Sea salt concentrations across the European continent

Manders, Astrid; Schaap, Martijn; Querol, Xavier; Albert, Monique; Vercauteren, Jordy; Kuhlbusch, Thomas A. J.; Hoogerbrugge, R

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.03.028

Cited by 87 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The results reflect the geographical distribution of the AIRUSE sites: lower levels of sea salt at the inland Italian cities (Florence and Milan) and higher at the Mediterranean coastal sites, with the highest contribution observed at the Atlantic site (Porto). Similar observations were reported by Manders et al (2010), who showed that the sea-salt load in PM 10 at the Atlantic side of Europe is much higher than in the Mediterranean region, especially the western Mediterranean. They also showed that the sea-salt load in PM 10 is reduced very fast as the air masses progress inland.…”

Section: Contribution Of Natural Sources To Pm Concentrations and Excsupporting

confidence: 90%

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM10 and PM2. 5 concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

et al. 2017

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Abstract. The contribution of natural sources to ambient air particulate matter (PM) concentrations is often not considered; however, it may be significant for certain areas and during specific periods of the year. In the framework of the AIRUSE-LIFE+ project, state-of-the-art methods have been employed for assessing the contribution of major natural sources (African dust, sea salt and forest fires) to PM concentrations, in southern European urban areas. 24 h measurements of PM 10 and PM 2.5 mass and chemical composition were performed over the course of a year in five cities: Porto, Barcelona, Milan, Florence and Athens. Net African dust and sea-salt concentrations were calculated based on the methodologies proposed by the EC (SEC 2011/208). The contribution of uncontrolled forest fires was calculated through receptor modelling. Sensitivity analysis with respect to the calculation of African dust was also performed, in order to identify major parameters affecting the estimated net dust concentrations. African dust contribution to PM concentrations was more pronounced in the eastern Mediterranean, with the mean annual relative contribution to PM 10 decreasing from 21 % in Athens, to 5 % in Florence, and around 2 % in Milan, Barcelona and Porto. The respective contribution to PM 2.5 was calculated equal to 14 % in Athens and from 1.3 to 2.4 % in all other cities. High seasonal variability of contributions was observed, with dust transport events occurring at different periods in the western and eastern Mediterranean basin. Sea salt was mostly related to the coarse mode and also exhibited significant seasonal variability. Sea-salt concentrations were highest in Porto, with average relative contributions equal to 12.3 % for PM 10 . Contributions from uncontrolled forest fires were quantified only for Porto and were low on an annual basis (1.4 and 1.9 % to PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively); nevertheless, contributions were greatly increased during events, reaching 20 and 22 % of 24 h PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations, respectively.

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Section: Contribution Of Natural Sources To Pm Concentrations and Excsupporting

confidence: 90%

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM10 and PM2. 5 concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

et al. 2017

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“…This difference in concentration reflects the higher wind speeds and fetch distances in the Atlantic than in the Mediterranean Basin leading to more transport of sea salt aerosols from the Atlantic open ocean to the coasts. The contribution of marine aerosols to PM10 annual concentrations over the open ocean ranges from 6 (Mediterranean Basin) to 9 µg m -3 (Atlantic) which is consistent with model data from Manders et al (2010).…”

Section: Particulate Mattersupporting

confidence: 72%

An annual assessment of air quality with the CALIOPE modeling system over Spain

Baldasano

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Jorba

et al. 2011

Science of The Total Environment

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The CALIOPE project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, aims at establishing an air quality forecasting system for Spain. With this goal, CALIOPE modeling system was developed and applied with high resolution (4 km x 4 km, 1hr) using the HERMES emission model (including emissions of resuspended particles from paved roads) specifically built up for Spain. The present study provides an evaluation and an assessment of that air quality modeling system, namely WRF-ARW/HERMES/CMAQ/BSC-DREAM8b for a full year simulation in 2004 over Spain. The evaluation focused on the capability of the model to reproduce the temporal and spatial distribution of gas phase species (NO2, O3, and SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) against ground-based measurements from the Spanish air quality monitoring network. The evaluation of the modeling results on an hourly basis showed a strong dependency of the performance of the model on the type of zone (urban, suburban and rural) and the dominant emission sources (traffic, industrial, and background). The O3 chemistry is best represented in summer, when mean hourly variability and high peaks are generally well reproduced. The mean normalized error and bias meet the recommendations proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and the European regulations. Modeled O3 shows higher performance for urban than for rural stations, especially at traffic stations in large cities, since stations influenced by traffic emissions (i.e. high NOx emissions) are better characterized with a more pronounced daily variability. NOx/O3 chemistry is better represented under non-limited-NO2 regimes. SO 2 is mainly produced from isolated point sources (power generation and transformation industries) which generate large plumes of high SO 2 concentration affecting the air quality on a local to national scale where the meteorological pattern is crucial. The contribution of mineral dust from the Sahara desert through the BSC-DREAM8b model helps to satisfactorily reproduce episodic high PM10 concentration peaks at background stations. The model assessment indicates that one of the main air quality-related problems in Spain is the high level of O3. A quarter of the Iberian Peninsula presents more than 30 days exceeding the value 120 µg m -3 for the maximum 8-hr O3 concentration as a consequence of the transport of O3 precursors downwind the Madrid and Barcelona metropolitan areas, and industrial areas and cities in the Mediterranean coast.

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“…Sea salt is a major component of PM 10 in the coastal regions of Europe, where it can comprise up to 80 % of the annual mean particulate mass , but also contributes to PM in inland areas, with concentrations between 0.3 and 13 µg m −3 (Manders et al, 2010). Although the dominant mass fraction of sea-spray aerosol is sea salt, measurements at Mace Head on the west coast of Ireland show that a significant fraction of submicron mass is derived from biogenic primary sources of marine organic components (O'Dowd et al, 2004).…”

Section: Sea Salt Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate matter, air quality and climate: lessons learned and future needs

et al. 2015

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Abstract. The literature on atmospheric particulate matter (PM), or atmospheric aerosol, has increased enormously over the last 2 decades and amounts now to some 1500-2000 papers per year in the refereed literature. This is in part due to the enormous advances in measurement technologies, which have allowed for an increasingly accurate understanding of the chemical composition and of the physical properties of atmospheric particles and of their processes in the atmosphere. The growing scientific interest in atmospheric aerosol particles is due to their high importance for environmental policy. In fact, particulate matter constitutes one of the most challenging problems both for air quality and for climate change policies. In this context, this paper reviews the most recent results within the atmospheric aerosol sciences and the policy needs, which have driven much of the increase in monitoring and mechanistic research over the last 2 decades.The synthesis reveals many new processes and developments in the science underpinning climate-aerosol interactions and effects of PM on human health and the environment. However, while airborne particulate matter is responsible for globally important influences on premature human mortality, we still do not know the relative importance of the different chemical components of PM for these effects. Likewise, the magnitude of the overall effects of PM on climate remains highly uncertain. Despite the uncertainty there are many things that could be done to mitigate local and global problems of atmospheric PM. Recent analyses have shown that reducing black carbon (BC) emissions, using known control measures, would reduce global warming and delay the time when anthropogenic effects on global temperature would exceed 2 • C. Likewise, cost-effective control measures on ammonia, an important agricultural precursor gas for secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), would reduce regional eutrophication and PM concentrations in large areas of Europe, China and the USA. Thus, there is much that could be done to reduce the effects of atmospheric PM on the climate and the health of the environment and the human population.A prioritized list of actions to mitigate the full range of effects of PM is currently undeliverable due to shortcomings in the knowledge of aerosol science; among the shortcomings, the roles of PM in global climate and the relative roles of Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 8218S. Fuzzi et al.: Particulate matter, air quality and climate different PM precursor sources and their response to climate and land use change over the remaining decades of this century are prominent. In any case, the evidence from this paper strongly advocates for an integrated approach to air quality and climate policies.

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Sea salt concentrations across the European continent

Cited by 87 publications

References 48 publications

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2. 5</sub> concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2. 5</sub> concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

An annual assessment of air quality with the CALIOPE modeling system over Spain

Particulate matter, air quality and climate: lessons learned and future needs

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Sea salt concentrations across the European continent

Cited by 87 publications

References 48 publications

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; and PM&lt;sub&gt;2. 5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; and PM&lt;sub&gt;2. 5&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

An annual assessment of air quality with the CALIOPE modeling system over Spain

Particulate matter, air quality and climate: lessons learned and future needs

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Product

Resources

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AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2. 5</sub> concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values

AIRUSE-LIFE +: estimation of natural source contributions to urban ambient air PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2. 5</sub> concentrations in southern Europe – implications to compliance with limit values