Evolution of anthropogenic aerosols in the coastal town of Salina Cruz, Mexico: part II particulate phase chemistry

An analysis of atmospheric gases and particles during periods of land and sea breezes in a coastal city in southwest Mexico indicates limited removal of total particle mass by deposition during periods when the air resides over the ocean. The average PM(2.5) mass concentrations for land and sea breeze samples were 25+/-1.0 and 26+/-1.0 microg m(-3), respectively. The average sum of the ion concentrations (NH(4)(+), SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), Na(+), Cl(-)) were 10 and 11.8 microg m(-3) for the samples taken during land and sea breeze periods. The average total carbon concentrations were 6.0 and 5.3 microg m(-3) for land and sea breeze periods. The mass of sulfate in particles of ocean origin, 3.3+/-2.8 microg m(-3), is marginally higher than those originating from the land, 2.0+/-0.8 microg m(-3), presumably as a result of the conversion of SO(2) recirculated from the city. The fraction of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium ions in rainwater samples is almost a factor of two higher than the fraction measured on filtered air samples. The rainwater also contains significant concentrations of elemental and organic carbon. This study, although extending over a period of only 15 days, with limited chemical samples, suggests that recirculation of anthropogenic particles from coastal cities should be taken into consideration when diagnosing and predicting air quality in such regions.     

Modeling particle fate in ventilation system—Part I: Model development

Aerosol particles are regarded as one of the most significant pollutants in the indoor environment. These particles can travel through ventilation systems, thus impacting indoor air pollution. Accurate modeling and prediction of aerosol particle transport in ventilation systems is therefore a key component of indoor particle pollution. Since recycled air takes particles into the ventilation system again, it can be challenging to calculate the particle concentration in each part of the system. This study theoretically and experimentally proves that the entire ventilation system, including filters, ventilation ducts and ventilation rooms, can be regarded as a serial of filters in steady-state cases. We call this the particle filter group model. Equations are presented to calculate the particle concentration in each component of normal kinds of mechanical ventilation systems. With this model, the particle concentration and deposited particle quantity in each part of the ventilation system can be easily calculated. This model may help to control indoor particle pollution and guide the cleaning of ventilation ducts and filters.     

Short-term dispersion of indoor aerosols: can it be assumed the room is well mixed?

Monitoring of aerosols is typically performed over 3 h to diurnal time scales for outdoor concentration levels and 15 min to 8 h scales indoors. At these scales, concentration is assumed to be well mixed with little spatio-temporal variability around the sampler. Less attention has been given to the potential for acute exposure to contaminants during the initial minutes after a point-source release, where point-wise concentrations may greatly exceed the well-mixed conditions. Here, we seek to demonstrate that the commonly used well-mixed assumption is flawed in the first minutes after a contaminant is released because point-wise concentration levels are initially highly non-uniform and are influenced by turbulent structures caused by the presence of obstacles in the room. This assumption was examined by releasing 3 μm aerosols in a test room with HEPA filter ventilation and by varying controlled conditions of room furnishings (furnished vs. unfurnished) and contaminant release locations (at the inlet vent or under a desk). For each experiment, aerosol concentrations were measured simultaneously at seven locations by nephelometry. Complementary computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to lend confidence to the experiments and to provide detailed pictures of the velocity and particle concentration profiles. The experimental and numerical results corroborated the hypothesis. For both release locations in the furnished room, a completely well-mixed condition did not occur 600 s after the release, and aerosol dispersion was dictated by the turbulent airflow pattern. For the empty room, there was significantly less spatial variability in the point-wise measured concentrations after 300 s than for the furnished room. This information may aid in evaluating the potential for occupant exposure to aerosolized hazardous substances and in supporting optimization of detector placement.     

Particle dispersion and deposition in ventilated rooms: Testing and evaluation of different Eulerian and Lagrangian models

Indoor particle dispersion in a three-dimensional ventilated room is simulated by a Lagrangian discrete random walk (DRW) model and two Eulerian models: drift flux model and mixture model. The simulated results are compared with the published measured data to check the performance of the three models for indoor particle dispersion simulation. The deposition velocity of the particles is also computed and compared with published data. The turbulent airflow is modeled with the renormalization group (RNG) k−ε and a zero equation turbulence model. Comparison of the calculated air velocities with measurement shows that both the two turbulence models can simulate the airflow well for the presented case. For the Lagrangian DRW model, a post-process program is used to state the particle trajectories and transfer the results to particle concentration distribution. For Eulerian models, the effect of particle deposition towards wall surfaces is incorporated with a semi-empirical particle deposition model. The comparison shows that both the Lagrangian DRW model and drift flux model yield satisfactory predictions, while the predicted results by the mixture model are not satisfied. The deposition velocity obtained by the three models match the experimental data well.     

Subjective perceptions,symptom intensity and performance: a comparison of two independent studies,both changing similarly the pollution load in an office

The present paper shows that introducing or removing the same pollution source in an office in two independent investigations, one in Denmark and one in Sweden, using similar experimental methodology, resulted in similar and repeatable effects on subjective assessments of perceived air quality, intensity of sick building syndrome symptoms and performance of office work. Removing the pollution source improved the perceived air quality, decreased the perceived dryness of air and the severity of headaches, and increased typing performance. These effects were observed separately in each experiment and were all significant (P < or = 0.05) after combining the data from both studies, indicating the advantages of pollution source strength control for health, comfort, and productivity.     

Groundwater interaction in the coastal environment: hydrochemical,electrical and seismic approaches

The heterogeneous Plio-Quaternary coastal aquifer of the Mamora Basin is the most significant reservoir of Morocco. It is composed of sandstones, conglomerates, limestones and more or less argillaceous sands. The increase in the requirements for water in this area requires further information on the relations between the geometry of the aquifer and the salinity of the water. A hydrochemical analysis was undertaken and highlighted three zones of high mineralization. A geophysical approach allowed the determination of the principal aquifer levels, the localization of the various types of water (fresh, brackish and salt) and the geometry of the aquifer base. The results obtained by these two approaches provide a better image of the phenomena governing the groundwater flows and their interactions      

Metals and selenium in the liver and bone of three dolphin species from South Australia, 1988-2004

Metal and selenium concentrations (wet weight) were determined in the liver (Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu and Se) and bone (Pb and Cd) of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis, N=71) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, N=12, and Tursiops aduncus, N=71) stranded or by-caught in South Australia from 1988 to 2004. Differences in metal burdens existed between species, stranding location, and relative age. T. aduncus had the greatest mean tissue burdens of liver Pb (0.45 mg/kg), Cd (6.45 mg/kg), Hg (475.78 mg/kg), Se (178.85 mg/kg) and Zn (93.88 mg/kg) and bone Pb (2.78 mg/kg), probably reflecting their coastal habitat and benthic prey. Mean Cu was highest in T. truncatus (21.18 mg/kg). Bone Cd was measured only in T. aduncus and averaged 0.05 mg/kg. Stranding location impacted metal burdens. Dolphins from Spencer Gulf had higher mean levels of liver Pb (0.39 mg/kg) while Gulf St Vincent dolphins had greater liver Hg (444.64 mg/kg), liver Se (163.12 mg/kg), and bone Pb (2.85 mg/kg). This may be due to high anthropogenic inputs of Pb and Hg into Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent respectively. Liver Cd, Hg, Se and Pb increased with age in all species while Cu decreased with age, in keeping with previous studies. Se and Hg were positively correlated. The possibility that metallothioneins are driving observed correlations between Zn, Cd, Hg and Cu are discussed. Future research must investigate the toxicological consequences of the metal concentrations reported.     

Preventing the entry of outdoor particles with the indoor positive pressure control method: Analysis of influencing factors and cost

Maintaining positive pressure indoors with a mechanical ventilation system is a popular control method for preventing the entry of outdoor airborne particles. This paper analyzes the factors which affect the satisfied superfluous airflow rates of positive pressure control. Through modeling a large amount of cases with a validated model, the factors, e.g. temperature difference, outdoor wind velocity, effective air leakage gaps in the envelopes, the area of the air leakage and the room, were analyzed. Based on the theoretical model, a correlating equation to calculate the satisfied superfluous airflow rate was established by multiple full quadratic regressions. The correlating equation is simple for engineers or designers to use to determine the satisfied superfluous airflow rate. This paper also aims to find which method, pressure control or indoor air cleaning, costs less to prevent the same amount of outdoor-originated particles from entering indoor environments. Generally speaking, indoor air cleaning control method requires less supply airflow rate than positive pressure control method for reducing the concentration of indoor particles with outdoor origin. An exception for this is a situation with a very low indoor/outdoor particle concentration (I/O ratio) requirement.     

Modeling of cooking-emitted particle dispersion and deposition in a residential flat: A real room application

Maintenance of good indoor air quality for residences could be very challenging. Episodic event such as cooking emits a large amount of ultrafine and supermicron particles. A numerical model is used to simulate a 10-min cooking process in a real room, followed by a few more minutes to allow the decay and removal of particles. Particle dispersion and deposition in the kitchen and the living room are simulated by a new drift-flux model. Strong buoyancy flow is observed and particle concentration is significantly affected by the thermal plume. Results show that for supermicron particles strong non-uniformity of concentration is observed in the kitchen but the non-uniformity is less obvious in the living room. Exposure analysis must take into account the influence of the particle sizes.     

Mercury in the River Nura and its floodplain, Central Kazakhstan: I. River sediments and water

The River Nura in Central Kazakhstan has been heavily polluted by mercury originating from an acetaldehyde plant. Mercury in the riverbed is mainly associated with power station fly ash, forming a new type of technogenic deposit. A systematic survey of the bed was carried out to establish the location, extent and nature of the contaminated sediments, and to evaluate the potential for sediment transport. The bed sediments were found to contain very high concentrations of mercury, particularly in the first 15 km downstream of the source of the pollution. Average total mercury concentrations in this section of the river are typically between 150 and 240 mg/kg, falling rapidly with increasing distance downstream. The estimated total volume of silts in the riverbed between Temirtau, the origin of the pollution, and Intumak Reservoir, located 75 km downstream, has been calculated as 463500 m3, containing an estimated 9.4 tonnes mercury. Forty-six percent of the total volume of contaminated silts containing almost 95% of the mercury are located in the upper 25 km of the river, however. The data clearly support the hypothesis that large quantities of polluted sediment are not transported long distances downstream but are removed from the aquatic environment in times of flood and deposited on the low-lying lands adjacent to the river. This process, however, does not stop mercury moving further downstream in the water column.     

Application of computational fluid dynamics in building performance simulation for the outdoor environment: an overview

This article provides an overview of the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in building performance simulation for the outdoor environment, focused on four topics: (1) pedestrian wind environment around buildings, (2) wind-driven rain on building facades, (3) convective heat transfer coefficients at exterior building surfaces and (4) air pollutant dispersion around buildings. For each topic, its background, the need for CFD, an overview of some past CFD studies, a discussion about accuracy and some perspectives for practical application are provided. This article indicates that for all four topics, CFD offers considerable advantages compared with wind tunnel modelling or (semi-)empirical formulae because it can provide detailed whole-flow field data under fully controlled conditions and without similarity constraints. The main limitations are the deficiencies of steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes modelling, the increased complexity and computational expense of large eddy simulation and the requirement of systematic and time-consuming CFD solution verification and validation studies.     

Gaseous formaldehyde removal: A laminated plate fabricated with activated carbon,polyimide, and copper foil with adjustable surface temperature and capable of in situ thermal regeneration

Formaldehyde is one of the most common indoor air pollutants in Chinese residences. This study introduces a novel laminated plate with adjustable surface temperature to remove gaseous formaldehyde. The plate is fabricated with activated carbon, polyimide, and copper foil via thermal compression. The plate can be regenerated in situ by applying a direct current to the copper foil. Adsorption‐regeneration cycle tests were conducted to evaluate the plate's formaldehyde removal performance. The overall removal efficiency of the fabricated laminated plate with glue mass fraction of 25% and thickness of 1.5 mm was about 30% at the face velocity of 0.8‐1.2 m/s. The pressure drop was about 5 Pa. Its removal ability can be regenerated in situ in 8 minutes by increasing the surface temperature to 80°C. The fabricated laminated plate showed good durability after 52 cycles of adsorption‐regeneration tests. The results indicate that the proposed laminated plate can enhance the purifying efficiency and enlarge the life span of ordinary, cheap sorbents. It makes cheap materials with low performance suitable for air purification.     

Indoor exposure levels of bacteria and fungi in residences,schools, and offices in China: A systematic review

Microbes in buildings have attracted extensive attention from both the research community and the general public due to their close relationship with human health. However, there still lacks comprehensive information on the indoor exposure level of microbes in China. This study systematically reviews exposure levels, the community structures, and the impact factors of airborne bacteria and fungi in residences, schools, and offices in China. We reviewed the major literature databases between 1980 and 2019 and selected 55 original studies based on a set of criteria. Results show that the concentration of indoor bacteria varies from 72.5 to 7500 CFU/m³, with a median value of 1000 CFU/m³, and the concentration of fungi varies from 12 to 9730 CFU/m³, with a median value of 526 CFU/m³. The concentration level of microbes varies in different climate zones, with higher bacterial concentrations in the severe cold zone, and higher fungal concentrations in the hot summer and warm winter zone. Among different buildings, classrooms have the highest average bacteria and fungi levels. This review reveals that a unified assessment system based on health effects is needed for evaluating the exposure levels of bacteria and fungi.     

Size-resolved dynamics of indoor and outdoor fluorescent biological aerosol particles in a bedroom: A one-month case study in Singapore

This study evaluated the interrelations between indoor and outdoor bioaerosols in a bedroom under a living condition. Two wideband integrated bioaerosol sensors were utilized to measure indoor and outdoor particulate matter (PM) and fluorescent biological airborne particles (FBAPs), which were within a size range of 0.5-20 μm. Throughout this one-month case study, the median proportion of FBAPs in PM by number was 19% (5%; the interquartile range, hereafter) and 17% (3%) for indoors and outdoors, respectively, and those by mass were 78% (12%) and 55% (9%). According to the size-resolved data, FBAPs dominated above 2 and 3.5 μm indoors and outdoors, respectively. Comparing indoor upon outdoor ratios among occupancy and window conditions, the indoor FBAPs larger than 3.16 μm were dominated by indoor sources, while non-FBAPs were mainly from outdoors. The occupant dominated the indoor source of both FBAPs and non-FBAPs. Under awake and asleep, count- and mass-based mean emission rates were 45.9 and 18.7 × 10⁶ #/h and 5.02 and 2.83 mg/h, respectively. Based on indoor activities and local outdoor air quality in Singapore, this study recommended opening the window when awake and closing it during sleep to lower indoor bioaerosol exposure.     

Examining the functional range of commercially available low-cost airborne particle sensors and consequences for monitoring of indoor air quality in residences

Low-cost airborne particle sensors are gaining attention for monitoring human exposure to indoor particulate matter. This study aimed to establish the concentrations at which these commercially available sensors can be expected to report accurate concentrations. We exposed five types of commercial integrated devices and three types of “bare” low-cost particle sensors to a range of concentrations generated by three different sources. We propose definitions of upper and lower bounds of functional range based on the relationship between a given sensor's output and that of a reference instrument during a laboratory experiment. Experiments show that the lower bound can range from approximately 3 to 15 μg/m³. At greater concentrations, sensor output deviates from linearity at approximately 300-3000 μg/m³. We also conducted a simulation campaign to analyze the effect of this limitation on functional range on the accuracy of exposure readings given by these devices. We estimate that the upper bound results in minimal inaccuracy in exposure quantification, and the lower bound can result in as much as a 50% error in approximately 10% of US homes.     

Lidar observations of the diurnal variations in the depth of urban mixing layer: a case study on the air quality deterioration in Taipei, Taiwan

An aerosol light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system was used to measure the depth of the atmospheric mixing layer over Taipei, Taiwan in the spring of 2005. This paper presents the variations of the mixing height and the mixing ratios of air pollutants during an episode of air quality deterioration (March 7-10, 2005), when Taipei was under an anti-cyclonic outflow of a traveling high-pressure system. It was found that, during those days, the urban mixing height reached its daily maximum of 1.0-1.5 km around noon and declined to 0.3-0.5 km around 18:00 (LST). In terms of hourly averages, the mixing height increased with the ambient temperature linearly by a slope of 166 m/degrees C in daytime. The consistency between the changes in the mixing height and in the ambient temperature implied that the mixing layer dynamics were dominated by solar thermal forcing. As the cap of the mixing layer descended substantially in the afternoon, reduced dispersion in the shallow mixing layer caused the concentrations of primary air pollutants to increase sharply. Consequently, the pollutant concentration exhibited an anti-correlation with the mixing height. While attentions are usually focused on the pollution problems occurring in a morning inversion layer, the results of this study indicate that the air pollution and its health impacts could be even more severe as the mixing layer is getting shallow in the afternoon.     

Organic compounds in office environments - sensory irritation, odor, measurements and the role of reactive chemistry

Abstract Sensory irritation and odor effects of organic compounds in indoor environments are reviewed. It is proposed to subdivide volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into four categories: (i) chemically non-reactive, (ii) chemically 'reactive', (iii) biologically reactive (i.e. form chemical bonds to receptor sites in mucous membranes) and (iv) toxic compounds. Chemically non-reactive VOCs are considered non-irritants at typical indoor air levels. However, compounds with low odor thresholds contribute to the overall perception of the indoor air quality. Reported sensory irritation may be the result of odor annoyance. It appears that odor thresholds for many VOCs probably are considerably lower than previously reported. This explains why many building materials persistently are perceived as odorous, although the concentrations of the detected organic compounds are close to or below their reported odor thresholds. Ozone reacts with certain alkenes to form a gas and aerosol phase of oxidation products, some of which are sensory irritants. However, all of the sensory irritating species have not yet been identified and whether the secondary aerosols (ultrafine and fine particles) contribute to sensory irritation requires investigation. Low relative humidity may exacerbate the sensory irritation impact. Practical Implications Certain odors, in addition to odor annoyance, may result in psychological effects and distraction from work. Some building materials continually cause perceivable odors, because the odor thresholds of the emitted compounds are low. Some oxidation products of alkenes (e.g. terpenes) may contribute to eye and airway symptoms under certain conditions and low relative humidity.     

Microbiological water quality in urban coastal beaches: the influence of water dynamics and optimization of the sampling strategy

In the summer 2001, the microbiological water quality of two contiguous urban coastal beaches (Porto, Portugal) was surveyed for 18 consecutive days. The sampling strategy consisted in sampling surface water in early morning, noon and afternoon. A total of 184 samples were processed at Pastoras beach, a confined area between two jetties, and Ourigo Beach more open to the ocean. At the first beach site, all samples exceeded fecal contamination above guide values (GV) and 82.6% above mandatory values (MV) set out in the EU Bathing Water Directive; whereas at Pastoras Beach, the figures were 93.5% for GV and 26.1% for MV, showing a potential health risk. The periodicity of fecal indicators in raw sewage, the tidal status and wind conditions dramatically influenced the water quality. The quality decreased in the morning regardless of tide conditions, but improved subsequently during the day, particularly during high tide and under the influence of afternoon NW winds. These dynamics are incompatible with the fortnight routine sampling according to the recommendations of the EU Bathing Water Directive, and the strategy should be revised on a beach-to-beach basis, having in mind the profile for the coastal zone.     

Energy, comfort and indoor air quality in nursery and elementary school buildings in the cold climatic zone of Greece

Schools are the most suitable type of building for the application of energy efficiency and good indoor air quality measures. This is justified by the fact that such measures can promote sustainability to the future citizens, and even more, ensure a comfortable and healthy environment for educational purposes. Unfortunately, in practice school buildings face the same, or even more intense, energy performance and indoor air quality problems as any other building. The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy efficiency, thermal environment and indoor air quality in public nursery and elementary school buildings in the city of Kozani, located at the cold climatic zone of Greece. The survey, conducted both by in-field measurements and by questionnaires, reveals the main parameters affecting the overall performance of the investigated buildings. The problematic building envelope, the improper control of heating and lighting systems, the absence of proper legislative measures and, above all, the lack of interest concerning the efficiency of such buildings are the main factors in the reported efficiency.