Effect of vertical profile of aerosols on the local shortwave radiative forcing estimation

In this work, the effect of the aerosol vertical distribution on the local shortwave aerosol radiative forcing is studied. We computed the radiative forcing at the top and bottom of the atmosphere between 0.2 and 4 microns using the libRadTran package and compared the results with those provided by AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork). Lidar measurements were employed to characterize the aerosol vertical profile, and collocated AERONET measurements provided aerosol optical parameters required to calculate its radiative forcing. A good correlation between the calculated radiative forcings and those provide by AERONET, with differences smaller than 1 W m-2 (15% of estimated radiative forcing), is obtained when a gaussian vertical aerosol profile is assumed. Notwithstanding, when a measured aerosol profile is inserted into the model, differences between radiative forcings can vary up to 6.54Wm-2 (15%), with a mean of differences =-0.74±3.06W m-2 at BOA and -3.69Wm-2 (13%), with a mean of differences = -0.27±1.32Wm-2 at TOA due to multiple aerosol layers and aerosol types. These results indicate that accurate information about aerosol vertical distribution must be incorporated in the radiative forcing calculation in order to reduce its uncertainties.This research was funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme through project ACTRIS-2 (grant 654109), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (CRISOL, CGL2017-85344-R and ACTRIS-ESPAÑA, CGL2017-90884-REDT) and Madrid Regional Government (TIGAS-CM, Y2018/EMT-5177)

Fraccionamiento de contaminantes orgánicos persistentes en aire urbano de Madrid: fase gas y fase particulada.

En el presente trabajo se evaluó la presencia de algunos Contaminantes Orgánicos Persistentes (COP) en muestras de aire de la ciudad de Madrid (España), discriminando entre la fase gas (FG) y la materia particulada en suspensión (MPS). Para ello se utilizaron captadores activos de alto volumen (CAV) equipados con espumas de poliuretano y filtros de microfibra de vidrio. Los policlorobifenilos resultaron los contaminantes mayoritarios (104.6 ± 86.6 pg/Nm3, media ± desviación estándar), seguidos de polibromodifenil éteres (20.4 ± 11.6 pg/Nm3), declorane plus (0.8 ± 0.5 pg/Nm3) y finalmente policlorodibenzo-p-dioxinas y policlorodibenzofuranos (0.3 ± 0.1 pg/Nm3). Los resultados, en concordancia con los obtenidos en otras ciudades, no sólo confirman la presencia de COP en el aire de Madrid, sino que evidencian diferencias importantes en cuanto al fraccionamiento (presencia mayoritaria en la fase gas o en la fase particulada) entre los distintos analitos y congéneres evaluados

PCB Origami: A Material-Based Design Approach to Computer-Aided Foldable Electronic Devices

Origami is traditionally implemented in paper, which is a passive material. This research explores the use of material with embedded electronics such as printed circuit boards (PCB) as the medium for origami folding to create an interactive folding experience and to generate foldable objects with added functionalities. PCBs are produced as 2D shapes. By folding PCB arrays, it is possible to create 3D objects that contain electronic functions. Conductivity, output devices (such as light emitting diodes) and microcontroller computation can create an interactive folding experience, for user guidance and verification of the folding. We call this approach and methodology PCB origami. The work presented in this paper describes two unique interaction and fabrication techniques for creating and folding electronic materials. We demonstrate prototypes and present verification/evaluation strategies for guiding the user through the folding process

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

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

Patrones de evolución de contaminantes atmosféricos en diferentes emplazamientos de España y el Reino Unido

Ponencia presentada en: XXXII Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XIII Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Alcobendas (Madrid), del 28 al 30 de mayo de 2012.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, a través del proyecto MICROSOL (CGL2011-27020). M. A. Revuelta agradece al Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación el apoyo económico por medio de la ayuda predoctoral FPI BES-2008-007079

CFD modelling of particle matter dispersion in a real hot-spot

Urban air quality is one of the main environmental concerns. The interaction between atmosphere and buildings induces complex flows within the streets and squares. This fact joint with the traffic emissions produce a heterogeneous distribution of pollutants with high gradients of concentration. The main objective of this work is to obtain high resolution maps of particle matter concentration using a CFD model so as to analyze air quality and population exposure. This study is focused on a heavily trafficked roundabout in Madrid (Fernandez Ladreda square). To achieve this objective, CFD modelling coupled with detailed emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 and outputs from WRF meteorological mesoscale model is performed. Emissions from vehicle exhaust and particle resuspension are considered with a resolution of 5 m x 5 m. The simulated mesoscale vertical profiles of wind velocity and turbulent kinetic energy, previously checked with onsite meteorological measurements, are used as boundary conditions. The effects of urban vegetation are modelled and moreover, the CFD modelling is improved implementing vehicle induced turbulence as a source of turbulence on the roads. Modelling results are evaluated for several periods of summer and winter by using data from experimental campaigns carried out in this zone in the framework of the TECNAIRE research project

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)

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