Site Representativeness of Urban Air Monitoring Stations

Abstract

This paper describes a statistic to quantify spatial representativeness for the air measurements of an urban fixed-site ambient air monitoring station. The application of such a statistic of representativeness has also been successfully demonstrated by two data sets collected at the Gu-Ting monitoring station in Taipei. By measuring NO2 at 22 sites simultaneously around the Gu-Ting station, the statistic has characterized different degrees of spatial representativeness for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at various areas and microenvironments surrounding this fixed-site monitoring station. By measuring ambient air concentrations at six sites sequentially around the Gu-Ting station, the statistic has also characterized different degrees of representativeness for particulates less than 10 urn in size—(PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), NO2, nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen monoxide (NO), total hydrocarbons (THC), and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHQ—at an open area surrounding this fixed-site monitoring station. This statistical method identifies the Gu-Ting station is well representative of outdoor concentrations of all nine air pollutants for a period of three weeks at the areas within a 700 m radius around this station. The indoor NO2 concentrations, however, are not represented by the measurements at the fixed-site monitoring station.     

Characterization of Carbonaceous Species of Ambient PM2.5 in Beijing,China

Abstract

One-week integrated fine particulate matter (i.e., particles <2.5 μm in diameter; PM_2.5) samples were collected continuously with a low-flow rate sampler at a downtown site (Chegongzhuang) and a residential site (Tsinghua University) in Beijing between July 1999 and June 2000. The annual average concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) at the urban site were 23.9 and 8.8 μg m^?3, much higher than those in some cities with serious air pollution. Similar weekly variations of OC and EC concentrations were found for the two sampling sites with higher concentrations in the winter and autumn. The highest weekly variations of OC and EC occurred in the winter, suggesting that combustion sources for space heating were important contributors to carbonaceous particles, along with a significant impact from variable meteorological conditions. High emissions coupled with unfavorable meteorological conditions led to the max weekly carbonaceous concentration the week of November 18–25, 1999. The weekly mass ratios of OC:EC ranged between 2 and 4 for most samples and averaged 2.9, probably suggesting that secondary OC (SOC) is present most weeks. The range of contemporary carbon fraction, based on the C14 analyses of eight samples collected in 2001, is 0.330–0.479. Estimated SOC accounted for ～38% of the total OC at the two sites. Average OC and EC concentrations at Tsinghua University were 25% and 18%, respectively, higher than those at Chegongzhuang, which could be attributed to different local emissions of primary carbonaceous particles and gaseous precursors of SOC, as well as different summer photochemical intensities between the two locations.     

Optimization of two-step catalyzed biodiesel production from soybean waste cooking oil

An acid–base-catalyst-based two-step biodiesel production experiment from soybean waste cooking oil was carried out to identify which parameter is the most influential among the experimental parameters by using the Taguchi method. Heterogeneous catalysts were used to avoid a water-consuming homogeneous catalyst removal process. Ferric sulfate and calcium oxide were used as acid and base catalysts, respectively, for the heterogeneous reaction. Reaction time and methanol-to-triglyceride mole ratio were significant factors. The optimum parameters for step 1 (acid esterification) were 4 h of reaction time, 4 wt. % of ferric sulfate amount, a 16:1 methanol to triglyceride mole ratio, and 400 rpm of mixing speed, respectively. For the transesterification step, the most influential factor was reaction time, and CaO amount was significant as well. On the other hand, the mole ratio of methanol and oil was relatively less significant. Optimum parameters were 3 h of reaction time, 2 wt. % of CaO, and a 12:1 methanol to triglyceride mole ratio with mixing speed at 400 rpm in this experimental range. Under the optimum conditions, waste cooking oil with 5.27 mg KOH/g of acid value was converted into crude biodiesel by a two-step process with fatty acid methyl ester content reaching 89.8 % without any further post-purification.     

Degradation of atrazine by modified stepwise-Fenton's processes

The removal of atrazine (ATZ) by stepwise Fenton's processes (stepwise-FP) was studied and the system models were developed through the examination of reaction kinetics. The study compared the performance of the removal of ATZ by conventional FP with stepwise-FP, where the total dose of H(2)O(2) was split and inputted into the system at different times and/or quantities. The performance of stepwise-FP was found to be better than that of conventional FP. This was probably due to the minimization of the peak concentration of H(2)O(2) in the solution, which reduced the probability that valuable H(2)O(2) and hydroxyl radicals would be consumed in forming weaker radicals. The reaction kinetics of the decay of ATZ in stepwise-FP was found to be a two-stage process; and in each stage, fast decay followed by stagnant decay was observed. Two characterized constants (the initial decay rate and the oxidative capacity) were introduced and were found to be useful in quantifying the stepwise-FP. The models for predicting stepwise-FP with respect to different dosing times and/or asymmetrical doses were developed, and were found to be very useful for evaluating the system performance and/or for process design.     

Temporal characteristics from continuous measurements of PM2.5 and speciation at the Taipei Aerosol Supersite from 2002 to 2008

This study uses monitoring data collected at the Taipei Aerosol Supersite from March 2002 to February 2008 to analyze characteristics such as seasonal fluctuations, diurnal variations, and photochemical-related variations of PM_2.5 chemical compositions. The results indicate that the average of PM_2.5 mass concentration in Taipei during this period is 30.3 ± 16.0 μg m^?3. The highest average concentration of PM_2.5 components is that of sulfate, which accounts for 21.1% of the PM_2.5 mass, followed by organic carbon (OC) at 15.9%, nitrate at 5.8%, and elemental carbon (EC) at 5.4%. Concentrations of EC, OC, and nitrate have distinctive but similar seasonal fluctuations, which is highest in spring and lowest in fall. Sulfate concentration has less seasonal fluctuations, and the highest value appears during the fall. Similarly, concentrations of EC, OC, and nitrate have notable diurnal variations; however, the diurnal variation of sulfate concentration is not very apparent. These observation data show that EC, OC, and nitrate in PM_2.5 in the Taipei metropolis come mainly from local emissions, while sulfate comes mainly from the regional transport of pollutants. This is likely because Taiwan is located on the lee zone of the Asian prevailing winds from fall to spring; its air quality is frequently affected by the transport of air pollutants from Mainland China. In addition, the extent of increase in aerosols is much higher than that of CO, indicating the formation of secondary aerosol when photochemical activity is strong. Based on six years of observation data, this study explores three potential scenarios to set up Taiwan's PM_2.5 air quality standard (AQS). The analysis indicates that the optimum standard for 24-h air quality of PM_2.5 should be around 50 μg m^?3.     

Anthropogenic magnetic particles and heavy metals in the road dust: Magnetic identification and its implications

Magnetic properties of road dusts in the East Lake area in Wuhan, China, were measured and compared with the results of heavy metal analyses in order to delineate the sources of pollutants. A total of ninety-seven dust samples were collected spatially from four segments with different traffic density and field settings from the roads encircling the lake. Thermomagnetic and hysteresis measurements revealed that the dominant magnetic carrier is coarse-grained magnetite. Correlations between magnetic parameters and element concentrations with traffic density and distances to the industrial region revealed that elements Cu, Ni and Fe mainly originate from vehicle traffic, which is also the major source of coarser magnetic particles (e.g., pseudo-single-domain/multi-domain (PSD/MD) grains), while element Pb and the smaller grains such as single-domain (SD) magnetic particles mainly originate from industrial emissions. The ratio between anhysteretic remanent magnetization and low-field magnetic susceptibility (ARM/χ_lf) can be employed as an indirect indicator for Cu, Fe and Ni emissions resulting from vehicle traffic. Due to the intermixture of elements from different sources, the element concentrations are not conclusive about the pollution source. A linear correlation between magnetic concentration-related parameters (e.g., ARM and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization, SIRM) and the concentrations of major elements (e.g., Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni and V) suggests that they can be used as a proxy for heavy metal pollution. Road dusts in four segments show different magnetic characteristics, indicating various influxes of anthropogenic magnetic materials from vehicle traffic and industrial plants due to the different traffic loads and field settings. These results suggest that magnetic measurements can serve as an efficient complementary tool for the routinely employed geochemical methods to map the heavy metal pollution and trace the sources of pollutants in the road dust.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from two soils receiving nitrogen fertilizer and swine manure slurry

The interactive effects of soil texture and type of N fertility (i.e., manure vs. commercial N fertilizer) on N(2)O and CH(4) emissions have not been well established. This study was conducted to assess the impact of soil type and N fertility on greenhouse gas fluxes (N(2)O, CH(4), and CO(2)) from the soil surface. The soils used were a sandy loam (789 g kg(-1) sand and 138 g kg(-1) clay) and a clay soil (216 g kg(-1) sand, and 415 g kg(-1) clay). Chamber experiments were conducted using plastic buckets as the experimental units. The treatments applied to each soil type were: (i) control (no added N), (ii) urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN), and (iii) liquid swine manure slurry. Greenhouse gas fluxes were measured over 8 weeks. Within the UAN and swine manure treatments both N(2)O and CH(4) emissions were greater in the sandy loam than in the clay soil. In the sandy loam soil N(2)O emissions were significantly different among all N treatments, but in the clay soil only the manure treatment had significantly higher N(2)O emissions. It is thought that the major differences between the two soils controlling both N(2)O and CH(4) emissions were cation exchange capacity (CEC) and percent water-filled pore space (%WFPS). We speculate that the higher CEC in the clay soil reduced N availability through increased adsorption of NH(4)(+) compared to the sandy loam soil. In addition the higher average %WFPS in the sandy loam may have favored higher denitrification and CH(4) production than in the clay soil.     

北京大气PM2.5中微量元素的浓度变化特征与来源

为了解北京大气细粒子中微量元素的污染水平和来源,在车公庄和清华园进行了连续1年、每周1次的PM2.5采样和全样品分析.微量元素浓度的周变化大,尤以冬季为甚,相邻2周最大相差达1.6倍;但除冬季的平均浓度较高之外,其季节变化并不显著.微量元素的富集因子在春季最低,反映了频繁发生的沙尘天气的影响.Se、Br和Pb的浓度比来自于北京A层土壤中的含量要高出约1000～8000倍,表明它们主要来自于人为污染.其中Se的富集度最高,反映了北京细粒子来自于燃煤污染的特征.Pb的年均浓度(0.31μg@m-3)虽然未超过WHO的年均标准,但与洛杉矶和布里斯班相比处于较高的水平;与Br、Se的比较分析表明,燃煤可能是Pb除机动车排放之外的另一个重要来源.     

Size-resolved effective density of submicron particles during summertime in the rural atmosphere of Beijing, China

Particle density is an important physical property of atmospheric particles.The information on high time-resolution size-resolved particle density is essential for understanding the atmospheric physical and chemical aging processes of aerosols particles.In the present study,a centrifugal particle mass analyzer(CPMA) combined with a differential mobility analyzer(DMA) was deployed to determine the size-resolved effective density of 50 to 350 nm particles at a rural site of Beijing during summer 2016.The measured particle effective densities decreased with increasing particle sizes and ranged from 1.43 to 1.55 g/cm~3,on average.The effective particle density distributions were dominated by a mode peaked at around 1.5 g/cm~3 for 50 to350 nm particles.Extra modes with peaks at 1.0,0.8,and 0.6 g/cm3 for 150,240,and 350 nm particles,which might be freshly emitted soot particles,were observed during intensive primary emissions episodes.The particle effective densities showed a diurnal variation pattern,with higher values during daytime.A case study showed that the effective density of Aitken mode particles during the new particle formation(NPF) event decreased considerably,indicating the significant contribution of organics to new particle growth.     

Methylmercury exposure and health effects in humans: a worldwide concern

The paper builds on existing literature, highlighting current understanding and identifying unresolved issues about MeHg exposure, health effects, and risk assessment, and concludes with a consensus statement. Methylmercury is a potent toxin, bioaccumulated and concentrated through the aquatic food chain, placing at risk people, throughout the globe and across the socioeconomic spectrum, who consume predatory fish or for whom fish is a dietary mainstay. Methylmercury developmental neurotoxicity has constituted the basis for risk assessments and public health policies. Despite gaps in our knowledge on new bioindicators of exposure, factors that influence MeHg uptake and toxicity, toxicokinetics, neurologic and cardiovascular effects in adult populations, and the nutritional benefits and risks from the large number of marine and freshwater fish and fish-eating species, the panel concluded that to preserve human health, all efforts need to be made to reduce and eliminate sources of exposure.