Found 9941 publications. Showing page 242 of 398:
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Chemical speciation of fine airborne particles in Abu Dhabi. NILU OR
Chemical speciation results of PM2.5 filter samples from eight sites in Abu Dhabi are discussed. This is the third interim report, covering a total of 40 filter samples. As one aim of this sampling study was to use the speciation results for health impact studies, samples with high particle loads and high degree of blackness were selected for analysis, and compared to samples with typical particle loads. Particles with diameters less than 2.5 µm were analysed for elements, inorganic ions and carbonaceous fractions.
The most abundant elements were found to be crustal elements, contributing on average 14% to PM2.5 mass. Reconstructing the mass of crustal oxides, approximately 44% of the fine particle mass was estimated to be associated with mineral dust. The concentrations of most heavy metals were below limit values for annual averages at all sites. For nickel, it was found that the Guideline Value may be exceeded at one traffic site.
Inorganic ions (sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, sodium, chloride) explain on average 34% of the PM2.5 mass in Abu Dhabi. Remarkably high sulphate concentrations account for the major part (on average 26%). Particulate sulphate in Abu Dhabi is likely to have both natural (as a result of the local composition of mineral dust) and anthropogenic sources which cannot be separated with the applied analytical methods. An anthropogenic contribution of ~6% comes from the secondary inorganic ions nitrate and ammonium.
Total carbon, which consists of elemental carbon, organic carbon and carbonate carbon contributed on average 14% to PM2.5 mass. About 30% of total carbon was estimated to be carbonate of likely natural origin. Elemental carbon and most organic carbon are expected to be of anthropogenic origin.
PM in Abu Dhabi has a strong signature of natural sources (mineral dust). A detailed apportionment of sources requires further analyses.
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Monitoring of greenhouse gases and aerosols at Svalbard and Birkenes: Annual report 2009. NILU OR
The report summaries the activities and results of the greenhouse gas monitoring at the Zeppelin and observatory situated on Svalbard in Arctic Norway during the period 2001-2009 and the greenhouse gas monitoring and aerosol observations from Birkenes for 2009.
The monitoring programme is performed by the NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research and funded by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) (now Climate and Pollution Agency) and NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research.
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This report presents the ICP Materials database for the period October 2008-December 2009. It includes environmental data from the ICP Materials trend exposure programme for 2008 - 2009. The database consists of meteorological data, and pollution data as gasses and in precipitation. Also reported are HNO3 and amount and composition in particle deposition in soiling.
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Volatile and persistent emissions from traffic and power production on Svalbard. VETAPOS. NILU OR
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) including Benzene-Toluene-Xylene (BTX) related compounds were monitored in ambient air samples during Spring (April-Mai) and Autumn (October) 2010 as a follow-up of an earlier BTX ambient air monitoring program in 2007 (Reimann et al 2007) at the Research park in Longyearbyen (Forskningsparken). In addition, BTX related compounds were measured in 18 ¿headspace¿ samples above collected surface soil along snowmobile tracks in Longyeardalen, Adventdalen, Todalen as well as Sassendalen (Fredheim). In addition, during the 2010 VETAPOS in a parallel surface soil sampling campaign 18 samples were analysed for 15 priority PAH compounds.
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An ambient air pollution screening study was performed in Dhaka from 31 January - 15 February 2011. The main objective of the study was to gain an overview of the background concentrations and the spatial distribution of the air pollution in the Dhaka city area. Thorough ambient air quality data has not been collected in the city for some years. Results show relatively high concentrations for SO2, NO2, and O3, with PM concentrations alarmingly high. PM concentrations could be attributed to local sources (predominantly brick Kilns and traffic), as well as regional influences (haze clouds) during the winter season which were compared to satellite AOD data.
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PFAS - Comparison of MS/MS and MS-TOF techniques and two extraction methods on lean and fatty fish. NILU PP
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Introduction
Brominated flame retardants such as the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) are well known to be present in indoor air and dust and
contribute to human exposure. However, the influence of indoor contamination on human body
burdens is not fully understood. Some recent studies have suggested that for many individuals
indoor exposures may be comparable to or greater than the dietary intake. The aim of this study
was to characterize exposure pathways to PBDEs and HBCD and compare exposure estimates
with biomonitoring.
Materials and Methods
A study group of 41 female volunteers from the greater Oslo area, Norway was established.
Informed consent was obtained from all the participants and the project was approved by the
Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics. Samples of house dust as well as indoor air
from the women¿s residences were collected between February and May 2008. The women also
donated serum samples and completed a questionnaire covering demographic information, life
style factors as well as dietary habits. PBDEs and HBCD were determined in all samples types.
Results and discussion
The sum of six tri- to hexa BDEs (BDE-28, 47, 99, 100, 153 and 154) in the women¿s serum
ranged from 0.67 to 30 ng/g lipids, while BDE-209 ranged from 0.46 to 11 ng/g lipids. Of these
PBDEs, only BDE-28 and 47 were found above LOQ in air, in concentrations ranging from
0.78-58 and 1.3-63 ng/m3, respectively. In addition BDE-66 and BDE-49/71 were occasionally
detected. In house dust, the sum 6 PBDEs ranged from 9.3 to 662 ng/g, while the sum of ¿, ß,
and ¿-HBCD ranged from 55-2808 ng/g. Individual PBDE congeners were well correlated
within each sample type. Significant correlations were also found between individual PBDE
concentrations in air and dust as well as between sum 6 PBDE in dust and sum 6 PBDE in
serum. Assuming an ingestion of house dust of 50 mg per day, the intake of sum 6 PBDE ranged
from 0.008 to 0.47 ng/kg bw/day (mean 0.064 ng/kg bw/day). The corresponding value for sum
HBCD was 0.039-2.2 ng/kg bw/day (mean 0.30 ng/kg bw/day). The intake from food has not
been assessed in this cohort yet, but ongoing multivariate regression analyses point to
statistically significant associations between serum concentrations of PBDEs and some variables
in the indoor environment as well as the diet. The dietary intake was estimated to range from
0.14-3.6 ng/kg bw/day (mean 1.1 ng/kg bw/day) for sum 7 PBDEs (sum 6 PBDE + BDE-183)
and 0.06-0.87 (mean 0.27 ng/kg bw/day) for sum HBCD in one of our previous studies on
persons exposed to background contaminated food in Norway. These preliminary findings
suggest that exposure from house dust is important with respect to body burdens of BFRs,
HBCD in particular.
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Occurrence of selected organic micropollutants and silver at wastewater treatment plants in Norway. NIVA rapport, 6157-2010
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