EVALUATION OF FUGITIVE DUST FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES IN THE CITY OF SHANGHAI

China’s cities are growing faster, more than in other countries. The presence of conspicuous number of construction yards can affect seriously the air quality of the cities, moreover the PM10 emissions from these sources are still underestimate. A monitoring campaign and model simulation results are presented in this paper. The aim of the project, conduct in the city of Shanghai, was to evaluate a dust emission factor from the constructions sites. A first assessment activity was developed from October to November 2006, in the Peng Xin Mansion construction site, where 8 PM10 sequential samplers and 2 meteorological towers, were deployed. The data collected were used to improve a new simplify methodology, also a Gaussian plume model AERMOD was rund. Results from the air dispersion model comes by different emission factors calculated from two procedures, one from the AP-42 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-USA) and the second from an empirical areal emission factor. The first procedure assigns different sources depending on construction activities and in this case no good results were achieved. The reason was identify in the lack of a knowledge regarding the source locations depending on schedule time, the specific employed machinery and the detailed construction operations. The second procedure, based on the determination, from the measured data, of an areal emission factor, gave, for 6 selected days, good results regarding the trends and the values obtained comparing with the measured data. Considering the results obtained, we found for the construction site, one seasonal emission factor: the value is 1.8 g/(m2*sec) of PM10 emitted. At the end to better understand the role of the construction yards in the air quality budget in a city of Shanghai we use the estimated emission factor as input in the AERMOD model

Data-Driven Modelling of the Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor (IPR) and its Role in Calcium-Induced Calcium Release (CICR)

We review the current state of the art of data-driven modelling of the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IPR). After explaining that the IPR plays a crucial role as a central regulator in calcium dynamics, several sources of relevant experimental data are introduced. Single ion channels are best studied by recording single-channel currents under different ligand concentrations via the patch-clamp technique. The particular relevance of modal gating, the spontaneous switching between different levels of channel activity that occur even at constant ligand concentrations, is highlighted. In order to investigate the interactions of IPRs, calcium release from small clusters of channels, so-called calcium puffs, can be used. We then present the mathematical framework common to all models based on single-channel data, aggregated continuous-time Markov models, and give a short review of statistical approaches for parameterising these models with experimental data. The process of building a Markov model that integrates various sources of experimental data is illustrated using two recent examples, the model by Ullah et al. and the “Park–Drive” model by Siekmann et al. (Biophys. J. 2012), the only models that account for all sources of data currently available. Finally, it is demonstrated that the essential features of the Park–Drive model in different models of calcium dynamics are preserved after reducing it to a two-state model that only accounts for the switching between the inactive “park” and the active “drive” modes. This highlights the fact that modal gating is the most important mechanism of ligand regulation in the IPR. It also emphasises that data-driven models of ion channels do not necessarily have to lead to detailed models but can be constructed so that relevant data is selected to represent ion channels at the appropriate level of complexity for a given application

Measurement of nitrogen dioxide in ambient atmosphere by carbon coated annular diffusion denuders

A diffusion denuder for ambient nitrogen dioxide, based on quantitative collection on an alkaline active carbon surface, has been developed. Nitrogen dioxide yields nitrite anion which is extracted after sampling with water and analyzed by ion chromatography. It was found that the use of an alkali makes negligible the reduction of NO2 to NO, which occurs in working conditions on a simple surface of active carbon. Laboratory and field tests concerning sorption efficiency, capacity and effect of humidity have been carried out. The pre-exponential and esponent for the first term of the Gormley equation applied to annular geometry, were estimated. The detection limit for 24 h sampling is better than 0.05 ppb. Nitrogen oxide, ozone and PAN do not interfere in the determination. The method has been compared, during the field campaign 'Milano 93', with the corresponding integrated response of a chemiluminescence analyzer and with a DOAS system. The results obtained are reported and discussed

PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AS INTEGRATED TOOLS IN EVALUATING TROPOSPHERIC OZONE IN URBAN AND SEMIRURAL AREAS

The relationship between tropospheric ozone and growth of radish plants during Summer 1991 in an urban and in a semi-rural site located in Central Italy are analyzed. Largest ozone concentrations and largest radish growth reductions are found in the semi-rural site. The importance of integrating the information on physico-chemical processes with biological monitoring to estimate the impact of photochemical oxidants on natural and cultivated vegetation in the Mediterranean area is discussed. Results from photochemical episodes are also reported in terms of physicochemical evaluation of atmospheric pollutants

Integrated ambient ozone evaluation by passive samplers and clover biomonitoring mini-stations

An ozone monitoring network was set up using passive samplers and biological mini-stations of two clones of white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Regal), NCR (O3-resistant) and NCS (O3-sensitive). This paper reports on a pilot study performed in the period June–October 1999 in the Rome municipal area by using five biomonitoring mini-stations and ozone passive samplers with a new nitrite based design. This combined methodology can be used to obtain information on the biological implications of the injury due to tropospheric ozone. The two techniques can integrate data for the short-medium period and can be placed in different urban and rural sites, proving to be a very useful tool for ozone concentration mapping

Meeting minutes: Interim Report on”Integrated Monitoring of Heavy Metals” in the framework of the European Environment and Health Strategy

[Decision COM (2003) 338 final]. Editor: The Technical Working Group on Integrated Monitoring; subgroup: Integrated Monitoring of Heavy Metals, Warsaw, 6-7 Oct 2003. Report to DG ENV, Commission of the European Communities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Project, drafting groups and actions followed by draft Mandate: Interim Report on ”Integrated Monitoring of Heavy Metals” in the framework of the European Environment and Health Strategy

2 reports ;[Decision COM (2003) 338 final]. Editor: The Technical Working Group on Integrated Monitoring; subgroup: Integrated Monitoring of Heavy Metals, Warsaw, 6-7 Oct 2003. Reports toDG ENV, Commission of the European Communities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe