Search results for "Concentrations"

The sea–air exchange of mercury (Hg) in the marine boundary layer of the Augusta basin (southern Italy): Concentrations and evasion flux

2013

Abstract The first attempt to systematically investigate the atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the MBL of the Augusta basin (SE Sicily, Italy) has been undertaken. In the past the basin was the receptor for Hg from an intense industrial activity which contaminated the bottom sediments of the Bay, making this area a potential source of pollution for the surrounding Mediterranean. Three oceanographic cruises have been thus performed in the basin during the winter and summer 2011/2012, where we estimated averaged Hg atm concentrations of about 1.5 ± 0.4 (range 0.9–3.1) and 2.1 ± 0.98 (range 1.1–3.1) ng m −3 for the two seasons, respectively. These data are somewhat higher than the background Hg atm …

Measurements of Hg0 (and H2S) at the Solfatara Crater (Southern Italy): Estimating the atmospheric distribution with a real-time approach

2015

Volcanic and geothermal areas are important emitters of natural gas compounds into the atmosphere, which can be of concern when discharging close to densely, populated sites. Mercury has a strong environmental impact, its organic and inorganic complexes being toxic. The dominant form of Hg in the atmosphere is gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), which has high volatility and residence time of 1-2 years. Volcanic degassing accounts for a significant part of the natural mercury emissions. No mercury limits or target values in ambient air are present in the EU legislations, whereas US-EPA and ATSDR impose 300 and 200 ng/m3, respectively, as a limit for chronic exposure. WHO has proposed the annua…

Pollutants and Air Pollution

2016

Traffic Parameters Estimation to Predict Road Side Pollutant Concentrations using Neural Networks

2007

The analysis aims to evaluate which is the most important among traffic parameters (flows, queues length, occupancy degree, and travel time) to forecast CO and C6H6 concentrations. The study area was identified by Notarbartolo Road and bounded by Liberta Street and Sciuti Street in the urban area of Palermo in Southern Italy. In this area, various loop detectors and one pollution-monitoring site were located. Traffic data related to the pollution-monitoring site immediately near the road link were estimated by Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) traffic microsimulator software using as input the flows measured by loop detectors on other links of road network. Traffic and weather data were u…

Dispersion models and air quality data for population exposure assessment to air pollution

2014

Evaluating the extent of exposure to chemicals in absence of continuous measurements of their concentration in air and direct measures of personal exposure is crucial for epidemiological studies. Dispersion models can be a useful tool for reproducing spatio-temporal distribution of contaminants emitted by a specific source. However, they cannot easily be applied to short-term epidemiological studies because they require precise information on daily emission scenarios for a long time, which are generally not available. The aim of this study was to better assess the exposure in the industrial area of Brindisi, which suffers from various critical epidemiological situations, by integrating air …

Urban air pollution and emergency room admissions for respiratory symptoms: a case-crossover study in Palermo, Italy

2011

Abstract Background Air pollution from vehicular traffic has been associated with respiratory diseases. In Palermo, the largest metropolitan area in Sicily, urban air pollution is mainly addressed to traffic-related pollution because of lack of industrial settlements, and the presence of a temperate climate that contribute to the limited use of domestic heating plants. This study aimed to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution and emergency room admissions for acute respiratory symptoms. Methods From January 2004 through December 2007, air pollutant concentrations and emergency room visits were collected for a case-crossover study conducted in Palermo, Sicily. Ris…

Improving the prediction of air pollution peak episodes generated by urban transport networks

2016

Abstract This paper illustrates the early results of ongoing research developing novel methods to analyse and simulate the relationship between trasport-related air pollutant concentrations and easily accessible explanatory variables. The final scope is to integrate the new models in traditional traffic management support systems for a sustainable mobility of road vehicles in urban areas. This first stage concerns the relationship between the hourly mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and explanatory factors reflecting the NO2 mean level one hour back, along with traffic and weather conditions. Particular attention is given to the prediction of pollution peaks, defined as exceedanc…

Lichens as bio-monitors of trace-elements in Central and Eastern France

2003

Lichens (105 samples, mainly P. sulcata and X parietina) have been used to monitor As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in Burgundy and in the East of France. When the industrial environment seemed to justify it, other elements were also looked for, such as Ag, Sn and V. Research was carried out on areas with little or moderate pollution and supplemented by studies on three hot spots with health problems. Record and background concentrations in lichens are presented as well as the ratios between those values. In the case of lead, the concentrations in lichens are compared with the results in blood tests.

In vitro models for the prediction of in vivo performance of oral dosage forms: Recent progress from partnership through the IMI OrBiTo collaboration

2019

The availability of in vitro tools that are constructed on the basis of a detailed knowledge of key aspects of gastrointestinal (GI) physiology and their impact on formulation performance and subsequent drug release behaviour is fundamental to the success and efficiency of oral drug product development. Over the last six years, the development and optimization of improved, biorelevant in vitro tools has been a cornerstone of the IMI OrBiTo (Oral Biopharmaceutics Tools) project. By bringing together key industry and academic partners, and by linking tool development and optimization to human studies to understand behaviour at the formulation/GI tract interface, the collaboration has enabled …

Preliminary results on antimicrobial activity of Rhynchophorous ferrugineus hemolymph

2011

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), known as the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) and accidentally introduced in the Mediterranean areas, is considered a quarantine pest for tree palms especially in the urban environment. In order to understand the relationship among potential pathogens and RPW several studies were carried out on RPW immune system. Here we report the results of a preliminary study undertaken to investigate the effect of naturally occurring antimicrobial activities present both in the cell free hemolymph and in hemocytes lysate supernatant of RPW. The hemolymph was extracted from the older larvae sampled from infested palm trees. The protein fractions were extracted …