Urban Environment Of Athens Research Articles

Unusual parasitoses in urban dogs: Urinary capillariosis and linguatulosis, cases report

Parasitic diseases caused by uncommonly diagnosed parasites may pose a threat to companion animals' health in urban environments where they are least expected. The pentastomid Linguatula serrata (tongue worm) and the capillarid Pearsonema plica (syn. Capillaria plica) are parasites with an indirect life cycle, infecting both domestic and wild carnivores. The present report describes two cases: the first one of urinary capillariosis and the other of linguatulosis, in two dogs living in the urban environment of Athens, Greece. In the case of capillariosis, the dog never lived out of the city, so it was presumably infected in the urban environment. On the contrary, in the case of linguatulosis, the dog was adopted at a young age from a rural environment but remained asymptomatic for several months while living in the city. Both dogs had mild symptoms, compatible with these infections. Urinary capillariosis and linguatulosis are uncommon in owned, pet dogs, living in cities due to epizootiological characteristics, i.e. need for wildlife reservoir for P. plica and consumption of raw infected viscera for L. serrata. Different factors contribute to the fact that such infections may occur in scenarios where they are least expected. Recent studies show a progressive worldwide increase in the number of uncommon parasitoses in pet animals, that in some cases, such as linguatulosis, are of zoonotic relevance. Regular parasitological examinations and preventive antiparasitic schemes are necessary in order to treat and prevent infections in pet animals and safeguard the health of both animals and humans under the concept of One Health.

High-Resolution Measurements of SO2, HNO3 and HCl at the Urban Environment of Athens, Greece: Levels, Variability and Gas to Particle Partitioning

High-resolution measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitric acid (HNO3), and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were conducted in Athens, Greece, from 2014 to 2016 via a wet rotating annular denuder system paired with an ion chromatograph. Decreased mean annual levels of SO2 and HNO3 (equal to 3.3 ± 4.8 μg m−3 and 0.7 ± 0.6 μg m−3, respectively) were observed relative to the past, whereas for HCl (mean of 0.4 μg m−3 ) no such comparison was possible as the past measurements are very scarce. Regional and local emission sources regulated the SO2 levels and contributed to both the December and the July maxima of 6.6 μg m−3 and 5.5 μg m−3, respectively. Similarly, the significant enhancement at noon and during the winter nighttime was due to transported SO2 and residential heating, respectively. The oxidation of NO2 by OH radicals and the heterogeneous reactions of HNO3 on sea salt seemed to drive the HNO3 and HCl formation, respectively, whereas nighttime biomass burning affected only the former by almost 50%. During summer, the sulfate anions dominated over the SO2, in contrast to the chloride and nitrate ions that prevailed during the winter and were linked to the aerosol acidity that influences their lifetime as well as their impact on ecosystems.

An assessment of microclimatic conditions inside vegetated and non-vegetated small-scale open spaces in the Athens urban environment

<p>This study is aimed at quantifying the contribution of small urban green spaces to mitigate adverse bioclimatic conditions within the urban environment of Athens during summer and investigate their thermal profile during a warm, a cold and a transitional period. Six green and non-green sites inside a typical urban cluster in the city of Athens were selected and monitored. Descriptive statistics data were calculated and evaluated for air temperature values and air temperature differences measured at a reference site. Statistical analysis was carried out in order to examine potential statistically significant differences. Results showed that vegetated sites showed a stronger cool island pattern compared to non-vegetated open spaces during the warm period whereas the effect is minimized during the cold period. During the transitional period vegetated and non-vegetated shaded locations was found to present similar heat island patterns.</p>

Resonance beyond regimes: Migrant’s alternative infrastructuring practices in Athens

In migration studies, there is an increasing interest in understanding how migration processes are shaped by different forms of brokerage and mediation. We relate these debates to the everyday struggles of migrants in the city of Athens. In so doing, we propose a shift from the all-encompassing view on infrastructures, that is, as systematic entities of facilitation/control to the infrastructuring practices of migrants. This implies a focus on how migrants create dynamic social platforms, and how these platforms relate to formal infrastructures and industries. We analyse these infrastructuring practices through a conceptual lens of resonance that is sensitive to the constitutive (how things, people and processes are brought together) as well as travelling capacities of these practices (how the platforms shift to other places). With an ethnographic approach, we create in-depth insights into the ways in which migrants mediate im/mobility in the urban environment of Athens through infrastructuring practices. The paper concludes by reflecting on the promises and limitations of the infrastructuring practices as sites of solidarity. We thereby argue that there are many links to make within the mobile commons debate. At the same time, our findings highlight that the transformative potential of infrastructuring practices does not always go along with a clear claim on solidarity.

Apportionment of black and brown carbon spectral absorption sources in the urban environment of Athens, Greece, during winter

This study examines the spectral properties and source characteristics of absorbing aerosols (BC: Black Carbon; BrC: Brown Carbon, based on aethalometer measurements) in the urban background of Athens during December 2016–February 2017. Using common assumptions regarding the spectral dependence of absorption due to BC (AAEBC = 1) and biomass burning (AAEbb = 2), and calculating an optimal AAEff value for the dataset (1.18), the total spectral absorption was decomposed into five components, corresponding to absorption of BC and BrC from fossil-fuel (ff) combustion and biomass burning (bb), and to secondary BrC estimated using the BC-tracer minimum R-squared (MRS) method. Substantial differences in the contribution of various components to the total absorption were found between day and night, due to differences in emissions and meteorological dynamics, while BrC and biomass burning aerosols presented higher contributions at shorter wavelengths. At 370 nm, the absorption due to BCff contributed 36.3% on average, exhibiting a higher fraction (58.1%) during daytime, while the mean BCbb absorption was estimated at 18.4%. The mean absorption contributions due to BrCff, BrCbb and BrCsec were 6.7%, 32.3% and 4.9%, respectively. The AbsBCff,370 component maximized during the morning traffic hours and was strongly correlated with NOx (R2 = 0.76) and CO (R2 = 0.77), while a similar behavior was seen for the AbsBrCff,370 component. AbsBCbb and AbsBrCbb levels escalated during nighttime and were highly associated with nss-K+ and with the organic aerosol (OA) components related to fresh and fast-oxidized biomass burning (BBOA and SV-OOA) as obtained from ACSM measurements. Multiple linear regression was used to attribute BrC absorption to five OA components and to determine their absorption contributions and efficiencies, revealing maximum contributions of BBOA (33%) and SV-OOA (21%). Sensitivity analysis was performed in view of the methodological uncertainties and supported the reliability of the results, which can have important implications for radiative transfer models.

Sixteen Years of Measurements of Ozone over Athens, Greece with a Brewer Spectrophotometer

Sixteen years (July 2003–July 2019) of ground-based measurements of total ozone in the urban environment of Athens, Greece, are analyzed in this work. Measurements were acquired with a single Brewer monochromator operating on the roof of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens since July 2003. We estimate a 16-year climatological mean of total ozone in Athens of about 322 DU, with no significant change since 2003. Ozone data from the Brewer spectrophotometer were compared with TOMS, OMI, and GOME-2A satellite retrievals. The results reveal excellent correlations between the ground-based and satellite ozone measurements greater than 0.9. The variability of total ozone over Athens related to the seasonal cycle, the quasi biennial oscillation (QBO), the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the 11-year solar cycle, and tropopause pressure variability is presented.

Projected Future Temporal Trends of Two Different Urban Heat Islands in Athens (Greece) under Three Climate Change Scenarios: A Statistical Approach

This is the first study to look at future temporal urban heath island (UHI) trends of Athens (Greece) under different UHI intensity regimes. Historical changes in the Athens UHI, spanning 1971–2016, were assessed by contrasting two air temperature records from stable meteorological stations in contrasting urban and rural settings. Subsequently, we used a five-member regional climate model (RCM) sub-ensemble from EURO-CORDEX with a horizontal resolution of 0.11° (~12 × 12 km) to simulate air temperature data, spanning the period 1976–2100, for the two station sites. Three future emissions scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) were implanted in the simulations after 2005 covering the period 2006–2100. Two 20-year historical reference periods (1976–1995 and 1996–2015) were selected with contrasting UHI regimes; the second period had a stronger intensity. The daily maximum and minimum air temperature data (Tmax and Tmin) for the two reference periods were perturbed to two future periods, 2046–2065 and 2076–2095, under the three RCPs, by applying the empirical quantile mapping (eqm) bias-adjusting method. This novel approach allows us to assess future temperature developments in Athens under two UHI intensity regimes that are mainly forced by differences in air pollution and heat input. We found that the future frequency of days with Tmax > 37 °C in Athens was only different from rural background values under the intense UHI regime. Thus, the impact of heatwaves on the urban environment of Athens is dependent on UHI intensity. There is a large increase in the future frequency of nights with Tmin > 26 °C in Athens under all UHI regimes and climate scenarios; these events remain comparatively rare at the rural site. This large urban amplification of the frequency of extremely hot nights is likely caused by air pollution. Consequently, local mitigation policies aimed at decreasing urban atmospheric pollution are expected to be highly effective in reducing urban temperatures and extreme heat events in Athens under future climate change scenarios. Such policies directly have multiple benefits, including reduced electricity (energy) needs, improved living quality and strong health advantages (heat- and pollution-related illness/deaths).

On the regional aspects of new particle formation in the Eastern Mediterranean: A comparative study between a background and an urban site based on long term observations

Abstract Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) is an important source of submicron particles. In remote background environments where local sources are scarce such processes may impact significantly on climate-relevant parameters. On the other hand, in urban environments, newly-formed particles are adding up to submicron particles emitted from primary sources. As the exact mechanism which triggers NPF still remains elusive, so are the circumstances for simultaneous occurrence of such events in two different environments (urban vs. regional background). In this study, concurrent number size distribution measurements were conducted in the urban environment of Athens and at the regional background site of Finokalia, Crete, located 340 km away and spanning a 2-year period. It occurred that the relative frequency of NPF was similar at both sites (around 20%), with a higher frequency during spring and autumn at the urban site, while at the background site most events took place in August and December, during the studied period. There were 35 event days when NPF took place at both sites simultaneously, all associated with air masses originating from the Northern sector, indicating the presence of regional events in the extended geographical area and characterized by low condensation sink (CS). By comparing the common with the non-common class I NPF episodes, we conclude that the conditions applying when regional NPF events with growth are observed in the same day at the surface level of both areas, are: (i) lower CS, (ii) higher SO2 concentrations, (iii) lower RH, and finally (iv) lower formation and growth rates than those observed during the site-specific and more rapidly evolving NPF events.

Yearlong variability of oxidative potential of particulate matter in an urban Mediterranean environment

The oxidative potential (OP) of fine and coarse fractions of ambient aerosols was studied in the urban environment of Athens, Greece. OP was quantified using a dithiothreitol (DTT) assay, applied to the water soluble fraction of aerosol that was extracted from 361 fine and 84 coarse mode of 24-h and 12-h filter samples over a one-year period. During the cold period, samples were collected on a 12-h basis, to assess the impact of night-time biomass burning emissions from domestic heating on OP. The chemical characteristics of aerosols were measured in parallel using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitoring (ACSM) and a 7-wavelength Aethalometer. A source apportionment analysis on the ACSM data resulted in the identification of organic aerosol (OA) factors on a seasonal basis. A good correlation of OP with NO3−, NH4+, BC (Black Carbon), Organics and LV-OOA (low volatility oxygenated OA) was found during winter, revealing the importance of combustion and aging processes for OP. During the summertime, a good correlation between OP and SO4−2 and NH4+indicates its association with regional aerosol – thus the importance of oxidative aging that reduces its association with any characteristic source. Multiple regression analysis during winter revealed that highly oxygenated secondary aerosol (LV-OOA) and, to a lesser extent, fresh biomass burning (BBOA) and fossil fuel (HOA) organic aerosol, are the prime contributors to the OP of fine aerosol, with extrinsic toxicities of 54 ± 22 pmol min−1 μg−1, 28 ± 7 and 17 ± 4 pmol min−1μg−1, respectively. In summer, OP cannot be attributed to any of the identified components and corresponds to a background aerosol value. In winter however, the regression model can reproduce satisfactorily the water soluble DTT activity of fine aerosol, providing a unique equation for the estimation of aerosol OP in an urban Mediterranean environment.

Sources and processes that control the submicron organic aerosol composition in an urban Mediterranean environment (Athens): a high temporal-resolution chemical composition measurement study

Abstract. Submicron aerosol chemical composition was studied during a year-long period (26 July 2016–31 July 2017) and two wintertime intensive campaigns (18 December 2013–21 February 2014 and 23 December 2015–17 February 2016), at a central site in Athens, Greece, using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM). Concurrent measurements included a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS-IC), a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an AE-33 Aethalometer, and ion chromatography analysis on 24 or 12 h filter samples. The aim of the study was to characterize the seasonal variability of the main submicron aerosol constituents and decipher the sources of organic aerosol (OA). Organics were found to contribute almost half of the submicron mass, with 30 min resolution concentrations during wintertime reaching up to 200 µg m−3. During winter (all three campaigns combined), primary sources contributed about 33 % of the organic fraction, and comprised biomass burning (10 %), fossil fuel combustion (13 %), and cooking (10 %), while the remaining 67 % was attributed to secondary aerosol. The semi-volatile component of the oxidized organic aerosol (SV-OOA; 22 %) was found to be clearly linked to combustion sources, in particular biomass burning; part of the very oxidized, low-volatility component (LV-OOA; 44 %) could also be attributed to the oxidation of emissions from these primary combustion sources. These results, based on the combined contribution of biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) and SV-OOA, indicate the importance of increased biomass burning in the urban environment of Athens as a result of the economic recession. During summer, when concentrations of fine aerosols are considerably lower, more than 80 % of the organic fraction is attributed to secondary aerosol (SV-OOA 31 % and LV-OOA 53 %). In contrast to winter, SV-OOA appears to result from a well-mixed type of aerosol that is linked to fast photochemical processes and the oxidation of primary traffic and biogenic emissions. Finally, LV-OOA presents a more regional character in summer, owing to the oxidation of OA over the period of a few days.

Slant column MAX-DOAS measurements of nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, glyoxal and oxygen dimer in the urban environment of Athens

Slant column (SC) densities of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), glyoxal (CHOCHO) and oxygen dimer (O4) were successfully retrieved for the first time in Athens, by using spectral measurements from a ground-based multi-azimuth Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) system. The data span the period from October 2012 to March 2014 and measurements were conducted at NOA's (National Observatory of Athens) station in Penteli (38.0°N, 23.9°E, 527 m a.s.l.) at eight azimuth angles and eight off-axis elevation angles. The SCNO2, SCHCHO and SCCHOCHO measurements at +1ο elevation angle, pointing towards the urban area, range from 0.6 to 24·1016, 0.8–9.6·1016 and 0.3–5.2·1015 molec cm−2 (mean daily values throughout the whole period), respectively. Seasonal modulation characterised by summertime maximum and wintertime minimum was observed for HCHO and CHOCHO, while for NO2 the maximum values were recorded during winter. Changes in the diurnal variability of all trace gases with season and day of the week are investigated suggesting a strong link to primary anthropogenic sources for NO2 and a weaker one, compared to photochemistry, for HCHO and CHOCHO. In addition, the impact of the reduced anthropogenic emissions during weekends on the measured SC values was quantified and 30%–50% lower SCNO2 values were found during weekends. The contribution of local urban emissions to the overall recorded amounts of the selected species was assessed. Using meteorological data from NOA's station in Penteli, the impact of the local circulation patterns on the SC levels was estimated, and a strong relation between western wind direction, which is related to the industrial area, and enhanced SC measurements was found.

Metal(loid) distribution and Pb isotopic signatures in the urban environment of Athens, Greece

Lead concentrations and isotopic compositions of contaminated urban soils and house dusts from Athens, Greece, have been determined to identify possible sources of Pb contamination and examine relationships between these two environmental media. Different soil particle sizes (<2000 μm, <200 μm, <100 μm, <70 μm, <32 μm) and chemical fractions (total, EDTA-extractable and acetic acid-extractable (HAc)) were analyzed for their Pb content and isotopic composition. Metal(loid)s (Pb, Zn, Cu, As, Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe) are significantly enriched in the finest fraction. The Pb isotopic compositions were similar for the different soil particle size fractions and different chemical extractions. The HAc extraction proved to be a useful procedure for tracing anthropogenic Pb in urban soil. The range of 206Pb/207Pb ratios (1.140–1.180) in Athens soil suggests that the Pb content represents an accumulated mixture of Pb deposited from past vehicular emissions and local natural sources. The contribution of anthropogenic Pb to total soil Pb ranged from 36% to 95%. The Pb isotopic composition of vacuum house dusts (206Pb/207Pb = 1.1.38–1.167) from Athens residents is mostly comparable to that of urban soil suggesting that exterior soil particles are transferred into homes. As a result, anthropogenic Pb in house dust from Athens urban environment principally originated from soil particles containing Pb from automobile emissions (former use of leaded gasoline).

Urban vegetation cover extraction from hyperspectral imagery and geographic information system spatial analysis techniques: case of Athens, Greece

The present study aimed at evaluating the performance of two different pixel-based classifiers [spectral angle mapper (SAM) and support vector machines (SVMs)] in discriminating different land-cover classes in a typical urban setting, focusing particularly on urban vegetation cover by utilizing hyperspectral (EO-1 Hyperion) data. As a case study, the city of Athens, Greece, was used. Validation of urban vegetation predictions was based on the error matrix statistics. Additionally, the final urban vegetation cover maps were compared at a municipality level against reference urban vegetation cover estimates derived from the digitization of very high-resolution imagery. To ensure consistency and comparability of the results, the same training and validation points dataset were used to compare the different classifiers. The results showed that SVMs outperformed SAM in terms of both classification and urban vegetation cover mapping with an overall accuracy of 86.53% and Kappa coefficient 0.823, whereas for SAM classification, the accuracy statistics obtained were 75.13% and 0.673, respectively. Our results confirmed the ability of both techniques, when combined with Hyperion imagery, to extract urban vegetation cover for the case of a densely populated city with complex urban features, such as Athens. Our findings offer significant information at the local scale as regards to the presence of open green spaces in the urban environment of Athens. Such information is vital for successful infrastructure development, urban landscape planning, and improvement of urban environment. More widely, this study also contributes significantly toward an objective assessment of Hyperion in detecting and mapping urban vegetation cover.

Energy consumption based on heating/cooling degree days within the urban environment of Athens, Greece

The degree-day method is considered to be a fundamental and a rather simple method to estimate heating and cooling energy demand. This study aims in a detailed and accurate assessment of cooling and heating degree days in different locations within the Greater Athens area (GAA), Greece. To achieve this goal, hourly values of air temperature from eight different locations within the GAA, covering the period 2001–2005, were used. Thus, the monthly and the annual number of cooling and heating degree days for each one of the examined locations could be estimated separately. Furthermore, an effort is made to evaluate the energy consumption for a specific building, based on the degree-day method, to indicate the impact of the canopy layer urban heat island on neighboring regions within the GAA. Results reveal that there is great spatial variability of energy demand and energy consumption along with significant differences in expenses for heating and cooling among neighboring regions within the GAA. Finally, regarding the energy demands of buildings, it is important to take into account intra-urban variability of canopy layer climates against an ensemble mean throughout the city, because the latter can result in inaccurate estimations and conclusions.

Elemental and organic carbon in the urban environment of Athens. Seasonal and diurnal variations and estimates of secondary organic carbon

Elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) hourly concentrations were measured continuously, at an urban location in central Athens, Greece, for an 8-month period (January–August). Average concentrations of 2.2μgCm−3 and 6.8μgCm−3 were observed, for EC and OC, respectively. The combined contribution of carbonaceous compounds (EC plus organic matter) to PM10 was calculated at 26%. The seasonal variability of EC was limited, while OC mean concentrations were significantly higher (by 23%), during the warm months (May–August). The weekly variation followed a different pattern, with the weekend decrease of EC levels (25%) being more pronounced than of OC (14%). EC produced a bimodal diurnal cycle, with the morning rush hour traffic mode prevailing. The OC mean circadian variation displayed those peaks as well. However, midday-to-afternoon presence of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) was strongly indicated. The conditional probability function was used to assess the impact of wind direction. High EC, OC levels were linked to southern flows, which during summer are mainly related to the appearance of sea breeze circulation. The temporal variation of EC, OC and their correlation patterns with primary and secondary gaseous pollutants, suggested that, although primary emissions affected both fractions, SOA formation is an important factor to be accounted for, especially during the photochemical season. Secondary organic carbon was estimated using the EC tracer method and orthogonal regression on OC, EC hourly concentration data. The average contributions of secondary organic carbon (SOC) to OC were calculated at 20.9% for the cold period and 30.3% for the warm period. Maximum values of 58% and 91% were estimated for daily and hourly contributions, respectively. The SOC diurnal variations suggested photochemical formation throughout the year, intensified during summer months, with the correlation coefficient between SOC and the sum of oxidants (NO2+O3) reaching up to 0.84.

Three-year ground based measurements of aerosol optical depth over the Eastern Mediterranean: the urban environment of Athens

Abstract. Three years (2006–2008) of ground-based observations of the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) in the urban environment of Athens, in the Eastern Mediterranean, are analysed in this work. Measurements were acquired with a Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer at five wavelengths. The daily average AOD at 500 nm is 0.23, and the mean Ångström coefficient calculated between 415 and 867 nm is 1.41. The annual variability of AOD has a spring maximum dominated by coarse dust particles from the Sahara (AOD 0.34–0.42), while the diurnal pattern is typical for urban sites, with AOD steadily increasing throughout the day. The greatest contribution to the annually averaged AOD, accounting for almost 40%, comes from regional and local sources (namely the Istanbul metropolitan area, the extended areas of biomass burning around the north coast of the Black Sea, power plants spread throughout the Balkans and the industrial area in the Po valley, with average daily AOD in the range of 0.25–0.35). An additional important contribution (23%) is dust from Africa, whereas the rest of Europe contributes another 22%. The geographical distribution of the above sources in conjunction with the prevailing synoptic situation and contribution of local sources, lead to mixed types of aerosols over Athens, with highly variable contribution of fine and coarse particles to AOD in the range 10%–90%. This is the first long-term, ground based data set available for Athens, and it has also been used for the validation of satellite derived AOD by MODIS, showing good agreement on an annual basis, but with an overestimation of satellite AODs in the warm period.

Spectral Aerosol Transmittance in the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectra in Athens, Greece

This work investigates the spectral atmospheric transmittance due to aerosols in the urban environment of Athens during a period of one year. The spectral transmittance due to aerosols is derived using measurements of spectral direct-beam solar irradiance in the 310-575 nm spectral band. This derivation is accomplished by using a radiative transfer model for estimating the partial spectral atmospheric transmittance functions due to Rayleigh scattering, and absorption by ozone, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor. The seasonal and diurnal variation of the aerosol transmittance is investigated and the results are discussed with a view to air pollution sources, meteorological factors and topographic characteristics of the Athens basin.

Carbonyl compounds in the urban environment of Athens, Greece

The concentration levels of 15 selected carbonyl compounds in 62 samples were determined at two sites in Athens basin from June to December 2000. Formaldehyde was the most abundant species (0.05–39 μg m −3), which comprised from 22% to 37% of the total measured compounds, followed by acetaldehyde (4.32–49 μg m −3), acetone/acrolein (0.64–198 μg m −3) and butanal (0.79–140 μg m −3). The mean formaldehyde/acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde/propanal molar ratios were calculated. No significant seasonal differences were observed for all the carbonyls. Photochemical production was found to weigh upon atmospheric levels for 83–93% in summer days, dropping below 33% in the winter. The importance of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde as a source of hydroxyl radicals in Athens was also assessed.