Direct Identification of Trace Metals in Fine and Ultrafine Particles in the Detroit Urban Atmosphere

2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 2289-2297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Utsunomiya ◽  
Keld A. Jensen ◽  
Gerald J. Keeler ◽  
Rodney C. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Direct Identification

Composition of ultrafine particles in urban Beijing: Measurement using a thermal desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Li ◽  
Yuyang Li ◽  
Michael Lawler ◽  
Jiming Hao ◽  
James Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Thermal Desorption ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Chemical Ionization ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Desorption Chemical Ionization ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Primary Emissions

<p>Ultrafine particles (UFPs) dominate the particle number population in the urban atmosphere and revealing their chemical composition is important. The thermal desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometer (TDCIMS) can semi-continuously measure UFP composition at the molecular level. We modified a TDCIMS and deployed it in urban Beijing. Radioactive materials in the TDCIMS for aerosol charging and chemical ionization were replaced by soft X-ray ionizers so that it can be operated in countries with tight regulations on radioactive materials. Protonated N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ions were used as the positive reagent ion, which selectively detects ammonia and low-molecular weight-aliphatic amines and amides vaporized from the particle phase. With superoxide as the negative reagent ion, a wide range of inorganic and organic compounds were observed, including nitrate, sulfate, aliphatic acids with carbon numbers up to 18, and highly oxygenated CHO, CHON, and CHOS compounds. The latter two can be attributed to parent ions or the decomposition products of organonitrates and organosulfates/organosulfonates, respectively. Components from both primary emissions and secondary formation of UFPs were identified. Compared to the UFPs measured at forest and marine sites, those in urban Beijing contain more nitrogen-containing and sulfur-containing compounds. These observations illustrate unique features of the UFPs in this polluted urban environment and provide insights into their origins.</p>

scholarly journals Frequency of new particle formation events in the urban Mediterranean climate

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 26463-26494 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brines ◽  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
D. C. S. Beddows ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
F. Gómez-Moreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
New Particle Formation

Abstract. Road traffic emissions are often considered the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter smaller than 100 nm) in urban environments. However, recent studies have shown that – in southern European urban regions at least – new particle formation events can also contribute to UFP. In order to quantify such events we systematically studied four cities with a Mediterranean climate: Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Los Angeles. The city of Brisbane is also included in our study due to its similar climate. Five long term datasets (from 3 months to 2 years) of fine and ultrafine particle number size distributions (measured by SMPS, Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) were analysed. By applying k-Means clustering analysis, we categorized the collected aerosol size distributions in four main classes: "Traffic" (prevailing 41–63% of the time), "Background Pollution" (6–53%), "Nucleation" (6–33%) and "Specific case" (7–20%) the latter being site specific. The daily variation of the average UFP concentrations for a typical nucleation day at each site revealed a similar pattern for all cities, with three distinct particle bursts. A morning and an evening spike reflected traffic rush hours, whereas a third one at midday showed new particle formation events. This work shows that the average occurrence of particle size spectra dominated by new particle formation events was 18% of the time, showing the importance of this process as a source of UFP in the Mediterranean urban atmosphere. Furthermore, in a number of the studied cities, particle number concentration averaged daily profiles for the whole study periods clearly showed the same three particle bursts. This reveals nucleation events as a relevant contributor to the average daily urban exposure to UFP in Mediterranean urban environments.

scholarly journals The effects of vehicle emissions and nucleation events on vertical particle concentration profiles around urban office buildings

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1613-1651
Author(s):  
T. N. Quang ◽  
C. He ◽  
L. Morawska ◽  
L. D. Knibbs ◽  
M. Falk
Keyword(s):  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Vehicle Emissions ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Limited Information

Abstract. Despite its role in determining both indoor and outdoor human exposure to anthropogenic particles, there is limited information describing vertical profiles of particle concentrations in urban environments, especially for ultrafine particles. Furthermore, the results of the few studies performed have been inconsistent. As such this study aimed to assess the influence of vehicle emissions and nucleation formation on particle concentrations (PN and PM2.5) at different heights around three urban office buildings located next to busy roads in Brisbane, Australia, and place these results in the broader context of the existing literature. Two sets of instruments were used to simultaneously measure PN size distribution, PN and PM2.5 concentrations, respectively, for up to three weeks each at three office buildings. The results showed that both PN and PM2.5 concentrations around building envelope were influenced by vehicle emissions and new particle formation, and that they exhibited variability across the three different office buildings. During the nucleation event, PN concentrations increased (21–46%), while PM2.5 concentrations decreased (36–52%) with height at all three buildings. This study has shown an underappreciated role of nucleation in producing particles that can affect large numbers of people, due to the high density and occupancy of urban office buildings and the fact that the vast majority of people's time is spent indoors. These findings highlight important new information related to the previously overlooked role of particle formation in the urban atmosphere and its potential effects on selection of air intake locations and appropriate filter types when designing or upgrading mechanical ventilation systems in urban office buildings. The results also serve to better define particle behaviour and variability around building envelopes, which has implications for studies of both human exposure and particle dynamics.

scholarly journals Vertical particle concentration profiles around urban office buildings

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 5017-5030 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. N. Quang ◽  
C. He ◽  
L. Morawska ◽  
L. D. Knibbs ◽  
M. Falk
Keyword(s):  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Vehicle Emissions ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. Despite its role in determining both indoor and outdoor human exposure to anthropogenic particles, there is limited information describing vertical profiles of particle concentrations in urban environments, especially for ultrafine particles. Furthermore, the results of the few studies performed have been inconsistent. As such, this study aimed to assess the influence of vehicle emissions and nucleation formation on particle characteristics (particle number size distribution – PNSD and PM2.5 concentration) at different heights around three urban office buildings located next to busy roads in Brisbane, Australia, and place these results in the broader context of the existing literature. Two sets of instruments were used to simultaneously measure PNSD, particle number (PN) and PM2.5 concentrations, respectively, for up to three weeks at each building. The results showed that both PNSD and PM2.5 concentration around building envelopes were influenced by vehicle emissions and new particle formation, and that they exhibited variability across the three different office buildings. During nucleation events, PN concentration in size range of <30 nm and total PN concentration increased (7–65% and 5–46%, respectively), while PM2.5 concentration decreased (36–52%) with height. This study has shown an under acknowledged role for nucleation in producing particles that can affect large numbers of people, due to the high density and occupancy of urban office buildings and the fact that the vast majority of people's time is spent indoors. These findings highlight important new information related to the previously overlooked role of particle formation in the urban atmosphere and its potential effects on selection of air intake locations and appropriate filter types when designing or upgrading mechanical ventilation systems in urban office buildings. The results also serve to better define particle behaviour and variability around building envelopes, which has implications for studies of both human exposure and particle dynamics.

Physicochemical and oxidative characteristics of semi-volatile components of quasi-ultrafine particles in an urban atmosphere

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1025-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Verma ◽  
Payam Pakbin ◽  
Ka Lam Cheung ◽  
Arthur K. Cho ◽  
James J. Schauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Volatile Components

scholarly journals Sequential Extractions and Toxicity Potential of Trace Metals Absorbed into Airborne Particles in an Urban Atmosphere of Southwestern Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Gbenga Olumayede ◽  
Thompson Faraday Ediagbonya
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Airborne Particles ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Metal Exposure ◽  
Pollution Indices ◽  
Sequential Extractions ◽  
Southwestern Nigeria ◽  
Geochemical Fractions ◽  
Geochemical Phases

The paper investigates the hypothesis that biotoxicities of trace metals depend not only on the concentration as expressed by the total amount, but also on their geochemical fractions and bioavailability. Airborne particles were collected using SKC Air Check XR 5000 high volume Sampler at a human breathing height of 1.5–2.0 meters, during the dry season months from November 2014 to March 2015 at different locations in Akure (7°10′N and 5°15′E). The geochemical-based sequential extractions were performed on the particles using a series of increasingly stringent solutions selected to extract metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn) into four operational geochemical phases—exchangeable, reducible, organic, and residual—and then quantified using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed metals concentration of order Pb > Cr > Cd > Zn > Ni > Cu > Mn. However, most metals in the samples exist in nonmobile fractions: exchangeable (6.43–16.2%), reducible (32.58–47.39%), organic (4.73–9.88%), and residual (18.28–27.53%). The pollution indices show ingestion as the leading route of metal exposure, with noncarcinogenic (HQ) and cancer risk (HI) for humans in the area being higher than 1.0 × 10−4, indicating a health threat.

Source and Potential Health Risk of Trace Metals in the Urban Atmosphere

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Cheng Jung ◽  
Charles C.-K. Chou ◽  
Chuan-Yao Lin ◽  
Chuan-Chou Shen ◽  
Yu-Chi Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Potential Health Risk
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document