PARTICULATE MATTER CONCENTRATIONS AND RELATED HEALTH EXPOSURE IN SELECTED FIRE STATION AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

In urban North China, nitrate () is a primary contributor to haze formation. So far, the production processes and source apportionments of atmospheric during the heating season (i.e. the wintertime) have not yet been well understood. This study determined δ15N–, δ18O–, and Δ17O– of aerosol samples to compare the potential sources and formation pathways of atmospheric during heating (November to March) and non-heating (April to May) seasons. Combining stable isotope composition with the MixSIAR model based on Δ17O– showed that NO3 + DMS/HC (dimethyl sulfate/hydrocarbon) pathway was the dominant process of atmospheric nitrate formation during the heating season (mean = 52.88 ± 16.11%). During the non-heating season, the contributions of NO3 + DMS/HC (mean = 37.89 ± 13.57%) and N2O5 + H2O (mean = 35.24 ± 3.75%) pathways were comparable. We found that Δ17O– was negatively correlated with wind speed and positively correlated with relative humidity during the heating season, possibly associated with the sources and production of atmospheric . In specific, in a dust storm event, the very low Δ17O– is likely associated with particles from land surface. Under the premise of considering 15N fractionation, the constraint-based on δ15N– illustrated that coal combustion was the major source of NO x emission during the heating season, and the relative contribution of coal combustion decreased rapidly from the heating season (mean = 42.56 ± 15.50%) to the non-heating season (mean = 21.86 ± 4.91%). Conversely, the proportion of NOx emitted by soil microbes rose significantly from the heating (mean = 9.67 ± 5.99%) to non-heating season (mean = 24.02 ± 11.65%). This study revealed differences in the sources and formation processes of atmospheric during the heating and non-heating seasons, which are of significance to atmospheric nitrogen oxide/nitrate pollution mitigation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions from the combustion of household solid coal for cooking and heating cause great harm to public health in China, especially in less developed areas. Children are one of the most susceptible population groups at risk of indoor air pollutants due to their immature respiratory and immune systems. However, information on PAH exposure of children is limited due to limited monitoring data. In this study, we aimed to assess the seasonal differences of PAHs in classrooms, analyze the pollutant sources, and calculate the incremental lifetime cancer risk attributable to PAHs in Shanxi Provence. A typical school using household coal combustion in Shanxi Province was selected. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)samples were collected by both individual samplers and fixed middle-flow samplers during the heating and non-heating seasons in December 2018 and April 2019. The PAH concentrations in PM2.5 samples were analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. The results showed that PAH concentrations in PM2.5 varied between 89.1 ng/m3 in the heating season and 1.75 ng/m3 in the non-heating season. The mean concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a carcinogenic marker of PAHs, were 10.3 and 0.05 ng/m3 in the heating and non-heating seasons, respectively. Source allocation analysis of individual portable and passive samplers revealed that the main contributors during heating and non-heating seasons were coal combustion and gasoline sources, respectively. According to the results of a Monte Carlo simulation, the incremental lifetime cancer risk values from the inhalation of PAHs in the heating and non-heating seasons were 3.1 × 10−6 and 5.7 × 10−8, respectively. The significant increase in PAHs and the incremental lifetime cancer risk in the heating season indicates that children are more exposed to health threats in winter. Further PAH exposure control strategies, including reducing coal usage and promoting clean fuel applications, need to be developed to reduce the risk of PAH-induced cancer.

Few researches have been investigated on the effects of ambient air pollutants from coal combustion on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) hospitalizations. The whole time series was split into heating season and non-heating season. We used a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) to estimate the relative cumulative risk and calculate the air pollutant hospitalization burden of AECOPD for lag 0-7 days in heating season and non-heating season. There were higher PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO concentrations in heating seasons than non-heating season in Shijiazhuang; however, O3 was higher in non-heating season than heating season. The AECOPD-associated relative cumulative risks for PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 for lag 0-7 days were significantly positively associated with hospitalization in heating and non-heating season; we found that the cumulative relative risk of NO2 was the greatest in every 1 unit of air pollutants during the heating season and the cumulative relative risk of SO2 was the greatest during the non-heating season. The results showed that 17.8%, 12.9%, 1.7%, 16.7%, and 10.5% of AECOPD hospitalizations could be attributable to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO exposure in heating season, respectively. However, the results showed that 19.5%, 22.4%, 15%, 8.3%, and 10.4% of AECOPD hospitalizations could be attributable to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3 exposure in non-heating season, respectively. The attributable burden of AECOPD hospitalization in heating season and non-heating season are different. PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and CO are the main factors of heating season, while PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and O3 are the main factors of non-heating season. In conclusions, the centralized heating can change the influence of attributable risk. When government departments formulate interventions to reduce the risk of acute hospitalization of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the influence of heating on disease burden should be considered.

Spatial distribution differences in PM2.5 concentration between heating and non-heating seasons in Beijing, China

Raman microspectroscopy and thermo-optical-transmittance (TOT) method were used to study airborne ambient soot collected at the suburban air monitoring station in southern Poland during the residential heating (January-February) and non-heating (June–July) seasons of 2017. Carbonaceous material constituted on average 47.2 wt.% of PM2.5 during the heating season and 26.9 wt.% in the non-heating season. Average concentrations of OC (37.5 ± 11.0 μg/m3) and EC (5.3 ± 1.1 μg/m3) during the heating season were significantly higher than those in the non-heating season (OC = 2.65 ± 0.78 μg/m3, and EC = 0.39 ± 0.18 μg/m3). OC was a chief contributor to the TC mass concentration regardless of the season. All Raman parameters indicated coal combustion and biomass burning were the predominant sources of soot in the heating season. Diesel soot, which is structurally less ordered than soot from other sources, was dominant during the non-heating season. The D1 and G bands area ratio (D1A/GA) was the most sensitive Raman parameter that discriminated between various soot sources, with D1A/GA > 1 for diesel soot, and less than 1 for soot from coal and wood burning. Due to high daily variability of both TOT and Raman spectroscopy data, single-day measurements can be inconclusive regarding the soot source apportionment. Long-time measurement campaigns are recommended.

Emission control priority of PM2.5-bound heavy metals in different seasons: A comprehensive analysis from health risk perspective

Nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (NPAH) emissions from the combustion of household solid fuel may cause great harm to public health. Children are one of the most susceptible population groups at risk of indoor air pollutants due to their immature respiratory and immune systems. In this study, a primary school using household coal combustion for heating in winter was selected and forty participants were randomly recruited among schoolchildren. Fine particulate matter samples were collected by both individual portable samplers and fixed middle‐flow samplers during the heating and nonheating seasons. The NPAH concentrations in PM2.5 samples were analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Potential sources of NPAHs were identified by NPAH ratios as well as principal component analysis. Lung function of children was tested by an electronic spirometer. The relationship between NPAH exposure level and children’s lung function was studied. Finally, the cancer risk caused by NPAH inhalation was assessed. The results showed significantly higher individual NPAH exposure level in heating season (0.901 ± 0.396 ng·m-3) than that in nonheating season (0.094 ± 0.107 ng·m-3). Coal/biomass combustion and secondary formation were the potential NPAH sources in heating season. Significantly lower lung function of children was also found in heating season compared with that in nonheating season. As a result of the Monte Carlo simulation, the averaged incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values from the inhalation of NPAHs in the heating and nonheating seasons were 3.50 × 10−8 and 2.13 × 10−8, respectively. Our research revealed the association between NPAH exposure and children’s lung function and confirmed the adverse effect of indoor coal combustion. The results also indicated that further control strategies on indoor coal combustion are needed to reduce the risk of NPAH exposure and protect children’s health.

Background:Air pollutants and their pathogenic effects differ among regions and seasons. We aimed to explore the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone-8 hours (O3-8h) concentrations in heating and non-heating seasons and the associated death risk due to cardiovascular diseases (CDs), respiratory diseases (RDs), and malignant tumors.Methods:Data were collected in Shenyang, China, from April 2013 to March 2016. We analyzed the correlation or lagged effect of atmospheric pollutant concentration, meteorological conditions, and death risk due to disorders of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and malignant tumor in heating and non-heating seasons. We also used multivariate models to analyze the association of air pollutants during holidays with the death risk due to the evaluated diseases while considering the presence or absence of meteorological factors.Results:An increase in the daily average SO2 concentration by 10 μg/m3 increased the death risk by CDs, which reached a maximum of 2.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3%–2.7%) on lagging day 4 during the non-heating season and 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1%–0.4%) on lagging day 3 during the heating season. The risk of death caused by RDs peaked on lagging day 1 by 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4%–1.2%) during the heating season. An increase in O3-8h concentration by 10 μg/m3 increased the risk of RD-related death on lagging day 2 by 1.0% (95% CI: 0.4%–1.7%) during the non-heating season, which was significantly higher than the 0.1% (95% CI: 0–0.9%) increase during the heating season. Further, an increase in the daily average PM2.5 concentration by 10 μg/m3 increased the risk of death caused by RDs by 0.3% and 0.8% during heating and non-heating seasons, respectively, which peaked on lagging day 0. However, air pollution was not significantly associated with the risk of death caused by malignant tumors.Conclusion:Short-term exposure to PM2.5, SO2, and O3 during the non-heating season resulted in higher risks of CD-related death, followed by RD-related death.

Daily samples of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5–10) particles were collected from July 2002 to July 2003 to provide a better understanding of the elemental concentration and source contribution to both PM fractions. Sampling location represents suburban part of Istanbul metropolitan city. Samples were collected on Teflon filters using a "Dichotomous Sampler." Concentrations of Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn were measured by GFAAS, FAAS, and FAES techniques. Elemental variations of heating and nonheating seasons were discussed. Fossil fuel-related atmospheric metals dramatically increased during the heating season, while natural originated atmospheric metals increased during the nonheating season. Seasonal variations of source contributions were evaluated using factor analysis, which was separately applied to the collected fine and coarse particles data sets during heating and nonheating seasons (four data sets: PM2.5 heating, PM2.5 nonheating, PM2.5–10 heating, and PM2.5–10 nonheating). Significant seasonal differences in source contributions were observed. Four factor groups were extracted for PM2.5 dataset during the nonheating season, while five factor groups were extracted for all the other cases. Mineral dust transportation, traffic, and industry-related activities were classified as different factor groups in all the cases.

Coal combustion for winter heating is a major source of heavy atmospheric pollution in China, while its impacts on black carbon (BC) are not yet clear. A dual-spot Aethalometer was selected to monitor the atmospheric BC concentration in Zhengzhou, China, during the heating season, which is from 15 November through 15 March of the following year, and the non-heating season (days other than heating season). The characteristics and sources of BC were analyzed, and a concentration weight trajectory (CWT) analysis was conducted. The results showed that the BC concentrations in the heating season were generally higher than those in the non-heating season. The diurnal variation in BC concentrations during heating season was bimodal, and that during the non-heating season was unimodal. The α-values in the heating and non-heating seasons indicated that combustion of coal and biomass and vehicle emissions were the major BC sources for the heating season and non-heating season, respectively. BC concentrations were positively correlated with PM2.5, PM10, CO, and NOX. There was a strong negative correlation between wind speed and BC concentrations, and that for relative humidity was the opposite. BC concentration during heating season was mainly influenced by the northwestern areas of China and the eastern part of Henan, and that in the non-heating season was mainly from the northeastern areas of China and southern Henan.

Black carbon (BC) aerosols have a considerable impact on humans because they not only cause environmental pollution and reduce visibility but also harm human health. During the heating season in northern China, a large amount of coal is burned for heating, producing a large amount of BC. There are few studies on BC properties during the heating season. In this paper, BC is measured optically, so it is referred to as equivalent black carbon (EBC). This paper investigated EBC properties in depth during the heating and nonheating seasons of a typical urban environment in China with two years of EBC measurements. The results show that: (1) EBC aerosol concentrations during the heating season were significantly higher than those during the nonheating season. (2) The main sources of EBC aerosols throughout the year are liquid sources. During the heating season, solid sources (coal and biomass combustion) are dominant. (3) The proportion of brown carbon (BrC) produced by biomass energy during the heating season is greater than that during the nonheating season. (4) The resulting backward trajectory indicates that a large portion of the high EBC aerosol concentration sources originate from northern and northwestern China. Our results reveal that the characteristics and sources of EBC in the urban environment of northern China vary widely, suggesting that different measures should be taken to reduce BC aerosol concentrations during heating and nonheating seasons.

(1) The association of the indoor environmental conditions in classrooms with illness-related absenteeism (IRA) was not well investigated. In addition, studying the association between heating and non-heating seasons were very limited; (2) To fill this knowledge gap, a research team collected various indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort conditions (TC) of 85 elementary classrooms in two school districts from the Midwestern United States throughout an academic year; in total, 255 classroom visits were performed. A negative binomial regression model was implied to associate the classroom’s IAQ and TC with IRA, separating for heating and non-heating seasons; (3) During non-heating season, a 3% increase of IRA was estimated with 1,000,000-counts/L increase of particles that had a diameter less than 2.5 μm (PN2.5); during the heating season, a 3% increase of IRA were expected with 100 ppm increase of room averaged CO2 concentration; and (4) These results suggested that the IAQ and TC factors could associated with IRA differently between heating and non-heating seasons.

A land use regression for predicting NO 2 and PM 10 concentrations in different seasons in Tianjin region, China

Complying with strict PM10 and PM2.5 limit values poses challenges in many European regions, influenced by diverse factors such as natural, regional, and local anthropogenic sources. Urban air pollution, exacerbated by road transport, local industry, and dust resuspension, contrasts with rural areas affected by solid fuel-based local heating and increasing wood burning. This study focuses on village of Sučany, located in Slovakia, analysing PM concentrations during non-heating and heating seasons. The method of analysis relies on the use of the MP101M air quality analyser that utilises beta radiation absorption method. One set of measurements was conducted at five distinct locations during the heating season (18/01/2019 to 28/02/2019) and non-heating season (14/08/2018 to 1/10/2018). Significant differences emerged during the non-heating season with corresponding PM10 averages of 23.0 µg/m3 and PM2.5 at 19.3 µg/m3. In contrast, the PM10 averaged 53.9 µg/m3 and 52.8 µg/m3 during the heating season. The heating season shows PM2.5 contributing up to 98% of total PM10. The distribution of PM10 and PM2.5 pollution and the location of the potential source obtained using polar plots differed during the heating and non-heating seasons. This research underscores the impact of local heating on air quality in a typical Slovak village. The key recommendation for targeted interventions is supporting up-to-date air quality data, education, and financial incentives for citizens in order to implement cleaner and modern heating solutions.

Airborne micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants of concern due to their widespread presence, inhalation exposure risks, and potential ecological and human health impacts. In this study, pyrolysis-thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-TD-GC-MS) was applied to quantify MNPs (PP, PE, PS, PVC, and PET) in PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particulate matter (TSP) collected during the non-heating and heating seasons in Beijing. The average concentrations of MNPs in PM2.5, PM10, and TSP during the non-heating season were 0.21 ± 0.05 μg/m3, 0.45 ± 0.20 μg/m3, and 0.84 ± 0.42 μg/m3, respectively, rising to 0.41 ± 0.12 μg/m3, 1.23 ± 0.58 μg/m3, and 2.30 ± 0.75 μg/m3 during the heating season, with polyethylene (PE) dominating all size fractions (>50%). Complementary vibrational spectroscopy results confirmed the presence of additional polymers, including polyamide (PA) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), highlighting the value of multimethod approaches for comprehensive characterization and the ongoing need to develop new analytical techniques. Exposure assessment indicated daily per capita inhalation of outdoor MNPs in urban Beijing at 60-344 ng during the non-heating season and 374-926 ng during the heating season. This study provides the first size-resolved, multimethod assessment of airborne MNPs in a northern Chinese megacity, with a comparative analysis between heating and non-heating seasons.