Urban Area Of Barcelona Research Articles

Routine method for the analysis of microplastics in natural and drinking water by pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water intended for human consumption represents a growing concern due to their ubiquity in the aquatic environments and the potential adverse effects on human health. In this context, validated and standardized analytical methods are required to minimize uncertainties associated with the determination of MPs in water, especially during the drinking water treatment process. In this study, a simple water sampling and extraction procedure and analysis using pyrolysis with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS) was developed to determine 7 types of polymers in water. Quality parameters associated with the method were evaluated, including limits of detection (MDL) and quantitation (MQL), linearity, precision, accuracy, and extended uncertainty. The developed methodology was validated by participating in the EUROQCHARM interlaboratory exercise, and the Z-scores were within the acceptable range for 4 of the 5 polymers tested. Finally, MPs were determined in river water, reclaimed water, and drinking water from the urban area of Barcelona and total concentrations ranged from 11.3 µg/L to 77.1 µg/L. The proposed methodology allows for simple (direct filtration of 100–500 mL of water with a 13 mm glass fiber filter), quantitative (µg/L), and rapid (with a total analysis time of 20 min per sample, including both pyrolysis and GC–MS) analysis of MPs in water intended for drinking.

Predicting human-wildlife interaction in urban environments through agent-based models

Synurbic species adapt to global urbanization by increasingly inhabiting urban environments, where social and ecological factors, such as anthropogenic food resources and habitat alterations, promote close human-wildlife interactions. Ineffective management of these interactions can result in conflicts, altered animal population dynamics, and increased public and private expenditures. This study presents the Barcelona wild boar (BCNWB)-prototype model, a spatially explicit, incremental agent-based simulation that captures interactions between citizens and wild boar (Sus scrofa) agents in fine-scale GIS-based scenarios in Barcelona. Developed using GAMA software, the model's results were analyzed with QGIS and R software. The model aims to simulate the dynamics of the social-ecological system underlying the urban ecosystem use by synurbic wild boars and their interactions with humans in the (peri)urban area of Barcelona, Spain.The BCNWB-prototype model demonstrated high accuracy in predicting the magnitude and location of wild boar movements (multiple-resolution-goodness-of-fit = 0.73) compared to reported wild boar presences in Barcelona. The model also forecasted 115 attack events and 1,442 direct feeding events during a one-year simulation period, as compared to the actual 150 attacks and 1,858 feeding events reported annually. The model’s strong performance highlights its potential as a predictive tool for identifying priority areas for human-wild boar interactions and conflicts. Additionally, the model could be employed to assess the cost-effectiveness of management strategies and evaluate the spread, transmission risks, and public health implications of pathogens carried by wild boars.

Profiles of Frailty among Older People Users of a Home-Based Primary Care Service in an Urban Area of Barcelona (Spain): An Observational Study and Cluster Analysis.

Background: The multidimensional assessment of frailty allows stratifying it into degrees; however, there is still heterogeneity in the characteristics of people in each stratum. The aim of this study was to identify frailty profiles of older people users of a home-based primary care service. Methods: We carried out an observational study from January 2018 to January 2021. Participants were all people cared for a home-based primary care service. We performed a cluster analysis by applying a k-means clustering technique. Cluster labeling was determined with the 22 variables of the Frail-VIG index, age, and sex. We computed multiple indexes to assess the optimal number of clusters, and this was selected based on a clinical assessment of the best options. Results: Four hundred and twelve participants were clustered into six profiles. Three of these profiles corresponded to a moderate frailty degree, two to a severe frailty degree and one to a mild frailty degree. In addition, almost 75% of the participants were clustered into three profiles which corresponded to mild and moderate degree of frailty. Conclusions: Different profiles were found within the same degree of frailty. Knowledge of these profiles can be useful in developing strategies tailored to these differentiated care needs.

Accumulation of diastereomers of anticoagulant rodenticides in wild boar from suburban areas: Implications for human consumers

We studied the prevalence of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in liver and muscle tissues of wild boar captured in the urban area of Barcelona, the suburban area of Collserola Natural Park and the rural area of Santa Quiteria, next to Cabañeros National Park, in Spain. The objective was to assess the influence of both urbanisation and wild boar (Sus scrofa) trophic opportunism on the accumulation of these compounds. We have also evaluated the risk for human consumers of this game meat. Wild boars from Barcelona city showed the highest prevalence of ARs detection (60.8%), followed by the adjoining suburban area of Collserola N.P. (40%) and the rural distant area of Santa Quiteria (7.7%). Liver bioaccumulated ARs (45.2%) more frequently than muscle (11.9%). A significant proportion (13.7%) of wild boar captured in Barcelona city exceeded 200 ng/g of total ARs in liver, a threshold for adverse effects on blood clotting. For difenacoum, there was a predominance of cis isomer, while for brodifacoum and bromadiolone cis and trans isomers appeared in a similar proportion. According to the scarce available information on ARs toxicity in humans, the risk of acute poisoning from game meat consumption seems to be low. However, repeated exposure through liver consumption should be considered in further risk assessments because of the high concentration detected in some samples (up to 0.68 mg/kg).

Adapting to urban ecosystems: unravelling the foraging ecology of an opportunistic predator living in cities

The increasing urbanisation of the natural environment affects species differently. While most species cannot cope with these human impacts, others can persist or may even be favoured in these anthropogenic ecosystems. Among the different urban-adapted wildlife species, the populations of different species of opportunistic gulls have increased in urban areas and some have established breeding populations at a global scale. Although the ecology of these predators is relatively well-known in their natural environment, accurate knowledge about their urban ecology is very scarce. Here, we investigated the foraging ecology (habitat use, spatial movements and feeding) of an urban population of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) inhabiting the city of Barcelona (north-eastern Spain). We examined the diet of this urban population by analysing the stomach contents of chicks distributed throughout the urban area of Barcelona. The foraging movements of breeding gulls were investigated using GPS devices and habitat landscape information. The results show that this urban population of yellow-legged gull exploits different food resources, highlighting the consumption of urban birds and marine resources from fishery discards. In line with the diet results, GPS tracking data indicated that although yellow-legged gulls were able to use different types of habitats close to the city, they mainly foraged in urban and fishing port areas. In conclusion, yellow-legged gulls have adapted to exploit the food resources associated with urban environments. This study provides useful information to discuss management options measures to control the yellow-legged gull populations nesting in urban areas.

Prediction of Satellite Shadowing in Smart Cities with Application to IoT.

The combination of satellite direct reception and terrestrial 5G infrastructure is essential to guarantee coverage in satellite based-Internet of Things, mainly in smart cities where buildings can cause high power losses. In this paper, we propose an accurate and fast graphical method for predicting the satellite coverage in urban areas and SatCom on-the-move scenarios. The aim is to provide information that could be useful in the IoT network planning process, e.g., in the decision of how many terrestrial repeaters are really needed and where they should be placed. Experiments show that the shadowed areas predicted by the method correspond almost perfectly with experimental data measured from an Eutelsat satellite in the urban area of Barcelona.

Using SF-36 survey to facilitate the redesign of home care services in chronic patients in a primary care setting

Introduction : Healthcare providers are currently struggling on how best to address the variety of care services demanded by an ageing population. Economic and workforce constraints characterise a risk adverse environment that hampers innovation in work practices. Relying on simple well accepted tools might be a way of moving teams to a comfort zone where changes can happen more naturally. Within the population based integrated care policy defined by the Catalan Health Care Plan for the period 2016-20, our Primary Care Centre (located in the Northern part of the urban area of Barcelona) is developing a strategy to redesign the care provided to complex chronic patients. This strategy is to be guided by patients’ health-related quality of life. Aims : Our objective is to develop a comprehensive chronic care strategy that values patients’ needs as the guiding principle to redesign current and future services. The vision is one that incorporates all the professionals in the process of change. To achieve this objective we have considered the use of the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) as a valuable tool to guide our teams in redesigning care services better attuned to patients’ needs. The survey enjoys worldwide acceptance and we think it might prompt new ideas and facilitate understanding among healthcare professionals challenged with the need to redesign care services for chronic patients. Methods : The initial step will be to redesign care for a group of complex chronic patients receiving home care services. This two-year project has two distinct phases: 1) Assessment of the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a sample representative of the 400 patients currently receiving home-based care; and, 2) Designing the new home-base care services on the basis of the HRQL findings. This will be achieved through a set of iterative cycles involving a multidisciplinary team of professionals of the primary care centres that will act as team leaders for the deployment of the new services. During the first phase, to be completed by April ‘17, the SF-36 survey will be administered to 100 individuals that are receiving home-based care services. The survey will be completed by the open question “What does matter you most regarding your life?” For this group of individuals information about the use of resources for the last year will be collected (outpatient visits –GP, nurses, social care, consultants-, telecare services, hospital admissions, long term centres admissions, A&E visits). During the second phase, the iterative cycles will be taking place. These cycles will be using qualitative approaches to ensure that the team of professionals involved develop a whole group thinking that is process oriented, inclusive and participatory and stays focussed on the patients’ quality of life as guiding principle. Data corresponding to the first phase will be presented and discussed at the ICIC’17 conference.

Urban wild boars prefer fragmented areas with food resources near natural corridors

Wild boar populations are expanding throughout the world and intruding into periurban and urban areas. In the last years, wild boar has colonized several European cities, including our study area, the city of Barcelona. It is required to identify the main factors driving wild boar into urban areas prior to establish management measures.We built Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) using 3148 wild boar presences registered in the urban area of Barcelona from 2010 to 2014 to identify the variables correlated with these presences. The variables analysed included proxies for distance to source population, urban food resources, climate and urban habitat structure.Wild boars enter the urban area from close natural habitat using corridors such as streams, preferably in fragmented urban environment, looking for food such as urban green areas or dry pet food from cat colonies. Wild boar presence is higher in spring possibly due to the births of piglets and the dispersion of yearlings during that season, and also when natural resources in the Mediterranean habitat fail to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the wild boar population during the summer season.Management measures derived from this study are currently being applied in the city of Barcelona, including vegetation clearings in the wild boar entrance areas and an awareness campaign aimed at reducing the anthropogenic food availability for wild boars. The methodology used can be applied to other cities with wild boar or even other wildlife species issues. The comparison between the factors attracting wild boars into different urban areas would be helpful to understand the global phenomenon.

Impact of harbour emissions on ambient PM10 and PM2.5 in Barcelona (Spain): Evidences of secondary aerosol formation within the urban area

With the objective of estimating the impact of harbour activities on ambient PM10 and PM2.5 levels at the urban area of Barcelona, a one year long monitoring campaign was carried out in the context of the European APICE project (MED-FEDER-EC). This campaign was simultaneously conducted at the port and a central urban background site. A detailed PM10 and PM2.5 chemical speciation analysis was carried out with samples from both sites. Subsequently, a source apportionment analysis by means of the PMF receptor model was performed. Six common factors were identified, explaining local to regional emission sources (fuel oil combustion, industrial emissions, mineral-road dust resuspension, and road traffic emissions) and aerosol formation/transformation processes (secondary aerosols including ammonium sulphate and organic aerosols, and a mixed source accounting for aged sea spray and secondary nitrate).Around 50–55% PM10 and PM2.5 measured at the port was attributed to harbour activities: mineral matter from road dust and construction works of a new port area, vehicle traffic and fuel oil combustion. The estimated contribution of harbour emissions to the urban background reached 9–12% for PM10 and 11–15% for PM2.5 and is linked to primary emissions from fuel oil combustion but also to the formation of secondary aerosols. It becomes relevant to highlight the significantly higher contribution of secondary aerosols at the urban background when compared with the harbour site. Our hypothesis points to the fast formation of secondary ammonium sulphate within the city, after the reaction of SO2/H2SO4 transported by sea breezes with NH3, which is emitted in large amounts in Barcelona; and also to the enhanced formation of secondary organic aerosols within the city. This study broadens our knowledge on atmospheric phenomenology in urban Mediterranean cities and claims for effective abatement strategies focused on maritime practises, in agreement with the driving axis of the APICE project.

Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Barcelona: Validation of a geospatial prediction model

Like other vector borne infections, the distribution of dirofilariosis caused by Dirofilaria immitis is influenced by climatic factors, which regulate the diversity and abundance of mosquito species able to transmit the parasite. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can predict the distribution and epidemiological behavior of dirofilariosis based on temperature and humidity data. This study analyses the prevalence and current distribution of canine dirofilariosis in the province of Barcelona (Northeastern Spain), and uses a GIS model to evaluate the relationship between the spatial distribution of positive cases and different geo-environmental factors. Canine dirofilariosis is present in all the studied regions but unevenly distributed. The general prevalence is 2.4%, being located most of positive dogs in areas where the model predict both high number of annual generations of D. immitis in vectors and humidity, as a consequence of the presence of irrigated crops or the proximity to the sea. Furthermore, in the urban area of Barcelona, infected dogs were located in districts surrounded or close to parks and green areas. The model can be used as a tool to determine the need of implementation of prophylactic protocols in pets living in municipalities from these regions, based on the geo-environmental characteristics of the area.

Do droughts have long-term effects on water consumption? Evidence from the urban area of Barcelona

This article examines the long-term effects of droughts on water consumption using data of municipalities of the urban area of Barcelona. Two important characteristics of the sample of municipalities are the relatively low water consumption in the pre-drought period and the fact that indoor uses are clearly predominant. Controlling for prices, income and various socio-demographic factors, we find a reduction in water consumption not only during the drought episode but also in subsequent periods. These permanent reductions in water use may be explained by household behavioural changes, technological changes or structural water policy changes.

Different exposure of infants and adults to ultrafine particles in the urban area of Barcelona.

Air pollutants have been linked with a number of adverse health effects. Children are especially sensitive, particularly when they get close to the exhaust emissions of the vehicles on the street. The objective of this study was to measure the different exposure of infants and adults to ultrafine particles (UFP) as a surrogate marker of air pollution and of risk of deleterious health effects. Two different portable P-TRAK were used to measure simultaneously exposure to UFPs at different heights, one corresponding to the height of an infant in a stroller (0.55 m) and the other one to the height of the face of an adult pedestrian (1.70 m). Measurements were taken on three different streets with high traffic density in Barcelona, in 10 consecutive days during spring, with two sampling sessions of 1 h each day, moving afoot and taking into account temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Fifty-two thousand and eight (52,008) paired values were obtained, and the results showed about 10% higher levels of UFP concentration at 0.55 m (48,198 ± 25,296 pt/cm(3)) compared to 1.70 m (43,151 ± 22,517 pt/cm(3)). Differences between working and nonworking days were observed. Concentration patterns and variation by days of the week and time periods were related to traffic intensity. This study revealed that infants transported by stroller in urban areas are more exposed to air pollution than walking adults. As infants are more vulnerable and UFP have more effects on their health, measures should be taken to protect this population when it is transported in the street.

Polarimetric Approaches for Persistent Scatterers Interferometry

In previous works, a general framework to exploit polarimetric diversity to optimize the results of persistent scatterers interferometry (PSI) was presented, but tested only with dual-pol data. In this paper, the performance of these algorithms is assessed using fully polarimetric data, acquired by the Radarsat-2 satellite over the urban area of Barcelona, Spain. In addition, two new highly efficient polarimetric optimization methods, mean intensity polarimetric optimization and joint diagonalization-based polarimetric optimization, are introduced and evaluated. Given the variety of dual-pol configurations provided by current polarimetric satellites, such as TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2, and the upcoming launch of Sentinel-1, ALOS-2, and Radarsat Constellation Mission, a study has been also carried out to determine the best performing dual-pol configurations for polarimetric PSI. Subsidence maps of the area of study are computed for single-pol, dual-pol, and full-pol data, which show the increase in pixel density with valid deformation results as more polarimetric information is made available. In particular, for full-pol data we get an increase of up to 2.5 times more pixels for coherence-based PSI techniques (degraded resolution), and over four times more for amplitude-based approaches (full resolution), in comparison with single-pol data. Both higher density and quality of pixels yield better results in terms of coverage and accuracy.

Insuficiencia cardíaca. Perspectiva desde atención primaria

Objective Our aim was to find out the situation of heart failure (HF) in primary care. Design Cross-sectional multicentre study. Setting Four primary health care centres and a hospital in an urban area of Barcelona. Participants From a registered population of 35,212 inhabitants older than 45 years, we studied all patients (333) diagnosed with HF in 2006 in primary care. Measurements A standardised questionnaire was used to record demographic, clinical and treatment data. Results There were 61.4% females. Mean age was 74.5 (standard deviation [SD]: 10) for men and 79 (SD: 9.8) for women. A total of 46% of patients had HF for <5 years. The comorbidity diagnosis and at the beginning of the study were: hypertension 65.4% and 73%, diabetes 33.6% and 40%, dyslipaemia 40% and 53%, coronary disease 30% and 27%, and valvular disease 23.7% and 27%, respectively. A total of 64% of patients had registered New York Heart Association functional class (48% class II, 30% III and 6.6% IV). Blood pressure was controlled in 36% men and 20.5% women ( P=0.002); 75.4% had an electrocardiogram, 57% X-ray; 58% of men and 46% of women ( P=0.02) had echocardiography. The most prescribed drugs were diuretics 85.3%, the least, beta blockers 27%. Conclusions Patients with HF in primary care are elderly females with a lot of comorbidities. We must be concerned by the suboptimal use of basic investigations (electrocardiogram and X-ray) and beta blocker treatments.

Preliminary Map of Soil's Predominant Periods in Barcelona Using Microtremors

— In order to evaluate soil effects in the urban area of Barcelona, the Nakamura's technique has been used to estimate the predominant periods of soils. Noise measurements for 195 sites were performed using a strong motion accelerograph and a velocimeter. In this work, the resulting preliminary map of predominant periods is presented. The obtained predominant periods are coherent with the geological and geotechnical features of the area. The analysis of the information has allowed the distinctions among several types of soil and underlying materials. A predominant period of about 0.06 s is evaluated for sites located over outcrop Paleozoic rock in the Tibidabo-Collserola Mountains. For sites consisting of material named tricycle, that is the most extensive and also the most heterogeneous zone, predominant period range from 0.10 s up to 2.0 s depending on the thickness of the surface materials and the kind and thickness of the underlying materials. In the Besos river two zones are observed: the riverside with periods between 0.50 s and 0.83 s and a second area with periods between 1.0 and 2.1 s. In the Llobregat river delta the obtained periods are quite homogeneous with values around 0.72 s. Other predominant periods are found in some tertiary rock outcrop.

Restoration of an urban river in Barcelona, Spain

The paper describes the “environmental recovering” of the Besos River, a torrential river flowing through the urban area of Barcelona. An overview of river history and current problems and the aims and social constraints for the restoration are presented. After that, the design of a meandering low flow channel within the floodway is dealt with. Constructed wetlands to improve water quality were planned for the floodplain on both sides of this channel. Scale models, fixed-bed and mobile-bed, were then built to test the floodway conveyance and the risk of scour or deposition in it.

Wind gustiness and sulphur dioxide concentration in the urban area of Barcelona, Spain

Data on aerosols and wind parameters recorded at the Barcelona Meteorological Observatory were analysed to determine their relation to wind gustiness, defined according to the criteria used at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The relation between wind gustiness and wind speed and direction was analysed, together with the annual and monthly variation. The relation between the concentration of sulphur dioxide and wind gustiness was also investigated, and proved to be a very useful indicator in this kind of analysis, especially in local studies.

Rainfall rate distribution in a local scale: The case of Barcelona city

Convective rainfall rate distribution is not very uniform even at a local scale. In order to make an evaluation of it in the urban area of Barcelona, a dense rain gauge network has been stablished in this city. The gauges are of high resolution tilting bucket type. In this paper, preliminary results are presented. The distributions obtained show a strong variation of the rainfall rate for the several parts of the city. The intensity-duration curves for severe storms have been made in the various points of measure together with the areal reduction factors of rainfall. The analysis of raincell movement gives E-W as a predominant direction and a speed in the 3–12 m/s range.

Speciation of heavy metals in suspended particulates in urban air†

An anayltical procedure based on a sequential extraction scheme is applied to samples of suspended particulates from an urban area of Barcelona. This area presents high levels of air pollution owing to automotive emissions and industrial activity. The procedure allows the partitioning of particulate trace metals into four fractions: soluble and exchangeable, bound to carbonates and iron‐manganese oxides, bound to organic matter and residual. In this work, the chemical associations of Fe, Pb, Cu, Mn, Cr and Cd have been investigated. In the analysed samples, only the cadmium is predominantly in the first fraction whereas the other metals are largely associated to carbonates and Fe‐Mn oxides.

Viral pollution determination of superficial waters (river water and sea-water) from the urban area of Barcelona (Spain)

Various surface water systems in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain), including two rivers and three beaches, were analysed for human viruses using glass powder as adsorbent to concentrate them. The method used allows concentration of large volumes (up to 2001), of water in a single step. Values obtained varied from 18.4 to values higher than 55 MPNCU 1 −1in the Besôs river and 0.44-44 MPNCU 1 −1in the Llobregat river. Viruses were isolated from approx. 70% of sea-water samples, the values ranging from 0 to 1.60 MPNCU 1 −1. Findings are discussed in terms of correlation between virus pollution and bacterial indicators of fecal contamination. Also, the suitability of glass powder adsorption to concentrate viruses in sea-water is discussed.