Pollution monitoring in two urban areas of Cuba by using Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. and top soil samples: spatial distribution and sources

This work provides a comprehensive report on the chemical composition of 47 major and trace elements in Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. and top soil samples from the cities of Cienfuegos and Santa Clara in Cuba. The main aims were to provide new information on the urban pollution degree in Caribbean urban regions where the availability of data of urban health indicators are very limited and to identify the main pollution sources. The abundance of the analyzed elements at both type of samples were different at each urban regions suggesting the influence of various sources. Top soils were slightly contaminated with Zn, V, Ba, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co and Hg and seriously contaminated with Ni and Cr in Santa Clara. These and other elements such as Se, S, P, Cd, Mo and Ca where highly enriched in T. recurvata indicating a significant impact of anthropogenic sources in the air quality of both urban areas. Cluster analysis helped us associate most of the elements with an anthropogenic origin with three main pollution sources: road traffic, industrial emissions and oil combustion. The spatial variability was particularly useful to identify some of these sources including the emissions from diesel and fuel oil combustion in power stations, biomass burning and metallurgic industries. The results also showed that V and Ni were strongly associated to the oil combustion and that V/Ni ratio indices in both indicators can be used to trace this type of sources. The results presented in this study confirmed the conclusion that both T. recurvata and top soils can be used as feasible indicators of the health of Caribbean urban ecosystems and the distribution of the main pollution sources that are affecting them

Data for: Determination and source apportionment of major and trace elements in atmospheric bulk deposition in a Caribbean rural area

Bulk deposition samples (wet + dry) were collected using five bulk rain collectors (50 L polyethylene) with a total surface area of 1.25 m2. The collectors were installed on a small building roof (about 5 m above ground) in the CEAC facilities, and acidified prior to deployment with concentrated HCl. After monthly periods the samples were collected rinsing the walls of collectors twice with distilled water and combined all into plastic bottles; then the collectors were acidified and deployed again. The samples were immediately transported to the laboratory where they were evaporated to dryness and weighed (before and after the evaporation) to obtain the mass of total deposited particles. The residual particles were stored until the chemical analysis.Determination of elements was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, Agilent 7500a), after their acid extraction in closed microwave digestion (CEM Co., Mars X press) adding 0.25 g of sample and 12 ml of aqua regia (HCl/HNO3=3:1). A multi-elemental solution (Li, Sc, Y, In, Bi, Inorganic Ventures 71D) was added to the samples as internal standard for further determination by ICP-MS. A total of 47 elements, including 13 lanthanoid elements (La to Lu), were simultaneously quantified in all samples.The monthly atmospheric fluxes (F, in µg m-2 day-1) for the studied elements were calculated as follows:F=(C*m)/(S*T) (1)where: C is the measured concentration (in µg g-1), m is the total deposited dry mass (in g), S is the total surface area of the collectors (in m2) and T is the duration of the sampling period (in days). The atmospheric bulk deposition rate (µg m-2 day-1, hereinafter bulk deposition) was calculated by the same formula (Eq. 1) without the parameter

Data for: Elucidating the sources and dynamics of PM10 aerosols in Cienfuegos (Cuba) using their multi-stable and radioactive isotope and ion compositions

PM10 samples were collected during 2015 and 2016 on pre-combusted (4 hours at 550 ºC) quartz fiber filters (Munktell, 150 mm diameter) using high-volume samplers (MCV-CAV) operating at a flow rate of 30 m3h−1 at several sites in the coastal region of Cienfuegos, Cuba. A total of 38 samples were simultaneously collected at an urban (noted US, 21 samples) and a rural (noted RS, 17 samples) site during 48h every 15 days between February 2015 and January 2016. Due to technical issues with the high-volume samplers some samples were unfortunately not collected, discontinuing our time series. In addition, a total of 40 samples were collected during a monitoring survey (24h-PM10 samples every 2 days) carried out at a traffic (noted TS, 14 samples), a residential (noted ES, 14 samples) and an industrial-suburban (noted IS, 12 samples) sites during February, March and April 2016, respectively.Ammonium (NH4+) and major anions (Cl-, NO3- and SO42-) were analyzed by Ion Chromatography (Dionex ICS 1100 for ammonium and Dionex ICS 2000 for anions) in the soluble fraction using a quarter of each filter from the TS, ES and IS sampling sites. The pH and electric conductivity (EC) were also analyzed in the soluble fraction of these samples.Total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and their corresponding stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N) were determined in samples collected at TS, ES and IS sampling sites using an Elemental Analyzer (EA, Vario MICRO Cube, Elementar, Hanau, Germany) coupled to an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS, IsoPrime 100, Cheadle, UK) operating in continuous flow mode. The inorganic carbon fraction (carbonate) was not removed prior to the isotope analysis. For the δ13C analysis a 1.3 cm2 piece punched from each PM10 quartz filter was packed into a tin capsule and analyzed by EA-IRMS. For the δ15N analysis, we adapted the method by gathering several smallest punches that reached a total area of 3.0 cm2 that we also packed into a tin capsule, and adding tungsten oxide (WO3) as a catalyst to achieve complete combustion. Isotope compositions were expressed using the regular δ13C and δ15N notations, which represent the relative difference expressed in per mil (‰) between the isotope ratio measured in the sample and that of an international standard (Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) for carbon and atmospheric N2 for nitrogen).The 210Pb, 7Be, 137Cs and 40K activity concentrations (in mBq m-3) were measured directly in the PM10 samples from the US and RS sampling site using a low-level gamma spectrometric system with an HPGe well detector.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Data for: Determination and source apportionment of major and trace elements in atmospheric bulk deposition in a Caribbean rural area

Bulk deposition samples (wet + dry) were collected using five bulk rain collectors (50 L polyethylene) with a total surface area of 1.25 m2. The collectors were installed on a small building roof (about 5 m above ground) in the CEAC facilities, and acidified prior to deployment with concentrated HCl. After monthly periods the samples were collected rinsing the walls of collectors twice with distilled water and combined all into plastic bottles; then the collectors were acidified and deployed again. The samples were immediately transported to the laboratory where they were evaporated to dryness and weighed (before and after the evaporation) to obtain the mass of total deposited particles. The residual particles were stored until the chemical analysis.Determination of elements was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, Agilent 7500a), after their acid extraction in closed microwave digestion (CEM Co., Mars X press) adding 0.25 g of sample and 12 ml of aqua regia (HCl/HNO3=3:1). A multi-elemental solution (Li, Sc, Y, In, Bi, Inorganic Ventures 71D) was added to the samples as internal standard for further determination by ICP-MS. A total of 47 elements, including 13 lanthanoid elements (La to Lu), were simultaneously quantified in all samples.The monthly atmospheric fluxes (F, in µg m-2 day-1) for the studied elements were calculated as follows:F=(C*m)/(S*T) (1)where: C is the measured concentration (in µg g-1), m is the total deposited dry mass (in g), S is the total surface area of the collectors (in m2) and T is the duration of the sampling period (in days). The atmospheric bulk deposition rate (µg m-2 day-1, hereinafter bulk deposition) was calculated by the same formula (Eq. 1) without the parameter CTHIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Data for: Pollution monitoring in two urban areas of Cuba by using Tillandsia recurvata (L.) L. and top soil samples: spatial distribution and sources

Samples of T. recurvata were collected in 5 and 4 sites of Santa Clara and Cienfuegos, respectively. Four sampling campaigns were carried out between 2015 and 2016: in Santa Clara, samples were collected in November 2015 and March, June and September 2016; while in Cienfuegos sampling campaigns took place in June and December 2015, and June and September 2016. The monitoring sites at both cities were located in roads or highways with high level of vehicular traffic (sites 1 and 3 in Cienfuegos and 2, 3 and 4 in Santa Clara) and in parks surrounded by busy roads (sites 2 and 4 in Cienfuegos and 1 and 5 in Santa Clara). At each sampling site, composite samples, made up of 3 to 6 plants from the same tree or nearby trees, were taken at a height of 2 m or higher in order to minimize resuspension of soils and particles from roads. Top soils samples (0-5 cm of roadside or parks soils) were collected in the same sampling places at the same time. Additionally, three composite samples of T. recurvata were collected in the Botanic Garden of Cienfuegos (site 5 in Figure 1) in September 2016 and considered as the control site (no soil samples were taken at this site). All samples were stored and labeled in self-sealed polyethylene bags and immediately taken to the laboratory for preparation.Unwashed samples of T. recurvata and top soils were oven-dried at 45˚C to constant weight, grounded and passed through a 250 µm sieve. The fraction <250 µm was stored in polyethylene bags until further analysis.Concentrations of 46 major and trace elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, Agilent 7500a). About 0.25 g (dry weight) of epiphytic plant and top soils samples were digested in a closed microwave digestion system (CEM Co., Mars X press) using 9 mL of concentrated nitric acid and 12 ml aqua regia, respectively. A multi-element solution (Li, Sc, Y, In, Bi) was added to each sample and used as internal standards for further analysis by ICP-MS. Mercury concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry using a Mercury Analyzer (MA-2000 Series, Nippon) on 50 mg of sample. Soil samples from the 4th sampling campaign were not measured by ICP-MS due to technical issues.For the quality control of the analytical procedure, a pine needle sample from the 15th ICP Forests ring test and the interlaboratory reference material M2-Pleurozium Schreberi were used for T. recurvata. For top soils, the certified reference materials Soil 0217-CM-73007 and 0217-CM-7003 (Silty Clay Loam) were used. In both cases, these QC samples, one blank (only reagents) and one duplicated sample were measured every ten samples. Elemental recovery from reference materials were in the range 76-101% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) <7% for epiphytic plants and 74-115% with RSD<9% for top soils. Here, the heavier lanthanoids (Dy to Lu) showed lower recoveries in the range 47-63% (RSD<6%). The RSD from duplicated samples were <10%.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Atmospheric deposition patterns of 210Pb and 7 Be in Cienfuegos, Cuba

The radiometric composition of bulk deposition samples, collected monthly for one year, February 2010 until January 2011, at a site located in Cienfuegos (22 030 N, 80 290 W) (Cuba), are analysed in this paper. Measurement of 7 Be and 210Pb activity concentrations were carried out in 12 bulk deposition samples. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of 7 Be and 210Pb are in the range of 13.2e132 and 1.24e8.29 Bq m2 , and their mean values are: 56.6 and 3.97 Bq m2 , respectively. The time variations of the different radionuclide have been discussed in relation with meteorological factors and the mean values have been compared to those published in recent literature from other sites located at different latitudes. The annual average flux of 210Pb and 7 Be were 47 and 700 Bq m2 y1 , respectively. Observed seasonal variations of deposition data are explained in terms of different environmental features. The atmospheric deposition fluxes of 7 Be and 210Pb were moderately well correlated with precipitation and well correlated with one another. The 210Pb/7 Be ratios in the monthly depositions samples varied in the range of 0.05 e0.10 and showed a strong correlation with the number of rainy day

Validation of an efficiency calibration procedure for a coaxial n-type and a well-type HPGe detector used for the measurement of environmental radioactivity

To obtain reliable measurements of the environmental radionuclide activity using HPGe (High Purity Germanium) detectors, the knowledge of the absolute peak efficiency is required. This work presents a practical procedure for efficiency calibration of a coaxial n-type and a well-type HPGe detector using experimental and Monte Carlo simulations methods. The method was performed in an energy range from 40 to 1460 keV and it can be used for both, solid and liquid environmental samples. The calibration was initially verified measuring several reference materials provided by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Finally, through the participation in two Proficiency Tests organized by IAEA for the members of the ALMERA network (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) the validity of the developed procedure was confirmed. The validation also showed that measurement of 226Ra should be conducted using coaxial n-type HPGe detector in order to minimize the true coincidence summing effect

Observations of fallout from the Fukushima reactor accident in Cienfuegos, Cuba

Following the recent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, radioactive contamination was observed near the reactor site. As a contribution towards the understanding of the worldwide impact of the accident, we collected fallout samples in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and examined them for the presence of above normal amounts of radioactivity. Gamma ray spectra measured from these samples showed clear evidence of fission products (131)I and (137)Cs. However, the fallout levels measured for these isotopes (135 ± 4.78 mBq m(-2) day(-1) for (131)I and 10.7 ± 0.38 mBq m(-2) day(-1)for (137)Cs) were very low and posed no health risk to the public. The doses received as consequence to the Fukushima fallout by the Cienfuegos population's (0.002 mSv per year) don't overcome the limit of dose (1 mSv per year) fixed for the public in Cuba