scholarly journals Indoor and outdoor PM concenctration at a residential environment, in the Athens area

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-208
Keyword(s):  
Population Exposure ◽  
Air Exchange Rate ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Limit Value ◽  
Pm10 And Pm2.5 ◽  
Outdoor Concentration ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Concentration Levels ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

The aim of the present work was to study exposure to PM in the indoor and outdoor microenvironment of a typical residence in the center of Athens. Simultaneous indoor and outdoor measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 were conducted, by the use of gravimetric and continuous samples, during October and November 2006. Moreover, air exchange rate was monitored continuously during the entire measurement period. The indoor and outdoor concentration levels were significant for both size fractions. Mean daily PM10 outdoor concentrations exceeded the E.U. 24-hr limit value for 84 % of the measured days, while the respective PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the 24-hr limit value set by the C.A.F.E. working group for 69 % of the measured days. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations exhibited increased short-term variability with high peak concentrations during morning and afternoon/night rush hours. Indoor concentration levels seem to be mainly affected by PM of outdoor origin, since the calculated indoor-to-outdoor concentrations ratios (I/O) were much lower than 1.00 during all days and indoor and outdoor concentrations were highly correlated. This finding was also supported by the pattern of their diurnal cycles, which followed the outdoor ones, with a delay of approximately 1 hr. The results indicate increased PM concentration levels in the center of Athens, even in indoor microenvironments with no significant indoor sources and emphasize the need for a more extensive investigation of the Athens population exposure, for the protection of public health.

31. Indoor and Outdoor Concentration Levels of Airborne Fungi in Cincinnati Area Homes: Pilot Study

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Lee ◽  
D. Martuzevicius ◽  
C. Crawford ◽  
A. Adhikari ◽  
T. Reponen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Outdoor Concentration ◽  
Concentration Levels ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

scholarly journals Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Determination of Benzene and Its Alkyl Derivatives in Indoor and Outdoor Air in Fuji, Japan

2002 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Amagai ◽  
Takeshi Ohura ◽  
Tomohiko Sugiyama ◽  
Masahiro Fusaya ◽  
Hidetsuru Matsushita
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometric ◽  
Benzene Derivatives ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Indoor Pollution ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Alkyl Derivatives ◽  
Concentration Levels ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor ◽  
Chromatographic Mass

Abstract An analytical method was established for the determination of benzene and 13 of its alkyl derivatives. The method was applied to a survey of indoor pollution that investigated the usefulness of the method, concentration levels, seasonal variations, profiles, correlations between compounds, and factors that affected indoor pollution by these compounds. The survey was performed in 21 houses in the summer of 1999 and 20 houses in the winter of 1999–2000 in Fuji, Japan. All the target compounds were detected in the indoor and outdoor air of all houses. Outdoor concentrations of benzene ranged from 0.779 to 3.17 μg/m3 in summer and from 1.35 to 6.04 μg/m3 in winter, whereas indoor concentrations of benzene ranged from 0.694 to 3.11 μg/m3 in summer and from 1.65 to 6.89 μg/m3 in winter. Indoor concentrations of the target compounds, except for benzene, were elevated, compared with outdoor concentrations. Because indoor and outdoor concentrations of benzene and its derivatives in summer were lower than in winter, the emission of these compounds may be increased by use of a heater and other variables present in winter. Profiles of the compounds, correlations between the compounds, and factors that affected indoor pollution (determined by multiple regression analysis) were investigated. These results suggested that indoor benzene predominantly penetrated from outdoors and that other benzene derivatives were emitted from indoor sources, such as paint solvents and kerosene heaters.

scholarly journals Indoor / outdoor PM levels and EC surrogate, at typical microenvironments in the Athens area

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Absorption Coefficient ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Atmosphere ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Outdoor Concentration ◽  
Measured Absorption ◽  
Athens Area ◽  
Very High ◽  
Concentration Levels ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

The aim of the present work was to characterize particulate matter (PM) and elemental carbon (EC) indoor and outdoor concentration levels in the Athens area and to examine the contribution of ambient air to the observed indoor levels. 24-hr simultaneous indoor and outdoor PM10 and PM2.5 measurements were conducted at a central (CR) and a suburban (SR) residence, and at an office in the commercial centre of Athens (CO), during cold and warm period of 2006. The absorption coefficient (α) was measured on the collected filters, as a surrogate for EC concentration levels. Ambient PM levels were very high at both central sites and significant at SR (mean 24-hr PM10: 87.4, 50.3 and 87.3 μg m-3 and PM2.5: 50.7, 20.2 and 42.8 μg m-3 at CR, SR and CO). The measured absorption coefficient values were very high at CR and CO for both size fractions. Indoor PM concentration and absorption coefficient values were lower than the respective outdoor ones, but still significant at the two central sites. Very good correlations were observed between indoor and outdoor data (especially for absorption coefficient values), indicating a large contribution of the ambient atmosphere to the indoor levels, more pronounced in finer particles.

scholarly journals Assessment of Indoor Benzene and Its Alkyl Derivatives Concentrations in Offices Belonging to University of Technology (Poland)

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Barbara Kozielska ◽  
Dorota Kaleta
Keyword(s):  
Dominant Role ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Air Contamination ◽  
Flame Ionization ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Alkyl Derivatives ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Office Rooms ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Indoor air contamination in office rooms is regarded as one of the most important issues in the protection of workers’ health, because contaminants, even those occurring at low concentrations, can cause health problems for the office staff in view of the long exposure time. This paper presents the results of measurements of benzene and its alkyl derivatives (toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, styrene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)—known indicators of human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air in newly renovated offices at University of Technology (Upper Silesia, Poland). Monthly samples of indoor and outdoor air were collected during the years 2018–2019 by passive methods and analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (TD-GC/FID). In the first month of measurements average concentrations of the sum of five VOCs under consideration was 127.7 µg/m3, then in subsequent months between 15.1 µg/m3 to 87.3 µg/m3. The average concentration of carcinogenic benzene was below 1.5 μg/m3. Toluene had the highest concentration among studied VOCs, accounting for as high as 60% and 84% of the total indoor and outdoor VOCs, respectively. High indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) ratios for ethylbenzene (7.1), m,p-xylene (9.8), and styrene (12.5) indicate the dominant role of indoor sources.

scholarly journals The effects of indoor and outdoor air pollutants on workers’ productivity in office building

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 02057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Becchio ◽  
Marta Carla Bottero ◽  
Stefano Paolo Corgnati ◽  
Federico Dell’Anna ◽  
Valentina Fabi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Sources ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Absence From Work ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

In the present-day society, people spend about 80% of their time inside buildings, and specifically 30-40% in workplaces. From this evidence, the indoor environmental quality needs to be investigated, and in particular, the possible sources of indoor-outdoor pollutants and their impact on the human health, comfort and productivity. First, through an examination of the indoor sources of pollution, the research analysed the main substances that affect indoor air quality in an office. Second, the pollution of external origin and its effects on the performance of employees were taken into consideration. Two scenarios were designed for a Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in an office building; one by the installation of a biocidal filter and the other by a traditional one. Two methods were applied to evaluate and compare those scenarios; the Cost Benefit Analysis and the Monte Carlo Simulation. From a financial point of view, the investment and management costs of the filters were considered. Instead, the annual benefits included increasing productivity and reducing days of absence from work due to illness. The results confirmed the energy and socio-economic efficiency of the antibacterial filter; it can be considered a solution to achieve the best income.

Two models and two emission databases – evaluation of the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations modelled with WRF-Chem and EMEP4PL

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Werner ◽  
Maciej Kryza ◽  
Justyna Dudek
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Chemical Transport ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Transport Models ◽  
Local Database ◽  
Chemical Transport Models ◽  
Pm10 And Pm2.5

<p>Some European countries in Eastern or Central Europe, such as Poland, have serious problems with air quality. High concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in winter are often related to high coal and wood combustion for residential heating. Meteorological conditions, i.e. low air temperature and anticyclones, provide favourable conditions for the accumulation of air pollution, rendering it harmful to people.  PM concentrations during the warmer period are much lower, however there are episodes with elevated concentrations related to e.g. long-range transport of pollutants from biomass burning areas. Policy makers in Poland put a lot of effort to improve air quality as well as inform and aware people on harmful effects of air pollution. One of the relevant tools which provides information on the past, current and future state of the air pollution are chemical transport models.</p><p>In this study we aim for validation of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations from two different chemical transport models – WRF-Chem and EMEP4PL and two different emission databases – a) a regional EMEP database, and b) a local database provided by the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Pollution. Modelled PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were compared with observations from Polish stations for the year 2018. The results show a clear seasonal variation of the models performance with the lowest correlation coefficients in summer. Higher seasonal variability is observed for WRF-Chem than EMEP, which is probably related to differences in calculations of boundary layer height. Application of local database improves the results for both models. For several months, the performance of WRF-Chem and EMEP is clearly different, which shows that an ensemble approach with an application of these two models could improve the modelling results. The differences in the model performance significantly influence the results of the population exposure assessment.</p><p> </p>

Towards a mathematical model of limestone pavement vegetation. II. Microclimate, surface pH, and microtopography

1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 959-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Yarranton ◽  
W. J. Beasleigh
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Topographic Effects ◽  
Surface Ph ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Stable Temperature ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
Air Layers ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Occurrence Of Species

Microclimate and surface pH in limestone pavement fissures were investigated, with special attention to their correlation with topography. The diurnal cycles of light intensity at 60 points in the fissures were measured and variations in them explained by the interaction of topography and the position of the sun in the sky. Continuous recording of temperature and humidity in the grikes over a 5-day period suggested the presence of two air layers: an air layer in the lower two-thirds of each grike, characterized by stable temperature and humidity, with humidity decreasing upward; and a second layer continuous with the air above the surface and subject to much greater variation. This phenomenon was most pronounced in the narrowest grikes. Means and variances of light intensity, temperature, and humidity were selected as parameters of microclimate. Analyses of their variance with respect to topographic effects were performed, and all six parameters were shown to be highly correlated with topography. The pH determinations are not so correlated. The suitability of these seven variables for use in projected mathematical models of the determination of the probability of occurrence of species at defined points was investigated.

scholarly journals Urban Emissions of CO2 from Davos, Switzerland: The First Real-Time Monitoring System Using an Atmospheric Inversion Technique

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 2654-2668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Lauvaux ◽  
Natasha L. Miles ◽  
Scott J. Richardson ◽  
Aijun Deng ◽  
David R. Stauffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Cold Wave ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The City ◽  
Atmospheric Inversion

AbstractAnthropogenic emissions from urban areas represent 70% of the fossil fuel carbon emitted globally according to carbon emission inventories. The authors present here the first operational system able to monitor in near–real time daily emission estimates, using a mesoscale atmospheric inversion framework over the city of Davos, Switzerland, before, during, and after the World Economic Forum 2012 Meeting (WEF-2012). Two instruments that continuously measured atmospheric mixing ratios of greenhouse gases (GHGs) were deployed at two locations from 23 December 2011 to 3 March 2012: one site was located in the urban area and the other was out of the valley in the surrounding mountains. Carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide were measured continuously at both sites. The Weather Research and Forecasting mesoscale atmospheric model (WRF), in four-dimensional data assimilation mode, was used to simulate the transport of GHGs over the valley of Davos at 1.3-km resolution. Wintertime emissions prior to the WEF-2012 were about 40% higher than the initial annual inventory estimate, corresponding to the use of heating fuel in the winter. Daily inverse fluxes were highly correlated with the local climate, especially during the severe cold wave that affected most of Europe in early February 2012. During the WEF-2012, emissions dropped by 35% relative to the first month of the deployment, despite similar temperatures and the presence of several thousand participants at the meeting. On the basis of composite diurnal cycles of hourly CO/CO2 ratios, the absence of traffic peaks during the WEF-2012 meeting indicated that change in road emissions is potentially responsible for the observed decrease in the city emissions during the meeting.

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