Urban Industrial Sites Research Articles

Distribution, assessment, and causality analysis of soil heavy metals pollution in complex contaminated sites: a case study of a chemical plant.

To effectively prevent and control pollution from heavy metals (HMs) in urban soils, it is essential to thoroughly understand the contamination status of contaminated sites. In this study, the contamination status and sources of six HMs (As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd) in the soil of a decommissioned chemical plant in southern China were comprehensively analyzed. The results indicated that the average concentration of HMs followed the sequence: Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > As > Cd. Heavy metal accumulation in the upper soil layer was predominantly observed in industrial zones and low-lying areas, with notable variations in concentration along the vertical profile. Certain sections of the site exhibited severe HM contamination, particularly with Cu levels exceeding the background value by 46.77times. Cd presented significant ecological risks in specific areas, with an average Ecological Index of 96.09. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were identified at three and six sampling points, respectively, with sampling point S103 demonstrating both types of risks. The causes of HM contamination were primarily attributed to anthropogenic activities. Horizontal dispersion was mainly influenced by production operations and topographical features, while vertical distribution was predominantly affected by the permeability characteristics of the strata. The causality analysis incorporating production activities and topographical factors provides novel perspectives for understanding sources of contamination at contaminated sites. The study outcomes can offer guidance for the assessment and surveying of urban industrial pollution sites.

Assessing ecosystem resilience: effects of different environments on native flora, lichens and bee pollen in a mid-sized Brazilian city

Abstract The alteration of the natural environment by human activities has increased in recent decades, with a significant impact on the organisms that inhabit it. One of the most apparent consequences of environmental alterations is the occurrence of climatic changes. The city of Joinville is situated in the southern region of Brazil. It has achieved a notable position at the national level, largely due to the significant presence of large-scale industrial operations in the metal-mechanical, plastic, and textile sectors. This study aimed to assess the effects of urban environments on Nectandra oppositifolia plants and lichen communities using a passive biomonitoring approach, and on Tetragonisca angustula stingless bees using an active biomonitoring approach. This study demonstrated a pronounced effect of anthropogenic activities on plant anatomy and morphology (higher leaf area, fresh mass, dry mass, and water content in the urban-industrial site), with higher metal concentrations in leaf particulate matter (3.14 ± 0.4 μg cm−2). The diversity of lichens was the lowest, whereas that of crustose lichens was the highest in industrial-urban and residential-rural sites (industrial-urban site = 13 species, residential-rural site = 29 species, control site = 33 species, p < 0.05). The distribution of species within the lichen communities was inversely correlated with the degree of anthropogenic influence. Some lichen species were found exclusively in the control areas, suggesting that they may indicate good environmental quality (Arthonia sp., Astrothelium sp., Phyllopsora pyxinoides, Phyllopsis sp., and others). Beehive pollen analysis revealed the presence of Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb, and industrial-urban site exhibited higher metal concentrations (particularly, Ni, 12.59 ± 0.9, and Cr, 3.76 ± 1.00, mg kg−1). This approach highlights the environmental repercussions that affect the Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia kingdoms. The use of biomonitoring as a robust tool in good environmental quality assessment provides insight into policy decisions and underscores the importance of pollution studies.

Size-segregated particulate matter oxidative potential near a ferromanganese plant: Associations with soluble and insoluble elements and their sources

The oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter (PM) is considered a better health metric of PM exposure than mass concentration since its value is highly dependent on PM composition. OP assays have shown different sensitivities to PM components and particle sizes. In this work, an urban-industrial mixed site with high levels of airborne Mn and Fe, due to the proximity of a ferromanganese alloy plant, was chosen to study the association between PM elements and three OP assays (ascorbic acid (AA), dithiothreitol (DTT), and 2,7-dichlorofluorescein (DCFH)) in size segregated PM samples (PM10-2.5 and PM2.5). Urban samples from a nearby area were also collected. The concentration of 39 elements in both the soluble (in a phosphate buffer aqueous solution) and insoluble fractions of PM10-2.5 and PM2.5 was determined by ICP-MS. Soluble elements were then associated with OP and local sources using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Four sources of soluble elements have been identified in the urban-industrial site. The main factor was attributed to road traffic; although Cu and Fe, two active transition metals in OP assays, were associated to this factor, their low solubility, mainly in the coarse fraction, has led to low factor loadings of OP; the second factor was attributed to a ferromanganese plant, since it presented the highest factor loadings for soluble Mn in both PM10-2.5 and PM2.5; it was the main factor associated with OP-DTT and OP-DCFH values, mainly in the coarse fraction. Crustal material and sea salt aerosol were also identified as sources.

Multi-Attribute Analysis for Sustainable Reclamation of Urban Industrial Sites: Case from Damascus Post-Conflict

Multi-Attribute Analysis for Sustainable Reclamation of Urban Industrial Sites: Case from Damascus Post-Conflict

Elucidating the Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns in the UK on the O3-NOx-VOC Relationship

The unprecedented reductions in anthropogenic emissions over the COVID-19 lockdowns were utilised to investigate the response of ozone (O3) concentrations to changes in its precursors across various UK sites. Ozone, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NOx (NO+NO2) data were obtained for a 3-year period encompassing the pandemic period (January 2019–December 2021), as well as a pre-pandemic year (2017), to better understand the contribution of precursor emissions to O3 fluctuations. Compared with pre-lockdown levels, NO and NO2 declined by up to 63% and 42%, respectively, over the lockdown periods, with the most significant changes in pollutant concentrations recorded across the urban traffic sites. O3 levels correspondingly increased by up to 30%, consistent with decreases in the [NO]/[NO2] ratio for O3 concentration response. Analysis of the response of O3 concentrations to the NOx reductions suggested that urban traffic, suburban background and suburban industrial sites operate under VOC-limited regimes, while urban background, urban industrial and rural background sites are NOx-limited. This was in agreement with the [VOC]/[NOx] ratios determined for the London Marylebone Road (LMR; urban traffic) site and the Chilbolton Observatory (CO; rural background) site, which produced values below and above 8, respectively. Conversely, [VOC]/[NOx] ratios for the London Eltham (LE; suburban background) site indicated NOx-sensitivity, which may suggest the [VOC]/[NOx] ratio for O3 concentration response may have had a slight NOx-sensitive bias. Furthermore, O3 concentration response with [NO]/[NO2] and [VOC]/[NOx] were also investigated to determine their relevance and accuracy in identifying O3-NOx-VOC relationships across UK sites. While the results obtained via utilisation of these metrics would suggest a shift in photochemical regime, it is likely that variation in O3 during this period was primarily driven by shifts in oxidant (OX; NO2 + O3) equilibrium as a result of decreasing NO2, with increased O3 transported from Europe likely having some influence.

Pollution indices as useful tools for comprehensive evaluation of the soil contamination degree in the vicinity of mining and metallurgical complexes

Soil pollution levels in the copper mining and metallurgical area were evaluated at 14 sampling sites in the City of Bor and its surroundings in regard to Al, As, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn contents, as well as single and integrated pollution indices. The significance of single pollution indices provides information about pollution by a specific element, while integrated pollution indices offer an insight into cumulative pollution by the examined elements. The mean soil concentrations of As, Cu, Pb and Zn were several times higher than the world average values. The exceedances of soil remediation values were most pronounced for As (at seven sites) and Cu (at eleven sites), more than 3 and 13 times, respectively. According to the geoaccumulation index, the enrichment factor and the contamination factor, the highest soil contamination was with As and Cu, especially at the urban-industrial site. Pollution load index, Nemerow pollution index and the improved Nemerow index confirmed that the most contaminated soils were from the sites in the vicinity of the metallurgical complex and flotation tailing ponds, as well as from the sites in the prevailing wind directions compared to the less polluted soils affected by the ore mining processes. The areas affected by the serious cumulative contamination from the pyrometallurgical copper production need continuous pollution prevention, monitoring and remediation measures.

HERITAGE REQUALIFICATION PROCESS THROUGH SOCIAL PERCEPTIONS: THE CASE OF "HALLE VOLTA" IN ALGIERS

Urban industrial sites in Algeria constitute a colonial heritage that often undergoes a process of degradation and abandonment, leading to ruptures in the urban fabric. The question of their preservation is conditioned by their integration into a contemporaneity useful to the community to which they represent the heritage.
 Therefore, their future cannot be dissociated from the physical and social context they are part of, emphasizing the relationship between the object and the subject. Engaged in their epistemic posi-tions, this article proposes expertise on the heritage potential of Halle Volta, one of the industrial architectural structures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Algiers.
 This expertise makes it possible to understand the appreciations and perceptions engaged by a community towards this relic of the past, with the perspective of its management and transformation. This approach highlights the connection between the social and urban dimensions that can be raised by a heritage requalification project. The knowledge gained from this aims to address the issue of the requalification of Halle Volta, and, to a larger extent, the future of urban industrial heritage in Algeria.

From Industry to Creativity and the Arts: Cultural trend analysis in the reconfiguration and cultural management of industrial spaces in Lisbon

This paper explores the transformation of former urban industrial heritage sites in Lisbon into creative ecosystems, considering the major cultural trends and mindsets that are changing the city. We analyze the current dynamics, projects, and nature of these new sites and how they have been impacted by sociocultural changes, while highlighting their base heritage. Based on a cultural triangulation, our results point to a big impact of cultural trends in the development of creative communities in former industrial heritage sites, mainly in terms of identity projects, the creation of stories, co-creation dynamics and exchange of knowledge for innovative solutions. This article contributes with a new perspective on Lisbon’s creative network; an understanding of the role of heritage in the reconfiguration of industrial sites into creative communities; offers a methodological framework to advance research on trend analysis in an applied setting of cultural and creative spaces, providing an audit tool of their nature, projects, and dynamics.

Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the dry deposition fraction of settleable particulate matter at three industrial urban/suburban locations in northern Spain

Ninety 24-h samples of the dry deposition fraction of settleable particulate matter (DSPM) were collected at one suburban industrial site (‘EMA’) and two urban industrial sites (‘Lauredal’ and ‘Laboratory’) in the western area of Gijón (North of Spain) from December 2019 to June 2020. The levels registered point to an environmental issue that should receive close attention from environmental authorities. Before lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 were established, all samples collected at the EMA site exceeded 300 mg·m−2·d−1 (the Spanish limit value until 2002). Large amounts of DSPM were also registered at the Lauredal and Laboratory sites, maximum levels reaching 1039.2 and 672.7 mg·m−2·d−1, respectively. Seven metals were analysed in DSPM samples: Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn and Na. Fe reached the highest values: 2473.4, 463.4 and 293.3 mg·m−2·d−1 (EMA, Lauredal and Laboratory sites, respectively). This study quantifies the reductions in the DSPM levels registered (on average, 97.2, 73.5 and 90.5% at the EMA, Lauredal and Laboratory sites, respectively) during the lockdown, which involved the restriction of population mobility and industrial activity. The influence of wind speed and its direction were also assessed to better understand the role of these restrictions in the observed reductions. The concentrations of all the metals in the DSPM were reduced by more than 75%, on average, except for K at the Laboratory and Lauredal sites. These decreases were much higher than those found by other authors for smaller fractions of the atmospheric particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5). The findings of the present study highlight the importance of DSPM in highly industrialized urban/suburban locations and indicate the direction that legal measures might take, given the influence of anthropogenic emissions.

Landscape Regeneration of Urban Industrial Heritage Sites Towards the Human Factors Perspective: Perception and Assessment

Urban industrial heritage sites activated through conservation and reuse have been considered to play a vital role in urban landscape, and they can be effectively transformed into public spaces extensively exploited by urban residents. The regeneration of urban industrial heritage has been increasingly discussed from the perspective of landscape worldwide, thus laying a solid basis for this paper. In general, by reviewing the evolving understanding of industrial heritage, this paper analyzes post-industrial landscape and urban industrial heritage as historic urban landscape. On this basis, three crucial aspects are proposed in order to conclude the essence of urban industrial heritage and existing problem of research on the landscape regeneration of post-industrial sites. Most importantly, the study relating to human-environment interaction on renewed sites based on the quantitative method has aroused less attention of professionals. Accordingly, the new interdisciplinary exploration of landscape architecture and human factors has been triggered, thus shifting the views from professionals’ subjective planning and design to individuals’ objective perception and assessment with the use of bio-sensory techniques. Lastly, through the quantitative and qualitative analysis, the whole process and tendency of landscape regeneration of urban industrial heritage sites with recommendations for the future relevant research are creatively indicated to provide valuable reference for the further exploration of post-industrial landscape.

Testing pigeon control efficiency by different methods in urban industrial areas, Hungary

The development of cities and urban sprawl has made room for wildlife inhabiting human environments. Among birds, feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) are often present in large numbers in the cities. Problems related to pigeon occurrence result in economic loss and health issues for humans. There are different methods of controlling pigeon populations in urban areas. In this study, we compared three techniques that can be used for pigeon pest control. In two urban industrial sites in Hungary, we used trapping, falconry (in both Study Area 1 and 2) and mist-netting (only in Study Area 2) to remove pigeons. We compared the effectiveness and limitations of each method. Our results show that over 105 days in Study Area 1, we managed to remove 173 individual pigeons. We did not find a significant difference between the effectiveness of trapping or falconry. In Study Area 2, the overall number of pigeons removed was 1412 over a period of 150 days. There, we managed to catch significantly more birds by netting than by trapping or falconry, but the latter two did not differ statistically. We recommend a combination of techniques for pigeon control. Mist-netting can be the most effective way for direct pigeon removal, whereas trapping is an easier but less efficient method to catch pigeons. Falconry is the least efficient in pigeon catching and requires the most investments, but the bird of prey may chase the pigeons away for a short time.

Vertical profile and assessment of soil pollution from a typical coking plant by suspect screening and non-target screening using GC/QTOF-MS

A comprehensive workflow for suspect screening and non-target screening with gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the pollution characteristics of soil samples in a typical coking plant in China. Suspect screening confirmed 57 chemicals including PAHs, alkyl PAHs, and phthalates contained in high-resolution personal compound database and library (PCDL). Non-target screening detected 88 chemicals from soil samples in the NIST 17 library. A total of 122 chemicals were screened in soil samples, and many of them were of emerging concern. Their presence in the soil obtained from coking operations has been underestimated, such as the oxygenated PAHs (naphtho[2,1-b]furan and 9H-fluoren-9-one), and the alkyl biphenyls compounds (4,4′-dimethylbiphenyl, 3,3′-dimethylbiphenyl, 4-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl and 2,2′,5,5′-tetramethyl-1,1′-biphenyl). Toxicity assays by luminescent bacteria proved that the extracts from soil samples at different depths showed varying toxicity to V. qinghaiensis sp.-Q67. Soil extracts from a depth of 20–40 cm exhibited the greatest toxicity to luminescent bacteria compared with the other six-layered soil samples, which was correlated with the number of detectable pollutants and total organic carbon content. This study provided a screening method for suspect and non-target contaminants in urban industrial soil sites, which was important in identifying localized contamination sources.

Research on the Regeneration Status and Development Mode of the Landscape of the Third Tier Construction Industry Sites in China under the Background of Urban Renewal

Industrial sites are brownfields left in the process of urban development, which were originally considered as the burden of the city. However, in today’s lack of land resources, industrial sites have become valuable assets of the city. Further excavation and effective use of them is one of the important ways to alleviate the tension of urban land use. The strategy of ecological reconstruction and sustainable design in the landscape of industrial sites is mainly reflected in the minimal intervention in the natural ecology of the site, the use of renewable materials and resources, the retention of native plants, human history and site memory. It makes the ecology of urban industrial site landscape more balanced, enhances the uniqueness and experience of urban industrial site landscape, meets the spiritual and physiological needs of people in the city, and realizes the sharing of industrial site landscape to the public’s natural ecology, land, industrial spirit, history and humanity.

Air pollution-induced tanning of human skin.

Melanism is more frequent in animals living in polluted areas on urban-industrial sites. Given that an increasing number of people are exposed to elevated air pollution levels, it is possible that environmental pollutants affect melanogenesis in human skin. Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to traffic-related air pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP) is associated with more clinical signs of hyperpigmentation. However, mechanistic evidence linking DEP exposure to pigmentation has been elusive. To develop an ex␣vivo skin model to allow for repetitive topical application of relevant ambient DEP, and to provide proof of concept in humans. We measured skin pigmentation, melanin and pigmentation-associated gene expression, and evaluated oxidative stress. Repetitive exposure of ex␣vivo skin to DEP at nontoxic concentrations increased skin pigmentation. This increase was visible to the naked eye, time dependent, and associated with an increase in melanin content and the transcription of genes involved in de novo melanin synthesis. Similarly, in healthy participants (n = 76), repetitive topical application of DEP at nontoxic concentrations increased skin pigmentation. DEP-induced pigmentation was mediated by an oxidative stress response. After the application of DEP, epidermal antioxidants were depleted, lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage were enhanced, and in a vehicle-controlled, double-blind clinical study DEP-induced pigmentation was prevented by the topical application of an antioxidant mixture. Similar to solar radiation, air pollutants cause skin tanning. As eumelanin is an antioxidant, it is proposed that this response serves to protect human skin against air pollution-induced oxidative stress.

Geometric issues of transforming a topographic surface into a design project

Natural relief adjustment for functional purpose - the task of vertical planning - is one of the main complexes of engineering preparation problems of urban areas, industrial sites, reclamation of irrigated land. Numerous methods of designing vertical levelling are aimed at building algorithms that would allow us to obtain an optimal solution in an automated mode. In the set of problems of engineering preparation of urban areas and industrial sites, vertical planning is defined as: a set of engineering and aesthetic measures aimed at adapting the natural relief for the needs of development and subsequent operation, taking into account the functional characteristics of the site a part of engineering preparation, which consists in providing a height arrangement of buildings and structures necessary for the best technological connection between individual objects, as well as a quick collection of atmospheric waters Reclamation of irrigated lands has specific requirements to design surface - maximum preservation of fertile layer, the satisfaction of cultivation technology conditions of different crops and irrigation technique. The main disadvantage of all known methods of designing vertical levelling is a cumbersome solution - a very labor-intensive way of successive approximation to an acceptable solution requires a large expenditure of computer time and subsequent manual revision. The article proposes one of the approaches to the design of levelling using geometric estimates.

Symbiotic loss-free industrial production in ultra-efficient urban industrial parks

The global trends of population growth, urbanisation and volatile markets require a paradigm shift towards decoupling economic growth and resource consumption. This especially applies to the manufacturing industry. The visionary solution approach of the Ultra-Efficiency Factory supports the holistic improvement in the five fields of action - energy, material, emissions, human/staff, organisation - for an industrial factory. Using this as a starting point, an extended approach is the application of the Ultra-Efficiency Factory in urban surroundings. The objective is to define, identify and assess symbiotic effects within industrial parks, as well as with their surrounding urban environment, in order to achieve ultra-efficiency. The Ultra-Efficiency method was adapted to the conditions in industrial parks to support the creation of a transformation trajectory towards ultra-efficiency. The present paper also describes the final step of this method, the development of holistic concepts for ultra-efficient urban industrial sites. This is illustrated via a best practice example from Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Working With Wilderness: A Promising Direction for Urban Green Spaces

Wilderness is a cultural construct that is deeply rooted in many societies. For landscape architects and their predecessors, wilderness has long been important as a contrast to artificial garden elements, as an inspiration for naturalistic plant designs, or today as a timely contribution to reconciling cities and their inhabitants with the natural world. Since cities and wilderness have traditionally been seen as opposites, new approaches are necessary to better address the opportunities and challenges associated with wilderness in urban regions. From an ecological perspective, urban wilderness can be defined as an area characterized by a high degree of self-regulation in ecosystem processes where direct human impact is negligible. This allows two main types of wilderness to be distinguished: “ancient wilderness” represented by natural remnants in many cities, and “novel wilderness,” which arises in artificial urban-industrial sites. The two types require different approaches in designing and managing green spaces. Ancient wilderness is a traditional object of conservation and restoration, and offers inspiration for naturalistic plantings. In contrast, the emergence of novel wilderness has long been associated with neglect and socio-economic decline. Since the 1980s, however, early pioneer projects in Germany have started to integrate novel urban wilderness into the green infrastructure. The results are unprecedented green spaces that combine novel wilderness with design interventions. These places are attractive to visitors, contribute to biodiversity conservation, and support many ecosystem services. This article aims to illustrate the opportunities and challenges of integrating wilderness components and processes into the urban green infrastructure—a timely way to reconnect cities with nature.

First year woody survival supports feasibility of forest-steppe reconstruction as an alternative to landscaping in industrial areas

Urban-industrial restoration of complex native vegetation, such as grassland-forest mosaics could counteract land degradation and help develop methodology for larger scale complex restorations. We have studied the impact of grassland reconstruction techniques, the resulting biotic conditions, plus abiotic conditions on early woody survival in a forest-steppe reconstruction at an urban-industrial site. The study area is situated at the factory of the LEGO Group, Nyíregyháza in the acidic inland sand dune region of Nyírség, NE Hungary, Europe. Over 10,000 undercut 1-2-year-old saplings of 16 tree and shrub species were planted in patches of various size in November 2015 at ca. 20% of the restoration area. Specific plans were developed for each woody patch within the restored grassland. Tree and shrub survival was counted for all saplings in all patches in the summer of 2016. Vegetation height, cover of herb-layer, and elevation a.m.s.l. were estimated for each woody patch and soils were characterized for each restoration parcel. First year woody survival rates ranged between 4 and 66% for the different species. Only vegetation height had an overall negative impact on woody survival and seven species reflected some (often contradictory) impacts of the studied environmental variables. In our interpretation this shows that woody survival was basically independent of the grassland reconstruction techniques, but also that the management of the herb-layer of new woody plantations can be crucial in long-term maintenance. Our results support that the reconstruction of complex native habitats with a park-like appearance is a viable alternative to landscaping in industrial areas that can counteract land degradation and increase green infrastructure connectivity. The methods applied can be transferred to larger-scale restoration with modifications.

Physico-Chemical Characterization of an Urban Rainwater (Zagreb, Croatia)

The characterization of organic matter (OM) and trace elements (TEs) was conducted in bulk precipitation samples collected in an urban area of Croatia (Zagreb center), from January 2009 to October 2011 (N = 31). Characterization of OM was performed by measurement of dissolved (DOC) and particulate forms of organic carbon (POC), as well as surface-active substances, copper complexing capacity and reduced sulfur species which were determined electrochemically. Concentrations of TEs (Al, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ba, Mn, Cu, Sr, Ti, Pb, V, Ni, Rb, Sb, As, Sn, Se, Co, Cd, Mo) were analyzed by HR ICP-MS. The most important outcome of this study is confirmed relatively low concentrations of DOC (0.69–4.86 mgC L−1) and TEs. Daily fluxes of Zn, Pb, Ni, As, and Cd were two to three times lower than that of those reported for an urban industrial site in Europe. Additionally, this study shows that the value and reactivity of rainwater DOC has not considerably changed if compared with the results from the 1998–1999 study (0.78–4.39 mgC L−1). High traffic density and thermal power plants are assumed to be the main local sources of pollutants in Zagreb. Using Al as a reference element, it was found that Cd, Sb, and Cu were associated with anthropogenic sources. The solubility of Sr, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, As, and Rb was higher than 70%. Another critical characteristic of precipitation composition is episodic variation in POC concentration because of Saharan dust transport. Obtained data can be valuable for environmental quality assessment, as well as for insight into atmospheric deposition processes.

Assessment and Comparison of Multi-annual Size Profiles of Particulate Matter Monitored at an Urban-industrial Site by an Optical Particle Counter with a Chemometric Approach

Air particulate matter dimensions are a key air quality parameter which can be related to composition, transport properties, exposure and effects on humans and the environment. Optical particle counters are increasingly used for dynamic ambient air particle matter size characterization. Monitoring campaigns lasting several months or years produces millions of single values to be elaborated, requiring effective data treatment procedures for extracting information and knowledge. Data mining algorithms as Self-Organizing Map (SOM) can support exploratory data analysis and pattern recognition in aerosol science. The use of SOM allows to elaborate a high number of data, with powerful visualization features using 2D maps, avoiding to lose information on data variability with data pre-treatments, such as compacting minute data to hourly or daily means. In the present study we describe the optical particle counter data elaboration for particulate matter profile assessment and comparison of a long monitoring time (nearly three years) carried out near residential buildings positioned very close to a steel plant. About twelve millions recorded single values have been handled on the whole. The approach allowed to identify four main particulate matter profiles and follow their variation during the years relating the differences with changes in the plant management and process. The possible applications of the present approach are broad in the field of air quality high frequency long monitoring campaigns with different types of instruments for size and compositional characterization of both particulate matter and gases.