Measurements of Ozone Concentrations in Zagreb

Ozone concentrations were measured in Zagreb at four sites from May 1999 to April 2001 in order to categorize the air quality with respect to ozone. In the summer of 2000, the ozone measurements were also extended to four sites in the suburbs of Zagreb. Methods of active and passive sampling with nitrite ion as a reagent were used. In the northern part of the town ozone was analyzed by an automatic device. Automatic device measurements in the years 1999 and 2000 showed that hourly averages of ozone concentrations did not exceed the Croatian recommended value of the 98th percentile (180 g m^–3). Over the two-year period, 24-h averages occasionally exceed 110 g m^–3 in city center and in the northern part of the town. Regardless of these isolated examples, ozone was well within acceptable concentrations. Ozone concentrations measured in summer 2000 were higher in the suburbs of Zagreb than in the city. The 98th percentile values higher than 110 g m^–3 were recorded at three sites.     

24 h diffusive sampling of toxic VOCs in air onto Carbopack X solid adsorbent followed by thermal desorption/GC/MS analysis-laboratory studies

Diffusive sampling of a mixture of 42 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in humidified, purified air onto the solid adsorbent Carbopack X was evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. The evaluation included variations in sample air temperature, relative humidity and ozone concentration. Linearity of samples with loading was examined both for a constant concentration with time varied up to 24 h and for different concentrations over 24 h. Reverse diffusion and its increase with accumulation of sample were determined for all compounds. Tubes were examined for blank levels, change of blanks with storage time, and variability of blanks. Method detection limits were determined based on seven replicate samples. Based on this evaluation, 27 VOCs were selected for quantitative monitoring in the concentration range from approximately 0.1 to 4 ppbv. Comparison results of active and diffusive samples taken over 24 h and under the same simulated ambient conditions at a constant 2 ppbv were interpreted to estimate the effective diffusive sampling rates (ml min(-1)) and their uncertainties and to calculate the corresponding diffusive uptake rates (ng ppmv(-1) min(-1)).     

Spatial contaminant heterogeneity: quantification with scale of measurement at contrasting sites

Material within the terrestrial environment is rarely homogeneously distributed, either spatially or temporally. One consequence of heterogeneity is that uncertainty is usually generated in measurements that are taken with the aim of characterising the environment. For example, a measurement of analyte concentration within soil taken from one sampling location on contaminated land can vary substantially when compared against another sample taken at effectively the same nominal location. The measurement uncertainty arising from the heterogeneity can substantially limit the reliability of the interpretations made upon environmental investigations. The sampling uncertainty usually outweighs the analytical uncertainty from the laboratory, often by a factor of 20 or more. One approach to reducing the uncertainty is to design a more suitable sampling strategy. This might be achieved by predicting the degree of heterogeneity prior to the investigation, but this is often difficult to achieve accurately. Another approach, which was investigated here, is to actually characterise the heterogeneity prior to the main investigation using rapid and inexpensive technology, such as in situ measurement techniques. In situ portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) and X-ray microprobe (XMP) techniques were employed to test the feasibility of this approach. Two contrasting contaminated land sites were chosen to characterise the two-dimensional spatial heterogeneity of heavy metal contamination in topsoil at a range of scales (50 m to 0.001 m). The spatial heterogeneity of contaminants, expressed as relative standard deviations, was found to differ between the two sites by a factor of two, largely due to the mode of deposition of pollution. The study also indicated that the heterogeneity did not change systematically with the scale of measurement between sampling locations at either site.     

LIDAR Measurements of the Vertical Aerosol Profile and Optical Depth during the ACE-Asia 2001 IOP, at Gosan, Jeju Island, Korea

In order to investigate the characteristic of optical properties of Asian dust particles, the atmospheric aerosol vertical profile was measured with the multi-wavelength LIDAR system, at the Gosan super site (33 degrees 17'N, 126 degrees 10'E) in Jeju Island, Korea, during the ACE-Asia intensive observation period, 11 March-4 May 2001. An air mass backward trajectory analysis, using Hysplit-4, was carried out to track the aerosol plume, with high mass loading, from the Chinese desert regions during the period of Asian dust storm events. Vertical atmospheric aerosol profiles on three major Asian dust storm event days, 22 March and 13 and 26 April 2001, have been analyzed. The LIDAR-derived aerosol optical depth values were compared with those measured by a collocated sunphotometer.     

Pool of Dust Particles over the Asian Continent: Balloon-borne Optical Particle Counter and Ground-based Lidar Measurements at Dunhuang, China

Measurements of aerosols were made in 2001 and 2002 at Dunhuang (40 degrees 00'N, 94 degrees 30'E), China to understand the nature of atmospheric particles over the desert areas in the Asian continent. Balloon-borne measurements with an optical particle counter suggested that particle size and concentration had noticeable peaks in super micron size range not only in the boundary mixing layer but also in the free troposphere. Super-micron particle concentration largely decreased in the mid tropopause (from 5 to 10 km; above sea level, a.s.l.). Lidar measurements made during August 2002 at Dunhuang suggested the possibility that mixing of dust particles occurred from near the ground to about 6 km even under calm weather conditions, and a large depolarization ratio of particulate matter was found in the aerosol layer. The top of the aerosol layer was found at heights of nearly 6 km (a.s.l.). It is strongly suggested that nonspherical dust particles (Kosa particles) frequently diffused in the free atmosphere over the Taklamakan desert through small-scale turbulences and are possible sources of dust particles of weak Kosa events that have been identified in the free troposphere not only in spring but also in summer over Japanese archipelago. Electron microscopic experiments of the particles collected in the free troposphere confirmed that coarse and nonspherical particles observed by the mineral particle were major components of coarse mode (diameter larger than 1 microm) below about 5 km over Dunhuang, China.     

Assessment of Metal Contamination in Doñana National Park (Spain) using Crayfish (Procamburus Clarkii)

Water quality assessment in the Aznalcollar area was attempted using multivariate methods based on heavy metal concentrations in red swamp crayfish (Procamburus clarkii). Trace levels of four heavy metals, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), were detected in crayfish from eleven different stations. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted a gradient of contamination between the sampling stations. Cluster analysis (CA) distinguished three groups of stations. Discriminant analysis also differentiated three groups. The group centroids of the first discriminant function were used to devise an index that varies according to the source of the crayfish. These standardized values are proposed for use as a water quality index. The ability of this index to successfully predict environmental quality was proved with random samples.     

Total versus inhalable sampler comparison study for the determination of asphalt fume exposures within the road paving industry

Exposure to asphalt fumes has a threshold limit value (TLV of 0.5 mg m(-3) (benzene extractable inhalable particulate) as recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). This reflects a recent change (2000) whereby two variables are different from the previous recommendation. First is a 10-fold reduction in quantity from 5 mg m(-3) to 0.5 mg m(-3). Secondly, the new TLV specifies the "inhalable" fraction as compared to what is presumed to be total particulate. To assess the impact of these changes, this study compares the differences between measurements of paving asphalt fume exposure in the field using an "inhalable" instrument versus the historically used 'total' sampler. Particle size is also examined to assist in the understanding of the aerodynamic collection differences as related to asphalt fumes and confounders. Results show that when exposures are limited to asphalt fumes, a 1:1 relationship exists between samplers, showing no statistically significant differences in benzene soluble matter (BSM). This means that for the asphalt fume ACGIH TLV, the 'total' 37-mm sampler is an equivalent method to the "inhalable" method, referred to as IOM (Institute of Occupational Medicine), and should be acceptable for use against the TLV. However, the study found that when confounders (dust or old asphalt millings) are present in the workplace, there can be significant differences between the two samplers' reported exposure. The ratio of IOM/Total was 1.37 for milling asphalt sites, 1.41 for asphalt paving over granular base, and 1.02 for asphalt over asphalt pavements.     

A Metamodeling Approach for Integrated Assessment of Air Quality Policies

A method is proposed to build integrated models (also called Metamodels) aimed at quantifying the economic efficiency of air quality policies. This Metamodeling approach is based on the coupling of two complementary models, that operate at different scales in space and time, and which represent the economic and the physical and chemical processes, respectively. The joint consideration of the physico-chemical and techno-economic structure of the pollution control problems permits a comprehensive evaluation of air pollution abatement strategies. The motivating pollution control problems include urban-regional air quality management through efficient energy and traffic control policies. A pilot study, exploiting data collected in the Geneva canton (Switzerland), is used to demonstrate the potential of the approach.     

Temperature and Concentration Effects in Biomonitoring of Organic Air Pollutants

Up to now only very few studies in biomonitoring of organic air pollutants have been published taking into account the strong influence mean temperatures have on the accumulation process into plants during the course of the exposition. Temperature governed sorption as well as the plants vitality pose a major source of uncertainty making inter-study comparisons difficult. Different surface-to-volume ratios of plant foliage lead to strongly varying concentration effects in different plant species. Moreover a plants content of waxes and lipids must be considered in order to relate xenobiotic concentrations to the compounds being most efficient in the bioaccumulation process. Some of these factors are evaluated in regard to the use of plants as biomonitors for organic air pollutants. Another aim is to deduce the mean ambient gas phase concentrations from PAH concentrations determined in the biomonitor plants using vegetation-air partitioning coefficients which have been corrected for temperature dependent sorption as well as the plants lipid content. Restrictions of such approaches and methods of biomonitoring in general are discussed.     

Fractionation of heavy metals and phosphorus in suspended sediments of the Yamuna river,India

The Yamuna river is the largest tributary of the Ganges river system. It originates in the Himalayas and flows through a varied geological terrain encompassing a large basin area. Metals Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cu in different chemical fractions of suspended sediments such as exchangeable, carbonates, Fe–Mn oxides, organics and residual fractions were studied. Phosphorus associated with different chemical forms are discussed. The metals are mostly associated with residual fractions in the sediments followed by organics, Fe–Mn oxides, exhangeable and carbonates. Intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture in the basin affects the high inorganic phosphorus content in sediments.