35 research outputs found
Rapid evaluation of ammonium in different rain events minimizing needed volume by a cost-effective and sustainable PDMS supported solid sensor
[EN] The presence of ammonium ion in rainwater is due to atmospheric processes which involve its scavenging from gas phase and particulate matter. The fractionated samplings of rainwater can provide information about these processes and their potential sources. However, only a low sample volume may be available, which constrained the analysis in general and more particularly in situ mode. For minimizing this limitation, this work proposes a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-salicylate sensor that produces a color change. The embedding of solid reagents into PDMS was optimized. Good analytical characteristics (analysis time of 10 min, sample volume of 500 mL, limit of detection 0.03 mg/mL1) were obtained. Furthermore, other features of the method such as carbon footprint, equipment cost, residues, toxicity and safety have to be taken into account to be assessed according to the Green Analytical Chemistry approach. In this sense, the hexagon tool was employed for comparing the proposed sensor with methods based on the same reaction as well as with general methods for the ammonium analysis in water (using luminol, ion selective electrode, Nessler and modified Roth method). The proposed method based on PDMS-salicylate sensor stands out from all the others by its sustainability, particularly, in terms of low carbon footprint, residues and cost. The method was applied to fractionated samplings in a suburban site (Galicia, Northwestern Spain) and a higher contribution of the rainout process was observed. When long-duration rain events were analyzed, a relationship between the sampling time and ammonium concentration could indicate a loss of ammonium ion over time. The research focuses on developing an innovative PDMS-sensor, for monitoring ammonium determination in rainwater under wide conditions (scavenging process)
The occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bisphenol A and organophosphate flame retardants in indoor dust and soils from public open spaces: Implications for human exposure
Global concern exists regarding human exposure to organic pollutants derived from public open spaces and indoor dust. This study has evaluated the occurrence of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 11 organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and bisphenol A (BPA). To achieve this, a new simple, efficient and fast multi-residue analytical method based on a fully automated pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) and subsequent quantification by gas chromatography coupled to electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode was developed. The developed method was applied to indoor dust (12 sampling households) and soil derived from two public open spaces (POSs). Among all compounds studied, PAHs were the most ubiquitous contaminants detected in POS soils and indoor dust although some OPFRs and BPA were detected in lower concentrations. An assessment of the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was done and indicated a high potential cancer risk from the POS sites and some of the indoor dust sampled sites. However, key variables, such as the actual exposure duration, frequency of contact and indoor cleaning protocols will significantly reduce the potential risk. Finally, the ingestion of soils and indoor dust contaminated with OPFRs and BPA was investigated and noted in almost all cases to be below the USEPA reference doses
The Spanish Network on Environmental DMAs: introduction and main activities
Comunicación presentada en: V Reunión Española de Ciencia y Tecnología de Aerosoles – RECTA 2011 celebrada del 27 al 29 de junio de 2011 en CIEMAT, Madrid
Tracers and impact of open burning of rice straw residues on PM in Eastern Spain
6 figures, 3 tables.-- © 2007. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Biomass burning emissions of rice straw residues may be carried out near urban agglomerations and may present a potential health risk for the population. Thus, tracers of these emissions should be clearly identified. We present a detailed chemical characterisation, including inorganic and organic tracer species, of PM10 aerosol at a rural site located close to the urban agglomeration of Valencia (Eastern Spain) during the rice straw burning season in 2006. Our results show that open burning of rice field residues increased daily PM10 concentrations on a regional scale (approximately 17,400 ha) by 10-15 μg m-3 on average, with a maximum of 30 μg m-3 on peak episodic days. PM10 levels during open burning events were especially enriched in oxalate, fluoranthene, C31 n-alkane, levoglucosan, K, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), oleic acid, Cl-, Na, NO3 -, and V. High enrichments were also obtained for Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Na, probably as a consequence of the bioaccumulation of trace metals in rice straw and the influence of sea spray and brackish waters on the crops. Anthropogenic contributions from lubricant oil residues, probably from agricultural machinery or nearby traffic emissions, were also detected in the levels of n-alkanes (C19). The high Carbon Preference Index (CPI; >3.5) obtained for n-alkanoic acids confirmed their mostly biogenic origin. Organic tracers were more sensitive than inorganic species to the influence of indirect (regional scale or long-range transported) biomass burning emissions. Source apportionment of the PM10 mass by means of PCA-MLRA showed that rice straw burning reached maximum contributions up to 40% of the PM10 mass during peak episodes.Meteorological data were collected from the flux tower located at the rice fields from CARBOEUROPE IP EU project. The sampling equipment and the site were provided by the DEVESA-ALBUFERA department (Valencia City Council) in the framework of their participation in the ECORICE LIFE project. [...]. The work at Ghent University was supported by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office and the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO)
Occurrence of organotin compounds in waters of the spanish coast under the European Water Framework Directive
Organotin compounds (OTCs), such as tributyltin (TBT), are persistent organic pollutants that are
present in water samples (surface water, river water, sea water, waste water, etc.) because of
anthropogenic activities (antifouling agents in ship paints, biocides in polymers, etc.). The toxicity
and endocrine disruption potential of these chemicals have been demonstrated even at very low
levels (<1 ng L−1) (Devos et al. 2012). Due to the extensive presence of OTCs in all environmental
media as well as their adverse effects on human health and biota, quantitative and qualitative
determination of those com-pounds in complex environmental matrices has become a matter of
great concern, mainly butyl and phenyl-substituted. Also, these compounds are included in the list of
priority substances according to the EU Directive 2013/39/EU amending Directives 2000/60/EC and
2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy. This directive specifies
annual average environmental quality standard (AA-EQS) of 0.2 ng L−1 TBT and a maximum
allowable environmental quality standard (MAC-EQS) of 1.5 ng L−1 TBT for all surface waters.
Samples were collected in two semiconfined coastal areas, one of them an area with high industrial
and port activities (Ría de Vigo) and the other one with high touristic and agricultural activity (Mar
Menor).The sampling campaigns were performed in spring and autumn of 2015. The levels of MBT,
DBT, TBT, MPhT, DPhT and TPhT in the seawater samples were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC–QqQMS/
MS method (Moscoso-Pérez et al. 2015).
MPhT, DPhT and TPhT were not detected in any sample at levels higher than LOQ. For butylated
compounds, MBT, DBT and TBT were detected in 100% of the analyzed samples in the Mar Menor.
In the Vigo estuary, MBT has been detected in 83.3% of the samples, the DBT in 75% and the TBT
in 88%. The TBT is present in 92% of the total of 39 analyzed samples, being detected in 100% of
the samples of the Mar Menor and in 88% of the samples of the Ría de Vigo. These levels are
similar than those detected in other locations, and lower than the detected in ports near the coast of
Gijón characterized by a great maritime traffic (Centineo et al. 2004).Program of Consolidation and Structuring of Units of Competitive Investigation of the University System of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia) potentially cofinanced by ERDF in the frame of the operative Program of Galicia 2007-2013 (reference: GRC2013-047) and by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (IMPACTA, project reference: CTM2013-48194-C3-2-R, and ARPA-ACUA, project reference: CTM2016-77945-C3-3-R)
Calibration and intercomparison results in the Spanish network on environmental DMAs
Comunicación presentada en: 2012 European Aerosol Conference (EAC-2012), B-WG01S2P30, celebrada del 2 al 7 de septiembre de 2012 en Granada.This network is financed by the Ministry of Science and
Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E)
The REDMAAS 2012 SMPS+UFP intercomparison campaign
Resumen de la comunicación oral presentada en: 1st Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology – RICTA 2013, celebrado del 1 al 3 de julio de 2013 en Évora, Portugal.This network is financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E & CGL2011-27020)
The REDMAAS 2014 intercomparison campaign: CPC, SMPS, UFPM and neutralizers
Ponencia presentada en:2nd Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology (RICTA 2014) celebrado en Tarragona del 7 al 9 de julio de 2014.The Spanish network on environmental DMAs (Red Española de DMAs Ambientales, REDMAAS), working since 2010, is currently formed by six groups involved in the measurement of atmospheric aerosol size distributions by means of Differential Mobility Analyzers (DMAs). One of its activities is an annual intercomparison of mobility size
spectrometers (SMPS and UFPM). In this work we show the results obtained in the 2014 campaign: the verification of DMA calibrations with latex, the results of the CPC and SMPS + UFPM intercomparisons, and a comparison of the new TSI 3087 X-ray and the former TSI 3077 85Kr neutralizers. The concentrations measured by different types of CPC were within the range of 10% of the average value. CPCs working at higher flow rates measured slightly higher concentrations, probably related to the smaller losses in the lines. All the SMPS worked at the same sampling and sheath flow rates (1:10 lpm). Four of the SMPS gave very good results for particles larger than 20 nm. The UFPM measured particle number concentrations in the average +/-10% band measured by the SMPS. Instruments working with the X-ray neutralizer measured higher concentrations than with the 85Kr neutralizers. This could mean that particle losses are smaller inside this neutralizer.This work has been financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E, CGL2010-1777, CGL2011-27020 & CGL2011-26259)
Compuestos orgánicos en aguas del estuario del Río Miño. Proyecto "TEAM-Miño"
Comunicación presentada al II Congreso Internacional de Ingeniería Civil y Territorio. Agua, Cultura y Sociedad. Vigo, 20 y 21 de Mayo de 2013.Los resultados de este trabajo se engloban en el Marco del proyecto TEAM-Miño “Transferencia de
herramientas para la Evaluación, Ordenación, Gestión y Educación Ambiental en Estuarios” financiado por la
Unión Europea (POCTEP 2007-2013), que pretende desarrollar herramientas comunes para la tipificación y
clasificación del estado ecológico de las masas de agua de transición del sur de Galicia y norte de Portugal, con
la finalidad de colaborar en la implantación de la Directiva Marco del Agua. Se han analizado 19 muestras de
agua recogidas a lo largo del río Miño y sus afluentes. En ellas se han determinado diferentes contaminantes de
amplio interés industrial y ambiental, como hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP), compuestos
organoestánnicos, alquilfenoles y bisfenol A. Salvo excepciones, los niveles encontrados en las muestras no son
elevados (<0,1 μg/L). La mayoría de los HAPs se encuentran por debajo de los límites de cuantificación del
método analítico (MQL), siendo el compuesto mayoritario el naftaleno. Los compuestos organoestánnicos
tampoco han sido detectados. Los alquilfenoles están presentes en todos los puntos muestreados (<MQL-1
μg/L), mientras que el bisfenol A se ha encontrado únicamente en dos de ellos, pero a altas concentraciones (>3
μg/L). En ningún caso las concentraciones medidas superan los límites establecidos en la Directiva
2008/105/CE
Atmospheric particle size distributions in the Spanish Network of Environmental DMAs (REDMAAS)
The present work is a first approach to the study of the spatio-temporal variability of
the submicrometer atmospheric aerosol in Spain. The aerosol measurements have been
obtained simultaneously at seven monitoring stations that compose the REDMAAS network
during two measurement campaigns corresponding to summer and winter seasons.
In both summer and winter periods those measurement stations with a direct influence of
anthropogenic emissions recorded the highest concentrations of particle number. In the
summer campaign, the average daily pattern of the aerosol size distribution in the traffic and
background urban stations was conditioned by the traffic emissions and secondary aerosol
formation through photochemical reactions (new particle formation events, NPF). However,
the secondary aerosol had a higher contribution to the aerosol total number concentration in the
rural background and high-altitude stations. In the winter campaign, in all sampling sites with
the exception of Izaña station, the traffic and domestic activity emissions had a greater
contribution than secondary aerosol formation on particle number total concentration.
New particle formation events were identified at all sites during the summer period, and at sites
without direct influence of anthropogenic emissions during the winter campaign. Some aerosol
shrinkage processes were also observed at the Madrid and El Arenosillo stations.This work has been financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E,
CGL2010-1777, CGL2011-27020, CGL2014-52877-R & CGL2014-55230-R), Xunta de Galicia
(GRC2013-047 potentially cofounded by ERDF) and the European Union Seventh Framework
Programme (FP7/2007–2013) ACTRIS under grant agreement no. 262254