Search results for "Air Quality"
showing 10 items of 195 documents
Methodological Aspects for the Implementation of the Air Pesticide Control and Surveillance Network (PESTNet) of the Valencian Region (Spain)
2021
A large amount of pesticide, applied mainly during agricultural practice, is released into the atmosphere, decreasing air quality and potentially causing public health problems. The Valencian region, after Andalusia, is the Spanish region with the highest consumption of pesticides owing to its large areas of agricultural land and the existence of crops that require intensive use of pesticides. In this work, we describe the sampling and analytical tools developed in the last decade and their transference to the Regional Department for Environment, where the main objective of the research was the creation and implementation of an Air pesticide control and surveillance network (PESTNet) in the…
Pathway using WUDAPT's Digital Synthetic City tool towards generating urban canopy parameters for multi-scale urban atmospheric modeling
2019
Abstract The WUDAPT (World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools project goal is to capture consistent information on urban form and function for cities worldwide that can support urban weather, climate, hydrology and air quality modeling. These data are provided as urban canopy parameters (UCPs) as used by weather, climate and air quality models to simulate the effects of urban surfaces on the overlying atmosphere. Information is stored with different levels of detail (LOD). With higher LOD greater spatial precision is provided. At the lowest LOD, Local Climate Zones (LCZ) with nominal UCP ranges is provided (order 100 m or more). To describe the spatial heterogeneity present in cities wi…
The Effect of the Covid-19 Lockdown on Air Quality in Three Italian Medium-Sized Cities
2020
Despite the societal and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown measures put in place by the Italian government provided an unprecedented opportunity to increase our knowledge of the effect transportation and industry-related emissions have on the air quality in our cities. This study assessed the effect of reduced emissions during the lockdown period, due to COVID-19, on air quality in three Italian cities, Florence, Pisa, and Lucca. For this study, we compared the concentration of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and O3 measured during the lockdown period, with values obtained in the same period of 2019. Our results show no evidence of a direct relationship between th…
δ13C variations in tree rings as an indication of severe changes in the urban air quality
2002
Abstract Annual growth rings sampled from three free-standing trees (Platanus hybrida sp.), grew in the metropolitan area of Palermo (Italy) and covering a 118 years time span (1880–1998), have been studied for their 13C/12C carbon isotope ratios. It has been found that the 13C/12C tree ring record, during the study time interval, decreased of −3.6‰, from −26.4‰ in 1880 to −30‰ in 1998. Such a progressive depletion has been attributed to the addition of anthropogenic 13C depleted carbon dioxide to the local atmosphere. The observed 13C/12C decrease has been used to infer some possible pathways of atmospheric CO2 change in the study urban area.
Mass levels, crustal component and trace elements in PM10 in Palermo, Italy.
2007
Abstract Results concerning the levels and elemental compositions of daily PM 10 samples collected at four air quality monitoring sites in Palermo (Italy) are presented. The highest mean value of PM 10 concentrations (46 μg m −3 , with a peak value of 158 μg m −3 ) was recorded at the Di Blasi urban station, and the lowest at Boccadifalco station (25 μg m −3 ), considered as a sub-urban background station. Seventeen elements (Al, As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, U, V, Zn) were measured by ICP-MS. Al and Fe showed the highest concentrations, indicating the significant contribution of soil and resuspended mineral particles to atmospheric PM 10 . Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, …
Isolating the climate change impacts on air-pollution-related-pathologies over central and southern Europe – a modelling approach on cases and costs
2019
Air pollution has important implications for human health and associated external costs to society and is closely related to climate change. This contribution tries to assess the impacts of present (1996-2015) and future (2071-2100 under RCP8.5) air pollution on several cardiovascular and respiratory pathologies and estimate the difference in the costs associated with these health impacts on the European population. For this, air quality data from the regional chemistry-climate modelling system of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) are used, together with some epidemiological information from the European Commission. The methodology considered…
General overview: European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI)-integrating aerosol research from nano …
2011
In this paper we describe and summarize the main achievements of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions project (EUCAARI). EUCAARI started on 1 January 2007 and ended on 31 December 2010 leaving a rich legacy including: (a) a comprehensive database with a year of observations of the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosol particles over Europe, (b) comprehensive aerosol measurements in four developing countries, (c) a database of airborne measurements of aerosols and clouds over Europe during May 2008, (d) comprehensive modeling tools to study aerosol processes fron nano to global scale and their effects on climate and air quality. In addition a new Pan…
Pesticide Inhalation Exposure of Applicators and Bystanders Using Conventional and Innovative Cropping Systems in the Valencian Region, Spain
2021
This paper provides scientific results from a European LIFE project carried out in the Valencian region of Spain during the 2017 to 2018 time frame. In 2018, more than 60,000 tons of pesticides were commercialized in Spain, with approximately 15% destined for Valencian crops. In order to improve the air quality in the agricultural areas of this region, an innovative cropping system based on irrigation was developed and compared to conventional treatments based on hand-spray and turbo application. After applying conventional treatments to five types of crops (citrus, persimmon, nectarine, watermelon, and other stone fruits), a total of 13 active substances were detected in the air. The same …
Airborne survey of trace gases and aerosols over the Southern Baltic Sea: from clean marine boundary layer to shipping corridor effect
2020
The influence of shipping on air quality over the Southern Baltic Sea was investigated by characterizing the horizontal and vertical distribution of aerosols and trace gases using airborne measurements in the summer of 2015. Generally, continental and anthropogenic emissions affected the vertical distribution of atmospheric pollutants, leading to pronounced stratification in and above the marine boundary layer and controlling the aerosol extinction. Marine traffic along the shipping corridor “Kadet Fairway” in the Arkona Basin is shown to influence the presence and properties of both trace gases and aerosol particles in the lowest atmospheric layer. Total particle number concentration and N…
Neural networks for analysing the relevance of input variables in the prediction of tropospheric ozone concentration
2006
Abstract This paper deals with tropospheric ozone modelling by using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). In this study, ambient ozone concentrations are estimated using surface meteorological variables and vehicle emission variables as predictors. The work is especially focused on analysing the importance of the input variables used by these models. This analysis is carried out in different time windows: all the time of study (April of 1997, 1999 and 2000), one month (April 1999), and finally, an hourly analysis. All the information extracted from these analyses can determine the most important factors in tropospheric ozone formation, thus achieving a qualitative model from the quantitative …