Characterising sources and sinks of rural VOC in eastern France

Fifty non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and seventeen carbonyl compounds were measured at a French rural site from 1997 to 2001, as part of the EMEP programme. Data handling was based on an original source-receptor approach. First, the examination of the levels and trends was completed by the comparison of the seasonal distribution of rural and urban VOC/acetylene ambient ratios. This analysis has shown that most of the compounds derived from mixing and photochemical transformation of mid-range transported urban pollutants from the downwind urban area. Then, identified sources and sinks were temporally apportioned. Urban air masses mixing explains, at least, 80% of the wintertime levels of anthropogenic NMHC and isoprene. In summer, photochemistry dominates the day-to-day distribution of anthropogenic NMHC whilst summertime isoprene is also controlled by in-situ biogenic emissions. Then, the results of C(1)-C(3) carbonyls were discussed with respect to their direct biogenic and anthropogenic emissions and photochemical production through the [carbonyl/auto-exhaust tracers] emission ratio. Diluted vehicle exhaust emissions mainly contribute to the total content of lower aldehydes in winter while other processes control lower ketones. Secondary production is predominant in summer with at least a 50% high intensity. Its dependence upon temperature and radiation is also demonstrated. Finally, the importance of the primary and secondary biogenic production of acetone and formaldehyde is assessed. In particular, biogenic contribution would explain 37 +/- 25% of acetone levels in summer.     

Quantitative cancer risk assessment and local mortality burden for ambient air pollution in an eastern Mediterranean City

Health risks posed by ambient air pollutants to the urban Lebanese population have not been well characterized. The aim of this study is to assess cancer risk and mortality burden of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and particulates (PM) based on two field-sampling campaigns conducted during summer and winter seasons in Beirut. Seventy NMHCs were analyzed by TD-GC-FID. PM_2.5 elemental carbon (EC) components were examined using a Lab OC-EC aerosol Analyzer, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed by GC-MS. The US EPA fraction-based approach was used to assess non-cancer hazard and cancer risk for the hydrocarbon mixture, and the UK Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) guidelines were followed to determine the PM_2.5 attributable mortality burden. The average cumulative cancer risk exceeded the US EPA acceptable level (10⁻⁶) by 40-fold in the summer and 30-fold in the winter. Benzene was found to be the highest contributor to cancer risk (39–43%), followed by 1,3-butadiene (25–29%), both originating from traffic gasoline evaporation and combustion. The EC attributable average mortality fraction was 7.8–10%, while the average attributable number of deaths (AD) and years of life lost (YLL) were found to be 257–327 and 3086–3923, respectively. Our findings provide a baseline for future air monitoring programs, and for interventions aiming at reducing cancer risk in this population.

     

Speciation of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) from anthropogenic sources in Beirut,Lebanon

The chemical composition of emissions from the different anthropogenic sources of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) is essential for modeling and source apportionment studies. The speciated profiles of major NMHC sources in Lebanon, including road transport, gasoline vapor, power generation, and solvent use were established. Field sampling have been carried out by canisters in 2012. Around 67 NMHC (C2 to C9) were identified and quantified by using a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. Typical features of the roadway emissions included high percentages of isopentane, butane, toluene, xylenes, ethylene, and ethyne. Gasoline evaporation profiles included high percentage of the C4–C5 saturated hydrocarbons reaching 59 %. The main compounds of the power generator emissions are related to combustion. Toluene and C8–C9 aromatics were the most abundant species in emissions from paint applications. Finally, the impact of the use of region-specific source profile is tackled regarding the implication on air quality.     

NitroMAC: An instrument for the measurement of HONO and intercomparison with a long-path absorption photometer

NitroMAC (French acronym for continuous atmospheric measurements of nitrogenous compounds) is an instrument which has been developed for the semi-continuous measurement of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO). This instrument relies on wet chemical sampling and detection using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-visible absorption at 540 nm. Sampling proceeds by dissolution of gaseous HONO in a phosphate buffer solution followed by derivatization with sulfanilamide/N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine. The performance of this instrument was found to be as follows: a detection limit of around 3 ppt with measurement uncertainty of 10% over an analysis time of 10 min. Intercomparison was made between the instrument and a long-path absorption photometer (LOPAP) during two experiments in different environments. First, air was sampled in a smog chamber with concentrations up to 18 ppb of nitrous acid. NitroMAC and LOPAP measurements showed very good agreement. Then, in a second experiment, ambient air with HONO concentrations below 250 ppt was sampled. While NitroMAC showed its capability of measuring HONO in moderate and highly polluted environments, the intercomparison results in ambient air highlighted that corrections must be made for minor interferences when low concentrations are measured.