Web Application for Atmospheric Aerosol Data Management: Software and Case Study in the Spanish Network on Environmental Differential Mobility Analysers

[Abstract] SCALA© (Sampling Campaigns for Aerosols in the Low Atmosphere) is a web-based software system that was developed in a multidisciplinary manner to integrally support the documentation and the management and analysis of atmospheric aerosol data from sampling campaigns. The software development process applied considered the prototyping and the evolutionary approaches. The software product (SCALA©) allows for the comprehensive management of the sampling campaigns’ life cycle (management of the profiles and processes involved in the start-up, development and closure of a campaign) and provides support for both intra- and inter-campaigns data analysis. The pilot deployment of SCALA© considers the Spanish Network on Environmental Differential Mobility Analysers (DMAs) (REDMAAS) and the PROACLIM project. This research project involves, among other objectives, the study of temporal and spatial variations of the atmospheric aerosol through a set of microphysical properties (size distribution, optical properties, hygroscopicity, etc.) measured in several locations in Spain. The main conclusions regarding size distribution are presented in this work. These have been have been extracted through SCALA© from the data collected in the REDMAAS 2015 and 2019 intercomparison campaigns and two years (2015 and 2016) of measurements with two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPS) at CIEMAT (Madrid, central Spain) and UDC (A Coruña, NW of Spain) sites.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; CGL2014-52877-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad; CGL2017-85344-RXunta de Galicia; GRC2013-047Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/28Gobierno Regional de Madrid; Y2018/EMT-517

On the Influence of VOCs on New Particle Growth in a Continental-Mediterranean Region

[Abstract] A field campaign has been performed in the Madrid region to study the VOC influence in the growth of new particles in ambient air. A number of instruments have been deployed to characterize the main pollutant gases and particle properties and composition. The measurements were performed simultaneously at three sites (rural, urban background and urban traffic influenced) in the period 1–17 July 2019. The sites: Tres Cantos (rural), CIEMAT (urban background) and Leganés (urban traffic) were located within the Madrid airshed. Particle size distributions, mass concentrations at fractions PM10, PM2.5 and PM1, black carbon, VOCs species and gaseous pollutants (NOx and O3) were obtained in the sites. Some supplementary measurements were obtained in at least one of the sites: meteorological parameters, non-refractory submicron aerosol species and vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties. It has been observed that the new particle formation (NPF) events, nucleation and subsequent growth, happened at a regional scale, although differently among the sites. In the rural site, fewer events than expected were observed because of the high temperatures that affected the BVOC emissions. In the urban background site, the highest number of events was reached. In this station, it is common to receive air masses from the nearby forest and from the urban area, producing a mix of conditions with high BVOC and AVOC concentrations. In the urban traffic site, several NPF cases appeared, being a site dominated by AVOCs. Among the BVOCs measured in the three stations, the most common were α-Pinene and Limonene. Among the AVOCs measured, aromatics and linear hydrocarbon compounds for C10 and above were found. The linear group was found to be predominant during the NPF event days in the urban background site. This work provides new insights about the aerosol-forming precursors and growth of new particles in the Madrid region.This research has been partially funded by the CRISOL Project (CGL2017-85344-R MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE), OASIS project (PID2021-127885OB-I00 fund by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by 'ERDF A way of making Europe') and by the TIGAS-CM project (Madrid Regional Government Y2018/EMT-5177)Comunidad de Madrid; Y2018/EMT-517

Real-Time Measurements of Indoor–Outdoor Exchange of Gaseous and Particulate Atmospheric Pollutants in an Urban Area

Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to health, causing millions of deaths and deleterious health effects worldwide, especially in urban areas where citizens are exposed to high ambient levels of pollutants, also influencing indoor air quality (IAQ). Many sources of indoor air are fairly obvious and well known, but the contribution of outside sources to indoor air still leads to significant uncertainties, in particular the influence that environmental variables have on outdoor/indoor pollutant exchange mechanisms. This is a critical aspect to consider in IAQ studies. In this respect, an experimental study was performed at a public site such as a university classroom during a non-academic period in Madrid city. This includes two field campaigns, in summer (2021) and winter (2020), where instruments for measuring gases and particle air pollutants simultaneously measured outdoor and indoor real-time concentrations. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic variations in the indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios in terms of ambient outdoor conditions (meteorology, turbulence and air quality) and indoor features (human presence or natural ventilation). The results show that the I/O ratio is pollutant-dependent. In this sense, the infiltration capacity is higher for gaseous compounds, and in the case of particles, it depends on the particle size, with a higher infiltration capacity for smaller particles (<PM2.5). Additionally, under specific situations of high atmospheric stability, the concentrations of gases derived from traffic tend to accumulate in the room, keeping the background concentrations. These concentrations decreased when room ventilation was produced simultaneously with well-ventilated (high wind speed) external conditions. This suggests that the meteorology and turbulence parameters played a key role in influencing indoor ambient pollution conditions by enhancing the dispersion or accumulation of pollutants. The obtained results highlight the high number of variables involved in the outdoor/indoor exchange of air pollutants and, consequently, how complex its study is. Thus, the knowledge of these factors is critical for understanding the behavior of indoor pollutants and controlling human exposure in indoor environments.Comunidad de MadridEuropean CommissionMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesDepto. de Física de la Tierra y AstrofísicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpubDescuento UC

Urban vegetation and particle air pollution: experimental campaigns in a traffic hotspot

Versión aceptadaThis work presents the main results of two experimental campaigns carried out in summer and winter seasons in a complex pollution hotspot near a large park, El Retiro, in Madrid (Spain). These campaigns were aimed at understanding the microscale spatio-temporal variation of ambient concentration levels in areas with high pollution values to obtain data to validate models on the effect of urban trees on particulate matter concentrations. Two different measuring approaches have been used. The first one was static, with instruments continuously characterizing the meteorological variables and the particulate matter concentration outside and inside the park. During the summer campaign, the particulate matter concentration was clearly influenced by a Saharan dust outbreak during the period 23 June to 10 July 2016, when most of the particulate matter was in the fraction PM2.5-10. During the winter campaign, the mass concentrations were related to the meteorological conditions and the high atmospheric stability. The second approach was a dynamic case with mobile measurements by portable instruments. During the summer campaign, a DustTrak instrument was used to measure PM10 and PM2.5 in different transects close to and inside the park at different distances from the traffic lane. It was observed a decrease in the concentrations up to 25% at 20 m and 50% at 200 m. High PK10 values were linked to dust resuspension caused by recreational activities and to a Saharan dust outbreak. The highest PM values were measured at the Independencia square, an area with many bus stops and high traffic density. During the winter campaign, three microaethalometers were used for Black Carbon measurement. Both pollutants also showed a reduction in their concentrations when moving towards inside the park. For PM10 and PM2.5, reductions up to 50% were observed, while for BC this reduction was smaller, about 20%. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Madrid Regional Research Plan through TECNAIREDepto. de Física de la Tierra y AstrofísicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEunpu

Urban vegetation and particle air pollution: experimental campaigns in a traffic hotspot

El texto completo de este trabajo no se encuentra disponible por no haber sido facilitado aún por su autor, por restricciones de copyright, o por no existir una versión digitalThis work presents the main results of two experimental campaigns carried out in summer and winter seasons in a complex pollution hotspot near a large park, El Retiro, in Madrid (Spain). These campaigns were aimed at understanding the microscale spatio-temporal variation of ambient concentration levels in areas with high pollution values to obtain data to validate models on the effect of urban trees on particulate matter concentrations. Two different measuring approaches have been used. The first one was static, with instruments continuously characterizing the meteorological variables and the particulate matter concentration outside and inside the park. During the summer campaign, the particulate matter concentration was clearly influenced by a Saharan dust outbreak during the period 23 June to 10 July 2016, when most of the particulate matter was in the fraction PM2.5-10. During the winter campaign, the mass concentrations were related to the meteorological conditions and the high atmospheric stability. The second approach was a dynamic case with mobile measurements by portable instruments. During the summer campaign, a DustTrak instrument was used to measure PM10 and PM2.5 in different transects close to and inside the park at different distances from the traffic lane. It was observed a decrease in the concentrations up to 25% at 20 m and 50% at 200 m. High PK10 values were linked to dust resuspension caused by recreational activities and to a Saharan dust outbreak. The highest PM values were measured at the Independencia square, an area with many bus stops and high traffic density. During the winter campaign, three microaethalometers were used for Black Carbon measurement. Both pollutants also showed a reduction in their concentrations when moving towards inside the park. For PM10 and PM2.5, reductions up to 50% were observed, while for BC this reduction was smaller, about 20%. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Madrid Regional Research Plan through TECNAIREDepto. de Física de la Tierra y AstrofísicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu

Escala 1-1. Trayectos experimentales en el proceso de determinación del Proyecto Arquitectónico.

El proyecto de investigación llevado adelante por la Cátedra del Ciclo Básico del taller Valderrama, explora las posibilidades pedagógicas de una didáctica interdisciplinaria que introduce ejercitaciones a escala real como dispositivos de interfaz entre sucesivas instancias de transformación en el proceso de determinación de la arquitectura, como una sucesión de transformaciones encadenadas. A partir del monitoreo sistemático, se produjeron ajustes que mejoraron significativamente la performance de los estudiantes y la validez de la didáctica en su capacidad de generalización y aplicación en contextos diferenciados, introduciendo trayectos experimentales a escala 1:1 en una apuesta hacia el aprendizaje situado, incorporando una participación corporal legítima y un vínculo con la práctica artesanal. El contexto de pandemia nos exigió la readaptación de las exploraciones pedagógicas y devino en artefactos adaptados a los procedimientos y procesos de producción emanados de las condiciones del aislamiento social preventivo y obligatorio (ASPO), trabajando con técnicas mixtas, analógicas y digitales, donde se hibridaron los procesos experimentales a escala 1:1 con la inteligencia artificial y se propició un tipo de producción basada en “la expresión de lo disponible”. Se realizaron escaneos del territorio con fotogrametría, con maquetas digitales del lugar y experimentos a escala 1:1 utilizando materiales de descarte, encontrados en un radio de 100m de casa. También se propició y se trabajó en el reconocimiento de las cualidades de los distintos ambientes domésticos como lugares de laboratorio (luz, agua, temperatura, gravedad, fuego, hielo). La Pandemia Global generó un resquebrajamiento de los lazos sociales y dificultó la construcción colectiva del conocimiento; corrió el cuerpo de la escena del aula, impidiendo la producción de conocimientos desde la experimentación y la comprobación empírica a escala 1:1 y distorsionando la percepción del espacio con el propio cuerpo y la interrelación con el paisaje físico y simbólico. Las consecuencias de la pandemia nos ha forzado a re-pensar la disciplina. Entendemos que es urgente un giro onto-epistemológico que nos permita re-conectar los cuerpos, las materias, los artefactos y los territorios y profundizar la dimensión situada in-situ-in vivo y colectiva del proyecto arquitectónico

Revista Temas Agrarios Volumen 26; Suplemento 1 de 2021

1st International and 2nd National Symposium of Agronomic Sciences: The rebirth of the scientific discussion space for the Colombian Agro.1 Simposio Intenacional y 2 Nacional de Ciencias Agronómicas: El renacer del espacio de discusión científica para el Agro colombiano