Search results for "modeling"
showing 10 items of 4489 documents
Traffic-related pollutants in roadside soils of different countries in Europe and Asia
2015
We investigated the magnetic and chemical properties of the roadside soil samples collected from five European and Asian countries. Spots in which cars slowed down and/or accelerated due to the traffic organization (speed limits, junctions, and traffic lights) were selected for sampling. Apart from the Zabrze site (Poland), the magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal contents decreased with increasing distance from the road edge. The highest mass-specific magnetic susceptibility values (χ) were observed in the samples collected from Mumbai (India) and Zabrze (Poland). Moreover, the high contents of Fe, Ni, Mn, and Co were observed in Mumbai, whereas in Zabrze, all the examined elements demo…
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 …
A new approach for modeling dry deposition velocity of particles
2018
Abstract The dry deposition process is recognized as an important pathway among the various removal processes of pollutants in the atmosphere. In this field, there are several models reported in the literature useful to predict the dry deposition velocity of particles of different diameters but many of them are not capable of representing dry deposition phenomena for several categories of pollutants and deposition surfaces. Moreover, their applications is valid for specific conditions and if the data in that application meet all of the assumptions required of the data used to define the model. In this paper a new dry deposition velocity model based on an electrical analogy schema is propose…
Environmental and economic profile of six typologies of wastewater treatment plants
2011
The objective of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is to prevent pollution. However, it is necessary to assess their sustainability in order to ensure that pollution is being removed, not displaced. In this research, the performance of 24 WWTPs has been evaluated using a streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) as environmental indicators, and operational costs as economic indicators. WWTPs were further classified in six typologies by their quality requirements according to their final discharge point or water reuse. Moreover, two different functional units (FU), one based on volume (m(3)) and the other on eutrophication…
Dating of a Sediment Core by 210Pbex Method and Pb Pollution Chronology in the Palermo Gulf (Italy)
2009
Within a more general study on marine sediments in the Gulf of Palermo (Sicily, Italy), the 210Pbex dating method (using a model with constant sedimentation rate) has been applied to one sediment core. The main goal of the research was to study the Pb pollution chronology. Dating of the core has allowed evaluating the time evolution of the gulf lead concentrations. Specific activities of 137Cs have also been measured in the sediment core sections as an independent confirmation of the chronology derived by the 210Pbex method. The time scale has then been used to correlate lead concentrations in core sections to estimated lead emissions in air due to gasoline combustion. A good correlation be…
Blackfly Larvae (Simulium spp.) Can Intensify Methylmercury Biomagnification in Boreal Food Webs
2020
AbstractGlobal pollution of mercury (Hg) threatens ecosystem and human health. We measured total Hg (THg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations in filter-feeding blackfly (Simulium spp.) larvae in the inflows and the outflows of six boreal lakes with no Hg point source pollution. THg in the larvae ranged from 0.03 to 0.31 mg kg−1 dw and MMHg between 0.02 and 0.25 mg kg−1 dw. The proportion of MMHg in the larvae was 74 ± 0.16% and ranged from 43 to 98% of THg, the highest proportions being comparable to those typically found in aquatic predatory insects and fish. We compared the larvae MMHg concentrations to river water quality, catchment land-use, and to size-adjusted lake pike THg da…
Pollution of Flooded Arable Soils with Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
2014
Soils that are exposed to floodwaters because of shallow groundwater and periodical wetlands are, to a large extent, exposed to contamination by organic and inorganic compounds. These are mainly compounds that have drifted along with the inflow of heavily laden floodwater and are produced within the soil profile by the anaerobic transformation of organic matter. Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are absorbed by the soil of the floodwaters, and moving in the soil profile, they pose a threat to groundwater. What is more, after a flood, they may be absorbed by the crops. This paper focuses on the effects of Odra River (Poland) floods, heavy metals, and PAHs on so…
Using Macroelement Content to Characterize Surficial Water Quality of Artificial Reservoirs
2021
Abstract The quality of surface waters in the territory of Poland, despite the implemented remedial measures, is mostly classified as bad. This article presents the results of research on the composition of water macroelements in 24 artificial reservoirs located in Opole province (southern Poland), searching for the reasons behind their pollution. Concentrations of the anions F−, Cl−, Br−, NO2−, NO3−, PO43− and SO42− and cations Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were taken into account. An analysis of seasonal changes was carried out and, on the example of a dam reservoir (Turawa Big Reservoir), a multi-point analysis of the distribution of ion concentrations in water at the reservoir surface w…
Three Hours Ahead Prevision of SO2 Pollutant Concentration Using an Elman Neural based Forecaster
2008
Abstract Indoor air quality near the industrial site is tightly joined to pollutant concentration level, since outdoor pollution heavily influences air quality and, consequently, inhabitants health. A pollution management system is essential for health protection. Automatic air quality management systems have became an important research issue with strong implications for inhabitants’ health. In this paper an automatic forecaster based on neural networks for SO 2 concentration prevision is proposed. The analyzed area covers different small towns near the industrial site of Priolo, in the south of the world. Among these towns, Melilli was the first town in Italy that was evacuated for high l…
Distribution of Heavy Metals in Marine Sediments of Palermo Gulf (Sicily, Italy)
2008
Concentrations of Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn have been measured, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, in the fine fraction (<63 μm) of surface sediments collected in 30 sites in the Palermo Gulf (Sicily, Italy) in order to assess the levels and the spatial distribution of these elements. Enrichment factors calculated with respect to clean areas have been considered to discriminate between levels due to background or to pollution contributions. The sampling stations, which form a grid inside these areas, are characterized by geographic proximity and by the presence of pollution sources. Ratio matching technique along with hierarchical clustering, minimum spanning tree and principal component a…