Mercury bonds with carbon (OC and EC) in small aerosols (PM1) in the urbanized coastal zone of the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic)

Air quality in a revitalized special economic zone at the center of an urban monocentric agglomeration

In this study, we have examined the air quality within a revitalized, post-industrial urban area in Łódź, Poland. The use of Dron technology with mobile measurement equipment allowed for accurate assessment of air quality (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants) and factors influencing air quality (wind speed and direction) on a local scale in an area of 0.18 km2 and altitudes from 2 to 50 m. The results show that the revitalization carried out in the Lodz special economic zone area contributed to eliminate internal air pollution emitters through the use of ecological and effective heat sources. The exceedances permissible concentration values were local, and concerned mainly the higher measurement zones of the troposphere (more than 30 m above ground level). In the case of gaseous pollutants, higher wind speeds were associated with a decrease in the concentration of SO2 and an increase in H2S concentration. In both cases, the wind contributed to the occurrence of local areas of accumulation of these gaseous pollutants in the spaces between buildings or wooded areas.

Mercury in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea: A response to decreased atmospheric deposition and changing environment

Our review of the literature showed that since the beginning of the socio-economic transformation in Poland in the 1990s, the downward trend in Hg emissions and its deposition in the southern Baltic Sea was followed by a simultaneous decrease in Hg levels in water and marine plants and animals. Hg concentrations in the biota lowered to values that pose no or low risk to wildlife and seafood consumers. However, in the first decade of the current century, a divergence between these two trends became apparent and Hg concentrations in fish, herring and cod, began to rise. Therefore, increasing emission-independent anthropogenic pressures, which affect Hg uptake and trophodynamics, remobilization of land-based and marine legacy Hg deposits, as well as the structure of the food web, can undermine the chances of reducing both the Hg pool in the marine environment and human Hg exposure from fish.

The Use of the Novel Optical Method SEZO AM (WiRan Ltd.) for Measurements of Particulate Matter (PM10–2.5) in Port Areas-Case Study for Port of Gdynia (Poland)

From 1 March to 30 April and from 1 August to 30 September 2021, comparative studies of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were carried out in Gdynia. For intercalibration, a device was used that operates based on non-reference methodologies and without proven equivalence to the reference methodology (SEZO AM, WIRAN), and an EDM 180 analyzer (GRIMM) with certificates and approvals (US-EPA, UK-MCERTS, CN-CMA) was used. The aim of this research is to determine whether the SEZO AM device could be used in port areas for continuous PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations measurements. Two campaigns of two months allowed us to see a good agreement of the results achieved with both methods. The concordance of the results obtained from the SEZO AM and the EDM 180 methods amounted to between 78% and 94% for the PM2.5 and between 70% and 75% for the PM10. The comparison of two SEZO AM devices to a higher-class TSI OPS3330 reference in a measurement dust chamber showed a fit between 79% and 86% for the PM2.5 and between 81% and 86% for the PM10. This indicates the possibility of using this analyzer to measure the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in the port atmosphere in which they were carried out. The preliminary analysis of meteorological parameters shows that the main potential impact on the concentration of the analyzed dust fractions measured by the SEZO AM method was relative humidity. The determination of the correction factor for the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and adding an inlet external cover contributed to a two-fold reduction in the analysis error and good concordance of the results, at a level of 93% for PM2.5 and 91% for PM10, without discarding any data.

The Influence of Transport on PAHs and Other Carbonaceous Species’ (OC, EC) Concentration in Aerosols in the Coastal Zone of the Gulf of Gdansk (Gdynia)

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of transport on the concentration of carbon species in aerosols collected in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Gdansk in the period outside the heating season. Elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and the ΣPAHs5 concentrations were measured in aerosols of two size: <3 μm (respirable aerosols) and >3 μm in diameter (inhalable aerosols). Samples were collected between 13 July 2015 and 22 July 2015 (holiday period) and between 14 September 2015 and 30 September 2015 (school period). In both periods samples were taken only during the morning (7:00–9:00 a.m.) and afternoon (3:00–5:00 p.m.) road traffic hours. The highest mean values of the ΣPAHs5 and EC were recorded in small particles during the school period in the morning road traffic peak hours. The mean concentration of OC was the highest in small aerosols during the holiday period. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the concentrations of organic carbon in the morning and afternoon peak hours. Strict sampling and measurement procedures, together with the analysis of air mass backward trajectories and pollutant markers, indicated that the role of land transport was the greatest when local to regional winds prevailed, bringing pollution from nearby schools and the beltway.

Ambient air particulates and Hg(p) concentrations and dry depositions estimations, distributions for various particles sizes ranges

Ambient air TSP concentrations, dry deposition fluxes and particulate-bound mercury (Hg(p)) concentrations were measured and analyzed at a complex (traffic, residential and commercial) site. Zhang and He's model^[1] was used to predict the dry deposition fluxes of ambient air particulates and Hg(p) at this complex site. The results revealed that October had the highest mean particulate concentration and lowest Hp(p) concentration and dry deposition flux. The mean calculated dry deposition fluxes of PM_2.5 and PM_2.5-10 accounted for 1%-2% and 0.06%-5% of the average total calculated dry deposition particle flux, respectively. The average calculated particle dry depositions flux of PM₁₀₊, accounted for 93%-99% of the average total calculated dry depositions particle flux. Finally, the model of Zhang and He underestimated the ambient air dry depositions fluxes of both particulates and Hg(p) for all particles sizes (PM_2.5, PM_2.5-10, PM₁₀⁺) at the mixed site in this study. Better results concerning the dry deposition fluxes of pollutants were obtained as the particles size increased.

Particulate and particulate-bound mercury concentrations and size distributions as related to seasonal variations during peak demand/non-peak demand periods

The particulate size distributions of aerosol pollutants (particulates and Hg(p)) at a mixed site were measured and their seasonal variations identified. Atmospheric particulates and the Hg(p) mass median diameter (m.m.d.) were obtained. Hg(p) concentrations increased by approximately 20% during the peak demand period for all particle sizes (18, 10, 2.5, 1 and 0.3 μm). The mean percentage concentration of Hg(p) was highest in summer and followed the order summer > spring > winter > autumn for all particle sizes. Hg(p) concentration exhibited increased from 2004 to 2019.

Characteristics and temporal variations of organic and elemental carbon aerosols in PM1 in Changchun, Northeast China

The present study offers the first evaluation of organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) of submicron (PM₁) fraction in Changchun (Northeast China) during a year-long sampling period (October 24, 2016 to October 23, 2017). More than 288 PM₁ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 1 μm) samples were collected. The PM₁ concentrations ranged from 3.78 to 451.08 μg·m^-3, with an average of 57.73 μg·m^-3, which was 1.65 times higher than the Chinese National Standard II. Following the concept of the well-known IMPROVE algorithm, OC and EC values were obtained. The OC values ranged from 1.18 to 82.54 μg∙m^-3, and the EC values were from 0.30 to 14.19 μg∙m^-3. Total carbon (TC = EC + OC) constituted 9.11-40.35% of the total PM₁ mass, and OC dominated over EC. The average OC/EC ratio was 4.78, which implied a low percentage for vehicles and a high contribution of coal and biomass consumption to PM₁. Among OC, the annual primary organic carbon (POC) value was 7.69 μg∙m^-3, accounting for 63% of the OC, while secondary organic carbon (SOC) contributed 37% with 4.12 μg∙m^-3. Among EC, CHAR (EC1) dominated over SOOT (EC2 + EC3), and the CHAR/SOOR ratio ranged from 2.91 to 28.55. The results of the OC and EC values as well as the OC/EC and CHAR/SOOT ratios suggest that possible sources of PM₁ include vehicles, coal burning, cooking, and biomass burning.

Particulates and particulates-bound mercury (Hg(p)) sizes (PM18, PM10, PM2.5, PM1, PM<1) distributions study by using MOUDI sampler at a complex sampling site

The objectives of this study were to measure ambient air particles concentrations of different particulates sizes ranges (PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1) at a complex (traffic, residential and commercial) site. Besides, particulates-bound mercury (Hg(p)) concentrations for various particulates sizes (PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1) at mixed site were also studied. Finally, ambient air particulates and Hg(p) size distributions were also described at this complex sampling site. The results showed that the average PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1 concentrations were 48.83, 41.78, 35.41, 19.89, and 11.86 μg/m³, respectively. And the average ambient air particulates-bound mercury (Hg(p)) which attached on PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1 particles concentrations were 0.0838, 0.0867, 0.0790, 0.0546, and 0.0373 ng/m³, respectively, in the summer season. In addition, the average ambient air Hg(p) which attached on PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1 particles concentrations were 0.0175, 0.0144, 0.0120, 0.0092, and 0.0057 ng/m³, respectively, in the autumn season. Finally, the average ambient air Hg(p) which attached on PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, PM_<1 particles concentrations were 0.0070, 0.0053, 0.0038, 0.0026, and 0.0014 ng/m³, respectively, in the winter season. And July has the average highest PM₁₈ and PM₁₀ concentrations. As for PM_2.5, PM₁ and PM_<1 particulates, the average highest particulates concentrations all occurred in November. In addition, the highest average Hg(p) in PM₁₈, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM_1, and PM_<1 concentrations all occurred in July. Moreover, the average particles and particulates-bound mercury m.m.d. values were ranged from 1.0 to 1.8 and 0.7 to 2.0 μm from July to December of 2018, respectively, at this mixed sampling site. As for monthly ambient air particles sizes distributions, the results further showed that the main peaks for July, September, and December all occurred in the sizes of 10-18 μm. The main peaks for October and November all occurred in the sizes of 2.5-10 μm. As for monthly Hg(p) sizes distributions, the results further showed that the main peaks for July occurred in the size of 0.3-1 μm. The main peak for September occurred in the size of 1-2.5 μm. The main peaks for October to December all occurred in the size of 10-18 μm. The above finding further concluded that the particulates-bound mercury (Hg(p)) was tended to be associated with the large particles sizes mode during the winter season. Finally, this study further shows that the Taichung Thermal Power Plant was responsible for the main emission source of Hg(p) especially in summer season of Central Taiwan.

Levels and Sources of Atmospheric Particle-Bound Mercury in Atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM10) at Several Sites of an Atlantic Coastal European Region

Atmospheric particle-bound mercury (PHg) quantification, at a pg m−3 level, has been assessed in particulate matter samples (PM10) at several sites (industrial, urban and sub-urban sites) of Atlantic coastal European region during 13 months by using a direct thermo-desorption method. Analytical method validation was assessed using 1648a and ERM CZ120 reference materials. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.25 pg m−3 and 0.43 pg m−3, respectively. Repeatability of the method was generally below 12.6%. PHg concentrations varied between 1.5–30.8, 1.5–75.3 and 2.27–33.7 pg m−3 at urban, sub-urban and industrial sites, respectively. PHg concentration varied from 7.2 pg m−3 (urban site) to 16.3 pg m−3 (suburban site) during winter season, while PHg concentrations varied from 9.9 pg m−3 (urban site) to 19.3 pg m−3 (suburban site) during the summer. Other trace elements, major ions, black carbon (BC) and UV-absorbing particulate matter (UV PM) was also assessed at several sites. Average concentrations for trace metals (Al, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sr, V and Zn) ranged from 0.08 ng m−3 (Bi) at suburban site to 1.11 µg m−3 (Fe) at industrial site. Average concentrations for major ions (including Na+, K+, Ca2+, NH4+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42−) ranged from 200 ng m−3 (K+) to 5332 ng m−3 (SO42−) at urban site, 166 ng m−3 (Mg2+) to 4425 ng m−3 (SO42−) at suburban site and 592 ng m−3 (K+) to 5853 ng m−3 (Cl−) at industrial site. Results of univariate analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) suggested crustal, marine and anthropogenic sources of PHg in PM10 at several sites studied. Toxicity prediction of PHg, by using hazard quotient, suggested no non-carcinogenic risk for adults.