Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide Levels Monitored in an Urban Area (Ciudad Real) in central-southern Spain

This work describes the evolution of NO₂ and O₃ levels from January to December of 2007, covering the four seasonal periods in the urban air of Ciudad Real in the central-southern Spain. The measurements were carried out by means of passive samplers (Radiello® samplers). Eleven samples were collected weekly, placed at different monitoring site locations. The data indicate that the mean levels obtained during this period for O₃ and NO₂ were 38.5?±?3.5 and 20.8?±?3.8 μg/m³, respectively. These measurements were compared with other studies in Ciudad Real. Meteorological conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity relative, wind speed and direction) were also investigated.     

Operational Optimisation of Pilot Scale Biological Nutrient Removal at the Ciudad Real (Spain) Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant

The aim of this work is optimising operating conditions for a possibleimplementation of a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) process in the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Ciudad Real (Spain). Several factors (hydraulic retention times, anaerobic nitrate concentration, sludge age and wastewater biodegradability) were tested using a pilot scale VIP (Virginia Initiative Plant) activated sludge process and domestic wastewater from the full scale plant. Hydraulic retention times used did not cause changes in N and P removal. P removal was adversely affected by anaerobic NO₃ ^- and improved with higher BOD₅/COD ratios in wastewater. Influence of sludge age was very low in P removal, but N removal was mainly affected by this factor. Final operating conditions were selected taking into account their effects over one of both nutrients. COD and SS removal were always successful. N removal was also easily reached and the main difficulty was P removal. P sludge content was very low (2.5–4%) approximately and was also affected by the same factors tested. The main factor to improve P removal was supposed to be the organic wastewater composition. Wastewater characteristics were modified by using different sources from the WWTP. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) addition to the wastewater by using supernatant of the anaerobic sludge digesters seemed to be the best practical solution for a future BNR implementation in the WWTP.     

Seasonal Abundance of Particle-Phase Organic Pollutants in an Urban/Industrial Atmosphere

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); their derivatives nitro, and methyl-PAHs; n-alkanes; and organic acids were investigated in the aerosol samples collected during two field campaigns conducted at three sampling stations in an industrialized city in southern Italy. The main sources affecting the atmosphere and its toxicity were investigated by means of the diagnostic ratios of: specific particulate-phase PAHs, marker compounds among nitro-PAHs, alkanes, and acids, the dominant wind direction, daily and seasonal abundance of carcinogenic organic substances. The potential importance of the non-regulated pollutants to assess the air quality was confirmed; in fact the carcinogenic organic compounds showed to have scarce correlation with particulate matter (PM) concentration. An exceptionally high variability of toxic compounds at a daily scale was due to meteorological condition causing periods of extremely high pollution levels.     

Gaseous and PM10-Bound Pollutants Monitored in Three Sites with Differing Environmental Conditions in the Venice Area (Italy)

Understanding and controlling air pollution in highly populated areas is very important, although interpreting the levels of gaseous pollutants and airborne particulate matter is complicated by dominant natural and anthropogenic emissions, micro-meteorological processes, and chemical reactions which take place directly in the atmosphere. For this reason, it is very difficult to relate the characteristics of air pollution to one or more specific emission sources. The aim of this paper is to detect associations among elements and organic compounds emitted from specific sources by means of chemical analyses, statistical processing of data, seasonal evolution study, and geochemical considerations to trace their origin. A detailed characterization of air quality during the period September 2000–September 2001 was carried out in three locations of the Venice region: A heavy traffic urban site, a public park, and the island centre of the city of Venice. Twenty-eight inorganic elements, four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, CO and benzene were quantified and processed by a statistical procedure based on factor analysis considering variations on a seasonal basis. Results show the presence of associations between elements and compounds with the same behaviour in all sampling points. This indicates that several pollutants originate from a common source, and are then “diluted” throughout the study area, maintaining the imprint of their origin. Pt, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, CO and benzene originating from the exhaust gas of vehicles are all linked in the traffic factor, whereas Cd is associated with Se, having a common source in industrial processes.     

An Exploratory Study of Particulate PAHs in Low-Polluted Urban and Rural Areas of Southwest Spain: Concentrations, Source Assignment, Seasonal Variation and Correlations with Other Air Pollutants

A set of 72?PM₁₀ samples from low-polluted urban and rural locations belonging to the regional air monitoring network of Extremadura (Spain) were collected in a 1?year sampling period. Sample pre-treatment and analytical determination by gas chromatography?Cion trap mass spectrometry were optimised and validated for the analysis of the priority 16 US Environmental Protection Agency polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The influence of meteorological conditions (temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation) and other atmospheric pollutants (O₃, NO₂, SO₂, PM₁₀) has been covered in detail and Pearson correlation test were used for this purpose. Spatial distribution of particulate PAHs was evaluated and the comparison with other European sites was also established. Possible emission sources were identified and assigned by using molecular diagnostic criteria.     

A Computational Approach Based on GIS Technology for the Development of an Anthropogenic Emission Inventory of Gaseous Pollutants in Greece

This paper describes a computational system developed for the compilation of an anthropogenic emission inventory of gaseous pollutants for Greece. The inventory was developed using a geographical information system integrated with SQL programming language to provide high temporal gridded emission fields for CO, NO₂, NO, SO₂, NH₃ and 23 non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) species for the reference year 2003. Activity and statistical data from national sources were used for the quantification of emissions from the road transport, the other mobile sources and machinery sectors and from range activities using top-down or bottom-up methodologies. Annual emission data from existing national and European emission databases were also used. The emission data were spatially and temporally disaggregated using source-specific spatiotemporal indicators. On national scale, the road transport sector produces about 60% of the annual CO and NMVOC total emissions, with gasoline vehicles being the main CO and NMVOC emissions source. The road transport is responsible for approximately half of the higher alkanes and for more than half of the ethene and toluene emissions. The maritime sector accounts for about 40% of the annual total NO_x emissions, most of which are emitted by the international shipping subsector, whilst SO₂ is emitted mainly by the energy sector. The evaluation of the emissions inventory suggests that it provides a good representation of the amounts of gaseous pollutants emitted on national scale and a good characterisation of the relative composition of CO and NO_x emission in the large urban centres.     

Ambient Vehicular Pollutants in the Urban Area of Taipei: Comparing Normal with Anomalous Vehicle Emissions

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - Continuous ambient monitoring data of major air pollutants such as CO, NOx and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) for the 1994–2001 period were analysed to...     

Ambient Vehicular Pollutants in the Urban Area of Taipei: Comparing Normal with Anomalous Vehicle Emissions

Continuous ambient monitoring data of major air pollutants such as CO, NOx and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) for the 1994–2001 period were analysed to establish the relationship between patterns of vehicular emitting species and vehicular emissions in the urban area of Taipei. These characteristics are consistent with measurements in London and Athens, indicating that vehicular emissions are a major contributing factor to air pollution in Taipei. Sensitivity studies relating ambient air pollution to vehicular emissions in the urban area of Taipei were performed and further examined by analysing some special events where the citys overall vehicle usage were at their extremes. Analysis of ambient measurements during the passing of Typhoon Nari shows very low levels of CO (0.3–0.4 ppmv), NOx (5–10 ppbv) and NMHC (0.01–0.05 ppmv), with no well-defined daily patterns. The measurements during Typhoon Nari were compared with measurements during the Chinese New Year and during Typhoon Herb. All analyses show distinctive low pollution periods surrounded by elevated trace gas concentrations, initiated by normal working practices. This revealed the severe impact of vehicle exhaust emissions on air pollution levels in Taipei City. Further impacts from vehicles were examined by comparing the post-Nari measurements with those before the arrival of the typhoon and comparing these data with a photochemical modelling system. It was found that as high as 15 ppmv of CO, 250 ppbv of NOx and 2.5 ppmv of NMHC were measured during the day time, with about a 50% increase in ambient vehicular pollutants in the first 2 days after the passing of Typhoon Nari. Implications for pollution related impacts on human health within Taipei are noted.     

Wet and Dry Deposition Fluxes of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in an Urban Area of Turkey

Atmospheric polychlorinated bihenyls (PCBs) deposit by dry and wet deposition mechanisms, and therefore they constitute a significant polluting source for lands and surface waters. Various samplers have been used to determine the PCB pollution level resulting from deposition. In the presented study, a modified wet deposition sampler (WDS) was used for sampling both wet and dry deposition samples with the same instrument by which wet deposition reservoir of the WDS is opened and dry deposition reservoir is closed when rain starts. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected between June 2008 and June 2009. In the samples taken from BUTAL which is known as an urban area with heavy traffic, ??PCB dry deposition fluxes were determined as 18?±?10 ng/m²??day, and wet deposition fluxes for dissolved and particle phase were measured as 480?±?1,185 and 475?±?1,000 ng/m²??day, respectively. The dissolved and particle-phase PCB concentrations in rain were 10?±?13 and 13?±?14 ng/l, respectively. The contribution of wet deposition to total PCB deposition was determined as 52%. PCB concentrations in the ambient air were measured to be 370?±?200 and 20?±?20 pg/m³ for gas and particle phases, respectively. Washout ratio was determined by proportioning rain concentration to concentration in air. The washout ratios of the samples were between 1,675?C311,800 and 12,775?C2,511,120 for dissolved and particulate phases, respectively.     

Arsenic Mining Waste in the Catchment Area of the Madrid Detrital Aquifer (Spain)

In recent years, elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater used for drinking water supplies have been recognised in the Madrid Tertiary detrital aquifer. Although only natural causes have been suggested as the source of arsenic, this study aims to highlight that the anthropogenic contribution cannot be disregarded. During the sub-catchment??s areas sampling, we found many geographical sites where natural arsenopyrite [FeAsS] originally encapsulated in pegmatite bodies and quartz veins, was artificially outcropped and dumped out, since mining wastes were scattered and exposed to weathering. Several mineral and ground specimens were collected to analyse its mineralogical and chemical composition by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM). Both, the abundant existence of secondary phases, such as scorodite [FeAsO₄?2H₂O] and jarosite [KFe₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆], much more soluble than arsenopyrite, and the lixiviation experiments of arsenopyrite in acidic media to simulate acid mine drainage (AMD) conditions, usually found in old mining districts, point to a potential risk of arsenic contamination of surface water bodies, which operate as recharged waters of the aquifer in the studied area. The elemental determination of heavy metals present in ground samples by XRF analyses, reaching up to 1,173 mg kg^?C1 of copper, 347 mg kg^?C1 of lead and 113,702 mg kg^?C1 of arsenic; and the physicochemical and arsenic fractionation studies of soil samples, led us to classify the soil as Spolic Technosol (Toxic). The contamination of the area due to old mining activities could release arsenic to Madrid water supplies; accordingly, additional decontamination studies should be performed.     

喀斯特山区城乡人类活动强度及其效应时空演变研究

[目的]探究城镇与乡村人类活动强度,以及城镇与乡村地区人类活动的经济效应、生态效应的时空演变,为全面定量评估城乡人类活动机制、生态文明建设与社会经济发展等提供一定理论支撑和决策指引。[方法]通过构建城镇与乡村地区的人类活动强度指数、人类活动强度阈值及人类活动效应等模型方法,对贵州省各地市城乡人类活动强度及阈值演变进行了研究。[结果]2010—2018年,贵州省各地市乡村人类活动强度减弱(降低7.57%～28.57%),城镇人类活动强度增强(增加22.72%～124.83%),城镇人类活动强度大于乡村人类活动强度。各地市乡村人类活动强度最低与最高阈值总体呈降低变化,但多数地市超过最高阈值(1.02～1.62倍),山区土地系统承受较高乡村人类活动强度影响。各地市城镇人类活动强度阈值呈增加变化,2018年城镇人类活动强度趋近最高阈值(0.940～0.997倍),城镇人地系统承受着较大压力。各地市单位城镇人类活动经济效应与单位乡村人类活动生态效应均呈增长变化(年均增长率8.60%～13.53%),单位乡村人类活动生态效应比城镇人类活动经济效应更显著(2.24～14.84倍)。[结论]尽管贵州省...     

Characterization and Sources of PAHs and Potentially Toxic Metals in Urban Environments of Sevilla (Southern Spain)

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of PAH contamination and the association of PAHs with metals in urban soil samples from Sevilla (Spain). Fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene) and seven metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) have been evaluated in representative urban soil samples. Forty-one top soils (0–10 cm) under different land use (garden, roadside, riverbank and agricultural allotment) were selected. PAHs from soil samples were extracted by sonication using dichloromethane. The simultaneous quantification of 15 different PAH compounds were carried out by HPLC using multiple wavelength shift in the fluorescence detector. For qualitative analysis a photo diode-array detector was used. Metal (pseudo-total) analysis was carried out by digestion of the soils with aqua regia in microwave oven. The mean concentration of each PAH in urban soils of Sevilla showed a wide range, they are not considered highly contaminated. The results of the sum of 15 PAHs in Sevilla soils are in the range 89.5–4004.2 μg kg^?1, but there seems not to be a correlation between the concentration of PAHs and the land use. Of the 15 PAHs examined, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene were present at the highest concentrations, being the sum of these PAHs about 40% of the total content. Although metal content were not especially high in most soils, there are significant hints of moderate pollution in some particular spots. Such spots are mainly related with some gardens within the historic quarters of the city. The associations among metals and PAHs content in the soil samples was checked by principal components analysis (PCA). The largest values both for ‘urban’ metals (Pb, Cu and Zn) and for PAHs were mainly found in sites close to the historic quarters of the city in which a heavy traffic of motor vehicles is suffered from years.     

Seasonal Variation of NOx Loss Processes Coupled to the HNO3 Formation in a Daytime Urban Atmosphere: A Model Study

Heavy metal concentrations of the acid-soluble fraction in sediment core samples from Nagaike, a reservoir in Osaka City, Japan, were measured by ICP-MS following the microwave extraction method. Spiked peaks for several metals in the sediment core samples were observed around 1960. The results of correlation coefficient study and cluster analysis of heavy metal concentrations in the sediment core samples showed that some metals, such as Cr, Cd, Ni and Cu, in the period of the spiked peak were derived from the different emission sources from other periods. These metals are often used for metal plating, and it was concluded that the spiked peaks were caused by illegal effluent from the metal plating industry. The load amounts of heavy metals by illegal dumping were calculated and the magnitude of the pollution was estimated.     

Surface Active Substances (SAS) and Dissolved Organic Matter (DOC) in Atmospheric Precipitation of Urban Area of Croatia (ZAGREB)

We report measurements of surface active substances (SAS) in atmospheric bulk precipitation on the basis of adsorption characteristics on the mercury electrode by using phase sensitive alternating current voltammetry (out-of-phase measurement). Samples collected during the 1998–1999 at an urban area of Croatia. The obtained surfactant activity values were within the range of 0.09–0.37 mg dm^–3 eq. Triton X-100. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the same samples were in the range of 0.78–4.39 mg dm^–3. In this paper, we also used Pb²⁺ ion as an electrochemical probe for additional characterization of the properties of the organic matter in precipitation, which may be important in various atmospheric processes.     

Fate of Heavy Metals in an Urban Natural Wetland: The Nyabugogo Swamp (Rwanda)

The Nyabugogo natural wetland (Kigali City, Rwanda) receives all kinds of untreated wastewaters, including those from industrial areas. This study monitored heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in all environmental compartments of the swamp: water and sediment, the dominant plant species Cyperus papyrus, and fish (Clarias sp. and Oreochromis sp.) and Oligochaetes. Cr, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the water were generally below the WHO (2008) drinking water standards, whereas Cd and Pb were consistently above these limits. Except Cd, all metal concentrations were below the threshold levels for irrigation. The highest metal accumulation occurred in the sediment with up to 4.2 mg/kg for Cd, 68 mg/kg for Cu, 58.3 mg/kg for Pb, and 188.0 mg/kg for Zn, followed by accumulation in the roots of C. papyrus with up to 4.2 mg/kg for Cd, 45.8 mg/kg for Cr, 29.7 mg/kg for Cu, and 56.1 mg/kg for Pb. Except Cu and Zn, other heavy metal (Cd, Cr, and Pb) concentrations were high in Clarias sp., Oreochromis sp., and Oligochaetes. Therefore, there is a human health concern for people using water and products from the swamp.     

Wildfires influence on soil organic matter in an Atlantic mountainous region (NW of Spain)

The principal aim of this research was to determine the influence of wildfires on soil organic matter (SOM) content and composition in soils located on the northern slope of the Cantabrian Cordillera, an Atlantic mountainous region in the North West of Spain, where wildfires are frequent. Samples from soils with similar aspect, slope, elevation and vegetation characteristics, but with different wildfires histories were collected. Total organic carbon and total nitrogen contents were determined as well as the C/N ratio. Furthermore, a qualitative characterization of the soil organic carbon (SOC) was carried out by ¹³C variable amplitude cross polarization magic angle spinning (VACP/MAS) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our results show that, on the one hand, all the sampled soils can be considered important pools of carbon in this Atlantic mountainous region, especially in the heath areas. On the other hand, the fire-affected soils present higher SOM contents than their unburnt counterparts. This could be attributed to an important reaccumulation of fresh vegetal material, which is probably a consequence of the decrease of SOM decomposition rates after fire. Moreover, charred organic compounds are not found in all the burnt soils, which could be due to the long time since the last fires events took place, to different fire severities, or to different post-fire erosion processes in the studied soils.     

Relationships between Levels of Lead,Cadmium, Zinc,and Copper in Soil and Settleable Particulate Matter in Cartagena (Spain)

In this article we report the relationships between heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu) in soil and settleable particulate matter usingdata from 6 yr at six different sampling points withinCartagena, a Spanish Mediterranean city. The use of enrichmentfactors and factor analysis allowed us to predict the majorsources of these metals. Soils were classified as one of threetypes: soils from polluted zone L, soils from polluted zone Z,and non-polluted soils. Settleable particulate matter was alsoclassified in the following three groups: Industrial zone, Urbanzone, and Intermediate zone. Enrichment factors showed that soilsfrom polluted zone L are enriched in Pb and Cd when compared with soils from polluted zone Z, and soils from polluted zone Zare enriched in Zn and Cu when compared with soils from pollutedzone L. In this context, soils from polluted zones L and Z areidentified as specific sources of metals in the settleableparticulate matter samples. We also suggest the importance ofanthopogenic contribution of metals to soil-enrichment fromancient times up to the present. This process was most severeduring the XIX century, when our city suffered an importantindustrial development. The concentration of these heavy metalsare also affected by regional meteorological conditions, whichinclude scarce rainfalls and a significant wind dispersion ofsoil aerosols.     

Seasonal aspects of sciarid emergence in arable land (Diptera: Sciaridae)

In April-October 1990-95 soil sciarids emerging in two Danish barley fields were recorded by means of emergence traps. In 1990-92 the fields were conventionally tilled, in the autumn of 1992 one of the fields was abandoned as annual set-aside (1993) and in 1994-95 most of the field was recropped. In the cropped and uncropped fields 480-527 ind. m⁻² and 369-433 ind. m⁻² emerged, respectively. Ten sciarid species were recorded, eight of which are well-known farmland inhabitants. Apparently, abandonment affected Scatopsciara atomaria negatively, whereas Corynoptera perpusilla was encouraged. The predominant species were probably bivoltine or trivoltine. In Lycoriella castanescens, Scatopsciara atomaria, Corynoptera perpusilla and Bradysia trivittata the female proportion increased significantly during the season. It is assumed that the primary sex ratio of the species is spanandrous. The seasonal change in sex ratio might arise from the unusual modes of reproduction demonstrated in Sciaridae. In Lycoriella castanescens, Bradysia trivittata and Corynoptera perpusilla a significant seasonal increase in wing length was recorded, whereas the wing length of Scatopsciara atomaria and Bradysia rufescens decreased significantly during the season. This suggests a seasonality in the production of large, potentially migrant females. In arable fields sciarid life history traits such as sex ratio, adult biometry and fecundity might be facultative.     

Accumulation of Heavy Metals from Motor Vehicles in Transplanted Lichens in an Urban Area

Abstract

Thalli of the lichens Pseudevernia furfuracea, Usnea longissima, Lobaria pulmonaria, and Peltigera praetextata were taken from unpolluted areas and transplanted to a downtown site in Erzurum, Turkey. Heavy metals copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe) were measured after an 8 month exposure period. Changes in the heavy metal concentrations were observed during the exposure period in lichen species and in both locations. Heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher in Peltigera praetextata than the other species at the location nearest to the junction crossroads. Peltigera praetextata may be considered a good indicator. These results can be attributed to the effect of atmospheric pollutants on the transplanted lichens.     

A Study of PM2.5 and PM2.5-Associated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons at an Urban Site in the Po Valley (Bologna, Italy)

PM_2.5 and PAHs bound to PM_2.5 were investigated in downtown Bologna, from January to June 2003, in order to determine the burden of the fine fraction in the aerosol of a typical urban environment of the Po Valley, a critical area in Northern Italy in terms of atmospheric pollution. The sampling campaign was divided into three parts: a winter sub-campaign, an intermediate campaign where PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were simultaneously sampled and which identified PM_2.5 as the major component of PM₁₀, and a summer sub-campaign. Critical concentrations of both PM_2.5 and PAHs were observed in winter time; for example, in January 2003 the mean value for the 24-h average PM_2.5 concentration was 58 μg/m³, much higher than the annual arithmetic mean of 15 μg/m³ established by the US ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Correspondingly, the mean value for benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) in PM_2.5 was 1.79 ng/m³, again higher than the annual mean of 1 ng/m³, required by European regulations for BAP in PM₁₀. In summer time the BAP concentration considerably decreases to 0.10 ng/m³ as the likely effect of photolysis and dilution on a higher boundary layer; PM_2.5 decreases too, but the mean concentration (22 μg/m³) is still higher than the NAAQS value. Further analysis included TEM microscopy of collected particles and correlations between PM_2.5, PAHs and gases (benzene, O₃, CO, NO₂, SO₂). All these observations identified on-road mobile sources as the main source of emissions and, in general, of the poor air quality level in the city of Bologna.