Levels and Spatial Distribution of Airborne Chemical Elements in a Heavy Industrial Area Located in the North of Spain

Lage, Joana; Almeida, Susana Marta; Reis, M.A.; Chaves, P.C.; Ribeiro, Tiago; Garcia, S.; Faria, Julia Perim de; Fernández, Beatriz; Wolterbeek, Hubert Th.

doi:10.1080/15287394.2014.910156

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Figure 5 also shows that those elements were not enriched indicating a provenience of these elements from natural sources: Fe and Sc from the soil and Na from sea-salt spray (Lage et al 2014).…”

Section: Pm Compositionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Source apportionment of indoor PM10 in Elderly Care Centre

Almeida-Silva

Faria

Saraga

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Source contribution to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been exhaustively modelled. However, people spend most of their time indoors where this approach is less explored. This evidence worsens considering elders living in Elderly Care Centres, since they are more susceptible. The present study aims to investigate the PM composition and sources influencing elderly exposure. Two 2-week sampling campaigns were conducted-one during early fall (warm phase) and another throughout the winter (cold phase). PM10 were collected with two TCR-Tecora(®) samplers that were located in an Elderly Care Centre living room and in the correspondent outdoor. Chemical analysis of the particles was performed by neutron activation analysis for element characterization, by ion chromatography for the determination of water soluble ions and by a thermal optical technique for the measurement of organic and elemental carbon. Statistical analysis showed that there were no statistical differences between seasons and environments. The sum of the indoor PM10 components measured in this work explained 57 and 53 % of the total PM10 mass measured by gravimetry in warm and cold campaigns, respectively. Outdoor PM10 concentrations were significantly higher during the day than night (p value < 0.05), as well as Ca(2+), Fe, Sb and Zn. The contribution of indoor and outdoor sources was assessed by principal component analysis and showed the importance of the highways and the airport located less than 500 m from the Elderly Care Centre for both indoor and outdoor air quality.

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Section: Pm Compositionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Source apportionment of indoor PM10 in Elderly Care Centre

Almeida-Silva

Faria

Saraga

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…A drawback of this passive method is the inability to sample outdoors due to airflows and wind that disturb the sampling apparatus, and this fact limits the study of outdoor contribution to the classroom IAQ. To overcome this issue, biomonitoring with lichens appears as a possible solution since the application of this technique to outdoor air pollution assessment was previously shown to be reliable (Augusto et al, 2004;Sarmento et al, 2008;Garty, 2010;Almeida et al, 2012b;Lage et al, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Indoor and Outdoor Biomonitoring Using Lichens at Urban and Rural Primary Schools

Canha¹,

Almeida²,

Freitas³

et al. 2014

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A

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Monitoring particulate matter (PM) and its chemical constituents in classrooms is a subject of special concern within the scientific community in order to control and minimize child exposure. Regulatory sampling methods have presented several limitations in their application to larger number of classrooms due to operational and financial constraints. Consequently, passive sampling methodologies using filters were developed for indoor sampling. However, such methodologies could not provide parallel information for outdoors, which is important to identify pollution sources and assess outdoor contribution to the indoors. Therefore, biomonitoring with transplanted lichens, a technique usually applied for outdoor studies, was used both indoor and outdoor of classrooms. Three main objectives were proposed, to (i) characterize simultaneously indoor and outdoor of classrooms regarding inorganic air pollutants, (ii) investigate spatial patterns of lichen conductivity, and (iii) assess pollution sources that contribute to a poor indoor air quality in schools. Lichens Flavoparmelia caperata were transplanted to indoor and outdoor of classrooms for 59 d. After exposure, electric conductivity of lichens leachate was measured to evaluate lichen vitality and cell damage. Outdoors lichen conductivity was higher near the main highways, and indoors there was great variability in levels, which indicates different emissions sources and different ventilation patterns. Chemical content of lichens was assessed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and As, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Ta, Th, Yb, and Zn were determined. Element accumulation, crustal enrichment factors, and spatial variability of elements were analyzed and contaminants from anthropogenic sources, such as traffic (As, Sb, and Zn) and indoor chalk (Ca) found. Classrooms with potential indoor air quality problems were identified by presenting higher accumulations of inorganic pollutants in exposed biomonitors.

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“…Almeida, M. do Carmo Freitas, H.Th. Wolterbeek 2011a,b, Bejan et al 2004, Canha et al 2010, 2012c, 2013a, Lage et al 2014. The hazardous nature of aerosol particles appears to be related to four factors: the chemical composition and size of the particles, the duration of exposure and the particle concentration in the breathing zone of the exposed person.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of bioaerosols in urban and rural primary schools using passive and active sampling methodologies

Canha¹,

Almeida²,

Freitas³

et al. 2015

Archives of Environmental Protection

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Abstract:People spend most of their time in indoor environments and, consequently, these environments are more signifi cant for the contribution of the daily pollutant exposure than outdoors. In case of children, a great part of their time is spent at school. Therefore, evaluations of this microenvironment are important to assess their time-weighted exposure to air pollutants.The aim of this study was to assess the children exposure to bioaerosols at schools from two different types of areas, urban and rural. A methodology based upon passive sampling was applied to evaluate fungi, bacteria and pollens, simultaneously with active sampling for fungi and bacterial assessment. Results showed very good correlations between sampling methods, especially for summer season. Passive sampling methodologies presented advantages such as no need of specifi c and expensive equipment, and they allow achieving important qualitative information.The study was conducted in different periods of the year to study the seasonal variation of the bioaerosols. Fungi and pollen presented higher levels during the summer time whereas bacteria did not present a seasonal variation. Indoor to outdoor ratios were determined to assess the level of outdoor contamination upon the indoor environment. Levels of fungi were higher outdoor and bacteria presented higher concentrations indoors.Indoor levels of bioaerosols were assessed in primary schools of urban and rural areas, using the active method along with a passive sampling method. Very good correlations between methods were found which allow the use of the passive sampling method to supply important and reliable qualitative information of bioaerosols concentrations in indoor environments. Seasonal variation in bioaerosols concentrations were found for fungi and pollen. Concentrations of fungi and bacteria above AMV (Acceptable Maximum Value) were found for most of the studied classrooms showing the importance of this microenvironment for the high exposure of children to bioaerosols.

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Levels and Spatial Distribution of Airborne Chemical Elements in a Heavy Industrial Area Located in the North of Spain

Cited by 15 publications

References 33 publications

Source apportionment of indoor PM10 in Elderly Care Centre

Source apportionment of indoor PM10 in Elderly Care Centre

Indoor and Outdoor Biomonitoring Using Lichens at Urban and Rural Primary Schools

Assessment of bioaerosols in urban and rural primary schools using passive and active sampling methodologies

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