Atmospheric Distribution and Long-Range Transport Behavior of Organochlorine Pesticides in North America

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Shen ◽  
Frank Wania ◽  
Ying D. Lei ◽  
Camilla Teixeira ◽  
Derek C. G. Muir ◽  
...  
2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2999-3014 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. van Donkelaar ◽  
R. V. Martin ◽  
W. R. Leaitch ◽  
A. M. Macdonald ◽  
T. W. Walker ◽  
...  

Abstract. We interpret a suite of satellite, aircraft, and ground-based measurements over the North Pacific Ocean and western North America during April–May 2006 as part of the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B (INTEX-B) campaign to understand the implications of long-range transport of East Asian emissions to North America. The Canadian component of INTEX-B included 33 vertical profiles from a Cessna 207 aircraft equipped with an aerosol mass spectrometer. Long-range transport of organic aerosols was insignificant, contrary to expectations. Measured sulfate plumes in the free troposphere over British Columbia exceeded 2 μg/m3. We update the global anthropogenic emission inventory in a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and use it to interpret the observations. Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrieved from two satellite instruments (MISR and MODIS) for 2000–2006 are analyzed with GEOS-Chem to estimate an annual growth in Chinese sulfur emissions of 6.2% and 9.6%, respectively. Analysis of aircraft sulfate measurements from the NASA DC-8 over the central Pacific, the NSF C-130 over the east Pacific and the Cessna over British Columbia indicates most Asian sulfate over the ocean is in the lower free troposphere (800–600 hPa), with a decrease in pressure toward land due to orographic effects. We calculate that 56% of the measured sulfate between 500–900 hPa over British Columbia is due to East Asian sources. We find evidence of a 72–85% increase in the relative contribution of East Asian sulfate to the total burden in spring off the northwest coast of the United States since 1985. Campaign-average simulations indicate anthropogenic East Asian sulfur emissions increase mean springtime sulfate in Western Canada at the surface by 0.31 μg/m3 (~30%) and account for 50% of the overall regional sulfate burden between 1 and 5 km. Mean measured daily surface sulfate concentrations taken in the Vancouver area increase by 0.32 μg/m3 per 10% increase in the simulated fraction of Asian sulfate, and suggest current East Asian emissions episodically degrade local air quality by more than 1.5 μg/m3.


2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1230-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Kallos ◽  
Marina Astitha ◽  
Petros Katsafados ◽  
Chris Spyrou

Abstract During the past 20 years, organized experimental campaigns as well as continuous development and implementation of air-pollution modeling have led to significant gains in the understanding of the paths and scales of pollutant transport and transformation in the greater Mediterranean region (GMR). The work presented in this paper has two major objectives: 1) to summarize the existing knowledge on the transport paths of particulate matter (PM) in the GMR and 2) to illustrate some new findings related to the transport and transformation properties of PM in the GMR. Findings from previous studies indicate that anthropogenically produced air pollutants from European sources can be transported over long distances, reaching Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, and North America. The PM of natural origin, like Saharan dust, can be transported toward the Atlantic Ocean and North America mostly during the warm period of the year. Recent model simulations and studies in the area indicate that specific long-range transport patterns of aerosols, such as the transport from Asia and the Indian Ocean, central Africa, or America, have negligible or at best limited contribution to air-quality degradation in the GMR when compared with the other sources. Also, new findings from this work suggest that the imposed European Union limits on PM cannot be applicable for southern Europe unless the origin (natural or anthropogenic) of the PM is taken into account. The impacts of high PM levels in the GMR are not limited only to air quality, but also include serious implications for the water budget and the regional climate. These are issues that require extensive investigation because the processes involved are complex, and further model development is needed to include the relevant physicochemical processes properly.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 4017-4057 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. van Donkelaar ◽  
R. V. Martin ◽  
W. R. Leaitch ◽  
A. M. Macdonald ◽  
T. W. Walker ◽  
...  

Abstract. We interpret a suite of satellite, aircraft, and ground-based measurements over the North Pacific Ocean and western North America during April–May 2006 as part of the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B (INTEX-B) campaign to understand the implications of long-range transport of East Asian emissions to North America. The Canadian component of INTEX-B included 33 vertical profiles from a Cessna 207 aircraft equipped with an aerosol mass spectrometer. Long-range transport of organic aerosols was insignificant. Measured sulfate plumes in the free troposphere over British Columbia exceeded 1 μg/m3. We update the global anthropogenic emission inventory in a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and use it to interpret the observations. Trends in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrieved from two satellite instruments (MISR and MODIS) for 2000–2006 are analyzed with GEOS-Chem to estimate an annual growth in Chinese sulfur emissions of 6.2% and 9.6%, respectively. Analysis of aircraft sulfate measurements from the NASA DC-8 over the central Pacific, the NSF C-130 over the east Pacific and the Cessna over British Columbia indicates most Asian sulfate over the ocean is in the lower free troposphere (800–600 hPa), with a decrease in pressure toward land due to orographic effects. We calculate that 63% of the measured sulfate at 600 hPa over British Columbia is due to East Asian sources. Simulation of INTEX-B and May 1985 aircraft measurements off the northwest coast of the United States reveals a 2.4–3.4 fold increase in the relative contribution of East Asian sulfate to the total burden. Campaign-average simulations indicate anthropogenic East Asian sulfur emissions increase mean springtime sulfate in Western Canada at the surface by 0.14–0.19 μg/m3 (~30%) and account for 40% of the overall regional sulfate burden between 1 and 5 km. Mean measured daily surface sulfate concentrations taken in the Vancouver area increase by 0.27 μg/m3 per 10% increase in the simulated fraction of Asian sulfate, suggesting current East Asian emissions degrade local air quality.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 4673-4717 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Durnford ◽  
A. Dastoor ◽  
D. Figueras-Nieto ◽  
A. Ryjkov

Abstract. This study is the most extensive study to date on the transport of mercury to the Arctic. Moreover, it is the first such study to use a fully-coupled, online chemical transport model, Environment Canada's Global/Regional Atmospheric Heavy Metals model (GRAHM), where the meteorology and mercury processes are fully integrated. It is also the only study to date on the transport of mercury across Canada. We determined source attribution from Asia, North America, Russia and Europe at six arctic verification stations, as well as three subarctic and eight midlatitude Canadian stations. We have found that Asia, despite having transport efficiencies that were almost always lower than those of North America and often lower than those of Russia, was the dominant source of gaseous atmospheric mercury at all verification stations: it contributed the most mercury (29–37% at all stations, seasons and levels considered), its concentrations frequently explained nearly 100% of the variability in the concentrations produced by the simulation performed with full global emissions, particularly in the absence of local sources, and it generated the most long range transport (LRT) events, causing 43%, 67% and 75% of the events at the arctic, subarctic and midlatitude stations, respectively. For the Arctic, Russian transport efficiencies tended to be the strongest, as expected, while European and Asian efficiencies were lower and higher, respectively, than those found in the literature. This disagreement is likely produced by mercury's long lifetime relative to that of other pollutants. The accepted springtime preference for the trans-Pacific transport of Asian pollution was evident only in the midlatitude group of stations, being masked in the arctic and subarctic groups by the occurrence of atmospheric mercury depletion events. Some neighbouring arctic stations recorded dissimilar numbers of LRT events; despite their proximity, the behaviour of mercury at these stations was governed by different dynamics and transport pathways. The column burden of GEM in the lowest 5 km of the Northern Hemisphere was largest in summer from Asia, North America and Russia, but in winter from Europe. In the vertical, transport of mercury from all source regions occurred principally in the mid-troposphere.


2021 ◽  
pp. 118241
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Johnson ◽  
Kevin Strawbridge ◽  
K. Emma Knowland ◽  
Christoph Keller ◽  
Michael Travis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Adam ◽  
Doina Nicolae ◽  
Livio Belegante ◽  
Iwona S. Stachlewska ◽  
Lucja Janicka ◽  
...  

Abstract. Biomass burning events are analysed using the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network database for atmospheric profiling of aerosols by lidars. Atmospheric profiles containing forest fires layers were identified in data collected by fourteen stations during 2008–2017. The data ranged from complete data sets (particle backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient and linear depolarization ratio) to single profiles (particle backscatter coefficient). The data analysis methodology was described in Part I (Biomass burning events measured by lidars in EARLINET. Part I. Data analysis methodology, under discussions to ACP, the EARLINET special issue). The results are analysed by means of intensive parameters in three directions: (I) common biomass burning source (fire) recorded by at least two stations, (II) long range transport of smoke particles from North America (here, we divided the events into pure North America and mixed-North America and local) smoke groups, and (III) analysis of smoke particles over four geographical regions (SE Europe, NE Europe, Central Europe and SW Europe). Five events were found for case (I), while 24 events were determined for case (II). A statistical analysis over the four geographical regions considered revealed that smoke originated from different regions. The smoke detected in the Central Europe region (Cabauw, Leipzig, and Hohenpeißenberg) was mostly brought over from North America (87 % of the fires), by long range transport. The smoke in the South West region (Barcelona, Evora, and Granada) came mostly from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, the long-range transport from North America accounting for only 9 % here. The smoke in the North Europe region (Belsk, Minsk, and Warsaw) originated mostly in East Europe (Ukraine and Russia), and had a 31 % contribution from smoke by long-range transport from North America. For the South East region (Athens, Bucharest, Potenza, Sofia, Thessaloniki) the origin of the smoke was mostly located in SE Europe (only 3 % from North America). Specific features for the lidar-derived intensive parameters based on smoke continental origin were determined for each region. Based on the whole dataset, the following signatures were observed: (i) the colour ratio of the lidar ratio and the backscatter Ångström exponent increase with travel time, while the extinction Ångström exponent and the colour ratio of the particle depolarization ratio decrease; (ii) an increase of the colour ratio of the particle depolarization ratio corresponds to both a decrease of the colour ratio of the lidar ratios and an increase of the extinction Ångström exponent; (iii) the measured smoke originating from all continental regions is characterized in average as aged smoke, except for a few cases; (iv) in general, the local smoke shows a smaller lidar ratio while the long range transported smoke shows a higher lidar ratio; and (v) the depolarization is smaller for long range transported smoke. A complete characterization of the smoke particles type (either fresh or aged) is presented for each of the four geographical regions versus different continental source regions.


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