Three year study of tropospheric ozone with back trajectories at a metropolitan and a medium scale urban area in Greece

Trends of the Global Burden of Disease Linked to Ground-Level Ozone Pollution: A 30-Year Analysis for the Greater Athens Area, Greece

The Greater Athens Area (GAA), situated in the southern part of the European continent (in Greece), has a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. As a result of increased sunshine and high temperatures, exceedances in ozone concentrations are often recorded during the hot period. In the present study, the monthly as well as daily variations of O3 concentrations at thirteen stations in the GAA were investigated for the period 1987–2019. Moreover, the impact of O3 on the people’s health in Greece was examined by using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study with the socio-economic conditions of the country. Ozone concentrations were found to be particularly high during the summer months, especially in suburban stations. Values ranged from 65 μg/m3 to 90 μg/m3 during the night, in contrast to urban areas and remain high for several hours. Comparing estimates from GBD, it was found that exposure to ozone can impair respiratory function, leading to death or susceptibility to respiratory diseases that reduce quality of life, especially for people over 55 years of age. Finally, since 2009, when the economic crisis began in Greece, an upward trend was observed for deaths and disability adjusted life years.

Divergent summertime surface O3 pollution formation mechanisms in two typical Chinese cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Fenwei Plain

Recently, severe summertime ozone (O₃) pollution has swept across most areas of China, especially the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region and Fenwei Plain. By focusing on Beijing and Yuncheng, which are two typical cities in the BTH region and the Fenwei Plain, we intended to reveal the neglected fact that they had disparate emission features and atmospheric movements but suffered from similar high-O₃ pollution levels. Field observations indicated that Yuncheng had lower volatile organic compound (VOC) and NO_x concentrations but higher background O₃ levels. The model simulation verified that both photochemical reactions and net O₃ generation were stronger in Beijing. Ultimately, faster net O₃ generation rates (8.4 ppbv/h) plus lower background O₃ values in Beijing and lower net O₃ generation rates (6.2 ppbv/h) plus higher background O₃ values in Yuncheng caused both regions to reach similar O₃ peak values in July 2020. However, different O₃ control measures were appropriate for the two cities according to the different simulated O₃-VOCs-NO_x responses. Additionally, as surface O₃ levels are greatly affected by the ongoing O₃ production/depletion process that occurs in three dimensions, exploring the effects of spatially distributed O₃ on surface O₃ should be high on the agenda in the future.

Air pollution in heavy industrial cities along the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang: characteristics, meteorological influence, and sources

The spatiotemporal characteristics, relationship with meteorological factors, and source distribution of air pollutants (January 2017-December 2021) were analyzed to better understand the air pollutants on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM) in Xinjiang, a heavily polluted urban agglomeration of heavy industries. The results showed that the annual mean concentrations of SO₂, NO₂, CO, O₃, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ were 8.61-13.76 μg m^-3, 26.53-36.06 μg m^-3, 0.79-1.31 mg m^-3, 82.24-87.62 μg m^-3, 37.98-51.10 μg m^-3, and 84.15-97.47 μg m^-3. The concentrations of air pollutants (except O₃) showed a decreasing trend. The highest concentrations were in winter, and in Wujiaqu, Shihezi, Changji, Urumqi, and Turpan, the concentrations of particulate matter exceeded the NAAQS Grade II during winter. The west wind and the spread of local pollutants both substantially impacted the high concentrations. According to the analysis of the backward trajectory in winter, the air masses were mainly from eastern Kazakhstan and local emission sources, and PM₁₀ in the airflow had a more significant impact on Turpan; the rest of the cities were more affected by PM_2.5. Potential sources included Urumqi-Changj-Shihezi, Turpan, the northern Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, and eastern Kazakhstan. Consequently, the emphasis on improving air quality should be on reducing local emissions, strengthening regional cooperation, and researching transboundary transport of air pollutants.

Monitoring Air Pollution in Greek Urban Areas During the Lockdowns, as a Response Measure of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) a pandemic. Countries all over the world imposed restriction measures, in an attempt to limit the expansion of the pandemic. Provided that human activities in large urban areas affect air quality, we studied the concentrations of gaseous pollutants ΝΟ, ΝΟ2, O3, C6H6, and particulate matter PM10 in the air, through gas pollution measuring stations in the center of Athens (Greek capital), the center of Piraeus (Greece's largest port), Athens International Airport (most international and domestic flights within Greece). We monitored and compared the concentrations of ΝΟ, ΝΟ2, O3, C6H6, and ΡΜ10, of 2020 to those of the previous years and found that the primary air pollutants, ΝΟ, ΝΟ2, and C6H6, recorded decreased compared to those of the past years. The O3, which is produced secondarily at the ground of the earth being inversely dependent on NO/NO2, had in most cases increased. The particulate matter PM10, although reduced by the cessation of human activities, was inextricably linked to natural conditions, such as wind velocity and direction transporting African desert dust masses through storms, during which at certain periods was showing increased in concentrations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11270-022-06024-7.

Air Pollutants in Metropolises of Eastern Coastal China

Recently released hourly particular matter (PM:PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) and gaseous pollutants (SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃) data observed in Qingdao, Hangzhou, and Xiamen from 2015 to 2019 were utilized to reveal the current situation of air pollution over eastern coastal China. The PM pollution situation over the three metropolises ameliorated during studied period with the concentrations decreasing about 20-30%. Gas pollutants, excepting SO₂, generally exhibit no evident reduction tendencies, and a more rigorous control standard on gaseous pollutants is neededEven for the year 2018 with low pollution levels among the study period, these levels (<10% of PM_2.5, <6% of PM₁₀, and <15% of O₃) surpass the Grade II of the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard (CAAQS) over these metropolises of eastern coast China. No matter in which year, both SO₂ and CO concentrations are always below the Grade-II standards. According to the comparative analysis of PM_2.5/PM₁₀ and PM_2.5/CO during episode days and non-episode days, the formation of secondary aerosols associated with stagnant weather systems play an important role in the pollutant accumulation as haze episodes occurred. The stronger seasonal variations and higher magnitude occur in Qingdao and Hangzhou, while weaker seasonal variations and lower magnitudes occur in Xiamen. In Qingdao and Hangzhou, PM, NO₂, SO₂, and CO show relatively high levels in the cold wintertime and low levels in summer, whereas O₃ shows a completely opposite pattern. Xiamen exhibits high levels of all air pollutants except O₃ in spring due to its subtropical marine monsoon climate with mild winters. According to the back trajectory hierarchical clustering and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis, the regional transmission from adjacent cities has a significant impact on the atmospheric pollutant concentrations under the control of the prejudiced winds. Thus, besides local emission reduction, strengthening regional environmental cooperation and implementing joint prevention are effective measures to mitigate air pollution in the eastern coastal areas of China.

Inventory of Commercial Cooking Activities and Emissions in a Typical Urban Area in Greece

The pollutants emitted during meal preparation in restaurants deteriorate the air quality. Thus, it is an environmental issue that needs to be addressed, especially in areas where these activities are densely located. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact on air quality from commercial cooking activities by performing a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the related parameters. The area of interest is located in the southeastern Mediterranean (Greater Athens area in Greece). Due to the lack of the necessary activity information, a survey was conducted. Emissions from the fuel burnt during the cooking procedures were calculated and it was found that, overall, 940.1 tonnes are attributed to commercial cooking activities annually (generated by classical pollutants, heavy metals, particulates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions). Comparing the contribution of different sources to the pollutants emitted, it was found that commercial cooking is responsible for about 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0% of the total CO, NOx and PM10 values. Cooking organic aerosol (COA) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from grilled meat were also calculated, accounting for 724.9 tonnes and 37.1 tonnes, respectively. Monthly, daily and hourly profiles of the cooking activities were developed and emissions were spatially disaggregated, indicating the city center as the area with higher values. Numerical simulations were performed with the WRF/CAMx modeling system and the results revealed a contribution of about 6% to the total PM10 concentrations in the urban center, where the majority of restaurants are located.

Mesoporous poorly crystalline α-Fe2O3 with abundant oxygen vacancies and acid sites for ozone decomposition

In this work, mesoporous poorly crystalline hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) was prepared using mesoporous silica (KIT-6) functionalized with 3-[(2-aminoethyl)amino]propyltrimethoxysilane as a hard template (SMPC-α-Fe₂O₃). The disordered atomic arrangement structure of SMPC-α-Fe₂O₃ promoted the formation of oxygen vacancies, which was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), O₂-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) analyses. Density functional theory calculations (DFT) also proved that reducing the crystallinity of α-Fe₂O₃ decreased the formation energy of oxygen vacancies. TPD and in situ DRIFT analyses of NH₃ adsorption suggested that the surface acidity of SMPC-α-Fe₂O₃ was considerably higher than those of mesoporous poorly crystalline α-Fe₂O₃ (MPC-α-Fe₂O₃) and highly crystalline α-Fe₂O₃ (HC-α-Fe₂O₃). The oxygen vacancies and acid sites formed on α-Fe₂O₃ surface are beneficial for ozone (O₃) decomposition. Compared with MPC-α-Fe₂O₃ and HC-α-Fe₂O₃, SMPC-α-Fe₂O₃ exhibited a higher removal efficiency for 200-ppm O₃ at a space velocity of 720 L g^-1 h^-1 at 25 ± 2 °C under dry conditions. Additionally, in situ DRIFT and XPS results suggested that the accumulation of peroxide (O₂^2-) and the conversion of O₂^2- to lattice oxygen over the oxygen vacancies caused catalyst deactivation. However, O₂^2- could be desorbed completely by continuous N₂ purging at approximately 350 °C. This study provides significant insights for developing highly active α-Fe₂O₃ catalysts for O₃ decomposition.

Air quality evaluation during COVID-19 in Southern Italy: the case study of Avellino city

The present study relies on the air quality evaluation during COVID-19 pandemic in Avellino, described in the last years and for several consecutive years, among the worst Italian cities in this context. The main purpose of this manuscript was to investigate the effects of quarantine and lockdown measures on air pollution. The concentrations of the main atmospheric pollutants (Carbon monoxide (CO), Ozone (O₃), Fine Particulate (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), Benzene (C₆H₆) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) were recorded during the period January-December 2020 using two stationary monitoring stations (AV1 and AV2) of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPAC). During the lockdown period (March 9-May 18, 2020), results indicated significant reductions only in the levels of CO, benzene and NO₂, while for PM₁₀ the limit of 50 μg m^-3 was passed 8 times for AV1 and 13 times for AV2. The results showed the not predominant role of traffic on air quality in Avellino regards to PM levels and make it necessary a serious reflection about important and not extendable decisions to improve the air quality.

Probing wintertime air pollution sources in the Indo-Gangetic Plain through 52 hydrocarbons measured rarely at Delhi & Mohali

During wintertime, the Indo-Gangetic Plain suffers from severe air pollution affecting several hundred million people. Here we present unprecedented measurements and source analyses of 52 NMHCs (25 alkanes, 16 aromatics, 10 alkenes and one alkyne) in the cities of Delhi and Mohali (300 km north of Delhi) during wintertime (Dec 2016-Jan 2017). NMHCs were measured using a thermal desorption gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionisation detectors with data traceable to WMO standards. The ten most abundant NMHCs that were measured were the same at both Delhi and Mohali: propane, n-butane, acetylene, ethane, toluene, i-butane, ethene, i-pentane, benzene and propene and accounted for >50% of total measured NMHC mass concentration (137 ± 5.8 μg m^-3 in Mohali and 239 ± 7.7 μg m^-3 in Delhi). Ambient NMHCs and calculated hydroxyl radical reactivity were approximately twice as high in Delhi relative to Mohali, and 2-12 times higher than most other mega-cities, except Lahore and Karachi. Using chemical source signatures, traffic and LPG usage emissions were identified as the major contributor of these reactive NMHCs at both sites during nighttime, with additional minor contributions of garbage burning in Mohali, and evaporative fuel and biomass burning emissions in Delhi. Comparison of NMHC/CO and NMHC/C₂H₂ ratios over Mohali and Delhi, to other cities, suggested gasoline/petrol-fuelled vehicles were major NMHC emitters within the traffic source. The data from both Mohali and Delhi suggest that a large fraction of the fleet comprised vehicles with older emission control in both Mohali and Delhi. Analyses revealed poor representation of propene, ethene and trimethylbenzenes in the emission inventory (EDGARv4.3.2) over Mohali and Delhi. This study provides key data and new insights into the sources of reactive NMHCs (lifetime < few days) that drive regional wintertime pollution through direct effects and the formation of secondary pollutants.

Pollution zone identification research during ozone pollution processes

Identifying an ozone pollution zone during the pollution processes is significant for ozone pollution management and environmental health risk assessment. However, few studies have focused on ozone pollution zone identification during pollution processes. A spatial-temporal clustering framework for identifying pollution zones during ozone pollution processes was initially proposed in this study, and an ozone pollution process in China in May 2017 was selected as a case. The results showed that the framework can help selecting one more accurate method to identify the pollution zone according to the pollution characteristics of air pollution process. In addition, different ozone pollution zone identification methods work well in different scenarios: The self-organizing map (SOM) method was suitable for identifying the zone with the duration of pollution between 24 and 48 h, the image fusion based on wavelet transform (IFbWT) method for the zone with the duration of pollution over 48 h and the Apriori method for the zone with obvious boundaries between high-value and low-value ozone concentrations. The proposed procedure can also be applied to identify the pollution zone of the pollution process of other pollutants.

Source Characteristics of Atmospheric CO2 and CH4 in a Northeastern Highland Area of South Korea

This study aims to present the atmospheric CO2 and CH4 levels and analyze their source characteristics at an observation station in a northeastern highland area of Korea for the 2012–2014 period. We summarized the measured CO2 and CH4 concentrations for the 2012–2014 period. In addition, we characterized the major source of the rise of CO2 and CH4 in Ganseong (GS) by employing bivariate polar plots (BPP) and the concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) method together with currently available information on emission sources. For the three years, CO2 was generally high in the order of winter, spring, autumn and summer and CH4 high in the order of winter, autumn, spring and summer. The observed positive correlations between the hourly CO2 and CH4 in every season suggested the possibility of shared common emission sources, but there is a necessity for elucidation on this in the future. The BPP analysis indicated the local sources that are likely to be associated with the rise of greenhouse gases (GHGs) observed at GS (combustion in the village, plant respirations nearby GS, and mobile emissions on the nearby road for CO2 and leakages from the gas stations along the road and agricultural activities for CH4). Synthesizing the CWT results together with emission source information from national and global emission inventories, we identified likely major source areas and characterized major emission sources. For example, the identified major sources for the winter CO2 are coal combustion, coal washing and industrial activities in Inner Mongolia, northern and the northeastern China, fuel burning for the energy for the infrastructure of a northwestern city in South Korea, and the manufacturing industry and fuel combustion in the northern parts of North Korea. Hopefully, these kinds of results will aid environmental researchers and decision-makers in performing more in-depth studies for GHG sources in order to derive effective mitigation strategies.

Health Risk and Resilience Assessment with Respect to the Main Air Pollutants in Sichuan

Rapid urbanization and industrialization in developing countries have caused an increase in air pollutant concentrations, and this has attracted public concern due to the resulting harmful effects to health. Here we present, through the spatial-temporal characteristics of six criteria air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃) in Sichuan, a human health risk assessment framework conducted to evaluate the health risk of different age groups caused by ambient air pollutants. Public health resilience was evaluated with respect to the risk resulting from ambient air pollutants, and a spatial inequality analysis between the risk caused by ambient air pollutants and hospital density in Sichuan was performed based on the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. The results indicated that high concentrations of PM_2.5 (47.7 μg m⁻³) and PM₁₀ (75.9 μg m⁻³) were observed in the Sichuan Basin; these two air pollutants posed a high risk to infants. The high risk caused by PM_2.5 was mainly distributed in Sichuan Basin (1.14) and that caused by PM₁₀ was principally distributed in Zigong (1.01). Additionally, the infants in Aba and Ganzi had high health resilience to the risk caused by PM_2.5 (3.89 and 4.79, respectively) and PM₁₀ (3.28 and 2.77, respectively), which was explained by the low risk in these two regions. These regions and Sichuan had severe spatial inequality between the infant hazard quotient caused by PM_2.5 (G = 0.518, G = 0.493, and G = 0.456, respectively) and hospital density. This spatial inequality was also caused by PM₁₀ (G = 0.525, G = 0.526, and G = 0.466, respectively), which is mainly attributed to the imbalance between hospital distribution and risk caused by PM_2.5 (PM₁₀) in these two areas. Such research could provide a basis for the formulation of medical construction and future air pollution control measures in Sichuan.

Volatile organic compounds in a typical petrochemical industrialized valley city of northwest China based on high-resolution PTR-MS measurements: Characterization, sources and chemical effects

To scientifically understand the emissions and chemistry of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a typical petrochemical industrialized and dust-rich region of Northwest China, VOCs were measured at a receptor site in the Lanzhou Valley using a high-resolution online proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The ranking of VOC mixing ratios was methanol (32.72 ± 8.94 ppb) > acetaldehyde (5.05 ± 2.4 ppb) > acetic acid (3.42 ± 1.71 ppb). Lanzhou has higher oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) mixing ratios (methanol and acetaldehyde) and lower aromatics levels (benzene, toluene and C8-aromatics) compared with other cities. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model showed eight sources of VOCs as follows: (1) mixed industrial process-1 (13.5%), (2) secondary formation (13.2%), (3) mixed industrial process-2 (11.8%), (4) residential biofuel use and waste disposal (13.80%), (5) solvent usage (10.1%), (6) vehicular exhaust (11.8%), (7) biogenic (13.8%) and (8) biomass burning (12.0%). Both the PSCF and the CWT results of mixed industrial process-1 were mainly from the northeast of Lanzhou and the biomass burning was from the southeast; the other four sources (without secondary formation and biogenic) were mainly from the west and northwest of Lanzhou, which were associated with the dust area of the Gobi Desert. A trajectory sector analysis revealed that the local emissions contributed 64.9-71.1% to the VOCs. OVOCs accounted for 43% of the ozone production potential (OFP), and residential biofuel use and waste disposal (25.1%), mixed industrial process-2 (15.3%) and solvent usage (13.4%) appeared to be the dominant sources contributors to O₃ production. The rank of main secondary organic aerosols (SOA) precursors under low-NOx conditions is xylene > toluene > benzene > naphthalene > styrene > C10-aromatics > isoprene, while under high-NOx conditions, it is toluene > naphthalene > xylene > C10-aromatics > styrene > benzene > isoprene. Solvent usage and vehicular exhaust appeared to be the dominant contributors to SOA formation.

Spatial patterns and temporal variations of six criteria air pollutants during 2015 to 2017 in the city clusters of Sichuan Basin, China

Spatiotemporal variations of six criteria air pollutants and influencing factors in the city clusters of Sichuan Basin were studied based on real-time hourly concentrations of PM_2.5 (the particles with diameters smaller than 2.5μm), PM₁₀ (the particles with diameters smaller than 10μm), SO₂, NO₂, CO and O₃ and routine meteorological data during the years from 2015 to 2017. The Sichuan Basin was further categorized into four regions: West, south, northeast Sichuan Basin (WSB, SSB and NESB) and plateau of west Sichuan Basin (PWSB) to better understand regional air pollution characteristics. Heavy air pollution was mainly induced by high PM_2.5 or ozone concentrations in the cities clusters of Sichuan Basin. The compound air pollution characteristics existed in WSB with simultaneously high concentrations of PM_2.5 and ozone, while PM_2.5 concentrations in SSB were the highest among the four regions and especially in the city of Zigong with maximum PM_2.5 concentration of 109.3μgm^-3 in winter. The MDA8 (daily maximum 8-hour average surface O₃ concentrations) more frequently exceeded CAAQS (Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards) Grade I and II standards in Ziyang, Guang'an and Liangshan than the other cities maybe due to joint effects of industry emissions and regional transportation from surrounding cities. Annual (diurnal) variations of the pollutants with the exception of ozone showed "U" (flat "W") shape, while the ozone exhibited the opposite trends inside Sichuan Basin (WSB, SSB and NESB). Ozone pollution was more dependent on vehicle emissions inside Sichuan Basin, and industry had more important effects on ozone in the cities of PWSB with less vehicles. Severe ozone pollution can be formed easily under the weather conditions of high temperature, long sunshine duration and low RH (relative humidity) inside Sichuan Basin. High ozone concentrations in winter in PWSB may be partly transported from the other surrounding cities.

Airborne heavy metals in two cities of North Rhine Westphalia - Performing inhalation cancer risk assessment in terms of atmospheric circulation

The main objective of this study was to examine the levels of four heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Ni) in PM₁₀ samples collected in two urban background stations in Dortmund and Bielefeld, in relation to atmospheric circulation. Pollution roses, Conditional Probability Function (CPF) roses and backward air mass trajectory clusters were used to identify air currents associated with the importation of PM₁₀ and of the included metal constituents. In addition, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, As, Cd, Ni and Pb concentrations were analyzed by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reveal major local emission sources of PM₁₀ metal content. Traffic was the main emitter of PM₁₀, As, Cd, and Pb in both cities, highlighting the existence of non-negligible lead quantities in unleaded gasoline, whilst nickel emissions were associated with heavy fuel oil combustion in industries and primarily for domestic heating. The created CPF roses and trajectory clusters were in good agreement, clearly revealing that eastern air currents enriched the locally produced PM₁₀ load with additional aerosols from Eastern Europe. The concentrations of arsenic and cadmium were also enhanced by the arrival of air parcels from the East, indicating the anthropogenic origin of the exogenous aerosols due to combustion. The induced cancer risk (CR_inh) for adults, due to inhalation of individual metal constituents, was also estimated in terms of atmospheric circulation, indicating higher risk in Dortmund than in Bielefeld. CR_inh values for arsenic exceeded the limit of 1 × 10^-6 in both cities, primarily during the influence of eastern circulation.

Ozone exposure assessment for children in Greece - Results from the RESPOZE study

Ozone exposure of 179 children in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece was assessed during 2013-2014, by repeated weekly personal measurements, using passive samplers. O₃ was also monitored at school locations of participants to characterize community-level ambient exposure. Average personal concentrations in the two cities (5.0 and 2.8ppb in Athens and Thessaloniki, respectively) were considerably lower than ambient concentrations (with mean personal/ambient ratios of 0.13-0.15). The temporal variation of personal concentrations followed the -typical for low-latitude areas- pattern of cold-warm seasons. However, differences were detected between temporal distributions of personal and ambient concentrations, since personal exposures were affected by additional factors which present seasonal variability, such as outdoor activity and house ventilation. Significant spatial contrasts were observed between urban and suburban areas, for personal concentrations in Athens, with higher exposure for children residing in the N-NE part of the area. In Thessaloniki, spatial variations in personal concentrations were less pronounced, echoing the spatial pattern of ambient concentrations, a result of complex local meteorology and the smaller geographical expansion of the study area. Ambient concentration was identified as the most important factor influencing personal exposures (correlation coefficients between 0.36 and 0.67). Associations appeared to be stronger with ambient concentrations measured at school locations of children, than to those reported by the nearest site of the air quality monitoring network, indicating the importance of community-representative outdoor monitoring for characterization of personal-ambient relationships. Time spent outdoors by children was limited (>90% of the time they remained indoors), but -due to the lack of indoor sources- it was found to exert significant influence on personal concentrations, affecting inter-subject and spatiotemporal variability. Additional parameters that were identified as relevant for the determination of personal concentrations were indoor ventilation conditions (specifically indoor times with windows open) and the use of wood-burning in open fireplaces for heating as an ozone sink.

Surface ozone levels in the forest and vegetation areas of the Biga Peninsula, Turkey

Spatial and temporal variability of surface ozone in the rural, mountainous and suburban sites of Biga Peninsula, at the northwest of Turkey which is about 300km southwest of Istanbul was investigated using passive samplers and continuous analyzers. A total 10 passive samplers and two continuous analyzers were used between 1.1.2013 and 31.12.2014. OX levels in the study region were examined to understand NOx dependent or independent contribution to ozone. The influences of the meteorological parameters on ozone levels were also examined by wind speed and ambient temperature. The results clearly show that mountainous areas have higher cumulative exposure to ozone than suburban locations. In order to understand the long range transport sources contributing to the high ozone levels in the region backward trajectories were computed using HYSPLIT model and then clustering of trajectories are performed. The results clearly show the characteristics of pollutant transport from north to Biga Peninsula. Additionally, AOT40 (Accumulated hourly O3 concentrations Over a Threshold of 40ppb) cumulative index was calculated using daytime hourly measurements. The results indicate that the ozone values in the study area are much higher than the critical levels for forest and vegetation based on EU Directive 2008/50/EC.

An integrated assessment of two decades of air pollution policy making in Spain: Impacts, costs and improvements

This paper analyses the effects of policy making for air pollution abatement in Spain between 2000 and 2020 under an integrated assessment approach with the AERIS model for number of pollutants (NOx/NO2, PM10/PM2.5, O3, SO2, NH3 and VOC). The analysis of the effects of air pollution focused on different aspects: compliance with the European limit values of Directive 2008/50/EC for NO2 and PM10 for the Spanish air quality management areas; the evaluation of impacts caused by the deposition of atmospheric sulphur and nitrogen on ecosystems; the exceedance of critical levels of NO2 and SO2 in forest areas; the analysis of O3-induced crop damage for grapes, maize, potato, rice, tobacco, tomato, watermelon and wheat; health impacts caused by human exposure to O3 and PM2.5; and costs on society due to crop losses (O3), disability-related absence of work staff and damage to buildings and public property due to soot-related soiling (PM2.5). In general, air quality policy making has delivered improvements in air quality levels throughout Spain and has mitigated the severity of the impacts on ecosystems, health and vegetation in 2020 as target year. The findings of this work constitute an appropriate diagnosis for identifying improvement potentials for further mitigation for policy makers and stakeholders in Spain.