Formation and emissions of carbonyls during and following gas-phase ozonation of indoor materials

Ozone concentrations that are several orders of magnitude greater than typical urban ambient concentrations are necessary for gas-phase ozonation of buildings, either for deodorization or for disinfection of biological agents. However, there is currently no published literature on the interaction of building materials and ozone under such extreme conditions. It would be useful to understand, for example in the case of building re-occupation planning, what types and amounts of reaction products may form and persist in a building after ozonation. In this study, 24 materials were exposed to ozone at concentrations of 1000 ppm in the inlet stream of experimental chambers. Fifteen target carbonyls were selected and measured as building ozonation by-products (BOBPs). During the 36 h that include the 16 h ozonation and 20 h persistence phase, the total BOBP mass released from flooring and wall coverings ranged from 1 to 20 mg m⁻², with most of the carbonyls being of lower molecular weight (C₁–C₄). In contrast, total BOBP mass released from wood-based products ranged from 20 to 100 mg m⁻², with a greater fraction of the BOBPs being heavier carbonyls (C₅–C₉). The total BOBP mass released during an ozonation event is a function of both the total surface area of the material and the BOBP emission rate per unit area of material. Ceiling tile, carpet, office partition, and gypsum wallboard with flat latex paint often have large surface areas in commercial buildings and these same materials exhibited relatively high BOBP releases. The greatest overall BOBP mass releases were observed for three materials that building occupants might have significant contact with: paper, office partition, and medium density fiberboard, e.g., often used in office furniture. These materials also exhibited extended BOBP persistence following ozonation; some BOBPs (e.g., nonanal) persist for months or more at emission rates large enough to result in indoor concentrations that exceed their odor threshold.     

Reactions between ozone and building products: Impact on primary and secondary emissions

Reactions of ozone on common building products were studied in a dedicated emission test chamber system. Fourteen new and unused products were exposed to 100–160 ppb of ozone at 23 °C and 50% RH during 48 h experiments. Ozone deposition velocities calculated at steady state were between 0.003 cm s⁻¹ (alkyd paint on polyester film) and 0.108 cm s⁻¹ (pine wood board). All tested product showed modified emissions when exposed to ozone and secondary emissions of several aldehydes were identified. Carpets and wall coverings emitted mainly C₅–C₁₀ n-aldehydes, typical by-products of surface reactions. Linoleum, polystyrene tiles and pine wood boards also showed increased emissions of formaldehyde, benzaldehyde and hexanal associated with reduced emissions of unsaturated compounds suggesting the occurrence of gas-phase reactions. The ozone removal on the different tested products was primarily associated with surface reactions. The relative contribution of gas-phase reactions to the total ozone removal was estimated to be between 5% and 30% for pine wood boards depending on relative humidity (RH) and on the incoming ozone concentration and 2% for polystyrene tiles. On pine wood board, decreasing ozone deposition velocities were measured with increasing ozone concentrations and with RH increasing in the range 30–50%.     

Dry deposition of ozone on building materials. Chamber measurements and modelling of the time-dependent deposition

Tests of the dry deposition of ozone to the surfaces of a concrete floor tile and an activated carbon cloth (ACC) sample were performed in a deposition chamber. The time-dependent deposition of ozone to the material surfaces was modelled with an adsorption, desorption, reaction model. This made it possible to find deposition velocities at equilibrium, at t=∞, from shorter time runs of 48 h. The total equilibrium deposition velocity on the concrete floor tile was found to decrease from 0.08(10) to 0.057(10) cm s⁻¹ in three consecutive runs on the same sample, and was found to be 0.137(8) cm s⁻¹ on an ACC. All at a linear airflow velocity of 0.092 cm s⁻¹, RH=50% and T=22°C. Varying the airflow in the deposition chamber, the surface deposition velocity was found to equal to the total deposition velocity for the concrete floor tile. A surface deposition velocity of 0.186(8) cm s⁻¹ was found for the ACC sample. The total real area and the reaction rate constant for the decomposition of ozone was found to be larger, and the adsorption rate constant, the desorption rate constant and the mass of ozone on the surface smaller, on the ACC sample than on the concrete floor tile.     

Formation of strong airway irritants in a model mixture of (+)-α-pinene/ozone

The airway irritation of (+)-α-pinene, ozone, mixtures thereof, and formaldehyde was evaluated by a mouse bioassay, in which sensory irritation, bronchoconstriction, and pulmonary irritation were measured. The effects are distinguished by analysis of the respiratory parameters. Significant sensory irritation (assessed from reduction of mean respiratory rate) was observed by dynamic exposure of the mice, over a period of 30 min, to a ca. 22 s old reaction mixture of ozone and (+)-α-pinene from a Teflon flow tube. The starting concentrations were 6 ppm and 80 ppm, respectively, which were diluted and let into the exposure chamber. About 10% ozone remained unreacted (0.4 ppm), <0.2 ppm formaldehyde, <0.4 ppm pinonaldehyde, <2 ppm formic acid, and <1 ppm acetic acid were formed. These concentrations, as well as that of the unreacted (+)-α-pinene (51 ppm), were below established no effect levels. The mean reduction of the respiratory rate (30%) was significantly different (p≪0.001) from clean air, as well as from exposure of (+)-α-pinene, ozone, and formaldehyde themselves at the concentrations measured. Addition of the effects of the measured residual reactants and products cannot explain the observed sensory irritation effect. This suggests that one or more strong airway irritants have been formed. Therefore, oxidation reactions of common naturally occurring unsaturated compounds (e.g., terpenes) may be relevant for indoor air quality.     

Kinetic aspects and identification of by-products during the ozonation of bitertanol in agricultural wastewaters

The degradation of bitertanol by ozone treatment is investigated. Solutions of bitertanol (8.4 μg mL^?1) were prepared either by dissolution of the standard or by dilution of Gaucho Blé seed loading solution and then ozonated under different conditions. Evolution of the concentrations of bitertanol and its ozonation by-products in both solutions was monitored by HPLC–UV as a function of the treatment time for a concentration of 100 g m^?3 of ozone in the inlet gas. Bitertanol degradation was found to follow a pseudo-first order reaction in both cases. However, the rate of the reaction in diluted seed loading solution was much lower (0.19 vs. 0.27 min^?1 in standard solution) and was close to the reaction rate observed in the presence of a radical scavenger, tert-butanol (0.11 min^?1). Thus, it may be suggested that additives present in the seed loading solution may play the role of radical scavengers. Study of ozone concentration in the inlet gas (from 25 to 100 g m^?3) showed that ozone degradation is also a first-order reaction with respect to ozone. Four ozonation by-products were highlighted, collected and identified by HPLC coupled with an ion trap mass spectrometer using positive electrospray ionization mode. A degradation pathway of bitertanol was finally proposed.     

Ozone uptake by citrus trees exposed to a range of ozone concentrations

The Citrus genus includes a large number of species and varieties widely cultivated in the Central Valley of California and in many other countries having similar Mediterranean climates. In the summer, orchards in California experience high levels of tropospheric ozone, formed by reactions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) with oxides of nitrogen (NO_x). Citrus trees may improve air quality in the orchard environment by taking up ozone through stomatal and non-stomatal mechanisms, but they may ultimately be detrimental to regional air quality by emitting biogenic VOC (BVOC) that oxidize to form ozone and secondary organic aerosol downwind of the site of emission. BVOC also play a key role in removing ozone through gas-phase chemical reactions in the intercellular spaces of the leaves and in ambient air outside the plants. Ozone is known to oxidize leaf tissues after entering stomata, resulting in decreased carbon assimilation and crop yield. To characterize ozone deposition and BVOC emissions for lemon (Citrus limon), mandarin (Citrus reticulata), and orange (Citrus sinensis), we designed branch enclosures that allowed direct measurement of fluxes under different physiological conditions in a controlled greenhouse environment. Average ozone uptake was up to 11 nmol s^?1 m^?2 of leaf. At low concentrations of ozone (40 ppb), measured ozone deposition was higher than expected ozone deposition modeled on the basis of stomatal aperture and ozone concentration. Our results were in better agreement with modeled values when we included non-stomatal ozone loss by reaction with gas-phase BVOC emitted from the citrus plants. At high ozone concentrations (160 ppb), the measured ozone deposition was lower than modeled, and we speculate that this indicates ozone accumulation in the leaf mesophyll.     

Overall elemental dry deposition velocities measured around Lake Michigan

Overall dry deposition velocities of several elements were determined by dividing measured fluxes by measured airborne concentrations in different particle size ranges. The dry deposition measurements were made with a smooth surrogate surface on an automated dry deposition sampler (Eagle II) and the ambient particle concentrations were measured with a dichotomous sampler. These long-term measurements were made in Chicago, IL, South Haven, MI, and Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI, from December 1993 through October 1995 as part of the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study. In general, the dry deposition fluxes of elements were highly correlated with coarse particle concentrations, slightly less well correlated with total particle concentrations, and least well correlated with fine particle concentrations. The calculated overall dry deposition velocities obtained using coarse particle concentrations varied from approximately 12 cm s⁻¹ for Mg in Chicago to 0.2 cm s⁻¹ for some primarily anthropogenic metals at the more remote sites. The velocities calculated using total particle concentrations were slightly lower. The crustal elements (Mg, Al, and Mn) had higher deposition velocities than anthropogenic elements (V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ba and Pb). For crustal elements, overall dry deposition velocities were higher in Chicago than at the other sites.     

A synthesis of AOT40-based response functions and critical levels of ozone for agricultural and horticultural crops

Crop-response data from over 700 published papers and conference proceedings have been analysed with the aim of establishing ozone dose-response functions for a wide range of European agricultural and horticultural crops. Data that met rigorous selection criteria (e.g. field-based, ozone concentrations within European range, full season exposure period) were used to derive AOT40-yield response functions for 19 crops by first converting the published ozone concentration data into AOT40 (AOT40 is the hourly mean ozone concentration accumulated over a threshold ozone concentration of 40 ppb during daylight hours, units ppm h). For any individual crop, there were no significant differences in the linear response functions derived for experiments conducted in the USA or Europe, or for individual cultivars. Three statistically independent groups were identified: ozone sensitive crops (wheat, water melon, pulses, cotton, turnip, tomato, onion, soybean and lettuce); moderately sensitive crops (sugar beet, potato, oilseed rape, tobacco, rice, maize, grape and broccoli) and ozone resistant (barley and fruit represented by plum and strawberry). Critical levels of a 3 month AOT40 of 3 ppm h and a 3.5 month AOT40 of 6 ppm h were derived from the functions for wheat and tomato, respectively.     

Preliminary study of the determination of ambient carbonyls in Xalapa City,Veracruz, Mexico

A preliminary study of ambient carbonyls was performed in Xalapa City to measure carbonyls in the atmosphere of this City, because it has an explosive increase in population and traffic density, but few industries. The city is located at the eastern flanks of the Sierra Madre Oriental, between 1350 and 1550 m above sea level. Acetone was the most abundant carbonyl in June, followed by formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, whereas acetaldehyde was the most abundant one in November. Higher concentrations were observed in autumn than in spring, probably due to stagnation conditions in autumn and heavy rains from late spring to early autumn. The very high concentrations of acetaldehyde found in November could have been caused by an accidental leak or spill from a truck, since no stationary sources were identified and acetaldehyde concentrations steeply rose and constantly decreased after few days. Moreover, a highly transited highway traverses Xalapa. The most important ozone and carbon monoxide concentrations were below the Mexican Air Quality Standards; 216 μg m⁻³ (0.11 ppm) for 1 h average and 12.6 mg m⁻³ (11 ppm) for 8 h moving average, respectively. The low concentrations of the main carbonyls, compared with the values reported for other urban areas, and of carbon monoxide, seem to indicate that air quality is still satisfactory in Xalapa City.     

Measurement and analysis of atmospheric concentrations of isoprene and its reaction products in central Texas

A field experiment was conducted in August 1998 to investigate the concentrations of isoprene and isoprene reaction products in the surface and mixed layers of the atmosphere in Central Texas. Measured near ground-level concentrations of isoprene ranged from 0.3 (lower limit of detection – LLD) to 10.2 ppbv in rural regions and from 0.3 to 6.0 ppbv in the Austin urban area. Rural ambient formaldehyde levels ranged from 0.4 ppbv (LLD) to 20.0 ppbv for 160 rural samples collected, while the observed range was smaller at Austin (0.4–3.4 ppbv) for a smaller set of samples (37 urban samples collected). Methacrolein levels did not vary as widely, with rural measurements from 0.1 ppbv (LLD) to 3.7 ppbv and urban concentrations varying between 0.2 and 5.7 ppbv. Isoprene flux measurements, calculated using a simple box model and measured mixed-layer isoprene concentrations, were in reasonable agreement with emission estimates based on local ground cover data. Ozone formation attributable to biogenic hydrocarbon oxidation was also calculated. The calculations indicated that if the ozone formation occurred at low VOC/NO_x ratios, up to 20 ppbv of ozone formed could be attributable to biogenic photooxidation. In contrast, if the biogenic hydrocarbon reaction products were formed under low NO_x conditions, ozone production attributable to biogenics oxidation would be as low as 1 ppbv. This variability in ozone formation potentials implies that biogenic emissions in rural areas will not lead to peak ozone levels in the absence of transport of NO_x from urban centers or large rural NO_x sources.     

Estimation of fluorine and chlorine emissions from Spanish structural ceramic industries. The case study of the Bailén area,Southern Spain

This paper assesses F and Cl emissions as atmospheric pollutants in the Bailén area (southern Spain), originated from the raw material used in structural ceramic industries. The area is one of the most important in Spain, with a daily output over three million pieces. The Bailén area features three categories of industries taking into account F emissions (the most important pollutant from ceramic clays):Group I: Those releasing less than 150 ppm F, which use raw materials with low F contents and/or high proportion of calcite, and fire at about 850°C.Group II: Those releasing 150–300 ppm F, whose raw materials show low calcite percentages and bricks are fired between 850–1050°C.Group III: Those releasing more than 300 ppm F, which use clays containing over 1000 ppm F and firing temperatures around 900°C.The emission rate of F increases with increasing F content in the raw material and firing temperature (particularly when exceeding 1000°C). The calcite and clay mineral contents control the F emissions up to 950°C; on the other hand, a high heating rate hinders fluorine emission to some extent. The emission rate of Cl increases with increasing temperature, but in the most cases chlorine is released at concentrations below 30 ppm.Atmospheric contamination in the Bailén area can reach 3 kg/h of fluorine and up to twice of chlorine emission levels permitted, owing to the massive production of structural clay products.     

Deposition velocity of PM2.5 sulfate in the summer above a deciduous forest in central Japan

In order to increase knowledge of aerosol dry deposition for the regional assessment of acid deposition and transboundary air pollution in East Asia, an experimental study on PM2.5 sulfate deposition was implemented in the early summer of 2009. The experimental field was located in a deciduous forest at the foot of Mt. Asama, central Japan. Aerosol fluxes were obtained using the aerodynamic gradient method. Three aerosol samplers were placed on an experimental tower at 21, 24 and 27 m above the ground surface, and collected PM2.5 on filters for chemical analysis. Vertical concentration differences between 21 m and 27 m of PM2.5 sulfate were detected significantly when the concentration exceeded 1 μg m^?3. Mean deposition velocity was estimated to be 0.9 ± 1.0 cm s^?1 in the daytime and 0.3 ± 0.3 cm s^?1 in the nighttime. In the case that a height-dependent correction in the roughness sub-layer was taken into account, the deposition velocities increased more, especially in daytime. Higher deposition velocities in the daytime were associated with larger friction velocities and unstable conditions. The deposition velocities observed in this study were in agreement with other experimental results found in the literature. On the other hand, they were higher than those calculated by theoretical models. Two empirical parameterizations (Wesely, M.L., Cook, D.R., Hart, R.L., 1985. Measurement and parameterization of particulate sulfur dry deposition over grass. Journal of Geophysical Research 90, 2131–2143; Ruijgrok, W., Tieben, H., Eisinga, P., 1997. The dry deposition of particles to a forest canopy: a comparison of model and experimental results. Atmospheric Environment 31, 399–415) were validated by the observations. The general trend of higher daytime and lower nighttime deposition velocities was similar among the observation and the two parameterizations. The large variability found in the measurement was not reproduced by the parameterizations, because it is attributable to random error from the differences between the samplers. The observations were in accordance with the parameterization of Ruijgrok et al. (1997) for a forest, although much larger than that of Wesely et al. (1985) for grasslands. This indicates the large difference in aerosol deposition velocities between forests and grasslands.     

Indoor ozone/terpene reactions as a source of indoor particles

This paper reports effects of reactions between ozone and selected terpenes on the concentrations and size distributions of airborne particles in a typical indoor setting. The studies were conducted in adjacent, identical offices. In the first set of experiments, known concentrations of ozone and a selected terpene (either d-limonene, α-terpinene, or a terpene-based cleaner whose major constituent is α-pinene) were deliberately introduced into one of the offices while the other office served as a control. Subsequent particle formation and redistribution were monitored with an eight-channel optical particle counter. Particle formation was observed in each terpene system, but was greatest in the case of d-limonene. The number of particles in the 0.1–0.2 μm diameter size range was as much as 20 times larger in the office with deliberately supplemented ozone and d-limonene than in the office serving as the control. The concentration differences in the larger size ranges developed with time, indicating the importance of coagulation and condensation processes in this indoor environment. In the second set of experiments, d-limonene was deliberately introduced into one of the offices, but ozone was not supplemented in either office; instead, the indoor ozone concentrations were those that happened to be present (primarily as a consequence of outdoor-to-indoor transport). In the office that contained supplemental d-limonene, the concentrations of the 0.1–0.2 μm particles tracked those of indoor ozone (the limiting reagent) and were as much as 10 times greater than levels measured in the comparable office that did not contain supplemental d-limonene. The results demonstrate that ozone/terpene reactions can be a significant source of sub-micron particles in indoor settings, and further illustrate the potential for reactions among commonly occurring indoor pollutants to markedly influence indoor environments.     

Spatial variations of ground level ozone concentrations in areas of different scales

The spatial variation of ground level ozone concentrations was investigated for areas of three different scales: (1) an air quality management district (a region about 100×70 km²) in northern Taiwan, (2) the neighborhood (about 2 km in radius) of an air quality monitoring station, and (3) an open field (about 400×600 m²) surrounded by 3- and 4-story buildings in an elementary school. Analysis of data on hourly ozone concentration, obtained at 13 m above the ground at 21 monitoring stations in the air quality management district, showed that the stations downwind of the urban center in the district had significantly higher ozone concentrations. Measurements for 8-h average ozone concentrations at 1.5 m above the ground by passive samplers showed that, in a flat area about 2 km in radius, the ratios of the ozone concentration at open areas to that at the monitoring station (0.86–0.93) were significantly higher than those obtained at areas with higher traffic flow and density of buildings (0.60–0.68). For the open field in an elementary school, the 8-h average ozone concentrations at 1.5 m above the ground at sites less than 10 m from the nearest building were considerably lower than those at sites farther away from buildings. The results indicated that, in areas of small scales, the spatial distributions of ozone concentration were highly non-uniform and there were appreciable day-to-day variability in spatial distribution. Such variability should be taken into account in determining the extent to which an individual is exposed to ozone.     

Dry deposition of ammonia,nitric acid,ammonium, and nitrate to alpine tundra at Niwot Ridge,Colorado

Micrometeorological measurements and ambient air samples, analyzed for concentrations of NH₃, HNO₃, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻, were collected at an alpine tundra site on Niwot Ridge, Colorado. The measured concentrations were extremely low and ranged between 5 and 70 ng N m⁻³. Dry deposition fluxes of these atmospheric species were calculated using the micrometeorological gradient method. The calculated mean flux for NH₃ indicates a net deposition to the surface and indicates that NH₃ contributed significantly to the total N deposition to the tundra during the August–September measurement period. Our pre-measurement estimate of the compensation point for NH₃ in air above the tundra was 100–200 ng N m⁻³; thus, a net emission of NH₃ was expected given the low ambient concentrations of NH₃ observed. Based on our results, however, the NH₃ compensation point at this alpine tundra site appears to have been at or below about 20 ng N m⁻³. Large deposition velocities (>2 cm s⁻¹) were determined for nitrate and ammonium and may result from reactions with surface-derived aerosols.     

The impact of an 8 h ozone air quality standard on ROG and NOx controls in Southern California

The new National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone in the US uses 8 h averaging for the concentration. Based on the 1993 ambient data for Southern California, 8 h averaging has a moderate tendency to move the location of the peak ozone concentration east of the location of the peak 1 h ozone concentration. Reducing the area-wide peak 8 h ozone concentration to 80 ppb would require an effective reduction of the area-wide peak 1 h ozone concentration to around 90 ppb. The Urban Airshed Model with improved numerical solvers, meteorological input based on a mesoscale model and an adjusted emissions inventory was used to study the effect of reactive organic gases (ROG) and NO_x controls on daily-maximum and peak 8 h ozone concentrations under the 26–28 August 1987 ozone episodic conditions in Southern California. The NO_x disbenefit remains prominent for the case of 8 h ozone concentration but is somewhat less prominent, especially when areal ozone exposure is considered, than the case for 1 h ozone concentration. The role of two indicators – O₃/NO_y and H₂O₂/HNO₃ – for NO_x- and ROG-sensitivity for 1 and 8 h ozone concentrations were also studied. In general, the indicator trends are consistent with model predictions, but the discriminating power of the indicators is rather limited.     

Ozone and meteorological boundary-layer conditions at Summit,Greenland, during 3–21 June 2000

The temporal and spatial distributions of boundary-layer ozone were studied during June 2000 at Summit, Greenland, using surface-level measurements and vertical profiling from a tethered balloon platform. Three weeks of continuous ozone surface data, 133 meteorological vertical profile data and 82 ozone vertical profile data sets were collected from the surface to a maximum altitude of 1400 m above ground.The lower atmosphere at Summit was characterized by the prevalence of strong stable conditions with strong surface temperature inversions. These inversions reversed to neutral to slightly unstable conditions between ∼9.00 and 18.00 h local time with the formation of shallow mixing heights of ∼70–250 m above the surface.The surface ozone mixing ratio ranged from 39 to 68 ppbv and occasionally had rapid changes of up to 20 ppb in 12 h. The diurnal mean ozone mixing ratio showed diurnal trends indicating meteorological and photochemical controls of surface ozone. Vertical profiles were within the range of 37–76 ppb and showed strong stratification in the lower troposphere. A high correlation of high ozone/low water vapor air masses indicated the transport of high tropospheric/low stratospheric air into the lower boundary layer. A ∼0.1–3 ppb decline of the ozone mixing ratio towards the surface was frequently observed within the neutrally stable mixed layer during midday hours. These data suggest that the boundary-layer ozone mixing ratio and ozone depletion and deposition to the snowpack are influenced by photochemical processes and/or transport phenomena that follow diurnal dependencies. With 37 ppb of ozone being the lowest mixing ratio measured in all data no evidence was seen for the occurrence of ozone depletion episodes similar to those that have been reported within the boundary layer at coastal Arctic sites during springtime.     

Fungi and bacteria in mould-damaged and non-damaged office environments in a subarctic climate

The fungi and bacterial levels of the indoor air environments of 77 office buildings were measured in winter and a comparison was made between the buildings with microbe sources in their structures and those without such sources. Penicillium, yeasts, Cladosporium and non-sporing isolates were the commonest fungi detected in the indoor air and in settled dust, in both the mould-damaged and control buildings. Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus glaucus and Stachybotrys chartarium were found only in environmental samples from the mould-damaged buildings. Some other fungi, with growth requiring of water activity, a_w, above 0.85, occurred in both the reference and mould-damaged buildings, but such fungi were commoner in the latter type of buildings. The airborne concentrations of Penicillium, Aspergillus versicolor and yeasts were the best indicators of mould damage in the buildings studied. Penicillium species and A. versicolor were also the most abundant fungi in the material samples. This study showed that the fungi concentrations were very low (2–45 cfu m⁻³ 90% of the concentrations being <15 cfu m⁻³) in the indoor air of the normal office buildings. Although the concentration range of airborne fungi was wider for the mould-damaged buildings (2–2470 cfu m⁻³), only about 20% of the samples exceeded 100 cfu m⁻³. The concentrations of airborne bacteria ranged from 12 to 540 cfu m⁻³ in the control buildings and from 14 to 1550 cfu m⁻³ in the mould-damaged buildings. A statistical analysis of the results indicated that bacteria levels are generally <600 cfu m⁻³ in office buildings in winter and fungi levels are <50 cfu m⁻³. These normal levels are applicable to subarctic climates for urban, modern office buildings when measurements are made using a six-stage impactor. These levels should not be used in evaluations of health risks, but elevated levels may indicate the presence of abnormal microbe sources in indoor air and a need for additional environmental investigations.     

Responses of two birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones to different ozone profiles with similar AOT40 exposure

Saplings of two clones of European white birch (Betula pendula Roth) were exposed to three different ozone profiles resulting in same AOT40 value of 13–14 ppm h in a chamber experiment. The sensitive clone 5 and the more tolerant clone 2 were growing (1) under filtered air (=control), or (2) were exposed to 70 ppb ozone for 24 h d⁻¹ (=profile 1), (3) to 100 ppb ozone for 12 h d⁻¹ at 8:00–20:00 (=profile 2), or (4) to 200 ppb ozone for 4.5 h d⁻¹ at 9:30–14:00 (=profile 3) for 20 d. The saplings were determined for growth, visible leaf injuries, stomatal conductance, and concentrations of Rubisco, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Growth responses and induction of visible foliar injuries under different ozone profiles were variable, resulting in 4–17% lower dry mass of shoot, 16–46% reduction in stem height increment and 11–43% increase in visible injuries in clone 5, which was accompanied by higher leaf turnover rate under profile 3 indicating compensation growth. In clone 2, ozone-induced responses ranged from slight stimulation in stem height growth to 13% decrease in dry mass of shoot and 2–16% increase in visible injuries. Daytime stomatal conductance rates were lowered by 14–54% in clone 5 and 9–74% in clone 2, depending on profile. The additional power-weighted analyses revealed that high peak concentrations and exposure shape were important for induction of visible injuries in both clones and reduction in stomatal conductance in clone 5, whereas growth reductions were rather related to total cumulative exposure. The results indicate that profile of ozone exposure, night-time stomatal conductance (24 h flux), and recovery time for defence and compensations reactions should not be ignored in plant response and ozone flux modelling.