Fingerprinting outdoor air environment using microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) – A review

© 2016 The Authors The impact of bioaerosol emissions from urban, agricultural and industrial environments on local air quality is of growing policy concern. Yet the risk exposure from outdoor emissions is difficult to quantify in real-time as microbial concentration in air is low and varies depending on meteorological factors and land use types. While there is also a large number of sampling methods in use, there is yet no standardised protocol established. In this review, a critical insight into chemical fingerprint analysis of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) is provided. The most suitable techniques for sampling and analysing MVOCs in outdoor environments are reviewed and the need for further studies on MVOCs from outdoor environments including background levels is highlighted. There is yet no rapid and portable technique that allows rapid detection and analysis of MVOCs on site. Further directions towards a portable GC–MS coupled with SPME or an electronic nose are discussed

Atmospheric concentrations of SO2, NO2, ozone and VOCs in Duzce, Turkey using passive air samplers: Sources, spatial and seasonal variations and health risk estimation

Ozden, Ozlem/0000-0003-4310-788X; bozkurt, zehra/0000-0003-0437-4109WOS: 000447035900017In this research, seasonal and spatial distributions of inorganic and organic pollutants (sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O-3) and also volatile organic compounds (VOCs)), were determined by passive sampling technique. Fifty sampling sites were selected considering possible sources in the study area. The sampling area were classified as urban (n=23), industrial (n=17) and rural (n=10) regions. Sampling campaigns were carried out for two-week periods in fall, winter, spring and summer seasons in all regions. Benzene and toluene concentrations were found to be the highest in winter at the traffic-dense sites and lowest concentrations were measured at rural sampling sites in summer. Concentrations of NO2 were higher at sampling sites with high traffic density in winter. A much uniform distribution was observed for SO2 in all seasons. However higher levels were observed in winter compared to other seasons due to use of coal for domestic heating. Low O-3 concentrations were measured in winter while higher concentrations were measured in summer. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), four factors (gasoline vehicle emissions, diesel vehicle emissions, industrial emissions and fossil fuel combustion) were identified that could explain about 78% of the system variance of the measured pollutants in the city. Health risk assessment revealed that the safe level of 1 x 10(-6) (United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) acceptable risk value) was exceeded for benzene in all sampling sites in whole region, but non-carcinogenic risk values were at safe level.Duzce University Scientific Research Projects Coordinator (DUBAP) [2014.06.02.219]This study was supported by the Duzce University Scientific Research Projects Coordinator (DUBAP) (Project number: 2014.06.02.219)

Spatial variation of VOCs and inorganic pollutants in a university building

Indoor concentrations of 34 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O-3) were measured at 32 sampling points in classes, offices and hallways of the Environmental Engineering Department (ENVE) in the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara. Outdoor samples were also collected around the department during the sampling campaigns. Two passive sampling campaigns, one in summer and the other one in winter, were conducted. Indoor concentrations of most pollutants were higher than their outdoor concentrations owing to the presence of indoor sources. The notable exception to this general pattern is O3. The average indoor/outdoor concentration ratio (I/O) was 10.9 in winter and 3.7 in summer. For most of the VOCs, the winter concentrations were higher than their summer concentrations due to more effective ventilation of the building and variation of emissions during summer months. Compounds with higher concentrations in the summer samples were the ones that were strongly affected by solvent evaporation in laboratories. Copyright (C) 2016 Turkish National Committee for Air Pollution Research and Control. Production and hosting by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved

Atmospheric ambient trace element concentrations of PM10 at urban and sub-urban sites: source apportionment and health risk estimation

Ozden, Ozlem/0000-0003-4310-788X; Pekey, Hakan/0000-0002-6135-7770; Pekey, Hakan/0000-0002-6135-7770; bozkurt, zehra/0000-0003-0437-4109WOS: 000426607700044PubMed: 29476395In this study, PM10 concentrations and elemental (Al, Fe, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Pb, and Bi) contents of particles were determined in Duzce, Turkey. The particulate matter samplings were carried out in the winter and summer seasons simultaneously in both urban and sub-urban sampling sites. The average PM10 concentration measured in the winter season was 86.4 and 27.3 mu g/m(3), respectively, in the urban and sub-urban sampling sites, while it was measured as 53.2 and 34.7 mu g/m(3) in the summer season. According to the results, it was observed that the PM10 levels and the element concentrations reached higher levels, especially at the urban sampling site, in the winter season. The positive matrix factorization model (PMF) was applied to the data set for source apportionment. Analysis with the PMF model revealed six factors for both the urban (coal combustion, traffic, oil combustion, industry, biomass combustion, and soil) and sub-urban (industry, oil combustion, traffic, road dust, soil resuspension, domestic heating) sampling sites. Loadings of grouped elements on these factors showed that the major sources of the elements in the atmosphere of Duzce were traffic, fossil fuel combustion, and metal industry-related emissions.Duzce University Scientific Research Projects Coordinator (DUBAP)Duzce University [2014.06.02.219]; Duzce University Central Research Laboratory (DUBIT)This study was supported by the Duzce University Scientific Research Projects Coordinator (DUBAP) (Project number: 2014.06.02.219). The authors thank Duzce University Central Research Laboratory (DUBIT) for their valuable support to finalize the project

Determination of real-world emission factors of trace metals, EC, OC, BTEX, and semivolatile organic compounds (PAHs, PCBs and PCNs) in a rural tunnel in Bilecik, Turkey

A field study was performed in a rural tunnel to determine pollutant concentrations, sources and on road vehicle emission factors (EFs) of particulate matter, trace metals, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylenes (BTEX), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Emission factors (EFs) for polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were also determined. A 12-day extensive sampling campaign during morning and afternoon periods at inlet and exit stations of the tunnel was conducted. Morphology of the particles was also investigated by Scanning Electron Microcopy (SEM). Correlation analysis, factor analysis and diagnostic PAH ratios were utilized to identify emission sources of trace metals. Identified sources include brake wear (33%), resuspension of road dust (15%), tyre wear (12%), exhaust emissions (10%), and lubricants (9%). Based on the PAH diagnostic ratios, major sources of PAHs were estimated as diesel emissions

An integrative approach for determination of air pollution and its health effects in a coal fired power plant area by passive sampling

Ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O-3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured at several locations in Kutahya, a severely polluted city and also characterized as a thermal power plant city, in Turkey. Two-week extensive passive sampling campaigns were carried out in summer and winter at 108 sampling sites that were classified into three main groups as urban, rural and industrial. Spatial and seasonal distributions of the measured pollutants were evaluated employing Geographical Information System techniques. All pollutant concentrations showed an increasing pattern in winter, except for ozone. The concentrations of VOCs were substantially higher particularly at sampling sites with high traffic and population densities. Power plants were noted as important sources for VOCs since high concentrations were measured especially around the power plants. Highest NO2 levels were observed in the city center while there was a general decrease in the concentration levels far away from the city center. Considerably higher SO2 levels were observed in the settlements where local coal is used for residential heating. Seasonal variations in SO2 concentrations were quite low around the thermal power plants indicating their important effect on atmospheric levels. A basic population exposure assessment was conducted for two largest settlements of the province (Kutahya city center and Tav anh) by combining population density maps with pollutant distribution maps of NO2 and SO2. Exposure to NO2 and SO2 were assessed separately according to a classification made for different degrees of exposure. Cancer risks associated with inhalation of benzene were also estimated. Higher risk values were obtained from the sampling sites with higher population densities, especially in winter. Risk values estimated for 95 sampling sites were higher than EPA's acceptable risk value (1 x 10(-6)). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved