Extreme Nitrogen Oxide and Ozone Concentrations in Athens Atmosphere in Relation to Meteorological Conditions

In the present study, we investigate the variation of NO _x (NO + NO₂) and O₃ concentrations and the relation between the extreme events (episodes) of NO _x and O₃ concentrations and the relevant meteorological conditions in the urban atmosphere of the Athens basin. Hourly data of NO, NO₂ and O₃ concentrations from 10 representative monitoring sites located in the Athens basin were used, covering the 10-year time period from 1994 to 2003. The results of our analysis show that the concentrations of air pollutants differ significantly from one monitoring site to another, due to the location and proximity of each station to the emission sources. For each site, there are also significant differences in NO _x and O₃ concentrations from day to day, as well as from month to month and/or from season to season. The annual and seasonal variations show higher NO values in winter and lower in summer. On the contrary, NO₂ and O₃ values are higher in summer (photochemical production of O₃) and lower in winter. These differences are attributed, to a large extent, to the prevailing synoptic and meteorological conditions, the most important between them being the wind direction and speed as well as the atmospheric pressure. Our analysis of the identified 179 extreme NO _x air pollution events shows that most of them took place under anticyclonic conditions, associated with calm or weak winds (speed <2.5 ms⁻¹) of mostly southern to southwestern directions, as well as with low air temperatures and intense stable surface atmospheric conditions. There exists a significant decreasing tendency in NO _x air pollution episodic events over the 10-year study period, resulting in very few to none events in the period from 2000 to 2003. As far as it concerns the extreme O₃ concentrations, 34 air pollution events were identified, occurring under high air temperatures, variable weak winds and intense solar irradiation. The trends of O₃ concentrations are stronger in suburban sites than in urban ones.     

Dynamic Cost-Effective Reduction Strategies for Acidification in Europe: An Application to Ireland and the United Kingdom

This paper describes the application of an optimisation model for calculating cost-effective abatement strategies for the reduction of acidification in Europe while taking into account the dynamic character of soil acidification in a number of countries. Environmental constraints are defined in terms of soil quality indicators, e.g., pH, base saturation or the aluminium ion concentration in the soil solution within an optimisation model for transboundary air pollution.We present a case study for Ireland and the United Kingdom. Our results indicate that reduction of sulphur dioxide emission is more cost-effective than that of nitrogen oxides or ammonia. The reduction percentages for sulphur dioxide are highest, for two reasons: (i) marginal sulphur dioxide reduction costs are relatively low compared to marginal reduction costs of nitrogen oxides and ammonia and (ii) sulphur dioxide reduction is more effective in reducing acidification in physical terms than nitrogen oxides or ammonia abatement. Our dynamic analysis shows that a (fast) improvement of soil quality requires high emission reduction levels. These reduction levels are often higher than reduction levels that are typically deduced from the static critical loads approach. Once soil quality targets are reached, in our model, less stringent emission reductions are required to maintain the soil quality at a constant and good target level. Static critical load approaches that ignore dynamic aspects therefore may underestimate the emission reductions needed to achieve predefined soil quality targets.     

Comparison of Numerical and Experimental Results for the Evaluation of the Depollution Effectiveness of Photocatalytic Coverings in Street Canyons

Towards the aim of improving the air quality in the urban environment via the application of innovative TiO₂ based photocatalytic coverings, a field campaign took place within the frame of the EU PICADA project () to asses the expected depollution efficiency of such materials under realistic conditions. Furthermore, extensive numerical modeling was performed via the application of the RANS CFD code for microscale applications MIMO, in an effort to asses the sensitivity of the developing flow field and the corresponding dispersion mechanism and hence of the depollution efficiency of the PICADA products on a wide range of factors, with most notably the length of the street canyon, the thermal exchange between the heated street canyon walls and the air and the approaching wind direction. For the needs of the PICADA project a new, simple module had to be implemented into MIMO to be able to model the removal of NO_x from a street canyon whose walls have been treated with a photocatalytic product. The model simulations results presented in this paper, show that MIMO is indeed capable of predicting the effectiveness of the photocatalytic products in question. At the same time, they reveal a strong dependence of the developing flow and concentration fields inside the field site street canyon configuration on most of the aforementioned factors with most notably the direction of the approaching wind.

Use of Stable Nitrogen Isotopes and Permeable Membrane Devices to Study what Factors Influence Freshwater Mollusk Survival in the Conasauaga River

Recent biological inventory data shows severe declines in freshwater mussel abundance and biodiversity in the Conasauga River Basin in Northwest Georgia, USA. Based on assessments of habitat conditions, mussel populations should be sustainable. We conducted a study of sediment and water quality to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic contamination on mussel populations. Permeable membrane devices (PMD), polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS™), conventional water and sediment quality analyses, and stable nitrogen isotope ratio analyses (δ¹⁵N) of snails and sediments were used to assess sediment and water quality at target sites throughout the basin. Ambient concentrations of organic contaminants in water were well below any aquatic life criteria; concentrations of some nutrients were detected above aquatic life criteria levels. Most mussel species in the river are endangered or threatened; therefore, snails were collected for δ¹⁵N analyses. Mean δ¹⁵N values for snails collected at forested upper watershed sites (national forest areas) were significantly lower than δ¹⁵N values from snails in agricultural areas. δ¹⁵N values for raw cow manure and manure-treated soil were similar to δ¹⁵N values for snails collected in agricultural areas. Dissolved nitrate from water samples had elevated δ¹⁵N values similar to the upper range of δ¹⁵N values for snails in agricultural areas. Data, particularly stable nitrogen isotope data, indicates that a land use change from national forest land to agriculture alters nitrogen sources to the basin and snails. Implications of nutrient release on freshwater molluscan reproduction, growth, and survival are discussed.