PM10 source apportionment in a Swiss Alpine valley impacted by highway traffic

Although trans-Alpine highway traffic exhaust is one of the major sources of air pollution along the highway valleys of the Alpine regions, little is known about its contribution to residential exposure and impact on respiratory health. In this paper, source-specific contributions to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 10μm (PM10) and their spatio-temporal distribution were determined for later use in a pediatric asthma panel study in an Alpine village. PM10 sources were identified by positive matrix factorization using chemical trace elements, elemental, and organic carbon from daily PM10 filters collected between November 2007 and June 2009 at seven locations within the village. Of the nine sources identified, four were directly road traffic-related: traffic exhaust, road dust, tire and brake wear, and road salt contributing 16%, 8%, 1%, and 2% to annual PM10 concentrations, respectively. They showed a clear dependence with distance to highway. Additional contributions were identified from secondary particles (27%), biomass burning (18%), railway (11%), and mineral dust including a local construction site (13%). Comparing these source contributions with known source-specific biomarkers (e.g., levoglucosan, nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) showed high agreement with biomass burning, moderate with secondary particles (in winter), and lowest agreement with traffic exhaus

Source Apportionment of Sub-Micron Prague Aerosols from Combined Particle Number Size Distribution and Gaseous Composition Data by Bilinear Positive Matrix Factorization

Thesis Summary In this study' the sourcesofambient aerosolsin th€ uÍbanatmosphereofPrague, Czech Republic are apportionedusing bilinear Positive Matrix Faďorization (PMF2). Prior to this worl limited use of PMF techniquehas b€ťÍ' ryplied to Prague aerosols while elsewherearoundthe world, it has beenaaively usedby aerosol scientiststo reap thebenefitsince its fint inÚoduction in tbevea 1993. ln the currentstudy,the combinď pctrte nmber size disributions and readily available gaseous concentration .láa tÍE 'E.d b ryortioning winter sub.micron particle sources in the urbm atmospbc of hgr. Tlle anbient Particle Number Concentations (PNC) wereotxainedsing r Scmng Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) in the size rangebetweeÍr14.ó md 73ó.5 m (Btd9od dianaers) along with the ambient gaseous concentrationsof CO, SQ. l,io, ()O * ]\iQL q, CH4, and Non Methane Hydrocarbons(NMHC) at the reccprr sit< e xllqriped rooftop sampling station(at height about 25m above street leall 25E AsL) be|onging to th€ Institute for Environmentalstuďes, Cbates tJnngsal 0aoe.5ď 4, |7.46"N; longifude-l4o25' 14.92 E). It is situared insi& lb. rDncn! borni:al garden (area 0.035 km2).The receptoÍsite is shie|dedfrom diÍcctsouccs ofpo|hrin and thereaÍeno streetcanyon conditionsthatmigbt affea Úr sr@ry cmúm The meteorological d-Í. coocÍnmg umd..

Využití velikostní distribuce a elementárního složení městského aerosolu pro odhadu hlavních zdrojů/procesů podmikronových Pražských aerosolu pomocí receptorové modelování metody-Bilinear Positive Matrix Factorization

Thesis Summary In this study' the sourcesofambient aerosolsin th€ uÍbanatmosphereofPrague, Czech Republic are apportionedusing bilinear Positive Matrix Faďorization (PMF2). Prior to this worl limited use of PMF techniquehas b€ťÍ' ryplied to Prague aerosols while elsewherearoundthe world, it has beenaaively usedby aerosol scientiststo reap thebenefitsince its fint inÚoduction in tbevea 1993. ln the currentstudy,the combinď pctrte nmber size disributions and readily available gaseous concentration .láa tÍE 'E.d b ryortioning winter sub.micron particle sources in the urbm atmospbc of hgr. Tlle anbient Particle Number Concentations (PNC) wereotxainedsing r Scmng Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) in the size rangebetweeÍr14.ó md 73ó.5 m (Btd9od dianaers) along with the ambient gaseous concentrationsof CO, SQ. l,io, ()O * ]\iQL q, CH4, and Non Methane Hydrocarbons(NMHC) at the reccprr sit< e xllqriped rooftop sampling station(at height about 25m above street leall 25E AsL) be|onging to th€ Institute for Environmentalstuďes, Cbates tJnngsal 0aoe.5ď 4, |7.46"N; longifude-l4o25' 14.92 E). It is situared insi& lb. rDncn! borni:al garden (area 0.035 km2).The receptoÍsite is shie|dedfrom diÍcctsouccs ofpo|hrin and thereaÍeno streetcanyon conditionsthatmigbt affea Úr sr@ry cmúm The meteorological d-Í. coocÍnmg umd..

Source Apportionment of Sub-Micron Prague Aerosols from Combined Particle Number Size Distribution and Gaseous Composition Data by Bilinear Positive Matrix Factorization

Thesis Summary In this study' the sourcesofambient aerosolsin th€ uÍbanatmosphereofPrague, Czech Republic are apportionedusing bilinear Positive Matrix Faďorization (PMF2). Prior to this worl limited use of PMF techniquehas b€ťÍ' ryplied to Prague aerosols while elsewherearoundthe world, it has beenaaively usedby aerosol scientiststo reap thebenefitsince its fint inÚoduction in tbevea 1993. ln the currentstudy,the combinď pctrte nmber size disributions and readily available gaseous concentration .láa tÍE 'E.d b ryortioning winter sub.micron particle sources in the urbm atmospbc of hgr. Tlle anbient Particle Number Concentations (PNC) wereotxainedsing r Scmng Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) in the size rangebetweeÍr14.ó md 73ó.5 m (Btd9od dianaers) along with the ambient gaseous concentrationsof CO, SQ. l,io, ()O * ]\iQL q, CH4, and Non Methane Hydrocarbons(NMHC) at the reccprr sit< e xllqriped rooftop sampling station(at height about 25m above street leall 25E AsL) be|onging to th€ Institute for Environmentalstuďes, Cbates tJnngsal 0aoe.5ď 4, |7.46"N; longifude-l4o25' 14.92 E). It is situared insi& lb. rDncn! borni:al garden (area 0.035 km2).The receptoÍsite is shie|dedfrom diÍcctsouccs ofpo|hrin and thereaÍeno streetcanyon conditionsthatmigbt affea Úr sr@ry cmúm The meteorological d-Í. coocÍnmg umd..

PM10 source apportionment in a Swiss Alpine valley impacted by highway traffic

Although trans-Alpine highway traffic exhaust is one of the major sources of air pollution along the highway valleys of the Alpine regions, little is known about its contribution to residential exposure and impact on respiratory health. In this paper, source-specific contributions to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter > 10 μm (PM10) and their spatio-temporal distribution were determined for later use in a pediatric asthma panel study in an Alpine village. PM10 sources were identified by positive matrix factorization using chemical trace elements, elemental, and organic carbon from daily PM10 filters collected between November 2007 and June 2009 at seven locations within the village. Of the nine sources identified, four were directly road traffic-related: traffic exhaust, road dust, tire and brake wear, and road salt contributing 16 %, 8 %, 1 %, and 2 % to annual PM10 concentrations, respectively. They showed a clear dependence with distance to highway. Additional contributions were identified from secondary particles (27 %), biomass burning (18 %), railway (11 %), and mineral dust including a local construction site (13 %). Comparing these source contributions with known source-specific biomarkers (e.g., levoglucosan, nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) showed high agreement with biomass burning, moderate with secondary particles (in winter), and lowest agreement with traffic exhaust

Exposures to Carbon Monoxide from Off-Gassing of Bulk Stored Wood Pellets

There has been a significant increase in use of wood pellets in residential and commercial scale boiler systems within New York State, such an increase will lead to increased storage of bulk pellets in homes and buildings. Serious accidents in Europe have been reported over the past decade in which high concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) have been found in bulk pellet storage bins. Thus, additional exposure data for CO in pellet bin storage areas are needed to assess the potential hazards. Using calibrated CO sensors, continuous CO measurements were made from the spring 2013 to spring 2014 in a number of wood pellet storage bins in New York State. The CO sensors, in some cases, in conjunction with sensors for CO₂, O₂, relative humidity, and temperature, were installed in a residential basement, an external storage silo, and several boiler room storage areas in schools and a museum. Peak concentrations in these pellet storage locations ranged from 14 ppm in the basement residence to 155 ppm inside the storage silo at a school. One-hour CO concentrations in the boiler rooms were typically 10–15 ppm. The measured concentrations were compared to regulatory standards of 50 ppm and recommended guidelines of 35 and 9 ppm for work and nonworking environments, respectively. The concentrations at the three locations in the middle school never exceeded the 35 ppm guideline. At the museum, the CO concentrations after pellets delivery did reach a maximum of 55 ppm for a 1-h average. However, high concentrations remained for only 4 days due to natural ventilation in this storage location. Storage areas for pellets must be considered confined spaces and require appropriate entry procedures. As the biomass heating with pellets becomes more prevalent, improved designs for storage bins must be considered to minimize the risk of exposure to CO to building occupants

Measurement and Modeling of Carbon Monoxide Emission Rates from Multiple Wood Pellet Types

There is a potential hazard associated with bulk storage of wood pellets because they have been shown to off-gas carbon monoxide (CO). The risk to building occupants from the emission of and exposure to CO from stored pellets has not yet been fully studied. The present study was designed to measure the emission rates from wood pellets and develop a model to predict the CO emission rate. The 20 gallon steel drums were filled to approximately 50% of their volume with wood pellets and CO, and oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), temperature (<i>T</i>), and relative humidity (RH) were measured as a function of time. A variety of conditions were tested including the type of wood, age of the pellets, volume of the headspace, humidity, surface/volume ratio, and temperature. An improved kinetic model was developed to predict the CO emission rate. The model assumes that the reaction generating CO is surface-area-limited. The measurements were well-fit by the mathematical model (<i>R</i>² in the range of 0.93–0.99), suggesting that the model is a good predictor of the CO emission rates