Found 699 publications. Showing page 6 of 30:
Soil uptake of VOCs exceeds production when VOCs are readily available
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reactive gaseous compounds with significant impacts on air quality and the Earth's radiative balance. While natural ecosystems are known to be major sources of VOCs, primarily due to vegetation, soils, an important component of these ecosystems, have received relatively less attention as potential sources and sinks of VOCs. In this study, soil samples were collected from two temperate ecosystems: a beech forest and a heather heath, and then sieved, homogenized, and incubated under various controlled conditions such as different temperatures, oxic vs. anoxic conditions, and different ambient VOC levels. A dynamic flow-through system coupled to a proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) was used to measure production and/or uptake rates of selected VOCs, aiming to explore the processes and their controlling mechanisms. Our results showed that these soils were natural sources of a variety of VOCs, and the strength and profile of these emissions were influenced by soil properties (e.g. moisture, soil organic matter), oxic/anoxic conditions, and temperature. The soils also acted as sinks for most VOCs when VOC substrates at parts per billions levels (ranging between 0.18 and 68.65 ppb) were supplied to the headspace of the enclosed soils, and the size of the sink corresponded to the amount of VOCs available in the ambient air. Temperature-controlled incubations and glass bead simulations indicated that the uptake of VOCs by soils was likely driven by microbial metabolism, with a minor contribution from physical adsorption to soil particles. In conclusion, our study suggests that soil uptake of VOCs can mitigate the impact of other significant VOC sources in the near-surface environment and potentially regulate the net exchange of these trace gases in ecosystems.
Elsevier
2023
Safety-by-design and engineered nanomaterials: the need to move from theory to practice
As the governance of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) evolves, innovations in the prevention, mitigation, management, and transfer of risk shape discussion of how nanotechnology may mature and reach various marketplaces. Safety-by-Design (SbD) is one leading concept that, while equally philosophy as well as risk-based practice, can uniquely help address lingering uncertainties and concerns stemming from regulatory evaluation of ENM risk across worker, consumer, and environmental safety. This paper provides a discussion on the SbD concept across different disciplines aiming to identify different approaches and needs to meet regulatory requirements—ultimately, we argue that SbD is evolving both to meet the needs and discourse of various disciplines, and to apply within differing marketplaces and national regulatory structures. Understanding how SbD has evolved within ENM can yield a more practical application and development of SbD, and help guide or unify national and international ENM governance around a core set of safety-driven principles.
Springer
2023
Aerosol Optical Properties and Type Retrieval via Machine Learning and an All-Sky Imager
This study investigates the applicability of using the sky information from an all-sky imager (ASI) to retrieve aerosol optical properties and type. Sky information from the ASI, in terms of Red-Green-Blue (RGB) channels and sun saturation area, are imported into a supervised machine learning algorithm for estimating five different aerosol optical properties related to aerosol burden (aerosol optical depth, AOD at 440, 500 and 675 nm) and size (Ångström Exponent at 440–675 nm, and Fine Mode Fraction at 500 nm). The retrieved aerosol optical properties are compared against reference measurements from the AERONET station, showing adequate agreement (R: 0.89–0.95). The AOD errors increased for higher AOD values, whereas for AE and FMF, the biases increased for coarse particles. Regarding aerosol type classification, the retrieved properties can capture 77.5% of the total aerosol type cases, with excellent results for dust identification (>95% of the cases). The results of this work promote ASI as a valuable tool for aerosol optical properties and type retrieval.
MDPI
2023
Impact of 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns on particulate air pollution across Europe
To fight against the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2020, lockdown measures were implemented in most European countries. These lockdowns had well-documented effects on human mobility. We assessed the impact of the lockdown implementation and relaxation on air pollution by comparing daily particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations, as well as particle number size distributions (PNSDs) and particle light absorption coefficient in situ measurement data, with values that would have been expected if no COVID-19 epidemic had occurred at 28 sites across Europe for the period 17 February–31 May 2020. Expected PM, NO2 and O3 concentrations were calculated from the 2020 Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) ensemble forecasts, combined with 2019 CAMS ensemble forecasts and measurement data. On average, lockdown implementations did not lead to a decrease in PM2.5 mass concentrations at urban sites, while relaxations resulted in a +26 ± 21 % rebound. The impacts of lockdown implementation and relaxation on NO2 concentrations were more consistent (−29 ± 17 and +31 ± 30 %, respectively). The implementation of the lockdown measures also induced statistically significant increases in O3 concentrations at half of all sites (+13 % on average). An enhanced oxidising capacity of the atmosphere could have boosted the production of secondary aerosol at those places. By comparison with 2017–2019 measurement data, a significant change in the relative contributions of wood and fossil fuel burning to the concentration of black carbon during the lockdown was detected at 7 out of 14 sites. The contribution of particles smaller than 70 nm to the total number of particles significantly also changed at most of the urban sites, with a mean decrease of −7 ± 5 % coinciding with the lockdown implementation. Our study shows that the response of PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations to lockdown measures was not systematic at various sites across Europe for multiple reasons, the relationship between road traffic intensity and particulate air pollution being more complex than expected.
2023
Leveraging opportunity of low carbon transition by super-emitter cities in China
Chinese cities are core in the national carbon mitigation and largely affect global decarbonisation initiatives, yet disparities between cities challenge country-wide progress. Low-carbon transition should preferably lead to a convergence of both equity and mitigation targets among cities. Inter-city supply chains that link the production and consumption of cities are a factor in shaping inequality and mitigation but less considered aggregately. Here, we modelled supply chains of 309 Chinese cities for 2012 to quantify carbon footprint inequality, as well as explored a leverage opportunity to achieve an inclusive low-carbon transition. We revealed significant carbon inequalities: the 10 richest cities in China have per capita carbon footprints comparable to the US level, while half of the Chinese cities sit below the global average. Inter-city supply chains in China, which are associated with 80% of carbon emissions, imply substantial carbon leakage risks and also contribute to socioeconomic disparities. However, the significant carbon inequality implies a leveraging opportunity that substantial mitigation can be achieved by 32 super-emitting cities. If the super-emitting cities adopt their differentiated mitigation pathway based on affluence, industrial structure, and role of supply chains, up to 1.4 Gt carbon quota can be created, raising 30% of the projected carbon quota to carbon peak. The additional carbon quota allows the average living standard of the other 60% of Chinese people to reach an upper-middle-income level, highlighting collaborative mechanism at the city level has a great potential to lead to a convergence of both equity and mitigation targets.
2023
Marine mammals are considered sentinel species and may act as indicators of ocean health. Plastic residues are widely distributed in the oceans and are recognised as hazardous contaminants, and once ingested can cause several adverse effects on wildlife. This study aimed to identify and characterise plastic ingestion in the Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic by evaluating the stomach contents of stranded individuals through KOH digestion and identification of subsample of particles by LDIR Chemical Imaging System. Most of the individuals were contaminated, and the most common polymers identified were PU, PET and EVA. Microplastics were more prevalent than larger plastic particles (meso- and macroplastics). Smaller particles were detected during the rainy seasons. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the stomach content mass and the number of microplastics, suggesting contamination through trophic transfer.
Elsevier
2023
Low-cost sensors (LCSs) for particulate matter (PM) concentrations have attracted the interest of researchers, supplementing their efforts to quantify PM in higher spatiotemporal resolution. The precision of PM mass concentration measurements from PMS 5003 sensors has been widely documented, though limited information is available regarding their size selectivity and number concentration measurement accuracy. In this work, PMS 5003 sensors, along with a Federal Referral Methods (FRM) sampler (Grimm spectrometer), were deployed across three sites with different atmospheric profiles, an urban (Germanou) and a background (UPat) site in Patras (Greece), and a semi-arid site in Almería (Spain, PSA). The LCSs particle number concentration measurements were investigated for different size bins. Findings for particles with diameter between 0.3 and 10 μm suggest that particle size significantly affected the LCSs’ response. The LCSs could accurately detect number concentrations for particles smaller than 1 μm in the urban (R2 = 0.9) and background sites (R2 = 0.92), while a modest correlation was found with the reference instrument in the semi-arid area (R2 = 0.69). However, their performance was rather poor (R2
MDPI
2023
EnvCul (https://envcul.nilu.no/) modelling was performed of condition changes of painted wooden panels and related conservation cost in indoor climate and object response scenarios in two Norwegian Medieval stone churches: Kinn (mean relative humidity = 79%) on the humid west coast, and Ringsaker (mean RH = 49%) in the drier eastern part of the country. It was found that, hypothetical, building measures in Kinn, and conservation heating measures in Ringsaker, to approach an indoor RH of about 65% in the two churches, could probably increase conservation intervals with 20–100%, and correspondingly reduce conservation costs between 10% and 50%. This is in reasonable agreement with an available report of observed conservation requirements in differently heated Norwegian churches. A situation between a linear and accelerating development of the deterioration of the painted wood on approaching a new conservation intervention gave the best correspondence to the observed values. The large modelling uncertainty was mainly due to lacking observations of the deterioration development, but also lacking understanding of the complex mechanisms and phases of the environmental dose-deterioration response of painting conservation treatments.
Elsevier
2023
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are synthetic compounds that were intentionally produced in large quantities and have been distributed in the global environment, originating a threat due to their persistence, bioaccumulative potential, and toxicity. POPs reach the Antarctic continent through long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT). In these areas, low temperatures play a significant role in the environmental fate of POPs, retaining them for a long time due to cold trapping by diffusion and wet deposition, acting as a net sink for many POPs. However, in the current context of climate change, the remobilization of POPs that were trapped in water, ice, and soil for decades is happening. Therefore, continuous monitoring of POPs in polar air is necessary to assess whether there is a recent re-release of historical pollutants back to the environment. We reviewed the scientific literature on atmospheric levels of several POP families (polychlorinated biphenyls – PCBs, hexachlorobenzene – HCB, hexachlorocyclohexanes – HCHs, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane – DDT) from 1980 to 2021. We estimated the atmospheric half-life using characteristic decreasing times (TD). We observed that HCB levels in the Antarctic atmosphere were higher than the other target organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), but HCB also displayed higher fluctuations and did not show a significant decrease over time. Conversely, the atmospheric levels of HCHs, some DDTs, and PCBs have decreased significantly. The estimated atmospheric half-lives for POPs decreased in the following order: 4,4' DDE (13.5 years) > 4,4' DDD (12.8 years) > 4,4' DDT (7.4 years) > 2,4' DDE (6.4 years) > 2,4' DDT (6.3 years) > α-HCH (6 years) > HCB (6 years) > γ-HCH (4.2 years). For PCB congeners, they decreased in the following order: PCB 153 (7.6 years) > PCB 138 (6.5 years) > PCB 101 (4.7 years) > PCB 180 (4.6 years) > PCB 28 (4 years) > PCB 52 (3.7 years) > PCB 118 (3.6 years). For HCH isomers and PCBs, the Stockholm Convention (SC) ban on POPs did have an impact on decreasing their levels during the last decades. Nevertheless, their ubiquity in the Antarctic atmosphere shows the problematic issues related to highly persistent synthetic chemicals.
2023
Rapid growth in urbanization and industrialization leads to an increase in air pollution and poor air quality. Because of its adverse effects on the natural environment and human health, it’s been declared a “silent public health emergency”. To deal with this global challenge, accurate prediction of air pollution is important for stakeholders to take required actions. In recent years, deep learning-based forecasting models show promise for more effective and efficient forecasting of air quality than other approaches. In this study, we made a comparative analysis of various deep learning-based single-step forecasting models such as long short term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), and a statistical model to predict five air pollutants namely Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ), Ozone (O 3 ), Sulphur Dioxide (SO 2 ), and Particulate Matter (PM2.5, and PM10). For empirical evaluation, we used a publicly available dataset collected in Northern Ireland, using an air quality monitoring station situated in Belfast city centre. It measures the concentration of air pollutants. The performance of forecasting models is evaluated based on three performance metrics: (a) root mean square error (RMSE), (b) mean absolute error (MAE) and (c) R-squared ( R2 ). The result shows that deep learning models consistently achieved the least RMSE compared to the statistical models with a value of 0.59. In addition, the deep learning model is also found to have the highest R2 score of 0.856.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
2023
Legacy perfluoroalkyl acids and their oxidizable precursors in plasma samples of Norwegian women
Humans are exposed to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) mainly through direct pathways, such as diet and drinking water, but indirect exposure also occurs when PFAA precursors break down to form legacy PFAA. Exposure to PFAA precursors raises particular concern, as neither the exposure nor the precursors themselves have been well described. In the present study, we aimed to assess the indirect contribution of oxidizable PFAA precursors to the total per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) burden in human plasma following the voluntary phase-out of production of long-chain PFAS. In addition, multiple logistic regression was used to explore associations between selected lifestyle and dietary factors and the oxidizable PFAA precursors fraction. This study included 302 cancer-free participants of the Norwegian Women and Cancer postgenome cohort. PFAS analyses were performed in plasma samples to determine PFAS concentrations before and after oxidation with the Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) assay. In pre-TOP analyses, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was the dominant compound, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).The vast majority (98%) of the study population had increased post-TOP concentrations for at least one PFAA. The formation of PFAA accounted for 12% of the total PFAS burden, with seven PFAA observed post-TOP in at least 30% of study participants. PFHpA, br- PFOA, and PFDA were only detected in post-TOP analyses and showed the highest increase in concentrations. Of the PFAA with increased concentrations, we noted significant associations for year of birth, parity, BMI, and some dietary factors, although they were not consistent between the different PFAA. These results indicate that while the TOP assay might not provide a complete assessment of total PFAS burden in humans, it offers comprehensive assessment of unknown PFAA precursors that might be present in plasma, and it could therefore be implemented as an auxiliary tool in this regard.
Elsevier
2023
Genotoxicity testing for nanomaterials remains challenging as standard testing approaches require some adaptation, and further development of nano-specific OECD Test Guidelines (TGs) and Guidance Documents (GDs) are needed. However, the field of genotoxicology continues to progress and new approach methodologies (NAMs) are being developed that could provide relevant information on the range of mechanisms of genotoxic action that may be imparted by nanomaterials. There is a recognition of the need for implementation of new and/or adapted OECD TGs, new OECD GDs, and utilization of NAMs within a genotoxicity testing framework for nanomaterials. As such, the requirements to apply new experimental approaches and data for genotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials in a regulatory context is neither clear, nor used in practice. Thus, an international workshop with representatives from regulatory agencies, industry, government, and academic scientists was convened to discuss these issues. The expert discussion highlighted the current deficiencies that exist in standard testing approaches within exposure regimes, insufficient physicochemical characterization, lack of demonstration of cell or tissue uptake and internalization, and limitations in the coverage of genotoxic modes of action. Regarding the latter aspect, a consensus was reached on the importance of using NAMs to support the genotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials. Also highlighted was the need for close engagement between scientists and regulators to (i) provide clarity on the regulatory needs, (ii) improve the acceptance and use of NAM-generated data, and (iii) define how NAMs may be used as part of weight of evidence approaches for use in regulatory risk assessments.
Oxford University Press
2023
The impact of moisture transport and sources on precipitation stable isotopes (δ18O and d-excess) in the central Himalayas are crucial to understanding the climatic archives. However, this is still unclear due to the lack of in-situ observations. Here we present measurements of stable isotopes in precipitation at two stations (Yadong and Pali) in the central Himalayas during 2014–2015. Combined with simulations from the dispersion model FLEXPART, we investigate effects on precipitation stable isotopes related to changes in moisture sources and convections in the region, and possible influence by El Niño. Our results suggest that the moisture supplies related to evaporation over northeastern India and moisture losses related to convective activities over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and Bangladesh region play important roles in changes in δ18O and d-excess in precipitation in the Yadong Valley. Outgoing longwave radiation and moisture flux divergence analysis further confirm that the contribution from continental evaporation dominates the moisture supply in the central Himalayas with a lesser contribution from convection over the BoB during the 2015 monsoon season compared with 2014. A change in the altitude effect is observed in 2015, which is more significant than the temperature and precipitation amount effect during the observation period. These findings provide valuable insights into climatic interpretations of paleo-isotopic archives with an isotopic response to changes in moisture transport to the central Himalayas.
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2023
Knowledge of the spatial distribution of the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and their temporal variability as well as flux attribution to natural and anthropogenic processes is essential to monitoring the progress in mitigating anthropogenic emissions under the Paris Agreement and to inform its global stocktake. This study provides a consolidated synthesis of CH4 and N2O emissions using bottom-up (BU) and top-down (TD) approaches for the European Union and UK (EU27 + UK) and updates earlier syntheses (Petrescu et al., 2020, 2021). The work integrates updated emission inventory data, process-based model results, data-driven sector model results and inverse modeling estimates, and it extends the previous period of 1990–2017 to 2019. BU and TD products are compared with European national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGIs) reported by parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2021. Uncertainties in NGHGIs, as reported to the UNFCCC by the EU and its member states, are also included in the synthesis. Variations in estimates produced with other methods, such as atmospheric inversion models (TD) or spatially disaggregated inventory datasets (BU), arise from diverse sources including within-model uncertainty related to parameterization as well as structural differences between models. By comparing NGHGIs with other approaches, the activities included are a key source of bias between estimates, e.g., anthropogenic and natural fluxes, which in atmospheric inversions are sensitive to the prior geospatial distribution of emissions. ...
2023
Rising carbon inequality and its driving factors from 2005 to 2015
Carbon inequality is the gap in carbon footprints between the rich and the poor, reflecting an uneven distribution of wealth and mitigation responsibility. Whilst much is known about the level of inequality surrounding responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, little is known about the evolution in carbon inequality and how the carbon footprints of socio-economic groups have developed over time. Inequality can be reduced either by improving the living standards of the poor or by reducing the overconsumption of the rich, but the choice has very different implications for climate change mitigation. Here, we investigate the carbon footprints of income quintile groups for major 43 economies from 2005 to 2015. We find that most developed economies had declining carbon footprints but expanding carbon inequality, whereas most developing economies had rising footprints but divergent trends in carbon inequality. The top income group in developing economies grew fastest, with its carbon footprint surpassing the top group in developed economies in 2014. Developments are driven by a reduction in GHG intensity in all regions, which is partly offset by income growth in developed countries but more than offset by the rapid growth in selected emerging economies. The top income group in developed economies has achieved the least progress in climate change mitigation, in terms of decline rate, showing resistance of the rich. It shows mitigation efforts could raise carbon inequality. We highlight the necessity of raising the living standard of the poor and consistent mitigation effort is the core of achieving two targets.
Elsevier
2023
Estimating methane emissions in the Arctic nations using surface observations from 2008 to 2019
The Arctic is a critical region in terms of global warming. Environmental changes are already progressing steadily in high northern latitudes, whereby, among other effects, a high potential for enhanced methane (CH4) emissions is induced. With CH4 being a potent greenhouse gas, additional emissions from Arctic regions may intensify global warming in the future through positive feedback. Various natural and anthropogenic sources are currently contributing to the Arctic's CH4 budget; however, the quantification of those emissions remains challenging. Assessing the amount of CH4 emissions in the Arctic and their contribution to the global budget still remains challenging. On the one hand, this is due to the difficulties in carrying out accurate measurements in such remote areas. Besides, large variations in the spatial distribution of methane sources and a poor understanding of the effects of ongoing changes in carbon decomposition, vegetation and hydrology also complicate the assessment. Therefore, the aim of this work is to reduce uncertainties in current bottom-up estimates of CH4 emissions as well as soil oxidation by implementing an inverse modelling approach in order to better quantify CH4 sources and sinks for the most recent years (2008 to 2019). More precisely, the objective is to detect occurring trends in the CH4 emissions and potential changes in seasonal emission patterns. The implementation of the inversion included footprint simulations obtained with the atmospheric transport model FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model), various emission estimates from inventories and land surface models, and data on atmospheric CH4 concentrations from 41 surface observation sites in the Arctic nations. The results of the inversion showed that the majority of the CH4 sources currently present in high northern latitudes are poorly constrained by the existing observation network. Therefore, conclusions on trends and changes in the seasonal cycle could not be obtained for the corresponding CH4 sectors. Only CH4 fluxes from wetlands are adequately constrained, predominantly in North America. Within the period under study, wetland emissions show a slight negative trend in North America and a slight positive trend in East Eurasia. Overall, the estimated CH4 emissions are lower compared to the bottom-up estimates but higher than similar results from global inversions.
2023
Individual high-Alpine ice cores have been proven to contain a well-preserved history of past anthropogenic air pollution in western Europe. The question of how representative one ice core is with respect to the reconstruction of atmospheric composition in the source region has not been addressed so far. Here, we present the first study systematically comparing longer-term ice-core records (1750–2015 CE) of various anthropogenic compounds, such as major inorganic aerosol constituents (, , ), black carbon (BC), and trace species (Cd, F−, Pb). Depending on the data availability for the different air pollutants, up to five ice cores from four high-Alpine sites located in the European Alps analysed by different laboratories were considered. Whereas absolute concentration levels can partly differ depending on the prevailing seasonal distribution of accumulated precipitation, all seven investigated anthropogenic compounds are in excellent agreement between the various sites for their respective, species-dependent longer-term concentration trends. This is related to common source regions of air pollution impacting the four sites less than 100 km away including western European countries surrounding the Alps. For individual compounds, the Alpine ice-core composites developed in this study allowed us to precisely time the onset of pollution caused by industrialization in western Europe. Extensive emissions from coal combustion and agriculture lead to an exceeding of pre-industrial (1750–1850) concentration levels already at the end of the 19th century for BC, Pb, (non-dust, non-sea salt ), and , respectively. However, Cd, F−, and concentrations started surpassing pre-industrial values only in the 20th century, predominantly due to pollution from zinc and aluminium smelters and traffic. The observed maxima of BC, Cd, F−, Pb, and concentrations in the 20th century and a significant decline afterwards clearly reveal the efficiency of air pollution control measures such as the desulfurization of coal, the introduction of filters and scrubbers in power plants and metal smelters, and the ban of leaded gasoline improving the air quality in western Europe. In contrast, and concentration records show levels in the beginning of the 21th century which are unprecedented in the context of the past 250 years, indicating that the introduced abatement measures to reduce these pollutants were insufficient to have a major effect at high altitudes in western Europe. Only four ice-core composite records (BC, F−, Pb, ) of the seven investigated pollutants correspond well with modelled trends, suggesting inaccuracies of the emission estimates or an incomplete representation of chemical reaction mechanisms in the models for the other pollutants. Our results demonstrate that individual ice-core records from different sites in the European Alps generally provide a spatially representative signal of anthropogenic air pollution trends in western European countries.
European Geosciences Union (EGU)
2023
The tropospheric NO2 column from Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI (2018–2020) and Aura/OMI (2010–2020) over Poland, notably for 7 major Polish cities, was used to assess the annual variability and the COVID-19 lockdown effect. On a national scale, during lockdown (March–June 2020), strong sources of pollution were found in Katowice and Warszawa, as well as at the power plant in Bełchatów. A gradual drop in OMI NO2 values between March and June was found for all cities and the entire domain of Poland, this being a part of the annual NO2 cycle derived for every year from 2010 to 2020. In fact, the gradual drop of NO2 in the lockdown year was within the typical monthly and annual variability. In March 2020, Kraków showed the highest NO2 reduction rate. A reduction of NO2 was observed in Gdańsk, Wrocław, and Warszawa during every month of the lock-down period. Several factors, including wind speed and direction, temperature, and increased emission sources, can limit the dispersion and removal of NO2. Although meteorological conditions have a significant impact on the annual cycle of NO2 in Poland, it is important to note that anthropogenic emissions remain the primary driver of NO2 concentrations. Therefore, the study concludes that the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on NO2 pollution was negligible and clarifies the current understanding of the COVID-19 effect over Poland, with an emphasis on hotspots in the major Polish cities and their vicinity. This is consistent with our understanding that the reduction of NO2 pollution is seen in cities due to reduced traffic (domestic, municipal, and airborne).
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023
Few studies report the occurrence of microplastics (MP), including tire wear particles (TWP) in the marine atmosphere, and little data is available regarding their size or sources. Here we present active air sampling devices (low- and high-volume samplers) for the evaluation of composition and MP mass loads in the marine atmosphere. Air was sampled during a research cruise along the Norwegian coast up to Bear Island. Samples were analyzed with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, generating a mass-based data set for MP in the marine atmosphere. Here we show the ubiquity of MP, even in remote Arctic areas with concentrations up to 37.5 ng m−3. Cluster of polyethylene terephthalate (max. 1.5 ng m−3) were universally present. TWP (max. 35 ng m−3) and cluster of polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyurethane (max. 1.1 ng m−3) were also detected. Atmospheric transport and dispersion models, suggested the introduction of MP into the marine atmosphere equally from sea- and land-based emissions, transforming the ocean from a sink into a source for MP.
Springer Nature
2023
The turbulent future brings a breath of fresh air
Ventilation of health hazardous aerosol pollution within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) – the lowest layer of the atmosphere – is dependent upon turbulent mixing, which again is closely linked to the height of the PBL. Here we show that emissions of both CO2 and absorbing aerosols such as black carbon influence the number of severe air pollution episodes through impacts on turbulence and PBL height. While absorbing aerosols cause increased boundary layer stability and reduced turbulence through atmospheric heating, CO2 has the opposite effect over land through surface warming. In future scenarios with increasing CO2 concentrations and reduced aerosol emissions, we find that around 10% of the world’s population currently living in regions with high pollution levels are likely to experience a particularly strong increase in turbulence and PBL height, and thus a reduction in intense pollution events. Our results highlight how these boundary layer processes provide an added positive impact of black carbon mitigation to human health.
Springer Nature
2023
Leaching of chemicals and DOC from tire particles under simulated marine conditions
Tire wear particles (TWPs) represent one of the major anthropogenic pools of particles ending up in the environment. They contain a large variety of chemicals, a part of which may be released into the environment through leaching, although the influence of sunlight and other environmental factors during this process is still unclear. This laboratory study compares the leaching of organic compounds from TWP in seawater in the dark and under artificial sunlight for 1) cryo-milled tire tread (CMTT), 2) ‘virgin’ crumb rubber (VCR) and 3) crumb rubber immersed in the sea for ≥12 months prior to the experiments (WCR). Leachates were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and 19 tire-derived chemicals, benzothiazoles and phenylguanidines as well as phenylendiamines by liquid chromatography-high resolution-mass spectrometry. For DOC and most chemicals, the amounts released decreased in the order CMTT > VCR > WCR and increased when leaching occurred under artificial sunlight. sunlight also led to the formation of 23 transformation processes related to 1,3-diphenylguanidine (DPG). In contrast, 4-hydroxydiphenylamine (4-HDPA) and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6-PPDQ) were found in lower amounts upon sunlight exposure. The 19 quantified chemicals, however, did only account for 6%–55% of the DOC in the leachates; most of the DOC, thus, remained unexplained. This study highlights that the amount of chemicals leached from tire particles depends upon their aging history and may be modulated by environmental conditions.
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023
Ixodes ricinus ticks are Scandinavia's main vector for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which infects many people annually. The aims of the present study were (i) to obtain information on the TBEV prevalence in host-seeking I. ricinus collected within the Øresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak (ØKS) region, which lies in southern Norway, southern Sweden and Denmark; (ii) to analyse whether there are potential spatial patterns in the TBEV prevalence; and (iii) to understand the relationship between TBEV prevalence and meteorological factors in southern Scandinavia. Tick nymphs were collected in 2016, in southern Scandinavia, and screened for TBEV, using pools of 10 nymphs, with RT real-time PCR, and positive samples were confirmed with pyrosequencing. Spatial autocorrelation and cluster analysis was performed with Global Moran's I and SatScan to test for spatial patterns and potential local clusters of the TBEV pool prevalence at each of the 50 sites. A climatic analysis was made to correlate parameters such as minimum, mean and maximum temperature, relative humidity and saturation deficit with TBEV pool prevalence. The climatic data were acquired from the nearest meteorological stations for 2015 and 2016. This study confirms the presence of TBEV in 12 out of 30 locations in Denmark, where six were from Jutland, three from Zealand and two from Bornholm and Falster counties. In total, five out of nine sites were positive from southern Sweden. TBEV prevalence of 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.5%, in nymphs, was found at three sites along the Oslofjord (two sites) and northern Skåne region (one site), indicating a potential concern for public health. We report an overall estimated TBEV prevalence of 0.1% in questing I. ricinus nymphs in southern Scandinavia with a region-specific prevalence of 0.1% in Denmark, 0.2% in southern Sweden and 0.1% in southeastern Norway. No evidence of a spatial pattern or local clusters was found in the study region. We found a strong correlation between TBEV prevalence in ticks and relative humidity in Sweden and Norway, which might suggest that humidity has a role in maintaining TBEV prevalence in ticks. TBEV is an emerging tick-borne pathogen in southern Scandinavia, and we recommend further studies to understand the TBEV transmission potential with changing climate in Scandinavia.
Wiley-VCH
2023
Modelling the coupled mercury-halogen-ozone cycle in the central Arctic during spring
Near-surface mercury and ozone depletion events occur in the lowest part of the atmosphere during Arctic spring. Mercury depletion is the first step in a process that transforms long-lived elemental mercury to more reactive forms within the Arctic that are deposited to the cryosphere, ocean, and other surfaces, which can ultimately get integrated into the Arctic food web. Depletion of both mercury and ozone occur due to the presence of reactive halogen radicals that are released from snow, ice, and aerosols. In this work, we added a detailed description of the Arctic atmospheric mercury cycle to our recently published version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem 4.3.3) that includes Arctic bromine and chlorine chemistry and activation/recycling on snow and aerosols. The major advantage of our modelling approach is the online calculation of bromine concentrations and emission/recycling that is required to simulate the hourly and daily variability of Arctic mercury depletion. We used this model to study coupling between reactive cycling of mercury, ozone, and bromine during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) spring season in 2020 and evaluated results compared to land-based, ship-based, and remote sensing observations. The model predicts that elemental mercury oxidation is driven largely by bromine chemistry and that particulate mercury is the major form of oxidized mercury. The model predicts that the majority (74%) of oxidized mercury deposited to land-based snow is re-emitted to the atmosphere as gaseous elemental mercury, while a minor fraction (4%) of oxidized mercury that is deposited to sea ice is re-emitted during spring. Our work demonstrates that hourly differences in bromine/ozone chemistry in the atmosphere must be considered to capture the springtime Arctic mercury cycle, including its integration into the cryosphere and ocean.
2023
Rapid identification of in vitro cell toxicity using an electrochemical membrane screening platform
This study compares the performance and output of an electrochemical phospholipid membrane platform against respective in vitro cell-based toxicity testing methods using three toxicants of different biological action (chlorpromazine (CPZ), colchicine (COL) and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS)). Human cell lines from seven different tissues (lung, liver, kidney, placenta, intestine, immune system) were used to validate this physicochemical testing system. For the cell-based systems, the effective concentration at 50 % cell death (EC50) values are calculated. For the membrane sensor, a limit of detection (LoD) value was extracted as a quantitative parameter describing the minimum concentration of toxicant which significantly affects the structure of the phospholipid sensor membrane layer. LoD values were found to align well with the EC50 values when acute cell viability was used as an end-point and showed a similar toxicity ranking of the tested toxicants. Using the colony forming efficiency (CFE) or DNA damage as end-point, a different order of toxicity ranking was observed. The results of this study showed that the electrochemical membrane sensor generates a parameter relating to biomembrane damage, which is the predominant factor in decreasing cell viability when in vitro models are acutely exposed to toxicants. These results lead the way to using electrochemical membrane-based sensors for rapid relevant preliminary toxicity screens.
Elsevier
2023