Anthropogenic Pb emitted from East Asia, particularly China, is often long-range transported to the east by the prevailing westerlies. To characterize the geographical properties of varying atmospheric Pb concentrations by transboundary and domestic source(s)-related Pb in Korea, closely adjacent to China, the Al and Pb concentrations and the stable Pb isotopic composition were determined in the total suspended particles (TSP) collected at urban (IC), rural (TA), and remote background (JJ) sites in western Korea from August 2015 to October 2016. The annual average Pb concentrations were significantly higher in urban and rural areas (IC, 16.2 ng m⁻³ and TA, 11.1 ng m⁻³) than in remote area (JJ, 6.41 ng m⁻³), showing pronounced seasonal variations with relatively higher concentrations in winter and spring and lower concentrations in summer and autumn. Significantly high enrichment factors (EF) for Pb indicate that anthropogenic contributions are important for this toxic element in TSP. Coupling the Pb isotopic signatures with the air mass back trajectories identified the major potential source regions for individual samples. The results show that during winter, China was the dominant contributor, accounting for 92%, 82%, and 100% of the sampling periods at IC, TA, and JJ, respectively. The Chinese contribution decreased in summer and autumn, whereas the Korean contribution increased, according to the East Asian monsoon system. The Pb concentrations increased by 2.2 (IC), 1.2 (TA) and 1.4 (JJ) times when the Chinese contribution was dominant, compared to the Korea-dominant periods. The Pb isotopic systematics for the samples characterized by the dominant Korean contribution differed substantially between the three sites, implying that the relative importance of various domestic sources varied with geographical areas in western Korea.

A study of 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority listed PAHs associated with particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) was conducted in Singapore during the period 29th May 2015 to 28th May 2016. The sampling period coincided with an extensive, regional smoke haze episode (5th September to 25th October) that occurred as a result of forest and peat fires in neighboring Indonesia. Throughout this study, 54 atmospheric PM10 samples were collected in 24 h periods using a high volume sampler (HVS) and quarts fiber filters (QFF) as the collection medium. Hysplit software for computing 3-D backward air mass trajectories, diagnostic ratio analysis and ring number distribution calculations were used to examine the sources of PAHs in the atmosphere in Singapore. Under normal conditions the total PAH concentrations were in a range from 0.68 ng m−3 to 3.07 ng m−3, while for the high haze period the results showed approximately double the concentrations with a maximum value of 5.97 ng m−3. Diagnostic ratio (DR) and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted and indicated the contribution of the traffic as a dominant pyrogenic source of PAHs during normal periods, while results from the haze dataset showed relatively strong influence of smoke from peat and forest fires in Indonesia. Environmental and health risk from PAHs were assessed for both regular and hazy days.

In this work, studies using samples collected in an urban area of Aracaju city, Sergipe State, Northeast, Brazil revealed that soil dust in suspension was the main source of total airborne particulate matter (TAPM), followed by vehicular pollution. The concentration profiles for Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, V and Ti were established for the collected TAPM samples. The concentrations of SO2 and smoke were also measured all along the 42 sampling days. Through multivariate data analysis of the results a correlation between Fe, Mn, Ni and Ti in the mineral composition of the particles was established, indicating soil dust in suspension as the main source of TAPM. The concentrations of Cu and smoke were found to be related to vehicular traffic, and the second largest source of TAPM. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated for the studied elements, and only Cu was found to be enriched. The concentrations of the elements in TAPM were evaluated using the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and Fe, Mn, Ni, V and Ti were found to derive from natural sources, in TAPM. However, approximately 55% of the samples did not presented Cu contamination (Igeo≤0), and the remaining 45% presented Cu concentrations levels that indicated between low to moderate (0<Igeo≤1) and moderate to heavy contamination (2<Igeo≤3) in the urban area of Aracaju city, Sergipe State, Northeast, Brazil.

This critical review presents several aspects related to the use of copper as a main component in brake pads in road vehicles. The compositions of these materials are attracting increasing interest and concern due to the relative contribution of wear products to particulate matter emissions in the environment as a result of braking action even though there has been a reduction in exhaust products from internal combustion engines. We review the data on the main wear mechanisms in brake systems and highlight the positive role of copper. However, similar to other heavy metal emissions, even the release of copper into the atmosphere may have important environmental and health effects. Thus, several replacement strategies are being pursued, and the positive and negative features will be critically reviewed. Additionally, the future perspectives in materials development will be discussed.

A number of studies have focused on urban trees to understand their mitigation capacity of air pollution. In this study particulate matter (PM) deposition on Quercus ilex leaves was quantitatively analyzed in four districts of the City of Terni (Italy) for three periods of the year. Fine (between 0.2 and 2.5 μm) and Large (between 2.5 and 10 μm) PM fractions were analyzed. Mean PM deposition value on Quercus ilex leaves was 20.6 μg cm−2. Variations in PM deposition correlated with distance to main roads and downwind position relatively to industrial area. Epicuticular waxes were measured and related to accumulated PM. For Fine PM deposited in waxes we observed a higher value (40% of total Fine PM) than Large PM (4% of total Large PM). Results from this study allow to increase our understanding about air pollution interactions with urban vegetation and could be hopefully taken into account when guidelines for local urban green management are realized.

The objective of our study was to determine the trace metal accumulation rates in the Misten bog, Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium, and assess these in relation to established histories of atmospheric emissions from anthropogenic sources. To address these aims we analyzed trace metals and metalloids (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Sb, Cr, Co, V, Cd and Zn), as well as Pb isotopes, using XRF, Q-ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively in two 40-cm peat sections, spanning the last 600 yr. The temporal increase of metal fluxes from the inception of the Industrial Revolution to the present varies by a factor of 5–50, with peak values found between AD 1930 and 1990. A cluster analysis combined with Pb isotopic composition allows the identification of the main sources of Pb and by inference of the other metals, which indicates that coal consumption and metallurgical activities were the predominant sources of pollution during the last 600 years.

This study explored the suitability of available lichen species as air pollution biomonitors and assessed their potential for magnetic monitoring in cities. Several lichens on tree bark were collected in urban and industrial sites from Tandil city, as well as control sites. The results showed that magnetite-like minerals were the main magnetic carriers in all sites and samples. However, the concentration varied between clean and polluted sites. In addition, magnetic-grain size-distribution showed clear differences between sites. Observations by scanning electron microscopy showed different particles in a variety of shapes and grain sizes; moreover, the presence of iron oxides and several toxic elements was detected by energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis. Although eleven lichen species were identified that appeared suitable for use as air-pollution monitors, three of them, Parmotrema pilosum, Punctelia hipoleucites and Dirinaria picta, occurred more frequently in the area, thus constituting appropriate species for future monitoring in the study area.

Air pollution is one the main causes of DNA damage in living organisms. Continuous exposure to the complex mixture of gases of polluted atmospheres affects health in many ways. Sentinel organisms are good biological models to assess the genotoxic damage caused by various chemicals such as atmospheric pollutants.In this study the plant species Taraxacum officinale and Robinsonecio gerberifolius were exposed during 2015, in the dry and rainy seasons, for 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks to two different atmospheres of Mexico Valley, one rural in Altzomoni atmospheric observatory (ALTZ) and other urban in the atmospheric observatory of Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera (CCA), located in Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).Leaves of exposed plants were processed to analyze genotoxic damage by single-cell gel electrophoresis. To found any relation, the presence of pollutants in the atmosphere of both sites was analyzed with a Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer (CRDS) and in the leaves the presence of heavy metals with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer.Single-cell gel electrophoresis results showed higher damage in the leaves exposed to higher pollution in the UNAM atmospheric station in comparison to the ALTZ and controls, which was maintained in growth chambers under controlled conditions. Significant differences between rainy and dry seasons were found. Chemical analysis showed a significant increase in various heavy metals, especially in rainy season in both exposure sites. Increased DNA damage observed in both plant species at CCA station could be caused by accumulation trough six weeks.

Manizales is a city in Colombia that presents high rates of thyroid cancer. It has a medium industrial development and there are concerns of the impact of their emissions on health, particularly on thyroid cancer. In this paper we characterize the geographical pattern of industrial atmospheric emissions of suspected thyroid carcinogens.We systematized data of industries in two groups. First, those with reports of atmospheric emissions of suspected thyroid carcinogens (reporting facilities – RFs), and then, industries not required to report or facilities with no-available emissions data but belonging to the same SIC-codes than RFs (nonreporting facilities – non-RFs). For non-RFs, annual average atmospheric emissions were estimated using a per-employee algorithm. The spatial pattern of sources emitting carcinogens was represented by plotting facilities by size and amounts of specific pollutants released.We found 11 RFs and 25 non-RFs in urban Manizales. RFs belong to the metalworking industries, plastics & rubber, manufacture of electrical and electronic devices, waste incineration, cremation, and meat production. Most of them were concentrated in the southeast of the city. Several RFs reported atmospheric emissions of carcinogens exceeding maximum permitted emission limits set in Colombian law. Most of non-RFs were micro and small industries, and were clustered in the southeast of the city and along the main road axis.We found clusters of pollution sources near densely populated areas. Thyroid cancer incidence might be greater in areas closer to industries than in furthest areas. We will submit a paper that studies this hypothesis soon.

International audience | Prosulfocarb is a thiocarbamate herbicide that is rapidly growing in use due to the progressive bioresistance of weeds to certain pesticides and the ban and/or limitation of others. However, the use of prosulfocarb is only recent, and the relevant literature is scarce. The environmental and food impact of prosulfocarb has already been observed, and its transfer mode from targeted crops to untargeted parcels has been investigated. This expertise highlights the volatilization effect to explain the pollution of lone parcels and hedge inefficiency against residue spreads.