Search results for "Atmospheric pollution"
showing 7 items of 17 documents
Biomonitoring with cryptogams near the power station of la Robla (Leon, Spain)
2007
The present monitoring study was undertaken to analyze the impact of atmospheric pollution on the lichens found near a power station in northern Spain. Data from 565 releves gathered on 113 sites were analyzed. In areas near the power station the lichen species belong to the Xanthorion community. In areas away from the power station and that are not under the influence of dominant winds, the lichenic diversity increases and the species present belong to the Parmelion community. In intermediate areas between the two, there is a great increase in lichen diversity, in these areas there is a replacement of the species that typically belong to the Xanthorion community, by species typical of the …
A new tool to process forecast meteorological data for atmospheric pollution dispersion simulations of accident scenarios: A Sicily-based case study
2021
Emergency response plans to mitigate the severity of the accidental release of hazardous compounds in the air have become a primary concern in view of the many adverse events occurred over the years in high-risk plants. To do this, an accurate estimate of forecast meteorological data to be used in dispersion models can be very useful to respond in advance to emergency situations. In this field, FORCALM is a new tool developed to elaborate European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts data on a 3D computational domain with a high-resolution grid. FORCALM data can be used to perform predictive simulations of impacts on local and regional levels by using CALPUFF modelling system. A case s…
Metals distributions within black crusts sampled on the facade of an historical monument: The case study of the Cathedral of Monza (Milan, Italy)
2019
This research deals with the characterization of black crusts collected from Dome of Monza. Black crusts (BC) can be formed as a result of different chemical and physical reactions between the stone surface and environmental factors (such as gaseous pollutants, aerosol particulate matter and its specific chemical constituents-the carbonaceous fraction and the metals); therefore, they are considered as a passive sampler of pollutants. The specific focus of the current work is the study of the metals and their distribution within the samples. To characterize BC, several techniques were used such as: HRSEM-EDX, IC and LA-ICP/MS. This integrated approach allowed us to gain information about the…
Active real-time analyzers vs. passive/diffusive samplers for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in air: a critical comparison
2015
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gas pollutant discharged in air from a large number of natural and anthropogenic sources. Its peculiar rotten-egg smell, causing odor nuisance to neighboring communities, is detectable at concentrations between 0.7 and 42 μg/m3 (Schiffman & Williams, 2005). High H2S concentrations could cause eye irritation, damage to the upper respiratory apparatus and loss of smell. The effects of long-term low level (< 2,800 μg/m3) exposures to H2S are still matter of debate (Bates et al., 2013). Hence, the development of techniques for accurate measurements of H2S in air at a wide range of concentrations is a primary issue in environmental monitoring. Two different app…
Air Quality Assessment by the Determination of Trace Elements in Lichens (Xanthoria calcicola) in an Industrial Area (Sicily, Italy)
2022
This study provides data on variation in the content of metals and metalloids measured in the lichens (Xanthoria calcicola Oxner) collected in the Syracusan petrochemical complex (Sicily, Italy) which is considered one of the largest in Europe. Concentrations of eighteen trace elements measured in the lichens that were collected from 49 different points were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS) device. The concentrations of the typical elements of industrial emissions (As, Cr, Ni, and V) highlight the environmental criticality that exists in the study area. The interpretation of the data in terms of multi-element statistical analysis (FA) and enrichment factor (EFs) proved …
A CNN Adaptive Model to Estimate PM10 Monitoring
2006
In this work we introduce a model for studying the distribution and control of atmospheric pollution from PM10. The model is based on the use of a cellular neural network (CNN) and more precisely on the integration of the mass-balance equation; at the same time it simulates the scenario regarding a planar grid describing the whole studied area (the city of Palermo) by means of a CNN and a set of Bayesian networks. The CNN allows us to define a grid system whose dynamic evolution is a redefinition of the diffusion equation that considers contributions coming from near cells for each element of the grid. Dynamics of each cell is influenced by meteorological effects and by parameters related t…