Found 2236 publications. Showing page 6 of 224:
Investigating snow deposition of cyclic siloxanes in an Arctic environment
cVMS are high production volume chemicals that are used for a wide range of industrial and domestic applications. Given the high volatility of cVMS, emissions occur mainly to the atmosphere, and cVMS are present in the Arctic atmosphere, e.g. at the Zeppelin Observatory near Ny Ålesund, Svalbard, suggesting potential for long-range atmospheric transport. A study to investigate whether cVMS have the potential to deposit to surface media, and thereby represent a potential risk to the terrestrial or marine environment in polar and Arctic regions was carried out. Overall, cVMS levels in samples of vegetation, soil, sediment and marine biota were low. D4 was detected in most samples at concentrations above LOD, but below LOQ, while D5 and D6 were generally not detected. The low cVMS concentrations in soil, vegetation, sediments, and fish are in line with most current research on cVMS in remote regions, which together suggest that input of cVMS from atmospheric deposition and snow melt is likely not a major contributing source.
NILU
2024
Monitoring of environmental contaminants in freshwater food webs (MILFERSK), 2023
This report presents data from the third year of a 5-year period of the MILFERSK program. In 2023 the monitoring program reports on the sampling and analyses of the pelagic food chain in Lake Mjøsa, with the following sample types: zooplankton, Mysis, E. smelt, vendace, and brown trout, in addition to brown trout from Lake Femunden. A total of 205 single compounds/isomers were determined, and frequent detections were found of specific PFAS, PBDEs, Hg and siloxanes through the food chain with biomagnifying properties. Some contaminants, such as octocrylene is found in higher concentrations in the lower trophic levels. A slight downwards trend is observed from 2014 – 2023 for PFOS in Lake Mjøsa. We also observe a lower length adjusted mercury concentration for brown trout in Lake Mjøsa for the period 2014 to 2023, compared to the 9 years prior (2006 – 2014).
Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA)
2024
Integrating Low-cost Sensor Systems and Networks to Enhance Air Quality Applications
Low-cost air quality sensor systems (LCS) are emerging technologies for policy-relevant air quality analysis, including pollution levels, source identification, and forecasting. This report discusses LCS use in networks and alongside other data sources for comprehensive air quality applications, complementing other WMO publications on LCS operating principles, calibration, performance assessment, and data communication.
The LCS’s utility lies in their ability to provide new insights into air quality that existing data sources may not offer. While LCS data must be verified, their integration with other data sources can enhance understanding and management of air quality. In areas without reference-grade monitors, LCS can identify factors affecting local air quality and guide future monitoring efforts. Combining LCS data with satellite and other air quality systems can improve data reliability and establish corroborating evidence for observed trends. LCS can extend the spatial coverage of existing monitoring networks, offering localized insights and supporting effective air quality management policies. Co-locating LCS with reference-grade monitors helps quantify measurement uncertainties and apply LCS data appropriately for forecasting, source impact analysis, and community engagement.
World Meteorological Organization
2024
Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Servicice
2024
2024
Monitoring air quality in ports and nearby cities is crucial to understanding the role of emissions from shipping and other port activities. This report analyzes air quality in 23 European ports, revealing limited observations in and around port areas. Only 5 of the 23 ports had at least one air quality sampling point for NO2 and PM10 inside the port area. Concentrations in nearby cities can be up to double (NO2) and 74% higher (PM10) when the wind comes from the port. EEA air quality maps showed higher annual mean NO2 concentrations in port areas compared to surrounding regions, with some ports exceeding the 2030 limit value of 20 µg/m³. Annual mean PM10 concentrations were also higher in port areas, with nine ports exceeding the new limit value. The limited number of sampling points makes it challenging to assess trends in NO2 and PM10 concentrations. International shipping emissions significantly contribute to NO2 levels in port cities, as shown by pollution episodes in Antwerpen and Barcelona.
ETC/HE
2024
The report provides the annual update of the European air quality concentration maps and population and vegetation exposure estimates for human health related indicators of pollutants PM10 (annual average, 90.4 percentile of daily means), PM2.5 (annual average), ozone (93.2 percentile of maximum daily 8-hour means, peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means, SOMO35, SOMO10), NO2 (annual average) and benzo(a)pyrene (annual average), and vegetation related ozone indicators (AOT40 for vegetation and for forests) for the year 2022. The report contains also maps of Phytotoxic ozone dose (PODY) for selected crops (wheat, potato and tomato) and trees (spruce and beech) and NOx annual average map for the same year 2022. The ozone map of peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means is presented for the first time. The trends in exposure estimates in the period 2005–2022 are summarized. The analysis for 2022 is based on the interpolation of the annual statistics of the 2022 observational data reported by the EEA member and cooperating countries and other voluntary reporting countries and stored in the Air Quality e-reporting database, complemented, when needed, with measurements from additional sources. The mapping method is the Regression – Interpolation – Merging Mapping (RIMM). It combines monitoring data, chemical transport model results and other supplementary data using linear regression model followed by kriging of its residuals (residual kriging). The paper presents the mapping results and gives an uncertainty analysis of the interpolated maps. It also presents concentration change in 2022 in comparison to the five-year average 2017-2021 using the difference maps and exposure estimates.
ETC/HE
2024
2024
Måling av gasser i Statsarkivets lokaler i Trondheim
Målinger av flyktige organiske forbindelser (VOC), maursyre (HCOOH), eddiksyre (CH3COOH) og ammoniakk (NH3) ble gjort i to innendørs lokaliteter ved Statsarkivet i Trondheim. De målte konsentrasjonene var lave og skulle ikke være noen risiko for helse eller skade på materialer. 2,6 ganger forhøyet konsentrasjon (403 µgm-3) av flyktige organiske forbindelser (TVOC) ble funnet i den ene av lokaliteten sammenlignet med den andre. Prøven hadde høyere konsentrasjoner spesielt av forbindelser som oftest har kilde i utslipp og forbrenning av petroleumsderivater som: toluen, o-xylen, benzen- og butan-forbindelser.
NILU
2024
European cities air quality ranking: a new methodology
The EEA has introduced the European City Air Quality Viewer, a tool to assess and compare air quality in European cities. However, this method provides an incomplete picture of air quality as it relies solely on PM2.5 data from monitoring stations, excluding cities lacking monitoring stations and other relevant pollutants such as NO2 and O3. A promising alternative to the current methodology is proposed to reduce these limitations, offering a comprehensive approach to assessing and comparing health risks linked to exposure to multiple pollutants in urban settings. Leveraging continuous air quality maps and population-weighted concentrations enhances coverage and consistency in risk estimation across cities. Additionally, it allows for ranking based on multiple pollutants, unlike the current method, which focuses solely on PM2.5 levels. This approach integrates mortality risk assessments associated with PM2.5, NO2, and O3 exposure, aligning with the Environmental Burden of Disease assessments published by the ETC HE, together with the EEA.
ETC/HE
2024