Ambient air. Biomonitoring with mosses. Accumulation of atmospheric contaminants in mosses collected in situ: from the collection to the preparation of samples

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Air

scholarly journals The influence of chemical parameters on the in-situ metal carbonyl complex formation studied with the fast on-line reaction apparatus (FORA)

2021 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Wittwer ◽  
Robert Eichler ◽  
Dominik Herrmann ◽  
Andreas Türler
Keyword(s):  
Metal Carbonyl ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Single Atom ◽  
Carbonyl Complex ◽  
Carbonyl Complexes ◽  
On Line ◽  
Carrier Gases ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Atom Chemistry

Abstract A new setup named Fast On-line Reaction Apparatus (FORA) is presented which allows for the efficient investigation and optimization of metal carbonyl complex (MCC) formation reactions under various reaction conditions. The setup contains a 252Cf-source producing short-lived Mo, Tc, Ru and Rh isotopes at a rate of a few atoms per second by its 3% spontaneous fission decay branch. Those atoms are transformed within FORA in-situ into volatile metal carbonyl complexes (MCCs) by using CO-containing carrier gases. Here, the design, operation and performance of FORA is discussed, revealing it as a suitable setup for performing single-atom chemistry studies. The influence of various gas-additives, such as CO2, CH4, H2, Ar, O2, H2O and ambient air, on the formation and transport of MCCs was investigated. O2, H2O and air were found to harm the formation and transport of MCCs in FORA, with H2O being the most severe. An exception is Tc, for which about 130 ppmv of H2O caused an increased production and transport of volatile compounds. The other gas-additives were not influencing the formation and transport efficiency of MCCs. Using an older setup called Miss Piggy based on a similar working principle as FORA, it was additionally investigated if gas-additives are mostly affecting the formation or only the transport stability of MCCs. It was found that mostly formation is impacted, as MCCs appear to be much less sensitive to reacting with gas-additives in comparison to the bare Mo, Tc, Ru and Rh atoms.

scholarly journals Air Concentrations of Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Vegetation–Air Fluxes within Saltmarshes of the Tagus Estuary, Portugal

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Rute Cesário ◽  
Nelson J. O’Driscoll ◽  
Sara Justino ◽  
Claire E. Wilson ◽  
Carlos E. Monteiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Tagus Estuary ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Mercury Flux ◽  
Sarcocornia Fruticosa ◽  
Air Concentrations

In situ air concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)) and vegetation–atmosphere fluxes were quantified in both high (Cala Norte, CN) and low-to-moderate (Alcochete, ALC) Hg-contaminated saltmarsh areas of the Tagus estuary colonized by plant species Halimione portulacoides (Hp) and Sarcocornia fruticosa (Sf). Atmospheric Hg(0) ranged between 1.08–18.15 ng m−3 in CN and 1.18–3.53 ng m−3 in ALC. In CN, most of the high Hg(0) levels occurred during nighttime, while the opposite was observed at ALC, suggesting that photoreduction was not driving the air Hg(0) concentrations at the contaminated site. Vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes were low in ALC and ranged from −0.76 to 1.52 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −0.40 to 1.28 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. In CN, higher Hg fluxes were observed for both plants, ranging from −9.90 to 15.45 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −8.93 to 12.58 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. Mercury flux results at CN were considered less reliable due to large and fast variations in the ambient air concentrations of Hg(0), which may have been influenced by emissions from the nearby chlor-alkali plant, or historical contamination. Improved experimental setup, the influence of high local Hg concentrations and the seasonal activity of the plants must be considered when assessing vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes in Hg-contaminated areas.

scholarly journals Safe and Effective Use of Ozone as Air and Surface Disinfectant in the Conjuncture of Covid-19

Gases ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Elena Grignani ◽  
Antonella Mansi ◽  
Renato Cabella ◽  
Paola Castellano ◽  
Angelo Tirabasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Toxic Substance ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Effective Use

The present paper extrapolates quantitative data for ozone virucidal activity on the basis of the available scientific literature data for a safe and effective use of ozone in the appropriate cases and to explore the safety measures developed under the stimulus of the current emergency situation. Ozone is a powerful oxidant reacting with organic molecules, and therefore has bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal actions. At the same time, it is a toxic substance, having adverse effects on health and safety. Its use is being proposed for the disinfection of workplaces’ and public places’ atmosphere, and for disposable masks and personal protective equipment disinfection for reuse, with particular reference to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Ozone can be generated in situ by means of small, compact ozone generators, using dried ambient air as a precursor. It should be injected into the room that is to be disinfected until the desired ozone concentration is reached; after the time needed for the disinfection, its concentrations must be reduced to the levels required for the workers’ safety. The optimal use of ozone is for air and surface disinfection without human presence, using a concentration that is effective for the destruction of viruses, but not high enough to deteriorate materials.

scholarly journals Mercury methylation in paddy soil: source and distribution of mercury species at a Hg mining area, Guizhou Province, China

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2429-2440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhao ◽  
Christopher W. N Anderson ◽  
Guangle Qiu ◽  
Bo Meng ◽  
Dingyong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paddy Soil ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Rice Paddy ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Mercury Species ◽  
Low Concentration ◽  
Paddy Water ◽  
Hg Mining

Abstract. Rice paddy plantation is the dominant agricultural land use throughout Asia. Rice paddy fields have been identified as important sites for methylmercury (MeHg) production in the terrestrial ecosystem and a primary pathway of MeHg exposure to humans in mercury (Hg) mining areas. We compared the source and distribution of Hg species in different compartments of the rice paddy during a complete rice-growing season at two different typical Hg-contaminated mining sites in Guizhou province, China: an abandoned site with a high Hg concentration in soil but a low concentration in the atmosphere and a current-day artisanal site with a low concentration in soil but a high concentration in the atmosphere. Our results showed that the flux of new Hg to the ecosystem from irrigation and atmospheric deposition was insignificant relative to the pool of old Hg in soil; the dominant source of MeHg to paddy soil is in situ methylation of inorganic Hg (IHg). Elevated MeHg concentrations and the high proportion of Hg as MeHg in paddy water and the surface soil layer at the artisanal site demonstrated active Hg methylation at this site only. We propose that the in situ production of MeHg in paddy water and surface soil is dependent on elevated Hg in the atmosphere and the consequential deposition of new Hg into a low-pH anoxic geochemical system. The absence of depth-dependent variability in the MeHg concentration in soil cores collected from the abandoned Hg mining site, consistent with the low concentration of Hg in the atmosphere and high pH of the paddy water and irrigation water, suggested that net production of MeHg at this site was limited. We propose that the concentration of Hg in ambient air is an indicator for the risk of MeHg accumulation in paddy rice.

scholarly journals In-situ observations of the isotopic composition of methane at the Cabauw tall tower site

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Röckmann ◽  
Simon Eyer ◽  
Carina van der Veen ◽  
Maria E. Popa ◽  
Béla Tuzson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Isotope Ratio ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Dual Isotope ◽  
Methane Budget

Abstract. High precision analyses of the isotopic composition of methane in ambient air can potentially be used to discriminate between different source categories. Due to the complexity of isotope ratio measurements, such analyses have generally been performed in the laboratory on air samples collected in the field. This poses a limitation on the temporal resolution at which the isotopic composition can be monitored with reasonable logistical effort. Here we present the performance of a dual isotope ratio mass spectrometric system (IRMS) and a quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy (QCLAS) based technique for in-situ analysis of the isotopic composition of methane under field conditions. Both systems were deployed at the Cabauw experimental site for atmospheric research (CESAR) in the Netherlands and performed in-situ, high-frequency (approx. hourly) measurements for a period of more than 5 months. The IRMS and QCLAS instruments were in excellent agreement with a slight systematic offset of +(0.05 ± 0.03) ‰ for δ13C and –(3.6 ± 0.4) ‰ for δD. This was corrected for, yielding a combined dataset with more than 2500 measurements of both δ13C and δD. The high precision and temporal resolution dataset does not only reveal the overwhelming contribution of isotopically depleted agricultural CH4 emissions from ruminants at the Cabauw site, but also allows the identification of specific events with elevated contributions from more enriched sources such as natural gas and landfills. The final dataset was compared to model calculations using the global model TM5 and the mesoscale model FLEXPART-COSMO. The results of both models agree better with the measurements when the TNO-MACC emission inventory is used in the models than when the EDGAR inventory is used. This suggests that high-resolution isotope measurements have the potential to further constrain the methane budget, when they are performed at multiple sites that are representative for the entire European domain.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of four different in-situ techniques for ambient formaldehyde measurements in urban air

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 2897-2945 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hak ◽  
I. Pundt ◽  
C. Kern ◽  
U. Platt ◽  
J. Dommen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Line ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Chromatographic Technique ◽  
In Situ Techniques ◽  
Time Period ◽  
The Individual

Abstract. Results from an intercomparison of several currently used in-situ techniques for the measurement of atmospheric formaldehyde (CH2O) are presented. The measurements were carried out at Bresso, an urban site in the periphery of Milan (Italy) as part of the FORMAT-I field campaign. Eight instruments were employed by six independent research groups using four different techniques: Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) interferometry, the fluorimetric Hantzsch reaction technique (five instruments) and a chromatographic technique employing C18-DNPH-cartridges (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine). White type multi-reflection systems were employed for the optical techniques in order to avoid spatial CH2O gradients and ensure the sampling of nearly the same air mass by all instruments. Between 23 and 31 July 2002, up to 13 ppbv of CH2O were observed. The concentrations lay well above the detection limits of all instruments. The formaldehyde concentrations determined with DOAS, FTIR and the Hantzsch instruments were found to agree within ±11%, with the exception of one Hantzsch instrument, which gave systematically higher values. The two hour integrated samples by DNPH yielded up to 25% lower concentrations than the data of the continuously measuring instruments averaged over the same time period. The consistency between the DOAS and the Hantzsch method was better than during previous intercomparisons in ambient air with slopes of the regression line not significantly differing from one. The differences between the individual Hantzsch instruments could be attributed in part to the calibration standards used. Possible systematic errors of the methods are discussed.

scholarly journals Influence of sample temperature and environmental humidity on measurements of benzene in ambient air by transportable GC-PID

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 4013-4022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Romero-Trigueros ◽  
Marta Doval Miñarro ◽  
Esther González Duperón ◽  
Enrique González Ferradás
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Absolute Humidity ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Uncertainty Budget ◽  
Sample Temperature ◽  
Limit Value ◽  
Environmental Humidity ◽  
Significant Interference ◽  
Two Temperature

Abstract. Calibration of in situ analysers of air pollutants is usually done with dry standards. In this paper, the influence of sample temperature and environmental humidity on benzene measurements by gas chromatography coupled with a photoionisation detector (GC-PID) is studied. Two reference gas mixtures (40 and 5 µg m−3 nominal concentration benzene in air) were subjected to two temperature cycles (20/5/20 °C and 20/35/20 °C) and measured with two identical GC-PIDs. The change in sample temperature did not produce any significant change in readings. Regarding ambient humidity, the chromatographs were calibrated for benzene with dry gases and subjected to measure reference standards with humidity (20 and 80 % at 20 °C). When measuring a concentration of 0.5 µg m−3 benzene in air, the levels of humidity tested did not produce any significant interference in measurements taken with any of the analysers. However, when measuring a concentration of 40 µg m−3, biases in measurements of 18 and 21 % for each respective analyser were obtained when the relative humidity of the sample was 80 % at 20 °C. Further tests were carried out to study the nature of this interference. Results show that humidity interference depends on both the amount fractions of water vapour and benzene. If benzene concentrations in an area are close to its annual limit value (5 µg m−3), biases of 2.2 % can be expected when the absolute humidity is 8.6 g cm−3 – corresponding to a relative humidity of 50 % at 20 °C. This can be accounted for in the uncertainty budget of measurements with no need for corrections. If benzene concentrations are above the annual limit value, biases become higher. Thus, in these cases, actions should be taken to reduce the humidity interference, as an underestimation of benzene concentrations may cause a mismanagement of air quality in these situations.

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