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Ferrero L, Losi N, Rigler M, Gregorič A, Colombi C, D'Angelo L, Cuccia E, Cefalì AM, Gini I, Doldi A, Cerri S, Maroni P, Cipriano D, Markuszewski P, Bolzacchini E. Determining the Aethalometer multiple scattering enhancement factor C from the filter loading parameter. Sci Total Environ 2024; 917:170221. [PMID: 38280585 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Light-absorbing aerosols heat the atmosphere; an accurate quantification of their absorption coefficient is mandatory. However, standard reference instruments (CAPS, MAAP, PAX, PTAAM) are not always available at each measuring site around the world. By integrating all previous published studies concerning the Aethalometers, the AE33 filter loading parameter, provided by the dual-spot algorithm, were used to determine the multiple scattering enhancement factor from the Aethalometer itself (hereinafter CAE) on an yearly and a monthly basis. The method was developed in Milan, where Aethalometer measurements were compared with MAAP data; the comparison showed a good agreement in terms of equivalent black carbon (R2 = 0.93; slope = 1.02 and a negligible intercept = 0.12 μg m-3) leading to a yearly experimental multiple scattering enhancement factor of 2.51 ± 0.04 (hereinafter CMAAP). On a yearly time base the CAE values obtained using the new approach was 2.52 ± 0.01, corresponding to the experimental one (CMAAP). Considering the seasonal behavior, higher experimental CMAAP and computed CAE values were found in summer (2.83 ± 0.12) whereas, the lower ones in winter/early-spring (2.37 ± 0.03), in agreement with the single scattering albedo behavior in the Po Valley. Overall, the agreement between the experimental CMAAP and CAE showed a root mean squared error (RMSE) of just 0.038 on the CMAAP prediction, characterized by a slope close to 1 (1.001 ± 0.178), a negligible intercept (-0.002 ± 0.455) and a high degree of correlation (R2 = 0.955). From an environmental point of view, the application of a dynamic (space/time) determination of CAE increases the accuracy of the aerosol heating rate (compared to applying a fixed C value) up to 16 % solely in Milan, and to 114 % when applied in the Arctic at 80°N.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ferrero
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - N Losi
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - M Rigler
- Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A Gregorič
- Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nova Gorica, SI-5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - C Colombi
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy
| | - L D'Angelo
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy; Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - E Cuccia
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy
| | - A M Cefalì
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy; RSE - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico S.p.A., via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | - I Gini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - A Doldi
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - S Cerri
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - P Maroni
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - D Cipriano
- RSE - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico S.p.A., via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | - P Markuszewski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 81-712 Sopot, Poland; Bolin Centre for Climate Research and Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E Bolzacchini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
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Pietrogrande MC, Colombi C, Cuccia E, Dal Santo U, Romanato L. Seasonal and Spatial Variations of the Oxidative Properties of Ambient PM 2.5 in the Po Valley, Italy, before and during COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:1797. [PMID: 36767162 PMCID: PMC9914037 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the chemical and toxicological characteristics of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Po Valley, one of the largest and most polluted areas in Europe. The investigated samples were collected in the metropolitan area of Milan during the epidemic lockdown and their toxicity was evaluated by the oxidative potential (OP), measured using ascorbic acid (OPAA) and dithiothreitol (OPDTT) acellular assays. The study was also extended to PM2.5 samples collected at different sites in the Po Valley in 2019, to represent the baseline conditions in the area. Univariate correlations were applied to the whole dataset to link the OP responses with the concentrations of the major chemical markers of vehicular and biomass burning emissions. Of the two assays, OPAA was found mainly sensitive towards transition metals released from vehicular traffic, while OPDTT towards the PM carbonaceous components. The impact of the controlling lockdown restrictions on PM2.5 oxidative properties was estimated by comparing the OP values in corresponding time spans in 2020 and 2019. We found that during the full lockdown the OPAA values decreased to 80-86% with respect to the OP data in other urban sites in the area, while the OPDTT values remained nearly constant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Pietrogrande
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17/19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Colombi
- Environmental Monitoring Sector, Arpa Lombardia, Via Rosellini 17, 20124 Milano, Italy
| | - Eleonora Cuccia
- Environmental Monitoring Sector, Arpa Lombardia, Via Rosellini 17, 20124 Milano, Italy
| | - Umberto Dal Santo
- Environmental Monitoring Sector, Arpa Lombardia, Via Rosellini 17, 20124 Milano, Italy
| | - Luisa Romanato
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17/19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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Altuwayjiri A, Soleimanian E, Moroni S, Palomba P, Borgini A, De Marco C, Ruprecht AA, Sioutas C. The impact of stay-home policies during Coronavirus-19 pandemic on the chemical and toxicological characteristics of ambient PM 2.5 in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy. Sci Total Environ 2021; 758:143582. [PMID: 33213922 PMCID: PMC7833074 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to characterize changes in components and toxicological properties of PM2.5 during the nationwide 2019-Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions in Milan, Italy. Time-integrated PM2.5 filters were collected at a residential site in Milan metropolitan area from April 11th to June 3rd at 2020, encompassing full-lockdown (FL), the followed partial-lockdown (PL2), and full-relaxation (FR) periods of COVID-19 restrictions. The collected filters were analyzed for elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), individual organic species (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and levoglucosan), and metals. According to online data, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene (C6H6) levels significantly decreased during the entire COVID-19 period compared to the same time span in 2019, mainly due to the government-backed shutdowns and curtailed road traffic. Similarly, with a few exceptions, surrogates of tailpipe emissions (e.g., traffic-associated PAHs) as well as re-suspended road dust (e.g., Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ti) were relatively lower during FL and PL2 periods in comparison with year 2019, whereas an increasing trend in mass concentration of mentioned species was observed from FL to PL2 and FR phases due to the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions. In contrast, comparable concentrations of ambient PM2.5 and black carbon (BC) between lockdown period and the same time span in 2019 were attributed to the interplay between decreased road traffic and elevated domestic biomass burning as a result of adopted stay-home strategies. Finally, the curtailed road traffic during FL and PL2 periods led to ~25% drop in the PM2.5 oxidative potential (measured via 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH) and dithiothreitol (DTT) assays) with respect to the FR period as well as the same time span in 2019. The results of this study provide insights into the changes in components and oxidative potential of PM2.5 in the absence of road traffic during COVID-19 restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulmalik Altuwayjiri
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ehsan Soleimanian
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Silvia Moroni
- Agenzia Mobilità Ambiente e Territorio - AMAT srl, Mobility, Environment and Territory Agency, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Palomba
- Agenzia Mobilità Ambiente e Territorio - AMAT srl, Mobility, Environment and Territory Agency, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Borgini
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Associazione Medici per l'Ambiente ISDE Italia, International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Italy
| | - Cinzia De Marco
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Associazione Medici per l'Ambiente ISDE Italia, International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Italy
| | - Ario A Ruprecht
- Associazione Medici per l'Ambiente ISDE Italia, International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), Italy
| | - Constantinos Sioutas
- University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Cameletti M. The Effect of Corona Virus Lockdown on Air Pollution: Evidence from the City of Brescia in Lombardia Region (Italy). Atmos Environ (1994) 2020; 239:117794. [PMID: 32834728 PMCID: PMC7365121 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
After the outbreak of Corona virus pandemic in Italy, the government has taken extraordinary measures, including a national lockdown, to prevent the spread of the infection. This extraordinary situation has led to a reduction in air pollution levels measured in the whole Po Valley, usually known as one of the most polluted areas in Europe in terms of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentrations. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the lockdown on the air quality improvement. In particular, an interrupted time series modelling approach is employed to test if a significant change in the level and the trend of the pollutant time series has occurred after the lockdown measure. The case study regards the city of Brescia (Northern Italy) and focuses on the comparison of the period before (January 1st-March 7th, 2020) and after (March 8th-March 27th, 2020) the lockdown. By adjusting for meteorology and Sunday effect, the results show that a significant change in air quality occurring in the post intervention period was observed only for a single NO 2 station located in a heavy traffic zone. In particular, the estimate of the time series slope, i.e. the expected change in the concentration associated with a time unit increase, decreases from -0.25 to -1.67 after the lockdown. For the remaining stations, no significant change was found in the concentration time series when comparing the two periods. This confirms the complexity of air pollutant concentration dynamics for the considered area, which is not merely related to emission sources but depends also on other factors as, for example, (micro and macro) meteorological conditions and the chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere, which are all independent of the lockdown measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Cameletti
- Department of Management, Economics and Quantitative Methods, University of Bergamo, Italy
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Khan MB, Masiol M, Bruno C, Pasqualetto A, Formenton GM, Agostinelli C, Pavoni B. Potential sources and meteorological factors affecting PM 2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in six main cities of northeastern Italy: an assessment of the related carcinogenic and mutagenic risks. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:31987-32000. [PMID: 30128971 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2841-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A yearlong sampling campaign (2012-2013) was conducted in six major cities of the Veneto region to investigate the spatial-temporal trends and the factors affecting the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) variations and identify the local sources. Sixty samples per city were collected for analyses in every alternate month (April, June, August, October, December, and February): 10 samples per sampling site in 10 consecutive days of the months selected. Samples were ultrasonically extracted with acetonitrile and processed through high-performance liquid chromatography. Total Σ-PAH concentrations ranged from 0.19 to 70.4 ng m-3 with a mean concentration of 11.5 ng m-3. The mean benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) concentration reached 2.0 ng m-3, which is two-times higher than the limit set by the European Union. BaP contributed for 17.4% to the total concentration of PAHs, which showed the same pattern across the region with maxima during cold months and minima in the warm period. In this study, PAHs showed an inverse relationship with temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and ozone. According to this study, biomass burning for household heating and cooking, followed by gaseous PAHs absorption on particles due to low atmospheric temperature, were the main reasons for increasing PAHs concentration in winter. Health risk, evaluated as lifetime lung cancer risk (LCR), showed a potential carcinogenic risk from the airborne BaPTEQ six-fold higher in the cold season than in the warm one. Diagnostic ratios and conditional probability functions were used to locate the sources, and results confirmed that local emission, overall domestic heating, and road transport exhausts were responsible for higher concentration rates of PAHs as well as of PM2.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Badiuzzaman Khan
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Mauro Masiol
- Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA
| | - Caterina Bruno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Alberto Pasqualetto
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Venezia, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto, Via Lissa 6, 30174, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Gian Maria Formenton
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Venezia, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto, Via Lissa 6, 30174, Venezia-Mestre, Italy
| | - Claudio Agostinelli
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, 38123, Povo, Italy
| | - Bruno Pavoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venezia-Mestre, Italy.
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Pietrogrande MC, Bacco D, Ferrari S, Ricciardelli I, Scotto F, Trentini A, Visentin M. Characteristics and major sources of carbonaceous aerosols in PM2.5 in Emilia Romagna Region (Northern Italy) from four-year observations. Sci Total Environ 2016; 553:172-183. [PMID: 26925729 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The concentrations of organic and elemental carbon in PM2.5 aerosol samples were measured in two sites of Emilia Romagna (Po Valley, Northern Italy) in eight campaigns during different seasons from 2011 to 2014. Strong seasonality was observed with the highest OC concentrations during the cold periods (≈ 5.5 μg m(-3)) and the lowest in the warm months (≈ 2.7 μg m(-3)) as well as with higher EC levels in fall/winter (≈ 1.4 μg m(-3)) in comparison with spring/summer (≈ 0.6 μg m(-3)). Concerning spatial variability, there were no statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between OC concentrations at the two sampling sites in each campaign, while the EC values were nearly twofold higher levels at the urban site than those at the rural one. Specific molecular markers were investigated to attempt the basic apportionment of OC by discriminating between the main emission sources of primary OC, such as fossil fuels burning - including traffic vehicle emission - residential wood burning, and bio-aerosol released from plants and microorganisms, and the atmospheric photo-oxidation processes generating OCsec. The investigated markers were low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids - to describe the contribution of secondary organic aerosol - anhydrosugars - to quantify primary emissions from biomass burning - bio-sugars - to qualitatively estimate biogenic sources - and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - to differentiate among different combustion emissions. Using the levoglucosan tracer method, contribution of wood smoke to atmospheric OC concentration was computed. Wood burning accounts for 33% of OC in fall/winter and for 3% in spring/summer. A clear seasonal trend is also observed for the impact of secondary processes with higher contribution in the warm seasons (≈ 63%) in comparison with that in colder months (≈ 33%), that is consistent with enhanced solar radiation in spring/summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Pietrogrande
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17/19, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Dimitri Bacco
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17/19, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy; Regional Agency for Prevention and Environment-ARPA, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Silvia Ferrari
- Regional Agency for Prevention and Environment-ARPA, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | | | - Fabiana Scotto
- Regional Agency for Prevention and Environment-ARPA, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Arianna Trentini
- Regional Agency for Prevention and Environment-ARPA, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
| | - Marco Visentin
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17/19, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy
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Montero-Martínez G, Rinaldi M, Gilardoni S, Giulianelli L, Paglione M, Decesari S, Fuzzi S, Facchini MC. On the water-soluble organic nitrogen concentration and mass size distribution during the fog season in the Po Valley, Italy. Sci Total Environ 2014; 485-486:103-109. [PMID: 24704961 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The study of organic nitrogen gained importance in recent decades due to its links with acid rain, pollution, and eutrophication. In this study, aerosol and fog water samples collected from two sites in Italy during November 2011 were analyzed to characterize their organic nitrogen content. Organic nitrogen contributed 19-25% of the total soluble nitrogen in the aerosol and around 13% in fog water. The largest water soluble organic nitrogen concentrations in the PM1.2 fraction occurred during the diurnal period with mean values of 2.03 and 2.16 μg-N m(-3) (154 and 145 nmol-N m(-3)) at Bologna and San Pietro Capofiume (SPC), respectively. The mean PM10 WSON concentration during diurnal periods at SPC was 2.30 μg-N m(-3) (164 nmol-N m(-3)) while it was 1.34 and 0.82 μg-N m(-3) (95.7 and 58.5 nmol-N m(-3)) in the night and fog water samples, respectively. Aerosol mass distribution profiles obtained during fog changed significantly with respect to those estimated in periods without fog periods due to fog scavenging, which proved to be over 80% efficient. Linear correlations suggested secondary processes related to combustion and, to a lesser extent, biomass burning, as plausible sources of WSON. Regarding the inorganic nitrogen fraction, the results showed that ammonium was the largest soluble inorganic nitrogen component in the samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Montero-Martínez
- Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Matteo Rinaldi
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Gilardoni
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Lara Giulianelli
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Paglione
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Decesari
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sandro Fuzzi
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Facchini
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima-CNR, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
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8
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Masiol M, Formenton G, Giraldo G, Pasqualetto A, Tieppo P, Pavoni B. The dark side of the tradition: the polluting effect of Epiphany folk fires in the eastern Po Valley (Italy). Sci Total Environ 2014; 473-474:549-564. [PMID: 24394365 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In the Veneto Region (Po Valley, Northeastern Italy) on the eve of Epiphany, an important religious celebration, during the night between January 5th and 6th thousands of folk fires traditionally burn wooden material. The object of this study is to characterize the 2013 episode, by monitoring the effects on the air quality in the region's lowlands. The daily concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded 250 and 300 μg m(-3), respectively and the PM10 hourly values were above 600 μg m(-3) in many sites. The levels of total carbon, major inorganic ions, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and biomass burning tracers (levoglucosan and K(+)) were measured in 84 samples of PM10 and 38 of PM2.5 collected at 32 sites between January 4th and 7th. Total carbon ranged from 11 μg m(-3) before the pollution episode to 131 μg m(-3) a day afterwards, K(+) from 0.6 to 5.1μg m(-3), benzo(a)pyrene from 2 to 23 ng m(-3), and levoglucosan from 0.5 to 8.3 μg m(-3). The dispersion of the particulate matter was traced by analyzing the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 in 133 and 51 sites, respectively, in the Veneto and neighboring regions. In addition to biomass burning the formation of secondary inorganic aerosol was revealed to be a key factor on a multivariate statistical data processing. By providing direct information on the effects of an intense and widespread biomass burning episode in the Po Valley, this study also enables some general considerations on biomass burning practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Masiol
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy; Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Gianni Formenton
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Padova, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto (ARPAV), Via Ospedale 22, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgia Giraldo
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Venezia, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto (ARPAV), Via Lissa 6, 30174 Mestre, Italy
| | - Alberto Pasqualetto
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Padova, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto (ARPAV), Via Ospedale 22, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Paulo Tieppo
- Dipartimento Provinciale di Padova, Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale del Veneto (ARPAV), Via Ospedale 22, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Bruno Pavoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy.
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