increase in the highest temperatures in the group with lower socioenvironmental conditions. The risk of admission due to respiratory diseases increased with inadequate air quality in districts with higher socioenvironmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between morbidity and climate variables and the comfort index varied in different groups and diseases. Lower and higher temperatures increased the risk of hospital admission in the elderly. Districts with lower socioenvironmental conditions showed greater adverse health impacts.

Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanbin; Fan, Miao; Hu, Ronggui; Zhao, Jinsong; Wu, Yupeng

2018-05-29

Mosses and leaves of vascular plants have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination by heavy metals originating from various sources. This study aims to compare the metal accumulation capabilities of mosses and vascular species in urban areas and quantify the suitability of different taxa for monitoring airborne heavy metals. One pleurocarpous feather moss species, Haplocladium angustifolium , and two evergreen tree species, Cinnamomum bodinieri Osmanthus fragrans , and substrate soil were sampled in the urban area of different land use types in Wuhan City in China. The concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn in these samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The differences of heavy metals concentration in the three species showed that the moss species was considerably more capable of accumulating heavy metals than tree leaves (3 times to 51 times). The accumulated concentration of heavy metals in the moss species depended on the metal species and land use type. The enrichment factors of metals for plants and the correlations of metals in plants with corresponding metals in soil reflected that the accumulated metals in plants stemmed mostly from atmospheric deposition, rather than the substrate soil. Anthropogenic factors, such as traffic emissions from automobile transportation and manufacturing industries, were primarily responsible for the variations in metal pollutants in the atmosphere and subsequently influenced the metal accumulation in the mosses. This study elucidated that the moss species H. angustifolium is relatively more suitable than tree leaves of C. bodinieri and O. fragrans in monitoring heavy metal pollution in urban areas, and currently Wuhan is at a lower contamination level of atmospheric heavy metals than some other cities in China.

Quantitative Analysis of Major Factors Affecting Black Carbon Transport and Concentrations in the Unique Atmospheric Structures of Urban Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Marissa Shuang

Black carbon (BC) from vehicular emission in transportation is a principal component of particulate matters ≤ 2.5 mum (PM2.5). PM2.5 and other diesel emission pollutants (e.g., NOx) are regulated by the Clean Air Act (CAA) according to the National Ambient Air Quality standards (NAAQS). This doctoral dissertation details a study on transport behaviors of black carbon and PM2.5 from transportation routes, their relations with the atmospheric structure of an urban formation, and their relations with the use of biodiesel fuels. The results have implications to near-road risk assessment and to the development of sustainable transportation solutions in urban centers. The first part of study quantified near-roadside black carbon transport as a function of particulate matter (PM) size and composition, as well as microclimatic variables (temperature and wind fields) at the interstate highway I-75 in northern Cincinnati, Ohio. Among variables examined, wind speed and direction significantly affect the roadside transport of black carbon and hence its effective emission factor. Observed non-Gaussian dispersion occurred during low wind and for wind directions at acute angles or upwind to the receptors, mostly occurring in the morning hours. Meandering of air pollutant mass under thermal inversion is likely the driving force. In contrary, Gaussian distribution predominated in daytime of strong downwinds. The roles of urban atmospheric structure, wind fields, and the urban heat island (UHI) effects were further examined on pollutant dispersion and transport. Spatiotemporal variations of traffic flow, atmospheric structure, ambient temperature and PM2.5 concentration data from 14 EPA-certified NAAQS monitoring stations, were analyzed in relation to land-use in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The results show a decade-long UHI effects with higher interior temperature than that in exurban, and a prominent nocturnal thermal inversion frequent in urban boundary layer. The

Measurement of microwave radiation from electron beam in the atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohta, I.S.; Akimune, H. [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan); Fukushima, M.; Ikeda, D. [Institute of Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Inome, Y. [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan); Matthews, J.N. [University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 4112-0830 (United States); Ogio, S. [Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Sagawa, H. [Institute of Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Sako, T. [Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Shibata, T. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Yamamoto, T., E-mail: tokonatu@konan-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan)

2016-02-21

We report the use of an electron light source (ELS) located at the Telescope Array Observatory in Utah, USA, to measure the isotropic microwave radiation from air showers. To simulate extensive air showers, the ELS emits an electron beam into the atmosphere and a parabola antenna system for the satellite communication is used to measure the microwave radiation from the electron beam. Based on this measurement, an upper limit on the intensity of a 12.5 GHz microwave radiation at 0.5 m from a 10{sup 18} eV air shower was estimated to be 3.96×10{sup −16} W m{sup −2} Hz{sup −1} with a 95% confidence level.

The response of the terrestrial biosphere to urbanization: land cover conversion, climate, and urban pollution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Trusilova

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Although urban areas occupy a relatively small fraction of land, they produce major disturbances of the carbon cycle through land use change, climate modification, and atmospheric pollution. In this study we quantify effects of urban areas on the carbon cycle in Europe. Among urbanization-driven environmental changes, which influence carbon sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere, we account for: (1 proportion of land covered by impervious materials, (2 local urban meteorological conditions, (3 urban high CO₂ concentrations, and (4 elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition. We use the terrestrial ecosystem model BIOME-BGC to estimate fluxes of carbon exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere in response to these urban factors.

We analysed four urbanization-driven changes individually, setting up our model in such a way that only one of the four was active at a time. From these model simulations we found that fertilization effects from the elevated CO₂ and the atmospheric nitrogen deposition made the strongest positive contributions to the carbon uptake (0.023 Pg C year⁻¹ and 0.039 Pg C year⁻¹, respectively, whereas, the impervious urban land and local urban meteorological conditions resulted in a reduction of carbon uptake (−0.005 Pg C year⁻¹ and −0.007 Pg C year⁻¹, respectively. The synergetic effect of the four urbanization-induced changes was an increase of the carbon sequestration in Europe of 0.058 Pg C year⁻¹.

Atmospheric pressure plasmas for surface modification of flexible and printed electronic devices: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyong Nam; Lee, Seung Min; Mishra, Anurag [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yeom, Geun Young, E-mail: gyyeom@skku.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-01

Recently, non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma, especially those operated at low gas temperatures, have become a topic of great interest for the processing of flexible and printed electronic devices due to several benefits such as the reduction of process and reactor costs, the employment of easy-to-handle apparatuses and the easier integration into continuous production lines. In this review, several types of typical atmospheric pressure plasma sources have been addressed, and the processes including surface treatment, texturing and sintering for application to flexible and printed electronic devices have been discussed.

Atmospheric Signatures and Effects of Space-based Relativistic Electron Beam Injection

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, R. A.; Sanchez, E. R.; Kero, A.; Turunen, E. S.; Marsh, D. R.

2017-12-01

Future relativistic electron beam injection experiments have the potential to provide groundbreaking insights into the physics of wave-particle interactions and beam-neutral interactions, relevant to space physics and to fundamental plasma physics. However, these experiments are only useful if their signatures can be detected. In this work, we use a physics-based forward modeling framework to investigate the observable signatures of a relativistic beam interacting with the upper atmosphere. The modeling framework is based around the Electron Precipitation Monte Carlo (EPMC) model, used to simulate electron precipitation in the upper atmosphere. That model is coupled to physics-based models of i) optical emission production; ii) bremsstrahlung photon production and propagation; iii) D-region ion chemistry; and iv) VLF wave propagation in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Using these modeling tools, we predict the optical, X-ray, chemical, radar, and VLF signatures of a realistic beam injection, based on recent space-based accelerator designs. In particular, we inject a beam pulse of 10 mA for a duration of 500 μs at an energy of 1 MeV, providing a total pulse energy of 5 J. We further investigate variations in these parameters, in particular the total energy and the electron energy. Our modeling shows that for this 5 J pulse injection at 1 MeV electron energy, the optical signal is easily detectable from the ground in common emission bands, but the X-ray signal is likely too weak to be seen from either balloons or LEO orbiting spacecraft. We further predict the optical signal-to-noise ratio that would be expected in different optical systems. Chemical signatures such as changes to NOx and HOx concentrations are too short-lived to be detectable; however our modeling provides a valuable estimate of the total chemical response. Electron density perturbations should be easily measurable from ground-based high-power radars and via VLF subionospheric remote sensing

Urban bioclimatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, H

1993-11-15

This article deals with the part of urban climatology which is of particular relevance to human beings. Presented first is a summary of all human biometerologically effective complexes, as well as other factors which are relevant to urban planning and which depend on atmospheric conditions in urban structures in a direct or indirect manner. Later, methods for human biometerologically significant assessment of thermal and air pollution components of the urban climate are discussed in detail, because these components can be strongly influenced by urban planning. The application of these methods is illustrated by some results of appropriate investigations in urban areas.

Gas/particle partitioning behaviour of azaarenes in an urban atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H Y; Preston, M R

1997-01-01

The gas/particle partitioning of azaarenes in the Liverpool urban atmosphere was measured from May 1995 to April 1996. This period included one of the hottest summers and coldest winters recorded in the UK. The changes of the relative proportions of particulate and vapour phases showed a strong seasonal variation in which over 80% of azaarene compounds are associated with the particles in the winter and over 60% of azaarene compounds exist as vapour phase during the summer. The results are fitted into a gas/particle partitioning equation. Calculated vapour pressures, vaporization and desorption enthalpies are also given. Azaarene partitioning behaviour is modelled at a variety of aerosol concentrations and over a temperature range which includes normal ambient temperatures. It is hypothesised that three ring azaarene species are more likely to undergo changes in the relative proportions of particle and vapour phase material than either two or four ring compounds.

Prediction on long-term mean and mean square pollutant concentrations in an urban atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, S; Lamb, R G; Seinfeld, J H

1976-01-01

The general problem of predicting long-term average (say yearly) pollutant concentrations in an urban atmosphere is formulated. The pollutant concentration can be viewed as a random process, the complete description of which requires knowledge of its probability density function, which is unknown. The mean concentration is the first moment of the concentration distribution, and at present there exist a number of models for predicting the long-term mean concentration of an inert pollutant. The second moment, or mean square concentration, indicates additional features of the distribution, such as the level of fluctuations about the mean. In the paper a model proposed by Lamb for the long-term mean concentration is reviewed, and a new model for prediction of the long-term mean square concentration of an inert air pollutant is derived. The properties and uses of the model are discussed, and the equations defining the model are presented in a form for direct application to an urban area.

Highly relativistic magnetospheric electrons: A role in coupling to the middle atmosphere?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, D.N.; Blake, J.B.; Gorney, D.J.; Higbie, P.R.; Klebesadel, R.W.; King, J.H.

1987-01-01

Long-term (1979-present) observations of relativistic electrons (2--15 MeV) at geostationary orbit show a strong solar cycle dependence. Such electrons were largely absent near the last solar maximum (1979--80), while they were prominent during the approach to solar minimum (1983--85). This population now is dwindling as solar minimum has been reached. The strong magnetospheric presence of high-speed solar wind streams which results from solar coronal hole structures during the approach to solar activity (sunspot) minimum. We clearly observe 27-day periodic enhancements of the relativistic electrons in association with concurrently measured solar wind streams (V/sub S//sub W/approx. >600 km/s). We have used a numerical transport code to study the coupling of these high-energy electrons to earth's upper and middle atmosphere. We calculate using the observed energy spectra of the electrons that, when precipitated, these electrons show a large (maximum of ∼100 keV/cm 3 -s) energy deposition at 40--60 km altitude, which is 3--4 orders of magnitude greater than the galactic cosmic ray or solar EUV energy deposition at these altitudes. We also find that the global energy deposition in the mid-latitudes totals nearly 10 21 ergs for a typical 2--3 day event period. We conclude that this previously unrecognized electron population could play an important role in coupling solar wind and magnetospheric variability (on 27--day and 11--year cycles) to the middle atmosphere through a modulating effect on lower D-region ionization and, possibly, on upper level ozone chemistry. These electrons also may contribute to the recent Antarctic polar ozone depletion phenomenon. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

Mount Aragats as a stable electron accelerator for atmospheric High-energy physics research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chilingarian, A.; Hovsepyan, G.; Mnatsakanyan, E.

2016-01-01

The observation of the numerous Thunderstorm ground Enhancements (TGEs), i.e. enhanced fluxes of electrons, gamma rays and neutrons detected by particle detectors located on the Earth’s surface and related to the strong thunderstorms above it helped to establish a new scientific topic - high-energy physics in the atmosphere. The Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanches (RREAs) are believed to be a central engine initiated high-energy processes in the thunderstorm atmospheres. RREAs observed on Aragats Mt. in Armenia during strongest thunderstorms and simultaneous measurements of TGE electron and gamma ray energy spectra proved that RREA is a robust and realistic mechanism for electron acceleration. TGE research facilitates investigations of the long-standing lightning initiation problem. For the last 5 years we were experimenting with the “beams” of “electron accelerators” operated in the thunderclouds above the Aragats research station. Thunderstorms are very frequent above Aragats, peaking at May-June and almost all of them are accompanied with enhanced particle fluxes. The station is located on a plateau at altitude 3200 asl near a large lake. Numerous particle detectors and field meters are located in three experimental halls as well as outdoors; the facilities are operated all year round. The key method employed is that all the relevant information is being gathered, including the data on the particle fluxes, fields, lightning occurrences, and meteorological conditions. By the example of the huge thunderstorm that took place at Mt. Aragats on the 28th of August 2015, we show that simultaneous detection of all the relevant data allowed us to reveal the temporal pattern of the storm development and to investigate the atmospheric discharges and particle fluxes. (author)

Parameters of an avalanche of runaway electrons in air under atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Oreshkin, E. V.

2018-01-01

The features of runaway-electron avalanches developing in air under atmospheric pressures are investigated in the framework of a three-dimensional numerical simulation. The simulation results indicate that an avalanche of this type can be characterized, besides the time and length of its exponential growth, by the propagation velocity and by the average kinetic energy of the runaway electrons. It is shown that these parameters obey the similarity laws applied to gas discharges.

Differential flux measurement of atmospheric pion, muon, electron and positron energy spectra at balloon altitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grimani, C.; Brunetti, M.T.; Codino, A. [Perugia Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Perugia (Italy); Papini, P.; Massimo Brancaccio, F.; Finetti, N. [Florence Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Florence (Italy); Stephens, S.A. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Researc, Bombay (International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements); Basini, G.; Bongiorno, F. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Rome (Italy); Golden, R.L. [New Mexico State Univ. Las Cruces, NM (United States). Particle Astrophysics Lab.

1995-09-01

The fluxes of atmospheric electrons, positrons, positive and negative muons and negative pions have been determined using the NMSU Wizard-MASS2 balloons-borne instrument. The instrument was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, (geomagnetic cut-off about 4.5 GV/c) on september 23, 1991. The flight lasted 9.8 hours and remained above 100.000 ft. Muons and negative pions were observed and their momenta were determined. Since these particles are not a part of the primary component, the measurement of their fluxes provides information regarding production and propagation of secondary particles in the atmosphere. Similarly, observations of electrons and positrons well below the geomagnetic cut-off provides insight into electromagnetic cascade processes in the upper atmosphere. In addition, the determination of the energy spectra of rare particles such as positrons can be used for background subtraction for cosmic ray experiments gathering data below a few g/cm{sup 2} of overlying atmosphere.

Generation of subnanosecond electron beams in air at atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Kostyrya, I. D.; Tarasenko, V. F.; Baksht, E. Kh.; Burachenko, A. G.; Lomaev, M. I.; Rybka, D. V.

2009-11-01

Optimum conditions for the generation of runaway electron beams with maximum current amplitudes and densities in nanosecond pulsed discharges in air at atmospheric pressure are determined. A supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) with a current amplitude of ˜30 A, a current density of ˜20 A/cm2, and a pulse full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ˜100 ps has been observed behind the output foil of an air-filled diode. It is shown that the position of the SAEB current maximum relative to the voltage pulse front exhibits a time shift that varies when the small-size collector is moved over the foil surface.

Two-Dimensional Electron Density Measurement of Positive Streamer Discharge in Atmospheric-Pressure Air

Science.gov (United States)

Inada, Yuki; Ono, Ryo; Kumada, Akiko; Hidaka, Kunihiko; Maeyama, Mitsuaki

2016-09-01

The electron density of streamer discharges propagating in atmospheric-pressure air is crucially important for systematic understanding of the production mechanisms of reactive species utilized in wide ranging applications such as medical treatment, plasma-assisted ignition and combustion, ozone production and environmental pollutant processing. However, electron density measurement during the propagation of the atmospheric-pressure streamers is extremely difficult by using the conventional localized type measurement systems due to the streamer initiation jitters and the irreproducibility in the discharge paths. In order to overcome the difficulties, single-shot two-dimensional electron density measurement was conducted by using a Shack-Hartmann type laser wavefront sensor. The Shack-Hartmann sensor with a temporal resolution of 2 ns was applied to pulsed positive streamer discharges generated in an air gap between pin-to-plate electrodes. The electron density a few ns after the streamer initiation was 7*1021m-3 and uniformly distributed along the streamer channel. The electron density and its distribution profile were compared with a previous study simulating similar streamers, demonstrating good agreement. This work was supported in part by JKA and its promotion funds from KEIRIN RACE. The authors like to thank Mr. Kazuaki Ogura and Mr. Kaiho Aono of The University of Tokyo for their support during this work.

URBAN ATMOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY (UAO) FIRST PLANNING WORKSHOP, JANUARY 27-28-2003. WORKSHOP SUMMARY.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

REYNOLDS,R.M.; LEE,H.N.

2003-03-27

The Urban Atmospheric Observatory (UAO) First Planning Workshop was held on 27-28 January 2003 at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The meeting was well attended by local, state, and national administrators, as well as scientists and engineers from the national laboratories and academia. The real-time intensive UAO is a necessary step toward the development and validation of new technologies in support of the New York City emergency management and anti-terrorism effort. The real-time intensive UAO will be a dense array of meteorological instrumentation, remote sensing and satellite products and model output, as well as radiation detection, gamma spectrometer and aerosol measurements focused onto a small area in the heart of Manhattan. Such a test-bed, developed in a somewhat homogeneous urban area, and with a well-developed communication and data collection backbone, will be of immense utility for understanding how models of all scales can be improved and how they can best be integrated into the city's emergency program. The goal of the First Planning Workshop was to bring together a small group of experts in the fields of urban meteorology, modeling from mesoscale to fine-mesh computational fluid dynamics, instrumentation, communications and visualization, in order to (1) establish the importance of the observational program, (2) define the most efficient and cost-effective design for the program, (3) define needed intensive observational efforts and establish a schedule, and (4) define the importance of the UAO in emergency operations. The workshop achieved its goals with the enthusiastic participation of over forty persons. There was a synthesis of ideas towards a world-class facility that would benefit both immediate emergency management activities and, over an extended time, the entire field of urban meteorology and contaminant dispersion modeling.

Atmospheric impacts of a natural gas development within the urban context of Morgantown, West Virginia.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Philip J; Reeder, Matthew; Pekney, Natalie J; Risk, David; Osborne, John; McCawley, Michael

2018-05-21

The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) in West Virginia provides a unique opportunity in the field of unconventional energy research. By studying near-surface atmospheric chemistry over several phases of a hydraulic fracturing event, the project will help evaluate the impact of current practices, as well as new techniques and mitigation technologies. A total of 10 mobile surveys covering a distance of approximately 1500 km were conducted through Morgantown. Our surveying technique involved using a vehicle-mounted Los Gatos Research gas analyzer to provide geo-located measurements of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The ratios of super-ambient concentrations of CO 2 and CH 4 were used to separate well-pad emissions from the natural background concentrations over the various stages of well-pad development, as well as for comparisons to other urban sources of CH 4 . We found that regional background methane concentrations were elevated in all surveys, with a mean concentration of 2.699 ± 0.006 ppmv, which simply reflected the complexity of this riverine urban location. Emissions at the site were the greatest during the flow-back phase, with an estimated CH 4 volume output of 20.62 ± 7.07 g/s, which was significantly higher than other identified urban emitters. Our study was able to successfully identify and quantify MSEEL emissions within this complex urban environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with ultra-high electron density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Hiromasa; Mizuno, Masaaki; Toyokuni, Shinya; Maruyama, Shoichi; Kodera, Yasuhiro; Terasaki, Hiroko; Adachi, Tetsuo; Kato, Masashi; Kikkawa, Fumitaka; Hori, Masaru

2015-01-01

Cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is a big challenge in plasma medicine. Reactive species generated from plasma are key factors for treating cancer cells, and thus, non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with high electron density has been developed and applied for cancer treatment. Various cancer cell lines have been treated with plasma, and non-thermal atmospheric plasma clearly has anti-tumor effects. Recent innovative studies suggest that plasma can both directly and indirectly affect cells and tissues, and this observation has widened the range of applications. Thus, cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is promising. Animal experiments and understanding the mode of action are essential for clinical application in the future. A new academic field that combines plasma science, the biology of free radicals, and systems biology will be established

Cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with ultra-high electron density

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, Hiromasa [Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Mizuno, Masaaki [Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Toyokuni, Shinya [Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Maruyama, Shoichi [Department of Nephrology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Kodera, Yasuhiro [Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Terasaki, Hiroko [Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Adachi, Tetsuo [Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 501-1196 Gifu (Japan); Kato, Masashi [Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Kikkawa, Fumitaka [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho 65, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Hori, Masaru [Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)

2015-12-15

Cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is a big challenge in plasma medicine. Reactive species generated from plasma are key factors for treating cancer cells, and thus, non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with high electron density has been developed and applied for cancer treatment. Various cancer cell lines have been treated with plasma, and non-thermal atmospheric plasma clearly has anti-tumor effects. Recent innovative studies suggest that plasma can both directly and indirectly affect cells and tissues, and this observation has widened the range of applications. Thus, cancer therapy using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is promising. Animal experiments and understanding the mode of action are essential for clinical application in the future. A new academic field that combines plasma science, the biology of free radicals, and systems biology will be established.

Source Apportionment of Atmospheric Particles by Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis and Receptor Models.

Science.gov (United States)

van Borm, Werner August

Electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) in combination with an automation system and an energy-dispersive X-ray detection system was used to analyse thousands of microscopical particles, originating from the ambient atmosphere. The huge amount of data was processed by a newly developed X-ray correction method and a number of data reduction procedures. A standardless ZAF procedure for EPXMA was developed for quick semi-quantitative analysis of particles starting from simple corrections, valid for bulk samples and modified taking into account the particle finit diameter, assuming a spherical shape. Tested on a limited database of bulk and particulate samples, the compromise between calculation speed and accuracy yielded for elements with Z > 14 accuracies on concentrations less than 10% while absolute deviations remained below 4 weight%, thus being only important for low concentrations. Next, the possibilities for the use of supervised and unsupervised multivariate particle classification were investigated for source apportionment of individual particles. In a detailed study of the unsupervised cluster analysis technique several aspects were considered, that have a severe influence on the final cluster analysis results, i.e. data acquisition, X-ray peak identification, data normalization, scaling, variable selection, similarity measure, cluster strategy, cluster significance and error propagation. A supervised approach was developed using an expert system-like approach in which identification rules are builded to describe the particle classes in a unique manner. Applications are presented for particles sampled (1) near a zinc smelter (Vieille-Montagne, Balen, Belgium), analyzed for heavy metals, (2) in an urban aerosol (Antwerp, Belgium), analyzed for over 20 elements and (3) in a rural aerosol originating from a swiss mountain area (Bern). Thus is was possible to pinpoint a number of known and unknown sources and characterize their emissions in terms of particles

Fine modeling of energy exchanges between buildings and urban atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daviau-Pellegrin, Noelie

2016-01-01

This thesis work is about the effect of buildings on the urban atmosphere and more precisely the energetic exchanges that take place between these two systems. In order to model more finely the thermal effects of buildings on the atmospheric flows in simulations run under the CFD software Code-Saturne, we proceed to couple this tool with the building model BuildSysPro. This library is run under Dymola and can generate matrices describing the building thermal properties that can be used outside this software. In order to carry out the coupling, we use these matrices in a code that allows the building thermal calculations and the CFD to exchange their results. After a review about the physical phenomena and the existing models, we explain the interactions between the atmosphere and the urban elements, especially buildings. The latter can impact the air flows dynamically, as they act as obstacles, and thermally, through their surface temperatures. At first, we analyse the data obtained from the measurement campaign EM2PAU that we use in order to validate the coupled model. EM2PAU was carried out in Nantes in 2011 and represents a canyon street with two rows of four containers. Its distinctive feature lies in the simultaneous measurements of the air and wall temperatures as well as the wind speeds with anemometers located on a 10 m-high mast for the reference wind and on six locations in the canyon. This aims for studying the thermal influence of buildings on the air flows. Then the numerical simulations of the air flows in EM2PAU is carried out with different methods that allow us to calculate or impose the surface temperature we use for each of the container walls. The first method consists in imposing their temperatures from the measurements. For each wall, we set the temperature to the surface temperature that was measured during the EM2PAU campaign. The second method involves imposing the outdoor air temperature that was measured at a given time to all the

Atmospheric stability and atmospheric circulation in Athens, Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Synodinou, B.M.; Petrakis, M.; Kassomenos, P.; Lykoudis, S.

1996-01-01

In the evaluation and study of atmospheric pollution reference is always made to the stability criteria. These criteria, usually represented as functions of different meteorological data such as wind speed and direction, temperature, solar radiation, etc., play a very important role in the investigation of different parameters that affect the build up of pollution episodes mainly in urban areas. In this paper an attempt is made to evaluate the atmospheric stability criteria based on measurements obtained from two locations in and nearby Athens. The atmospheric stability is then examined along with the other meteorological parameters

Atmospheric trace metal pollution in the Naples urban area based on results from moss and lichen bags

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giordano, S.; Adamo, P.; Sorbo, S.; Vingiani, S.

2005-01-01

The results of trace element content analysed in Sphagnum capillifolium and Pseudevernia furfuracea exposed in bags in 1999 are reconsidered to evaluate the reliability of moss and lichen transplants to detect urban trace element atmospheric pollution, using Naples as a case example. After 4 months' exposure, trace element concentrations were at least twice as high as the pre-exposure values and in general higher in Sphagnum than in Pseudevernia. Moss samples were enriched in the following order: As = Cu > Mo > Pb > V > Co > Cr > Zn; lichen samples in the order: Mo > Cu > As = Co = Ni > V > Pb. Based on the calculation of a cumulative load factor, all sites located along the coast had higher trace element loads compared to sites in the hilly inland area. Complementary SEM, TEM and EDS observations showed, despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, the recurrent presence of particulate matter in moss and lichen, indicating the considerable presence of dust in the urban atmosphere which, according to chemical composition, may be due both to anthropogenic and natural sources such as volcanic rock and soil and sea salts. - Despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, moss and lichen in bags efficiently intercept airborne trace elements

Affective Urbanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Kristine

Urban design and architecture are increasingly used as material and affective strategies for setting the scene, for manipulation and the production of urban life: The orchestration of atmospheres, the framing and staging of urban actions, the programming for contemplation, involvement, play......, experience and consumption are all strategic design tools applied by planners and architects. Whereas urban design in former modernist planning served merely functional or political means, urban design has increasingly become an aesthetical mediator of ideologies embedded in the urban field of life forces....... Under these circumstances affective aesthetics operate strategically within the urban field of interests, capital flows and desires of the social. This ‘affective urbanism’ (Anderson & Holden 2008) is linked to a society influenced by new kinds of information flows, where culture is mediated and enacted...

Interferences of commercial NO2 instruments in the urban atmosphere and in a smog chamber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kleffmann

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Reliable measurements of atmospheric trace gases are necessary for both, a better understanding of the chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere, and for the validation of model predictions. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 is a toxic gas and is thus a regulated air pollutant. Besides, it is of major importance for the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and plays a pivotal role in the formation of ozone and acid precipitation. Detection of NO2 is a difficult task since many of the different commercial techniques used are affected by interferences. The chemiluminescence instruments that are used for indirect NO2 detection in monitoring networks and smog chambers use either molybdenum or photolytic converters and are affected by either positive (NOy or negative interferences (radical formation in the photolytic converter. Erroneous conclusions on NO2 can be drawn if these interferences are not taken into consideration. In the present study, NO2 measurements in the urban atmosphere, in a road traffic tunnel and in a smog-chamber using different commercial techniques, i.e. chemiluminescence instruments with molybdenum or photolytic converters, a Luminol based instrument and a new NO2-LOPAP, were compared with spectroscopic techniques, i.e. DOAS and FTIR. Interferences of the different instruments observed during atmospheric measurements were partly characterised in more detail in the smog chamber experiments. Whereas all the commercial instruments showed strong interferences, excellent agreement was obtained between a new NO2-LOPAP instrument and the FTIR technique for the measurements performed in the smog chamber.

PARTICULATE MATTER IN ATMOSPHERIC AIR IN URBAN AGGLOMERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halina Marczak

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The study aimed to determine the mass concentration of PM10 in the air in urban area. The specific objective of the research was to analyze and assess the impact of transport road emissions on the level of concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere in the Lublin agglomeration. The measuring points were located in places at different distances from the communications emission sources and, at the same time, possibly varying degrees of air pollution dust. Measuring the concentration of dust at the measuring points was performed using an indirect method using a laser photometer. In the research point which was not under direct influence of a heavy traffic road dust levels lower by 10.5% to 65.4% than in the vicinity of the transport route were reported. Small particle air pollution at all the points covered by the study increased significantly during the heating season. Based on the comparison of the obtained values of PM10 concentrations with legal standards, it was found that the air pollution exceeded the limits in all measurement points only during a series of measurements in the months of November-December. The recorded increase in air pollution during the heating season should be associated with an increased dust emissions in this period from the "low" emitters - local house boilers and detached houses.

Removal of Ozone by Urban and Peri-Urban Forests: Evidence from Laboratory, Field, and Modeling Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Carlo Calfapietra; Arianna Morani; Gregorio Sgrigna; Sara Di Giovanni; Valerio Muzzini; Emanuele Pallozzi; Gabriele Guidolotti; David Nowak; Silvano Fares

2016-01-01

A crucial issue in urban environments is the interaction between urban trees and atmospheric pollution, particularly ozone (O3). Ozone represents one of the most harmful pollutants in urban and peri-urban environments, especially in warm climates. Besides the large interest in reducing anthropogenic and biogenic precursors of O3...

The influence of electron collisions on non-LTE Li line formation in stellar atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osorio, Yeisson; Barklem, Paul; Lind, Karin; Asplund, Martin

2012-01-01

The influence of the uncertainties in the rate coefficient data for electron-impact excitation and ionization on non-LTE Li line formation in cool stellar atmospheres is investigated. We examine the electron collision data used in previous non-LTE calculations and compare them to our own calculations using the R-matrix with pseudostates (RMPS) method and to other calculations found in the literature.

Low-energy-electron interactions with DNA: approaching cellular conditions with atmospheric experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alizadeh, E.; Sanche, L.

2014-01-01

A novel technique has been developed to investigate low energy electron (LEE)-DNA interactions in the presence of small biomolecules (e.g., N 2 , O 2 , H 2 O) found near DNA in the cell nucleus, in order to simulate cellular conditions. In this technique, LEEs are emitted from a metallic surface exposed by soft X-rays and interact with DNA thin films at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP). Whereas atmospheric N 2 had little effect on the yields of LEE-induced single and double strand breaks, both O 2 and H 2 O considerably modified and increased such damage. The highest yields were obtained when DNA is embedded in a combined O 2 and H 2 O atmosphere. In this case, the amount of additional double strand breaks was supper-additive. The effect of modifying the chemical and physical stability of DNA by platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents (Pt-drugs) including cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin was also investigated with this technique. The results obtained provide information on the role played by subexcitation-energy electrons and dissociative electron attachment in the radiosensitization of DNA by Pt-drugs, which is an important step to unravel the mechanisms of radiosensitization of these agents in chemo-radiation cancer therapy. (authors)

Low-energy-electron interactions with DNA: approaching cellular conditions with atmospheric experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Alizadeh, Elahe; Sanche, Léon

2014-04-01

A novel technique has been developed to investigate low energy electron (LEE)-DNA interactions in the presence of small biomolecules (e.g., N2, O2, H2O) found near DNA in the cell nucleus, in order to simulate cellular conditions. In this technique, LEEs are emitted from a metallic surface exposed by soft X-rays and interact with DNA thin films at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP). Whereas atmospheric N2 had little effect on the yields of LEE-induced single and double strand breaks, both O2 and H2O considerably modified and increased such damage. The highest yields were obtained when DNA is embedded in a combined O2 and H2O atmosphere. In this case, the amount of additional double strand breaks was supper-additive. The effect of modifying the chemical and physical stability of DNA by platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents (Pt-drugs) including cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin was also investigated with this technique. The results obtained provide information on the role played by subexcitation-energy electrons and dissociative electron attachment in the radiosensitization of DNA by Pt-drugs, which is an important step to unravel the mechanisms of radiosensitisation of these agents in chemoradiation cancer therapy.

Isotopic Recorders of Pollution in Heterogeneous Urban Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Pataki, D. E.; Cobley, L.; Smith, R. M.; Ehleringer, J. R.; Chritz, K.

2017-12-01

A significant difficulty in quantifying urban pollution lies in the extreme spatial and temporal heterogeneity of cities. Dense sources of both point and non-point source pollution as well as the dynamic role of human activities, which vary over very short time scales and small spatial scales, complicate efforts to establish long-term urban monitoring networks that are relevant at neighborhood, municipal, and regional scales. Fortunately, the natural abundance of isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements provides a wealth of information about the sources and fate of urban atmospheric pollution. In particular, soils and plant material integrate pollution sources and cycling over space and time, and have the potential to provide long-term records of pollution dynamics that extend back before atmospheric monitoring data are available. Similarly, sampling organic material at high spatial resolution can provide "isoscapes" that shed light on the spatial heterogeneity of pollutants in different urban parcels and neighborhoods, along roads of varying traffic density, and across neighborhoods of varying affluence and sociodemographic composition. We have compiled numerous datasets of the isotopic composition of urban organic matter that illustrate the potential for isotopic monitoring of urban areas as a means of understanding hot spots and hot moments in urban atmospheric biogeochemistry. Findings to date already reveal the critical role of affluence, economic activity, demographic change, and land management practices in influencing urban pollution sources and sinks, and suggest an important role of stable isotope and radioisotope measurements in urban atmospheric and biogeochemical monitoring.

Meteorology Research in DOE's Atmosphere to Electrons (A2e) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Cline, J.; Haupt, S. E.; Shaw, W. J.

2017-12-01

DOE's Atmosphere to electrons (A2e) program is performing cutting edge research to allow optimization of wind plants. This talk will summarize the atmospheric science portion of A2e, with an overview of recent and planned observation and modeling projects designed to bridge the terra incognita between the mesoscale and the microscales that affect wind plants. Introduction A2e is a major focus of the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) within the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) at the DOE. The overall objective of A2e is to optimize wind power production and integrates improved knowledge of atmospheric inflow (fuel), turbine and plant aerodynamics, and control systems. The atmospheric component of the work addresses both the need for improved forecasting of hub-height winds and the need for improved turbulence characterization for turbine inflows under realistic atmospheric conditions and terrain. Several projects will be discussed to address observations of meteorological variables in regions not typically observed. The modelling needs are addressed through major multi-institutional integrated studies comprising both theoretical and numerical advances to improve models and field observations for physical insight. Model improvements are subjected to formal verification and validation, and numerical and observational data are archived and disseminated to the public through the A2e Data Archive and Portal (DAP; http://a2e.energy.gov). The overall outcome of this work will be increased annual energy production from wind plants and improved turbine lifetimes through a better understanding of atmospheric loading. We will briefly describe major components of the atmospheric part of the A2e strategy and work being done and planned.

Electron Density in Atmospheric Pressure Microwave Surface Wave Discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jasinski, M.; Zakrzewski, Z.; Mizeraczyk, J.

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present results of the spectroscopic measurements of the electron density in a microwave surface wave sustained discharges in Ar and Ne at atmospheric pressure. The discharge in the form of a plasma column was generated inside a quartz tube cooled with a dielectric liquid. The microwave power delivered to the discharge via rectangular waveguide was applied in the range of 200-1500 W. In all investigations presented in this paper, the gas flow rate was relatively low (0.5 l/min), so the plasma column was generated in the form of a single filament, and the lengths of the upstream and downstream plasma columns were almost the same. The electron density in the plasma columns was determined using the method based on the Stark broadening of H β spectral line, including plasma region inside the waveguide which was not investigated earlier

The Boston Methane Project: Mapping Surface Emissions to Inform Atmospheric Estimation of Urban Methane Flux

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, N.; Crosson, E.; Down, A.; Hutyra, L.; Jackson, R. B.; McKain, K.; Rella, C.; Raciti, S. M.; Wofsy, S. C.

2012-12-01

Lost and unaccounted natural gas can amount to over 6% of Massachusetts' total annual greenhouse gas inventory (expressed as equivalent CO2 tonnage). An unknown portion of this loss is due to natural gas leaks in pipeline distribution systems. The objective of the Boston Methane Project is to estimate the overall leak rate from natural gas systems in metropolitan Boston, and to compare this flux with fluxes from the other primary methane emissions sources. Companion talks at this meeting describe the atmospheric measurement and modeling framework, and chemical and isotopic tracers that can partition total atmospheric methane flux into natural gas and non-natural gas components. This talk focuses on estimation of surface emissions that inform the atmospheric modeling and partitioning. These surface emissions include over 3,300 pipeline natural gas leaks in Boston. For the state of Massachusetts as a whole, the amount of natural gas reported as lost and unaccounted for by utility companies was greater than estimated landfill emissions by an order of magnitude. Moreover, these landfill emissions were overwhelmingly located outside of metro Boston, while gas leaks are concentrated in exactly the opposite pattern, increasing from suburban Boston toward the urban core. Work is in progress to estimate spatial distribution of methane emissions from wetlands and sewer systems. We conclude with a description of how these spatial data sets will be combined and represented for application in atmospheric modeling.

Exploratory study of atmospheric methane enhancements derived from natural gas use in the Houston urban area

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Nancy P.; Zheng, Chuantao; Ye, Weilin; Czader, Beata; Cohan, Daniel S.; Tittel, Frank K.; Griffin, Robert J.

2018-03-01

The extensive use of natural gas (NG) in urban areas for heating and cooking and as a vehicular fuel is associated with potentially significant emissions of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that influences the chemistry of the atmosphere, can be emitted from different sources including leakage from NG infrastructure, transportation activities, end-use uncombusted NG, landfills and livestock. Although significant CH4 leakage associated with aging local NG distribution systems in the U.S. has been reported, further investigation is required to study the role of this infrastructure component and other NG-related sources in atmospheric CH4 enhancements in urban centers. In this study, neighborhood-scale mobile-based monitoring of potential CH4 emissions associated with NG in the Greater Houston area (GHA) is reported. A novel dual-gas 3.337 μm interband cascade laser-based sensor system was developed and mobile-mode deployed for simultaneous CH4 and ethane (C2H6) monitoring during a period of over 14 days, corresponding to ∼ 90 h of effective data collection during summer 2016. The sampling campaign covered ∼250 exclusive road miles and was primarily concentrated on eight residential zones with distinct infrastructure age and NG usage levels. A moderate number of elevated CH4 concentration events (37 episodes) with mixing ratios not exceeding 3.60 ppmv and associated with atmospheric background enhancements below 1.21 ppmv were observed during the field campaign. Source discrimination analyses based on the covariance between CH4 and C2H6 levels indicated the predominance of thermogenic sources (e.g., NG) in the elevated CH4 concentration episodes. The volumetric fraction of C2H6 in the sources associated with the thermogenic CH4 spikes varied between 2.7 and 5.9%, concurring with the C2H6 content in NG distributed in the GHA. Isolated CH4 peak events with significantly higher C2H6 enhancements (∼11%) were observed at industrial

[Composition characteristics of atmospheric volatile organic compounds in the urban area of Beibei District, Chongqing].

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Xin; Hao, Qing-ju; Ji, Dong-sheng; Zhang, Jun-ke; Liu, Zi-rui; Hu, Bo; Wang, Yue-si; Jiang, Chang-sheng

2014-09-01

In order to study the composition and distribution of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in the atmosphere in the urban area of Beibei district, Chongqing, atmospheric samples were collected from March 2012 to February 2013 with special stainless steel cylinders, and analyzed with a three-stage preconcentration method coupled with GC-MS. 78 species of VOCs were detected in this study, of which there were 25 species of alkanes, 15 species of olefins, 28 species of aromatic hydrocarbons and 10 species of halogenated hydrocarbons. The results showed that the top seven species of VOCs according to the order of annual average concentration in the atmosphere of Beibei were: Dichloromethane (3. 08 x 10(-9) ) , Benzene (2. 09 x 10-9) , Isopentane (1. 85 x 10 -9) , Toluene (1. 51 x 10(-9)) , Propane (1. 51 x 10(-9)), m/p-xylene (1.43 x 10(-9)) and Styrene (1. 39 x 10-9). The concentration of TVOCs (Total Volatile Organic Compounds) in the atmosphere of Beibei was 33. 89 x 10 -9 during the measuring period, and the seasonal variation was obvious with the order of spring (42. 57 x 10 -9) > autumn (33.89 x 10-9) > winter (31.91 x 10 -9) > summer (27.04 x 10(-9)). In the composition of TVOCs, alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons provided the largest contribution to TVOCs (31.5% and 30.7% ) , followed by halogenated hydrocarbon, accounting for 27.4% , and the last one was olefins, with only 10.4%. By means of ozone formation potential, the analysis results showed that olefins and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds were the two important materials which made the biggest contribution to the formation of ozone in the atmosphere of Beibei. We further analyzed the sources of VOCs in atmosphere of Beibei by the method of Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Vehicle exhaust was the biggest source and its contribution to VOCs was 50. 41%. The calculated results with T/B value also confirmed that traffic was the biggest source contributing to the VOCs in atmosphere of Beibei.

Magnetospheric Response Associated With Multiple Atmospheric Reflections of Precipitated Electrons in Aurora.

Science.gov (United States)

Khazanov, G. V.; Merkin, V. G.; Zesta, E.; Sibeck, D. G.; Grubbs, G. A., II; Chu, M.; Wiltberger, M. J.

2017-12-01

The magnetosphere and ionosphere are strongly coupled by precipitating electrons during storm times. Therefore, first principle simulations of precipitating electron fluxes are required to understand storm time variations of ionospheric conductances and related electric fields. As has been discussed by Khazanov et al. [2015 - 2017], the first step in such simulations is initiation of electron precipitation from the Earth's plasma sheet via wave particle interaction processes into both magnetically conjugate points, and the step 2 is the follow up of multiple atmospheric reflections of electron fluxes formed at the boundary between the ionosphere and magnetosphere of two magnetically conjugate points. To demonstrate this effect on the global magnetospheric response the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global magnetosphere model coupled with the Rice Convection Model of the inner magnetosphere has been used and run for the geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2013.

Microbial Communities in the Vertical Atmosphere: Effects of Urbanization and the Natural Environment in Four North American Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Docherty, K. M.; Lemmer, K. M.; Domingue, K. D.; Spring, A.; Kerber, T. V.; Mooney, M. M.

2017-12-01

Airborne transport of microbial communities is a key component of the global ecosystem because it serves as a mechanism for dispersing microbial life between all surface habitats on the planet. However, most of our understanding of airborne microbial distribution is derived from samples collected near the ground. Little is understood about how the vertical layers of the air may act as a habitat filter or how local terrestrial ecosystems contribute to a vast airborne microbial seedbank. Specifically, urbanization may fundamentally alter the terrestrial sources of airborne microbial biodiversity. To address this question, we conducted airborne sampling at minimally disturbed natural sites and paired urban sites in 4 different North American ecosystems: shortgrass steppe, desert scrub, eastern deciduous forest, and northern mesic forest. All natural area sites were co-located with NEON/Ameriflux tower sites collecting atmospheric data. We developed an airborne sampling platform that uses tethered helikites at 3 replicate locations within each ecosystem to launch remote-controlled sampler payloads. We designed sampler payloads to collect airborne bacteria and fungi from 150, 30 and 2 m above the ground. Payload requirements included: ability to be disinfected and remain contaminant-free during transport, remote open/close functionality, payload weight under 6 lbs and automated collection of weather data. After sampling for 6 hours at each location, we extracted DNA collected by the samplers. We also extracted DNA from soil and plant samples collected from each location, and characterized ground vegetation. We conducted bacterial 16S amplicon-based sequencing using Mi-Seq and sequence analysis using QIIME. We used ArcGIS to determine percent land use coverage. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial ecosystem type is the most important factor contributing to differences in airborne bacterial community composition, and that communities differed by ecosystem. The

Effect of atmospheric pollution on health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M.S.

1990-01-01

In recent years the incidence of smog episodes and their intensity have gone down considerably and difference in atmospheric pollutant levels between urban and rural areas is very small. Even the sudden moderate elevation of atmospheric pollution during winter months affects the pulmonary function adversely and provokes increased respiratory symptomes. The prevalence of rhinitis and allergy is more frequent both in adults and in children in urban townships than in rural areas. It has also been observed that industrial city dwellers have inferior pulmonary function. Very recent results indicate possible interaction between atmospheric pollutant levels and regeneration process following airways infection in yound children. (orig.) [de

Variability of atmospheric carbonyl sulfide at a semi-arid urban site in western India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallik, Chinmay; Chandra, Naveen; Venkataramani, S; Lal, Shyam

2016-05-01

Atmospheric carbonyl sulfide (COS) is a major precursor for sulfate aerosols that play a critical role in climate regulation. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of COS measurements as a reliable means to constrain biospheric carbon assimilation. In a scenario of limited availability of COS data around the globe, we present gas-chromatographic measurements of atmospheric COS mixing ratios over Ahmedabad, a semi-arid, urban region in western India. These measurements, being reported for the first time over an Indian site, enable us to understand the diurnal and seasonal variation in atmospheric COS with respect to its natural, anthropogenic and photochemical sources and sinks. The annual mean COS mixing ratio over Ahmedabad is found to be 0.83±0.43ppbv, which is substantially higher than free tropospheric values for the northern hemisphere. Inverse correlation of COS with soil and skin temperature, suggests that the dry soil of the semi-arid study region is a potential sink for atmospheric COS. Positive correlations of COS with NO2 and CO during post-monsoon and the COS/CO slope of 0.78pptv/ppbv reveals influence of diesel combustion and tire wear. The highest concentrations of COS are observed during pre-monsoon; COS/CO2 slope of 44.75pptv/ppmv combined with information from air mass back-trajectories reveal marshy wetlands spanning over 7500km(2) as an important source of COS in Ahmedabad. COS/CO2 slopes decrease drastically (8.28pptv/ppmv) during post-monsoon due to combined impact of biospheric uptake and anthropogenic emissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-particle characterization of urban aerosol particles collected in three Korean cites using low-Z electron probe X-ray microanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ro, Chul-Un; Kim, HyeKyeong; Oh, Keun-Young; Yea, Sun Kyung; Lee, Chong Bum; Jang, Meongdo; Van Grieken, René

2002-11-15

A recently developed single-particle analytical technique, called low-Z electron probe X-ray microanalysis (low-Z EPMA), was applied to characterize urban aerosol particles collected in three cities of Korea (Seoul, CheongJu, and ChunCheon) on single days in the winter of 1999. In this study, it is clearly demonstrated that the low-Z EPMA technique can provide detailed and quantitative information on the chemical composition of particles in the urban atmosphere. The collected aerosol particles were analyzed and classified on the basis of their chemical species. Various types of particles were identified, such as soil-derived, carbonaceous, marine-originated, and anthropogenic particles. In the sample collected in Seoul, carbonaceous, aluminosilicates, silicon dioxide, and calcium carbonate aerosol particles were abundantly encountered. In the CheongJu and ChunCheon samples, carbonaceous, aluminosilicates, reacted sea salts, and ammonium sulfate aerosol particles were often seen. However, in the CheongJu sample, ammonium sulfate particles were the most abundant in the fine fraction. Also, calcium sulfate and nitrate particles were significantly observed. In the ChunCheon sample, organic particles were the most abundant in the fine fraction. Also, sodium nitrate particles were seen at high levels. The ChunCheon sample seemed to be strongly influenced by sea-salt aerosols originating from the Yellow Sea, which is located about 115 km away from the city.

Comparison between atmospheric pollutants from urban and rural areas employing the transplanted Usnea amblyoclada lichen species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendes, Fabiana S.; Saiki, Mitiko; Genezini, Frederico A.; Alves, Edson R.; Santos, Jose O.; Martins, Marco A.G.; Saldiva, Paulo H.N.

2011-01-01

Over the last decades, lichens have been used as biomonitors in studies related to atmospheric pollution of several elements. The capability of absorbing and accumulating aerial pollutants, their longevity and resistance to environmental stresses have made lichens suitable for studies on air quality evaluation. In this study, a preliminary investigation employing Usnea amblyoclata lichen species and instrumental neutron activation analysis was performed to compare the levels of elements in the air of an urban and rural area. Samples of Usnea amblyoclada (Mull. Arg) collected in a clean area were exposed in a polluted area by vehicular emissions in Sao Paulo city and in a rural area of Caucaia do Alto Municipality, Cotia, SP. After 6 months of exposure the lichens were collected, cleaned, freeze-dried and ground for analyses. Samples and elemental standards were irradiated at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor and their induced activities were measured using a gamma ray spectrometer. Results indicated that lichens exposed in the polluted urban area presented higher levels of Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, La, Sb, Sc, Se, Th, V and Zn than those from the rural area. Besides that ,concentrations of As, Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Hf, La, Mg, Th, Sc and V in lichens exposed in the rural and polluted urban area were higher than those that were not exposed. Quality control of analytical results was achieved by the analyses of certified reference material. Lichen species used in this study proved to be very useful for active monitoring of a polluted urban environment. (author)

Comparison between atmospheric pollutants from urban and rural areas employing the transplanted Usnea amblyoclada lichen species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendes, Fabiana S.; Saiki, Mitiko; Genezini, Frederico A.; Alves, Edson R.; Santos, Jose O., E-mail: mitiko@ipen.br, E-mail: fredzini@ipen.br, E-mail: eralves@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Martins, Marco A.G.; Saldiva, Paulo H.N., E-mail: marcogarciam@usp.br, E-mail: pepino@usp.br [Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMUSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Over the last decades, lichens have been used as biomonitors in studies related to atmospheric pollution of several elements. The capability of absorbing and accumulating aerial pollutants, their longevity and resistance to environmental stresses have made lichens suitable for studies on air quality evaluation. In this study, a preliminary investigation employing Usnea amblyoclata lichen species and instrumental neutron activation analysis was performed to compare the levels of elements in the air of an urban and rural area. Samples of Usnea amblyoclada (Mull. Arg) collected in a clean area were exposed in a polluted area by vehicular emissions in Sao Paulo city and in a rural area of Caucaia do Alto Municipality, Cotia, SP. After 6 months of exposure the lichens were collected, cleaned, freeze-dried and ground for analyses. Samples and elemental standards were irradiated at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor and their induced activities were measured using a gamma ray spectrometer. Results indicated that lichens exposed in the polluted urban area presented higher levels of Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, La, Sb, Sc, Se, Th, V and Zn than those from the rural area. Besides that ,concentrations of As, Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Hf, La, Mg, Th, Sc and V in lichens exposed in the rural and polluted urban area were higher than those that were not exposed. Quality control of analytical results was achieved by the analyses of certified reference material. Lichen species used in this study proved to be very useful for active monitoring of a polluted urban environment. (author)

High Resolution Atmospheric Inversion of Urban CO2 Emissions During the Dormant Season of the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX)

Science.gov (United States)

Lauvaux, Thomas; Miles, Natasha L.; Deng, Aijun; Richardson, Scott J.; Cambaliza, Maria O.; Davis, Kenneth J.; Gaudet, Brian; Gurney, Kevin R.; Huang, Jianhua; O'Keefe, Darragh;

Nonlinear Structuring and High-energy Electrons: Role in Ionosphere and in Thunderstorm Atmosphere Processes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

Processes Aleksander Viktorovich Gurevich P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute Leninsky pr.,53 Moscow, Russia 117924 EOARD ISTC 06...Electrons: Role in Ionosphere and in Thunderstorm Atmosphere Processes 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER ISTC Registration No: 3641p 5b. GRANT NUMBER... ISTC

Controls on Biogeochemical Cycling of Nitrogen in Urban Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Templer, P. H.; Hutyra, L.; Decina, S.; Rao, P.; Gately, C.

2017-12-01

Rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition are declining across much of the United States and Europe, yet they remain substantially elevated by almost an order of magnitude over pre-industrial levels and occur as hot spots in urban areas. We measured atmospheric inputs of inorganic and organic nitrogen in multiple urban sites around the Boston Metropolitan area, finding that urban rates are substantially elevated compared to nearby rural areas, and that the range of these atmospheric inputs are as large as observed urban to rural gradients. Within the City of Boston, the variation in deposition fluxes can be explained by traffic intensity, vehicle emissions, and spring fertilizer additions. Throughfall inputs of nitrogen are approximately three times greater than bulk deposition inputs in the city, demonstrating that the urban canopy amplifies rates of nitrogen reaching the ground surface. Similar to many other metropolitan areas of the United States, the City of Boston has 25% canopy cover; however, 25% of this tree canopy is located above impervious pavement. Throughfall inputs that do not have soil below the canopy to retain excess nitrogen may lead to greater inputs of nitrogen into nearby waterways through runoff. Most measurement stations for atmospheric nitrogen deposition are intentionally located away from urban areas and point sources of pollution to capture regional trends. Our data show that a major consequence of this network design is that hotspots of nitrogen deposition and runoff into urban and coastal waterways is likely underestimated to a significant degree. A more complete determination of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its fate in urban ecosystems is critical for closing regional nitrogen budgets and for improving our understanding of biogeochemical nitrogen cycling across multiple spatial scales.

Atmospheric pollution in an urban environment by tree bark biomonitoring--part I: trace element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guéguen, Florence; Stille, Peter; Lahd Geagea, Majdi; Boutin, René

2012-03-01

Tree bark has been shown to be a useful biomonitor of past air quality because it accumulates atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in its outermost structure. Trace element concentrations of tree bark of more than 73 trees allow to elucidate the impact of past atmospheric pollution on the urban environment of the cities of Strasbourg and Kehl in the Rhine Valley. Compared to the upper continental crust (UCC) tree barks are strongly enriched in Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. To assess the degree of pollution of the different sites in the cities, a geoaccumulation index I(geo) was applied. Global pollution by V, Ni, Cr, Sb, Sn and Pb was observed in barks sampled close to traffic axes. Cr, Mo, Cd pollution principally occurred in the industrial area. A total geoaccumulation index I(GEO-tot) was defined; it is based on the total of the investigated elements and allows to evaluate the global pollution of the studied environment by assembling the I(geo) indices on a pollution map. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center's urban research and development activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundquist, J K; Sugiyama, G A; Nasstrom, J

2007-01-01

This presentation describes the tools and services provided by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for modeling the impacts of airborne hazardous materials. NARAC provides atmospheric plume modeling tools and services for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear airborne hazards. NARAC can simulate downwind effects from a variety of scenarios, including fires, industrial and transportation accidents, radiation dispersal device explosions, hazardous material spills, sprayers, nuclear power plant accidents, and nuclear detonations. NARAC collaborates on radiological dispersion source terms and effects models with Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NARAC was designated the interim provider of capabilities for the Department of Homeland Security's Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center by the Homeland Security Council in April 2004. The NARAC suite of software tools include simple stand-alone, local-scale plume modeling tools for end-user's computers, and Web- and Internet-based software to access advanced modeling tools and expert analyses from the national center at LLNL. Initial automated, 3-D predictions of plume exposure limits and protective action guidelines for emergency responders and managers are available from the center in 5-10 minutes. These can be followed immediately by quality-assured, refined analyses by 24 x 7 on-duty or on-call NARAC staff. NARAC continues to refine calculations using updated on-scene information, including measurements, until all airborne releases have stopped and the hazardous threats are mapped and impacts assessed. Model predictions include the 3-D spatial and time-varying effects of weather, land use, and terrain, on scales from the local to regional to global. Real-time meteorological data and forecasts are provided by redundant communications links to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Numerical study of the electron and muon lateral distribution in atmospheric showers of high energy cosmic rays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgios Atreidis

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The lateral distribution of an atmospheric shower depends on the characteristics of the high energy interactions and the type of the primary particle. The influence of the primary particle in the secondary development of the shower into the atmosphere, is studied by analyzing the lateral distribution of electron and muon showers having as primary particle, proton, photon or iron nucleus. This study of the lateral distribution can provide useful conclusions for the mass and energy of the primary particle. This paper compares the data that we get from simulations with CORSIKA program with experimental data and the theoretical NKG function expressing lateral electron and muon distribution. Then we modify the original NKG function to fit better to the simulation data and propose a method for determining the mass of the original particle started the atmospheric shower.

Quantification of urban atmospheric boundary layer greenhouse gas dry mole fraction enhancements in the dormant season: Results from the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha L. Miles

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We assess the detectability of city emissions via a tower-based greenhouse gas (GHG network, as part of the Indianapolis Flux (INFLUX experiment. By examining afternoon-averaged results from a network of carbon dioxide (CO2, methane (CH4, and carbon monoxide (CO mole fraction measurements in Indianapolis, Indiana for 2011–2013, we quantify spatial and temporal patterns in urban atmospheric GHG dry mole fractions. The platform for these measurements is twelve communications towers spread across the metropolitan region, ranging in height from 39 to 136 m above ground level, and instrumented with cavity ring-down spectrometers. Nine of the sites were deployed as of January 2013 and data from these sites are the focus of this paper. A background site, chosen such that it is on the predominantly upwind side of the city, is utilized to quantify enhancements caused by urban emissions. Afternoon averaged mole fractions are studied because this is the time of day during which the height of the boundary layer is most steady in time and the area that influences the tower measurements is likely to be largest. Additionally, atmospheric transport models have better performance in simulating the daytime convective boundary layer compared to the nighttime boundary layer. Averaged from January through April of 2013, the mean urban dormant-season enhancements range from 0.3 ppm CO2 at the site 24 km typically downwind of the edge of the city (Site 09 to 1.4 ppm at the site at the downwind edge of the city (Site 02 to 2.9 ppm at the downtown site (Site 03. When the wind is aligned such that the sites are downwind of the urban area, the enhancements are increased, to 1.6 ppm at Site 09, and 3.3 ppm at Site 02. Differences in sampling height affect the reported urban enhancement by up to 50%, but the overall spatial pattern remains similar. The time interval over which the afternoon data are averaged alters the calculated urban enhancement by an average of 0.4 ppm

Urbanization and the Carbon Cycle: Synthesis of Ongoing Research

Science.gov (United States)

Gurney, K. R.; Duren, R. M.; Hutyra, L.; Ehleringer, J. R.; Patarasuk, R.; Song, Y.; Huang, J.; Davis, K.; Kort, E. A.; Shepson, P. B.; Turnbull, J. C.; Lauvaux, T.; Rao, P.; Eldering, A.; Miller, C. E.; Wofsy, S.; McKain, K.; Mendoza, D. L.; Lin, J. C.; Sweeney, C.; Miles, N. L.; Richardson, S.; Cambaliza, M. O. L.

2015-12-01

Given the explosive growth in urbanization and its dominant role in current and future global greenhouse gas emissions, urban areas have received increasing research attention from the carbon cycle science community. The emerging focus is driven by the increasingly dense atmospheric observing capabilities - ground and space-based - in addition to the rising profile of cities within international climate change policymaking. Dominated by anthropogenic emissions, urban carbon cycle research requires a cross-disciplinary perspective with contributions from disciplines such as engineering, economics, social theory, and atmospheric science. We review the recent results from a sample of the active urban carbon research efforts including the INFLUX experiment (Indianapolis), the Megacity carbon project (Los Angeles), Salt Lake City, and Boston. Each of these efforts represent unique approaches in pursuit of different scientific and policy questions and assist in setting priorities for future research. From top-down atmospheric measurement systems to bottom-up estimation, these research efforts offer a view of the challenges and opportunities in urban carbon cycle research.

Rocket investigations of electron precipitation and VLF waves in the Antarctic upper atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheldon, W.R.; Benbrook, J.R.; Bering, E.A.

1988-01-01

The results of two Antarctic rocket campaigns, primarily initiated to investigate electron precipitation stimulated by signals from the Siple-Station ground-based VLF transmitter, are presented. While the primary objective of the campaigns was not achieved, the Siple VLF transmitter facilitated a study of the wave environment in the ionosphere. Standing wave patterns in the ionosphere were observed for the first time by detectors flown aboard the Nike-Tomahawk rockets; the same detectors monitored a continuous signal from the transmitter through the neutral atmosphere and into the ionosphere, providing unique data for comparison with theoretical studies of wave propagation. The measurements of penetrating electron precipitation were interpreted in terms of a model of energetic electron precipitation from the trapped radiational belts. 52 references

Can green roofs reduce urban heat stress in vulnerable urban communities: A coupled atmospheric and social modeling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, A.; Woodruff, S.; Budhathoki, M.; Hamlet, A. F.; Fernando, H. J. S.; Chen, F.

2017-12-01

Urban areas provide organized, engineered, sociological and economical infrastructure designed to provide a high quality of life, but the implementation and management of urban infrastructure has been a continued challenge. Increasing urbanization, warming climate, as well as anthropogenic heat emissions that accompany urban development generates "stress". This rapidly increasing `urban stress' affects the sustainability of cities, making populations more vulnerable to extreme hazards, such as heat. Cities are beginning to extensively use green roofs as a potential urban heat mitigation strategy. This study explores the potential of green roofs to reduce summertime temperatures in the most vulnerable neighborhoods of the Chicago metropolitan area by combining social vulnerability indices (a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity), and temperatures from mesoscale model. Numerical simulations using urbanized version the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were performed to measure rooftop temperatures, a representative variable for exposure in this study. The WRF simulations were dynamically coupled with a green roof algorithm as a part of urban parameterization within WRF. Specifically, the study examines roof surface temperature with changing green roof fractions and how would they help reduce exposure to heat stress for vulnerable urban communities. This study shows an example of applied research that can directly benefit urban communities and be used by urban planners to evaluate mitigation strategies.

THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRON-BEAM-INDUCED ELECTRIC FIELD ON THE GENERATION OF LANGMUIR TURBULENCE IN FLARING ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zharkova, Valentina V.; Siversky, Taras V.

2011-01-01

The precipitation of an electron beam injected into the solar atmosphere is studied for the generation of Langmuir wave turbulence in the presence of collisional and Ohmic losses. The system of quasi-linear time-dependent kinetic equations describing the evolution of beams and Langmuir waves is solved by using the summary approximation method. It is found that at upper atmospheric levels the self-induced electric field suppresses the generation of Langmuir turbulence to very small regions below injection. With further precipitation into deeper atmosphere the initial single power-law distributions of beam electrons are transformed into energy distributions with maxima at lower energies formed by collisional and Ohmic energy depletion. The electrons with lower energies (<20 keV) generate on large spatial scales intense low-hybrid and high-hybrid Langmuir waves with well-defined patterns in the corona while higher energy electrons generate moderate low-hybrid waves in the chromosphere. The maximum wave density appears at the maximum of the ambient density. The self-induced electric field reduces the level and makes the regions with low-hybrid Langmuir turbulence narrower in the corona and upper chromosphere. The higher the beam energy flux or its self-induced electric field, the narrower the regions with Langmuir turbulence. High-hybrid Langmuir waves in the form of multiple patterns in space (in the corona) and energy (below 20 keV) are found to be generated only by a very intense electron beam. The number of patterns in both dimensions is also shown to be significantly reduced by the self-induced electric field.

The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope with open sample space observes dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas.

Science.gov (United States)

Suga, Mitsuo; Nishiyama, Hidetoshi; Konyuba, Yuji; Iwamatsu, Shinnosuke; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Yoshiura, Chie; Ueda, Takumi; Sato, Chikara

2011-12-01

Although conventional electron microscopy (EM) requires samples to be in vacuum, most chemical and physical reactions occur in liquid or gas. The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM) can observe dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas under atmospheric pressure in real time. An electron-permeable window made of pressure-resistant 100 nm-thick silicon nitride (SiN) film, set into the bottom of the open ASEM sample dish, allows an electron beam to be projected from underneath the sample. A detector positioned below captures backscattered electrons. Using the ASEM, we observed the radiation-induced self-organization process of particles, as well as phenomena accompanying volume change, including evaporation-induced crystallization. Using the electrochemical ASEM dish, we observed tree-like electrochemical depositions on the cathode. In silver nitrate solution, we observed silver depositions near the cathode forming incidental internal voids. The heated ASEM dish allowed observation of patterns of contrast in melting and solidifying solder. Finally, to demonstrate its applicability for monitoring and control of industrial processes, silver paste and solder paste were examined at high throughput. High resolution, imaging speed, flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use facilitate the observation of previously difficult-to-image phenomena, and make the ASEM applicable to various fields. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source-receptor relationships for atmospheric mercury in urban Detroit, Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Lynam, Mary M.; Keeler, Gerald J.

Speciated hourly mercury measurements were made in Detroit, Michigan during four sampling campaigns from 2000 to 2002. In addition, other chemical and meteorological parameters were measured concurrently. These data were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) in order to develop source receptor relationships for mercury species in urban Detroit. Reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) was found to cluster on two main factors; photochemistry and a coal combustion factor. Particulate phase mercury, Hg p, tended to cluster with RGM on the same factor. The photochemistry factor corroborates previous observations of the presence of RGM in highly oxidizing atmospheres and does not point to a specific source emission type. Instead, it likely represents local emissions and regional transport of photochemically processed air masses. The coal combustion factor is indicative of emissions from coal-fired power plants near the receptor site. Elemental mercury was found on a factor for combustion from automobiles and points to the influence these emissions have on the receptor site, which was located proximate to two major interstate highways and the largest border crossing in the United States. This analysis reveals that the receptor site which is located in an industrialized sector of the city of Detroit experienced impacts from both stationary and point sources of mercury that are both local and regional in nature.

Overview of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center's Urban Research and Development Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Lundquist, J. K.; Sugiyama, G.; Nasstrom, J.

2007-12-01

This presentation describes the tools and services provided by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for modeling the impacts of airborne hazardous materials. NARAC provides atmospheric plume modeling tools and services for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear airborne hazards. NARAC can simulate downwind effects from a variety of scenarios, including fires, industrial and transportation accidents, radiation dispersal device explosions, hazardous material spills, sprayers, nuclear power plant accidents, and nuclear detonations. NARAC collaborates on radiological dispersion source terms and effects models with Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NARAC was designated the interim provider of capabilities for the Department of Homeland Security's Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center by the Homeland Security Council in April 2004. The NARAC suite of software tools include simple stand-alone, local-scale plume modeling tools for end-user's computers, and Web- and Internet-based software to access advanced modeling tools and expert analyses from the national center at LLNL. Initial automated, 3-D predictions of plume exposure limits and protective action guidelines for emergency responders and managers are available from the center in 5-10 minutes. These can be followed immediately by quality-assured, refined analyses by 24 x 7 on-duty or on-call NARAC staff. NARAC continues to refine calculations using updated on-scene information, including measurements, until all airborne releases have stopped and the hazardous threats are mapped and impacts assessed. Model predictions include the 3-D spatial and time-varying effects of weather, land use, and terrain, on scales from the local to regional to global. Real-time meteorological data and forecasts are provided by redundant communications links to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Ultra-violet recombination continuum electron temperature measurements in a non-equilibrium atmospheric argon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, M.H.; Kruger, C.H.

1991-01-01

Emission measurements of temperature and electron density have been made downstream of a 50 kW induction plasma torch at temperatures and electron densities ranging between 6000 K and 8500 K and 10 to the 20th and 10 to the 21st/cu cm, respectively. Absolute and relative atomic line intensities, and absolute recombination continuum in both the visible and the UV were separately interpreted in order to characterize a recombining atmospheric argon plasma. Continuum measurements made in the UV at 270 nm were used to directly determine the kinetic electron temperature, independent of a Boltzmann equilibrium, assuming only that the electron velocity distribution is Maxwellian. The data indicate that a nonequilibrium condition exists in which the bound-excited and free electrons are nearly in mutual equilibrium down to the 4P level for electron densities as low as 2 x 10 to the 20th/cu m but that both are overpopulated with respect to the ground state due to finite recombination rates. 13 refs

Tailoring electron energy distribution functions through energy confinement in dual radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, C.; Waskoenig, J. [Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Gans, T. [Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)

2012-10-08

A multi-scale numerical model based on hydrodynamic equations with semi-kinetic treatment of electrons is used to investigate the influence of dual frequency excitation on the effective electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in a radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure plasma. It is found that variations of power density, voltage ratio, and phase relationship provide separate control over the electron density and the mean electron energy. This is exploited to directly influence both the phase dependent and time averaged effective EEDF. This enables tailoring the EEDF for enhanced control of non-equilibrium plasma chemical kinetics at ambient pressure and temperature.

Atmospheric aerosol in an urban area: Comparison of measurement instruments and methodologies and pulmonary deposition assessment; Aerosol atmosferico in area urbanae di misura e valutazione di deposizione polmonare

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berico, M; Luciani, A; Formignani, M [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Bologna (Italy). Dip. Ambiente

1996-07-01

In March 1995 a measurement campaign of atmospheric aerosol in the Bologna urban area (Italy) was carried out. A transportable laboratory, set up by ENEA (Italian national Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Environment) Environmental Department (Bologna), was utilized with instruments for measurement of atmospheric aerosol and meteorological parameters. The aim of this campaign was of dual purpose: to characterize aerosol in urban area and to compare different instruments and methodologies of measurements. Mass concentrations measurements, evaluated on a 23-hour period with total filter, PM10 dichotomous sampler and low pressure impactor (LPI Berner), have provided information respectively about total suspended particles, respirable fraction and granulometric parameters of aerosol. Eight meteorologic parameters, number concentration of submicromic fraction of aerosol and mass concentration of micromic fraction have been continually measured. Then, in a daytime period, several number granulometries of atmospheric aerosol have also been estimated by means of diffusion battery system. Results related to different measurement methodologies and granulometric characteristics of aerosol are presented here. Pulmonary deposition of atmospheric aerosol is finally calculated, using granulometries provided by LPI Brener and ICRP 66 human respiratory tract model.

Trends of atmospheric black carbon concentration over the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vikas; Ravindra, Khaiwal; Sahu, Lokesh; Sokhi, Ranjeet

2018-04-01

The continuous observations over a period of 7 years (2009-2016) available at 7 locations show declining trend of atmospheric BC in the UK. Among all the locations, the highest decrease of 8 ± 3 percent per year was observed at the Marylebone road in London. The detailed analysis performed at 21 locations during 2009-2011 shows that average annual mean atmospheric BC concentration were 0.45 ± 0.10, 1.47 ± 0.58, 1.34 ± 0.31, 1.83 ± 0.46 and 9.72 ± 0.78 μgm-3 at rural, suburban, urban background, urban centre and kerbside sites respectively. Around 1 μgm-3 of atmospheric BC could be attributed to urban emission, whereas traffic contributed up to 8 μg m-3 of atmospheric BC near busy roads. Seasonal pattern was also observed at all locations except rural and kerbside location, with maximum concentrations (1.2-4 μgm-3) in winter. Further, minimum concentrations (0.3-1.2 μgm-3) were observed in summer and similar concentrations in spring and fall. At suburban and urban background locations, similar diurnal pattern were observed with atmospheric BC concentration peaks (≈1.8 μg m-3) in the morning (around 9 a.m.) and evening (7-9 p.m.) rush hours, whereas minimum concentrations were during late night hours (peak at 5 a.m.) and the afternoon hours (peak at 2 p.m.). The urban centre values show a similar morning pattern (peak at 9 a.m.; concentration - 2.5 μgm-3) in relation to background locations but only a slight decrease in concentration in the afternoon which remained above 2 μgm-3 till midnight. It is concluded that the higher flow of traffic at urban centre locations results in higher atmospheric BC concentrations throughout the day. Comparison of weekday and weekend daily averaged atmospheric BC showed maximum concentrations on Friday, having minimum levels on Sunday. This study will help to refine the atmospheric BC emission inventories and provide data for air pollution and climate change models evaluation, which are used to formulate air pollution

Towards realization of quantitative atmospheric and industrial gas sensing using THz wave electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Tekawade, Aniket; Rice, Timothy E.; Oehlschlaeger, Matthew A.; Mansha, Muhammad Waleed; Wu, Kefei; Hella, Mona M.; Wilke, Ingrid

2018-06-01

The potential of THz wave electronics for miniaturized non-intrusive sensors for atmospheric, environmental, and industrial gases is explored. A THz wave spectrometer is developed using a radio-frequency multiplier source and a Schottky-diode detector. Spectral absorption measurements were made in a gas cell within a frequency range of 220-330 GHz at room temperature and subatmospheric pressures. Measurements are reported for pure acetonitrile (CH3CN), methanol (CH3OH), and ethanol (C2H5OH) vapors at 5 and 10 Torr and for methanol dilute in the air (0.75-3.0 mol%) at a pressure of 500 Torr. An absorbance noise floor of 10-3 was achieved for a single 10 s scan of the 220-330 GHz frequency domain. Measured absorption spectra for methanol/air agree well at collisional-broadened conditions with spectral simulations carried out using literature spectroscopic parameters. In contrast to the previous submillimeter wave research that has focused on spectral absorbance at extremely low pressures (mTorr), where transitions are in the Doppler limit, and the present study illustrates the applicability of THz electronics for gas sensing at pressures approaching those found in atmospheric and industrial environments.

THE QUANTITATIVE COMPONENT’S DIAGNOSIS OF THE ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION CONDITION IN BAIA MARE URBAN AREA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. ZAHARIA

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The atmospheric precipitation, an essential meteorological element for defining the climatic potential of a region, presents through its general and local particularities a defining influence for the evolution of the other climatic parameters, conditioning the structure of the overall geographic landscape. Their quantitative parameters sets up the regional natural setting and differentiation of water resources, soil, vegetation and fauna, in the same time influencing the majority of human activities’ aspects, through the generated impact over the agriculture, transportation, construction, for tourism etc. Especially, through the evolution of the related climatic parameters (production type, quantity, duration, frequency, intensity and their spatial and temporal fluctuations, the pluviometric extremes set out the maxim manifestation of the energy gap of the hydroclimatic hazards/risks which induce unfavourable or even damaging conditions for the human activities’ progress. Hence, the production of atmospheric precipitation surpluses conditions the triggering, or reactivation of some intense erosion processes, landslides, and last but not least, floods. Just as dangerous are the adverse amounts of precipitation or their absence on longer periods, determining the appearance of droughts, aridity phenomena, which if associated with the sharp anthropic pressure over the environment, favours the expansion of desertification, with the whole process of the arising negative effects. In this context, this paper aims to perform the diagnosis of atmospheric precipitation condition in Baia Mare urban area, through its quantitative component, in multiannual condition (1971-2007, underlining through the results of the analyzed climatic data and their interpretation, the main characteristics that define it. The data bank from Baia Mare station from the National Meteorological Administration network, representative for the chosen study area, was used. Baia

Students 'Weigh' Atmospheric Pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Caporaloni, Marina

1998-01-01

Describes a procedure developed by students that measures the mass concentration of particles in a polluted urban atmosphere. Uses a portable fan and filters of various materials. Compares students' data with official data. (DDR)

The spatial-temporal distribution of the atmospheric polluting agents during the period 2000-2005 in the Urban Area of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, Hermes U Ramírez; García, María D Andrade; Bejaran, Rubén; Guadalupe, Mario E García; Vázquez, Antonio Wallo; Toledano, Ana C Pompa; Villasenor, Odila de la Torre

2009-06-15

In the large cities, the disordered urban development, the industrial activities, and the transport, have caused elevated concentrations of polluting agents and possible risks to the health of the population. The metropolises located in valleys with little ventilation (such as the Urban Area of Guadalajara: UAG) present low dispersion of polluting agents can cause high risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this work was to describe the spatial-temporal distribution of the atmospheric polluting agents: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), particles smaller than 10 microns (microm) (PM(10)) and ozone (O(3)) in the UAG during the period 2000-2005. A spatial-temporal distribution analysis was made by means of graphic interpolation (Kriging method) of the statistical parameters of CO, NO(2), SO(2), PM(10) and O(3) with the collected data from eight stations of atmospheric monitoring in the UAG. The results show that the distributions of the atmospheric polluting agents are variable during the analyzed years. The polluting agent with highest concentration is PM(10) (265.42 microg/m(3)), followed by O(3) (0.11 ppm), NO(2) (0.11 ppm), CO (9.17 ppm) and SO(2) (0.05 ppm). The most affected zone is the southeast of the UAG. The results showed that an important percentage of days exceed the Mexican norms of air quality (93-199 days/year).

Long-term urban carbon dioxide observations reveal spatial and temporal dynamics related to urban characteristics and growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Logan E; Lin, John C; Bowling, David R; Pataki, Diane E; Strong, Courtenay; Schauer, Andrew J; Bares, Ryan; Bush, Susan E; Stephens, Britton B; Mendoza, Daniel; Mallia, Derek; Holland, Lacey; Gurney, Kevin R; Ehleringer, James R

2018-03-20

Cities are concentrated areas of CO 2 emissions and have become the foci of policies for mitigation actions. However, atmospheric measurement networks suitable for evaluating urban emissions over time are scarce. Here we present a unique long-term (decadal) record of CO 2 mole fractions from five sites across Utah's metropolitan Salt Lake Valley. We examine "excess" CO 2 above background conditions resulting from local emissions and meteorological conditions. We ascribe CO 2 trends to changes in emissions, since we did not find long-term trends in atmospheric mixing proxies. Three contrasting CO 2 trends emerged across urban types: negative trends at a residential-industrial site, positive trends at a site surrounded by rapid suburban growth, and relatively constant CO 2 over time at multiple sites in the established, residential, and commercial urban core. Analysis of population within the atmospheric footprints of the different sites reveals approximately equal increases in population influencing the observed CO 2 , implying a nonlinear relationship with CO 2 emissions: Population growth in rural areas that experienced suburban development was associated with increasing emissions while population growth in the developed urban core was associated with stable emissions. Four state-of-the-art global-scale emission inventories also have a nonlinear relationship with population density across the city; however, in contrast to our observations, they all have nearly constant emissions over time. Our results indicate that decadal scale changes in urban CO 2 emissions are detectable through monitoring networks and constitute a valuable approach to evaluate emission inventories and studies of urban carbon cycles.

Long-term urban carbon dioxide observations reveal spatial and temporal dynamics related to urban characteristics and growth

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Logan E.; Lin, John C.; Bowling, David R.; Pataki, Diane E.; Strong, Courtenay; Schauer, Andrew J.; Bares, Ryan; Bush, Susan E.; Stephens, Britton B.; Mendoza, Daniel; Mallia, Derek; Holland, Lacey; Gurney, Kevin R.; Ehleringer, James R.

2018-03-01

Cities are concentrated areas of CO2 emissions and have become the foci of policies for mitigation actions. However, atmospheric measurement networks suitable for evaluating urban emissions over time are scarce. Here we present a unique long-term (decadal) record of CO2 mole fractions from five sites across Utah’s metropolitan Salt Lake Valley. We examine “excess” CO2 above background conditions resulting from local emissions and meteorological conditions. We ascribe CO2 trends to changes in emissions, since we did not find long-term trends in atmospheric mixing proxies. Three contrasting CO2 trends emerged across urban types: negative trends at a residential-industrial site, positive trends at a site surrounded by rapid suburban growth, and relatively constant CO2 over time at multiple sites in the established, residential, and commercial urban core. Analysis of population within the atmospheric footprints of the different sites reveals approximately equal increases in population influencing the observed CO2, implying a nonlinear relationship with CO2 emissions: Population growth in rural areas that experienced suburban development was associated with increasing emissions while population growth in the developed urban core was associated with stable emissions. Four state-of-the-art global-scale emission inventories also have a nonlinear relationship with population density across the city; however, in contrast to our observations, they all have nearly constant emissions over time. Our results indicate that decadal scale changes in urban CO2 emissions are detectable through monitoring networks and constitute a valuable approach to evaluate emission inventories and studies of urban carbon cycles.

Urban light pollution - The effect of atmospheric aerosols on astronomical observations at night

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Joachim H.; Mekler, Yuri; Kaufman, Yoram J.

1991-01-01

The transfer of diffuse city light from a localized source through a dust-laden atmosphere with optical depth less than 0.5 has been analyzed in the source-observer plane on the basis of an approximate treatment. The effect on several types of astronomical observation at night has been studied, considering different size distributions and amounts as well as particle shapes of the aerosols. The analysis is made in terms of the signal-to-noise ratios for a given amount of aerosol. The model is applied to conditions at the Wise Astronomical Observatory in the Negev desert, and limiting backgrounds for spectroscopy, photometry, and photography of stars and extended objects have been calculated for a variety of signal-to-noise ratios. Applications to observations with different equipment at various distances from an urban area of any size are possible. Due to the use of signal-to-noise ratios, the conclusions are different for the different experimental techniques used in astronomy.

The changing face of urban air pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Alastair C.

2018-02-01

The atmospheric chemistry that leads to photochemical smog and climate-active aerosols requires the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (1, 2). The VOCs in urban air typically derive from the prevailing energy and transport technologies as well as the use of petrochemical-derived products. On page 760 of this issue, McDonald et al. (3) report that a notable change in emissions may be underway in U.S. cities, with effects on secondary pollutants such as organic aerosols. Shifting from an urban atmosphere dominated by transport-related VOCs to one dominated by VOCs from coatings, adhesives, and consumer products would alter predictions of urban air quality and challenge the existing policy framework for emissions control.

Atmospheric carbon tetrachloride in rural background and industry surrounded urban areas in Northern Iberian Peninsula: Mixing ratios, trends, and potential sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blas, Maite de; Uria-Tellaetxe, Iratxe; Gomez, Maria Carmen; Navazo, Marino; Alonso, Lucio; García, Jose Antonio; Durana, Nieves; Iza, Jon; Ramón, Jarol Derley

2016-01-01

Latest investigations on atmospheric carbon tetrachloride (CTC) are focused on its ozone depleting potential, adverse effects on the human health, and radiative efficiency and Global Warming Potential as a greenhouse gas. CTC mixing ratios have been thoroughly studied since its restriction under the Montreal Protocol, mostly in remote areas with the aim of reporting long-term trends after its banning. The observed decrease of the CTC background mixing ratio, however, was not as strong as expected. In order to explain this behavior CTC lifetime should be adjusted by estimating the relative significance of its sinks and by identifying ongoing potential sources. Looking for possible sources, CTC was measured with high-time resolution in two sites in Northern Spain, using auto-GC systems and specifically developed acquisition and processing methodologies. The first site, Bilbao, is an urban area influenced by the surrounding industry, where measurements were performed with GC–MSD for a one-year period (2007–2008). The second site, at Valderejo Natural Park (VNP), is a rural background area where measurements were carried out with GC-FID and covering CTC data a nonsuccessive five-year period (2003–2005, 2010–2011, and 2014–2015 years). Median yearly CTC mixing ratios were slightly higher in the urban area (120 pptv) than in VNP (80–100 pptv). CTC was reported to be well mixed in the atmosphere and no sources were noticed to impact the rural site. The observed long-term trend in VNP was in agreement with the estimated global CTC emissions. In the urban site, apart from industrial and commercial CTC sources, chlorine-bleach products used as cleaning agents were reported as promotors of indoor sources. - Highlights: • A methodology was developed to measure CTC using GC-MSD and GC-FID. • CTC ongoing sources were noticed in an industry surrounded urban area. • No noticeable nearby CTC sources impacted the rural site. • Long-term CTC trend in agreement

Atmospheric carbon tetrachloride in rural background and industry surrounded urban areas in Northern Iberian Peninsula: Mixing ratios, trends, and potential sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blas, Maite de, E-mail: maite.deblas@ehu.eus [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Uria-Tellaetxe, Iratxe; Gomez, Maria Carmen [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Navazo, Marino [University College of Engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Alonso, Lucio; García, Jose Antonio; Durana, Nieves; Iza, Jon; Ramón, Jarol Derley [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain)

2016-08-15

Latest investigations on atmospheric carbon tetrachloride (CTC) are focused on its ozone depleting potential, adverse effects on the human health, and radiative efficiency and Global Warming Potential as a greenhouse gas. CTC mixing ratios have been thoroughly studied since its restriction under the Montreal Protocol, mostly in remote areas with the aim of reporting long-term trends after its banning. The observed decrease of the CTC background mixing ratio, however, was not as strong as expected. In order to explain this behavior CTC lifetime should be adjusted by estimating the relative significance of its sinks and by identifying ongoing potential sources. Looking for possible sources, CTC was measured with high-time resolution in two sites in Northern Spain, using auto-GC systems and specifically developed acquisition and processing methodologies. The first site, Bilbao, is an urban area influenced by the surrounding industry, where measurements were performed with GC–MSD for a one-year period (2007–2008). The second site, at Valderejo Natural Park (VNP), is a rural background area where measurements were carried out with GC-FID and covering CTC data a nonsuccessive five-year period (2003–2005, 2010–2011, and 2014–2015 years). Median yearly CTC mixing ratios were slightly higher in the urban area (120 pptv) than in VNP (80–100 pptv). CTC was reported to be well mixed in the atmosphere and no sources were noticed to impact the rural site. The observed long-term trend in VNP was in agreement with the estimated global CTC emissions. In the urban site, apart from industrial and commercial CTC sources, chlorine-bleach products used as cleaning agents were reported as promotors of indoor sources. - Highlights: • A methodology was developed to measure CTC using GC-MSD and GC-FID. • CTC ongoing sources were noticed in an industry surrounded urban area. • No noticeable nearby CTC sources impacted the rural site. • Long-term CTC trend in agreement

Fair weather atmospheric electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, R G

2011-01-01

Not long after Franklin's iconic studies, an atmospheric electric field was discovered in 'fair weather' regions, well away from thunderstorms. The origin of the fair weather field was sought by Lord Kelvin, through development of electrostatic instrumentation and early data logging techniques, but was ultimately explained through the global circuit model of C.T.R. Wilson. In Wilson's model, charge exchanged by disturbed weather electrifies the ionosphere, and returns via a small vertical current density in fair weather regions. New insights into the relevance of fair weather atmospheric electricity to terrestrial and planetary atmospheres are now emerging. For example, there is a possible role of the global circuit current density in atmospheric processes, such as cloud formation. Beyond natural atmospheric processes, a novel practical application is the use of early atmospheric electrostatic investigations to provide quantitative information on past urban air pollution.

Ubiquity of bisphenol A in the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Pingqing; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2010-01-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a suspected endocrine disruptor in the environment. However, little is known about its distribution and transport in the atmosphere. Here, the concentrations of BPA in the atmospheric aerosols from urban, rural, marine, and the polar regions were measured using solvent extraction/derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. The concentrations of BPA (1-17,400 pg m -3 ) ranged over 4 orders of magnitude in the world with a declining trend from the continent (except for the Antarctica) to remote sites. A positive correlation was found between BPA and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, a tracer for plastic burning, in urban regions, indicating that the open burning of plastics in domestic waste should be a significant emission source of atmospheric BPA. Our results suggest that the ubiquity of BPA in the atmosphere may raise a requirement for the evaluation of health effects of BPA in order to control its emission sources, for example, from plastic burning. - This study gives first insight into the sources and global distributions of bisphenol A (BPA) in the atmosphere.

Effect of traffic restriction on atmospheric particle concentrations and their size distributions in urban Lanzhou, Northwestern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Suping; Yu, Ye; Liu, Na; He, Jianjun; Chen, Jinbei

2014-02-01

During the 2012 Lanzhou International Marathon, the local government made a significant effort to improve traffic conditions and air quality by implementing traffic restriction measures. To evaluate the direct effect of these measures on urban air quality, especially particle concentrations and their size distributions, atmospheric particle size distributions (0.5-20 microm) obtained using an aerodynamic particle sizer (model 3321, TSI, USA) in June 2012 were analyzed. It was found that the particle number, surface area and volume concentrations for size range 0.5-10 microm were (15.0 +/- 2.1) cm(-3), (11.8 +/- 2.6) microm2/cm3 and (1.9 +/- 0.6) microm2/cm3, respectively, on the traffic-restricted day (Sunday), which is 63.2%, 53.0% and 47.2% lower than those on a normal Sunday. For number and surface area concentrations, the most affected size range was 0.5-0.7 and 0.5-0.8 microm, respectively, while for volume concentration, the most affected size ranges were 0.5-0.8, 1.7-2.0 and 5.0-5.4 microm. Number and volume concentrations of particles in size range 0.5-1.0 microm correlated well with the number of non-CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered vehicles, while their correlation with the number of CNG-powered vehicles was very low, suggesting that reasonable urban traffic controls along with vehicle technology improvements could play an important role in improving urban air quality.

Fluorescence excited in a thunderstorm atmosphere by relativistic runaway electron avalanches

Science.gov (United States)

Babich, L. P.; Bochkov, E. I.

2017-05-01

The spectrum and spatiotemporal evolution of the fluorescence of an atmospheric discharge developing in the regime of relativistic runaway electron avalanche (RREA) generation have been calculated without involving the relativistic feedback. The discharges generating narrow bipolar pulses, along with the discharges responsible for terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, are shown to be relatively dark. Nevertheless, the fluorescence excited by a discharge involving RREAs can be recorded with cameras used to record high-altitude optical phenomena. A possible connection between a certain class of optical phenomena observed at the tops of thunderclouds and RREA emission is pointed out.

Numerical Solution of the Electron Transport Equation in the Upper Atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woods, Mark Christopher [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Holmes, Mark [Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States); Sailor, William C [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-07-01

A new approach for solving the electron transport equation in the upper atmosphere is derived. The problem is a very stiff boundary value problem, and to obtain an accurate numerical solution, matrix factorizations are used to decouple the fast and slow modes. A stable finite difference method is applied to each mode. This solver is applied to a simplifieed problem for which an exact solution exists using various versions of the boundary conditions that might arise in a natural auroral display. The numerical and exact solutions are found to agree with each other to at least two significant digits.

Ubiquity of bisphenol A in the atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Pingqing; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2010-10-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a suspected endocrine disruptor in the environment. However, little is known about its distribution and transport in the atmosphere. Here, the concentrations of BPA in the atmospheric aerosols from urban, rural, marine, and the polar regions were measured using solvent extraction/derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. The concentrations of BPA (1-17,400 pg m(-3)) ranged over 4 orders of magnitude in the world with a declining trend from the continent (except for the Antarctica) to remote sites. A positive correlation was found between BPA and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, a tracer for plastic burning, in urban regions, indicating that the open burning of plastics in domestic waste should be a significant emission source of atmospheric BPA. Our results suggest that the ubiquity of BPA in the atmosphere may raise a requirement for the evaluation of health effects of BPA in order to control its emission sources, for example, from plastic burning. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the impact of built environment characteristics on urban boundary layer dynamics using an advanced stochastic approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Song

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Urban land–atmosphere interactions can be captured by numerical modeling framework with coupled land surface and atmospheric processes, while the model performance depends largely on accurate input parameters. In this study, we use an advanced stochastic approach to quantify parameter uncertainty and model sensitivity of a coupled numerical framework for urban land–atmosphere interactions. It is found that the development of urban boundary layer is highly sensitive to surface characteristics of built terrains. Changes of both urban land use and geometry impose significant impact on the overlying urban boundary layer dynamics through modification on bottom boundary conditions, i.e., by altering surface energy partitioning and surface aerodynamic resistance, respectively. Hydrothermal properties of conventional and green roofs have different impacts on atmospheric dynamics due to different surface energy partitioning mechanisms. Urban geometry (represented by the canyon aspect ratio, however, has a significant nonlinear impact on boundary layer structure and temperature. Besides, managing rooftop roughness provides an alternative option to change the boundary layer thermal state through modification of the vertical turbulent transport. The sensitivity analysis deepens our insight into the fundamental physics of urban land–atmosphere interactions and provides useful guidance for urban planning under challenges of changing climate and continuous global urbanization.

Characterization Urban Heat Island Effect and Modelling of Secondary Pollutant Formations at Urban Hotspots

Science.gov (United States)

Undi, G. S. N. V. K. S. N. S.

2017-12-01

More than 60 percent of the world population is living the urban zones by 2020. This socio of economic transformations will bring considerable changes to the ambient atmosphere. More than 70 percent of the air pollutants in the urban hotspots are from vehicular emissions. in the urban hotspots. In the urban hotspots, the meteorological and dispersion conditions will have different characteristics than in surrounding rural areas. Reactive pollutants transformations are drastically influenced by the local meteorological conditions. The complexity of urban structure alters the pollutants dispersion in the hotspots. This relationship between urban meteorology and air pollution is an important aspect of consideration. In the atmosphere, drastic changes have been noticed from micro to regional and global scales. However, the characteristics of air pollutant emissions vary with time and space, favorable dispersion conditions transport them from local to regional scale. In the present study, the impact of land cover change on Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) has been characterized by considering the three different zones with varying land use patterns. An attempt has been made to estimate the impact of UHI on secondary pollutants (O3) transformations. Envi-Met model has been used to characterize the UHI intensity for the selected zones. Meteorological and air quality measurements were carried out at the selected locations. The diurnal variations of Ozone (O3) concentration for three zones are correlated with the UHI intensity. And the monitoring and model results of O3 concentrations are in good agreement. It is observed from the obtained model results that the metrological parameters influence on local air quality is significant in urban zones.

Horizontal Advection and Mixing of Pollutants in the Urban Atmospheric Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson, S. P.; Entekhabi, D.; Britter, R.; Norford, L.; Fernando, H. J.

2013-12-01

Although urban air quality and its impacts on the public health have long been studied, the increasing urbanization is raising concerns on how to better control and mitigate these health impacts. A necessary element in predicting exposure levels is fundamental understanding of flow and dispersion in urban canyons. The complex topology of building structures and roads requires the resolution of turbulence phenomena within urban canyons. The use of dense and low porosity construction material can lead to rapid heating in response to direct solar exposure due to large thermal mass. Hence thermal and buoyancy effects may be as important as mechanically-forced or shear-induced flows. In this study, the transport of pollutants within the urban environment, as well as the thermal and advection effects, are investigated. The focus is on the horizontal transport or the advection effects within the urban environment. With increased urbanization and larger and more spread cities, concern about how the upstream air quality situation can affect downstream areas. The study also examines the release and the dispersion of hazardous material. Due to the variety and complexity of urban areas around the world, the urban environment is simplified into adjacent two-dimensional urban street canyons. Pollutants are released inside each canyon. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are applied to evaluate and quantify the flow rate out of each canyon and also the exchange of pollutants between the canyons. Imagine a row of ten adjacent urban street canyons of aspect ratio 1 with horizontal flow perpendicular to it as shown in the attached figure. C is the concentration of pollutants. The first digit indicates in what canyon the pollutant is released and the second digit indicates the location of that pollutant. For example, C3,4 is the concentration of pollutant released inside canyon 3 measured in canyon 4. The same amount of pollution is released inside the ten street canyons

Use of an electronic medical record improves the quality of urban pediatric primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, William G; Mann, Adriana M; Bauchner, Howard

2003-03-01

To evaluate the quality of pediatric primary care, including preventive services, before and after the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) developed for use in an urban pediatric primary care center. A pre-postintervention analysis was used in the study. The intervention was a pediatric EMR. Routine health care maintenance visits for children eye-to-eye contact with patients was reduced, and 4 of 7 reported that use of the system increased the duration of visits (mean: 9.3 minutes longer). All users recommended continued use of the system. Use of the EMR in this study was associated with improved quality of care. This experience suggests that EMRs can be successfully used in busy urban pediatric primary care centers and, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine, must play a central role in the redesign of the US health care system.

Synthetic fibers in atmospheric fallout: A source of microplastics in the environment?

Science.gov (United States)

Dris, Rachid; Gasperi, Johnny; Saad, Mohamed; Mirande, Cécile; Tassin, Bruno

2016-03-15

Sources, pathways and reservoirs of microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5mm, remain poorly documented in an urban context. While some studies pointed out wastewater treatment plants as a potential pathway of microplastics, none have focused on the atmospheric compartment. In this work, the atmospheric fallout of microplastics was investigated in two different urban and sub-urban sites. Microplastics were collected continuously with a stainless steel funnel. Samples were then filtered and observed with a stereomicroscope. Fibers accounted for almost all the microplastics collected. An atmospheric fallout between 2 and 355 particles/m(2)/day was highlighted. Registered fluxes were systematically higher at the urban than at the sub-urban site. Chemical characterization allowed to estimate at 29% the proportion of these fibers being all synthetic (made with petrochemicals), or a mixture of natural and synthetic material. Extrapolation using weight and volume estimates of the collected fibers, allowed a rough estimation showing that between 3 and 10 tons of fibers are deposited by atmospheric fallout at the scale of the Parisian agglomeration every year (2500 km(2)). These results could serve the scientific community working on the different sources of microplastic in both continental and marine environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resolving uncertainties in the urban air quality, climate, and vegetation nexus through citizen science, satellite imagery, and atmospheric modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Jenerette, D.; Wang, J.; Chandler, M.; Ripplinger, J.; Koutzoukis, S.; Ge, C.; Castro Garcia, L.; Kucera, D.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

Large uncertainties remain in identifying the distribution of urban air quality and temperature risks across neighborhood to regional scales. Nevertheless, many cities are actively expanding vegetation with an expectation to moderate both climate and air quality risks. We address these uncertainties through an integrated analysis of satellite data, atmospheric modeling, and in-situ environmental sensor networks maintained by citizen scientists. During the summer of 2017 we deployed neighborhood-scale networks of air temperature and ozone sensors through three campaigns across urbanized southern California. During each five-week campaign we deployed six sensor nodes that included an EPA federal equivalent method ozone sensor and a suite of meteorological sensors. Each node was further embedded in a network of 100 air temperature sensors that combined a randomized design developed by the research team and a design co-created by citizen scientists. Between 20 and 60 citizen scientists were recruited for each campaign, with local partners supporting outreach and training to ensure consistent deployment and data gathering. We observed substantial variation in both temperature and ozone concentrations at scales less than 4km, whole city, and the broader southern California region. At the whole city scale the average spatial variation with our ozone sensor network just for city of Long Beach was 26% of the mean, while corresponding variation in air temperature was only 7% of the mean. These findings contrast with atmospheric model estimates of variation at the regional scale of 11% and 1%. Our results show the magnitude of fine-scale variation underestimated by current models and may also suggest scaling functions that can connect neighborhood and regional variation in both ozone and temperature risks in southern California. By engaging citizen science with high quality sensors, satellite data, and real-time forecasting, our results help identify magnitudes of climate and

Neutrons and gamma transport in atmosphere by Tripoli-2 code. Energy deposit and electron current time function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vergnaud, T.; Nimal, J.C.; Ulpat, J.P.; Faucheux, G.

1988-01-01

The Tripoli-2 computer code has been adapted to calculate, in addition to energy deposit in matter by neutrons (Kerma) the energy deposit by gamma produced in neutronic impacts and the induced recoil electron current. The energy deposit conduces at air ionization, consequently at a conductibility. This knowledge added at that of electron current permit to resolve the Maxwell equations of electromagnetic field. The study is realized for an atmospheric explosion 100 meters high. The calculations of energy deposit and electron current have been conducted as far as 2.5km [fr

Urban security annual report for 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-03-01

The work during fiscal year 1997 focused in an effort titled ''Urban Security -- A High-Performance Computing Pilot Project.'' During this year a team was engaged representing five Laboratory divisions and a range of expertise including atmospheric and hydrologic modeling, software design, mathematics, geographic information systems (GIS), geology, and urban planning. One major part of the pilot project was to link regional atmospheric modeling with ground water models in order to assess vulnerability of urban water supplies to climate change. Another part of the pilot project was to model the transport of an airborne toxic gas, including effects of buildings on air flow, and to link this to traffic simulations for effective emergency response. Other activities were to establish connections with potential collaborators and funding agencies, as well as highlighting the project through presentations at professional meetings

Automobiles: Possible sources of metals other than lead in the urban atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xudong Huang; Keskin, S.S.; Olmez, I.; Gordon, G.E.

1992-01-01

At present, due to the lack of specific marker species and reliable source composition libraries for motor vehicle emissions, it is almost impossible to predict their impact on the urban atmosphere. During the last 2 yr, the authors have been performing an extensive program to identify specific inorganic tracers for recently manufactured automobiles to create a new source composition library. Initially, they speculated on the possibility of using rare earth element (REE) emissions from the modern catalytic converters. Their preliminary studies and Japanese studies indicated a substantial release of light REE from the exhausts of unleaded gasoline-powered autos. The present study, however, has shown that although REEs are emitted, their importance as a marker is minimal. Although they have analyzed numerous samples collected from test facilities, tunnels, and ambient aerosols, they present only the results of individual motor vehicle studies. Samples were collected from the exhaust of 52 passenger cars and minivans of domestic and foreign origin. All samples collected were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The INAA results have shown that in addition to REEs, substantial amounts of other elements (sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, arsenic, bromine, antimony, etc.) were also emitted

Size-distributions of n-alkanes, PAHs and hopanes and their sources in the urban, mountain and marine atmospheres over East Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Wang

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Size-segregated (9 stages n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and hopanes in the urban (Baoji city in inland China, mountain (Mt. Tai in east coastal China and marine (Okinawa Island, Japan atmospheres over East Asia were studied using a GC/MS technique. Ambient concentrations of n-alkanes (1698±568 ng m−3 in winter and 487±145 ng m−3 in spring, PAHs (536±80 and 161±39 ng m−3, and hopanes (65±24 and 20±2.4 ng m−3 in the urban air are 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those in the mountain aerosols and 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than those in the marine samples. Mass ratios of n-alkanes, PAHs and hopanes clearly demonstrate coal-burning emissions as their major source. Size distributions of fossil fuel derived n-alkane, PAHs and hopanes were found to be unimodal in most cases, peaking at 0.7–1.1 μm size. In contrast, plant wax derived n-alkanes presented a bimodal distribution with two peaks at the sizes of 0.7–1.1 μm and >4.7 μm in the summer mountain and spring marine samples. Among the three types of samples, geometric mean diameter (GMD of the organics in fine mode (<2.1 μm was found to be smallest (av. 0.63 μm in spring for the urban samples and largest (1.01 μm for the marine samples, whereas the GMD in coarse mode (≥2.1 μm was found to be smallest (3.48 μm for the marine aerosols and largest (4.04 μm for the urban aerosols. The fine mode GMDs of the urban and mountain samples were larger in winter than in spring and summer. Moreover, GMDs of 3- and 4-ring PAHs were larger than those of 5- and 6-ring PAHs in the three types of atmospheres. Such differences in GMDs can be interpreted by the repartitioning of organic compounds and the coagulation and hygroscopic growth of particles during a long-range transport from the inland continent to the marine area, as well as the difference in their sources among the three regions.

Analysis of improvement in performance and design parameters for enhancing resolution in an atmospheric scanning electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Yeo Hun; Kim, Seung Jae; Kim, Dong Hwan

2015-12-01

The scanning electron microscope is used in various fields to go beyond diffraction limits of the optical microscope. However, the electron pathway should be conducted in a vacuum so as not to scatter electrons. The pretreatment of the sample is needed for use in the vacuum. To directly observe large and fully hydrophilic samples without pretreatment, the atmospheric scanning electron microscope (ASEM) is needed. We developed an electron filter unit and an electron detector unit for implementation of the ASEM. The key of the electron filter unit is that electrons are transmitted while air molecules remain untransmitted through the unit. The electron detector unit collected the backscattered electrons. We conducted experiments using the selected materials with Havar foil, carbon film and SiN film. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of vegetation on urban climate and healthy urban colonies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raza, S.H.; Murthy, M.S.R.; Bhagya Lakshmi, O.; Shylaja, G. (Ecology and Environmental Biology Lab., Dept. of Botany, Osmania Univ., Hyderabad (India))

1991-01-01

The role of plants in developing a healthy atmosphere is very desirable in the context of deteriorating environment resulting from increased urbanization, industrialization and improper environmental management. This investigation has attempted to screen plants for their ability to improve the design and development of healthy environments around buildings and urban centres of Hyderabad. Ability index values were computed on the basis of canopy area, physiological characters of trees growing in polluted environments, pollution stress and population load. Azadirachta indica, Pithecolobium dulce and Cassia fistula are suggested for plantations around buildings and urban centres for minimizing pollution. Certain susceptible trees like Pongamia glabra and Polyalthia longifolia have been suggested in the diagnosis and investigation of air quality through biological means. (orig.).

Diurnal and seasonal variability in size-dependent atmospheric deposition fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an urban center

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kai; Zhang, Bao-Zhong; Li, Shao-Meng; Zhang, Lei-Ming; Staebler, Ralf; Zeng, Eddy Y.

2012-09-01

Atmospheric gaseous and size-segregated particle samples were collected from urban Guangzhou at the heights of 100 and 150 m above the ground in daytime and at night in August and December 2010, and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Particulate PAHs were more abundant at night than in daytime, and significantly higher in winter than in summer. The observed vertical, diurnal, and seasonal variability in the occurrences of PAH were attributed to varying meteorological conditions and atmospheric boundary layers. More than 60% of the particulate PAHs were contained in particles in the accumulation mode with an aerodynamic diameter (Dp) in the range of 0.1-1.8 μm. Different mass transfer velocities by volatilization and condensation are considered the main causes for the different particle size distributions among individual PAHs, while combustion at different temperatures and atmospheric transport were probable causes of the observed seasonal variation in the size distribution of PAHs. Based on the modeled size-dependent dry deposition velocities, daily mean dry deposition fluxes of particulate PAHs ranged from 604 to 1190 ng m-2 d-1, with PAHs in coarse particles (Dp > 1.8 μm) accounting for 55-95% of the total fluxes. In addition, gaseous PAHs were estimated to contribute 0.6-3.1% to the total dry deposition fluxes if a conservative dry deposition velocity for gaseous species (2 × 10-4 m s-1) were used. Finally, disequilibrium phase partitioning, meteorological conditions and atmospheric transport were regarded as the main reasons for the variances in dry deposition velocities of individual PAHs.

57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopic study on surface products of thin iron plates exposed to ambient atmosphere as a means of environmental monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Motoyuki; Kobayashi, Takaaki

1993-01-01

Conversion electron and transmission Moessbauer spectroscopy were applied to the analysis of thin iron plates exposed to the ambient atmosphere. The degree of corrosion of the iron plates was classified into three categories according to the kind and thickness of rust evaluated by Moessbauer spectra. The severe corrosion took place in seaside and roadside areas. The medium corrosion was observed in urban areas, and the weak corrosion occurred in suburban and mountainous areas. This fact implies that the surface products of iron plates can successfully reflect the ambient atmosphere to which the plates were exposed. (orig.)

Barriers and facilitators to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) use in an urban slum.

Science.gov (United States)

Jawhari, Badeia; Keenan, Louanne; Zakus, David; Ludwick, Dave; Isaac, Abraam; Saleh, Abdullah; Hayward, Robert

2016-10-01

Rapid urbanization has led to the growth of urban slums and increased healthcare burdens for vulnerable populations. Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) have the potential to improve continuity of care for slum residents, but their implementation is complicated by technical and non-technical limitations. This study sought practical insights about facilitators and barriers to EMR implementation in urban slum environments. Descriptive qualitative method was used to explore staff perceptions about a recent open-source EMR deployment in two primary care clinics in Kibera, Nairobi. Participants were interviewed using open-ended, semi-structured questions. Content analysis was used when exploring transcribed data. Three major themes - systems, software, and social considerations - emerged from content analysis, with sustainability concerns prevailing. Although participants reported many systems (e.g., power, network, Internet, hardware, interoperability) and software (e.g., data integrity, confidentiality, function) challenges, social factors (e.g., identity management, training, use incentives) appeared the most important impediments to sustainability. These findings are consistent with what others have reported, especially the importance of practical barriers to EMR deployments in resource-constrained settings. Other findings contribute unique insights about social determinants of EMR impact in slum settings, including the challenge of multiple-identity management and development of meaningful incentives to staff compliance. This study exposes front-line experiences with opportunities and shortcomings of EMR implementations in urban slum primary care clinics. Although the promise is great, there are a number of unique system, software and social challenges that EMR advocates should address before expecting sustainable EMR use in resource-constrained settings. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Global Coupled Model Studies of The Jovian Upper Atmosphere In Response To Electron Precipitation and Ionospheric Convection Within The Auroral Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Millward, G. H.; Miller, S.; Aylward, A. D.

The Jovian Ionospheric Model (JIM) is a global three-dimensional model of Jupiter's coupled ionosphere and thermosphere, developed at University College London. Re- cently, the model has been used to investigate the atmospheric response to electron precipitation within the high-latitude auroral region. A series of simulations have been performed in which the model atmosphere is subjected to monochromatic precipitat- ing electrons of varying number flux and initial energy and, in addition, to various degrees of ionospheric convection. The auroral ionospheric conductivity which re- sults is shown to be strongly non-linear with respect to the incoming electron energy, with a maximum observed for incident particles of initial energy 60 KeV. Electrons with higher energies penetrate the thermospheric region completely, whilst electrons of lower energy (say 10 keV) produce ionisation at higher levels in the atmosphere which are less less condusive to the creation of ionospheric conductivity. Studies of the thermospheric winds with the auroral region show that zonal winds (around the auroral oval) can attain values of around 70% of the driving zonal ion velocity. Also the results show that these large neutral winds are limited in vertical extent to the region of large ionospheric conductivity, tailing off markedly at altitudes above this. The latest results from this work will be presented, and the implications for Jovian magnetospheric-ionospheric coupling will be discussed.

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

Effects of dust polarity and nonextensive electrons on the dust-ion acoustic solitons and double layers in earth atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Ghobakhloo, Marzieh; Zomorrodian, Mohammad Ebrahim; Javidan, Kurosh

2018-05-01

Propagation of dustion acoustic solitary waves (DIASWs) and double layers is discussed in earth atmosphere, using the Sagdeev potential method. The best model for distribution function of electrons in earth atmosphere is found by fitting available data on different distribution functions. The nonextensive function with parameter q = 0.58 provides the best fit on observations. Thus we analyze the propagation of localized waves in an unmagnetized plasma containing nonextensive electrons, inertial ions, and negatively/positively charged stationary dust. It is found that both compressive and rarefactive solitons as well as double layers exist depending on the sign (and the value) of dust polarity. Characters of propagated waves are described using the presented model.

Ocean to continent transfer of atmospheric Se as revealed by epiphytic lichens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Hanjie; Carignan, Jean

2009-01-01

There is still a long-term debate concerning the relative contributions of naturally emitted and anthropogenic Se at the regional and local scales. Here, Se and heavy metal concentrations are reported for epiphytic lichens collected in coastal and inland areas from the USA, Canada and France for assessing atmospheric Se source. Correlations found between Se and Cl in lichens confirmed the major marine biogenic source for atmospheric Se. Continental samples do not show systematic relationships between Se and other metal (Pb, Cu, In ...) contents, even for lichens collected in the vicinity of smelters or close to urban areas. Our results suggest that, although anthropogenic Se may be present, the marine biogenic Se source is a major contributor to atmospheric Se for our sampling locations. The contribution of naturally emitted atmospheric Se may be significant in urban and industrial areas and should be taken into account for further studies. - Although anthropogenic Se may be present, the contribution of naturally emitted atmospheric Se may be significant in urban and industrial areas and should be taken into account for further studies.

Sources and Potential Photochemical Roles of Formaldehyde in an Urban Atmosphere in South China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chuan; Huang, Xiao-Feng; Han, Yu; Zhu, Bo; He, Ling-Yan

2017-11-01

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important intermediate in tropospheric photochemistry. However, study of its evolution characteristics under heavy pollution conditions in China is limited, especially for high temporal resolutions, making it difficult to analyze its sources and environmental impacts. In this study, ambient levels of HCHO were monitored using a proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometer at an urban site in the Pearl River Delta of China. Continuous monitoring campaigns were conducted in the spring, summer, fall, and winter in 2016. The highest averaged HCHO concentrations were observed in autumn (5.1 ± 3.1 ppbv) and summer (5.0 ± 4.4 ppbv), followed by winter (4.2 ± 2.2 ppbv) and spring (3.4 ± 1.6 ppbv). The daily maximum of HCHO occurs in the early afternoon and shows good correlations with O3 and the secondary organic aerosol tracer during the day, revealing close relationships between ambient HCHO and secondary formations in Shenzhen, especially in summer and autumn. The daytime HCHO is estimated to be the major contributor to O3 formation and OH radical production, indicating that HCHO plays a key role in the urban atmospheric photochemical reactions. Anthropogenic secondary formation was calculated to be the dominant source of HCHO using a photochemical age-based parameterization method, with an average proportion of 39%. The contributions of biogenic sources in summer (41%) and autumn (39%) are much higher than those in spring (26%) and winter (28%), while the contributions of anthropogenic primary sources in spring (20%) and winter (18%) are twice those in summer (9%) and autumn (9%).

A review of studies on atmospheric mercury in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xuewu; Feng, Xinbin; Sommar, Jonas; Wang, Shaofeng

2012-04-01

Due to the fast developing economy, mercury (Hg) emissions to the atmosphere from Chinese mainland have increased rapidly in recent years. Consequently, this issue has received a considerable attention internationally. This paper reviews the current understanding of and knowledge on atmospheric Hg emissions, distribution and transport in China. The magnitude of Hg emissions to the atmosphere from Chinese anthropogenic sources has been estimated to be in the range of 500-700 tons per year, whereby comprising a significant proportion of the globe total anthropogenic emissions. Emissions of Hg from natural surfaces including bare soil, water, and vegetation covered soil tend in a comparison to be higher in China than in Europe and North America, indicating the importance of this source category. Atmospheric Hg exhibits a significant concentration variability among urban, semi-remote, and remote areas. Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) concentrations in urban areas of China were often 1.5 - 5 folds higher compared to the corresponding settings in North America and Europe. In turn, particulate mercury (PHg) concentrations in urban areas of China were up to two orders of magnitude higher compared to North America and Europe. Atmospheric observations made at strictly remote sites in China also include the presence of occasional high concentrations of TGM, and the more short-lived fractions PHg and Reactive Gaseous Mercury (RGM). Accordingly, Hg deposition fluxes tended to be higher in China, with remote areas and urban areas being 1-2 times and 1-2 magnitude higher than those in North America and Europe, respectively. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mid-latitude electron precipitation into the atmosphere and related geophysical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.C.

1976-01-01

Balloon observations of the x-ray flux of photons with energies greater than 25 keV, measured at an atmospheric depth of 8 g/cm at Roberval, Quebec (L=4.2) and satellite observations of the flux of electrons with energies greater than 35 keV in the dawn sector from L=4.2 to L=5.3 were analyzed. A differently structured cross-correlation curve was found during the first five minutes immediately after the onset of enhancement of the X-ray intensity. The technique of power spectral analysis was used to investigate periodicities in the flux. A dominant peak at the period of 0.83 second was found in the power spectral density of the counting rate of the greater than 200 keV channel during a relatively quiet-period of time from the point of view of electron precipitation. The precipitation of intermediate energy (250-500 keV) electrons responsible for the greater than 200 keV X rays was modulated at the bounce period of low energy (65-90 keV) electrons. The mechanism for the precipitation was pitch angle diffusion due to the electron-whistler mode wave interaction. Waves generated by low energy electrons in the equatorial region propagated outside of the region of growth. These waves could interact with higher energy electrons and modulate the flux of these electrons. A correlation study of the enhancement seen in the low energy channels of the S 3 satellite electron detector with the enhancement of X-ray fluxes during a substorm was made. The satellite data were used to locate where and when the injections occurred. Two sets of enhancements observed by the satellite were found to be injected at different local times at the same time which was within a few minutes of the onset of geomagnetic bays at several near-midnight ground stations. A model based on convection due to a static westward electric field and azimuthal drift due to the gradient and curvature of B was used to explain the energy dispersion and time delay of the substorm associated observations

Methods of analysis for complex organic aerosol mixtures from urban emission sources of particulate carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurek, M.A.; Hildemann, L.M.; Simoneit, B.R.T.

1990-10-01

Organic aerosols comprise approximately 30% by mass of the total fine particulate matter present in urban atmospheres. The chemical composition of such aerosols is complex and reflects input from multiple sources of primary emissions to the atmosphere, as well as from secondary production of carbonaceous aerosol species via photochemical reactions. To identify discrete sources of fine carbonaceous particles in urban atmospheres, analytical methods must reconcile both bulk chemical and molecular properties of the total carbonaceous aerosol fraction. This paper presents an overview of the analytical protocol developed and used in a study of the major sources of fine carbon particles emitted to an urban atmosphere. 23 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Atmospheric pollution: history, science and regulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobson, M.Z. [Stanford University, Stanford, CA (USA). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

2002-07-01

The book provides an introduction to the history and science of major air pollution issues. It begins with an introduction to the history of discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere, and moves on to a discussion of the evolution of the earth's atmosphere. It then discusses five major atmospheric pollution topics: urban outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution, acid deposition, stratospheric ozone depletion, and global climate change. The book contains numerous student examples and problems and over 200 color illustrations and photographs.

Front-end electronics and data acquisition system for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.T.; La Taille, C. de; Suomijärvi, T.; Cao, Z.; Deligny, O.; Dulucq, F.; Ge, M.M.; Lhenry-Yvon, I.; Martin-Chassard, G.; Nguyen Trung, T.; Wanlin, E.; Xiao, G.; Yin, L.Q.; Yun Ky, B.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, H.Y.; Zhang, S.S.; Zhu, Z.

2015-01-01

In this paper, a front-end electronics based on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is presented for the future imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). To achieve this purpose, a 16-channel ASIC chip, PARISROC 2 (Photomultiplier ARray Integrated in SiGe ReadOut Chip) is used in the analog signal processing and digitization. The digitized results are sent to the server by a user-defined User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) hardcore engine through Ethernet that is managed by a FPGA. A prototype electronics fulfilling the requirements of the Wide Field of View Cherenkov Telescope Array (WFCTA) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) project has been designed, fabricated and tested to prove the concept of the design. A detailed description of the development with the results of the test measurements are presented. By using a new input structure and a new configuration of the ASIC, the dynamic range of the circuit is extended. A highly precise-time calibrating algorithm is also proposed, verified and optimized for the mass production. The test results suggest that the proposed electronics design fulfills the general specification of the future IACTs

Front-end electronics and data acquisition system for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y.T., E-mail: chenytao@ynu.edu.cn [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Yunnan University, 650091 Kunming (China); La Taille, C. de [OMEGA (UMS 3605) - IN2P3/CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Suomijärvi, T. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Cao, Z. [Institute of High Energy Physics, 100049 Beijing (China); Deligny, O. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Dulucq, F. [OMEGA (UMS 3605) - IN2P3/CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Ge, M.M. [Yunnan University, 650091 Kunming (China); Lhenry-Yvon, I. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Martin-Chassard, G. [OMEGA (UMS 3605) - IN2P3/CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Nguyen Trung, T.; Wanlin, E. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Xiao, G.; Yin, L.Q. [Institute of High Energy Physics, 100049 Beijing (China); Yun Ky, B. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay Cedex (France); Zhang, L. [Yunnan University, 650091 Kunming (China); Zhang, H.Y. [Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing (China); Zhang, S.S.; Zhu, Z. [Institute of High Energy Physics, 100049 Beijing (China)

2015-09-21

In this paper, a front-end electronics based on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is presented for the future imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). To achieve this purpose, a 16-channel ASIC chip, PARISROC 2 (Photomultiplier ARray Integrated in SiGe ReadOut Chip) is used in the analog signal processing and digitization. The digitized results are sent to the server by a user-defined User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) hardcore engine through Ethernet that is managed by a FPGA. A prototype electronics fulfilling the requirements of the Wide Field of View Cherenkov Telescope Array (WFCTA) of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) project has been designed, fabricated and tested to prove the concept of the design. A detailed description of the development with the results of the test measurements are presented. By using a new input structure and a new configuration of the ASIC, the dynamic range of the circuit is extended. A highly precise-time calibrating algorithm is also proposed, verified and optimized for the mass production. The test results suggest that the proposed electronics design fulfills the general specification of the future IACTs.

Characterizing Urban Air Quality to Provide Actionable Information

Science.gov (United States)

Lary, D. J.

2017-12-01

The urbanization of national and global populations is associated with increasing challenges to creation of sustainable and livable communities. In urban environments, there is currently a lack of accurate actionable information on atmospheric composition on fine spatial and temporal scales. There is a pressing need to better characterize the complex spatial distribution of environmental features of cityscapes and improve understanding of their relationship to health and quality of life. This talk gives an overview of integrating sensing of atmospheric composition on multiple scales using a wide range of devices from distributed low cost-sensors, to aerial vehicles, to satellites. Machine learning plays a key role in providing both the cross-calibration and turning the exposure dosimetry into actionable insights for urban environments.

Atmospheric bulk deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Shanghai: Temporal and spatial variation, and global comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Daolun; Liu, Ying; Gao, Yi; Zhou, Jinxing; Zheng, Lirong; Qiao, Gang; Ma, Liming; Lin, Zhifen; Grathwohl, Peter

2017-01-01

Atmospheric deposition leads to accumulation of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on urban surfaces and topsoils. To capture the inherent variability of atmospheric deposition of PAHs in Shanghai's urban agglomeration, 85 atmospheric bulk deposition samples and 7 surface soil samples were collected from seven sampling locations during 2012–2014. Total fluxes of 17 PAHs were 587-32,300 ng m −2 day −1 , with a geometric mean of 2600 ng m −2 day −1 . The deposition fluxes were categorized as moderate to high on a global scale. Phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene were major contributors. The spatial distribution of deposition fluxes revealed the influence of urbanization/industrialization and the relevance of local emissions. Meteorological conditions and more heating demand in cold season lead to a significant increase of deposition rates. Atmospheric deposition is the principal pathway of PAHs input to topsoils and the annual deposition load in Shanghai amounts to ∼4.5 tons (0.7 kg km −2 ) with a range of 2.5–10 tons (0.4–1.6 kg km −2 ). - Highlights: • PAH deposition flux in Shanghai is categorized as moderate to high on global scale. • Their spatial distribution reveals the influence of urbanization/industrialization. • Atmospheric deposition is the principal pathway of PAHs input to local topsoils. • Other pathways have to be considered for PAH input in urban soil. - Atmospheric deposition of PAHs revealed the influence of urbanization and industrialization and the relevance of local emissions on Shanghai topsoils.

The effect of external electron injection and the environment composition on development of atmospheric discharge investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogachenkov, V.A.; Oginov, A.V.; Chajkovskij, S.A.; Shpakov, K.V.

2012-01-01

The effect of external electron injection (with energy about 150 keV) on initial phase development of the high-voltage (1.0-1.2 MV) long (500-700 mm) gas discharge is investigated. The experiments were conducted in atmospheric pressure air and in a mixture of air and water droplet phase [ru

Characteristics of electronic patient-provider messaging system utilisation in an urban health care organisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Patrick Mikles

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction Research suggests that electronic messaging can improve patient engagement. Studies indicate that a ‘digital divide’ may exist, where certain patient populations may be using electronic messaging less frequently. This study aims to determine which patient characteristics are associated with different levels of usage of an electronic patient-provider messaging system in a diverse urban population.Methods Cross-sectional electronic health record data were extracted for patients 10 years of age or older who live in New York City and who visited a set of clinics between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012. Regression analyses determined which participant characteristics were associated with the sending of electronic messages.Results Older, female, English-speaking participants of white race who received more messages, had any diagnoses, more office visits and a provider who sent messages were more likely to send more messages. Non-Millennial, non-white participants who received fewer messages, had more office visits, any diagnoses, a provider who saw fewer patients with patient portal accounts, lived in a low socioeconomic status neighbourhood, and did not have private insurance were more likely to send zero messages.Conclusion This study found significant differences in electronic messaging usage based on demographic, socioeconomic and health-related patient characteristics. Future studies are needed to support these results and determine the causes of observed associations.

Investigation of the flow inside an urban canopy immersed into an atmospheric boundary layer using laser Doppler anemometry

Science.gov (United States)

Herpin, Sophie; Perret, Laurent; Mathis, Romain; Tanguy, Christian; Lasserre, Jean-Jacques

2018-05-01

Laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) is used to investigate the flow inside an idealized urban canopy consisting of a staggered array of cubes with a 25% density immersed into an atmospheric boundary layer with a Reynolds number of δ ^+=32{,}300. The boundary layer thickness to cube height ratio (δ /h=22.7) is large enough to be representative of atmospheric surface layer in neutral conditions. The LDA measurements give access to pointwise time-resolved data at several positions inside the canopy (z=h/4, h/2, and h). Synchronized hot-wire measurements above the canopy (inertial region and roughness sublayer) are also realized to get access to interactions between the different flow regions. The wall-normal mean velocity profile and Reynolds stresses show a good agreement with available data in the literature, although some differences are observed on the standard deviation of the spanwise component. A detailed spectral and integral time scale analysis inside the canopy is then carried out. No clear footprint of a periodic vortex shedding on the sides of the cubes could be identified on the power spectra, owing to the multiple cube-to-cube interactions occuring within a canopy with a building density in the wake interference regime. Results also suggest that interactions between the most energetics scales of the boundary layer and those related to the cube canopy take place, leading to a broadening of the energy peak in the spectra within the canopy. This is confirmed by the analysis of coherence results between the flow inside and above the canopy. It is shown that linear interactions mechanisms are significant, but reduced compared to smooth-wall boundary-layer flow. To our knowledge, this is the first time such results are shown on the dynamics of the flow inside an urban canopy.

Formation of reactive nitrogen oxides from urban grime photochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Baergen, Alyson M.; Donaldson, D. James

2016-05-01

Impervious surfaces are ubiquitous in urban environments and constitute a substrate onto which atmospheric constituents can deposit and undergo photochemical and oxidative processing, giving rise to "urban grime" films. HNO3 and N2O5 are important sinks for NOx in the lower atmosphere and may be deposited onto these films, forming nitrate through surface hydrolysis. Although such deposition has been considered as a net loss of NOx from the atmosphere, there is increasing evidence that surface-associated nitrate undergoes further reaction. Here, we examine the gas phase products of the photochemistry of real, field-collected urban grime using incoherent broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy (IBBCEAS). Gas phase nitrogen oxides are emitted upon illumination of grime samples and their production increases with ambient relative humidity (RH) up to 35 % after which the production becomes independent of RH. These results are discussed in the context of water uptake onto and evaporation from grime films.

THERMAL RESPONSE OF A SOLAR-LIKE ATMOSPHERE TO AN ELECTRON BEAM FROM A HOT JUPITER: A NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, P.-G.; Suzuki, Takeru K.

2009-01-01

We investigate the thermal response of the atmosphere of a solar-type star to an electron beam injected from a hot Jupiter by performing a one-dimensional MHD numerical experiment with nonlinear wave dissipation, radiative cooling, and thermal conduction. In our experiment, the stellar atmosphere is non-rotating and is modeled as a one-dimensional open flux tube expanding super-radially from the stellar photosphere to the planet. An electron beam is assumed to be generated from the reconnection site of the planet's magnetosphere. The effects of the electron beam are then implemented in our simulation as dissipation of the beam momentum and energy at the base of the corona where the Coulomb collisions become effective. When the sufficient energy is supplied by the electron beam, a warm region forms in the chromosphere. This warm region greatly enhances the radiative fluxes corresponding to the temperature of the chromosphere and transition region. The warm region can also intermittently contribute to the radiative flux associated with the coronal temperature due to the thermal instability. However, owing to the small area of the heating spot, the total luminosity of the beam-induced chromospheric radiation is several orders of magnitude smaller than the observed Ca II emissions from HD 179949.

Intra-Urban Variability in Elemental Carbon Deposition to Tree Canopies

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, T. E.; Ponette-González, A.; Rindy, J. E.; Sheesley, R. J.

2017-12-01

Urban areas cover biomass combustion, EC is a powerful climate-forcing agent and a significant component of fine particulate matter in urban atmospheres. Thus, understanding the factors that govern EC removal in urban areas could help mitigate climate change, while improving air quality for urban residents. EC particles can be removed from the atmosphere in precipitation (wet and fog deposition) or they can settle directly onto receptor surfaces (dry deposition). Only limited measurements indicate that EC deposition is higher in urban than in rural and remote regions. However, EC deposition likely exhibits considerable intra-urban variability, with tree canopies serving as potentially important sinks for EC on the cityscape. The goal of this research is to quantify spatial variability in total (wet + dry) EC deposition to urban tree canopies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Using a stratified non-random sampling design, 41 oak trees (22 post oak (Quercus stellata) and 19 live oak (Quercus virginiana)) were selected near (100 m) for measurements of throughfall (water that falls from the canopy to the forest floor). Additionally, 16 bulk rainfall samplers were deployed in grassy areas with no canopy cover. Results from one rain event indicate a volume weighted mean concentration of 83 µg EC L-1 in post oak throughfall, 36 µg EC L-1 in live oak throughfall, and 4 µg EC L-1 in bulk rainfall. Total EC deposition to oak tree canopies was 2.0 ± 2.1 (SD) mg m-2 for post oak and 0.7 ± 0.3 mg m-2 for live oak. Bulk rainfall deposition was 0.08 ± 0.1 mg m-2. Our preliminary findings show that trees are effective urban air filters, removing 9-25 times more EC from the atmosphere than rainwater alone. Resolving surface controls on atmospheric EC removal is key to developing and assessing near-term climate and air quality mitigation strategies.

Levels and Speciation of Platinum in Size-Fractionated Atmospheric Aerosol in Urban and Rural Sites across Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Shafer, Martin; Antkiewicz, Dagmara; Overdier, Joel; Schauer, James

2016-04-01

In this study we characterized the levels and speciation of platinum in a unique set of size-resolved atmospheric aerosol (PM) samples obtained from urban environments across Europe. From April-July 2012 we collected PM from roadside canyon, roadside motorway, and background urban sites in each of six European cities (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Stockholm, and Thessaloniki). A Hi-Vol sampler was used to collect PM in three size classes (>PM7, PM7-PM3, PM3) and characterized for total platinum, soluble platinum (in a suite of physiologically relevant fluids - lung fluid (ALF), Gambles saline, 0.07M HCl, and MQ) and speciated forms (colloidal and anionic) within the soluble fractions. In addition we measured 50 other elements by SF-ICPMS, soluble ions by IC, and soluble organic carbon in the PM. Order-of-magnitude differences in air concentrations of total platinum were observed between urban sites, ranging from 4 to over 45 pg/m3; with a median level of 6 pg/m3. When platinum concentrations are normalized to PM mass the cross Europe and site-to-site variability was substantially reduced - a 3-fold variation from 200 to 600 ng/g was observed. Roadside canyon sites in London, Stockholm and Thessaloniki exhibited the highest concentrations; however levels at urban background sites were remarkably similar across the cities. Relatively consistent and low concentrations (1 to 2 pg/m3) of total platinum were observed at rural background sites across Europe. The contribution of coarse particles (>7 micron and 7-3 micron) to air concentrations of total platinum was very significant (>35% at nearly all sites). Soluble platinum fractions ranged from 2 to 6% (MQ to HCl) in rural background sites to 5 to 20% (MQ to HCl) in roadway canyon sites in London and Thessaloniki; with the extractable platinum fractions a strong function of pH. With the exception of urban canyon sites in London and Thessaloniki, soluble platinum concentrations in the fine aerosol (PM3) were all

Atmospheric Gaseous Plasma with Large Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Korenev, Sergey

2012-10-01

The forming of atmospheric plasma with large dimensions using electrical discharge typically uses the Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD). The study of atmospheric DBD was shown some problems related to homogeneous volume plasma. The volume of this plasma determines by cross section and gas gap between electrode and dielectric. The using of electron beam for volume ionization of air molecules by CW relativistic electron beams was shown the high efficiency of this process [1, 2]. The main advantage of this approach consists in the ionization of gas molecules by electrons in longitudinal direction determines by their kinetic energy. A novel method for forming of atmospheric homogeneous plasma with large volume dimensions using ionization of gas molecules by pulsed non-relativistic electron beams is presented in the paper. The results of computer modeling for delivered doses of electron beams in gases and ionization are discussed. The structure of experimental bench with plasma diagnostics is considered. The preliminary results of forming atmospheric plasma with ionization gas molecules by pulsed nanosecond non-relativistic electron beam are given. The analysis of potential applications for atmospheric volume plasma is presented. Reference: [1] S. Korenev. ``The ionization of air by scanning relativistic high power CW electron beam,'' 2002 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science. May 2002, Alberta, Canada. [2] S. Korenev, I. Korenev. ``The propagation of high power CW scanning electron beam in air.'' BEAMS 2002: 14th International Conference on High-Power Particle Beams, Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA), June 2002, AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 650(1), pp. 373-376. December 17.

Qualitative aspects of biomonitoring: Sphagnum auriculatum response vs. aerosol metal concentrations (Pb, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn) in the Porto urban atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teresa, M.; Vasconcelos, S.D.; Tavares Laquipai, H.M.F.

2000-01-01

and Zn were also biomonitored and monitored in parallel. For all the heavy metals, the rate of metal uptake by moss was significantly correlated with the metal concentration in atmospheric aerosols. The results indicated that moss bags of S. auriculatum can provide quantitative estimation of the concentration of different heavy metals in urban atmosphere since the present methodology is used. S. auriculatum showed not to be a good quantitative bioindicator for Ca. The mean aerosol metal concentrations found in Porto atmosphere were similar to those observed in other urban atmospheres in different countries. The relative order of the mean metal concentrations was Fe (1.8 μg/m 3 ) > Ca > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Mn > Ni (20 μg/m 3 ). (author)

Aerosol composition and microstructure in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the August 2010 extreme wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

Popovicheva, O. B.; Kistler, M.; Kireeva, E. D.; Persiantseva, N. M.; Timofeev, M. A.; Shoniya, N. K.; Kopeikin, V. M.

2017-01-01

This is a comprehensive study of the physicochemical characterization of multicomponent aerosols in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the extreme wildfires of August 2010 and against the background atmosphere of August 2011. Thermal-optical analysis, liquid and ion chromatography, IR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy were used to determine the organic content (OC) and elemental content (EC) of carbon, organic/inorganic and ionic compounds, and biomass burning markers (anhydrosaccharides and the potassium ion) and study the morphology and elemental composition of individual particles. It has been shown that the fires are characterized by an increased OC/EC ratio and high concentrations of ammonium, potassium, and sulfate ions in correlation with an increased content of levoglucosan as a marker of biomass burning. The organic compounds containing carbonyl groups point to the process of photochemical aging and the formation of secondary organic aerosols in the urban atmosphere when aerosols are emitted from forest fires. A cluster analysis of individual particles has indicated that when the smokiest atmosphere is characterized by prevailing soot/tar ball particles, which are smoke-emission micromarkers.

Pattern recognition trigger electronics for an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradbury, S.M.; Rose, H.J.

2002-01-01

For imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, which aim to detect electromagnetic air showers with cameras consisting of several hundred photomultiplier pixels, the single pixel trigger rate is dominated by fluctuations in night sky brightness and by ion feedback in the photomultipliers. Pattern recognition trigger electronics may be used to reject night sky background images, thus reducing the data rate to a manageable level. The trigger system described here detects patterns of 2, 3 or 4 adjacent pixel signals within a 331 pixel camera and gives a positive trigger decision in 65 ns. The candidate pixel pattern is compared with the contents of a pre-programmed memory. With the trigger decision timing controlled by a fixed delay the time-jitter inherent in the use of programmable gate arrays is avoided. This system is now in routine operation at the Whipple 10 m Telescope

Atmospheric Electricity

Science.gov (United States)

Aplin, Karen; Fischer, Georg

2018-02-01

Electricity occurs in atmospheres across the Solar System planets and beyond, spanning spectacular lightning displays in clouds of water or dust, to more subtle effects of charge and electric fields. On Earth, lightning is likely to have existed for a long time, based on evidence from fossilized lightning strikes in ancient rocks, but observations of planetary lightning are necessarily much more recent. The generation and observations of lightning and other atmospheric electrical processes, both from within-atmosphere measurements, and spacecraft remote sensing, can be readily studied using a comparative planetology approach, with Earth as a model. All atmospheres contain charged molecules, electrons, and/or molecular clusters created by ionization from cosmic rays and other processes, which may affect an atmosphere's energy balance both through aerosol and cloud formation, and direct absorption of radiation. Several planets are anticipated to host a "global electric circuit" by analogy with the circuit occurring on Earth, where thunderstorms drive current of ions or electrons through weakly conductive parts of the atmosphere. This current flow may further modulate an atmosphere's radiative properties through cloud and aerosol effects. Lightning could potentially have implications for life through its effects on atmospheric chemistry and particle transport. It has been observed on many of the Solar System planets (Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and it may also be present on Venus and Mars. On Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, lightning is thought to be generated in deep water and ice clouds, but discharges can be generated in dust, as for terrestrial volcanic lightning, and on Mars. Other, less well-understood mechanisms causing discharges in non-water clouds also seem likely. The discovery of thousands of exoplanets has recently led to a range of further exotic possibilities for atmospheric electricity, though lightning detection beyond our Solar System

Future Climate Prediction of Urban Atmosphere in A Tropical Megacity: Utilization of RCP/SSP Scenarios with an Urban Growth Model

Science.gov (United States)

Darmanto, N. S.; Varquez, A. C. G.; Kanda, M.; Takakuwa, S.

2016-12-01

Economic development in Southeast Asia megacities leads to rapid transformation into more complicated urban configurations. These configurations, including building geometry, enhance aerodynamic drag thus reducing near-surface wind speeds. Roughness parameters representing building geometry, along with anthropogenic heat emissions, contribute to the formation of urban heat islands (UHI). All these have been reproduced successfully in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model coupled with an improved single-layer urban canopy model incorporating a realistic distribution of urban parameters and anthropogenic heat emission in the Jakarta Greater Area. We apply this technology to climate change studies by introducing future urbanization defined by urban sprawl, vertical rise in buildings, and increase anthropogenic heat emission (AHE) due to population changes, into futuristic climate modelling. To simulate 2050s future climate, pseudo-global warming method was used which relied on current and ensembles of 5 CMIP5 GCMs for 2 representative concentration pathways (RCP), 2.6 and 8.5. To determine future urbanization level, 2050 population growth and energy consumption were estimated from shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP). This allows the estimation of future urban sprawl, building geometry, and AHE using the SLEUTH urban growth model and spatial growth assumptions. Two cases representing combinations of RCP and SSP were simulated in WRF: RCP2.6-SSP1 and RCP8.5-SSP3. Each case corresponds to best and worst-case scenarios of implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies, respectively. It was found that 2-m temperature of Jakarta will increase by 0.62°C (RCP2.6) and 1.44°C (RCP8.5) solely from background climate change; almost on the same magnitude as the background temperature increase of RCP2.6 (0.5°C) and RCP8.5 (1.2°C). Compared with previous studies, the result indicates that the effect of climate change on UHI in tropical cities may be lesser than

Impact of Gobi desert dust on aerosol chemistry of Xi'an, inland China during spring 2009: differences in composition and size distribution between the urban ground surface and the mountain atmosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. H. Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Composition and size distribution of atmospheric aerosols from Xi'an city (~400 m, altitude in inland China during the spring of 2009 including a massive dust event on 24 April were measured and compared with a parallel measurement at the summit (2060 m, altitude of Mt. Hua, an alpine site nearby Xi'an. EC (elemental carbon, OC (organic carbon and major ions in the city were 2–22 times higher than those on the mountaintop during the whole sampling period. Compared to that in the non-dust period a sharp increase in OC was observed at both sites during the dust period, which was mainly caused by an input of biogenic organics from the Gobi desert. However, adsorption/heterogeneous reaction of gaseous organics with dust was another important source of OC in the urban, contributing 22% of OC in the dust event. In contrast to the mountain atmosphere where fine particles were less acidic when dust was present, the urban fine particles became more acidic in the dust event than in the non-dust event, mainly due to enhanced heterogeneous formation of nitrate and diluted NH₃. Cl⁻ and NO₃⁻ in the urban air during the dust event significantly shifted toward coarse particles. Such redistributions were further pronounced on the mountaintop when dust was present, resulting in both ions almost entirely staying in coarse particles. On the contrary, no significant spatial difference in size distribution of SO₄²⁻ was found between the urban ground surface and the mountain atmosphere, which dominated in the fine mode (<2.1 μm during the nonevent and comparably distributed in the fine (<2.1 μm and coarse (>2.1 μm modes during the dust event.

Electron attachment to oxygen, ozone and other compounds of atmospheric relevance as studied with ultra-high energy resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maerk, T.D.; Matejcik, S.; Kiendler, A.; Cicman, P.; Senn, G.; Skalny, J.; Stampfli, P.; Illenberger, E.; Chu, Y.; Stamatovic, A.

1996-01-01

The processes of electron attachment to oxygen, ozone, ozone/oxygen cluster and oxygen cluster as well as other compounds of atmospheric relevance (CF 2 Cl 2 , CHCl 3 and CCl 3 Br) were studied with ultra-high energy resolution crossed beam technique

Photochemistry in the Atmospheres of Denver and Mexico City

Science.gov (United States)

Cantrell, C. A.

2016-12-01

The composition of atmospheres in and downwind of urban centers has been the subject of study for decades. While early campaigns involved measurements exclusively from the ground, more recent studies have included airborne-based observations. Improved understanding has hinged critically on the development of instrumentation for better qualitifcation of pollutants, and measurement of previously unobserved species in the gas and particulate phases. Comprehensive, well-planned studies have, over time, led to more detailed understanding of chemical transformations and thus improved model representations and directions for further research. This presentation focuses on findings from two case studies of urban atmospheres, namely the MILAGRO study in the Mexico City metropolitan area and the FRAPPE study in the Denver metropolitan region. Both studies made use of extensive ground-based networks and multiple aircraft platforms. The data collected during these studies have been combined with numerical models to derive assessments of the evolution of atmospheric composition due to photochemistry, mixing, and surface processes. Here, analysis of MILAGRO data focuses on the evolution of outflow downwind of the urban region. In FRAPPE, the focus is the possible role of oil and gas exploration on urban air quality. These findings are used to assess the accuracy of current numerical models to reproduce observations, and to point toward areas possibly needing further study.

Atmospheric Chemistry in a Changing World

Science.gov (United States)

Brune, William H.

The world is changing,and the atmosphere's composition is changing with it. Human activity is responsible for much of this. Global population growth and migration to urban centers, extensive biomass burning, the spread of fertilizer-intensive agribusiness, globalization of business and industry, rising standards of living in the developing world, and increased energy use fuels atmospheric change. If current practices continue, atmospheric increases are likely for the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide; and for the chemically active gases nitric oxide, sulfur dioxide,and ammonia. Increases in global tropospheric ozone and aerosols are a distinct possibility.

Reference Atmosphere for Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Killen, Rosemary M.

2002-01-01

We propose that Ar-40 measured in the lunar atmosphere and that in Mercury's atmosphere is due to current diffusion into connected pore space within the crust. Higher temperatures at Mercury, along with more rapid loss from the atmosphere will lead to a smaller column abundance of argon at Mercury than at the Moon, given the same crustal abundance of potassium. Because the noble gas abundance in the Hermean atmosphere represents current effusion, it is a direct measure of the crustal potassium abundance. Ar-40 in the atmospheres of the planets is a measure of potassium abundance in the interiors, since Ar-40 is a product of radiogenic decay of K-40 by electron capture with the subsequent emission of a 1.46 eV gamma-ray. Although the Ar-40 in the Earth's atmosphere is expected to have accumulated since the late bombardment, Ar-40 in the atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon is eroded quickly by photoionization and electron impact ionization. Thus, the argon content in the exospheres of the Moon and Mercury is representative of current effusion rather than accumulation over the lifetime of the planet.

Atmospheric PAHs, NPAHs, and OPAHs at an urban, mountainous, and marine sites in Northern China: Molecular composition, sources, and ageing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junmei; Yang, Lingxiao; Mellouki, Abdelwahid; Chen, Jianmin; Chen, Xiangfeng; Gao, Ying; Jiang, Pan; Li, Yanyan; Yu, Hao; Wang, Wenxing

2018-01-01

18 gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 16 nitro-derivative (NPAHs), and 7 oxy-derivative (OPAHs) were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) at three locations in Northern China, an urban site (Jinan), a marine site (Tuoji island), and a mountain site (Mt. Tai). The combined gas and particulate concentrations of 18 PAHs, 16 NPAHs, and 7 OPAHs were highest at the urban site (305.91, 2.80, and 9.05 ng/m3, respectively) and lowest at the mountain location (37.83, 0.27, and 1.59 ng/m3, respectively). A noticeable increase in the high molecular weight PAHs was observed during polluted conditions compared to clean conditions. Diagnostic ratios clearly demonstrated that coal/biomass combustion was the major PAH source in Northern China. The particulate PAHs were the most aged at the mountain site due to long-distance atmospheric transport. The formation rate of NPAHs was most efficient at the mountain location and during heavily polluted days at the urban and marine sites. In addition, the main formation pathway for NPAHs was through the OH initiated secondary reaction. NO3 radicals most significantly contributed to the NPAHs formation at night, during clear weather, and at the mountain site. The logKp value was lowest at the urban site for most individual compounds and highest at the mountain site. Higher logKp was found for NPAHs and OPAHs compared with their corresponding parent PAHs. The linear regression of logKp vs logPL0 at the three sites suggested that the gas-particle partitioning of PAHs might be in non-equilibrium.

Observing Human-induced Linkages between Urbanization and Earth's Climate System

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, J. Marshall; Jin, Menglin

2004-01-01

Urbanization is one of the extreme cases of land use change. Most of world s population has moved to urban areas. Although currently only 1.2% of the land is considered urban, the spatial coverage and density of cities are expected to rapidly increase in the near future. It is estimated that by the year 2025, 60% of the world s population will live in cities. Human activity in urban environments also alters atmospheric composition; impacts components of the water cycle; and modifies the carbon cycle and ecosystems. However, our understanding of urbanization on the total Earth-climate system is incomplete. Better understanding of how the Earth s atmosphere-ocean-land-biosphere components interact as a coupled system and the influence of the urban environment on this climate system is critical. The goal of the 2003 AGU Union session Human-induced climate variations on urban areas: From observations to modeling was to bring together scientists from interdisciplinary backgrounds to discuss the data, scientific approaches and recent results on observing and modeling components of the urban environment with the intent of sampling our current stand and discussing future direction on this topic. Herein, a summary and discussion of the observations component of the session are presented.

Urbanization and Environmental Quality in Africa

OpenAIRE

Effiong, Ekpeno

2016-01-01

Africa’s rapid urbanization pose challenges for her sustainable development. This paper investigates the environmental impact of urbanization for 49 African countries from 1990 to 2010. Using the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) framework, a recently developed semi-parametric panel fixed-effects regression technique, and two atmospheric air pollutants, namely carbon dioxide (CO2) and ambient particulate matter PM10 emissions, the evidenc...

Ground-based Observations and Atmospheric Modelling of Energetic Electron Precipitation Effects on Antarctic Mesospheric Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Newnham, D.; Clilverd, M. A.; Horne, R. B.; Rodger, C. J.; Seppälä, A.; Verronen, P. T.; Andersson, M. E.; Marsh, D. R.; Hendrickx, K.; Megner, L. S.; Kovacs, T.; Feng, W.; Plane, J. M. C.

2016-12-01

The effect of energetic electron precipitation (EEP) on the seasonal and diurnal abundances of nitric oxide (NO) and ozone in the Antarctic middle atmosphere during March 2013 to July 2014 is investigated. Geomagnetic storm activity during this period, close to solar maximum, was driven primarily by impulsive coronal mass ejections. Near-continuous ground-based atmospheric measurements have been made by a passive millimetre-wave radiometer deployed at Halley station (75°37'S, 26°14'W, L = 4.6), Antarctica. This location is directly under the region of radiation-belt EEP, at the extremity of magnetospheric substorm-driven EEP, and deep within the polar vortex during Austral winter. Superposed epoch analyses of the ground based data, together with NO observations made by the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) onboard the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite, show enhanced mesospheric NO following moderate geomagnetic storms (Dst ≤ -50 nT). Measurements by co-located 30 MHz riometers indicate simultaneous increases in ionisation at 75-90 km directly above Halley when Kp index ≥ 4. Direct NO production by EEP in the upper mesosphere, versus downward transport of NO from the lower thermosphere, is evaluated using a new version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model incorporating the full Sodankylä Ion Neutral Chemistry Model (WACCM SIC). Model ionization rates are derived from the Polar orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) second generation Space Environment Monitor (SEM 2) Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector instrument (MEPED). The model data are compared with observations to quantify the impact of EEP on stratospheric and mesospheric odd nitrogen (NOx), odd hydrogen (HOx), and ozone.

Experiencing Performative Urban Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marling, Gitte

2012-01-01

The focus of the article is performative urban spaces. The case study the Frederiksberg New City Centre. Here the atmosphere is produced via intentional designs and via different arrangements with sound, light and water. The designer has worked with different moods and experiences of moods. Some...

Atmospheric chemistry and physics in the atmosphere of a developed megacity (London: an overview of the REPARTEE experiment and its conclusions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. M. Harrison

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The REgents PARk and Tower Environmental Experiment (REPARTEE comprised two campaigns in London in October 2006 and October/November 2007. The experiment design involved measurements at a heavily trafficked roadside site, two urban background sites and an elevated site at 160–190 m above ground on the BT Tower, supplemented in the second campaign by Doppler lidar measurements of atmospheric vertical structure. A wide range of measurements of airborne particle physical metrics and chemical composition were made as well as measurements of a considerable range of gas phase species and the fluxes of both particulate and gas phase substances. Significant findings include (a demonstration of the evaporation of traffic-generated nanoparticles during both horizontal and vertical atmospheric transport; (b generation of a large base of information on the fluxes of nanoparticles, accumulation mode particles and specific chemical components of the aerosol and a range of gas phase species, as well as the elucidation of key processes and comparison with emissions inventories; (c quantification of vertical gradients in selected aerosol and trace gas species which has demonstrated the important role of regional transport in influencing concentrations of sulphate, nitrate and secondary organic compounds within the atmosphere of London; (d generation of new data on the atmospheric structure and turbulence above London, including the estimation of mixed layer depths; (e provision of new data on trace gas dispersion in the urban atmosphere through the release of purposeful tracers; (f the determination of spatial differences in aerosol particle size distributions and their interpretation in terms of sources and physico-chemical transformations; (g studies of the nocturnal oxidation of nitrogen oxides and of the diurnal behaviour of nitrate aerosol in the urban atmosphere, and (h new information on the chemical composition and source apportionment of particulate

Atmospheric nitrous oxide produced by solar protons and relativistic electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, S.S.; Zipf, E.C.

1981-01-01

An alternative means of nitric oxide production in the stratosphere to that of direct formation in the upper atmosphere by solar proton (SP) events and by relativistic electron precipitation (REP) events from the Earth's radiation belt, is described. It is suggested that nitrous oxide is produced in the mesosphere and then migrates downward and is converted in the stratosphere to NO by the reaction N 2 O + O( 1 D) → 2 NO. Such a process could amplify the direct NO production by >10%. Mesospheric nitrous oxide mixing ratios increase to values as high as 6 x 10 -7 due to REP- and SP- related production. Lateral transport will reduce these high values but mesospheric mixing ratios of N 2 O in the high latitudes would approach 10 -7 , considerably greater than those expected on the basis of theories which neglect REP- and SP-related production of this species. (U.K.)

Carbon Sequestration by Urban Trees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fares, Silvano; Paoletti, Elena; Calfapietra, Carlo

2017-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prominent component of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, resulting mainly from fuel combustion in the built environment – for activities such as heating of buildings, urban mobility and cooking. The concentration of near-surface CO2 in cities is affected by ....... In this chapter, we review the most recent studies and highlight emerging research needs for a better understanding of present and future roles of urban trees in removing CO2 from the atmosphere....

Atmospheric pollution. From processes to modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sportisse, B.

2008-01-01

Air quality, greenhouse effect, ozone hole, chemical or nuclear accidents.. All these phenomena are tightly linked to the chemical composition of atmosphere and to the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants. This book aims at supplying the main elements of understanding of 'atmospheric pollutions': stakes, physical processes involved, role of scientific expertise in decision making. Content: 1 - classifications and scales: chemical composition of the atmosphere, vertical structure, time scales (transport, residence); 2 - matter/light interaction: notions of radiative transfer, application to the Earth's atmosphere; 3 - some elements about the atmospheric boundary layer: notion of scales in meteorology, atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), thermal stratification and stability, description of ABL turbulence, elements of atmospheric dynamics, some elements about the urban climate; 4 - notions of atmospheric chemistry: characteristics, ozone stratospheric chemistry, ozone tropospheric chemistry, brief introduction to indoor air quality; 5 - aerosols, clouds and rains: aerosols and particulates, aerosols and clouds, acid rains and leaching; 6 - towards numerical simulation: equation of reactive dispersion, numerical methods for chemistry-transport models, numerical resolution of the general equation of aerosols dynamics (GDE), modern simulation chains, perspectives. (J.S.)

The dust retention capacities of urban vegetation-a case study of Guangzhou, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lu; Guan, Dongsheng; Peart, M R; Wang, Gang; Zhang, Hui; Li, Zhiwei

2013-09-01

Urban vegetation increasingly plays an important role in the improvement of the urban atmospheric environment. This paper deals with the dust retention capacities of four urban tree species (Ficus virens var. sublanceolata, Ficus microcarpa, Bauhinia blakeana, and Mangifera indica Linn) in Guangzhou. The dust-retaining capacities of four tree species are studied under different pollution intensities and for different seasons. Remote sensing imagery was used to estimate the total aboveground urban vegetation biomass in different functional areas of urban Guangzhou, information that was then used to estimate the dust-retaining capacities of the different functional areas and the total removal of airborne particulates in urban Guangzhou by foliage. The results showed that urban vegetation can remove dust from the atmosphere thereby improving air quality. The major findings are that dust retention, or capture, vary between the four species of tree studied; it also varied between season and between types of urban functional area, namely industrial, commercial/road traffic, residential, and clean areas. Dust accumulation over time was also studied and reached a maximum, and saturation, after about 24 days. The overall aboveground biomass of urban vegetation in Guangzhou was estimated to be 52.0 × 10(5) t, its total leaf area 459.01 km(2), and the dust-retaining capacity was calculated at 8012.89 t per year. The present study demonstrated that the foliage of tree species used in urban greening make a substantial contribution to atmospheric dust removal and retention in urban Guangzhou.

Designing Affective Atmospheres on the Move

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wind, Simon; Lanng, Ditte Bendix

travelling “unfolds affects as much as reasons” (Jensen, 2013, p.99). Practices, embodiment, technologies and materialities interconnect in non-quantifiable experiences of mobilities, which may fruitfully be unfolded by means of the concept of “atmosphere”. According to Böhme, atmosphere cannot be reduced...... to properties or qualities of neither human nor non-human bodies but they are “manifestations of the co-presence of subject and object” (Böhme, 1998, p.114). When travelling in and through spaces of mobilities in everyday life we are co-constituents in an on-flow of aesthetic atmospheres shaping emotional...... an analytical tool for capturing atmospheres as well as an interventionist tool for orchestrating atmospheres in everyday urban spaces of mobilities. References Anderson, B. (2009) ´Affective Atmospheres´, in: Emotion, Space and Society, pp. 77–81 Bissel, D. (2010) ´Passenger mobilities: affective atmospheres...

SIMULATIONS NUMERIQUES DE L'ATMOSPHERE URBAINE AVEC LE MODELE SUBMESO :
APPLICATION A LA CAMPAGNE CLU-ESCOMPTE SUR L'AGGLOMERATION DE MARSEILLE

OpenAIRE

Leroyer , Sylvie

2006-01-01

In view of understanding and forecasting pollutant dispersion in urban areas, high resolution numerical simulations are performed. The aim is to reproduce atmospheric characteristics above complex urbanised site. An accurate method is developed to implement numerical simulations of the urban atmosphere based on three complementary tools, optimized on Marseille agglomeration example: the atmospheric Large Eddy Simulation model SUBMESO and the soil model for sub-meso scales, urban, SM2-U, and t...

Rapid imaging of mycoplasma in solution using Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscopy (ASEM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Chikara, E-mail: ti-sato@aist.go.jp [Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566 (Japan); Manaka, Sachie [Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566 (Japan); Nakane, Daisuke [Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Nishiyama, Hidetoshi; Suga, Mitsuo [Advanced Technology Division, JEOL Ltd., Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558 (Japan); Nishizaka, Takayuki [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588 (Japan); Miyata, Makoto [Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585 (Japan); Maruyama, Yuusuke [Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566 (Japan)

2012-01-27

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mycoplasma mobile was observed in buffer with the Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Characteristic protein localizations were visualized using immuno-labeling. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer M. mobile attached to sialic acid on the SiN film surface within minutes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cells were observed at low concentrations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ASEM should promote study and early-stage diagnosis of mycoplasma. -- Abstract: Mycoplasma is a genus of bacterial pathogen that causes disease in vertebrates. In humans, the species Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes 15% or more of community-acquired pneumonia. Because this bacterium is tiny, corresponding in size to a large virus, diagnosis using optical microscopy is not easy. In current methods, chest X-rays are usually the first action, followed by serology, PCR amplification, and/or culture, but all of these are particularly difficult at an early stage of the disease. Using Mycoplasma mobile as a model species, we directly observed mycoplasma in buffer with the newly developed Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM). This microscope features an open sample dish with a pressure-resistant thin film window in its base, through which the SEM beam scans samples in solution, from below. Because of its 2-3 {mu}m-deep scanning capability, it can observe the whole internal structure of mycoplasma cells stained with metal solutions. Characteristic protein localizations were visualized using immuno-labeling. Cells were observed at low concentrations, because suspended cells concentrate in the observable zone by attaching to sialic acid on the silicon nitride (SiN) film surface within minutes. These results suggest the applicability of the ASEM for the study of mycoplasmas as well as for early-stage mycoplasma infection diagnosis.

A specific and correlative study of natural atmospheric radioactivity, condensation nuclei and some electrical parameters in marine or urban sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Gac, Jacqueline.

1980-02-01

In order to determine the correlations between the following atmospheric parameters: radon and condensation nuclei concentrations, total conductivity and space charge, we analysed their behavior over a long period, in connection with meteorological data. We simulaneously studied the equilibrium state between 222 Rn and its short-lived daughters pointing out a radioactive desequilibrium as a function of the meteorological conditions. Simultaneously, we established average experimental curves of cumulated particle size distributions of natural radioactivity in the air, differentiating urban and marine influences. Finally, a comparison between the various parameters showed that the total conductivity greatly depends on condensation nuclei and radon concentrations in the air [fr

Atmospheric electron flux at airplane altitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enomoto, R.; Chiba, J.; Ogawa, K.; Sumiyoshi, T.; Takasaki, F.; Kifune, T.; Matsubara, Y.; Nishimura, J.

1991-01-01

We have developed a new detector to systematically measure the cosmic-ray electron flux at airplane altitudes. We loaded a lead-glass-based electron telescope onto a commercial cargo airplane. The first experiment was carried out using the air route between Narita (Japan) and Sydney (Australia); during this flight we measured the electron flux at various altitudes and latitudes. The thresholds of the electron energies were 1, 2, and 4 GeV. The results agree with a simple estimation using one-dimensional shower theory. A comparison with a Monte Carlo calculation was made

Atmospheric carbon exchange associated with vegetation and soils in urban and suburban land uses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rowntree, R.A. [Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1993-12-31

In studies of the global C cycle prior to the 1980s, urban ecosystems were largely ignored, in part because them were inadequate measures of phytomass and soil carbon for the various land uses associated with cities. In the last decade, progress has been made in gathering urban vegetation data and recently, estimates of urban land use carbon storage and fluxes have been attempted. Demographic trends in many countries suggest that urban areas are growing. Thus it is important to discover the appropriate concepts and methods for understanding greenhouse gas fluxes from urban-related vegetation and soils.

Effect of different atmospheres on the electrical contact performance of electronic components under fretting wear

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xin-Long; Cai, Zhen-Bing; Cui, Ye; Liu, Shan-Bang; Xu, Xiao-Jun; Zhu, Min-Hao

2018-04-01

The effects of oxide etch on the surface morphology of metals for industrial application is a common cause of electrical contacts failure, and it has becomes a more severe problem with the miniaturization of modern electronic devices. This study investigated the effects of electrical contact resistance on the contactor under three different atmospheres (oxygen, air, and nitrogen) based on 99.9% copper/pogo pins contacts through fretting experiments. The results showed the minimum and stable electrical contact resistance value when shrouded in the nitrogen environment and with high friction coefficient. The rich oxygen environment promotes the formation of cuprous oxide, thereby the electrical contact resistance increases. Scanning electron microscope microscopy and electron probe microanalysis were used to analyze the morphology and distribution of elements of the wear area, respectively. The surface product between contacts was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis to explain the different electrical contact properties of the three tested samples during fretting.

Eutrophication of an Urban Forest Ecosystem: Causes and Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Bednova, O. V.; Kuznetsov, V. A.; Tarasova, N. P.

2018-01-01

The combined use of methods of passive dosimetry of the status of atmospheric air, phytoindication, and cartographic visualization of data made it possible to elaborate and substantiate approaches to evaluation of the effect of atmospheric air contamination on the eutrophication of forest ecosystems under urban conditions.

Characteristics and sources of nitrous acid in an urban atmosphere of northern China: Results from 1-yr continuous observations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dandan; Xue, Likun; Wen, Liang; Wang, Xinfeng; Chen, Tianshu; Mellouki, Abdelwahid; Chen, Jianmin; Wang, Wenxing

2018-06-01

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a key reservoir of the hydroxyl radical (OH) and plays a central role in the atmospheric chemistry. To understand the sources and impact of HONO in the polluted atmosphere of northern China, continuous measurements of HONO and related parameters were conducted from September 2015 to August 2016 at an urban site in Ji'nan, the capital city of Shandong province. HONO showed well-defined seasonal and diurnal variation patterns with clear wintertime and nighttime concentration peaks. Elevated HONO concentrations (e.g., over 5 ppbv) were frequently observed with a maximum value of 8.36 ppbv. The HONO/NOX ratios of direct vehicle emissions varied in the range of 0.29%-0.87%, with a mean value of 0.53%. An average NO2-to-HONO nighttime conversion frequency (khet) was derived to be 0.0068 ± 0.0045 h-1 from 107 HONO formation cases. A detailed HONO budget analysis suggests an unexplained daytime missing source of 2.95 ppb h-1 in summer, which is about seven times larger than the homogeneous reaction of NO with OH. The effect of HONO on OH production was also quantified. HONO photolysis was the uppermost source of local OH radical throughout the daytime. This study provides the year-round continuous record of ambient HONO in the North China Plain, and offers some insights into the characteristics, sources and impacts of HONO in the polluted atmospheres of China.

Nucleation and growth of sub-3 nm particles in the polluted urban atmosphere of a megacity in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Yu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Particle size distribution down to 1.4 nm was measured in the urban atmosphere of Nanjing, China, in spring, summer, and winter during 2014–2015. Sub-3 nm particle event, which is equivalent to nucleation event, occurred on 42 out of total 90 observation days, but new particles could grow to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN-active sizes on only 9 days. In summer, infrequent nucleation was limited by both unfavorable meteorological conditions (high temperature and relative humidity – RH and reduced anthropogenic precursor availability due to strict emission control measures during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. The limiting factors for nucleation in winter and spring were meteorological conditions (radiation, temperature, and RH and condensation sink, but for the further growth of sub-3 nm particles to CCN-active sizes, anthropogenic precursors again became limiting factors. Nucleation events were strong in the polluted urban atmosphere. Initial J1.4 at the onset and peak J1.4 at the noontime could be up to 2.1 × 102 and 2.5 × 103 cm−3 s−1, respectively, during the eight nucleation events selected from different seasons. Time-dependent J1.4 usually showed good linear correlations with a sulfuric acid proxy for every single event (R2 = 0.56–0.86, excluding a day with significant nocturnal nucleation, but the correlation among all eight events deteriorated (R2 =  0.17 due to temperature or season change. We observed that new particle growth rate (GR did not increase monotonically with particle size, but had a local maximum up to 25 nm h−1 between 1 and 3 nm. The existence of local maxima GR in sub-3 nm size range, though sensitive to measurement uncertainties, gives new insight into cluster dynamics in polluted environments. In this study such growth rate behavior was interpreted as the solvation effect of organic activating vapor in newly formed inorganic nuclei.

Dispersion of effluents in the atmosphere; Dispersion des effluents dans l`atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-12-31

This conference day was organized by the `convection` section of the French association of thermal engineers with the support of the environment and energy mastery agency (ADEME). This book of proceedings contains 10 papers entitled: `physical modeling of atmospheric dispersion in wind tunnels. Some industrial examples`; `modeling of the noxious effects of a fire on the environment of an industrial site: importance of thermal engineering related hypotheses`; `atmospheric diffusion of a noxious cloud: fast evaluation method of safety areas around refrigerating installations that use ammonia`; `modeling of atmospheric flows in urban areas in order to study the dispersion of pollutants`; `use of a dispersion parameter to characterize the evolution of a diffusion process downstream of a linear source of passive contaminant placed inside a turbulent boundary layer`; `elements of reflexion around the development of an analytical methodology applied to the elaboration of measurement strategies of air quality in ambient and outdoor atmospheres around industrial sites`; `state-of-the-art about treatment techniques for VOC-rich gaseous effluents`; `characteristics of the time variation of the atmospheric pollution in the Paris region and visualization of its space distribution`; `mass-spectrometry for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants`; `volume variations in natural convection turbulence`. (J.S.)

Dispersion of effluents in the atmosphere; Dispersion des effluents dans l`atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-12-31

This conference day was organized by the `convection` section of the French association of thermal engineers with the support of the environment and energy mastery agency (ADEME). This book of proceedings contains 10 papers entitled: `physical modeling of atmospheric dispersion in wind tunnels. Some industrial examples`; `modeling of the noxious effects of a fire on the environment of an industrial site: importance of thermal engineering related hypotheses`; `atmospheric diffusion of a noxious cloud: fast evaluation method of safety areas around refrigerating installations that use ammonia`; `modeling of atmospheric flows in urban areas in order to study the dispersion of pollutants`; `use of a dispersion parameter to characterize the evolution of a diffusion process downstream of a linear source of passive contaminant placed inside a turbulent boundary layer`; `elements of reflexion around the development of an analytical methodology applied to the elaboration of measurement strategies of air quality in ambient and outdoor atmospheres around industrial sites`; `state-of-the-art about treatment techniques for VOC-rich gaseous effluents`; `characteristics of the time variation of the atmospheric pollution in the Paris region and visualization of its space distribution`; `mass-spectrometry for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants`; `volume variations in natural convection turbulence`. (J.S.)

A Description of the Framework of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Environment (ABLE) Model

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-01

between soil, urban, vegetation , and/or surface water and the atmosphere and radiation. We seek to fill a gap in Army capabilities by developing a...the Atmosphere; Cambridge Univ. Press, 393 pp, 2010. Wyngaard, J. C. Toward Numerical Modeling in the “ Terra Incognita.” Journal of Atmospheric

Modeling the effects of urban vegetation on air pollution

Science.gov (United States)

David J. Nowak; Patrick J. McHale; Myriam Ibarra; Daniel Crane; Jack C. Stevens; Chris J. Luley

1998-01-01

Urban vegetation can directly and indirectly affect local and regional air quality by altering the urban atmospheric environment. Trees affect local air temperature by transpiring water through their leaves, by blocking solar radiation (tree shade), which reduces radiation absorption and heat storage by various anthropogenic surfaces (e.g., buildings, roads), and by...

Chemistry and evolution of Titan's atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strobel, D.F.

1982-01-01

The chemistry and evolution of Titan's atmosphere is reviewed in the light of the scientific findings from the Voyager mission. It is argued that the present N 2 atmosphere may be Titan's initial atmosphere rather than photochemically derived from an original NH 3 atmosphere. The escape rate of hydrogen from Titan is controlled by photochemical production from hydrocarbons. CH 4 is irreversibly converted to less hydrogen rich hydrocarbons, which over geologic time accumulate on the surface to a layer thickness of approximately 0.5 km. Magnetospheric electrons interacting with Titan's exosphere may dissociate enough N 2 into hot, escaping N atoms to remove approximately 0.2 of Titan's present atmosphere over geologic time. The energy dissipation of magnetospheric electrons exceeds solar e.u.v. energy deposition in Titan's atmosphere by an order of magnitude and is the principal driver of nitrogen photochemistry. The environmental conditions in Titan's upper atmosphere are favorable to building up complex molecules, particularly in the north polar cap region. (author)

Spatial distribution function of electron-photon shower particles for different values of Esub(0)/. beta. in isothermal atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanenko, I P; Osipova, L N; Roganova, T M; Fedorova, G F [Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR). Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Yadernoj Fiziki

1982-12-01

Results of calculations of the spatial distribution function (SDF) of electron-photon shower particles for different values of the parameter E/sub 0//..beta.. in an isothermal atmosphere are given. Consideration of finiteness of the parameter E/sub 0//..beta.. leads to narrowing of SDF two times at E/sub 0//..beta.. approximately 10-100 as compared with the Nishimura, Kamata, Greisen SDF (E/sub 0//..beta.. = infinity). Atmosphere inhomogeneity results in SDF broadening in comparison with SDFsub(hom) (E/sub 0//..beta..) calculated for homogeneous atmosphere. SDFsub(inhom) (E/sub 0//..beta..) and SDFsub(hom) (E/sub 0//..beta..) depend on E/sub 0//..beta.. differently which is attributed to different contributions of shower prehistory to SDF formation. The larger is E/sub 0//..beta.., the wider is cascade curve and the higher is the effect of shower prehistory.

Source, concentration, and distribution of elemental mercury in the atmosphere in Toronto, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cairns, Elaine; Tharumakulasingam, Kavitharan; Athar, Makshoof; Yousaf, Muhammad; Cheng, Irene; Huang, Y.; Lu, Julia; Yap, Dave

2011-01-01

Atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury [GEM] at 1.8, 4, and 59 m above ground, in parking lots, and in indoor and outdoor air was measured in Toronto City, Canada from May 2008-July 2009. The average GEM value at 1.8 m was 1.89 ± 0.62 ng m -3 . The GEM values increased with elevation. The average GEM in underground parking lots ranged from 1.37 to 7.86 ng m -3 and was higher than those observed from the surface parking lots. The GEM in the indoor air ranged from 1.21 to 28.50 ng m -3 , was higher in the laboratories than in the offices, and was much higher than that in the outdoor air. All these indicate that buildings serve as sources of mercury to the urban atmosphere. More studies are needed to estimate the contribution of urban areas to the atmospheric mercury budget and the impact of indoor air on outdoor air quality and human health. - Highlights: → Buildings served as mercury sources to urban atmosphere. → Atmospheric mercury level increased with increasing height in the street canyon. → Emission from vehicles and ground surfaces was not the major sources of Hg to urban air. → Mercury levels were higher in indoor than outdoor air and in laboratories than in offices. → Mercury levels were higher in the outdoor air near building walls. - Buildings serve as sources of gaseous elemental mercury and research is needed to quantify the emission and to assess the impact of indoor air on outdoor air quality and human health.

Annual atmospheric mercury species in downtown Toronto, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xinjie; Cheng, Irene; Lu, Julia

2009-03-01

Real-time concentrations of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and mercury associated with particles having sizes RGM were 4.5 +/- 3.1 ng m(-3) (99.2%), 21.5 +/- 16.4 pg m(-3) (0.5%) and 14.2 +/- 13.2 pg m(-3) (0.3%), respectively. The concentrations for all the measured Hg species were highly variable throughout the year and were lower in winter than in the other three seasons. The maximum concentrations of Hg species were observed in June and were a result of the high number of Hg spikes (using [GEM] >10 ng m(-3) as an indicator) that occurred in the month. Nighttime (between 9pm-6am) concentrations of Hg species were higher than those of daytime. The results revealed: (1) an urban area is a continuous source of Hg species that have the potential to pose impacts on local, regional and global scales; (2) local/regional anthropogenic sources contributed significantly to the levels and the distributions of the Hg species in the urban atmosphere. More studies are needed to identify and quantify the anthropogenic sources of Hg and the Hg species emitted from these sources; (3) surface emission and photochemical reactions (including the reactions involving ozone) did not have significant influence on the levels of Hg species and their distribution in the urban atmosphere.

Modelling and observing urban climate in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Hove, B.; Steeneveld, G.J.; Heusinkveld, B.; Holtslag, B.; Jacobs, C.; Ter Maat, H.; Elbers, J.; Moors, E.

2011-06-01

The main aims of the present study are: (1) to evaluate the performance of two well-known mesoscale NWP (numerical weather prediction) models coupled to a UCM (Urban Canopy Models), and (2) to develop a proper measurement strategy for obtaining meteorological data that can be used in model evaluation studies. We choose the mesoscale models WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting Model) and RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System), respectively, because the partners in the present project have a large expertise with respect to these models. In addition WRF and RAMS have been successfully used in the meteorology and climate research communities for various purposes, including weather prediction and land-atmosphere interaction research. Recently, state-of-the-art UCM's were embedded within the land surface scheme of the respective models, in order to better represent the exchange of heat, momentum, and water vapour in the urban environment. Key questions addressed here are: What is the general model performance with respect to the urban environment?; How can useful and observational data be obtained that allow sensible validation and further parameterization of the models?; and Can the models be easily modified to simulate the urban climate under Dutch climatic conditions, urban configuration and morphology? Chapter 2 reviews the available Urban Canopy Models; we discuss their theoretical basis, the different representations of the urban environment, the required input and the output. Much of the information was obtained from the Urban Surface Energy Balance: Land Surface Scheme Comparison project (PILPS URBAN, PILPS stands for Project for Inter-comparison of Land-Surface Parameterization Schemes). This project started in March 2008 and was coordinated by the Department of Geography, King's College London. In order to test the performance of our models we participated in this project. Chapter 3 discusses the main results of the first phase of PILPS URBAN. A first

E – urban systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franc J. Zakrajšek

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Information and tele-communication technology are increasingly affecting life and employment. According to predictions, more than 80% of all business operations will be carried out electronically through so called e-business. Recently even in Slovenia discussions have begun on “e-government”. Despite desired or undesired control, virtual networks are changing urban systems into e-urban systems. The extent of benefits to the public also depend on planners. The article presents concepts with the signature “e” to describe urban systems, day-to-day life, real-estate and simulation.

Studies on aerosol optical properties over urban and semi-urban environments of Hyderabad and Anantapur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lata, K.M.; Badarinath, K.V.S.; Rao, T.V. Ramakrishna; Reddy, R.R.; Ahammed, Y. Nazeer; Gopal, K. Rama; Azeem, P. Abdul

2003-01-01

Aerosols in the troposphere exert an important influence on global climate and the environment through scattering, transmission and absorption of radiation as well as acting as nuclei for cloud formation. Atmospheric aerosol particles influence the earth's radiation balance directly by scattering of infrared energy and indirectly by modifying the properties of clouds through microphysical processes. The present study addresses visibility, radiative forcing, size distribution and attenuation of aerosols over the period from January to May, 2001 for urban and semi-urban regions of Hyderabad and Anantapur. High aerosol loading has been observed over urban environment compared to semi-urban environment. Aerosol optical depth values increased from January to April and then decreased during May over both urban and semi-urban regions. Over urban region, visibility decreased from January to April and increased during May. Similar trend has been observed over semi-urban region with relatively higher values of visibility. Radiative forcing estimated using aerosol optical depth values increased from January to April and then decreased during the month of May over urban and semi-urban areas. High visibility and low radiative forcing has been noticed over semi-urban area due to less aerosol loading. Wavelength exponent and turbidity coefficient registered high values over urban environment compared to semi-urban environment. Attenuation coefficient showed high values over urban region compared to semi-urban region. It reveals that semi-urban environment receives high solar flux than urban environment. Using 10 channel quartz crystal microbalance, measurements of total mass concentration and mass size distribution of near surface aerosols has been made over semi-urban environment and compared with size distribution derived from inversion methods based on aerosol optical depth variation with wavelength. The sensitivity of constrained linear inversions for inferring columnar

Effects of urban density on carbon dioxide exchanges: Observations of dense urban, suburban and woodland areas of southern England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, H.C.; Kotthaus, S.; Grimmond, C.S.B.; Bjorkegren, A.; Wilkinson, M.; Morrison, W.T.J.; Evans, J.G.; Morison, J.I.L.; Iamarino, M.

2015-01-01

Anthropogenic and biogenic controls on the surface–atmosphere exchange of CO 2 are explored for three different environments. Similarities are seen between suburban and woodland sites during summer, when photosynthesis and respiration determine the diurnal pattern of the CO 2 flux. In winter, emissions from human activities dominate urban and suburban fluxes; building emissions increase during cold weather, while traffic is a major component of CO 2 emissions all year round. Observed CO 2 fluxes reflect diurnal traffic patterns (busy throughout the day (urban); rush-hour peaks (suburban)) and vary between working days and non-working days, except at the woodland site. Suburban vegetation offsets some anthropogenic emissions, but 24-h CO 2 fluxes are usually positive even during summer. Observations are compared to estimated emissions from simple models and inventories. Annual CO 2 exchanges are significantly different between sites, demonstrating the impacts of increasing urban density (and decreasing vegetation fraction) on the CO 2 flux to the atmosphere. - Highlights: • Multi-seasonal comparison of contemporaneous CO 2 fluxes over contrasting land cover. • Signatures of anthropogenic and biogenic processes explored at various timescales. • Observations reveal relative magnitude of anthropogenic emissions. • CO 2 fluxes related to surface controls, strongly dependent on land cover. - Direct measurements of CO 2 fluxes reveal the impact of urbanisation and human behavioural patterns on the atmosphere at sub-daily to inter-annual time scales

Effects of urban density on carbon dioxide exchanges: Observations of dense urban, suburban and woodland areas of southern England.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, H C; Kotthaus, S; Grimmond, C S B; Bjorkegren, A; Wilkinson, M; Morrison, W T J; Evans, J G; Morison, J I L; Iamarino, M

2015-03-01

Anthropogenic and biogenic controls on the surface-atmosphere exchange of CO2 are explored for three different environments. Similarities are seen between suburban and woodland sites during summer, when photosynthesis and respiration determine the diurnal pattern of the CO2 flux. In winter, emissions from human activities dominate urban and suburban fluxes; building emissions increase during cold weather, while traffic is a major component of CO2 emissions all year round. Observed CO2 fluxes reflect diurnal traffic patterns (busy throughout the day (urban); rush-hour peaks (suburban)) and vary between working days and non-working days, except at the woodland site. Suburban vegetation offsets some anthropogenic emissions, but 24-h CO2 fluxes are usually positive even during summer. Observations are compared to estimated emissions from simple models and inventories. Annual CO2 exchanges are significantly different between sites, demonstrating the impacts of increasing urban density (and decreasing vegetation fraction) on the CO2 flux to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Urban warming in Tokyo area and counterplan to improve future environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saitoh, T.S.; Hoshi, H.

1993-01-01

The rapid progress in industrialization and concentration of economic and social functions in urban areas has stimulated a consistent increase in population and energy consumption. The sudden urbanization in modern cities has caused environmental problems including alternation of the local climate. This is a phenomenon peculiar to the urban areas, and is characterized by a consistent rise in the temperature of the urban atmosphere, an increase in air pollutants, a decrease in relative humidity, and so on. The phenomenon characterized by a noticeable temperature rise in the urban atmosphere has been called the urban heat island and analyzed by both observational and numerical approaches. The numerical model can be classified into two ways: the mechanical model and energy balance model. Since Howard reported on the urban heat island in London, there have been a number of observational studies and numerical studies based on the two-dimensional modeling. Recently, three-dimensional studies have been reported simultaneously with great the advancement of the supercomputer. The present paper reports the results of the field observation by automobiles in the Tokyo metropolitan area and also the results of the three-dimensional simulation for urban warming in Tokyo at present and in the future around 2030. Further, the authors also present the results of a simulation for the effect of tree planting and vegetation

Emission Inventory Development and Application Based On an Atmospheric Emission Source Priority Control Classification Technology Method, a Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations, China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, X.; Cheng, S.

2017-12-01

This paper presents the first attempt to investigate the emission source control of the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations (MRYRUA), one of the national urban agglomerations in China. An emission inventory of the MRYRUA was the first time to be developed as inputs to the CAMx model based on county-level activity data obtained by full-coverage investigation and source-based spatial surrogates. The emission inventory was proved to be acceptable owing to the atmospheric modeling verification. A classification technology method for atmospheric pollution source priority control was the first time to be introduced and applied in the MRYRUA for the evaluation of the emission sources control on the region-scale and city-scale. MICAPS (Meteorological Information comprehensive Analysis and Processing System) was applied for the regional meteorological condition and sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrated that the emission sources in the Hefei-center Urban Agglomerations contributed biggest on the mean PM2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA and should be taken the priority to control. The emission sources in the Ma'anshan city, Xiangtan city, Hefei city and Wuhan city were the bigger contributors on the mean PM2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA among the cities and should be taken the priority to control. In addition, the cities along the Yangtze River and the tributary should be given the special attention for the regional air quality target attainments. This study provide a valuable preference for policy makers to develop effective air pollution control strategies.

Radiative response of biomass-burning aerosols over an urban atmosphere in northern peninsular Southeast Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pani, Shantanu Kumar; Lin, Neng-Huei; Chantara, Somporn; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Khamkaew, Chanakarn; Prapamontol, Tippawan; Janjai, Serm

2018-08-15

A large concentration of finer particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), the primary air-quality concern in northern peninsular Southeast Asia (PSEA), is believed to be closely related to large amounts of biomass burning (BB) particularly in the dry season. In order to quantitatively estimate the contributions of BB to aerosol radiative effects, we thoroughly investigated the physical, chemical, and optical properties of BB aerosols through the integration of ground-based measurements, satellite retrievals, and modelling tools during the Seven South East Asian Studies/Biomass-burning Aerosols & Stratocumulus Environment: Lifecycles & Interactions Experiment (7-SEAS/BASELInE) campaign in 2014. Clusters were made on the basis of measured BB tracers (Levoglucosan, nss-K + , and NO 3 - ) to classify the degree of influence from BB over an urban atmosphere, viz., Chiang Mai (18.795°N, 98.957°E, 354m.s.l.), Thailand in northern PSEA. Cluster-wise contributions of BB to PM 2.5 , organic carbon, and elemental carbon were found to be 54-79%, 42-79%, and 39-77%, respectively. Moreover, the cluster-wise aerosol optical index (aerosol optical depth at 500nm≈0.98-2.45), absorption (single scattering albedo ≈0.87-0.85; absorption aerosol optical depth ≈0.15-0.38 at 440nm; absorption Ångström exponent ≈1.43-1.57), and radiative impacts (atmospheric heating rate ≈1.4-3.6Kd -1 ) displayed consistency with the degree of BB. PM 2.5 during Extreme BB (EBB) was ≈4 times higher than during Low BB (LBB), whereas this factor was ≈2.5 for the magnitude of radiative effects. Severe haze (visibility≈4km) due to substantial BB loadings (BB to PM 2.5 ≈79%) with favorable meteorology can significantly impact the local-to-regional air quality and the, daily life of local inhabitants as well as become a respiratory health threat. Additionally, such enhancements in atmospheric heating could potentially influence the regional hydrological cycle and crop productivity over Chiang Mai in

Quantification of trace elements and speciation of iron in atmospheric particulate matter

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Nabin

Trace metal species play important roles in atmospheric redox processes and in the generation of oxidants in cloud systems. The chemical impact of these elements on atmospheric and cloud chemistry is dependent on their occurrence, solubility and speciation. First, analytical protocols have been developed to determine trace elements in particulate matter samples collected for carbonaceous analysis. The validated novel protocols were applied to the determination of trace elements in particulate samples collected in the remote marine atmosphere and urban areas in Arizona to study air pollution issues. The second part of this work investigates on solubility and speciation in environmental samples. A detailed study on the impact of the nature and strength of buffer solutions on solubility and speciation of iron lead to a robust protocol, allowing for comparative measurements in matrices representative of cloud water conditions. Application of this protocol to samples from different environments showed low iron solubility (less than 1%) in dust-impacted events and higher solubility (5%) in anthropogenically impacted urban samples. In most cases, Fe(II) was the dominant oxidation state in the soluble fraction of iron. The analytical protocol was then applied to investigate iron processing by fogs. Field observations showed that only a small fraction (1%) of iron was scavenged by fog droplets for which each of the soluble and insoluble fraction were similar. A coarse time resolution limited detailed insights into redox cycling within fog system. Overall results suggested that the major iron species in the droplets was Fe(1I) (80% of soluble iron). Finally, the occurrence and sources of emerging organic pollutants in the urban atmosphere were investigated. Synthetic musk species are ubiquitous in the urban environment (less than 5 ng m-3) and investigations at wastewater treatment plants showed that wastewater aeration basins emit a substantial amount of these species to

Atmospheric deposition of selected chemicals and their effect on nonpoint-source pollution in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, R.G.

1984-01-01

Atmospheric deposition and subsequent runoff concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved nitrite-plus-nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, total sulfate (only for atmospheric deposition), total chloride, and total lead were studied from April 1 to October 31, 1980, in one rural and three urban watersheds in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota. Seasonal patterns of wetfall and dryfall generally were similar for all constituents except chloride in both rural and urban watersheds. Similarity between constituents and between rural and urban watersheds suggested that regional air masses transported from the Gulf of Mexico by frontal storm movements influence seasonal patterns of atmospheric deposition in the metropolitan area. Local influences such as industrial, agricultural, and vehicular air pollutants were found to influence the magnitude or rate of atmospheric deposition rather than the seasonal pattern. Chloride was primarily influenced by northwest frontal storms laden with coastal chloride. Local influences such as dust from road deicing salt dust are thought to have caused an increase in atmospheric chloride during June.

Urban meteorological modelling for nuclear emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baklanov, Alexander; Sorensen, Jens Havskov; Hoe, Steen Cordt; Amstrup, Bjarne

2006-01-01

The main objectives of the current EU project 'Integrated Systems for Forecasting Urban Meteorology, Air Pollution and Population Exposure' (FUMAPEX) are the improvement of meteorological forecasts for urban areas, the connection of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to urban air pollution and population dose models, the building of improved urban air quality information and forecasting systems, and their application in cities in various European climates. In addition to the forecast of the worst air-pollution episodes in large cities, the potential use of improved weather forecasts for nuclear emergency management in urban areas, in case of hazardous releases from nuclear accidents or terror acts, is considered. Such use of NWP data is tested for the Copenhagen metropolitan area and the Oresund region. The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) is running an experimental version of the HIRLAM NWP model over Zealand including the Copenhagen metropolitan area with a horizontal resolution of 1.4 km, thus approaching the city-scale. This involves 1-km resolution physiographic data with implications for the urban surface parameters, e.g. surface fluxes, roughness length and albedo. For the city of Copenhagen, the enhanced high-resolution NWP forecasting will be provided to demonstrate the improved dispersion forecasting capabilities of the Danish nuclear emergency preparedness decision-support system, the Accident Reporting and Guidance Operational System (ARGOS), used by the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA). Recently, ARGOS has been extended with a capability of real-time calculation of regional-scale atmospheric dispersion of radioactive material from accidental releases. This is effectuated through on-line interfacing with the Danish Emergency Response Model of the Atmosphere (DERMA), which is run at DMI. For local-scale modelling of atmospheric dispersion, ARGOS utilises the Local-Scale Model Chain (LSMC), which makes use of high-resolution DMI

Impacts of heterogeneous reactions to atmospheric peroxides: Observations and budget analysis study

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Mengru; Chen, Zhongming; Shen, Hengqing; Li, Huan; Wu, Huihui; Wang, Yin

2018-06-01

Atmospheric peroxides play important roles in atmospheric chemistry, acting as reactive oxidants and reservoirs of HOX and ROX radicals. Field measurements of atmospheric peroxides were conducted over urban Beijing from 2015 to 2016, including dust storm days, haze days and different seasons. We employed a box model based on RACM2 mechanism to conduct concentration simulation and budget analysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxyacetic acid (PAA). In this study, heterogeneous reaction is found to be a significant sink for atmospheric H2O2 and PAA in urban Beijing. Here, we recommend a suitable uptake coefficient formula considering the water effect for model research of peroxides. It is found that H2O2 and PAA unexpectedly maintained considerable concentrations on haze days, even higher than that on non-haze days. This phenomenon is mainly ascribed to relatively high levels of volatile organic compounds and ozone on haze days. In addition, high levels of water vapor in pollution episode can promote not only the heterogeneous uptake to aerosol phase but also the production of H2O2. Atmospheric PAA formation is suggested to be sensitive to alkenes and NOX in urban Beijing. In particular, with the help of peroxides, sulfate formation rate from heterogeneous uptake could increase by ∼4 times on haze days, indicating the potential effect of peroxides on enhancement of aerosol oxidative property and secondary sulfate formation.

The electronic neighbourhood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rüdiger, Bjarne; Tournay, Bruno

2004-01-01

This paper presents the results of a 3-year research project. The Electronic Neighbourhood (2000-2004). Researchers have developed and tested a digital model of the urban area and other digital tools for supporting the dialogue and cooperation between professionals and citizens in an urban...

Sub-kilometer Numerical Weather Prediction in complex urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Leroyer, S.; Bélair, S.; Husain, S.; Vionnet, V.

2013-12-01

A Sub-kilometer atmospheric modeling system with grid-spacings of 2.5 km, 1 km and 250 m and including urban processes is currently being developed at the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) in order to provide more accurate weather forecasts at the city scale. Atmospheric lateral boundary conditions are provided with the 15-km Canadian Regional Deterministic Prediction System (RDPS). Surface physical processes are represented with the Town Energy Balance (TEB) model for the built-up covers and with the Interactions between the Surface, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) land surface model for the natural covers. In this study, several research experiments over large metropolitan areas and using observational networks at the urban scale are presented, with a special emphasis on the representation of local atmospheric circulations and their impact on extreme weather forecasting. First, numerical simulations are performed over the Vancouver metropolitan area during a summertime Intense Observing Period (IOP of 14-15 August 2008) of the Environmental Prediction in Canadian Cities (EPiCC) observational network. The influence of the horizontal resolution on the fine-scale representation of the sea-breeze development over the city is highlighted (Leroyer et al., 2013). Then severe storms cases occurring in summertime within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are simulated. In view of supporting the 2015 PanAmerican and Para-Pan games to be hold in GTA, a dense observational network has been recently deployed over this region to support model evaluations at the urban and meso scales. In particular, simulations are conducted for the case of 8 July 2013 when exceptional rainfalls were recorded. Leroyer, S., S. Bélair, J. Mailhot, S.Z. Husain, 2013: Sub-kilometer Numerical Weather Prediction in an Urban Coastal Area: A case study over the Vancouver Metropolitan Area, submitted to Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

Atmospheric bulk deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Shanghai: Temporal and spatial variation, and global comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Daolun; Liu, Ying; Gao, Yi; Zhou, Jinxing; Zheng, Lirong; Qiao, Gang; Ma, Liming; Lin, Zhifen; Grathwohl, Peter

2017-11-01

Atmospheric deposition leads to accumulation of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on urban surfaces and topsoils. To capture the inherent variability of atmospheric deposition of PAHs in Shanghai's urban agglomeration, 85 atmospheric bulk deposition samples and 7 surface soil samples were collected from seven sampling locations during 2012-2014. Total fluxes of 17 PAHs were 587-32,300 ng m -2 day -1 , with a geometric mean of 2600 ng m -2 day -1 . The deposition fluxes were categorized as moderate to high on a global scale. Phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene were major contributors. The spatial distribution of deposition fluxes revealed the influence of urbanization/industrialization and the relevance of local emissions. Meteorological conditions and more heating demand in cold season lead to a significant increase of deposition rates. Atmospheric deposition is the principal pathway of PAHs input to topsoils and the annual deposition load in Shanghai amounts to ∼4.5 tons (0.7 kg km -2 ) with a range of 2.5-10 tons (0.4-1.6 kg km -2 ). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaporating brine from frost flowers with electron microscopy and implications for atmospheric chemistry and sea-salt aerosol formation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Yang, X.; Neděla, Vilém; Runštuk, Jiří; Ondrušková, G.; Krausko, J.; Vetráková, L'.; Heger, D.

2017-01-01

Roč. 17, č. 10 (2017), s. 6291-6303 ISSN 1680-7316 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-22777S Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : experimental-computational approach * aqueous-solutions * boundary-layer * blowing snow * spectroscopic properties * low-temperatures Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering OBOR OECD: Meteorology and atmospheric sciences Impact factor: 5.318, year: 2016

Physical model of the dispersion of a radioactive contaminant in the atmosphere above a heat island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toly, J.A.; Tenchine, D.

1984-01-01

The project deals with the impact of surface heating in urban areas on the dispersion of contaminants in the atmosphere. - The atmospheric boundary layer is simulated in a water flume. Ground heating is applied locally reproducing the heat flux of an urban region. Fission products for which internal heat source is neglected are simulated by horizontal plumes at pHs different from the original pH of the flume. - The main results of the study concern: the characterization of the internal boundary layer downstream of the leading edge of the heated ground; the comparison of the concentration distributions of pollutants with and without surface heating. - A transposition of the results, expressed in terms of global parameters, enables information on the heat island effect due to urban regions on the dispersion of contaminants in the atmosphere to be obtained

Atmospheric dispersion of pollutants in an industrial area of Cuba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz Monte de Oca, Feliberto de la; Furet Bridon, Norma Raisa; Turtos Carbonell, Leonor; Lorente Vera, Mercedes

2011-01-01

Air pollution by different chemicals; take a great connotation in the world, given the adverse effects on ecosystems and particularly human health. The urban development, the modification of the land surface and the climate change, phenomena derived from a world population explosion, are altering the composition of the air. The atmosphere deposits pollutants in the water courses and in land, which harms not only the persons, but also to the animals and the plants of the ecosystem. To know as these pollutants are dispersed in the atmosphere it is very important in the establishment of better urban, regional and world predictions of the air quality. The present study aims to assess the local spread of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from an industrial zone. The study was done using the pollutant Gaussian Dispersion Models AERMOD. For the evaluation of contaminants were considered two modeling scenarios: urban and rural. The SO 2 concentrations (μg/m 3 ) were obtained for 1 h, 24 h and all period (1 year), exceeding the permissible limits (500, 50 y 20 μg/m 3 ). It was also recorded for each period the number of times SO 2 concentrations exceeded the reference values in each of the scenarios discussed (urban: 39, 61 y 39; rural: 99, 75 y 25). At the end of modeling in the urban setting, 39 recipients exceeded the reference value, occupying an area of 9.75 km 2 and 25 receivers in the case of the rural setting, for an area of 6.25 km 2 . For NOx and particulate matter concentrations estimated values were always below the reference values. The obtained results in this case show the potentiality of AERMOD system for the evaluation of atmospheric dispersion of pollutants

Atmospheric levels of BTEX compounds during the 2008 Olympic Games in the urban area of Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junfeng; Mu, Yujing; Zhang, Yujie; Zhang, Zhimin; Wang, Xiaoke; Liu, Yanju; Sun, Zhenquan

2009-12-15

The hourly concentrations of BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and o-Xylene) in the urban area of Beijing were measured during July-October 2008, covering the periods of the 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The atmospheric BTEX were pre-concentrated on Tenax-TA tubes, and analyzed by GC-PID (Gas Chromatography with Photo Ionization Detector) after thermal desorption. During the games, the mean daytime concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene were 2.37, 3.97, 1.92, 3.51 and 1.90 microg/m3, respectively, and were 52.8%, 63.9%, 56.4%, 56.8% and 46.9%, respectively lower than those after the games. The significantly positive correlation between BTEX and CO as well as the ratio of benzene/toluene suggested that the vehicle exhaust was the major source of BTEX during the whole investigated period. The extremely high ratios of ethylbenzene to m,p-xylene (E/X) were mainly observed at noontime in haze days, indicating that photochemical reactions were highly active under these typical days.

Scattering Matrix for Typical Urban Anthropogenic Origin Cement Dust and Discrimination of Representative Atmospheric Particulates

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jia; Zhang, Yongming; Zhang, Qixing; Wang, Jinjun

2018-03-01

The complete scattering matrix for cement dust was measured as a function of scattering angle from 5° to 160° at a wavelength of 532 nm, as a representative of mineral dust of anthropogenic origin in urban areas. Other related characteristics of cement dust, such as particle size distribution, chemical composition, refractive index, and micromorphology, were also analyzed. For this objective, a newly improved apparatus was built and calibrated using water droplets. Measurements of water droplets were in good agreement with Lorenz-Mie calculations. To facilitate the direct applicability of measurements for cement dust in radiative transfer calculation, the synthetic scattering matrix was computed and defined over the full scattering angle range from 0° to 180°. The scattering matrices for cement dust and typical natural mineral dusts were found to be similar in trends and angular behaviors. Angular distributions of all matrix elements were confined to rather limited domains. To promote the application of light-scattering matrix in atmospheric observation and remote sensing, discrimination methods for various atmospheric particulates (cement dust, soot, smolder smoke, and water droplets) based on the angular distributions of their scattering matrix elements are discussed. The ratio -F12/F11 proved to be the most effective discrimination method when a single matrix element is employed; aerosol identification can be achieved based on -F12/F11 values at 90° and 160°. Meanwhile, the combinations of -F12/F11 with F22/F11 (or (F11 - F22)/(F11 + F22)) or -F12/F11 with F44/F11 at 160° can be used when multiple matrix elements at the same scattering angle are selected.

Human-Induced Climate Variations Linked to Urbanization: From Observations to Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, J. Marshall; Jin, Menglin

2004-01-01

The goal of this session is to bring together scientists from interdisciplinary backgrounds to discuss the data, scientific approaches and recent results focusing on the impact of urbanization on the climate. The discussion will highlight current observational and modeling capabilities being employed for investigating the urban environment and its linkage to the change in the Earth's climate system. The goal of the session is to identify our current stand and the future direction on the topic. Urbanization is one of the extreme cases of land use change. Most of population of the world has moved to urban areas. By 1995, more than 70% of population of North America and Europe were living in cities. By 2025, the United Nations estimates that 60% of the worlds population will live in cities. Although currently only 1.2% of the land is urban, better understanding of how the atmosphere-ocean-land-biosphere components interact as a coupled system and the influence of human activities on this system is critical. Our understanding of urbanization effect is incomplete, partly because human activities induce new changes on climate in addition to the original natural variations, and partly because previously few data available for study urban effect globally. Urban construction changes surface roughness, albedo, heat capacity and vegetation coverage. Traffic and industry increase atmospheric aerosol. It is suggested that urbanization may modify rainfall processes through aerosol-cloud interactions or dynamic feedbacks. Because urbanization effect on climate is determined by many factors including land cover, the city's microscale features, population density, and human lifestyle patterns, it is necessary to study urban areas over globe.

Variations in vanadium, nickel and lanthanoid element concentrations in urban air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, Teresa; Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andres; Rosa, Jesus de la; Sanchez de la Campa, Ana Maria; Minguillon, MariCruz; Pandolfi, Marco; Gonzalez-Castanedo, Yolanda; Monfort, Eliseo; Gibbons, Wes

2010-01-01

The emission of trace metal pollutants by industry and transport takes place on a scale large enough to alter atmospheric chemistry and results in measurable differences between the urban background of inhalable particulate matter (PM) in different towns. This is particularly well demonstrated by the technogenic release into the atmosphere of V, Ni, and lanthanoid elements. We compare PM concentrations of these metals in large datasets from five industrial towns in Spain variously influenced by emissions from refinery, power station, shipping, stainless steel, ceramic tiles and brick-making. Increased La/Ce values in urban background inhalable PM, due to La-contamination from refineries and their residual products (fuel oils and petcoke), contrast with Ce-rich emissions from the ceramic related industry, and clearly demonstrate the value of this ratio as a sensitive and reliable tracer for many point source emissions. Similarly, anomalously high V/Ni values (> 4) can detect the influence of nearby high-V petcoke and fuel oil combustion, although the use of this ratio in urban background PM is limited by overlapping values in natural and anthropogenic materials. Geochemical characterisation of urban background PM is a valuable compliment to the physical monitoring of aerosols widely employed in urban areas, especially given the relevance of trace metal inhalation to urban health issues.

On a spatial distribution function of electron-photon shower particles for different values of Esub(0)/#betta# in isothermal atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanenko, I.P.; Osipova, L.N.; Roganova, T.M.; Fedorova, G.F.

1982-01-01

Results of calculations of scape distribution function (SDF) of electron-photon shower particles for different values of a parameter E 0 /#betta# in isothermal atmosphere are given. Consideration of finiteness of the parameter E 0 /#betta# leads to narrowing of SDF two times at E 0 /#betta# approximately 10-100 as compared with the Nishimura, Kamata, Greisen SDF (E 0 /#betta# = infinity). Atmosphere inhomogeneity results in SDF broadening in comparison with SDFsub(hom) (E 0 /#betta#) calculated for homogeneous atmosphere. SDFsub(inhom) (E 0 /#betta#) and SDFsub(hom) (E 0 /#betta#) depend on E 0 /#betta# differently which is attributed to different contributions of shower prehistory to SDF formation. The larger is E 0 /#betta# the wider is cascade curve and the higher is the effect of shower prehistory

Nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide flux in urban forests and grasslands

Science.gov (United States)

Peter M. Groffman; Candiss O. Williams; Richard V. Pouyat; Lawrence E. Band; Ian D. Yesilonis

2009-01-01

Urban landscapes contain a mix of land-use types with different patterns of nitrogen (N) cycling and export. We measured nitrate (NO3-) leaching and soil:atmosphere nitrous oxide (N2O) flux in four urban grassland and eight forested long-term study plots in the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area....

Microorganisms and heavy metals associated with atmospheric deposition in a congested urban environment of a developing country: Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Weerasundara, Lakshika; Amarasekara, R W K; Magana-Arachchi, D N; Ziyath, Abdul M; Karunaratne, D G G P; Goonetilleke, Ashantha; Vithanage, Meththika

2017-04-15

The presence of bacteria and heavy metals in atmospheric deposition were investigated in Kandy, Sri Lanka, which is a typical city in the developing world with significant traffic congestion. Atmospheric deposition samples were analyzed for Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb which are heavy metals common to urban environments. Al and Fe were found in high concentrations due to the presence of natural sources, but may also be re-suspended by vehicular traffic. Relatively high concentrations of toxic metals such as Cr and Pb in dissolved form were also found. High Zn loads can be attributed to vehicular emissions and the wide use of Zn coated roofing materials. The metal loads in wet deposition showed higher concentrations compared to dry deposition. The metal concentrations among the different sampling sites significantly differ from each other depending on the traffic conditions. Industrial activities are not significant in Kandy City. Consequently, the traffic exerts high influence on heavy metal loadings. As part of the bacterial investigations, nine species of culturable bacteria, namely; Sphingomonas sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas monteilii, Klebsiella pneumonia, Ochrobactrum intermedium, Leclercia adecarboxylata, Exiguobacterium sp., Bacillus pumilus and Kocuria kristinae, which are opportunistic pathogens, were identified. This is the first time Pseudomonas monteilii and Ochrobactrum intermedium has been reported from a country in Asia. The culturable fraction constituted ~0.01 to 10%. Pigmented bacteria and endospore forming bacteria were copious in the atmospheric depositions due to their capability to withstand harsh environmental conditions. The presence of pathogenic bacteria and heavy metals creates potential human and ecosystem health risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of Santiago de Chile urban atmospheric pollution on anthropogenic trace elements enrichment in snow precipitation at Cerro Colorado, Central Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Cereceda-Balic, F.; Palomo-Marín, M. R.; Bernalte, E.; Vidal, V.; Christie, J.; Fadic, X.; Guevara, J. L.; Miro, C.; Pinilla Gil, E.

2012-02-01

Seasonal snow precipitation in the Andes mountain range is evaluated as an environmental indicator of the composition of atmospheric emissions in Santiago de Chile metropolitan area, by measuring a set of representative trace elements in snow samples by ICP-MS. Three late winter sampling campaigns (2003, 2008 and 2009) were conducted in three sampling areas around Cerro Colorado, a Central Andes mountain range sector NE of Santiago (36 km). Nevados de Chillán, a sector in The Andes located about 500 km south from the metropolitan area, was selected as a reference area. The experimental results at Cerro Colorado and Nevados de Chillán were compared with previously published data of fresh snow from remote and urban background sites. High snow concentrations of a range of anthropogenic marker elements were found at Cerro Colorado, probably derived from Santiago urban aerosol transport and deposition combined with the effect of mining and smelting activities in the area, whereas Nevados de Chillán levels roughly correspond to urban background areas. Enhanced concentrations in surface snow respect to deeper samples are discussed. Significant differences found between the 2003, 2008 and 2009 anthropogenic source markers profiles at Cerro Colorado sampling points were correlated with changes in emission sources at the city. The preliminary results obtained in this study, the first of this kind in the southern hemisphere, show promising use of snow precipitation in the Central Andes as a suitable matrix for receptor model studies aimed at identifying and quantifying pollution sources in Santiago de Chile.

Joint Urban 2003: Study Overview And Instrument Locations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2006-08-16

Quality-assured meteorological and tracer data sets are vital for establishing confidence that indoor and outdoor dispersion models used to simulate dispersal of potential toxic agents in urban atmospheres are giving trustworthy results. The U.S. Department of Defense-Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security joined together to conduct the Joint Urban 2003 atmospheric dispersion study to provide this critically-needed high-resolution dispersion data. This major urban study was conducted from June 28 through July 31, 2003, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with the participation of over 150 scientists and engineers from over 20 U.S. and foreign institutions. The Joint Urban 2003 lead scientist was Jerry Allwine (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) who oversaw study design, logistical arrangements and field operations with the help of Joe Shinn (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Marty Leach (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Ray Hosker (Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division), Leo Stockham (Northrop Grumman Information Technology) and Jim Bowers (Dugway Proving Grounds). This report gives a brief overview of the field campaign, describing the scientific objectives, the dates of the intensive observation periods, and the instruments deployed. The data from this field study is available to the scientific community through an on-line database that is managed by Dugway Proving Ground. This report will be included in the database to provide its users with some general information about the field study, and specific information about the instrument coordinates. Appendix A of this document provides the definitive record of the instrument locations during this field campaign, and Appendix B lists all the study principal investigators and participants.

Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations, accumulation rates in soil from atmospheric deposition and analysis of their affecting landscape variables along an urban-rural gradient in Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Shubo; Cui, Qu; Matherne, Brian; Hou, Aixin

2017-11-01

This study initiated an in-situ soil experimental system to quantify the annual dynamics of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener's concentrations and accumulation rates in soil from atmosphere deposition in a rural-urban fringe, and correlated them by landscape physical and demographic variables in the area. The results showed that the concentrations of all PCB congeners significantly increased with the sampling time (p urban center. The moderate average concentrations along the gradient for PCB 8, 18, and 28 were 31.003, 18.825, and 19.505 ng g-1, respectively. Tetra-CBs including PCB 44, 52, 66, and 77 were 10.243, 31.214, 8.330 and 9.530 ng g-1, respectively. Penta-CBs including PCB 101, 105, 118, and 126 were 9.465, 7.896, 17.703, and 6.363 ng g-1, respectively. Hexa-CBs including PCB 128, 138, 153, 170, 180, and 187 were 6.798, 11.522, 4.969, 6.722, 6.317, and 8.243 ng g-1 respectively. PCB 195, 206, and 209 were 8.259, 9.506, and 14.169 ng g-1, respectively. Most of the PCB congeners had a higher accumulation rate approximately 28 km from the urban center. The computed variables were found to affect the soil PCB concentrations with a threshold effect (p urban sprawling (i.e. built-up areas expanding) were the sources of PCBs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Causes of daily cycle variability of atmospheric pollutants in a western Mediterranean urban site (DAURE campaign)

Science.gov (United States)

Reche, Cristina; Moreno, Teresa; Viana, Mar; Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pandolfi, Marco; Amato, Fulvio; Pérez, Noemí; Moreno, Natalia

2010-05-01

The 2009 DAURE Aerosol Campaign (23-February-2009 to 27-March-2009 and 1-July to 31-July) (see Presentation: Pandolfi et al., section AS3.2) had the objective of characterising the main sources and chemical processes controlling atmospheric pollution due to particulate matter in the Mediterranean site of Barcelona (Spain). An urban and a rural background site were selected in order to describe both kinds of pollution setting. Several parameters were taken into consideration, including the variability of mass concentration in the coarse and fine fractions, particle number, amount of black carbon and the concentration of gaseous pollutants (SO2, H2S, NO, NO2, CO, O3) present. Comparisons between the chemical composition of ambient atmospheric particles during day versus night were made using twelve-hour PM samples. The data shown here are focused on results obtained for the urban site where two main atmospheric settings were distinguishable in winter, namely Atlantic advection versus local air mass recirculation. During the warmer months Saharan dust intrusions added a third important influence on PM background. The data demonstrate that superimposed upon these background influences on city air quality are important local contributions from road traffic, construction-demolition works and shipping. There is also a major local contribution of secondary aerosols, with elevated number of particles occurring at midday (and especially in summer) when nucleation processes are favoured by photochemistry. Concentrations of SO2 peak at different times to the other gaseous pollutants due to regular daytime onshore south-easterly breezes bringing harbour emissions into the city. Road traffic in Barcelona also has a great impact on air quality, as demonstrated by daily and weekly cycles of gaseous pollutants, black carbon and the finer fraction of PM, with peaks being coincident with traffic rush-hours (8-10h and 20-22h), levels of pollution increasing from Monday to Friday, and

Urban Planning Problems of Agglomerations

Science.gov (United States)

Olenkov, V. D.; Tazeev, N. T.

2017-11-01

The article explores the state of the air basin of the Chelyabinsk agglomeration and gives the examples of solutions for the pollution problems from the point of view of city planning. The main features and structure of the modern urban agglomerations are considered, the methods for determining their boundaries are studied and the main problems are identified. The study of the boundaries and territorial structure of the Chelyabinsk urban agglomeration is conducted, and a general description of the territory is given. The data on the change in the volume of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere and the index of atmospheric pollution for the period 2003-2015 are given basing on the annual comprehensive reports regarding the state of the environment. The review of the world experience of city-planning actions on the decision of ecological problems is carried out. The most suitable ways for the ecological problems solving in the Chelyabinsk agglomeration are considered. The authors give recommendations for the ecological situation improving in the territory of the Chelyabinsk agglomeration.

Effects of atmospheric neutrons on advanced micro-electronic devices, standards and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leray, J.L.; Baggio, J.; Ferlet-Cavrois, V.; Flament, O.

2005-01-01

Since the 1980's, it is known that terrestrial cosmic rays, mainly reported as atmospheric neutrons, can penetrate the natural shielding of buildings, equipments and circuit package and induce soft errors in integrated circuits and breakdown of power devices. The high-energy neutron fluxes of interest, larger than 10 MeV, range between 10 particles/cm 2 /hour at sea level and 10 4 particles/cm 2 /hour at typical airplanes flight altitude of 30000 feet, with modulation due to solar flares. In the 1990's, the phenomenon has pervaded as a consequence of the road-map of electronic devices especially the down-scaling of transistor dimensions, the increase of signal bandwidth and the increase of the size of DRAM and SRAM memory, stand-alone or embedded on processors and system-on-chips. Failure-in-time and soft error rate became unacceptable. Test standards and design solutions have been proposed to maintain reliability of commercial products and improve those used in special high-reliability equipments such as avionic computers. The paper describes the atmospheric neutron flux, the effects in the main classes of devices and specific cases such as neutron induced single event upset observed in CMOS vs. CMOS/SOI and some mitigation issues. In this paper, a model called CCPM (critical cross-point model) is proposed to provide critical graphs of technology node sensitivity along the scaling trend of CMOS. (authors)

Micro-meteorological modelling in urban areas: pollutant dispersion and radiative effects modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milliez, Maya

2006-01-01

Atmospheric pollution and urban climate studies require to take into account the complex processes due to heterogeneity of urban areas and the interaction with the buildings. In order to estimate the impact of buildings on flow and pollutant dispersion, detailed numerical simulations were performed over an idealized urban area, with the three-dimensional model Mercure-Saturne, modelling both concentration means and their fluctuations. To take into account atmospheric radiation in built up areas and the thermal effects of the buildings, we implemented a three-dimensional radiative model adapted to complex geometry. This model, adapted from a scheme used for thermal radiation, solves the radiative transfer equation in a semi-transparent media, using the discrete ordinate method. The new scheme was validated with idealized cases and compared to a complete case. (author) [fr

Temperature, ozone, and mortality in urban and non-urban counties in the northeastern United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Madrigano, Jaime; Jack, Darby; Anderson, G Brooke; Bell, Michelle L; Kinney, Patrick L

2015-01-07

Most health effects studies of ozone and temperature have been performed in urban areas, due to the available monitoring data. We used observed and interpolated data to examine temperature, ozone, and mortality in 91 urban and non-urban counties. Ozone measurements were extracted from the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality System. Meteorological data were supplied by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Observed data were spatially interpolated to county centroids. Daily internal-cause mortality counts were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics (1988-1999). A two-stage Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate each county's increase in mortality risk from temperature and ozone. We examined county-level associations according to population density and compared urban (≥1,000 persons/mile(2)) to non-urban (PI: 0.08, 0.83) in urban counties, while this same increase in ozone was associated with a 0.73% increase (95% PI: 0.19, 1.26) in non-urban counties. An increase in temperature from 70°F to 90°F (21.2°C 32.2°C) was associated with a 8.88% increase in mortality (95% PI: 7.38, 10.41) in urban counties and a 8.08% increase (95% PI: 6.16, 10.05) in non-urban counties. County characteristics, such as population density, percentage of families living in poverty, and percentage of elderly residents, partially explained the variation in county-level associations. While most prior studies of ozone and temperature have been performed in urban areas, the impacts in non-urban areas are significant, and, for ozone, potentially greater. The health risks of increasing temperature and air pollution brought on by climate change are not limited to urban areas.

Sub-picosecond timing fluctuation suppression in laser-based atmospheric transfer of microwave signal using electronic phase compensation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shijun; Sun, Fuyu; Bai, Qingsong; Chen, Dawei; Chen, Qiang; Hou, Dong

2017-10-01

We demonstrated a timing fluctuation suppression in outdoor laser-based atmospheric radio-frequency transfer over a 110 m one-way free-space link using an electronic phase compensation technique. Timing fluctuations and Allan Deviation are both measured to characterize the instability of transferred frequency incurred during the transfer process. With transferring a 1 GHz microwave signal over a timing fluctuation suppressed transmission link, the total root-mean-square (rms) timing fluctuation was measured to be 920 femtoseconds in 5000 s, with fractional frequency instability on the order of 1 × 10-12 at 1 s, and order of 2 × 10-16 at 1000 s. This atmospheric frequency transfer scheme with the timing fluctuation suppression technique can be used to fast build an atomic clock-based frequency free-space transmission link since its stability is superior to a commercial Cs and Rb clock.

AVIRIS data and neural networks applied to an urban ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Ridd, Merrill K.; Ritter, Niles D.; Bryant, Nevin A.; Green, Robert O.

1992-01-01

Urbanization is expanding on every continent. Although urban/industrial areas occupy a small percentage of the total landscape of the earth, their influence extends far beyond their borders, affecting terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems globally. Yet little has been done to characterize urban ecosystems of their linkages to other systems horizontally or vertically. With remote sensing we now have the tools to characterize, monitor, and model urban landscapes world-wide. However, the remote sensing performed on cities so far has concentrated on land-use patterns as distinct from land-cover or composition. The popular Anderson system is entirely land-use oriented in urban areas. This paper begins with the premise that characterizing the biophysical composition of urban environments is fundamental to understanding urban/industrial ecosystems, and, in turn, supports the modeling of other systems interfacing with urban systems. Further, it is contended that remote sensing is a tool poised to provide the biophysical composition data to characterize urban landscapes.

Can Aerosol Offset Urban Heat Island Effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, M. S.; Shepherd, J. M.

2009-12-01

The Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) refers to urban skin or air temperature exceeding the temperatures in surrounding non-urban regions. In a warming climate, the UHI may intensify extreme heat waves and consequently cause significant health and energy problems. Aerosols reduce surface insolation via the direct effect, namely, scattering and absorbing sunlight in the atmosphere. Combining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) observations over large cities together with Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations, we find that the aerosol direct reduction of surface insolation range from 40-100 Wm-2, depending on seasonality and aerosol loads. As a result, surface skin temperature can be reduced by 1-2C while 2-m surface air temperature by 0.5-1C. This study suggests that the aerosol direct effect is a competing mechanism for the urban heat island effect (UHI). More importantly, both aerosol and urban land cover effects must be adequately represented in meteorological and climate modeling systems in order to properly characterize urban surface energy budgets and UHI.

An identical-location transmission electron microscopy study on the degradation of Pt/C nanoparticles under oxidizing, reducing and neutral atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubau, L.; Castanheira, L.; Berthomé, G.; Maillard, F.

2013-01-01

This study shows that the predominant degradation mechanism of Pt/Vulcan XC72 electrocatalysts strongly depends on the nature of the gas atmosphere and of the upper potential limit used in accelerated stress tests (ASTs). The morphological changes of Pt/Vulcan XC72 nanoparticles were studied by identical location transmission electron microscopy (IL-TEM), following accelerated stress tests in different potential ranges and under various gas atmospheres. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to probe changes in carbon surface chemistry. Whereas minor changes were detected under neutral atmosphere (Ar) and low potential limit conditions (0.05 2 ). With an increase of the upper potential limit to 1.23 V vs. RHE, the trends observed previously were maintained but 3D Ostwald ripening strongly overlapped with the three other degradation mechanisms, precluding any identification of the dominant mechanism

Source, flux and balance of atmospheric deposition of metals at Ile-de-France; Source, flux et bilan des retombees atmospheriques de metaux en Ile de France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azimi, S

2004-07-15

The urban atmosphere is submitted to large inputs of anthropogenic contaminants arising from both stationary (power plants, industries, etc.) and mobile (road traffic) sources. These small particles may be transported over long distances and affect ecosystems. Significant dry and wet atmospheric deposition also occurs locally and contributes to the contamination of urban runoff. The aim of this study is to compare heavy metal and hydrocarbon atmospheric deposition fluxes to other input ways on agricultural and urban areas to assess their importance. Moreover, a source investigation has been done to identify the main origins of these pollutants. Before the quantification of pollutant fluxes, a comparison of several sampling procedures was performed. As a result, the sampling of total atmospheric deposition is not affected by the funnel material (Teflon and polyethylene) or by the sampling duration (7 and 28 days). However, the rinsing step of the funnel walls showed a higher relative importance during short sampling periods. The relative amount contained in these solutions reached 24 to 40 % of the total flux during weekly sampling periods and 8 to 18 % during monthly sampling periods, whatever the element considered. The temporal evolution of atmospheric deposition showed no seasonal influence on flux variations during the 2001-2002 period. Considering an 8-year period behaviour, between 1994 and 2002, a significant decrease of the deposition fluxes of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn occurred at the Creteil site which is placed in an industrialized area of the Paris suburb. The decreasing factor reached 16, 2.5, 4 and 7.5 for these elements respectively. At the Ile-de-France scale, the deposition flux levels on urban and semi-urban areas were of the same order of magnitude (?20 tonnes per year for Ba, Cu, Pb and Sr). Since semi-urban surface area is four times higher than urban ones, the important influence of anthropogenic activities on atmospheric deposition of urban areas is

Induction of strand breaks in DNA films by low energy electrons and soft X-ray under nitrous oxide atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alizadeh, Elahe, E-mail: Elahe.Alizadeh@USherbrooke.ca [Groupe en science des radiations, Departement de medecine nucleaire et radiobiologie, Faculte de medecine et des sciences de la sante, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4 (Canada); Sanche, Leon, E-mail: Leon.Sanche@USherbrooke.ca [Groupe en science des radiations, Departement de medecine nucleaire et radiobiologie, Faculte de medecine et des sciences de la sante, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1H 5N4 (Canada)

2012-01-15

Five-monolayer (5 ML) plasmid DNA films deposited on glass and tantalum substrates were exposed to Al K{sub {alpha}} X-rays of 1.5 keV under gaseous nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) at atmospheric pressure and temperature. Whereas the damage yields for DNA deposited on glass are due to soft X-rays, those arising from DNA on tantalum are due to both the interaction of low energy photoelectrons from the metal and X-rays. Then, the differences in the yields of damage on glass and tantalum substrates, essentially arises from interaction of essentially low-energy electrons (LEEs) with DNA molecules and the surrounding atmosphere. The G-values (i.e., the number of moles of product per Joule of energy absorbed) for DNA strand breaks induced by LEEs (G{sub LEE}) and the lower limit of G-values for soft X-ray photons (G{sub XL}) were calculated and the results compared to those from previous studies under atmospheric conditions and other ambient gases, such as N{sub 2} and O{sub 2}. Under N{sub 2}O, the G-values for loss of supercoiled DNA are 103{+-}15 nmol/J for X-rays, and 737{+-}110 nmol/J for LEEs. Compared to corresponding values in an O{sub 2} atmosphere, the effectiveness of X-rays to damage DNA in N{sub 2}O is less, but the G value for LEEs in N{sub 2}O is more than twice the corresponding value for an oxygenated environment. This result indicates a higher effectiveness for LEEs relative to N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} environments in causing SSB and DSB in an N{sub 2}O environment. Thus, the previously observed radiosensitization of cells by N{sub 2}O may not be only due to OH{sup {center_dot}} radicals but also to the reaction of LEE with N{sub 2}O molecules near DNA. The previous experiments with N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} and the present one demonstrate the possibility to investigate damage induced by LEEs to biomolecules under various types of surrounding atmospheres. - Highlights: > A completely different and new approach is applied to investigate the radiation chemistry of N

Summer atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers in urban and rural areas of northern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chen; Li Wei; Chen Jiwei; Wang Hongqijie; Li Tongchao; Shen Guofeng; Shen Huizhong; Huang Ye; Wang Rong; Wang Bin; Zhang Yanyan; Tang Jianhui; Liu Wenxin; Wang Xilong; Tao Shu

2012-01-01

High levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been extensively reported in urban areas and at e-waste recycling sites in coastal China. However, data are scarce in northern China and are not available in rural areas at all. In addition, it is often believed that air concentrations in rural areas are lower than those in urban areas without distinguishing rural residential areas and open fields. In this study, air samples were collected at 17 sites covering urban and rural (residential and open field) areas in northern China using active samplers. With BDE-209 dominated in all congeners, the average concentrations of BDE-209 (41 ± 72 pg/m 3 ) and other 13 PBDEs (16 ± 12 pg/m 3 ) were significantly lower than those found in south China, such as in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. On average, the total PBDE concentrations at the urban sites were 2.2 and 2.9 times of those at the rural residential and field sites, respectively. - Graphical abstract: Concentration of PBDEs at each site of the studied area. Highlights: ► High levels of PBDEs with BDE-209 domination were detected in air in northern China. ► PBDE concentrations in rural residential areas were significantly higher than those in rural open fields. ► Proportions of BDE-209 in urban areas were higher than those in rural areas. ► PBDE concentrations were correlated to local population density and Gross Domestic Production. - In northern China, PBDEs in air in rural residential areas were significantly higher than those in open fields.

Urban forestry and carbon: what the reporting protocol means to you

Science.gov (United States)

E.G. McPherson

2008-01-01

Urban forests have a role to play in reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere (Abdollahi et al. 2000; Pataki et al. 2006). However, very few tree planting projects have been undertaken because of the uncertainty regarding their performance and permanence. The Urban Forest Project Reporting Protocol was developed to reduce...

Nested High Resolution Modeling of the Impact of Urbanization on Regional Climate in Three Vast Urban Agglomerations in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Feng, Jinming; Yan, Zhongwei; Hu, Yonghong; Jia, Gensuo

2013-04-01

In this paper, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled to the Urban Canopy Model (UCM) is employed to simulate the impact of urbanization on the regional climate over three vast city agglomerations in China. Based on high resolution land use and land cover data, two scenarios are designed to represent the non-urban and current urban land use distributions. By comparing the results of two nested, high resolution numerical experiments, the spatial and temporal changes on surface air temperature, heat stress index, surface energy budget and precipitation due to urbanization are analyzed and quantified. Urban expansion increases the surface air temperature in urban areas by about 1? and this climatic forcing of urbanization on temperature is more pronounced in summer and nighttime than other seasons and daytime. The heat stress intensity, which reflects the combined effects of temperature and humidity, is enhanced by about 0.5 units in urban areas. The regional incoming solar radiation increases after urban expansion, which may be caused by the reduction of cloud fraction. The increased temperature and roughness of the urban surface lead to enhanced convergence. Meanwhile, the planetary boundary layer is deepened and water vapor is mixed more evenly in the lower atmosphere. The deficit of water vapor leads to less convective available potential energy and more convective inhibition energy. Finally, these combined effects may reduce the rainfall amount over urban area mainly in summer and change the regional precipitation pattern to a certain extent.

Urban Scaling in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-16

the structural funds for regional development and cohesion . Until recently, several systems of territorial units have coexisted in European...for European MAs versus population. See text and figures 1–7, electronic supplementary material, figures S1–S8 for additional details and electronic...scale as expected, although with wide confidence intervals (table 1). The urbanized area of Spanish cities appears superlinear, contrary to theory

Lichens and atmospheric pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tallis, J H

1964-09-01

The extreme sensitivity of lichens, particularly the larger ones, to industrialization has been recognized for many years. Most people attribute the absence of lichens from urban areas to the atmospheric pollution prevailing, and a few attribute it to climatic dryness, resulting from efficient drainage systems in towns. The two main components of air pollution are solid matter, or soot, and gaseous sulfur dioxide. The main effects of pollution appear to be: a direct reduction of light intensity by smoke haze, a deposit of soot on the plant surface, an acidification of the soil, and direct damage to plants. A body of evidence indicates that SO/sub 2/ may be the main harmful component for lichens. The distribution of lichens thus might be used to determine the limits within which atmospheric pollution is operating. 5 references.

BUBBLE - an urban boundary layer meteorology project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rotach, M.W.; Vogt, R.; Bernhofer, C.

2005-01-01

ground truth, as well as on urban turbulence and profiling (sodar, RASS, tethered balloon) were performed. Also tracer experiments with near-roof-level release and sampling were performed. In parallel to the experimental activities within BUBBLE, a meso-scale numerical atmospheric model, which contains...

Monitoring of urban heat island over Shenzhen, China using remotely sensed measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weimin; Hong, Liang; Yang, Lijun; He, Lihuan; Dong, Guihua

2016-05-01

In the past three decades, the Shenzhen city, which is located in south of China, has experienced a rapid urbanization process characterized by sharp decrease in farmland and increases in urban area. This rapid urbanization is one of the main causes of many environmental and ecological problems including urban heat island (UHI). Therefore, the monitoring of rapid urbanization regions and the environment is of critical importance for their sustainable development. In this study, Landsat-8 OLI and TIR images, which were acquired on 2013, are used to monitor urban heat island. After radiometric calibration and atmospheric correction with a simplified method for the atmospheric correction (SMAC) are applied to OLI image, an index-based build-up index (IBI), which is based on the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI), is employed to extract the build-up land features with a given thresholds. A single-channel algorithm is used to retrieve land surface temperature while the land surface emissivity is derived from a normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) thresholds method. Surface urban heat island index (SUHII) and urban heat island ratio index (URI) are computed for ten districts of Shenzhen based on build-up land distribution and land surface temperature data. A correlation analysis is conducted between heat island index (including SUHII and URI) and socio-economic statistics (including total population and population density) also are included in this analysis. The results show that, a weak relationship between urban heat island and socio-economic statistics are found.

Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chi; Tian Hanqin; Chen, Guangsheng; Chappelka, Arthur; Xu Xiaofeng; Ren Wei; Hui Dafeng; Liu Mingliang; Lu Chaoqun; Pan, Shufen; Lockaby, Graeme

2012-01-01

Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945–2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69–1.77) Pg (1P = 10 15 ) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945–2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70–100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance. - Highlights: ► A series of spatial and temporal urban/developed land maps were generated. ► Urbanization effects on regional carbon dynamics were studied with a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM). ► Carbon storage of urban/developed land was comparable to that stored in cropland and shrubland in the Southern United States. ► Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. ► Urbanization resulted in carbon emission, but established urban areas may gradually accumulate carbon over time. - Urbanization has resulted in carbon release to the atmosphere, but established urban areas may gradually accumulate carbon over time.

Fluid Mechanics of Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Harindra J.

2008-11-01

The rapid urbanization of the Earth has led to highly populated cities that act as concentrated centers of anthropogenic stressors on the natural environment. The degradation of environmental quality due to such stressors, in turn, greatly impacts human behavior. Anthropogenic stressors largely originate as a result of coupling between man-made urban elements (i.e., networks of engineering and socio-economic infrastructures) and the environment, for which surrounding fluid motions play a key role. In recent years, research efforts have been directed at the understanding and modeling of fluid motions in urban areas, infrastructure dynamics and interactions thereof, with the hope of identifying environmental impacts of urbanization and complex outcomes (or ``emergent properties'') of nominally simple interactions between infrastructures and environment. Such consequences play an important role in determining the ``resilience'' of cities under anthropogenic stressors, defined as maintaining the structure and essential functions of an urbanity without regime shifts. Holistic integrated models that meld the dynamics of infrastructures and environment as well as ``quality of life'' attributes are becoming powerful decision-making tools with regard to sustainability of urban areas (continuance or even enhancement of socio-economic activities in harmony with the environment). The rudimentary forms of integrated models are beginning to take shape, augmented by comprehensive field studies and advanced measurement platforms to validate them. This presentation deals with the challenges of modeling urban atmosphere, subject to anthropogenic forcing. An important emergent property, the Urban Heat Island, and its role in determining resilience and sustainability of cities will be discussed based on the prediction of a coupled model.

Atmospheric pollution and heating plants in urban area. What technical solutions for the coal and the heavy oil? For which costs?; Pollution atmospherique et chaufferies en milieu urbain. Quelles solutions techniques pour le charbon et le fioul lourd?. A quel couts?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

In France, furnaces fed with coal and heavy fuel and established in urban area, are bound by many restraints: a reinforcement of the regulations on atmospheric emissions, a strong social demand bound to the urban air quality improvement and a necessary costs mastership. So buildings managers and persons responsible for district heating are confronted with technical and strategical choices. To answer their questions ADEME organized a day of information around four main themes: the urban heating in France, actions on fuels, possible technics for the smokes desulfurization and nitrogen oxides reduction, costs and financing of the solutions. (A.L.B.)

Use of Electronic Loggers to Measure Changes in the Rates of Hand Washing with Soap in Low-Income Urban Households in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Richard L; Zillmer, Ruediger; Biran, Adam; Hall, Peter; Sidibe, Myriam

2015-01-01

We evaluated the utility of electronic loggers to measure the effects of a simple intervention designed to influence the rates of hand washing with soap within enclosed toilets and bathrooms in low-income urban households in Kerala, India. 58 households were given three items with embedded electronic loggers for a period of 2-5 days. Two logged soaps tracked hand and body washing in the bathroom. The third logged item was a water vessel used for flushing the toilet and for post-defecation anal cleansing; this served as a marker of toilet use. In addition, 28 households in a Soap by toilet arm were given an additional logged soap, to be kept by the toilet, and used for hand washing. Compared with the Soap in bathroom arm, the loggers in the Soap by toilet households recorded 73% greater daily use of soaps designated for hand washing (t(36)=2.92, psoap and changes in hand washing with soap after use of the toilet. Further adoption of logger technologies would enable more insightful studies of hand washing within urban environments.

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urban environment: Occurrence, toxicity and source apportionment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Nitika; Ayoko, Godwin A.; Morawska, Lidia

2016-01-01

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a major class of toxic pollutants because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic characteristics. People living in urban areas are regularly exposed to PAHs because of abundance of their emission sources. Within this context, this study aimed to: (i) identify and quantify the levels of ambient PAHs in an urban environment; (ii) evaluate their toxicity; and (iii) identify their sources as well as the contribution of specific sources to measured concentrations. Sixteen PAHs were identified and quantified in air samples collected from Brisbane. Principal Component Analysis – Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA-APCS) was used in order to conduct source apportionment of the measured PAHs. Vehicular emissions, natural gas combustion, petrol emissions and evaporative/unburned fuel were the sources identified; contributing 56%, 21%, 15% and 8% of the total PAHs emissions, respectively, all of which need to be considered for any pollution control measures implemented in urban areas. - Highlights: • PAHs represent a major group of outdoor air pollutants. • Concentration levels of PAHS in urban schools ranged from 1.2 to 38 ng/m"3. • PCA–APCS technique used to identify sources of PAHs and their contributions. • Vehicular emissions (56%) were found to be the prominent sources of PAHs.

Biogenic and anthropogenic isoprene in the near-surface urban atmosphere--a case study in Essen, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Patrick; Kuttler, Wilhelm

2014-03-15

Isoprene is emitted in large quantities by vegetation, exhaled by human beings and released in small quantities by road traffic. As a result of its high reactivity, isoprene is an important ozone precursor in the troposphere and can play a key role in atmospheric chemistry. Measurements of isoprene in urban areas in Central Europe are scarce. Thus, in Essen, Germany, the isoprene concentration was measured at various sites during different seasons using two compact online GC-PID systems. Isoprene concentrations were compared with those of benzene and toluene, which represent typical anthropogenic VOCs. In the summer, the diurnal variation in isoprene concentration was dependent on the biogenic emissions in the city. It was found that its maximum concentration occurred during the day, in contrast to the benzene and toluene concentrations. During the measurement period in the summer of 2012, the average hourly isoprene concentrations reached 0.13 to 0.17 ppb between 10 and 20 LST. At high air temperatures, the isoprene concentration exceeded the benzene and toluene concentrations at many of the sites. Isoprene became more important than toluene with regard to ozone formation in the city area during the afternoon hours of summer days with high air temperatures. This finding was demonstrated by the contributions to OH reactivity and ozone-forming potential. It contradicts the results of other studies, which were based on daily or seasonal average values. With an isoprene/benzene ratio of 0.02, the contribution of anthropogenic isoprene decreased substantially to a very low level during the last 20 years in Central Europe due to a strong reduction in road traffic emissions. In the vicinity of many people, isoprene concentrations of up to 0.54 ppb and isoprene/benzene ratios of up to 1.34 were found in the atmosphere due to isoprene exhaled by humans. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nested high-resolution modeling of the impact of urbanization on regional climate in three vast urban agglomerations in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Feng, Jinming; Yan, Zhongwei; Hu, Yonghong; Jia, Gensuo

2012-11-01

In this paper, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, coupled to the Urban Canopy Model, is employed to simulate the impact of urbanization on the regional climate over three vast city agglomerations in China. Based on high-resolution land use and land cover data, two scenarios are designed to represent the nonurban and current urban land use distributions. By comparing the results of two nested, high-resolution numerical experiments, the spatial and temporal changes on surface air temperature, heat stress index, surface energy budget, and precipitation due to urbanization are analyzed and quantified. Urban expansion increases the surface air temperature in urban areas by about 1°C, and this climatic forcing of urbanization on temperature is more pronounced in summer and nighttime than other seasons and daytime. The heat stress intensity, which reflects the combined effects of temperature and humidity, is enhanced by about 0.5 units in urban areas. The regional incoming solar radiation increases after urban expansion, which may be caused by the reduction of cloud fraction. The increased temperature and roughness of the urban surface lead to enhanced convergence. Meanwhile, the planetary boundary layer is deepened, and water vapor is mixed more evenly in the lower atmosphere. The deficit of water vapor leads to less convective available potential energy and more convective inhibition energy. Finally, these combined effects may reduce the rainfall amount over urban areas, mainly in summer, and change the regional precipitation pattern to a certain extent.

Scientific research in urban areas air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allegrini, I.

1998-01-01

The presence of consistent amounts of polluting agents in the urban atmosphere is a fact widely confirmed which poses serious problems to the people responsible for the environment management. It is well known that the majority of the polluting agents are produced by the intense traffic or vehicles which introduces in the atmosphere a large quantity of compounds. The toxic effect of some of these (primary polluters) is direct; others (secondary polluters) are the result of chemical reactions occurring within the atmosphere. Consequently, the management of the atmospheric environment requires the knowledge of a great number of processes, which begin with the emission of the polluting agents, and continue with their diffusion in the air, their transformation, the way they move, and how they are deposited or removed [it

Processing of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by fog in an urban environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrenhauser, Franz S; Khadapkar, Kalindi; Wang, Youliang; Hutchings, James W; Delhomme, Olivier; Kommalapati, Raghava R; Herckes, Pierre; Wornat, Mary J; Valsaraj, Kalliat T

2012-10-26

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are ubiquitous pollutants in the atmosphere, predominantly known for their toxicity. Although there has been substantial work on the atmospheric degradation of PAH, little is known about how the presence of atmospheric droplets (e.g., a fog cloud) affects the fate of PAH. In order to assess the processing of PAH and their corresponding oxidation products during a fog event, two field-sampling campaigns in Fresno, CA and Davis, CA were conducted. The simultaneous evaluation of concentrations of the PAH and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic compounds (OPAC) in the gas phase, particulate matter and fog water droplets before, during and after fog allows for the characterization of transformative and transport processes in a fog cloud. By tracking the ratio of OPAC to PAH in the individual atmospheric phases, two major polycyclic aromatic compounds-processing pathways can be identified: (i) the dissolution of OPAC from particulate matter and (ii) the uptake and oxidation of PAH in the fog water droplets. Wet deposition steadily decreases the pollutant concentration in the fog cloud droplets during a fog event; however, uptake and concentration via evaporative water loss upon the dissipation of a fog cloud cause an increase in the atmospheric pollutant concentration.

Effects of different vegetation on temperature in an urban building environment. Micro-scale numerical experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, Guenter [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Meteorologie und Klimatologie

2012-08-15

A three-dimensional micro-scale model is used to study the effects of various greenery on temperature in a built-up environment. Green design elements like roofs and facades, lawns in courtyards and single trees are studied individually as well as in various combinations. Measures for comparison are temperatures at 2 m height and mean temperatures for the urban atmosphere up to the building height. Different types of greenery can reduce local temperatures up to 15 K during specific daytime hours. However, this extraordinary effect is restricted to a short time and especially to the direct surroundings, while an impact over larger distances is small. Roof and facade greenery have hardly any influence on temperature at the 2 m level but reduce daytime heating of the urban atmosphere to a minor degree, while the relevance of trees is more or less limited to the shadow effect. A significant decrease in urban temperatures can be achieved only with a large number of very different individual green elements. The largest effect on the urban atmosphere was simulated for a change in albedo resulting in a temperature decrease of some degrees around noon. (orig.)

Indoor and outdoor urban atmospheric CO2: Stable carbon isotope constraints on mixing and mass balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanes, Yurena; Yapp, Crayton J.

2010-01-01

suggests that the intercept of a mixing line defined by two data points (CO 2 input from the local ventilation system and CO 2 in the ambient air of the room) could be a reasonable estimate of the average δ 13 C value of the CO 2 exhaled by the human occupants. Thus, such indoor spaces appear to constitute effective 'sample vessels' for collection of CO 2 that can be used to determine the average proportions of C 3 and C 4 -derived C in the diets of the occupants. For the various groups occupying the rooms sampled in this study, C 4 -derived C appears to have constituted ∼40% of the average diet. The average concentration of outdoor Dallas atmospheric CO 2 was ∼17 ppm higher than the average of CO 2 concentrations measured on the same campus 10 a ago. In addition, Dallas outdoor CO 2 concentrations at both times were higher than the contemporaneous global atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. This observation, plus the fact that the increase of ∼17 ppm in the average concentration of Dallas outdoor CO 2 was comparable to the global increase of ∼18 ppm over the same 10-a interval, is consistent with a significant role for urban CO 2 'factories' in the global atmospheric CO 2 budget.

Temporal dynamics of urbanization-driven environmental changes explored by metal contamination in surface sediments in a restoring urban wetland park

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Jun; Liu, Yi; Yu, Guangbin; Li, Hongbo [Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Yu, Shen, E-mail: syu@iue.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Jiang, Yueping [The Management Committee of the National Xixi Wetland Park, Hangzhou 310013 (China); Li, Guilin [Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Lin, Jinchang [The Management Committee of the National Xixi Wetland Park, Hangzhou 310013 (China)

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Urban-rural distribution pattern of metals in sediment faded out with urbanization. • Urban emissions were identified as sources of metal elevation in surface sediment. • Metal level homogenization with urbanization posed a moderate risk to the public. - Abstract: Spatial patterns of metal distribution along urban-rural or multi-city gradients indicate that the urbanization process directly lead to metal enrichment and contamination in the environments. However, it has not yet looked at homogenization dynamics of an urban-rural gradient pattern over time with urbanization process in an area. This study monitored anthropogenic metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in surface sediments from channels of a newly-opened National Wetland Park to elucidate the urbanization-driven dissolution of urban-rural gradient pattern between 2008 and 2011. Sixty-eight surface sediment samples were taken from these channels in July of both 2008 and 2011. Results showed that a spatial distribution pattern of total metal contents along the gradient of urbanization influence, evident in 2008, was homogenized in 2011 with the area development. The lead stable isotope ratio analysis identified anthropogenic Pb origins from vehicular exhausts, cements, and coal flying ashes, which elevated metal contents in the inner channels via atmospheric deposition. Specific hazard quotients of the metal contamination in surface sediment were also assessed and enhanced over time in the study wetland park. These findings suggest that emissions from traffic, construction, and energy generation contribute metal loadings in the urbanizing environment.

Temporal dynamics of urbanization-driven environmental changes explored by metal contamination in surface sediments in a restoring urban wetland park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Jun; Liu, Yi; Yu, Guangbin; Li, Hongbo; Yu, Shen; Jiang, Yueping; Li, Guilin; Lin, Jinchang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Urban-rural distribution pattern of metals in sediment faded out with urbanization. • Urban emissions were identified as sources of metal elevation in surface sediment. • Metal level homogenization with urbanization posed a moderate risk to the public. - Abstract: Spatial patterns of metal distribution along urban-rural or multi-city gradients indicate that the urbanization process directly lead to metal enrichment and contamination in the environments. However, it has not yet looked at homogenization dynamics of an urban-rural gradient pattern over time with urbanization process in an area. This study monitored anthropogenic metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in surface sediments from channels of a newly-opened National Wetland Park to elucidate the urbanization-driven dissolution of urban-rural gradient pattern between 2008 and 2011. Sixty-eight surface sediment samples were taken from these channels in July of both 2008 and 2011. Results showed that a spatial distribution pattern of total metal contents along the gradient of urbanization influence, evident in 2008, was homogenized in 2011 with the area development. The lead stable isotope ratio analysis identified anthropogenic Pb origins from vehicular exhausts, cements, and coal flying ashes, which elevated metal contents in the inner channels via atmospheric deposition. Specific hazard quotients of the metal contamination in surface sediment were also assessed and enhanced over time in the study wetland park. These findings suggest that emissions from traffic, construction, and energy generation contribute metal loadings in the urbanizing environment.

The sources and fate of radionuclides emitted to the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandalls, J.

2001-01-01

The thesis represents an account of the sources and fate of radionuclides entering the atmosphere, and indicates where the candidate, through his own work, has contributed to the overall picture. The sources of the natural and man-made radionuclides found in the atmosphere are identified. New data on emissions from UK coal-fired power stations and UK steel works are reported. Radionuclides produced in nuclear fission and released to the atmosphere in the detonation of nuclear weapons, in nuclear accidents, and through routine discharges from nuclear sites have added to the atmospheric burden of radioactive materials; both acute and chronic low-level emissions are discussed. The various natural processes which remove radionuclides from the atmosphere are described. Soon after release, many radioactive materials become attached to the atmospheric aerosol, but others undergo gas-phase reactions. Some gases are sufficiently long-lived in the troposphere as to find their way into the stratosphere where their fate may be determined by the short-wave radiation from the sun. The nature of the particles of fuel emitted to the atmosphere in the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 are discussed, together with the associated environmental problems. The ground is the major sink for radionuclides leaving the atmosphere, and the behaviour of the more radiologically important radionuclides following deposition is described with special reference to: (i) fallout in both the urban and living environments; (ii) the pathways which may lead to contamination of the food chain; (iii) how the fuel particle fallout from Chernobyl was unique in nuclear accidents; (iv) soil-to-plant transfer of radioelements and (v) how radiation exposure of man can be mitigated in both the contaminated urban and rural environments. (author)

Atmospheric organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas of Nepal: spatial variation, sources, temporal trends, and long-range transport potential

Science.gov (United States)

Pokhrel, Balram; Gong, Ping; Wang, Xiaoping; Nath Khanal, Sanjay; Ren, Jiao; Wang, Chuanfei; Gao, Shaopeng; Yao, Tandong

2018-02-01

The study of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in low-latitude tropical and subtropical urban cities is necessary to assess their local and global impacts on ecosystems and human health. Despite studies on levels of POPs in water, soils, and sediments, analysis of the distribution patterns, seasonality, and sources of POPs in urban regions of Nepal remain limited. Polyurethane foam (PUF)-based passive air samplers were deployed in three major cities in Nepal: Kathmandu (the capital city), Pokhara, and Hetauda (agricultural cities). Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were the dominant organochlorine pesticides in the atmosphere at all sites. The average concentrations of POPs were ∑ DDTs, 8.7-1.0 × 103 pg m-3; ∑ HCHs, 5.3-3.3 × 103 pg m-3; HCB, 5.8-3.4 × 102 pg m-3; ∑ endosulfan, BDL-51 pg m-3; and ∑ 6PCBs, 1.4-47 pg m-3. Isomer and metabolite ratio analyses suggested that the concentrations present were from both new and historical applications of the POPs. Vegetable production sites and their market places appeared to be the major DDT and HCH source areas. Higher atmospheric concentrations of DDT and HCH occurred during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, and winter, respectively, closely associated with their local application for soil preparation and vegetable spraying. The estimated travel distances of the POPs (HCB, α-HCH, γ-HCH, and p, p'-DDT) under the Nepalese tropical climate were all above 1000 km, suggesting that high precipitation levels in the tropical climate were not enough to scavenge the POPs and that Nepal could be an important source region for POPs. Due to their close proximity and cold trapping (driven by low temperatures), the high Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are likely the key receptors of POPs emitted in Nepal. These results add to the information available on POPs from tropical developing countries.

The potential for the exploration of activity patterns in the urban landscape with GPS-positioning and electronic activity diaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hovgesen, Henrik Harder; Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick; Lassen, Claus

2005-01-01

rythms affects the different parts of the city. GPS-based tracking has previously mainly been used to track vehicle movements, fx. in transportation surveys. The use of personal devices makes it foremost possible to place the individual respondents use of urban space in its context of transport routes......, other locations visited and the individuals total time budget. In the cross-disciplinary research project Space – Time – Flows currently being started at Aalborg University, the GPS/electronic diary technology is intended as a means to disclosure the imprint of information and communication technologies...... on the use of urban space. The core of the work will be an equal treatment of activities in the virtual as well as the physical world. Substitution effects between the virtual and the physical world will be in focus, together with differences between the spatio-temporal patterns of groups with different...

Inadvertent weather modification urban areas - lessons for global climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Changnon, S A [Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL (USA)

1992-05-01

Large metropolitan areas in North America, home to 65% of the USA's population, have created major changes in their climates over the past 150 years. The rate and amount of the urban climate change approximate those being predicted globally using climate models. Knowledge of urban weather and climate modification holds lessons for the global climate change issue. First, adjustments to urban climate changes can provide guidance for adjusting to global change. A second lesson relates to the difficulty but underscores the necessity of providing scientifically credible proof of change within the noise of natural climatic variability. The evolution of understanding about how urban conditions influence weather reveals several unexpected outcomes, particularly relating to precipitation changes. These suggest that similar future surprises can be expected in a changed global climate, a third lesson. In-depth studies of how urban climate changes affected the hydrologic cycle, the regional economy, and human activities were difficult because of data problems, lack of impact methodology, and necessity for multidisciplinary investigations. Similar impact studies for global climate change will require diverse scientific talents and funding commitments adequate to measure the complexity of impacts and human adjustments. Understanding the processes whereby urban areas and other human activities have altered the atmosphere and changed clouds and precipitation regionally appears highly relevant to the global climate-change issue. Scientific and governmental policy development needs to recognize an old axiom that became evident in the studies of inadvertent urban and regional climate change and their behavioural implications: Think globally but act locally. Global climate change is an international issue, and the atmosphere must be treated globally. But the impacts and the will to act and adjust will occur regionally.

Inadvertent weather modification urban areas - lessons for global climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Changnon, S.A.

1992-01-01

Large metropolitan areas in North America, home to 65% of the USA's population, have created major changes in their climates over the past 150 years. The rate and amount of the urban climate change approximate those being predicted globally using climate models. Knowledge of urban weather and climate modification holds lessons for the global climate change issue. First, adjustments to urban climate changes can provide guidance for adjusting to global change. A second lesson relates to the difficulty but underscores the necessity of providing scientifically credible proof of change within the noise of natural climatic variability. The evolution of understanding about how urban conditions influence weather reveals several unexpected outcomes, particularly relating to precipitation changes. These suggest that similar future surprises can be expected in a changed global climate, a third lesson. In-depth studies of how urban climate changes affected the hydrologic cycle, the regional economy, and human activities were difficult because of data problems, lack of impact methodology, and necessity for multidisciplinary investigations. Similar impact studies for global climate change will require diverse scientific talents and funding commitments adequate to measure the complexity of impacts and human adjustments. Understanding the processes whereby urban areas and other human activities have altered the atmosphere and changed clouds and precipitation regionally appears highly relevant to the global climate-change issue. Scientific and governmental policy development needs to recognize an old axiom that became evident in the studies of inadvertent urban and regional climate change and their behavioural implications: Think globally but act locally. Global climate change is an international issue, and the atmosphere must be treated globally. But the impacts and the will to act and adjust will occur regionally

Non-destructive neutron activation analysis of atmospheric pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owlya, A.; Kasrai, M.; Massoumi, R.

1976-01-01

The concentration of elements in atmospheric particulate in an urban area were determined by means of a Ge(Li) detector. Samples were collected on a Millipore filter at a single location during three seasons of the year and the results compared. These results are compared with results for the same elements in other cities. It was concluded that in a dry climate, at least two parameters are related to seasonal changes in trace element concentration in the atmosphere-rain and snowfall, and the reducation of vertical diffusion of airborne particulates (author)

Volatile organic compounds in the western Mediterranean basin: urban and rural winter measurements during the DAURE campaign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Seco

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs have key environmental and biological roles, but little is known about the daily VOC mixing ratios in Mediterranean urban and natural environments. We measured VOC mixing ratios concurrently at an urban and a rural site during the winter DAURE campaign in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, by means of PTR-MS at both locations: a PTR-Quad-MS at the urban site and a PTR-ToF-MS at the rural site. All VOC mixing ratios measured were higher at the urban site (e.g. acetaldehyde, isoprene, benzene, and toluene with averages up to 1.68, 0.31, 0.58 and 2.71 ppbv, respectively, with the exception of some short-chain oxygenated VOCs such as acetone (with similar averages of 0.7–1.6 ppbv at both sites. The average diurnal pattern also differed between the sites. Most of the VOCs at the urban location showed their highest mixing ratios in the morning and evening. These peaks coincided with traffic during rush hour, the main origin of most of the VOCs analyzed. Between these two peaks, the sea breeze transported the urban air inland, thus helping to lower the VOC loading at the urban site. At the rural site, most of the measured VOCs were advected by the midday sea breeze, yielding the highest daily VOC mixing ratios (e.g. acetaldehyde, isoprene, benzene, and toluene with averages up to 0.65, 0.07, 0.19, and 0.41 ppbv, respectively. Only biogenic monoterpenes showed a clear local origin at this site. In addition, the concentrations of fine particulate matter observed at both sites, together with the synoptic meteorological conditions and radio-sounding data, allowed the identification of different atmospheric scenarios that had a clear influence on the measured VOC mixing ratios. These results highlight the differences and relationships in VOC mixing ratios between nearby urban and rural areas in Mediterranean regions. Further research in other urban-rural areas is warranted to better understand the urban

Microscale atmospheric pollution of Pogranichny settlement (Primorsky region, Russia)

Science.gov (United States)

Kholodov, Aleksei; Ugay, Sergey; Drozd, Vladimir; Agoshkov, Alexander; Golokhvast, Kirill

2017-10-01

The paper discusses the study of atmospheric particulate matter in the small urban settlement Pogranichny by means of laser granulometry of snow water. The atmosphere of this settlement is polluted with particles under 10 μm (PM10) to a certain extent. We found microparticles potentially hazardous to health in significant quantities (from 176.3% to 24.9%) in 4 sampling points out of 9. Large particles (sized over 400 μm) dominate on the most territory of the settlement reaching 78.1%.

On-site and off-site atmospheric PBDEs in an electronic dismantling workshop in south China: Gas-particle partitioning and human exposure assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Taicheng; Zhang Delin; Li Guiying; Mai Bixian; Fu Jiamo

2011-01-01

Gas samples and total suspended particle during work and off work time were investigated on-site and off-site electronic waste dismantling workshop (I- and O-EWDW), then compared with plastic recycling workshop (PRW) and waste incineration plant (WIP). TSP concentrations and total PBDE were 0.36-2.21 mg/m 3 and 27-2975 ng/m 3 at different workshops, respectively. BDE-47, -99, and -209 were major ΣPBDE congeners at I-EWDW and WIP, while BDE-209 was only dominant congener in PRW and control sites during work time and all sites during off work time. The gas-particle partitioning result was well correlated with the subcooled liquid vapor pressure for all samples, except for WIP and I-EDWD, at park during work time, and residential area during off work time. The predicted urban curve fitted well with measured φ values at O-DEWD during work time, whereas it was slightly overestimated or underestimated for others. Exposure assessment revealed the highest exposure site was I-EDWD. - Highlights: → On- and off-site atmospheric PBDEs was monitored in e-waste dismantling workshops in south China. → The gas-particle partitioning result was well correlated with the subcooled liquid vapor pressure for some samples. → Exposure assessment revealed that workers in I-EDWD were the highest exposure population. - The findings of this study may serve as a valuable reference for future risk assessment and environmental management in Guiyu, South China.

Cool city mornings by urban heat

Science.gov (United States)

Theeuwes, Natalie E.; Steeneveld, Gert-Jan; Ronda, Reinder J.; Rotach, Mathias W.; Holtslag, Albert A. M.

2015-11-01

The urban heat island effect is a phenomenon observed worldwide, i.e. evening and nocturnal temperatures in cities are usually several degrees higher than in the surrounding countryside. In contrast, cities are sometimes found to be cooler than their rural surroundings in the morning and early afternoon. Here, a general physical explanation for this so-called daytime urban cool island (UCI) effect is presented and validated for the cloud-free days in the BUBBLE campaign in Basel, Switzerland. Simulations with a widely evaluated conceptual atmospheric boundary-layer model coupled to a land-surface model, reveal that the UCI can form due to differences between the early morning mixed-layer depth over the city (deeper) and over the countryside (shallower). The magnitude of the UCI is estimated for various types of urban morphology, categorized by their respective local climate zones.

Study of emission episodes of urban aerosol by ion beam analytical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angyal, A.; Kertesz, Zs.; Szikszai, Z.; Szoboszlai, Z.; Furu, E.; Csedreki, L.; Daroczi, L.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Aerosol pollution has impact on the climate and on human health. Thus investigation of atmospheric aerosol is important in urban environment such as Debrecen. One of the main goals of our study was to define the sources of the particles. The hourly evolution of atmospheric aerosol concentration was used to identify sources of fine (aerodynamic diameter < 2,5 μm) and coarse (10 μm ≥ aerodynamic diameter ≥ 2.5 μm) urban particulate matter in Debrecen. In both size fractions sources were found which were characterized by high heavy metal content. In this study we provide accurate information of the sources of coarse mode heavy metals by using nuclear and scanning electron microscopy. Single particle analysis of chosen samples was carried out on the ATOMKI Scanning Nuclear Microprobe Facility. Elemental composition for Z ≥ 6, morphology and size of around 500 coarse mode particles were determined by Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy, light-element PIXE and PIXE analytical methods. Furthermore Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate particles morphology. The main components of the particles were Na, K, Ca, S, P and Fe with traces of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, Pb. S-rich particles were enriched in one or more of the following elements: Na, Ca, K, Fe, Zn. Trace metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr) occurred together Fe supposedly originated from industrial emission or traffic. P appeared in the Ca-rich particles. Particles with high concentration of Ni were rich in V, Fe and S. Thus this source was identified as residual combustion. V-rich particles occurred together with Fe, Mn and Cr. Their possible source was industry. Pb was attached to Ca, Fe, S containing particles. As result of the SEM study the following particle types (Figure 1.) were identified: semitransparent material (S-K-rich, S-Zn-rich, PCa-rich), spherical (FeO, Fe-Ni-Cr-V-rich), cubic (KCl, CaCl) and crystalline (S-Ca-rich). The main sources of

Summer–winter concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of short chain chlorinated paraffins in the atmosphere of an urban setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Thanh; Han Shanlong; Yuan Bo; Zeng Lixi; Li Yingming; Wang Yawei; Jiang Guibin

2012-01-01

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are semi-volatile chemicals that are considered persistent in the environment, potential toxic and subject to long-range transport. This study investigates the concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs at an urban site in Beijing during summer and wintertime. The total atmospheric SCCP levels ranged 1.9–33.0 ng/m 3 during wintertime. Significantly higher levels were found during the summer (range 112–332 ng/m 3 ). The average fraction of total SCCPs in the particle phase (φ) was 0.67 during wintertime but decreased significantly during the summer (φ = 0.06). The ten and eleven carbon chain homologues with five to eight chlorine atoms were the predominant SCCP formula groups in air. Significant linear correlations were found between the gas-particle partition coefficients and the predicted subcooled vapor pressures and octanol–air partition coefficients. The gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs was further investigated and compared with both the Junge–Pankow adsorption and K oa -based absorption models. - Highlights: ► Short chain chlorinated paraffins were investigated in air samples from Beijing. ► Higher levels of SCCPs were found in air during summertime than wintertime. ► Relevant physical–chemical properties were estimated by SPARC and EPI Suite. ► Obtained data were used to model the gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs. - Atmospheric levels and gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs in Beijing, China.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urban environment: Occurrence, toxicity and source apportionment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Nitika; Ayoko, Godwin A; Morawska, Lidia

2016-01-01

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a major class of toxic pollutants because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic characteristics. People living in urban areas are regularly exposed to PAHs because of abundance of their emission sources. Within this context, this study aimed to: (i) identify and quantify the levels of ambient PAHs in an urban environment; (ii) evaluate their toxicity; and (iii) identify their sources as well as the contribution of specific sources to measured concentrations. Sixteen PAHs were identified and quantified in air samples collected from Brisbane. Principal Component Analysis - Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA-APCS) was used in order to conduct source apportionment of the measured PAHs. Vehicular emissions, natural gas combustion, petrol emissions and evaporative/unburned fuel were the sources identified; contributing 56%, 21%, 15% and 8% of the total PAHs emissions, respectively, all of which need to be considered for any pollution control measures implemented in urban areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urbancontext: A Management Model For Pervasive Environments In User-Oriented Urban Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia L. Zuniga-Canon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, urban computing has gained a lot of interest for guiding the evolution of citiesinto intelligent environments. These environments are appropriated for individuals’ inter-actions changing in their behaviors. These changes require new approaches that allow theunderstanding of how urban computing systems should be modeled.In this work we present UrbanContext, a new model for designing of urban computingplatforms that applies the theory of roles to manage the individual’s context in urban envi-ronments. The theory of roles helps to understand the individual’s behavior within a socialenvironment, allowing to model urban computing systems able to adapt to individuals statesand their needs.UrbanContext collects data in urban atmospheres and classifies individuals’ behaviorsaccording to their change of roles, to optimize social interaction and offer secure services.Likewise, UrbanContext serves as a generic model to provide interoperability, and to facilitatethe design, implementation and expansion of urban computing systems.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Using an epiphytic moss to identify previously unknown sources of atmospheric cadmium pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Sarah E. Jovan; Demetrios Gatziolis; Igor Burstyn; Yvonne L. Michael; Michael C. Amacher; Vicente J. Monleon

2016-01-01

Urban networks of air-quality monitors are often too widely spaced to identify sources of air pollutants, especially if they do not disperse far from emission sources. The objectives of this study were to test the use of moss bio-indicators to develop a fine-scale map of atmospherically-derived cadmium and to identify the sources of cadmium in a complex urban setting....

Is atmospheric pollution exposure during pregnancy associated with individual and contextual characteristics? A nationwide study in France.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouidir, Marion; Lepeule, Johanna; Siroux, Valérie; Malherbe, Laure; Meleux, Frederik; Rivière, Emmanuel; Launay, Ludivine; Zaros, Cécile; Cheminat, Marie; Charles, Marie-Aline; Slama, Rémy

2017-10-01

Exposure to atmospheric pollutants is a danger for the health of pregnant mother and children. Our objective was to identify individual (socioeconomic and behavioural) and contextual factors associated with atmospheric pollution pregnancy exposure at the nationwide level. Among 14 921 women from the French nationwide ELFE (French Longitudinal Study of Children) mother-child cohort recruited in 2011, outdoor exposure levels of PM 2.5 , PM 10 (particulate matter atmospheric pollutants with individual (maternal age, body mass index, parity, education level, relationship status, smoking status) and contextual (European Deprivation Index, urbanisation level) factors. Patterns of associations were globally similar across pollutants. For the CART approach, the highest tertile of exposure included mainly women not in a relationship living in urban and socially deprived areas, with lower education level. Linear regression models identified different determinants of atmospheric pollutants exposure according to the residential urbanisation level. In urban areas, atmospheric pollutants exposure increased with social deprivation, while in rural areas a U-shaped relationship was observed. We highlighted social inequalities in atmospheric pollutants exposure according to contextual characteristics such as urbanisation level and social deprivation and also according to individual characteristics such as education, being in a relationship and smoking status. In French urban areas, pregnant women from the most deprived neighbourhoods were those most exposed to health-threatening atmospheric pollutants. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Atmosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamic Coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Sorokin, V. M.; Chmyrev, V. M.

Numerous phenomena that occur in the mesosphere, ionosphere, and the magnetosphere of the Earth are caused by the sources located in the lower atmosphere and on the ground. We describe the effects produced by lightning activity and by ground-based transmitters operated in high frequency (HF) and very low frequency (VLF) ranges. Among these phenomena are the ionosphere heating and the formation of plasma density inhomogeneities, the excitation of gamma ray bursts and atmospheric emissions in different spectral bands, the generation of ULF/ELF/VLF electromagnetic waves and plasma turbulence in the ionosphere, the stimulation of radiation belt electron precipitations and the acceleration of ions in the upper ionosphere. The most interesting results of experimental and theoretical studies of these phenomena are discussed below. The ionosphere is subject to the action of the conductive electric current flowing in the atmosphere-ionosphere circuit. We present a physical model of DC electric field and current formation in this circuit. The key element of this model is an external current, which is formed with the occurrence of convective upward transport of charged aerosols and their gravitational sedimentation in the atmosphere. An increase in the level of atmospheric radioactivity results in the appearance of additional ionization and change of electrical conductivity. Variation of conductivity and external current in the lower atmosphere leads to perturbation of the electric current flowing in the global atmosphere-ionosphere circuit and to the associated DC electric field perturbation both on the Earth's surface and in the ionosphere. Description of these processes and some results of the electric field and current calculations are presented below. The seismic-induced electric field perturbations produce noticeable effects in the ionosphere by generating the electromagnetic field and plasma disturbances. We describe the generation mechanisms of such experimentally

Designing Playful Interactive Installations for Urban Environments - The SwingScape Experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønbæk, Kaj; Kortbek, Karen Johanne; Christensen, Claus Møller

2012-01-01

. The design issues include: creating playful and collective interaction, making a familiar swing interaction simulate the experience of a music mixing board, providing gentle integration of multimedia (light and sound) in the atmosphere of an urban space, and finally making installations robust and safe...... at an urban playground. The objectives of SwingScape are to encourage physical activity as well as creating a playful and social experience in an urban space. The interaction techniques include movement sensors built into swings, LED lights, and an ambient loudspeaker system covering approx. 180 square meters...

Assessment of the effects of atmospheric neutrons on onboard electronic equipment and search for hardening solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renard, S.

2013-01-01

This work deals with the impact of atmospheric neutrons on complex electronic components such as built-in memories or processors. The first part describes the radiation environment, the neutron-matter interaction and the consequences on electronic devices, and presents the commonly used experimental simulations and the testing methods. The potential of laser beam for testing is highlighted. The second chapter presents the development of a testing platform for various types of memories (MRAM and SDRAM). The equipment and the dedicated software are described. A testing platform for processor is also presented. The third chapter is dedicated to the presentation of a 4 Mbit bulk-type SRAM memory and of its testing involving a laser beam equipment. Several results show the presence of error clusters that may endangered the memory as a whole. These error clusters are due to the architecture of the internal addressing scheme of the memory. The simulation of these error clusters must be improved in order to define an optimized strategy of hardening

Investigation on the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, persistent organo chloride compounds, phthalates and the breathable fraction of atmospheric particulate in the air of Rieti (Italy) urban area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidotti, M.; Colasanti, G.; Chinzari, M.; Ravaioli, G.; Vitali, M.

1998-01-01

Purpose of this work is to present the results of the investigation on the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and the breathable fraction of atmospheric particulate, in the samples of air collected from 2 different urban areas of Rieti city (Italy). Different values, for the above mentioned analytes, are compared in relation to seasonal factors and the analytical methods used in this research are also presented [it

[Adsorption Capacity of the Air Particulate Matter in Urban Landscape Plants in Different Polluted Regions of Beijing].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei-kang; Wang, Bing; Niu, Xiang

2015-07-01

Urban landscape plants, as one of the important factors of the urban ecosystem, play an important role in stagnating airborne particulates and purifying urban atmospheric environment. In this article, six kinds of common garden plants were studied, and aerosol generator (QRJZFSQ-I) was used to measure the ability of their leaves to stagnate atmospheric particulates (TSP and PM2.5) in different polluted regions. Meanwhile, environmental scanning electron microscope was used to observe changes in the leaf structure of the tested tree species. The results showed: (1)Among the tested tree species, the ability of coniferous species to stagnate atmospheric particulates was higher than that of broad-leaved species per unit leaf area. Pinus tabuliformis stagnated the highest volume of (3. 89± 0. 026) µg . m-2, followed by Pinus bungeana of (2. 82 ± 0. 392) µg . cm-2, and Populus tomentosa stagnated the minimum of (2. 00 ± 0. 118) µg . cm-2; (2) Through observing the leaf microstructure morphology, coniferous species were found to have tightly packed stomas, stoma density and surface roughness higher than those of broad-leaved species, and they could also secrete oil; (3) In different polluted regions, the leaves of the same tree species showed significant difference in stagnating TSP. Per unit leaf area, the tree species leaves situated around the 5th Ring Road had higher ability to absorb TSP than the tree species leaves at Botanical Garden, while their abilities to absorb PM2.5 showed no significant difference; (4) In different polluted regions, significantly adaptive changes were found in leaf structure. Comparing to the region with light pollution, the outer epidermal cells of the plant leaves in region with heavy pollution shrank, and the roughness of the leaf skin textures as well as the stomatal frequency and villous length increased. In spite of the significant changes in plant leaves exposed to the heavy pollution, these plants could still maintain normal

Mimicking Daphnia magna bioassay performance by an electronic tongue for urban water quality control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirsanov, Dmitry, E-mail: d.kirsanov@gmail.com [Laboratory of Chemical Sensors, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Laboratory of Artificial Sensor Systems, ITMO University, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Legin, Evgeny [Laboratory of Artificial Sensor Systems, ITMO University, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Sensor Systems LLC, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Zagrebin, Anatoly; Ignatieva, Natalia; Rybakin, Vladimir [Institute of Limnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Legin, Andrey [Laboratory of Chemical Sensors, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Laboratory of Artificial Sensor Systems, ITMO University, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • -Daphnia magna bioassay can be simulated with multisensor system. • Urban water toxicity can be predicted from potentiometric ET data. • Independent test set validation confirms statistical significance of the results. - Abstract: Toxicity is one of the key parameters of water quality in environmental monitoring. However, being evaluated as a response of living beings (as their mobility, fertility, death rate, etc.) to water quality, toxicity can only be assessed with the help of these living beings. This imposes certain restrictions on toxicity bioassay as an analytical method: biotest organisms must be properly bred, fed and kept under strictly regulated conditions and duration of tests can be quite long (up to several days), thus making the whole procedure the prerogative of the limited number of highly specialized laboratories. This report describes an original application of potentiometric multisensor system (electronic tongue) when the set of electrochemical sensors was calibrated against Daphnia magna death rate in order to perform toxicity assessment of urban waters without immediate involvement of living creatures. PRM (partial robust M) and PLS (projections on latent structures) regression models based on the data from this multisensor system allowed for prediction of toxicity of unknown water samples in terms of biotests but in the fast and simple instrumental way. Typical errors of water toxicity predictions were below 20% in terms of Daphnia death rate which can be considered as a good result taking into account the complexity of the task.

MGS Radio Science Electron Density Profiles: Interannual Variability and Implications for the Martian Neutral Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Bougher, S. W.; Engel, S.; Hinson, D. P.; Murphy, J. R.

2004-01-01

Martian electron density profiles provided by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Radio Science (RS) experiment over the 95-200 km altitude range indicate what the height of the electron peak and the longitudinal structure of the peak height are sensitive indicators of the physical state of the Mars lower and upper atmospheres. The present analysis is carried out on five sets of occultation profiles, all at high solar zenith angles (SZA). Variations spanning 2 Martian years are investigated near aphelion conditions at high northern latitudes (64.7 - 77.6 N) making use of four of these data sets. A mean ionospheric peak height of 133.5 - 135 km is obtained near SZA = 78 - 82 deg.; a corresponding mean peak density of 7.3 - 8.5 x l0(exp 4)/ qu cm is also measured during solar moderate conditions at Mars. Strong wave number 2 - 3 oscillations in peak heights are consistently observed as a function of longitude over the 2 Martian years. These observed ionospheric features are remarkably similar during aphelion conditions 1 Martian year apart. This year-to-year repeatability in the thermosphere-ionosphere structure is consistent with that observed in multiyear aphelion temperature data of the Mars lower atmosphere. Coupled Mars general circulation model (MGCM) and Mars thermospheric general circulation model (MTGCM) codes are run for Mars aphelion conditions, yielding mean and longitude variable ionospheric peak heights that reasonably match RS observations. A tidal decomposition of MTGCM thermospheric densities shows that observed ionospheric wave number 3 features are linked to a non-migrating tidal mode with semidiurnal period (sigma = 2) and zonal wave number 1 (s = -1) characteristics. The height of this photochemically determined ionospheric peak should be monitored regularly.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of MODIS Retrieved Precipitable Water Vapor over Urban and Rural Areas in the Philippines

Science.gov (United States)

Galvez, M. C. D.; Castilla, R. M.; Catenza, J. L. U.; Soronio, H.; Vallar, E. A.

2016-12-01

Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is a component of the atmosphere that significantly influences many atmospheric processes. It plays a dominant role in the high-energy thermodynamics of the atmosphere, notably, the genesis of storm systems. Remote sensing of the atmosphere using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) offers a relatively inexpensive method to estimate atmospheric water vapour in the form of columnar measurements from its 936 nm near-infrared band. Daily Level 3 data with 1 degree grid spatial resolution from MODIS was used in order to determine the temporal and spatial variability of precipitable water between urban and rural areas in the Philippines. The PWV values were rasterized and spatially interpolated to be stored in a 1 kilometer grid resolution using the nearest-neighbor algorithm. General Linear Models were established to determine the main and interaction effects on PWV values of several categorical factors e.g. time, administrative region, and geographic classification. Comparison between the urban and rural areas in the Philippines showed that there is a significant difference between the values between these demographic dimensions. The mean PWV in the urban areas was found to be 0.0473 cm greater than the mean PWV of the rural areas. Lower levels of precipitable water vapour in rural places can be attributed to the low humidity as a result of a deficit of precipitation; while higher levels in urban areas can be accounted for by vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and irrigation of parks and gardens. In general, PWV varies depending on the season when solar insolation affects surface temperature, thus influencing the rate of evaporation. Using the regression line algorithm, the PWV values for rural areas have increased to 0.904 cm and 0.434 cm for urban areas from the year 2005 to 2015.

Urban contamination and dose model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, E.; Barry, P.J.

1995-10-01

Nuclear power reactors and other nuclear facilities are being built near or even within urban centres. Accidental releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere in built-up areas result in radiological exposure pathways that differ from those caused by releases in rural environments. Other than inhalation, exposure pathways involve external radiation from the plume while it passes and from radioactivity deposited onto the many and varied surfaces after it has passed. Radiation fields inside buildings are attenuated but many people are potentially exposed so while individual doses may be relatively low, population integrated doses may be high enough to cause concern. It is important, therefore, to assess the potential exposures and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of dose reduction measures in urban environments. This report describes a model developed to carry out such assessments. The model draws heavily on experience gained in European cities after their contamination fallout from the Chernobyl accident. Input is time integrated concentrations of specific radionuclides in urban air, obtained either by direct measurement or by prediction using an atmospheric dispersion model. The code includes default values for site specific variables and transfer parameters but the user is invited if desired to enter other values from the keyboard. Output is the time integrated dose rates for individuals selected because of the characteristic living, working and recreational habits. An accompanying manual documents the technical background on which the model is based and leads a first-time suer through various steps and operations encountered while the model is running. (author). 60 refs., 10 tabs., 1 fig

Linkages between the Urban Environment and Earth's Climate System

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, J. Marshall; Jin, Menglin

2003-01-01

Urbanization is one of the extreme cases of land use change. Although currently only 1.2% of the land is considered urban, the spatial coverage and density of cities are expected to rapidly increase in the near future. It is estimated that by the year 2025 60% of the world s population will live in cities (UNFP, 1999). Though urban areas are local in scale, human activity in urban environments has impacts at local, to global scale by changing atmospheric composition; impacting components of the water cycle; and modifying the carbon cycle 2nd ecosystems. For example, urban dwellers are undoubtedly familiar with "high" ozone pollution days, flash flooding in city streets, or heat stress on summer days. However, our understanding of urbanization on the total Earth-climate system is incomplete. Better understanding of how the Earth s weather, oceans, and land work together and the influence of the urban environment on this climate system is critical. This paper highlights some of the major and current issues involving interactions between urban environments and the Earth's climate system. It also captures some of the most current thinking and findings of the authors and key experts in the field.

Mass and elemental distributions of atmospheric particles nearby blast furnace and electric arc furnace operated industrial areas in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohiuddin, Kazi, E-mail: kazi.mohiuddin@students.mq.edu.au [Graduate School of the Environment, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, NSW (Australia); Strezov, Vladimir; Nelson, Peter F. [Graduate School of the Environment, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, NSW (Australia); Stelcer, Eduard [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Evans, Tim [Graduate School of the Environment, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, NSW (Australia)

2014-07-01

The improved understanding of mass and elemental distributions of industrial air particles is important due to their heterogeneous atmospheric behaviour and impact on human health and the environment. In this study, particles of different size ranges were collected from three sites in Australia located in the vicinity of iron and steelmaking industries and one urban background site with very little industrial influence. In order to determine the importance of the type of industrial activity on the urban atmospheric quality, the industrial sites selected in this study were in the close proximity to two blast furnace operated and one electric arc furnace based steelmaking sites. The chemical compositions of the collected air particles were analysed using the proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique. This study revealed significantly higher metal concentrations in the atmospheric particles collected in the industrial sites, comparing to the background urban site, demonstrating local influence of the industrial activities to the air quality. The modality types of the particles were found to be variable between the mass and elements, and among elements in the urban and industrial areas indicating that the elemental modal distribution is as important as particle mass for particle pollution modelling. The highest elemental number distribution at all studied sites occurred with particle size of 0.1 μm. Iron was found as the main dominant metal at the industrial atmosphere in each particle size range. The industrial Fe fraction in the submicron and ultrafine size particles was estimated at up to 95% which may be released from high temperature industrial activities with the iron and steelmaking industries being one of the major contributors. Hence, these industrial elemental loadings can highly influence the atmospheric pollution at local urban and regional levels and are required to consider in the atmospheric modelling settings. - Highlights: • Urban and

Mass and elemental distributions of atmospheric particles nearby blast furnace and electric arc furnace operated industrial areas in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohiuddin, Kazi; Strezov, Vladimir; Nelson, Peter F.; Stelcer, Eduard; Evans, Tim

2014-01-01

The improved understanding of mass and elemental distributions of industrial air particles is important due to their heterogeneous atmospheric behaviour and impact on human health and the environment. In this study, particles of different size ranges were collected from three sites in Australia located in the vicinity of iron and steelmaking industries and one urban background site with very little industrial influence. In order to determine the importance of the type of industrial activity on the urban atmospheric quality, the industrial sites selected in this study were in the close proximity to two blast furnace operated and one electric arc furnace based steelmaking sites. The chemical compositions of the collected air particles were analysed using the proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique. This study revealed significantly higher metal concentrations in the atmospheric particles collected in the industrial sites, comparing to the background urban site, demonstrating local influence of the industrial activities to the air quality. The modality types of the particles were found to be variable between the mass and elements, and among elements in the urban and industrial areas indicating that the elemental modal distribution is as important as particle mass for particle pollution modelling. The highest elemental number distribution at all studied sites occurred with particle size of 0.1 μm. Iron was found as the main dominant metal at the industrial atmosphere in each particle size range. The industrial Fe fraction in the submicron and ultrafine size particles was estimated at up to 95% which may be released from high temperature industrial activities with the iron and steelmaking industries being one of the major contributors. Hence, these industrial elemental loadings can highly influence the atmospheric pollution at local urban and regional levels and are required to consider in the atmospheric modelling settings. - Highlights: • Urban and

Urban Climate and Air Pollution in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linden, Jenny

2011-05-15

Africa has recently been singled out by UN Habitat as the fastest urbanizing continent in the world. The most extreme case was found in the Sahelian city of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where the population is expected to almost double over the next ten years. It is well known that the rapid growth of an urban area is among the most important anthropogenic impacts on the environment, and that it has a profound impact on both the urban climate and air quality. Few studies have been focused on cities in the Sahel region, and the lack of information may consequently hinder adaptation to the extreme urbanization rates of these often heavily polluted cities. The main objective of this thesis was to study the nature of, and relationship between, urban climate and air pollution in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Specific objectives were to; examine spatial variations in daily temperature and humidity patterns during early dry season with focus on effects of different land cover; to examine the influence of atmospheric stability on the intra-urban air temperature patterns, the urban wind field and on air pollution levels; and to examine spatial variations in air pollution levels. An additional objective was to document the status and potential development of synoptic meteorological stations in Burkina Faso. Empirical data used in analyses were collected during five field studies between 2003 and 2010. Meteorological and air pollution parameters were measured at fixed sites and through car traverses in areas of different land cover, activity, traffic density and road surface. The most distinct features in thermal patterns found in Ouagadougou were strong intra-urban nocturnal cool islands in vegetated areas, caused by evening evaporative cooling by the vegetation. Extremely stable nocturnal atmospheric conditions were observed during 80 % of days examined in early dry season, during which spatial patterns in temperature and humidity as well as in air pollution were most pronounced

Electronic equipment of Cherenkov counters for detection of extensive atmospheric showers; Ehlektronnaya apparatura cherenkovskikh detektorov dlya registratsii shiroki kh atmosfernykh livnej

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klimov, A I; meleshko, L A; Pan` kov, A A

1996-12-31

Paper describes electronic system of designed to record extensive atmospheric showers based on application of Cherenkov counters. Modules of preamplifier and PM divider, amplifier-scanner of two channel unit of precise time correlation, 8-channel time coder with 0.5 ns channel width and 14-input master unit are developed to realize the suggested operating circuit. 2 refs.

Contrasting characteristics of sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air and atmospheric pressure helium-oxygen glow discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, J L; Liu, D X; Iza, F; Kong, M G; Rong, M Z

2010-01-01

Glow discharges in air are often considered to be the ultimate low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for numerous chamber-free applications. This is due to the ubiquitous presence of air and the perceived abundance of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in air plasmas. In this paper, sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air plasmas are shown to produce a low concentration of excited oxygen atoms but an abundance of excited nitrogen species, UV photons and ozone molecules. This contrasts sharply with the efficient production of excited oxygen atoms in comparable helium-oxygen discharges. Relevant reaction chemistry analysed with a global model suggests that collisional excitation of O 2 by helium metastables is significantly more efficient than electron dissociative excitation of O 2 , electron excitation of O and ion-ion recombination. These results suggest different practical uses of the two oxygen-containing atmospheric discharges, with air plasmas being well suited for nitrogen and UV based chemistry and He-O 2 plasmas for excited atomic oxygen based chemistry. (fast track communication)

Occurrence of halogenated flame retardants in sediment off an urbanized coastal zone: association with urbanization and industrialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui-Hui; Hu, Yuan-Jie; Luo, Pei; Bao, Lian-Jun; Qiu, Jian-Wen; Leung, Kenneth M Y; Zeng, Eddy Y

2014-01-01

To examine the impacts of urbanization and industrialization on the coastal environment, sediment samples were collected from an urbanized coastal zone (i.e., Daya Bay and Hong Kong waters of South China) and analyzed for 20 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 10 alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs). The sum concentration of PBDEs was in the range of 1.7-55 (mean: 17) ng g(-1), suggesting a moderate pollution level compared to the global range. The higher fractions of AHFRs (i.e., TBB+TBPH, BTBPE and DBDPE) than those of legacy PBDEs (i.e., penta-BDE, octa-BDE and deca-BDE) corresponded with the phasing out of PBDEs and increasing demand for AHFRs. Heavy contamination occurred at the estuary of Dan'ao River flowing through the Daya Bay Economic Zone, home to a variety of petrochemicals and electronics manufacturing facilities. The concentrations of HFRs in surface sediments of Hong Kong were the highest in Victoria Harbor, which receives around 1.4 million tons of primarily treated sewage daily, and a good relationship (r(2) = 0.80; p 0.73; p < 0.05) with the production volume of electronic devices, production value of electronic industries and population size, demonstrating the importance of industrializing and urbanizing processes in dictating the historical input patterns of AHFRs.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in occupational vs. urban environmental air

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Branisteanu, R.; Aiking, H.

1998-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the balance between occupational and environmental exposure to suspended particulate matter (SPM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), comparison measurements were performed in a coal-fired power plant and the urban atmosphere from the town nearby. Methods: The

Application Of Fractal Dimension On Atmospheric Corrosion Of Galvanized Iron Roofing Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Issa A.K

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Corrosion rates of galvanized iron roofing sheet In yola north eastern part of Nigeria were assessed and determined by weight loss method and scanner fractal analysis method. Scanning electronic machine SEM was used to transform corrosion coupons to electronic form for image j processing and analysing software The result of corrosion rates for these two methods after six months of the samples exposure in industrial. Coastal market and urban areas in the region are 1.51 1.079 1.051 0.779 and 1.9941 1.9585 1.9565 1.9059 for weight loss and scanner fractal dimension methods respectively. and the results from the two methods were in agreement This establish the reliability of fractal dimension in measuring atmospheric corrosion this research also provides alternative method of measuring atmospheric corrosion and overcome the limitation of conventional weight loss technique in its inability to measure corrosion rate which is not significantly change over a long period of time moreover weight loss cannot demonstrate the area of concentration of corrosion on the surface of the coupon it rather gives the weight loss value and this will aid in determining the real level or extent of corrosion damage in the material and this can be obtained when measuring the material through fractal analysis these results clearly indicate that corrosion is heavier on locations close to the industrial areas. This also shows the negative impact of industrial activities on the corrodible materials and consequently on the plants and environment.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey S. Gaffney

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric chemistry is an important discipline for understanding air pollution and its impacts. This mini-review gives a brief history of air pollution and presents an overview of some of the basic photochemistry involved in the production of ozone and other oxidants in the atmosphere. Urban air quality issues are reviewed with a specific focus on ozone and other oxidants, primary and secondary aerosols, alternative fuels, and the potential for chlorine releases to amplify oxidant chemistry in industrial areas. Regional air pollution issues such as acid rain, long-range transport of aerosols and visibility loss, and the connections of aerosols to ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate chemistry are examined. Finally, the potential impacts of air pollutants on the global-scale radiative balances of gases and aerosols are discussed briefly.

Defining Data Access Pathways for Atmosphere to Electrons Wind Energy Data

Science.gov (United States)

Macduff, M.; Sivaraman, C.

2016-12-01

Atmosphere to Electrons (A2e), is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Program research initiative designed to optimize the performance of wind power plants by lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The Data Archive and Portal (DAP), managed by PNNL and hosted on Amazon Web Services, is a key capability of the A2e initiative. The DAP is used to collect, store, catalog, preserve and disseminate results from the experimental and computational studies representing a diverse user community requiring both open and proprietary data archival solutions(http://a2e.pnnl.gov). To enable consumer access to the data in DAP it is being built on a set of API's that are publically accessible. This includes persistent references for key meta-data objects as well as authenticated access to the data itself. The goal is to make the DAP catalog visible through a variety of data access paths bringing the data and metadata closer to the consumer. By providing persistent metadata records we hope to be able to build services that capture consumer utility and make referencing datasets easier.

Radical budget and ozone chemistry during autumn in the atmosphere of an urban site in central China

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xingcheng; Chen, Nan; Wang, Yuhang; Cao, Wenxiang; Zhu, Bo; Yao, Teng; Fung, Jimmy C. H.; Lau, Alexis K. H.

2017-03-01

The ROx (=OH + HO2 + RO2) budget and O3 production at an urban site in central China (Wuhan) during autumn were simulated and analyzed for the first time using a UW Chemical Model 0-D box model constrained by in situ observational data. The daytime average OH, HO2, and RO2 concentrations were 2.2 × 106, 1.0 × 108, and 5.2 × 107 molecules cm-3, respectively. The average daytime O3 production rate was 8.8 ppbv h-1, and alkenes were the most important VOC species for O3 formation (contributing 45%) at this site. Our sensitivity test indicated that the atmospheric environment in Wuhan during autumn belongs to the VOC-limited regime. The daily average HONO concentration at this site during the study period reached 1.1 ppbv and played an important role in the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. Without the source of excess HONO, the average daytime OH, HO2, RO2, and O3 production rates decreased by 36%, 26%, 27%, and 31% respectively. A correlation between the HONO to NO2 heterogeneous conversion efficiency and PM2.5 × SWR was found at this site; based on this relationship, if the PM2.5 concentration met the World Health Organization air quality standard (25 µg m-3), the O3 production rate in this city would decrease by 19% during late autumn. The burning of agricultural biomass severely affected the air quality in Wuhan during summer and autumn. Agricultural burning was found to account for 18% of the O3 formation during the study period. Our results suggest that VOC control and a ban on agricultural biomass burning should be considered as high-priority measures for improving the air quality in this region.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in urban soils: analysis, concentrations, and relation to other persistent organic pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauss, Martin; Wilcke, Wolfgang

2003-01-01

Some of the first data on polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in soils are presented from a rural-urban-industrial gradient. - We determined the concentrations of 35 PCNs, 12 PCBs, and 20 PAHs in 49 urban topsoils under different land use (house garden, roadside grassland, alluvial grassland, park areas, industrial sites, agricultural sites) and in nine rural topsoils. The sums of concentrations of 35 PCNs (Σ35 PCNs) were -1 in urban soils and -1 in rural soils. The PCN, PCB, and PAH concentrations were highest at industrial sites and in house gardens. While rural soils receive PCNs, PCBs, and PAHs by common atmospheric deposition, there are site-specific sources of PCNs, PCBs, and PAHs for urban soils such as deposition of contaminated technogenic materials. The PCN, PCB, and PAH concentrations decreased from the central urban to the rural area. In the same order the contribution of lower chlorinated PCNs and PCBs increased because they are more volatile and subject to increased atmospheric transport. The PCNs 52+60, and 73 were more abundant in soil samples than in Halowax mixtures, indicating that combustion contributed to the PCN contamination of the soils

Use of GLOBE Observations to Derive a Landsat 8 Split Window Algorithm for Urban Heat Island

Science.gov (United States)

Fagerstrom, L.; Czajkowski, K. P.

2017-12-01

Surface temperature has been studied to investigate the warming of urban climates, also known as urban heat islands, which can impact urban planning, public health, pollution levels, and energy consumption. However, the full potential of remotely sensed images is limited when analyzing land surface temperature due to the daunting task of correcting for atmospheric effects. Landsat 8 has two thermal infrared sensors. With two bands in the infrared region, a split window algorithm (SWA), can be applied to correct for atmospheric effects. This project used in situ surface temperature measurements from NASA's ground observation program, the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), to derive the correcting coefficients for use in the SWA. The GLOBE database provided land surface temperature data that coincided with Landsat 8 overpasses. The land surface temperature derived from Landsat 8 SWA can be used to analyze for urban heat island effect.

Seasonal variations of intensity of muons and electrons of decay in points of probe measurements of cosmic radiation in the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurguzova, A.I.; Charakhch'yan, T.N.

1983-01-01

Altitude-dependent intensities of muon and electron decay are calculated for the summer and winter seasons in the regions of Murmansk, Moscow, Alma-Ata and Mirnyj (the Antarctica). Values of the calculated temperature coefficients of muonf and electron decay for three levels (50, 500 and 1000 g/cm 2 ) are given. Seasonal variations of the muone and electron intensities are practically the same for all the points at depths X > 300 g/cm 2 (approximately 5% for muons and approximately 1% for electrons); at depths X 2 in Mirnyj the variations are considerably higher than in other points. Seasonal variations of the cosmic ray intensity on the surface of the Earth make up approximately 4%, in the low atmosphere (X=500 g/cm 2 ) they make up approximately 2%. In Mirnyj the seasonal variations of cosmic rays in the stratosphere (X=50 g/cm 2 ) also make up approximately 2%

Atmospheric speciation of mercury in two contrasting Southeastern US airsheds

Science.gov (United States)

Gabriel, Mark C.; Williamson, Derek G.; Brooks, Steve; Lindberg, Steve

Simultaneous measurement of gaseous elemental, reactive gaseous, and fine particulate mercury took place in Tuscaloosa AL, (urban airshed) and Cove Mountain, TN (non-urban airshed) during the summers of 2002 and 2003. The objective of this research was to (1) summarize the temporal distribution of each mercury specie at each site and compare to other speciation data sets developed by other researchers and (2) provide insight into urban and non-urban mercury speciation effects using various statistical methods. Average specie concentrations were as follows: 4.05 ng m -3 (GEM), 13.6 pg m -3 (RGM), 16.4 pg m -3 (Hg-p) for Tuscaloosa; 3.20 ng m -3 (GEM), 13.6 pg m -3 (RGM), 9.73 pg m -3 (Hg-p) for Cove Mountain. As a result of urban airshed impacts, short periods of high concentration for all mercury species was common in Tuscaloosa. At Cove Mountain a consistent mid-day rise and evening drop for mercury species was found. This pattern was primarily the result of un-impacted physical boundary layer movement, although, other potential impacts were ambient photochemistry and air-surface exchange of mercury. Meteorological parameters that are known to heavily impact mercury speciation were similar for the study period for Tuscaloosa and Cove Mountain except for wind speed (m s -1), which was higher at Cove Mountain. For both sites statistically significant ( p<0.0001), inverse relationships existed between wind speed and Hg 0 concentration. A weaker windspeed-Hg 0 correlation existed for Tuscaloosa. By analyzing Hg concentration—wind speed magnitude change at both sites it was found that wind speed at Cove Mountain had a greater influence on Hg 0 concentration variability than Tuscaloosa by a factor of 3. Using various statistical tests, we concluded that the nature of Tuscaloosa's atmospheric mercury speciation was the result of typical urban airshed impacts. Cove Mountain showed atmospheric mercury speciation characteristics indicative of a non-urban area along with

Assessing Greenhouse Gas emissions in the Greater Toronto Area using atmospheric observations (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, F. R.; Chan, E.; Huang, L.; Levin, I.; Worthy, D.

2013-12-01

Urban areas are said to be responsible for approximately 75% of anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions while comprising only two percent of the land area [1]. This limited spatial expansion should facilitate a monitoring of anthropogenic GHGs from atmospheric observations. As major sources of emissions, cities also have a huge potential to drive emissions reductions. To effectively manage emissions, cities must however, first measure and report these publicly [2]. Modelling studies and measurements of CO2 from fossil fuel burning (FFCO2) in densely populated areas does, however, pose several challenges: Besides continuous in-situ observations, i.e. finding an adequate atmospheric transport model, a sufficiently fine-grained FFCO2 emission model and the proper background reference observations to distinguish the large-scale from the local/urban contributions to the observed FFCO2 concentration offsets ( ΔFFCO2) are required. Pilot studies which include the data from two 'sister sites*' in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada helped to derive flux estimates for Non-CO2 GHGs [3] and improve our understanding of urban FFCO2 emissions. Our 13CO2 observations reveal that the contribution of natural gas burning (mostly due to domestic heating) account for 80%×7% of FFCO2 emissions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during winter. Our 14CO2 observations in the GTA, furthermore, show that the local offset of CO2 (ΔCO2) between our two sister sites can be largely attributed to urban FFCO2 emissions. The seasonal cycle of the observed ΔFFCO2 in Toronto, combined with high-resolution atmospheric modeling, helps to independently assess the contribution from different emission sectors (transportation, primary energy and industry, domestic heating) as predicted by a dedicated city-scale emission inventory, which deviates from a UNFCCC-based inventory. [1] D. Dodman. 2009. Blaming cities for climate change? An analysis of urban greenhouse gas emissions inventories

Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Zurich, Switzerland--Atmospheric Concentrations and Emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Diefenbacher, Pascal S; Bogdal, Christian; Gerecke, Andreas C; Glüge, Juliane; Schmid, Peter; Scheringer, Martin; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2015-08-18

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are of concern due to their potential for adverse health effects, bioaccumulation, persistence, and long-range transport. Data on concentrations of SCCPs in urban areas and underlying emissions are still scarce. In this study, we investigated the levels and spatial distribution of SCCPs in air, based on two separate, spatially resolved sampling campaigns in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. SCCP concentrations in air ranged from 1.8 to 17 ng·m(-3) (spring 2011) and 1.1 to 42 ng·m(-3) (spring 2013) with medians of 4.3 and 2.7 ng·m(-3), respectively. Both data sets show that atmospheric SCCP levels in Zurich can vary substantially and may be influenced by a number of localized sources within this urban area. Additionally, continuous measurements of atmospheric concentrations performed at one representative sampling site in the city center from 2011 to 2013 showed strong seasonal variations with high SCCP concentrations in summer and lower levels in winter. A long-term dynamic multimedia environmental fate model was parametrized to simulate the seasonal trends of SCCP concentrations in air and to back-calculate urban emissions. Resulting annual SCCP emissions in the city of Zurich accounted for 218-321 kg, which indicates that large SCCP stocks are present in urban areas of industrialized countries.

Source apportionment and environmental fate of lead chromates in atmospheric dust in arid environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Meza-Figueroa, Diana; González-Grijalva, Belem; Romero, Francisco; Ruiz, Joaquin; Pedroza-Montero, Martín; Rivero, Carlos Ibañez-Del; Acosta-Elías, Mónica; Ochoa-Landin, Lucas; Navarro-Espinoza, Sofía

2018-03-07

The environmental fate of lead derived from traffic paint has been poorly studied in developing countries, mainly in arid zones. For this purpose, a developing city located in the Sonoran desert (Hermosillo, Mexico), was chosen to conduct a study. In this paper the lead chromate (crocoite) sources in atmospheric dust were addressed using a combination of Raman microspectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Pb isotope measurements. A high concentration of Pb and Cr as micro- and nanostructured pigments of crocoite is reported in yellow traffic paint (n=80), road dust (n=146), settled dust in roofs (n=21), and atmospheric dust (n=20) from a developing city located in the Sonoran Desert. 10 samples of peri-urban soils were collected for local geochemical background. The paint photodegradation and erosion of the asphaltic cover are enhanced by the climate, and the presence of the mineral crocoite (PbCrO 4 ) in road dust with an aerodynamic diameter ranging from 100nm to 2μm suggests its integration into the atmosphere by wind resuspension processes. A positive PbCr correlation (R 2 =0.977) was found for all studied samples, suggesting a common source. The Pb-isotope data show signatures in atmospheric dust as a product of the mixing of two end members: i) local soils and ii) crocoite crystals as pigments in paint. The presence of lead chromates in atmospheric dust has not been previously documented in Latin America, and it represents an unknown health risk to the exposed population because the identified size of crystals can reach the deepest part of lungs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on vegetation and soils in Joshua Tree National Park

Science.gov (United States)

E.B. Allen; L. Rao; R.J. Steers; A. Bytnerowicz; M.E. Fenn

2009-01-01

The western Mojave Desert is downwind of nitrogen emissions from coastal and inland urban sources, especially automobiles. The objectives of this research were to measure reactive nitrogen (N) in the atmosphere and soils along a N-deposition gradient at Joshua Tree National Park and to examine its effects on invasive and native plant species. Atmospheric nitric acid (...

Radiological and Environmental Research Division annual report, January-December 1982. Atmospheric physics. Part 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

The first article in this report, although dealing with simple terrain, summarizes an effort to obtain measures of parameters important in transport and diffusion in the lower atmosphere solely by use of a Doppler acoustic sounding system. The second article describes participation in a multiagency experiment (Shoreline Environment Atmospheric Dispersion Experiment, SEADEX) to study the fate of materials released over a surface with notable surface nonuniformities, specifically at a coastal nuclear power plant during onshore flow conditions. The third and fourth articles in this report address research on the local behavior of pollutants emitted from diesel engines in urban areas. Most effort was directed toward field studies on circulation patterns in street canyons, exchange rates with the atmosphere above rooftops, and characterization of particles in outdoor urban microclimates. The remainder of the report is quite diverse and contains multiple articles on perhaps only one or two types of research. One is numerical modeling of the behavior of atmospheric pollutants, especially gaseous and particulate substances associated with acid deposition. The modeling and theoretical capabilities have been developed in part to consider potential nonlinear relationships between anthropogenic emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds and the distant deposition of resulting acidifying substances. On the experimental side, field phases of research designed to compare methods of analyses of precipitation samples and to study local urban effects on precipitation chemistry were completed. Each report is indexed separately.

Radiological and Environmental Research Division annual report, January-December 1982. Atmospheric physics. Part 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The first article in this report, although dealing with simple terrain, summarizes an effort to obtain measures of parameters important in transport and diffusion in the lower atmosphere solely by use of a Doppler acoustic sounding system. The second article describes participation in a multiagency experiment (Shoreline Environment Atmospheric Dispersion Experiment, SEADEX) to study the fate of materials released over a surface with notable surface nonuniformities, specifically at a coastal nuclear power plant during onshore flow conditions. The third and fourth articles in this report address research on the local behavior of pollutants emitted from diesel engines in urban areas. Most effort was directed toward field studies on circulation patterns in street canyons, exchange rates with the atmosphere above rooftops, and characterization of particles in outdoor urban microclimates. The remainder of the report is quite diverse and contains multiple articles on perhaps only one or two types of research. One is numerical modeling of the behavior of atmospheric pollutants, especially gaseous and particulate substances associated with acid deposition. The modeling and theoretical capabilities have been developed in part to consider potential nonlinear relationships between anthropogenic emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds and the distant deposition of resulting acidifying substances. On the experimental side, field phases of research designed to compare methods of analyses of precipitation samples and to study local urban effects on precipitation chemistry were completed. Each report is indexed separately

The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX: A test-bed for developing urban greenhouse gas emission measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth J. Davis

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX is to develop, evaluate and improve methods for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG emissions from cities. INFLUX’s scientific objectives are to quantify CO2 and CH4 emission rates at 1 km2 resolution with a 10% or better accuracy and precision, to determine whole-city emissions with similar skill, and to achieve high (weekly or finer temporal resolution at both spatial resolutions. The experiment employs atmospheric GHG measurements from both towers and aircraft, atmospheric transport observations and models, and activity-based inventory products to quantify urban GHG emissions. Multiple, independent methods for estimating urban emissions are a central facet of our experimental design. INFLUX was initiated in 2010 and measurements and analyses are ongoing. To date we have quantified urban atmospheric GHG enhancements using aircraft and towers with measurements collected over multiple years, and have estimated whole-city CO2 and CH4 emissions using aircraft and tower GHG measurements, and inventory methods. Significant differences exist across methods; these differences have not yet been resolved; research to reduce uncertainties and reconcile these differences is underway. Sectorally- and spatially-resolved flux estimates, and detection of changes of fluxes over time, are also active research topics. Major challenges include developing methods for distinguishing anthropogenic from biogenic CO2 fluxes, improving our ability to interpret atmospheric GHG measurements close to urban GHG sources and across a broader range of atmospheric stability conditions, and quantifying uncertainties in inventory data products. INFLUX data and tools are intended to serve as an open resource and test bed for future investigations. Well-documented, public archival of data and methods is under development in support of this objective.

Muon/electron separation for atmospheric neutrino interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allison, W.W.M.; Barr, G.D.; Brooks, C.B.; Cobb, J.H.; Kirby-Gallagher, L.M.; Giles, R.H.; Giller, G.L.; Perkins, D.H.; Shield, P.D.; Thomson, M.A.; West, N.; Alner, G.J.; Cockerill, D.J.A.; Edwards, V.W.; Garcia-Garcia, C.; Litchfield, P.J.; Pearce, G.F.; Woods, C.A.; Ambats, I.; Ayres, D.S.; Balka, L.; Barrett, W.L.; Dawson, J.W.; Fields, T.; Goodman, M.C.; Hill, N.; Jankowski, D.J.; Lopez, F.; May, E.N.; Price, L.E.; Schlereth, J.; Thron, J.L.; Uretsky, J.L.; Courant, H.; Dahlin, B.; Demuth, D.; Gray, R.; Heppelmann, S.; Johns, K.; Joyce, T.; Kasahara, S.; Longley, N.; Lowe, M.; Marshak, M.L.; Miller, W.H.; Minor, C.; Peterson, E.A.; Roback, D.; Rosen, D.; Ruddick, K.; Schmid, D.; Shupe, M.; Villaume, G.; Weems, L.; Werkema, S.J.

1991-08-01

A study has been made of the ability of the Soudan 2 nucleon decay detector to distinguish between showering and non-showering particles, utilizing several different pattern recognition techniques. This work has direct application in the determination of the ν μ /ν e ratio for atmospheric neutrino induced events. The results of the application of these techniques to Monte Carlo data and to calibration data from the ISIS test beam are presented

Multi-Scale Enviro-HIRLAM Forecasting of Weather and Atmospheric Composition over China and its Megacities

Science.gov (United States)

Mahura, Alexander; Amstrup, Bjarne; Nuterman, Roman; Yang, Xiaohua; Baklanov, Alexander

2017-04-01

Air pollution is a serious problem in different regions of China and its continuously growing megacities. Information on air quality, and especially, in urbanized areas is important for decision making, emergency response and population. In particular, the metropolitan areas of Shanghai, Beijing, and Pearl River Delta are well known as main regions having serious air pollution problems. The on-line integrated meteorology-chemistry-aerosols Enviro-HIRLAM (Environment - HIgh Resolution Limited Area Model) model adapted for China and selected megacities is applied for forecasting of weather and atmospheric composition (with focus on aerosols). The model system is running in downscaling chain from regional to urban scales at subsequent horizontal resolutions of 15-5-2.5 km. The model setup includes also the urban Building Effects Parameterization module, describing different types of urban districts (industrial commercial, city center, high density and residential) with its own morphological and aerodynamical characteristics. The effects of urbanization are important for atmospheric transport, dispersion, deposition, and chemical transformations, in addition to better quality emission inventories for China and selected urban areas. The Enviro-HIRLAM system provides meteorology and air quality forecasts at regional-subregional-urban scales (China - East China - selected megacities). In particular, such forecasting is important for metropolitan areas, where formation and development of meteorological and chemical/aerosol patterns are especially complex. It also provides information for evaluation impact on selected megacities of China as well as for investigation relationship between air pollution and meteorology.

Methane Emissions from Natural Gas in the Urban Region of Boston, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

McKain, K.; Down, A.; Raciti, S. M.; Budney, J.; Hutyra, L.; Floerchinger, C. R.; Herndon, S. C.; Zahniser, M. S.; Nehrkorn, T.; Jackson, R. B.; Phillips, N. G.; Wofsy, S. C.

2014-12-01

Methane emissions from the natural gas supply chain must be quantified to assess environmental impacts of natural gas and to develop emission reduction strategies. We report natural gas emission rates for one year in the urban region of Boston, MA, using an atmospheric measurement and modeling framework. Continuous methane observations from four stations are combined with a high-resolution transport model to quantify the regional average emission rate, 20.6 ± 1.7 (95 % CI) g CH4 m-2 yr-1. Simultaneous observations of atmospheric ethane, compared with the ethane to methane ratio in pipeline gas, demonstrate that natural gas accounted for 58 - 100 % of methane emissions, depending on season. Using government statistics and geospatial data on energy consumption, we estimate the fractional loss rate to the atmosphere from all downstream components of the natural gas system, including transmission, distribution, and end-use, was 2.9 ± 0.3 % in the Boston urban region, compared to 1.1 % inferred by the Massachusetts greenhouse gas inventory.

Characterization of atmospheric emission sources in lichen from metal and organic contaminant patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratier, Aude; Dron, Julien; Revenko, Gautier; Austruy, Annabelle; Dauphin, Charles-Enzo; Chaspoul, Florence; Wafo, Emmanuel

2018-03-01

Lichen samples from contrasted environments, influenced by various anthropic activities, were investigated focusing on the contaminant signatures according to the atmospheric exposure typologies. Most of the contaminant concentrations measured in the 27 lichen samples, collected around the industrial harbor of Fos-sur-Mer (France), were moderate in rural and urban environments, and reached extreme levels in industrial areas and neighboring cities (Al up to 6567 mg kg -1 , Fe 42,398 mg kg -1 , or ΣPAH 1417 μg kg -1 for example). At the same time, a strong heterogeneity was noticed in industrial samples while urban and rural ones were relatively homogeneous. Several metals could be associated to steel industry (Fe, Mn, Cd), road traffic, and agriculture (Sb, Cu, Sn), or to a distinct chemical installation (Mo). As well, PCDFs dominated in industrial samples while PCDDs prevailed in urban areas. The particularities observed supported the purpose of this work and discriminated the contributions of various atmospheric pollution emission sources in lichen samples. A statistical approach based on principal component analysis (PCA) was applied and resolved these potential singularities into specific component factors. Even if a certain degree of mixing of the factors is pointed out, relevant relationships were observed with several atmospheric emission sources. By this methodology, the contribution of industrial emissions to the atmospheric metal, PAH, PCB, and PCDD/F levels was roughly estimated to be 60.2%, before biomass burning (10.2%) and road traffic (3.8%). These results demonstrate that lichen biomonitoring offers an encouraging perspective of spatially resolved source apportionment studies.

Martian Dust Devil Electron Avalanche Process and Associated Electrochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Telana L.; Farrell, William M.; Delory, Gregory T.; Nithianandam, Jeyasingh

2010-01-01

Mars' dynamic atmosphere displays localized dust devils and larger, global dust storms. Based on terrestrial analog studies, electrostatic modeling, and laboratory work these features will contain large electrostatic fields formed via triboelectric processes. In the low-pressure Martian atmosphere, these fields may create an electron avalanche and collisional plasma due to an increase in electron density driven by the internal electrical forces. To test the hypothesis that an electron avalanche is sustained under these conditions, a self-consistent atmospheric process model is created including electron impact ionization sources and electron losses via dust absorption, electron dissociation attachment, and electron/ion recombination. This new model is called the Dust Devil Electron Avalanche Model (DDEAM). This model solves simultaneously nine continuity equations describing the evolution of the primary gaseous chemical species involved in the electrochemistry. DDEAM monitors the evolution of the electrons and primary gas constituents, including electron/water interactions. We especially focus on electron dynamics and follow the electrons as they evolve in the E field driven collisional gas. When sources and losses are self-consistently included in the electron continuity equation, the electron density grows exponentially with increasing electric field, reaching an equilibrium that forms a sustained time-stable collisional plasma. However, the character of this plasma differs depending upon the assumed growth rate saturation process (chemical saturation versus space charge). DDEAM also shows the possibility of the loss of atmospheric methane as a function of electric field due to electron dissociative attachment of the hydrocarbon. The methane destruction rates are presented and can be included in other larger atmospheric models.

Atmospheric emission of 137Cs82 from Beloyarsk nuclear power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Kolotkov, G. A.

2018-01-01

Citing Beloyarsk nuclear power plant (Russia) as an example, the problem of remote detection of radioactivity in the atmospheric pollution is examined. The comparative analysis of injected radionuclides into the atmosphere from the nuclear power plant with advanced fast neutron reactor is carried out. The main radionuclides throw out into the atmosphere from the nuclear power plant are beta-radionuclides. The secondary and tertiary spectra of beta-electrons decay for artificial radionuclide 137Cs82 is calculated, using Spencer-Fano’s equation. The averaged parameters of initial beta - electrons generated by 137Cs82 decay in the atmosphere is calculated.

Alkylphenolic compounds and bisphenol A contamination within a heavily urbanized area: case study of Paris.

Science.gov (United States)

Cladière, Mathieu; Gasperi, Johnny; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Bonhomme, Céline; Rocher, Vincent; Tassin, Bruno

2013-05-01

This study evaluates the influence of a heavily urbanized area (Paris Metropolitan area), on receiving water contamination by both bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) biodegradation product. The study began by investigating concentrations within urban sources. In addition to the more commonly studied wastewater treatment plant effluent, wet weather urban sources (including combined sewer overflows, urban runoff, and total atmospheric fallout) were considered. The initial results highlight a significant contamination of all urban sources (from a few nanograms per liter in atmospheric fallout to several micrograms per liter in the other sources) with clearly distinguishable distribution patterns. Secondly, concentration changes along the Seine River from upstream of the Paris Metropolitan area to downstream were investigated. While the concentrations of BPA and nonylphenoxy acetic acid (NP₁EC) increase substantially due to urban sources, the 4-nonylphenol concentrations remain homogeneous along the Seine. These results suggest a broad dissemination of 4-nonylphenol at the scale of the Seine River basin. Moreover, the relationship between pollutant concentrations and Seine River flow was assessed both upstream and downstream of the Paris conurbation. Consequently, a sharp decrease in dissolved NP1EC concentrations relative to Seine River flow underscores the influence of single-point urban pollution on Seine River contamination. Conversely, dissolved 4-nonylphenol concentrations serve to reinforce the hypothesis of its widespread presence at the Seine River basin scale.

Effects of geographical location and land use on atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the State of Connecticut

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Yuzhou; Yang, Xiusheng; Carley, Robert J.; Perkins, Christopher

2003-01-01

High ambient concentrations of tropospheric nitrogen and dry deposition flux were found in urban areas. - A network of eight monitoring stations was established to study the atmospheric nitrogen concentration and deposition in the State of Connecticut. The stations were classified into urban, rural, coastal and inland categories to represent the geographical location and land use characteristics surrounding the monitoring sites. Nitrogen species including nitrate, ammonium, nitric acid vapor and organic nitrogen in the air and precipitation were collected, analyzed and used to infer nitrogen concentrations and dry and wet deposition flux densities for the sampling period from 1997 through 1999, with independently collected meteorological data. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the spatial variations of atmospheric concentration and deposition fluxes of total nitrogen in Connecticut. A slightly higher atmospheric concentration of total nitrogen was observed along the Connecticut coastline of Long Island Sound compared to inland areas, while the differences of nitrogen deposition fluxes were insignificant between coastal and inland sites. The land use characteristics surrounding the monitoring sites had profound effects on the atmospheric nitrogen concentration and dry deposition flux. The ambient nitrogen concentration over the four urban sites was averaged 38.9% higher than that over the rural sites, resulting a 58.0% higher dry deposition flux in these sites compared to their rural counterparts. The local industrial activities and traffic emissions of nitrogen at urban areas had significant effects on the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen concentration and dry deposition flux in the State. Wet and total deposition fluxes appeared to be invariant between the monitoring sites, except for high flux densities measured at Old Greenwich, a monitoring station near to and downwind of the New York and New Jersey industrial complexes

Lead contamination and transfer in urban environmental compartments analyzed by lead levels and isotopic compositions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xin; Sun, Yuanyuan; Ding, Zhuhong; Zhang, Yun; Wu, Jichun; Lian, Hongzhen; Wang, Tijian

2014-04-01

Lead levels and isotopic compositions in atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5), street dust and surface soil collected from Nanjing, a mega city in China, were analyzed to investigate the contamination and the transfer of lead in urban environmental compartments. The lead contents in TSP and PM2.5 are significantly higher than them in the surface soil and street dust (p lead to the major crustal elements (Al, Sr, Ti and Fe) indicates significant lead enrichment in atmospheric particles. The plots of (206)Pb/(207)Pb vs.(208)Pb/(206)Pb and (206)Pb/(207)Pb vs. 1/Pb imply that the street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5) have very similar lead sources. Coal emissions and smelting activities may be the important lead sources for street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5), while the deposition of airborne lead is an important lead source for urban surface soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal variations of dissolved organic carbon in precipitation over urban and forest sites in central Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Siudek, Patrycja; Frankowski, Marcin; Siepak, Jerzy

2015-07-01

Spatial and temporal variability of carbon species in rainwater (bulk deposition) was studied for the first time at two sites located in urban area of Poznań City and protected woodland area (Jeziory), in central Poland, between April and December 2013. The mean concentration of total carbon (TC) for the first site was 5.86 mg L(-1), whereas for the second, 5.21 mg L(-1). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration accounted for, on average, 87 and 91 % of total carbon in precipitation at urban and non-urban sites, respectively. Significant changes in TC concentrations in rainwater were observed at both sites, indicating that atmospheric transformation, transport, and removal mechanisms of carbonaceous particles were affected by seasonal fluctuations in biogenic/anthropogenic emission and meteorological conditions (i.e., precipitation height and type, atmospheric transport). During the warm season, the DOC concentration in rainwater was mostly influenced by mixed natural and anthropogenic sources. In contrast, during the cold season, the DOC concentration significantly increased mainly as a result of anthropogenic activities, i.e., intensive coal combustion, domestic wood burning, high-temperature processes, etc. In addition, during the winter measurements, significant differences in mean DOC concentration (Kruskal-Wallis test, p urban and non-urban sites. These data imply that carbonaceous compounds are of crucial importance in atmospheric chemistry and should be considered as an important parameter while considering wet deposition, reactions with different substances, especially over polluted environments.

Comparison of mercury mass loading in streams to atmospheric deposition in watersheds of Western North America: Evidence for non-atmospheric mercury sources

Science.gov (United States)

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Majewski, Michael S.; Alpers, Charles N.; Eckley, Chris S.; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Schenk, Liam N.; Wherry, Susan

2016-01-01

Annual stream loads of mercury (Hg) and inputs of wet and dry atmospheric Hg deposition to the landscape were investigated in watersheds of the Western United States and the Canadian-Alaskan Arctic. Mercury concentration and discharge data from flow gauging stations were used to compute annual mass loads with regression models. Measured wet and modeled dry deposition were compared to annual stream loads to compute ratios of Hg stream load to total Hg atmospheric deposition. Watershed land uses or cover included mining, undeveloped, urbanized, and mixed. Of 27 watersheds that were investigated, 15 had some degree of mining, either of Hg or precious metals (gold or silver), where Hg was used in the amalgamation process. Stream loads in excess of annual Hg atmospheric deposition (ratio > 1) were observed in watersheds containing Hg mines and in relatively small and medium-sized watersheds with gold or silver mines, however, larger watersheds containing gold or silver mines, some of which also contain large dams that trap sediment, were sometimes associated with lower load ratios (< 0.2). In the non-Arctic regions, watersheds with natural vegetation tended to have low ratios of stream load to Hg deposition (< 0.1), whereas urbanized areas had higher ratios (0.34–1.0) because of impervious surfaces. This indicated that, in ecosystems with natural vegetation, Hg is retained in the soil and may be transported subsequently to streams as a result of erosion or in association with dissolved organic carbon. Arctic watersheds (Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers) had a relatively elevated ratio of stream load to atmospheric deposition (0.27 and 0.74), possibly because of melting glaciers or permafrost releasing previously stored Hg to the streams. Overall, our research highlights the important role of watershed characteristics in determining whether a landscape is a net source of Hg or a net sink of atmospheric Hg.

Atmospheric organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas of Nepal: spatial variation, sources, temporal trends, and long-range transport potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Pokhrel

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The study of persistent organic pollutants (POPs in low-latitude tropical and subtropical urban cities is necessary to assess their local and global impacts on ecosystems and human health. Despite studies on levels of POPs in water, soils, and sediments, analysis of the distribution patterns, seasonality, and sources of POPs in urban regions of Nepal remain limited. Polyurethane foam (PUF-based passive air samplers were deployed in three major cities in Nepal: Kathmandu (the capital city, Pokhara, and Hetauda (agricultural cities. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH were the dominant organochlorine pesticides in the atmosphere at all sites. The average concentrations of POPs were  ∑ DDTs, 8.7–1.0  ×  103 pg m−3;  ∑ HCHs, 5.3–3.3  ×  103 pg m−3; HCB, 5.8–3.4  ×  102 pg m−3;  ∑ endosulfan, BDL–51 pg m−3; and  ∑ 6PCBs, 1.4–47 pg m−3. Isomer and metabolite ratio analyses suggested that the concentrations present were from both new and historical applications of the POPs. Vegetable production sites and their market places appeared to be the major DDT and HCH source areas. Higher atmospheric concentrations of DDT and HCH occurred during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, and winter, respectively, closely associated with their local application for soil preparation and vegetable spraying. The estimated travel distances of the POPs (HCB, α-HCH, γ-HCH, and p, p′-DDT under the Nepalese tropical climate were all above 1000 km, suggesting that high precipitation levels in the tropical climate were not enough to scavenge the POPs and that Nepal could be an important source region for POPs. Due to their close proximity and cold trapping (driven by low temperatures, the high Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau are likely the key receptors of POPs emitted in Nepal. These results add to the information available on POPs from

The potential of urban tree plantings to be cost effective in carbon credit markets

Science.gov (United States)

M.R. McHale; E.G. McPherson; I.C. Burke

2007-01-01

Emission trading is considered to be an economically sensitive method for reducing the concentrations of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. There has been debate about the viability of using urban tree plantings in these markets. The main concern is whether or not urban planting projects can be cost effective options for investors. We...

Partitioning of magnetic particles in PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 aerosols in the urban atmosphere of Barcelona (Spain)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revuelta, María Aránzazu; McIntosh, Gregg; Pey, Jorge; Pérez, Noemi; Querol, Xavier; Alastuey, Andrés

2014-01-01

A combined magnetic-chemical study of 15 daily, simultaneous PM 10 –PM 2.5 –PM 1 urban background aerosol samples has been carried out. The magnetic properties are dominated by non-stoichiometric magnetite, with highest concentrations seen in PM 10 . Low temperature magnetic analyses showed that the superparamagnetic fraction is more abundant when coarse, multidomain particles are present, confirming that they may occur as an oxidized outer shell around coarser grains. A strong association of the magnetic parameters with a vehicular PM 10 source has been identified. Strong correlations found with Cu and Sb suggests that this association is related to brake abrasion emissions rather than exhaust emissions. For PM 1 the magnetic remanence parameters are more strongly associated with crustal sources. Two crustal sources are identified in PM 1 , one of which is of North African origin. The magnetic particles are related to this source and so may be used to distinguish North African dust from other sources in PM 1 . - Highlights: • Magnetic properties of PM 10 , PM 2.5 and PM 1 defined for a Mediterranean urban site. • Vehicular source of magnetic particles dominates in PM 10 . • Crustal source of magnetic particles dominates in PM 1 . • Magnetic remanence may distinguish between North African and regional dust in PM 1 . - Capsule abstract two sources of magnetic atmospheric particles have been identified in Barcelona, a vehicular source which dominates in PM 10 and a crustal source that dominates in PM 1

Characterization of atmospheric deposition and runoff water on a small suburban catchment

OpenAIRE

LAMPREA, Diana Katerine; RUBAN, Véronique

2011-01-01

A study of air quality and atmospheric deposition on a small urban catchment (Pin Sec catchment) has been carried out in Nantes, France, in 2007 and 2008 in the frame of a federative project aimed at understanding the origin of pollution in urban environments. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide and particles less than 10 µm (PM 10) were monitored for air quality, whereas heavy metals, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides were analyze...

URBAN EFFICIENT ENERGY EVALUATION IN HIGH RESOLUTION URBAN AREAS BY USING ADAPTED WRF-UCM AND MICROSYS CFD MODELS

Science.gov (United States)

San Jose, R.; Perez, J. L.; Gonzalez, R. M.

2009-12-01

Urban metabolism modeling has advanced substantially during the last years due to the increased detail in mesoscale urban parameterization in meteorological mesoscale models and CFD numerical tools. Recently the implementation of the “urban canopy model” (UCM) into the WRF mesoscale meteorological model has produced a substantial advance on the understanding of the urban atmospheric heat flux exchanges in the urban canopy. The need to optimize the use of heat energy in urban environment has produced a substantial increase in the detailed investigation of the urban heat flux exchanges. In this contribution we will show the performance of using a tool called MICROSYS (MICRO scale CFD modelling SYStem) which is an adaptation of the classical urban canopy model but on a high resolution environment by using a classical CFD approach. The energy balance in the urban system can be determined in a micrometeorologicl sense by considering the energy flows in and out of a control volume. For such a control volume reaching from ground to a certain height above buildings, the energy balance equation includes the net radiation, the anthropogenic heat flux, the turbulent sensible heat flux, the turbulent latent heat flux, the net storage change within the control volume, the net advected flux and other sources and sinks. We have applied the MICROSYS model to an area of 5 km x 5 km with 200 m spatial resolution by using the WRF-UCM (adapted and the MICROSYS CFD model. The anthropogenic heat flux has been estimated by using the Flanner M.G. (2009) database and detailed GIS information (50 m resolution) of Madrid city. The Storage energy has been estimated by calculating the energy balance according to the UCM procedure and implementing it into the MICROSYS tool. Results show that MICROSYS can be used as an energy efficient tool to estimate the energy balance of different urban areas and buildings.

Quantification of Atmospheric Formaldehyde by Near-Infrared Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, C.; Hoffnagle, J.; Fleck, D.; Kim-Hak, D.

2017-12-01

Formaldehyde is an important species in atmospheric chemistry, especially in urban environments, where it is a decay product of methane and volatile hydrocarbons. It is also a toxic, carcinogenic compound that can contaminate ambient air from incomplete combustion, or outgassing of commercial products such as adhesives used to fabricate plywood or to affix indoor carpeting. Formaldehyde has a clearly resolved ro-vibrational absorption spectrum that is well-suited to optical analysis of formaldehyde concentration. We describe an instrument based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of formaldehyde concentration in ambient air. The instrument has a precision (1-sigma) of about 1 ppb at a measurement rate of 1 second, and provides measurements of less than 100 ppt with averaging. The instrument provides stable measurements (drift < 1 ppb) over long periods of time (days). The instrument has been ruggedized for mobile applications, and with a fast response time of a couple of seconds, it is suitable for ground-based vehicle deployments for fenceline monitoring of formaldehyde emissions. In addition, we report on ambient atmospheric measurements at a 10m urban tower, which demonstrate the suitability of the instrument for applications in atmospheric chemistry.

Influence of gas atmospheres and ceria on the stability of nanoporous gold studied by environmental electron microscopy and In situ ptychography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baier, Sina; Wittstock, Arne; Damsgaard, Christian Danvad

2016-01-01

A novel complementary approach of electron microscopy/environmental TEM and in situ hard X-ray ptychography was used to study the thermally induced coarsening of nanoporous gold under different atmospheres, pressures and after ceria deposition. The temperature applied during ptychographic imaging...

Electron beam chemistry in solid films of poly(vinyl alcohol): Exposures under vacuum and under N2 at atmospheric pressure; irradiation monitored by using infrared spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacansky, J.; Schneider, S.

1990-01-01

Thin films of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were exposed to a 25-kV electron beam under high vacuum conditions and to a 175-kV electron beam at atmospheric pressures of N 2 . The decomposition of PVA by the electron beam sequentially formed materials that had polyketone- and polyethylene-like structures, respectively. Contrary to previous reports we show that the ketone groups formed as a result of the electron beam exposure are not due to an oxidation step by molecular oxygen. Damage cross sections for the electron beam decomposition (at 25 kV) were determined for PVA and the polyketone, and G values were determined for decomposition of -OH groups and formation of ketone functional groups

Thermal signatures of urban land cover types: High-resolution thermal infrared remote sensing of urban heat island in Huntsville, AL

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Chor Pang

1996-01-01

The main objective of this research is to apply airborne high-resolution thermal infrared imagery for urban heat island studies, using Huntsville, AL, a medium-sized American city, as the study area. The occurrence of urban heat islands represents human-induced urban/rural contrast, which is caused by deforestation and the replacement of the land surface by non-evaporating and non-porous materials such as asphalt and concrete. The result is reduced evapotranspiration and more rapid runoff of rain water. The urban landscape forms a canopy acting as a transitional zone between the atmosphere and the land surface. The composition and structure of this canopy have a significant impact on the thermal behavior of the urban environment. Research on the trends of surface temperature at rapidly growing urban sites in the United States during the last 30 to 50 years suggests that significant urban heat island effects have caused the temperatures at these sites to rise by 1 to 2 C. Urban heat islands have caused changes in urban precipitation and temperature that are at least similar to, if not greater than, those predicted to develop over the next 100 years by global change models. Satellite remote sensing, particularly NOAA AVHRR thermal data, has been used in the study of urban heat islands. Because of the low spatial resolution (1.1 km at nadir) of the AVHRR data, these studies can only examine and map the phenomenon at the macro-level. The present research provides the rare opportunity to utilize 5-meter thermal infrared data acquired from an airplane to characterize more accurately the thermal responses of different land cover types in the urban landscape as input to urban heat island studies.

Summer-winter concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of short chain chlorinated paraffins in the atmosphere of an urban setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Thanh; Han, Shanlong; Yuan, Bo; Zeng, Lixi; Li, Yingming; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2012-12-01

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are semi-volatile chemicals that are considered persistent in the environment, potential toxic and subject to long-range transport. This study investigates the concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs at an urban site in Beijing during summer and wintertime. The total atmospheric SCCP levels ranged 1.9-33.0 ng/m(3) during wintertime. Significantly higher levels were found during the summer (range 112-332 ng/m(3)). The average fraction of total SCCPs in the particle phase (ϕ) was 0.67 during wintertime but decreased significantly during the summer (ϕ = 0.06). The ten and eleven carbon chain homologues with five to eight chlorine atoms were the predominant SCCP formula groups in air. Significant linear correlations were found between the gas-particle partition coefficients and the predicted subcooled vapor pressures and octanol-air partition coefficients. The gas-particle partitioning of SCCPs was further investigated and compared with both the Junge-Pankow adsorption and K(oa)-based absorption models. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Urbanization in the Coastal Tropical City of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Comarazamy, Daniel E.; Gonzalez, Jorge E.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.; Rickman, Douglass

2007-01-01

Urban sprawl in tropical locations is rapidly accelerating and it is more evident in islands where a large percentage of the population resides along the coasts. This paper focuses on the analysis of the impacts of land use and land cover for urbanization in the tropical coastal city of San Juan, in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. A mesoscale numerical model, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), is used to study the impacts of land use for urbanization in the environment including specific characteristics of the urban heat island in the San Juan Metropolitan Area (SJMA), one of the most noticeable urban cores of the Caribbean. The research also makes use of the observations obtained during the airborne San Juan Atlas Mission. Surface and raw insonde data from the mission are used to validate the atmospheric model yielding satisfactory results. Airborne high resolution remote sensing data are used to update the model's surface characteristics in order to obtain a more accurate and detailed configuration of the SJMA and perform a climate impact analysis based on land cover/land use (LCLU) changes. The impact analysis showed that the presence of the urban landscape of San Juan has an impact reflected in higher air temperatures over the area occupied by the city, with positive values of up to 2.5 degrees C, for the simulations that have specified urban LCLU indexes in the model's bottom boundary. One interesting result of the impact analysis was the finding of a precipitation disturbance shown as a difference in total accumulated rainfall between the present urban landscape and with a potential natural vegetation, apparently induced by the presence of the urban area. Results indicate that the urban-enhanced cloud formation and precipitation development occur mainly downwind of the city, including the accumulated precipitation. This spatial pattern can be explained by the presence of a larger urbanized area in the southwest sector of the city, and of

Atmospheric mercury concentrations in the basin of the amazon, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Hachiya, N; Takizawa, Y; Hisamatsu, S; Abe, T; Abe, Y; Motohashi, Y

1998-01-01

A wide regional mercury pollution in Amazon, Brazil is closely associated with goldmining that has been carried out in the basin of tributaries of the Amazon since the eighteenth century. Possible involvement has been discussed on atmospheric circulation in distributing the volatile pollutant. We developed a portable air sampler for the collection of mercury compounds and determined atmospheric mercury concentrations at several sites in Brazil including the basin of the Amazon tributaries. The mean concentration of total mercury was between 9.1 and 14.0 ng/m(3) in the basin of the Uatumã River located in the tropical rain forest far from goldmining sites and from urbanized area. These mercury levels exceeded the background level previously reported in rural area and, furthermore, were higher than concentrations observed in Rio de Janeiro and in Manaus that were compatible with the reference values for urban area. Mercury concentrations were also determined in gold refineries in the basin of the Tapajos River, and detected at a significant but not a health deteriorating level. Although only preliminary data were available, the present observations were in favor of the hypothesis that mercury is distributed widely by long distant transport by the atmospheric circulation after released at gold mining sites.

Model analysis of urbanization impacts on boundary layer meteorology under hot weather conditions: a case study of Nanjing, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lei; Zhang, Meigen; Wang, Yongwei

2016-08-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, configured with a single-layer urban canopy model, was employed to investigate the influence of urbanization on boundary layer meteorological parameters during a long-lasting heat wave. This study was conducted over Nanjing city, East China, from 26 July to 4 August 2010. The impacts of urban expansion and anthropogenic heat (AH) release were simulated to quantify their effects on 2-m temperature, 2-m water vapor mixing ratio, and 10-m wind speed and heat stress index. Urban sprawl increased the daily 2-m temperature in urbanized areas by around 1.6 °C and decreased the urban diurnal temperature range (DTR) by 1.24 °C. The contribution of AH release to the atmospheric warming was nearly 22 %, but AH had little influence on the DTR. The urban regional mean surface wind speed decreased by about 0.4 m s-1, and this decrease was successfully simulated from the surface to 300 m. The influence of urbanization on 2-m water vapor mixing ratio was significant over highly urbanized areas with a decrease of 1.1-1.8 g kg-1. With increased urbanization ratio, the duration of the inversion layer was about 4 h shorter, and the lower atmospheric layer was less stable. Urban heat island (UHI) intensity was significantly enhanced when synthesizing both urban sprawl and AH release and the daily mean UHI intensity increased by 0.74 °C. Urbanization increased the time under extreme heat stress (about 40 %) and worsened the living environment in urban areas.

Soil nitrogen levels are linked to decomposition enzyme activities along an urban-remote tropical forest gradient

Science.gov (United States)

D. F. Cusack

2013-01-01

Urban areas in tropical regions are expanding rapidly, with significant potential to affect local ecosystem dynamics. In particular, nitrogen (N) availability may increase in urban-proximate forests because of atmospheric N deposition. Unlike temperate forests, many tropical forests on highly weathered soils have high background N availability, so plant growth is...

Atmospheric scanning electron microscope system with an open sample chamber: Configuration and applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishiyama, Hidetoshi, E-mail: hinishiy@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Ltd., 3-1-2, Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558 (Japan); Koizumi, Mitsuru, E-mail: koizumi@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Technics Ltd., 2-6-38 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-0021 (Japan); Ogawa, Koji, E-mail: kogawa@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Technics Ltd., 2-6-38 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-0021 (Japan); Kitamura, Shinich, E-mail: kitamura@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Ltd., 3-1-2, Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558 (Japan); Konyuba, Yuji, E-mail: ykonyuub@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Ltd., 3-1-2, Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558 (Japan); Watanabe, Yoshiyuki, E-mail: watanabeyoshiy@pref.yamagata.jp [Yamagata Research Institute of Technology, 2-2-1, Matsuei, Yamagata 990-2473 (Japan); Ohbayashi, Norihiko, E-mail: n.ohbayashi@m.tohoku.ac.jp [Laboratory of Membrane Trafficking Mechanisms, Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Fukuda, Mitsunori, E-mail: nori@m.tohoku.ac.jp [Laboratory of Membrane Trafficking Mechanisms, Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Suga, Mitsuo, E-mail: msuga@jeol.co.jp [JEOL Ltd., 3-1-2, Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558 (Japan); Sato, Chikara, E-mail: ti-sato@aist.go.jp [Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-4, Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568 (Japan)

2014-12-15

An atmospheric scanning electron microscope (ASEM) with an open sample chamber and optical microscope (OM) is described and recent developments are reported. In this ClairScope system, the base of the open sample dish is sealed to the top of the inverted SEM column, allowing the liquid-immersed sample to be observed by OM from above and by SEM from below. The optical axes of the two microscopes are aligned, ensuring that the same sample areas are imaged to realize quasi-simultaneous correlative microscopy in solution. For example, the cathodoluminescence of ZnO particles was directly demonstrated. The improved system has (i) a fully motorized sample stage, (ii) a column protection system in the case of accidental window breakage, and (iii) an OM/SEM operation system controlled by a graphical user interface. The open sample chamber allows the external administration of reagents during sample observation. We monitored the influence of added NaCl on the random motion of silica particles in liquid. Further, using fluorescence as a transfection marker, the effect of small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous Varp on Tyrp1 trafficking in melanocytes was examined. A temperature-regulated titanium ASEM dish allowed the dynamic observation of colloidal silver nanoparticles as they were heated to 240 °C and sintered. - Highlights: • Atmospheric SEM (ASEM) allows observation of samples in liquid or gas. • Open sample chamber allows in situ monitoring of evaporation and sintering processes. • in situ monitoring of processes during reagent administration is also accomplished. • Protection system for film breakage is developed for ASEM. • Usability of ASEM has been improved significantly including GUI control.

Atmospheric scanning electron microscope system with an open sample chamber: Configuration and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Hidetoshi; Koizumi, Mitsuru; Ogawa, Koji; Kitamura, Shinich; Konyuba, Yuji; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Ohbayashi, Norihiko; Fukuda, Mitsunori; Suga, Mitsuo; Sato, Chikara

2014-01-01

An atmospheric scanning electron microscope (ASEM) with an open sample chamber and optical microscope (OM) is described and recent developments are reported. In this ClairScope system, the base of the open sample dish is sealed to the top of the inverted SEM column, allowing the liquid-immersed sample to be observed by OM from above and by SEM from below. The optical axes of the two microscopes are aligned, ensuring that the same sample areas are imaged to realize quasi-simultaneous correlative microscopy in solution. For example, the cathodoluminescence of ZnO particles was directly demonstrated. The improved system has (i) a fully motorized sample stage, (ii) a column protection system in the case of accidental window breakage, and (iii) an OM/SEM operation system controlled by a graphical user interface. The open sample chamber allows the external administration of reagents during sample observation. We monitored the influence of added NaCl on the random motion of silica particles in liquid. Further, using fluorescence as a transfection marker, the effect of small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous Varp on Tyrp1 trafficking in melanocytes was examined. A temperature-regulated titanium ASEM dish allowed the dynamic observation of colloidal silver nanoparticles as they were heated to 240 °C and sintered. - Highlights: • Atmospheric SEM (ASEM) allows observation of samples in liquid or gas. • Open sample chamber allows in situ monitoring of evaporation and sintering processes. • in situ monitoring of processes during reagent administration is also accomplished. • Protection system for film breakage is developed for ASEM. • Usability of ASEM has been improved significantly including GUI control

Impact of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change on urban air quality in representative cities of China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, L.; Wei, J.; Duan, D. H.; Guo, Y. M.; Yang, D. X.; Jia, C.; Mi, X. T.

2016-05-01

The atmospheric particulate pollution in China is getting worse. Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) is a key factor that affects atmospheric particulate pollution. Understanding the response of particulate pollution to LUCC is necessary for environmental protection. Eight representative cities in China, Qingdao, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Urumqi were selected to analyze the relationship between particulate pollution and LUCC. The MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aerosol product (MOD04) was used to estimate atmospheric particulate pollution for nearly 10 years, from 2001 to 2010. Six land-use types, water, woodland, grassland, cultivated land, urban, and unused land, were obtained from the MODIS land cover product (MOD12), where the LUCC of each category was estimated. The response of particulate pollution to LUCC was analyzed from the above mentioned two types of data. Moreover, the impacts of time-lag and urban type changes on particulate pollution were also considered. Analysis results showed that due to natural factors, or human activities such as urban sprawl or deforestation, etc., the response of particulate pollution to LUCC shows obvious differences in different areas. The correlation between particulate pollution and LUCC is lower in coastal areas but higher in inland areas. The dominant factor affecting urban air quality in LUCC changes from ocean, to woodland, to urban land, and eventually into grassland or unused land when moving from the coast to inland China.

Characteristics of atmospheric ammonia and its relationship with vehicle emissions in a megacity in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ruyu; Ye, Xingnan; Liu, Yuxuan; Li, Haowen; Yang, Xin; Chen, Jianmin; Gao, Wei; Yin, Zi

2018-06-01

Atmospheric ammonia plays an important role in haze formation in East China. In this study, long-term measurements of NH3 concentrations were implemented at urban, suburban, and tunnel sites in Shanghai, the largest city in East China. The average monthly ammonia concentrations at the urban site varied from 3.7 ppb to 14.5 ppb and exhibited the highest levels in summer and lowest levels in winter, indicating that the biological emissions and agriculture in the surrounding areas are important contributors. The suburban NH3 levels were significantly higher in autumn compared to those at the urban site, indicating the important contribution of agricultural activities. Regardless of the season, the difference of NH3 concentrations between the tunnel and urban sites remained almost constant. On average, the tunnel NH3 level was three times higher than that of the nearby urban site, indicating strong vehicle NH3 emissions in the tunnel. The tunnel NH3 levels on weekdays were comparable to those on weekends, a result that was in agreement with the daily average traffic volume. It was estimated that the vehicle emissions contributed 12.6-24.6% of the atmospheric NH3 in the urban area and 3.8-7.5% for the whole area of Shanghai. Our results suggest that vehicle NH3 emissions should be considered, although agricultural emissions are still more important for mitigating severe haze pollution during wintertime in the megacities of China.

Environmental challenges threatening the growth of urban agriculture in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Wortman, Sam E; Lovell, Sarah Taylor

2013-09-01

Urban agriculture, though often difficult to define, is an emerging sector of local food economies in the United States. Although urban and agricultural landscapes are often integrated in countries around the world, the establishment of mid- to large-scale food production in the U.S. urban ecosystem is a relatively new development. Many of the urban agricultural projects in the United States have emerged from social movements and nonprofit organizations focused on urban renewal, education, job training, community development, and sustainability initiatives. Although these social initiatives have traction, critical knowledge gaps exist regarding the science of food production in urban ecosystems. Developing a science-based approach to urban agriculture is essential to the economic and environmental sustainability of the movement. This paper reviews abiotic environmental factors influencing urban cropping systems, including soil contamination and remediation; atmospheric pollutants and altered climatic conditions; and water management, sources, and safety. This review paper seeks to characterize the limited state of the science on urban agricultural systems and identify future research questions most relevant to urban farmers, land-use planners, and environmental consultants. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Visibility degradation and light scattering/absorption due to aerosol particles in urban/suburban atmosphere of Irbid, Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamasha, K. M.; University of Tabuk, Tabuk

2010-01-01

Visible light scattering and absorption patterns were measured using a photoacoustic instrument at different locations in Irbid city. Measurments were perfoemed during the intervals 1-9 August 2007 and 7-13 October 2007 at the city center site (Palestine street) and the southern site (University Circle), respectively. The city center site is impacted by local urban and regional aerosols. The southern site is dominated by regional aerosols. Data from both sampling sites showed variety of diurnal light absorption and scattering patterns. During most of the measurement days, the highest light absorption peaks appeared in the morning, 7:00 - 9:30 AM, whereas the highest light scattering peaks appeared later, 9:30 - 11:00 AM. The earlier light absorption peaks are likely attributed to the elevated black carbon vehicular emission during the heavy traffic hours (rush hours) whereas, the later light scattering peaks are attributed to secondary aerosols generted in the atmosphere through photochmical reactions. The southern site (University Circle) exhibited a higher light scattering and a lower light absorption contribution to the light extinction, leading to a better visibility compared to the City Center site. The visibility is averaged at 44 km and 115 km at the city center site and southern site, respectively. (author).

Consequences of urban pollution on health; Consequences de la pollution urbaine sur la sante

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adedeji, A. [Agence pour la Protection de l' Environnement de l' Etat de Lagos, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency - Lasepa (Nigeria)

2002-11-01

This article treats of the urbanization process in Africa and of the direct impact of urban pollution on people's health. After a description of the spectacular growth of urban populations in Africa since 1970, the author focusses on the experience of Nigeria and on the city of Lagos: urbanization causes, demographic growth, origins of urban pollution (road traffic, uncontrolled wastes tipping, sanitary conditions) and different types of pollution (atmospheric, hydric, domestic wastes, noise, heat..). The second part of the article deals with the impact of this urban pollution on the public health in conditions of overpopulation: domestic environment, diseases linked with water quality, diseases transmission, accidents, occupational diseases. This analysis stresses on the lack of urban management and development policies in Nigeria, and on the lack of a representative, liable and competent public authority. (J.S.)

Modelling regional climate change and urban planning scenarios and their impacts on the urban environment in two cities with WRF-ACASA

Science.gov (United States)

Falk, M.; Pyles, R. D.; Marras, S.; Spano, D.; Paw U, K. T.

2011-12-01

The number of urban metabolism studies has increased in recent years, due to the important impact that energy, water and carbon exchange over urban areas have on climate change. Urban modeling is therefore crucial in the future design and management of cities. This study presents the ACASA model coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) mesoscale model to simulate urban fluxes at a horizontal resolution of 200 meters for urban areas of roughly 100 km^2. As part of the European Project "BRIDGE", these regional simulations were used in combination with remotely sensed data to provide constraints on the land surface types and the exchange of carbon and energy fluxes from urban centers. Surface-atmosphere exchanges of mass and energy were simulated using the Advanced Canopy Atmosphere Soil Algorithm (ACASA). ACASA is a multi-layer high-order closure model, recently modified to work over natural, agricultural as well as urban environments. In particular, improvements were made to account for the anthropogenic contribution to heat and carbon production. For two cities four climate change and four urban planning scenarios were simulated: The climate change scenarios include a base scenario (Sc0: 2008 Commit in IPCC), a medium emission scenario (Sc1: IPCC A2), a worst case emission scenario (Sce2: IPCC A1F1) and finally a best case emission scenario (Sce3: IPCC B1). The urban planning scenarios include different development scenarios such as smart growth. The two cities are a high latitude city, Helsinki (Finland) and an historic city, Florence (Italy). Helsinki is characterized by recent, rapid urbanization that requires a substantial amount of energy for heating, while Florence is representative of cities in lower latitudes, with substantial cultural heritage and a comparatively constant architectural footprint over time. In general, simulated fluxes matched the point observations well and showed consistent improvement in the energy partitioning over

Wet nitrogen deposition across the urban-intensive agricultural-rural transect of a small urban area in southwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Ouping; Zhang, Shirong; Deng, Liangji; Zhang, Chunlong; Fei, Jianbo

2018-03-01

Understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of the flux of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is essential for assessment of its impact on ecosystems. However, little attention has been paid to the variability of N deposition across urban-intensive agricultural-rural transects. A continuous 2-year observational study (from January 2015 to December 2016) was conducted to determine wet N deposition across the urban-intensive agricultural-rural transect of a small urban area in southwest China. Significantly spatial and temporal variations were found in the research area. Along the urban-intensive agricultural-rural transect, the TN and NH 4 + -N deposition first increased and then decreased, and the NO 3 - -N and dissolved organic N (DON) deposition decreased continuously. Wet N deposition was mainly affected by the districts of agro-facilities, roads and build up lands. Wet NH 4 + -N deposition had non-seasonal emission sources including industrial emissions and urban excretory wastes in urban districts and seasonal emission sources such as fertilizer and manure volatilization in the other districts. However, wet NO 3 - -N deposition had seasonal emission sources such as industrial emissions and fireworks in urban district and non-seasonal emission sources such as transportation in the other districts. Deposition of DON was likely to have had similar sources to NO 3 - -N deposition in rural district, and high-temperature-dependent sources in urban and intensive agricultural districts. Considering the annual wet TN deposition in the intensive agricultural district was about 11.1% of the annual N fertilizer input, N fertilizer rates of crops should be reduced in this region to avoid the excessive application, and the risk of N emissions to the environment.

Turbulent Plume Dispersion over Two-dimensional Idealized Urban Street Canyons

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, C. C. C.; Liu, C. H.

2012-04-01

Human activities are the primary pollutant sources which degrade the living quality in the current era of dense and compact cities. A simple and reasonably accurate pollutant dispersion model is helpful to reduce pollutant concentrations in city or neighborhood scales by refining architectural design or urban planning. The conventional method to estimate the pollutant concentration from point/line sources is the Gaussian plume model using empirical dispersion coefficients. Its accuracy is pretty well for applying to rural areas. However, the dispersion coefficients only account for the atmospheric stability and streamwise distance that often overlook the roughness of urban surfaces. Large-scale buildings erected in urban areas significantly modify the surface roughness that in turn affects the pollutant transport in the urban canopy layer (UCL). We hypothesize that the aerodynamic resistance is another factor governing the dispersion coefficient in the UCL. This study is thus conceived to study the effects of urban roughness on pollutant dispersion coefficients and the plume behaviors. Large-eddy simulations (LESs) are carried out to examine the plume dispersion from a ground-level pollutant source over idealized 2D street canyons in neutral stratification. Computations with a wide range of aspect ratios (ARs), including skimming flow to isolated flow regimes, are conducted. The vertical profiles of pollutant distribution for different values of friction factor are compared that all reach a self-similar Gaussian shape. Preliminary results show that the pollutant dispersion is closely related to the friction factor. For relatively small roughness, the factors of dispersion coefficient vary linearly with the friction factor until the roughness is over a certain level. When the friction factor is large, its effect on the dispersion coefficient is less significant. Since the linear region covers at least one-third of the full range of friction factor in our empirical

Numerical studies of independent control of electron density and gas temperature via nonlinear coupling in dual-frequency atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Z. L.; Nie, Q. Y.; Wang, Z. B.; Gao, X. T.; Kong, F. R.; Sun, Y. F.; Jiang, B. H.

2016-01-01

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) provide a promising technology of generating non-equilibrium cold plasmas in atmospheric pressure gases. For both application-focused and fundamental studies, it is important to explore the strategy and the mechanism for enabling effective independent tuning of key plasma parameters in a DBD system. In this paper, we report numerical studies of effects of dual-frequency excitation on atmospheric DBDs, and modulation as well as separate tuning mechanism, with emphasis on dual-frequency coupling to the key plasma parameters and discharge evolution. With an appropriately applied low frequency to the original high frequency, the numerical calculation demonstrates that a strong nonlinear coupling between two frequencies governs the process of ionization and energy deposition into plasma, and thus raises the electron density significantly (e.g., three times in this case) in comparisons with a single frequency driven DBD system. Nevertheless, the gas temperature, which is mainly determined by the high frequency discharge, barely changes. This method then enables a possible approach of controlling both averaged electron density and gas temperature independently.

Diurnal, synoptic and seasonal variability of atmospheric CO2 in the Paris megacity area

Science.gov (United States)

Xueref-Remy, Irène; Dieudonné, Elsa; Vuillemin, Cyrille; Lopez, Morgan; Lac, Christine; Schmidt, Martina; Delmotte, Marc; Chevallier, Frédéric; Ravetta, François; Perrussel, Olivier; Ciais, Philippe; Bréon, François-Marie; Broquet, Grégoire; Ramonet, Michel; Spain, T. Gerard; Ampe, Christophe

2018-03-01

Most of the global fossil fuel CO2 emissions arise from urbanized and industrialized areas. Bottom-up inventories quantify them but with large uncertainties. In 2010-2011, the first atmospheric in situ CO2 measurement network for Paris, the capital of France, began operating with the aim of monitoring the regional atmospheric impact of the emissions coming from this megacity. Five stations sampled air along a northeast-southwest axis that corresponds to the direction of the dominant winds. Two stations are classified as rural (Traînou - TRN; Montgé-en-Goële - MON), two are peri-urban (Gonesse - GON; Gif-sur-Yvette - GIF) and one is urban (EIF, located on top of the Eiffel Tower). In this study, we analyze the diurnal, synoptic and seasonal variability of the in situ CO2 measurements over nearly 1 year (8 August 2010-13 July 2011). We compare these datasets with remote CO2 measurements made at Mace Head (MHD) on the Atlantic coast of Ireland and support our analysis with atmospheric boundary layer height (ABLH) observations made in the center of Paris and with both modeled and observed meteorological fields. The average hourly CO2 diurnal cycles observed at the regional stations are mostly driven by the CO2 biospheric cycle, the ABLH cycle and the proximity to urban CO2 emissions. Differences of several µmol mol-1 (ppm) can be observed from one regional site to the other. The more the site is surrounded by urban sources (mostly residential and commercial heating, and traffic), the more the CO2 concentration is elevated, as is the associated variability which reflects the variability of the urban sources. Furthermore, two sites with inlets high above ground level (EIF and TRN) show a phase shift of the CO2 diurnal cycle of a few hours compared to lower sites due to a strong coupling with the boundary layer diurnal cycle. As a consequence, the existence of a CO2 vertical gradient above Paris can be inferred, whose amplitude depends on the time of the day and on

Lidar investigations of atmospheric aerosols over Sofia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreischuh, T.; Deleva, A.; Peshev, Z.; Grigorov, I.; Kolarov, G.; Stoyanov, D.

2016-01-01

An overview is given of the laser remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols and related processes over the Sofia area performed in the Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, during the last three years. Results from lidar investigations of the optical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols obtained in the frame of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network, as well as from the lidar mapping of near-surface aerosol fields for remote monitoring of atmospheric pollutants are presented and discussed in this paper.

Atmospheric and aerosol chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNeill, V. Faye; Ariya, Parisa A.; McGill Univ. Montreal, QC

2014-01-01

This series presents critical reviews of the present position and future trends in modern chemical research. Short and concise reports on chemistry, each written by the world renowned experts. Still valid and useful after 5 or 10 years. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: springerlink.com. Christian George, Barbara D'Anna, Hartmut Herrmann, Christian Weller, Veronica Vaida, D. J. Donaldson, Thorsten Bartels-Rausch, Markus Ammann Emerging Areas in Atmospheric Photochemistry. Lisa Whalley, Daniel Stone, Dwayne Heard New Insights into the Tropospheric Oxidation of Isoprene: Combining Field Measurements, Laboratory Studies, Chemical Modelling and Quantum Theory. Neil M. Donahue, Allen L. Robinson, Erica R. Trump, Ilona Riipinen, Jesse H. Kroll Volatility and Aging of Atmospheric Organic Aerosol. P. A. Ariya, G. Kos, R. Mortazavi, E. D. Hudson, V. Kanthasamy, N. Eltouny, J. Sun, C. Wilde Bio-Organic Materials in the Atmosphere and Snow: Measurement and Characterization V. Faye McNeill, Neha Sareen, Allison N. Schwier Surface-Active Organics in Atmospheric Aerosols.

Incidence of real-world automotive parent and halogenated PAH in urban atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Pan-Pan; Zhao, Yi-Bo; Ni, Hong-Gang

2018-06-01

This study reports results from a tunnel experiment impact of real-world traffic-related particle and gas parent and halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs and HPAHs) on urban air. The traffic related emission characteristics and subsequent environmental behavior of these compounds were investigated. To understand the significance of real-world transport emissions to the urban air, traffic-related mass emissions of PAHs and HPAHs were estimated based on measured emission factors. According to our results, PAHs and HPAHs emissions via particulate phase were greater than those via gaseous phase; particles in 2.1-3.3 μm size fraction, have the major contribution to particulate PAHs and HPAHs emissions. Over all, contribution of traffic-related emission of PAHs (only ∼3% of the total PAHs emission in China) is an overstated source of PAHs pollution in China. Actually, exhaust pipe emission contributed much less than the total traffic-related emission of pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial and seasonal heterogeneity of atmospheric particles induced reactive oxygen species in urban areas and the role of water-soluble metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gali, Nirmal Kumar; Yang, Fenhuan; Jiang, Sabrina Yanan; Chan, Ka Lok; Sun, Li; Ho, Kin-fai; Ning, Zhi

2015-01-01

Adverse health effects are associated with exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), which carry various chemical constituents and induce both exogenous and endogenous oxidative stress. This study investigated the spatial and seasonal variability of PM-induced ROS at four sites with different characteristics in Hong Kong. Cytotoxicity, exogenous and endogenous ROS was determined on a dose and time dependent analysis. Large spatial variation of ROS was observed with fine PM at urban site showing highest ROS levels while coarse PM at traffic site ranks the top. No consistent seasonal difference was observed for ROS levels among all sites. The highly heterogeneous distribution of PM-induced ROS demonstrates the differential capability of PM to produce oxidative stress, and the need to use appropriate metrics as surrogates of exposure instead of PM mass in epidemiologic studies. Several transition metals were found associated with ROS by different degree illustrating the complexity of mechanisms involved. - Highlights: • Adverse health effects are associated with size segregated atmospheric PM. • Seasonal and spatial variability of PM induced ROS determined in Hong Kong city. • Coarse PM ranks top in ROS generation on per volume and mass basis. • Traffic site demonstrated as source of potent inducer of cell toxicity. • No consistent seasonal difference observed for fine and coarse PM. - Heterogeneous PM-induced ROS distribution was observed in a city. Several water-soluble metals were associated with the ROS generation but with different degree from different sites

Validation of Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme with measurements from two mid-latitude European cities

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, R.; Schayes, G.

2007-08-01

Martilli's urban parameterization scheme is improved and implemented in a mesoscale model in order to take into account the typical effects of a real city on the air temperature near the ground and on the surface exchange fluxes. The mesoscale model is run on a single column using atmospheric data and radiation recorded above roof level as forcing. Here, the authors validate Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme using measurements from two mid-latitude European cities: Basel, Switzerland and Marseilles, France. For Basel, the model performance is evaluated with observations of canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes obtained during the Basel urban boundary layer experiment (BUBBLE). The results show that the urban parameterization scheme represents correctly most of the behavior of the fluxes typical of the city center of Basel, including the large heat uptake by the urban fabric and the positive sensible heat flux at night. For Marseilles, the model performance is evaluated with observations of surface temperature, canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes collected during the field experiments to constrain models of atmospheric pollution and transport of emissions (ESCOMPTE) and its urban boundary layer (UBL) campaign. At both urban sites, vegetation cover is less than 20%, therefore, particular attention was directed to the ability of Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme to reproduce the observations for the Marseilles city center, where the urban parameters and the synoptic forcing are totally different from Basel. Evaluation of the model with wall, road, and roof surface temperatures gave good results. The model correctly simulates the net radiation, canyon temperature, and the partitioning between the turbulent and storage heat fluxes.

Heavy Metal Pollution in Settled Dust Associated with Different Urban Functional Areas in a Heavily Air-Polluted City in North China

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Dejun; Han, Zhangxiong; Yang, Jinsong; Yang, Guanglin; Liu, Xingqi

2016-01-01

Understanding variations of heavy metals in atmospheric particles between different functional areas is significant for pollution control and urban planning in cities. To reveal pollution and spatial distribution of heavy metals in atmospheric particles from different urban functional areas in Shijiazhuang in North China, 43 settled dust samples were collected over the main urban area and heavy metal concentrations were determined in their pollution indexes (IPIs) of the ten heavy metals are 2.7–13.6 (5.7 ± 2.2), suggesting high or very high pollution levels of most dust. Relatively lower IPIs occur mainly in the administration-education area, the commercial area, and other unclassified sites; while peaks occur mainly in the North Railway Station, the northeastern industrial area, and some sites near heavily trafficked areas, implying the significant influence of intensive industrial (including coal combustion) and traffic activities on atmospheric heavy metal accumulation. These results suggest a clear need of mitigating atmospheric heavy metal pollution via controlling emissions of toxic metals (especially Cd and Pb) from industrial and traffic sources in the city. PMID:27834903

Heavy Metal Pollution in Settled Dust Associated with Different Urban Functional Areas in a Heavily Air-Polluted City in North China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Dejun; Han, Zhangxiong; Yang, Jinsong; Yang, Guanglin; Liu, Xingqi

2016-11-10

Understanding variations of heavy metals in atmospheric particles between different functional areas is significant for pollution control and urban planning in cities. To reveal pollution and spatial distribution of heavy metals in atmospheric particles from different urban functional areas in Shijiazhuang in North China, 43 settled dust samples were collected over the main urban area and heavy metal concentrations were determined in their pollution indexes (IPIs) of the ten heavy metals are 2.7-13.6 (5.7 ± 2.2), suggesting high or very high pollution levels of most dust. Relatively lower IPIs occur mainly in the administration-education area, the commercial area, and other unclassified sites; while peaks occur mainly in the North Railway Station, the northeastern industrial area, and some sites near heavily trafficked areas, implying the significant influence of intensive industrial (including coal combustion) and traffic activities on atmospheric heavy metal accumulation. These results suggest a clear need of mitigating atmospheric heavy metal pollution via controlling emissions of toxic metals (especially Cd and Pb) from industrial and traffic sources in the city.

Analyzing the cost effectiveness of Santiago, Chile's policy of using urban forests to improve air quality

Science.gov (United States)

Francisco J. Escobedo; John E. Wagner; David J. Nowak; Carmen Luz De la Maza; Manuel Rodriguez; Daniel E. Crane

2008-01-01

Santiago, Chile has the distinction of having among the worst urban air pollution problems in Latin America. As part of an atmospheric pollution reduction plan, the Santiago Regional Metropolitan government defined an environmental policy goal of using urban forests to remove particulate matter less than 10 µm (PM10) in the Gran...

Particulate carbon in the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surakka, J.

1992-01-01

Carbonaceous aerosols are emitted to the atmosphere in combustion processes. Carbon particles are very small and have a long residence time in the air. Black Carbon, a type of carbon aerosol, is a good label when transport of combustion emissions in the atmosphere is studied. It is also useful tool in air quality studies. Carbon particles absorb light 6.5 to 8 times stronger than any other particulate matter in the air. Their effect on decreasing visibility is about 50 %. Weather disturbances are also caused by carbon emissions e.g. in Kuwait. Carbon particles have big absorption surface and capacity to catalyze different heterogenous reactions in air. Due to their special chemical and physical properties particulate carbon is a significant air pollution specie, especially in urban air. Average particulate carbon concentration of 5.7 μg/m 2 have been measured in winter months in Helsinki

Satellite data based approach for the estimation of anthropogenic heat flux over urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Nitis, Theodoros; Tsegas, George; Moussiopoulos, Nicolas; Gounaridis, Dimitrios; Bliziotis, Dimitrios

2017-09-01

Anthropogenic effects in urban areas influence the thermal conditions in the environment and cause an increase of the atmospheric temperature. The cities are sources of heat and pollution, affecting the thermal structure of the atmosphere above them which results to the urban heat island effect. In order to analyze the urban heat island mechanism, it is important to estimate the anthropogenic heat flux which has a considerable impact on the urban energy budget. The anthropogenic heat flux is the result of man-made activities (i.e. traffic, industrial processes, heating/cooling) and thermal releases from the human body. Many studies have underlined the importance of the Anthropogenic Heat Flux to the calculation of the urban energy budget and subsequently, the estimation of mesoscale meteorological fields over urban areas. Therefore, spatially disaggregated anthropogenic heat flux data, at local and city scales, are of major importance for mesoscale meteorological models. The main objectives of the present work are to improve the quality of such data used as input for mesoscale meteorological models simulations and to enhance the application potential of GIS and remote sensing in the fields of climatology and meteorology. For this reason, the Urban Energy Budget concept is proposed as the foundation for an accurate determination of the anthropogenic heat discharge as a residual term in the surface energy balance. The methodology is applied to the cities of Athens and Paris using the Landsat ETM+ remote sensing data. The results will help to improve our knowledge on Anthropogenic Heat Flux, while the potential for further improvement of the methodology is also discussed.

Measurement of radioactive aerosols as an original indicator of atmospheric pollution in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Petit, G.; Millies-Lacroix, J. C.

1998-01-01

The Service Radioanalyses, Chimie et Environnment (Departement Analyses Surveillance de l'Environnement) of the French Atomic Energy Commission, located in suburban Paris, has for many years been conducting atmospheric radioactivity measurements. Since 1994, the laboratory has been using high volume air samplers equipped with filters for the weekly collection of atmospheric aerosols at a mean rate of about 600 m 3 .h -1 . The polypropylene filters, with a collection efficiency in excess of 93%, are compacted after sampling. The atmospheric radioactivity is measured by HP Ge gamma spectrometry after decay of short-lived natural relationship products. A study conducted in 1996 shows good correlation between the evolution with time of some of the indicators routinely used by AIRPARIF, the organization in charge of monitoring the air quality in the Ile-de-France region, to measure atmospheric pollution in the Paris area (SO 2 , NO) and that related to radioactivity of terrestrial ( 210 Pb, 40 K) and anthropogenic ( 137 Cs) origin, as well as the amount of aerosols collected. Further, the distribution in time of the atmospheric radioactivity of cosmogenic origin ( 7 Be) shows a yearly evolution somewhat similar to that observed with ozone

Recent Discoveries and Future Challenges in Atmospheric Organic Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Glasius, Marianne; Goldstein, Allen H

2016-03-15

Earth's atmosphere contains a multitude of organic compounds, which differ by orders of magnitude regarding fundamental properties such as volatility, reactivity, and propensity to form cloud droplets, affecting their impact on global climate and human health. Despite recent major research efforts and advances, there are still substantial gaps in understanding of atmospheric organic chemistry, hampering efforts to understand, model, and mitigate environmental problems such as aerosol formation in both polluted urban and more pristine regions. The analytical toolbox available for chemists to study atmospheric organic components has expanded considerably during the past decade, opening new windows into speciation, time resolution and detection of reactive and semivolatile compounds at low concentrations. This has provided unprecedented opportunities, but also unveiled new scientific challenges. Specific groundbreaking examples include the role of epoxides in aerosol formation especially from isoprene, the importance of highly oxidized, reactive organics in air-surface processes (whether atmosphere-biosphere exchange or aerosols), as well as the extent of interactions of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions and the resulting impact on atmospheric organic chemistry.

Lead contamination and transfer in urban environmental compartments analyzed by lead levels and isotopic compositions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Xin; Sun, Yuanyuan; Ding, Zhuhong; Zhang, Yun; Wu, Jichun; Lian, Hongzhen; Wang, Tijian

2014-01-01

Lead levels and isotopic compositions in atmospheric particles (TSP and PM 2.5 ), street dust and surface soil collected from Nanjing, a mega city in China, were analyzed to investigate the contamination and the transfer of lead in urban environmental compartments. The lead contents in TSP and PM 2.5 are significantly higher than them in the surface soil and street dust (p  206 Pb/ 207 Pb vs. 208 Pb/ 206 Pb and 206 Pb/ 207 Pb vs. 1/Pb imply that the street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM 2.5 ) have very similar lead sources. Coal emissions and smelting activities may be the important lead sources for street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM 2.5 ), while the deposition of airborne lead is an important lead source for urban surface soil. - Highlights: • Lead levels and isotope ratios in atmospheric particles, street dust and surface soil. • Significant enrichment of lead in atmospheric particles was observed. • Street dust and atmospheric particles have similar lead sources. • Endmembers of soil lead differ from street dust and atmospheric particles. • Airborne lead poses the main risks to unban environmental quality. - Transfer of airborne particle bound lead into street dust and surface soil in unban environmental based on lead levels and isotopic compositions

Urban Surface Radiative Energy Budgets Determined Using Aircraft Scanner Data

Science.gov (United States)

Luvall, Jeffrey C.; Quattrochi, Dale A.; Rickman, Doug L.; Estes, Maury G.; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

It is estimated that by the year 2025, 80% of the world's population will live in cities. The extent of these urban areas across the world can be seen in an image of city lights from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. In many areas of North America and Europe, it is difficult to separate individual cities because of the dramatic growth and sprawl of urbanized areas. This conversion of the natural landscape vegetation into man-made urban structures such as roads and buildings drastically alter the regional surface energy budgets, hydrology, precipitation patterns, and meteorology. One of the earliest recognized and measured phenomena of urbanization is the urban heat island (UHI) which was reported as early as 1833 for London and 1862 for Paris. The urban heat island results from the energy that is absorbed by man-made materials during the day and is released at night resulting in the heating of the air within the urban area. The magnitude of the air temperature difference between the urban and surrounding countryside is highly dependent on the structure of the urban area, amount of solar immolation received during the day, and atmospheric conditions during the night. These night time air temperature differences can be in the range of 2 to 5 C. or greater. Although day time air temperature differences between urban areas and the countryside exists during the day, atmospheric mixing and stability reduce the magnitude. This phenomena is not limited to large urban areas, but also occurs in smaller metropolitan areas. The UHI has significant impacts on the urban air quality, meteorology, energy use, and human health. The UPI can be mitigated through increasing the amount of vegetation and modification of urban surfaces using high albedo materials for roofs and paved surfaces. To understand why the urban heat island phenomenon exists it is useful to define the surface in terms of the surface energy budget. Surface temperature and albedo is a major component of

Atmospheric/climatic effects of aircraft emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pueschel, R.F.

1996-01-01

Exhaust emissions from aircraft include oxides of nitrogen (NO x ), water vapor (H 2 O), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particles (soot and sulfates). These emissions are small compared to industrial/urban surface emissions. However, because (1) atmospheric residence times of exhaust constituents are longer at altitude, particularly in the stratosphere, than they are in the boundary layer, (2) their background concentrations at altitude are lower than those near the surface, (3) the radiation balance is the more sensitive to atmospheric trace constituents the colder the temperature aloft and (4) inter-hemispheric mixing of aircraft effluents is inhibited, aircraft emissions near and above the tropopause and polewards of 40 degrees latitude can be environmentally critical. That's why atmospheric/climatic effects of aircraft emissions have again received scientific, economic and political scrutiny in the last few years, motivated by growth of subsonic traffic at about 5% per year over the past two decades and the advent of a technologically feasible operation of a supersonic high speed commercial transport (HSCT) fleet

Detection of traveling ionospheric disturbances induced by atmospheric gravity waves using the global positioning system

Science.gov (United States)

Bassiri, Sassan; Hajj, George A.

1993-01-01

Natural and man-made events like earthquakes and nuclear explosions launch atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) into the atmosphere. Since the particle density decreases exponentially with height, the gravity waves increase exponentially in amplitude as they propagate toward the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. As atmospheric gravity waves approach the ionospheric heights, the neutral particles carried by gravity waves collide with electrons and ions, setting these particles in motion. This motion of charged particles manifests itself by wave-like fluctuations and disturbances that are known as traveling ionospheric disturbances (TID). The perturbation in the total electron content due to TID's is derived analytically from first principles. Using the tilted dipole magnetic field approximation and a Chapman layer distribution for the electron density, the variations of the total electron content versus the line-of-sight direction are numerically analyzed. The temporal variation associated with the total electron content measurements due to AGW's can be used as a means of detecting characteristics of the gravity waves. As an example, detection of tsunami generated earthquakes from their associated atmospheric gravity waves using the Global Positioning System is simulated.

Spatial and seasonal heterogeneity of atmospheric particles induced reactive oxygen species in urban areas and the role of water-soluble metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gali, Nirmal Kumar; Yang, Fenhuan; Jiang, Sabrina Yanan; Chan, Ka Lok; Sun, Li; Ho, Kin-fai; Ning, Zhi

2015-03-01

Adverse health effects are associated with exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), which carry various chemical constituents and induce both exogenous and endogenous oxidative stress. This study investigated the spatial and seasonal variability of PM-induced ROS at four sites with different characteristics in Hong Kong. Cytotoxicity, exogenous and endogenous ROS was determined on a dose and time dependent analysis. Large spatial variation of ROS was observed with fine PM at urban site showing highest ROS levels while coarse PM at traffic site ranks the top. No consistent seasonal difference was observed for ROS levels among all sites. The highly heterogeneous distribution of PM-induced ROS demonstrates the differential capability of PM to produce oxidative stress, and the need to use appropriate metrics as surrogates of exposure instead of PM mass in epidemiologic studies. Several transition metals were found associated with ROS by different degree illustrating the complexity of mechanisms involved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foundations of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Bruggeman, Peter J.; Iza, Felipe; Brandenburg, Ronny

2017-12-01

Non-equilibrium plasmas have been intensively studied over the past century in the context of material processing, environmental remediation, ozone generation, excimer lamps and plasma display panels. Research on atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas intensified over the last two decades leading to a large variety of plasma sources that have been developed for an extended application range including chemical conversion, medicine, chemical analysis and disinfection. The fundamental understanding of these discharges is emerging but there remain a lot of unexplained phenomena in these intrinsically complex plasmas. The properties of non-equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure span over a huge range of electron densities as well as heavy particle and electron temperatures. This paper provides an overview of the key underlying processes that are important for the generation and stabilization of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas. The unique physical and chemical properties of theses discharges are also summarized.

Global Cooling: Effect of Urban Albedo on Global Temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbari, Hashem; Menon, Surabi; Rosenfeld, Arthur

2007-05-22

In many urban areas, pavements and roofs constitute over 60% of urban surfaces (roof 20-25%, pavements about 40%). The roof and the pavement albedo can be increased by about 0.25 and 0.10, respectively, resulting in a net albedo increase for urban areas of about 0.1. Many studies have demonstrated building cooling-energy savings in excess of 20% upon raising roof reflectivity from an existing 10-20% to about 60%. We estimate U.S. potential savings in excess of $1 billion (B) per year in net annual energy bills. Increasing albedo of urban surfaces can reduce the summertime urban temperature and improve the urban air quality. Increasing the urban albedo has the added benefit of reflecting more of the incoming global solar radiation and countering the effect of global warming. We estimate that increasing albedo of urban areas by 0.1 results in an increase of 3 x 10{sup -4} in Earth albedo. Using a simple global model, the change in air temperature in lowest 1.8 km of the atmosphere is estimated at 0.01K. Modelers predict a warming of about 3K in the next 60 years (0.05K/year). Change of 0.1 in urban albedo will result in 0.01K global cooling, a delay of {approx}0.2 years in global warming. This 0.2 years delay in global warming is equivalent to 10 Gt reduction in CO2 emissions.

Measurements of Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide at High Spatial and Temporal Resolution in an Urban Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, C.; Jacobson, G. A.; Crosson, E.

2011-12-01

The ability to take inventory of critical greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane and quantify their sources and sinks is essential for understanding the atmospheric drivers to global climate change. "Top down" inversion measurements and models are used to quantify net carbon fluxes into the atmosphere. The overall carbon fluxes are determined by combining remote measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations with complex atmospheric transport models, and these emissions measurements are compared to "bottoms-up" predictions based on detailed inventories of the sources and sinks of carbon, both anthropogenic and biogenic in nature. At smaller distance scales, such as that of a city or even smaller, the basic framework underpinning the inversion modeling technique begins to break down: atmospheric transport models, which are well understood at a length scale of 100 km, work poorly or not at all at a 100m distance scale. Furthermore, the variability of the emissions sources in space (e.g., factories, highways, residences) and time (rush hours, factory shifts and shutdowns, residential energy usage variability during the day and over the year) complicate the interpretation of the measured signals. In this paper we present detailed, high spatial- and temporal-resolution greenhouse gas measurements in Silicon Valley, CA. The results of two experimental campaigns are presented: a 10m urban 'tower' and ground-based mobile mapping measurements. In both campaigns, real-time carbon dioxide data are combined with real-time carbon monoxide measurements to partition the observed CO2 concentrations between anthropogenic and biogenic sources . The urban tower measurements are made continuously over a period of many weeks. The mobile maps of the vicinity of the urban tower are taken repeatedly over a period of several days, and at different times of the day and under different atmospheric conditions, to assess the robustness and repeatability of the maps. Initial

DART: Recent Advances in Remote Sensing Data Modeling With Atmosphere, Polarization, and Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Gastellu-Etchegorry, Jean-Phil; Lauret, Nicolas; Yin, Tiangang; Landier, Lucas; Kallel, Abdelaziz; Malenovsky, Zbynek; Bitar, Ahmad Al; Aval, Josselin; Benhmida, Sahar; Qi, Jianbo;

The Urban Fabric of the City as Its Affects Thermal Energy Responses Derived from Remote Sensing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.

2000-01-01

The physical geography of the city affects numerous aspects of its interlinked biophysical, social, and land-atmosphere characteristics - those attributes that come together to form the total urban environment. One approach to studying the multitude of interactions that occur as a result of urbanization is to view the city from a systems ecology perspective, where energy and material cycle into and out of the urban milieu. Thus, the urban ecosystem is synergistic in linking land, air, water, and living organisms in a vast network of interrelated physical, human, and biological process. Given the number and the shear complexity of the exchanges and, ultimately, their effects, that occur within the urban environment, we are focusing our research on looking at how the morphology or urban fabric of the city, drives thermal energy exchanges across the urban landscape. The study of thermal energy attributes for different cities provides insight into how thermal fluxes and characteristics are partitioned across the city landscape in response to each city's morphology. We are using thermal infrared remote sensing data obtained at a high spatial resolution from aircraft, along with satellite data, to identify and quantify thermal energy characteristics for 4 U.S. cities: Atlanta, GA, Baton Rouge, LA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Sacramento, CA. Analysis of how thermal energy is spatially distributed across the urban landscapes for these cities provides a unique perspective for understanding how the differing morphology of cities forces land-atmosphere exchanges, such as the urban heat island effect, as well as related meteorological and air quality interactions. Keyword: urban ecosystems, remote sensing, urban heat island

Correlation analysis of the urban heat island effect and the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric particulates using TM images in Beijing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, L.Y.; Xie, X.D.; Li, S.

2013-01-01

This study combines the methods of observation statistics and remote sensing retrieval, using remote sensing information including the urban heat island (UHI) intensity index, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the normalized difference water index (NDWI), and the difference vegetation index (DVI) to analyze the correlation between the urban heat island effect and the spatial and temporal concentration distributions of atmospheric particulates in Beijing. The analysis establishes (1) a direct correlation between UHI and DVI; (2) an indirect correlation among UHI, NDWI and DVI; and (3) an indirect correlation among UHI, NDVI, and DVI. The results proved the existence of three correlation types with regional and seasonal effects and revealed an interesting correlation between UHI and DVI, that is, if UHI is below 0.1, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa. Also, DVI changes more with UHI in the two middle zones of Beijing. -- Highlights: •We analyze the correlation from the spatial and temporal views. •We present correlation analyses among UHI, NDWI, NDVI, and DVI from three perspectives. •Three correlations are proven to exist with regional and seasonal effects. •If UHI is below 0.1, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa. •The DVI changes more with UHI in the two middle zones of Beijing. -- Generally, if UHI is below 0.1 in the weak heat island or green island range, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa

Electron energy deposition in the middle atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vampola, A.L.; Gorney, D.J.

1983-01-01

Spectra of locally precipating 36- to 317-keV electrons obtained by instrumentation on the S3-2 satellite are used to calculate energy deposition profiles as a function of latitude, longitude, and altitude. In the 70- to 90-km altitude, mid-latitude ionization due to these precipitating energetic electrons can be comparable to that due to direct solar H Lyman α. At night, the electrons produce ionization more than an order of magnitude greater than that expected from scattered H Lyman α. Maximum precipitation rates in the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly are of the order of 10 -2 erg/cm 2 s with a spectrum of form j(E) = 1.34 x 10 5 E/sup -2.27/ (keV). Southern hemisphere precipitation dominates that in the north for 1.1< L<6 except for regions of low local surface field in the northern hemisphere. Above L = 6, local time effects dominate: i.e., longitudinal effects due to the asymmetric magnetic field which are strong features below L = 6 disappear and are replaced by high-latitude precipitation events which are local time features

SMOG-CHAMBER TOXICOLOGY BETTER ESTIMATES THE TRUE TOXIC POTENTIAL OF ATMOSPHERIC MIXTURES

Science.gov (United States)

The chemistry of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) have been studied for many years, yet little is known about how these chemicals, once interacted with urban atmospheres, affect healthy and susceptible individuals. The toxic potential of these very reactive compounds once they int...

Elemental concentrations in deposited dust on leaves along an urbanization gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Edina; Baranyai, Edina; Braun, Mihály; Cserháti, Csaba; Fábián, István; Tóthmérész, Béla

2014-08-15

Environmental health is an essential component of the quality of life in modern societies. Monitoring of environmental quality and the assessment of environmental risks are often species based on the elemental concentration of deposited dust. Our result suggested that stomata size and distribution were the most important factors influencing the accumulation of air contaminants in leaves. We found that the leaves' surfaces of Acer negundo and Celtis occidentalis were covered by a large number of trichomes, and these species have proven to be suitable biomonitors for atmospheric pollution difficult; these can be overcome using bioindicator species. Leaves of Padus serotina, Acer campestre, A. negundo, Quercus robur and C. occidentalis were used to assess the amount of deposited dust and the concentration of contaminants in deposited dust in and around the city of Debrecen, Hungary. Samples were collected from an urban, suburban and rural area along an urbanization gradient. The concentrations of Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sr and Zn were determined in deposited dust using ICP-OES. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to explore the morphological structure and dust absorbing capacity of leaves. We found significant differences in dust deposition among species, and dust deposition correlated with trichomes' density. Principal component analysis (PCA) also showed a total separation of tree. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supplementary data of “Impacts of mesic and xeric urban vegetation on outdoor thermal comfort and microclimate in Phoenix, AZ”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyun Song

2015-12-01

Full Text Available An advanced Markov-Chain Monte Carlo approach called Subset Simulation is described in Au and Beck (2001 [1] was used to quantify parameter uncertainty and model sensitivity of the urban land-atmospheric framework, viz. the coupled urban canopy model-single column model (UCM-SCM. The results show that the atmospheric dynamics are sensitive to land surface conditions. The most sensitive parameters are dimensional parameters, i.e. roof width, aspect ratio, roughness length of heat and momentum, since these parameters control the magnitude of sensible heat flux. The relative insensitive parameters are hydrological parameters since the lawns or green roofs in urban areas are regularly irrigated so that the water availability for evaporation is never constrained.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Contrasting characteristics of sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air and atmospheric pressure helium-oxygen glow discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, J. L.; Liu, D. X.; Iza, F.; Rong, M. Z.; Kong, M. G.

2010-01-01

Glow discharges in air are often considered to be the ultimate low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for numerous chamber-free applications. This is due to the ubiquitous presence of air and the perceived abundance of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in air plasmas. In this paper, sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air plasmas are shown to produce a low concentration of excited oxygen atoms but an abundance of excited nitrogen species, UV photons and ozone molecules. This contrasts sharply with the efficient production of excited oxygen atoms in comparable helium-oxygen discharges. Relevant reaction chemistry analysed with a global model suggests that collisional excitation of O2 by helium metastables is significantly more efficient than electron dissociative excitation of O2, electron excitation of O and ion-ion recombination. These results suggest different practical uses of the two oxygen-containing atmospheric discharges, with air plasmas being well suited for nitrogen and UV based chemistry and He-O2 plasmas for excited atomic oxygen based chemistry.

Validation of the Martilli's Urban Boundary Layer Scheme with measurements from two mid-latitude European cities

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, R.; Schayes, G.

2005-07-01

The Martilli's urban parameterization scheme is improved and implemented in a mesoscale model in order to take into account the typical effects of a real city on the air temperature near the ground and on the surface exchange fluxes. The mesoscale model is run on a single column using atmospheric data and radiation recorded above roof level as forcing. Here, the authors validate the Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme using measurements from two mid-latitude European cities: Basel, Switzerland and Marseilles, France. For Basel, the model performance is evaluated with observations of canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes obtained during the Basel urban boundary layer experiment (BUBBLE). The results show that the urban parameterization scheme is able to reproduce the generation of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect over urban area and represents correctly most of the behavior of the fluxes typical of the city center of Basel, including the large heat uptake by the urban fabric and the positive sensible heat flux at night. For Marseilles, the model performance is evaluated with observations of surface temperature, canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes collected during the field experiments to constrain models of atmospheric pollution and transport of emissions (ESCOMPTE) and its urban boundary layer (UBL) campaign. At both urban sites, vegetation cover is less than 20%, therefore, particular attention was directed to the ability of the Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme to reproduce the observations for the Marseilles city center, where the urban parameters and the synoptic forcing are totally different from Basel. Evaluation of the model with wall, road, and roof surface temperatures gave good results. The model correctly simulates the net radiation, canyon temperature, and the partitioning between the turbulent and storage heat fluxes.

: Urban design, urban project, urban art, urban composition ... a question of vocabulary?

OpenAIRE

Pinson , Daniel

2014-01-01

Actes à paraître; International audience; The term "urbanism" of Pierre Clerget (1910) put the mess in the practice and the formations in France. Urban planning is thus, on the academic level, a coexistence of disciplinary approaches, which does not help to a multidisciplinary urban training. Thinking about "urban design", after beautifull city, urban composition, or alongside the urban project and other territorial approaches can help to see more clearly in town planning.; Le terme « urbanis...

Emergency response mobile robot for operations in combustible atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Henry W. (Inventor); Ohm, Timothy R. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A mobile, self-powered, self-contained, and remote-controlled robot is presented. The robot is capable of safely operating in a combustible atmosphere and providing information about the atmosphere to the operator. The robot includes non-sparking and non-arcing electro-mechanical and electronic components designed to prevent the robot from igniting the combustible atmosphere. The robot also includes positively pressurized enclosures that house the electromechanical and electronic components of the robot and prevent intrusion of the combustible atmosphere into the enclosures. The enclosures are interconnected such that a pressurized gas injected into any one of the enclosures is routed to all the other enclosures through the interconnections. It is preferred that one or more sealed internal channels through structures intervening between the enclosures be employed. Pressure transducers for detecting if the pressure within the enclosures falls below a predetermined level are included. The robot also has a sensing device for determining the types of combustible substances in the surrounding atmosphere, as well as the concentrations of each type of substance relative to a pre-determined lower explosive limit (LEL). In addition, the sensing device can determine the percent level of oxygen present in the surrounding atmosphere.

A review of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: sources, fate and behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baek, S.O.; Field, R.A.; Goldstone, M.E.; Kirk, P.W.; Lester, J.N.; Perry, R.

1991-01-01

A review has been written to assess the sources, fate and behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the atmosphere. PAH are formed mainly by anthropogenic processes, especially the combustion of organic fuels. PAH concentration in air will reflect the location of source emitters, with high concentrations corresponding with urban and industrial areas. PAH are however ubiquitous contaminants of the environment having been detected in remote areas of the world. This is thought to be due to long term transport in the atmosphere. PAH can also be subjected to chemical and/or photochemical change whilst resident in the atmosphere prior to their removal by either wet or dry deposition. 146 refs., 5 tabs

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Atmospheric Aerosol in Osaka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonoyo Mukai

2013-05-01

Full Text Available It is well known that the aerosol distribution in Asia is complex due to both the increasing emissions of the anthropogenic aerosols associated with economic growth and the behavior of natural dusts. Therefore, detailed observations of atmospheric particles in Asian urban cities are important. In this work, we focus on the spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric particles around Higashi-Osaka in Japan. Higashi-Osaka is located in the eastern part of Osaka, the second-largest city in Japan, and is famous for small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. For this study, we placed various ground measurement devices around the Higashi-Osaka campus of Kinki University including a Cimel sunphotometer supported by NASA/AERONET (Aerosol robotics network, suspended particulate matter (SPM sampler and LIDAR (light detection and ranging. Individual particle analyses with a SEM (scanning electron microscope/EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer show the temporal variations of particle properties, such as size, shape and components, during a dust event on 21 March 2010. The simultaneous measurement using a portable sun photometer with AERONET was conducted from April to November 2011. A comparison of the data at each site and the combination of the observed LIDAR data and model simulations indicate the difference in the transportation processes between dust and anthropogenic particles. We suppose this difference is attributed to the differences in the vertical aerosol profiles, where one aerosol is transported over Mount Ikoma and the other is blocked by it.

Measurement of radioactive aerosols as an original indicator of atmospheric pollution in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Petit, G.; Millies-Lacroix, J.-C.; Simon, F.

1998-01-01

The Service Radioanalyses, Chimie et Environnement (Departement Analyses Surveillance de l'Environnement) of the French Atomic Energy Commission, located in suburban Paris, has for many years been conducting atmospheric radioactivity measurements. Since 1994, the laboratory has been using high volume air samplers equipped with filters for the weekly collection of atmospheric aerosols at a mean rate of about 600 m 3 .h -1 . The polypropylene filters, with a collection efficiency in excess of 93%, are compacted after sampling. The atmospheric radioactivity is measured by HP Ge gamma spectrometry after decay of short-lived natural relationship products. A study conducted in 1996 shows good correlation between the evolution with time of some of the indicators routinely used by AIRPARIF, the organization in charge of monitoring of the air quality in the Ile-de-France region, to measure atmospheric pollution in the Paris area (SO 2 , NO) and that related to radioactivity of terrestrial ( 210 Pb, 40 K) and anthropogenic ( 137 Cs) origin, as well as the amount of aerosols collected. Further, the distribution in time of the atmospheric radioactivity of cosmogenic origin ( 7 Be) shows a yearly evolution somewhat similar to that observed with ozone. (author). 16 refs., 21 figs., 1 tab

The urban boundary-layer field campaign in marseille (ubl/clu-escompte): set-up and first results

Science.gov (United States)

Mestayer, P.G.; Durand, P.; Augustin, P.; Bastin, S.; Bonnefond, J.-M.; Benech, B.; Campistron, B.; Coppalle, A.; Delbarre, H.; Dousset, B.; Drobinski, P.; Druilhet, A.; Frejafon, E.; Grimmond, C.S.B.; Groleau, D.; Irvine, M.; Kergomard, C.; Kermadi, S.; Lagouarde, J.-P.; Lemonsu, A.; Lohou, F.; Long, N.; Masson, V.; Moppert, C.; Noilhan, J.; Offerle, B.; Oke, T.R.; Pigeon, G.; Puygrenier, V.; Roberts, S.; Rosant, J.-M.; Sanid, F.; Salmond, J.; Talbaut, M.; Voogt, J.

The UBL/CLU (urban boundary layer/couche limite urbaine) observation and modelling campaign is a side-project of the regional photochemistry campaign ESCOMPTE. UBL/CLU focuses on the dynamics and thermodynamics of the urban boundary layer of Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast of France. The objective of UBL/CLU is to document the four-dimensional structure of the urban boundary layer and its relation to the heat and moisture exchanges between the urban canopy and the atmosphere during periods of low wind conditions, from June 4 to July 16, 2001. The project took advantage of the comprehensive observational set-up of the ESCOMPTE campaign over the Berre-Marseille area, especially the ground-based remote sensing, airborne measurements, and the intensive documentation of the regional meteorology. Additional instrumentation was installed as part of UBL/CLU. Analysis objectives focus on (i) validation of several energy balance computational schemes such as LUMPS, TEB and SM2-U, (ii) ground truth and urban canopy signatures suitable for the estimation of urban albedos and aerodynamic surface temperatures from satellite data, (iii) high resolution mapping of urban land cover, land-use and aerodynamic parameters used in UBL models, and (iv) testing the ability of high resolution atmospheric models to simulate the structure of the UBL during land and sea breezes, and the related transport and diffusion of pollutants over different districts of the city. This paper presents initial results from such analyses and details of the overall experimental set-up.

Oxidative potential of size-fractionated atmospheric aerosol in urban and rural sites across Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafer, Martin M; Hemming, Jocelyn D C; Antkiewicz, Dagmara S; Schauer, James J

2016-07-18

In this study we applied several assays, an in vitro rat alveolar macrophage model, a chemical ROS probe (DTT, dithiothreitol), and cytokine induction (TNFα) to examine relationships between PM-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and PM composition, using a unique set of size-resolved PM samples obtained from urban and rural environments across Europe. From April-July 2012, we collected PM from roadside canyon, roadside motorway, and background urban sites in each of six European cities and from three rural sites spanning the continent. A Hi-Vol sampler was used to collect PM in three size classes (PM>7, PM7-3, PM3) and PM was characterized for total elements, and oxidative activity quantified in unfiltered and filtered PM extracts. We measured a remarkable uniformity in air concentrations of ROS and especially DTT activity across the continent. Only a 4-fold difference was documented for DTT across the urban sites and a similar variance was documented for ROS, implying that chemical drivers of oxidative activity are relatively similar between sites. The ROS and DTT specific activity was greater at urban background sites (and also rural sites) than at urban canyon locations. PM3 dominated the size distribution of both ROS activity (86% of total) and DTT activity (76% of total), reflecting both the large contribution of PM3 to total PM mass levels and importantly the higher specific oxidative activity of the PM3 in comparison with the larger particles. The soluble fraction of total activity was very high for DTT (94%) as well as for ROS (64%) in the PM3. However in the larger PM size fractions the contributions of the insoluble components became increasingly significant. The dominance of the insoluble PM drivers of activity was particularly evident in the TNFα data, where the insoluble contribution to cytokine production could be 100-fold greater than that from soluble components. ROS and DTT activity were strongly correlated in the PM3 (r = 0

Participatory Design in an Urban Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gøtze, John

of the conditions necessary for estab-lishing urban social networks, and different methodologies for doing so are examined. As part of this, a study is done on electronic democracy, i.e., different forms of information and communi-cation technologies (IT/ICT, Internet) that are actually and potentially applicable...... to innovative urban community development. The project combines theories of communication, dialogue and innovation with theories of systems, information, media and decision making. The project involves a comparative study of selected projects in the capital regions of Den-mark (Copenhagen) and Japan (Tokyo...

Monitoring sensible heat flux over urban areas in a high-altitude city using Large Aperture Scintillometer and Eddy Covariance

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Junping; Timmermans, Wim J.; Ma, Yaoming; Su, Bob; Pema, Tsering

2017-04-01

Urbanization leads to modifications of surface energy balance which governs the momentum, heat and mass transfer between urban canopy layer and the atmosphere, thus impacts dynamic processes in the urban ABL and ultimately influence the local, regional and even global climate. It is essential to obtain accurate urban ABL observations to enhance our understanding of land-atmosphere interaction process over the urban area and help to improve the prediction ability of numerical model. However, up to now, there are rarely observations in high latitude cities. In one of the highest cities in the world, Lhasa, Eddy Covariance (EC) measurements have been ongoing since 10 August 2016 and a Large Aperture Scintillometer (LAS) started to work on 12 November 2016, in addition to a UHI network which has been running since 2012. Taking advantage of these observations, this poster will estimate and analyze the surface energy balance in the winter of 2016 in Lhasa, with an emphasis on sensible heat flux. An analytical footprint model and the radiative surface temperature retrieved from Landsat 8 will be employed to compare EC and LAS measurements.

Atmospheric Environment Vulnerability Cause Analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Shen, Jing; Li, Yu

2018-01-13

Assessing and quantifying atmospheric vulnerability is a key issue in urban environmental protection and management. This paper integrated the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy synthesis evaluation and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis into an Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive capacity (ESA) framework to quantitatively assess atmospheric environment vulnerability in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with spatial and temporal comparisons. The elaboration of the relationships between atmospheric environment vulnerability and indices of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity supports enable analysis of the atmospheric environment vulnerability. Our findings indicate that the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the BTH region exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity, which is caused by regional diversity in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of atmospheric environment vulnerability assessment and the cause analysis can provide guidance to pick out key control regions and recognize vulnerable indicators for study sites. The framework developed in this paper can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support environmental management.

An index for estimating the potential metal pollution contribution to atmospheric particulate matter from road dust in Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hongtao; Shao, Yaping; Yin, Chengqing; Jiang, Yan; Li, Xuyong

2016-04-15

The resuspension of road dust from street surfaces could be a big contributor to atmospheric particulate pollution in the rapid urbanization context in the world. However, to date what its potential contribution to the spatial pattern is little known. Here we developed an innovative index model called the road dust index (RIatmospheric suspended particles. The factors were ranked and weighted based on road dust characteristics (the amounts, grain sizes, and mobilities of the road dust, and the concentrations and toxicities of metals in the road dust). We then applied the RIatmospheric suspended particles. The results demonstrated that the road dust in urban areas has higher potential risk of metal to atmospheric particles than that in rural areas. The RIatmospheric suspended particles and for controlling atmospheric particulate pollution caused by road dust emissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dominant control of agriculture and irrigation on urban heat island in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rahul; Mishra, Vimal; Buzan, Jonathan; Kumar, Rohini; Shindell, Drew; Huber, Matthew

2017-10-25

As is true in many regions, India experiences surface Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect that is well understood, but the causes of the more recently discovered Urban Cool Island (UCI) effect remain poorly constrained. This raises questions about our fundamental understanding of the drivers of rural-urban environmental gradients and hinders development of effective strategies for mitigation and adaptation to projected heat stress increases in rapidly urbanizing India. Here we show that more than 60% of Indian urban areas are observed to experience a day-time UCI. We use satellite observations and the Community Land Model (CLM) to identify the impact of irrigation and prove for the first time that UCI is caused by lack of vegetation and moisture in non-urban areas relative to cities. In contrast, urban areas in extensively irrigated landscapes generally experience the expected positive UHI effect. At night, UHI warming intensifies, occurring across a majority (90%) of India's urban areas. The magnitude of rural-urban temperature contrasts is largely controlled by agriculture and moisture availability from irrigation, but further analysis of model results indicate an important role for atmospheric aerosols. Thus both land-use decisions and aerosols are important factors governing, modulating, and even reversing the expected urban-rural temperature gradients.

Persistence of urban organic aerosols composition: Decoding their structural complexity and seasonal variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matos, João T.V.; Duarte, Regina M.B.O.; Lopes, Sónia P.; Silva, Artur M.S.; Duarte, Armando C.

2017-01-01

Organic Aerosols (OAs) are typically defined as highly complex matrices whose composition changes in time and space. Focusing on time vector, this work uses two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) techniques to examine the structural features of water-soluble (WSOM) and alkaline-soluble organic matter (ASOM) sequentially extracted from fine atmospheric aerosols collected in an urban setting during cold and warm seasons. This study reveals molecular signatures not previously decoded in NMR-related studies of OAs as meaningful source markers. Although the ASOM is less hydrophilic and structurally diverse than its WSOM counterpart, both fractions feature a core with heteroatom-rich branched aliphatics from both primary (natural and anthropogenic) and secondary origin, aromatic secondary organics originated from anthropogenic aromatic precursors, as well as primary saccharides and amino sugar derivatives from biogenic emissions. These common structures represent those 2D NMR spectral signatures that are present in both seasons and can thus be seen as an “annual background” profile of the structural composition of OAs at the urban location. Lignin-derived structures, nitroaromatics, disaccharides, and anhydrosaccharides signatures were also identified in the WSOM samples only from periods identified as smoke impacted, which reflects the influence of biomass-burning sources. The NMR dataset on the H–C molecules backbone was also used to propose a semi-quantitative structural model of urban WSOM, which will aid efforts for more realistic studies relating the chemical properties of OAs with their atmospheric behavior. - Highlights: • 2D NMR spectroscopy was used to decode urban organic aerosols. • Water and alkaline soluble components of urban organic aerosols have been compared. • Persistence of urban organic aerosols composition across different seasons. • Annual background profile of the structural features of urban organic aerosols. • Semi

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban atmosphere of Guangzhou, China: Size distribution characteristics and size-resolved gas-particle partitioning

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Huan; Yu, Jian Zhen

2012-07-01

Size distributions of thirteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), elemental carbon (EC), and organic carbon (OC) in the range of 0.01-18 μm were measured using a nano Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (nano-MOUDI) in an urban location in Guangzhou, China in July 2006. PAH size distributions were fit with five modes and the respective mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMAD) are: Aitken mode (MMAD: ˜0.05 μm), three accumulation modes AMI, AMII, AMIII (MMAD: 0.13-0.17 μm, 0.4-0.45 μm, and 0.9-1.2 μm, respectively), and coarse mode (MMAD: 4-6 μm). Seven-ring PAH was mainly in AMII and AMIII. Five- and six-ring PAHs were found to be abundant in all the three AM. Three- and four-ring PAHs had a significant presence in the coarse mode in addition to the three AM. Size-resolved gas-particle partition coefficients of PAHs (Kp) were estimated using measured EC and OC data. The Kp values of a given PAH could differ by a factor of up to ˜7 on particles in different size modes, with the highest Kp associated with the AMI particles and the lowest Kp associated with the coarse mode particles. Comparison of calculated overall Kp with measured Kp values in Guangzhou by Yang et al. (2010) shows that adsorption on EC appeared to be the dominant mechanism driving the gas-particle partitioning of three- and four-ring PAHs while absorption in OM played a dominant role for five- and six-ring PAHs. The calculated equilibrium timescales of repartitioning indicate that five- to seven-ring PAHs could not achieve equilibrium partitioning within their typical residence time in urban atmospheres, while three- and four-ring PAHs could readily reach new equilibrium states in particles of all sizes. A partitioning flux is therefore proposed to replace the equilibrium assumption in modeling PAH transport and fate.

Effects of atmospheric variability on energy utilization and conservation. Progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reiter, E.R.; Burns, C.C.; Cochrane, H.; Johnson, G.R.; Leong, H.; Sheaffer, J.D.

1980-07-01

Research progress for the period September 1979 to July 1980 is reported. Research was structured along four major tasks: (1) atmospheric circulation and climate variability; (2) urban mesoclimate; (3) energy demand modelling; and (4) economic implications of weather variability and energy demand: stimulating residential energy conservation through the financial section. (ACR)

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution by moss bags: Discriminating urban-rural structure in a fragmented landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Capozzi, F; Giordano, S; Di Palma, A; Spagnuolo, V; De Nicola, F; Adamo, P

2016-04-01

In this paper we investigated the possibility to use moss bags to detect pollution inputs - metals, metalloids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - in sites chosen for their different land use (agricultural, urban/residential scenarios) and proximity to roads (sub-scenarios), in a fragmented conurbation of Campania (southern Italy). We focused on thirty-nine elements including rare earths. For most of them, moss uptake was higher in agricultural than in urban scenarios and in front road sites. Twenty PAHs were analyzed in a subset of agricultural sites; 4- and 5-ringed PAHs were the most abundant, particularly chrysene, fluoranthene and pyrene. Overall results indicated that investigated pollutants have a similar spatial distribution pattern over the entire study area, with road traffic and agricultural practices as the major diffuse pollution sources. Moss bags proved a very sensitive tool, able to discriminate between different land use scenarios and proximity to roads in a mixed rural-urban landscape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior of trace NO/sub X/ species in the nighttime urban atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Killus, J.P.; Whitten, G.Z.

1985-01-01

Three trace NO/sub X/ species--HONO, NO 3 , and N 2 O 5 --may play important roles in urban smog formation. Alternative mechanisms for these species have recently been proposed. This report presents a brief analysis of simulation results indicating that the traditional chemistry for these species can still explain the results of some recent observational studies

Pulmonary deposition of urban atmospheric aerosol. Assessments of the mass, number and surface of the deposited particles; Deposizione polmonare dell'aerosol atmosferico urbano in termini di massa, numero e superficie delle particelle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luciani, A.; Berico, M.; Castellani, C.M. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Ezio Clementel, Bologna (Italy). Dipt. Ambiente

1998-07-01

Pulmonary deposition of urban atmospheric aerosol has been calculated by means of the data derived from March 1995 measurement campaign of urban aerosol. The human respiratory tract model of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (n. 66) developed for radiation protection purposes has been used. The number and surface of the deposited particles, as well as the mass, have been also evaluated. [Italian] I dati relativi alla campagna di misure effettuata nel marzo 1995 sono stati rielaborati al fine di valutare la deposizione polmonare dell'aerosol atmosferico in area urbana. Le valutazioni di deposizione nel tratto respiratorio umano sono state condotte mediante l'utilizzo del modello del tratto respiratorio umano presentato per fini radioprotezionistici dalla International Commission on Radiological Protection (n. 66). Sono state effettuate valutazioni di deposizione in massa e in termini di numero e superficie delle particelle.

The Barriers to Millennials Visiting Rouge Urban National Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gillian Ramsay

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Intensified urbanization has led to more populated cities and less green spaces which are vital to community health, wellbeing and conservation. Rouge Urban National Park in Toronto has recently become Canada’s first urban national park. This park is ideally suited to the millennial population, offering outdoor recreation and green space that this growing market generally desires. There is, however, a lack of research into visitor motivations to urban parks and more specifically millennial motivations. Findings from 280 quantitative surveys found three main barriers to visiting the Urban National Park: distance, transportation, and awareness. The lack of public transport combined with road congestion and fewer millennials owning cars creates issues with accessibility. Poor branding and knowledge through electronic media creates low awareness within a demographic market so tied to technology.

Investigation on the energy spectrums of electrons in atmospheric pressure argon plasma jets and their dependences on the applied voltage

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xinxian; Tan, Zhenyu; Liu, Yadi; Li, Xiaotong; Pan, Jie; Wang, Xiaolong

2017-08-01

This work presents a systematical investigation on the spatiotemporal evolution of the energy spectrum of electrons in atmospheric pressure argon plasma jets and its dependence on the applied voltage. The investigations are carried out by means of the numerical simulation based on a particle-in-cell Monte-Carlo collision model. The characteristics of the spatiotemporal evolution of the energy spectrum of electrons (ESE) in the discharge space have been presented, and especially the mechanisms of inducing these characteristics have also been revealed. The present work shows the following conclusions. In the evolution of ESE, there is a characteristic time under each applied voltage. Before the characteristic time, the peak value of ESE decreases, the peak position shifts toward high energy, and the distribution of ESE becomes wider and wider, but the reverse is true after the characteristic time. The formation of these characteristics can be mainly attributed to the transport of electrons toward a low electric field as well as a balance between the energy gained from the electric field including the effect of space charges and the energy loss due to inelastic collisions in the process of electron transport. The characteristic time decreases with the applied voltage. In addition, the average energy of electrons at the characteristic time can be increased by enhancing the applied voltage. The results presented in this work are of importance for regulating and controlling the energy of electrons in the plasma jets applied to plasma medicine.

Atmospheric Plasma Blade for Surgical Purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Oksuz, Lutfi; Yurdabak Karaca, Gozde; Özkaptan, Emir; Uygun, Emre; Uygun Oksuz, Aysegul

2017-10-01

Atmospheric plasma cut is a process at the minimum level due to the ions, radicals and free electrons generated by the active electrode and target tissue. Atmospheric plasma cutting devices provide significant advantages as a non-contact electrocautery system that can operate in isotonic environment. During operations where plasma cutting is applied, bleeding is controlled and the side effects that would create the isotonic environment are eliminated. In this study in vivo and in vitro studies will be carried out by producing and optimizing the atmospheric plasma blade. Once the optimum parameters of the instrument are determined, in vivo studies will be performed and the pathology results will be evaluated.