Impact Of Long-range Transport Research Articles

Levels and potential sources of atmospheric organochlorine pesticides at Korea background sites

Data are presented for 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) measured by high volume air samplers at three background sites (monthly for one site, seasonally for two sites) in South Korea during June 2008 and December 2009, and levels, seasonal variations and potential sources of high levels of OCPs and impact of long-range transport (LRT) were discussed. Geometric mean (GM) concentrations of OCPs in air samples (pg m−3) were highest for HCB (80, 15.0–256), HCH (71, 10.8–547), a currently used pesticide, DDT (3.50, ND-56.5), and Chlordane (1.15, ND-10.5). Other chemicals regularly detected included, Heptachlor (0.41, ND-2.59), Drins (0.61, ND-4.36) and Mirex (0.04, ND-0.78). Seasonal variation of OCPs was featured by higher concentrations in summer and lower in winter period. This could be associated with their temperature-driven re-volatilization from historical source and recent application of some OCPs (such as dicofol, HCH etc). Ratios of specific OCPs isomers suggest that dominant source of air HCHs in Korea background sites is technical HCH with a little input of lindane in recent time, and dominant source of air DDT is old and used technical DDT with a little bit of dicofol type DDT, and current air chlordane in Korean background sites mainly come from the source of historically used chlordane. The results from this study will provide comparable and scientifically sound data of OCP in background air and will contribute to further long-term POPs monitoring program in East Asia.

Impact of long-range transport and under-cloud scavenging on precipitation chemistry in East China

Two hundred twenty-five precipitation samples were collected at high- (summit, 1,534 m ASL) and low-elevation (base, 218 m ASL) sites between 2005 and 2008 in eastern China. The present work focused on the roles of long-range transport and under-cloud/boundary layer scavenging on chemical composition of precipitation collected at the two sites. Ionic and trace species were analyzed in 225 precipitation samples. A total of 72 precipitation events occurring simultaneously at the summit and base sites were further examined. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) and backward air mass trajectories were used to identify the sources of precipitation pollutants. Low pH and high concentrations of ionic and trace species were measured at both sites. Inter-correlations for the simultaneous samples at the two sites were poor for trace elements (-0.07~0.47). A several fold increase in major ion (122~546%) and trace element (261~3,302%) concentrations occurred as the rain fell. Approximately 89% of the air masses responsible for the summit precipitation events were of distance origin. Marine salt, crustal material, fossil fuel burning plus secondary products, and metallic-industry-related factors were identified by PMF, contributing 9.7%, 22.8%, 41.8%, and 25.6%, respectively, to the precipitation pollutants at the summit and 13.3%, 31.9%, 39.6%, and 15.2%, respectively, at the base. Long-range atmospheric transport primarily influenced the high and the low site precipitation was strongly influenced by the under-cloud scavenging process of local boundary layer pollutants. Crustal material and fossil fuel burning plus secondary products were the predominant pollution sources in this region.

Size segregated mass concentration and size distribution of near surface aerosols over a tropical Indian semi-arid station, Anantapur: Impact of long range transport

Regular measurements of size segregated as well as total mass concentration and size distribution of near surface composite aerosols, made using a ten-channel Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) cascade impactor during the period of September 2007–May 2008 are used to study the aerosol characteristics in association with the synoptic meteorology. The total mass concentration varied from 59.70 ± 1.48 to 41.40 ± 1.72 μg m − 3 , out of which accumulation mode dominated by ~ 50%. On a synoptic scale, aerosol mass concentration in the accumulation (submicron) mode gradually increased from an average low value of ~ 26.92 ± 1.53 μg m − 3 during the post monsoon season (September–November) to ~ 34.95 ± 1.32 μg m − 3 during winter (December–February) and reaching a peak value of ~ 43.56 ± 1.42 μg m − 3 during the summer season (March–May). On the contrary, mass concentration of aerosols in the coarse (supermicron) mode increased from ~ 9.23 ± 1.25 μg m − 3 during post monsoon season to reach a comparatively high value of ~ 25.89 ± 1.95 μg m − 3 during dry winter months and a low value of ~ 8.07 ± 0.76 μg m − 3 during the summer season. Effective radius, a parameter important in determining optical (scattering) properties of aerosol size distribution, varied between 0.104 ± 0.08 μm and 0.167 ± 0.06 μm with a mean value of 0.143 ± 0.01 μm. The fine mode is highly reduced during the post monsoon period and the large and coarse modes continue to remain high (replenished) so that their relative dominance increases. It can be seen that among the two parameters measured, correlation of total mass concentration with air temperature is positive ( R 2 = 0.82) compared with relative humidity (RH) ( R 2 = 0.75).

Aircraft measurements of aerosol black carbon from a coastal location in the north-east part of peninsular India during ICARB

During the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB) over India, high-resolution airborne measurements of the altitude profiles of the mass concentrations (MB) of aerosol black carbon (BC) were made off Bhubaneswar (BBR, 85.82°E, 20.25°N), over northwest Bay of Bengal, in the altitude region upto 3 km. Such high-resolution measurements of altitude profiles of aerosols are done for the first time over India. The profiles showed a near-steady vertical distribution of MB modulated with two small peaks, one at 800m and the other at ∼2000m. High resolution GPS (Global Positioning System) sonde (Vaisala) measurements around the same region onboard the research vessel Sagar Kanya (around the same time of the aircraft sortie) revealed two convectively well mixed layers, one from ground to ∼700m with an inversion at the top and the other extends from 1200m to ∼2000m with a second inversion at ∼2200m and a convectively stable region in the altitude range 700–1200m. The observed peaks in the MB profile are found to be associated with these temperature inversions. In addition, long-range transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and deserts lying further to the west also influence the vertical profile of BC. Latitudinal variation of MB showed a remarkable land ocean contrast at the 500m altitude (within the well mixed region) with remarkably lower values over oceans, suggesting the impact of strong sources over the mainland. However, above the ABL (at 1500m), the latitudinal variations were quite weak, and this appears to be resulting from the impact of long-range transport. Comparison of the altitude profiles of MB over BoB off BBR with those obtained during the earlier occasion over the inland stations of Hyderabad and Kanpur showed similarities above ∼500m, with MB remaining around a steady value of ∼1 μg m−3. However, large differences are seen within the ABL. Even though the observed MB values are not unusually high, their near constancy in the vertical column will have important implications to radiative forcing.

An overview of the PM 10 pollution problem, in the Metropolitan Area of Athens, Greece. Assessment of controlling factors and potential impact of long range transport

The present study analyzes PM 10 concentration data collected by the Greek air quality monitoring network at 8 sites over the Greater Athens Area, for the period of 2001–2004. The primary objectives were to assess the degree of compliance with the EU-legislated air quality standard for PM 10 and also provide an overall statistical examination of the factors controlling the seasonal and spatial variation of concentrations, over the wider urban agglomeration. Daily concentrations, averaged over the whole study period, ranged between 32.3 and 60.9 μg m −3. The four-year average concentration of PM 10 at five sites exceeded the annual limit value of 40 μg m −3, while most of the sites surpassed the allowed percentage of exceedances of the daily limit value (50 μg m −3), for each of the four years. The seasonal variation of PM 10 levels was not found to be uniform across the eight sites, with average cold-period concentrations being higher at four of them and warm period concentrations being significantly higher at three sites, which also displayed recurring annual variation of monthly concentrations. Concentration levels displayed moderate spatial heterogeneity. Nevertheless significant inter-site correlations were observed (ranging between 0.55 and 085). The determination of the spatial correlation levels relied mainly on site types rather than on inter-site distances. Monitoring sites were classified accordingly using cluster analysis in two groups presenting distinct spatiotemporal variation and affected by different particle formation processes. The group including urban sites was mainly affected by primary, combustion-related processes and especially vehicular traffic, as it was also deduced through the examination of the diurnal distribution of particulate levels and through factor analysis. On the contrary, suburban background sites seemed more affected by particle transport from more polluted neighboring areas and secondary particle formation through gaseous precursors, both processes aided from favoring meteorological conditions. The association of the PM 10 levels with backwards trajectories was also examined, in an attempt to account for the possible long range transport of particles in Athens. It was found that a notable part of area-wide episodic events could be attributed to trans-boundary transport of particles, with the origins of some severe dust outbreaks traced back to the Sahara desert and the Western Mediterranean.

Source apportionment of the particulate PAHs at Seoul, Korea: impact of long range transport to a megacity

Abstract. Northeast Asia including China, Korea, and Japan is one of the world's largest fossil fuel consumption regions. Seoul, Korea, is a megacity in Northeast Asia. Its emissions of air pollutants can affect the region, and in turn it is also affected by regional emissions. To understand the extent of these influences, major sources of ambient particulate PAHs in Seoul were identified and quantified based on measurements made between August 2002 and December 2003. The chemical mass balance (CMB) model was applied. Seven major emission sources were identified based on the emission data in Seoul and Northeast Asia: Gasoline and diesel vehicles, residential coal use, coke ovens, coal power plants, biomass burning, and natural gas (NG) combustion. The major sources of particulate PAHs in Seoul during the whole measurement period were gasoline and diesel vehicles, together accounted for 31% of the measured particulate PAHs levels. However, the source contributions showed distinct daily and seasonal variations. High contributions of biomass burning and coal (residential and coke oven) were observed in fall and winter, accounting for 63% and 82% of the total concentration of PAHs, respectively. Since these sources were not strong in and around Seoul, they are likely to be related to transport from outside of Seoul, from China and/or North Korea. This implies that the air quality in a mega-city such as Seoul can be influenced by the long range transport of air pollutants such as PAHs.

Recent Trends and Future Projections in Asian Air Pollution

We studied trends in Asian air pollution in recent decades using air-quality monitoring station data, satellite retrieval data (GOME NO2), and regional-scale chemical transport model (CTM) simulation. A newly developed annual Asian-scale emission inventory (REAS) from 1980-2003 was used in observation data analysis and CTM. Analyses of recent trends in annual emissions in China by REAS and satellite GOME NO2 show an 8-10% increase after 2000 suggesting the impact of long-range transport of secondary air pollutants in regions and countries downwind. Detailed analyses of O3 observation data in Japan suggest an annual averaged O3 concentration increase of 2% yr-1 due to this long-range transport. We extended our regional air quality study targeting 2020. REAS provides three emission scenarios for China: the reference case (REF), the policy success case (PSC), and the policy failure case (PFC). Projected REF emissions for 2020 show O3 concentrations rising to 75 to 90 ppbv in June and 75 to 85 ppbv in August over the North China Plain. Projected PFC emissions bring an increase of monthly averaged O3 with greater than 20 ppbv (1 ppbv yr-1 growth) in the North China Plain. Surface O3 under the PFC scenario is enhanced by 6 to 8 ppbv over the Korean Peninsula and by 2 to 6 ppbv in Japan from 2000 to 2020 despite the reduction of NOx in Japan. This may become a critical level in air quality in Asia.

Arctic haze: current trends and knowledge gaps

Trend analyses were performed on several indicators of Arctic haze using data from sites located in the North American, Norwegian, Finnish and Russian Arctic for the spring months of March and April. Concentrations of nonseasalt (nss) SO 4 = in the Canadian, Norwegian and Finnish Arctic were found to have decreased by 30–70% from the early 1990s to present. The magnitude of the decrease depended on location. The trend in nss SO 4 = at Barrow, Alaska from 1997 to present, is unclear. Measurements at Barrow of light scattering by aerosols show a decrease of about 50% between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s for both March and April. Restricting the analysis to the more recent period of 1997 to present indicates an increase in scattering of about 50% during March. Aerosol NO 3 - measured at Alert, Canada has increased by about 50% between the early 1990s and 2003. Nss K + and light absorption, indicators of forest fires, have a seasonal maximum during the winter and spring and minimum during the summer and fall at both Alert and Barrow. Based on these data, the impact of summertime forest fire emissions on low-altitude surface sites within the Arctic is relatively small compared to winter/spring emissions. Key uncertainties about the impact of long range transport of pollution to the Arctic remain including the certainty of the recent detected trends; sources, transport and trends of soot; and radiative effects due to complex interactions between aerosols, clouds and radiation in the Arctic. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2006.00238.x

Arctic haze: current trends and knowledge gaps

Trend analyses were performed on several indicators of Arctic haze using data from sites located in the North American, Norwegian, Finnish and Russian Arctic for the spring months of March and April. Concentrations of nonseasalt (nss) SO4= in the Canadian, Norwegian and Finnish Arctic were found to have decreased by 30–70% from the early 1990s to present. The magnitude of the decrease depended on location. The trend in nss SO4= at Barrow, Alaska from 1997 to present, is unclear. Measurements at Barrow of light scattering by aerosols show a decrease of about 50% between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s for both March and April. Restricting the analysis to the more recent period of 1997 to present indicates an increase in scattering of about 50% during March. Aerosol NO3- measured at Alert, Canada has increased by about 50% between the early 1990s and 2003. Nss K+ and light absorption, indicators of forest fires, have a seasonal maximum during the winter and spring and minimum during the summer and fall at both Alert and Barrow. Based on these data, the impact of summertime forest fire emissions on low-altitude surface sites within the Arctic is relatively small compared to winter/spring emissions. Key uncertainties about the impact of long range transport of pollution to the Arctic remain including the certainty of the recent detected trends; sources, transport and trends of soot; and radiative effects due to complex interactions between aerosols, clouds and radiation in the Arctic.

Assessment of PM10 Enhancement by Yellow Sand on the Air Quality of Taipei, Taiwan in 2001

The impact of long-range transport of yellow sand from Asian Continent to the Taipei Metropolitan Area (Taipei) not only deteriorates air quality but also poses health risks to all, especially the children and the elderly. As such, it is important to assess the enhancement of PM(10) during yellow sand periods. In order to estimate PM(10) enhancement, we adopted factor analysis to distinguish the yellow-sand (YS) periods from non-yellow-sand (NYS) periods based on air quality monitoring records. Eight YS events were identified using factor analysis coupling with an independent validation procedure by checking background site values, examining meteorological conditions, and modeling air mass trajectory from January 2001 to May 2001. The duration of each event varied from 11 to 132 h, which was identified from the time when the PM(10) level was high, and the CO and NOx levels were low. Subsequently, we used the artificial neural network (ANN) to simulate local PM(10) levels from related parameters including local gas pollutants and meteorological factors during the NYS periods. The PM(10) enhancement during the YS periods is then calculated by subtracting the simulated PM(10) from the observed PM(10) levels. Based on our calculations, the PM(10) enhancement in the maximum hour of each event ranged from 51 to 82%. Moreover, in the eight events identified in 2001, it was estimated that a total amount of 7,210 tons of PM(10) were transported by yellow sand to Taipei. Thus, in this study, we demonstrate that an integration of factor analysis with ANN model could provide a very useful method in identifying YS periods and in determining PM(10) enhancement caused by yellow sand.

Evaluation of the Impact of Long-range Transport and Aerosol Concentration Temporal Variations at the Eastern Coast of the Baltic Sea

Ambient particles vary greatly in their ability to affect visibility, climate and human health. The fine fraction of aerosol is responsible for greater and wider effects on human health; thus, investigation of this fraction is very important. Continuous measurements of PM2.5 (particulate matter below 2.5 microm in size) concentrations at the Preila monitoring station started in 2003. During a period of 2 years, the episodes of high daily and semi-hourly concentrations of PM2.5 were measured. These episodes did not depend on the season or time of day. The substantial role of long-range transport of pollutants to these increases in concentration was shown using chemical and statistical analysis. It was found that most of the severe episodes occurred when air masses came from a specific site besides it was established that air masses of different origin were characterized by different mixing layer depth. Lower mixing depth was observed in air masses characterized by higher observed concentrations at the measuring site and vice versa. PM2.5 concentrations showed diurnal and seasonal variations whose pattern reflected the regional origin of the aerosol. The regional pollution level was evaluated by the statistical analysis of PM2.5 concentrations. The background annual average of PM2.5 mass concentration for the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea was 15.1 +/- 0.8 microg m(-3).

In vitro inflammatory and cytotoxic effects of size-segregated particulate samples collected during long-range transport of wildfire smoke to Helsinki

The impact of long-range transport (LRT) episodes of wildfire smoke on the inflammogenic and cytotoxic activity of urban air particles was investigated in the mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages. The particles were sampled in four size ranges using a modified Harvard high-volume cascade impactor, and the samples were chemically characterized for identification of different emission sources. The particulate mass concentration in the accumulation size range (PM(1-0.2)) was highly increased during two LRT episodes, but the contents of total and genotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in collected particulate samples were only 10-25% of those in the seasonal average sample. The ability of coarse (PM(10-2.5)), intermodal size range (PM(2.5-1)), PM(1-0.2) and ultrafine (PM(0.2)) particles to cause cytokine production (TNFalpha, IL-6, MIP-2) reduced along with smaller particle size, but the size range had a much smaller impact on induced nitric oxide (NO) production and cytotoxicity or apoptosis. The aerosol particles collected during LRT episodes had a substantially lower activity in cytokine production than the corresponding particles of the seasonal average period, which is suggested to be due to chemical transformation of the organic fraction during aging. However, the episode events were associated with enhanced inflammogenic and cytotoxic activities per inhaled cubic meter of air due to the greatly increased particulate mass concentration in the accumulation size range, which may have public health implications.

Long-range transport of aerosols and their impact on the air quality of Taiwan

The impact of long-range transport on the air quality of Taiwan was assessed by using measurements at stations of the air quality monitoring network of the Taiwan Environment Protection Administration over the winter monsoon periods of 2000 and 2001. The primary long-range transport process can be clearly identified to be the prevailing northeasterly following the cold front of winter monsoon that originates in the Asian continent. Based on pollutants concentration differences among different meteorological conditions, we estimate that the long-range transport of particulate pollutants contributes to about 30 μg m −3 to the PM 10 concentrations in northern and eastern Taiwan. A smaller contribution is estimated for the western plain of Taiwan. Contributions of the long-range transport to CO and SO 2 are about 230 and 0.5 ppb, respectively. The identified, dust events have the highest average inflow concentration (about 71±34 μg m −3) of PM 10. The dust impacts on PM 10 have been estimated to be nearly 100% at windward background stations along the north and northeast coast. In the northern cities of Taiwan, such as Taipei and Hsinchu, the impacts decrease to around 60–80% as local emission increase. Due to geographic blocking, a smaller impact is estimated for the western plain of Taiwan. However, the identified frontal pollution cases have significant impact on CO and SO 2, which is more evident than the impact of dust events. In general, impacts of long-range transport on air pollutants at coastal stations are greater than those in urban areas.

Chapter 13. Methodology for Determining Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Air Quality Impacts on Areas in the Western United States

Summary Colorado has long been known for its scenic vistas and majestic mountains. Wildfires which are common in the summer months can significantly impact scenic environments close to the wildfire location. There are also concern as to the health impact to people in towns and cities located on the urban/wildland interfaces where the impact can also include loss of life and property. For these and other reasons, a concerted effort is underway to better understand the implications of these wildfires on areas potentially impacted by smoke. This study created a methodology for evaluating air quality impacts on both a statewide and regional basis using a state-of-the-art meso-scale meteorological model to simulate the meteorological conditions which correlate with prescribed fire and wildfire activity. These meteorological fields are input into an air quality model which simulates transport and secondary aerosol formation for certain pollutants. This modeling effort makes use of climatological analyses derived from observational data provided by the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC). Locally, the model examines impacts within the urban/wildland interface to the extent possible. The regional analysis evaluates the impact of long range transport on neighboring states and the relative impacts on states downwind from areas with the potential for extreme wildfire events.

Seasonal source: Receptor relationships in Asia

Seasonal source-receptor relationships are estimated for countries in Asia and the Indian sub-continent and the impact of long-range transport on countries’ deposition are explored through these relationships. The influence of precipitation patterns and changes in flow fields on deposition in southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent is also demonstrated. Many of the small sulfur emitting countries in the region are found to receive more sulfur deposition than they emit, with the majority of their deposition coming from neighboring or even distant countries. For example, Vietnam accounts for 35% of its own deposition while Thailand contributes 19% and China 39%. Similarly, over 60% of the sulfur deposited on Nepal is due to Indian emissions. China’s contribution to Japan’s deposition is shown to exhibit strong seasonal dependence, with winter and spring contributions 2.5 times higher than summer and autumn. China and South Korea are found to play a major role in the deposition in southern and western Japan while volcanoes and domestic sources dominate in the north and east. The impact of Chinese emissions on Japan’s deposition is found to be highly sensitive to wet removal rates.

Regional Transport and Transformation of Sulfur Dioxide to Sulfates in the U. S.

The trends in and relationships between ambient air concentrations of sulfur dioxide and sulfate aerosols at 48 urban sites and 27 nonurban sites throughout the U.S. between 1963 and 1972 have been analyzed. The substantial decreases in ambient SO/sub 2/ concentrations measured at urban sites in the eastern and midwestern U.S. are consistent with the corresponding reductions in local SO/sub 2/ emissions, but these decreases have been accompanied by only modest decreases in ambient sulfate concentrations. Large differences in the amounts of SO/sub 2/ emitted within individual air quality control regions are associated with much smaller differences in the corresponding ambient sulfate concentrations. Substantial changes in the patterns of SO/sub 2/ emissions between air quality regions result in essentially no differences between ambient sulfate concentrations in those air quality regions. Comparisons of several air quality regions in the eastern and western U.S. with similar SO/sub 2/ emission levels and patterns of emissions clearly demonstrates the higher ambient sulfate concentration levels in eastern air quality control regions. Relationships between SO/sub 2/, sulfates, and vanadium concentrations at eastern nonurban U.S. sites cannot be explained by local emission sources. These various observed results can be best explained by long distance sulfur oxide transportmore » with chemical conversion of SO/sub 2/ to sulfates occurring over ranges of hundreds of kilometers. This conclusion has been suggested earlier and the present analysis strongly supports previous discussions. An impact of long range transport of sulfates is to emphasize the need for consistent strategies for reduction of sulfur oxides throughout large geographical regions. Additions of large capacities involving elevated sources in mid-continental or western regions could result in significant increases in sulfate concentrations well downwind of such sources.« less