Soils from Aveiro, Glasgow, Ljubljana, Sevilla and Torino have been investigated in view of their potential for translocation of potentially toxic elements (PTE) to the atmosphere. Soils were partitioned into five size fractions and Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured in the fractions and the whole soil. All PTE concentrated in the <10 μm fraction. Cr and Ni concentrated also in the coarse fraction, indicating a lithogenic contribution. An accumulation factor (AF) was calculated for the <2 and <10 μm fraction. The AF values indicate that the accumulation in the finer fractions is higher where the overall contamination is lower. AF for Cr and Ni are particularly low in Glasgow and Torino. An inverse relationship was found between the AF of some metals and the percentage of <10 μm particles that could be of use in risk assessment or remediation practices.

Management of ambient concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is essential for maintaining low ozone levels in urban areas where its formation is under a VOC-limited regime. The significant decrease in traffic-induced VOC emissions in many developed countries resulted in relatively comparable shares of traffic and non-traffic VOC emissions in urban airsheds. A key step for urban air quality management is allocating ambient VOC concentrations to their pertinent sources. This study presents an approach that can aid in identifying sources that contribute to observed BTEX concentrations in areas characterized by low BTEX concentrations, where traditional source apportionment techniques are not useful. Analysis of seasonal and diurnal variations of ambient BTEX concentrations from two monitoring stations located in distinct areas reveal the possibility to identify source categories. Specifically, the varying oxidation rates of airborne BTEX compounds are used to allocate contributions of traffic emissions and evaporative sources to observed BTEX concentrations. BTEX sources are identified from temporal variations of ambient concentration.

This paper details the distribution of Cu, Pb and Zn in aquatic systems draining Mount Isa Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn Mine in arid northern Queensland, Australia. Sediment-metal concentrations in the <2 mm grain-size fraction adjacent to and downstream of the mine significantly exceed background concentrations (Cu, 159; Pb, 36; Zn, 86 ppm) as well as Australian government sediment quality low trigger guidelines (Cu, 65; Pb, 50; Zn, 200 ppm). Overbank sediments are more contaminated than channel sediments with mean values of Cu, 480; Pb, 540; Zn, 750 ppm. Mean concentrations in cut riverbank samples from the <2 mm fraction were Cu, 195; Pb, 724; Zn, 807 ppm. Corresponding <180 μm samples returned concentrations of Cu, 321; Pb, 995; Zn, 1110 ppm. Delivery of contaminants during wet seasons from Mount Isa Mine and historically contaminated riverbanks remains an ongoing issue. The ease of dust entrainment in arid zones means that sediments enriched in toxic concentrations of metals may be widely dispersed and ultimately ingested and absorbed by biota.

Variations in the soil/sediment organic matter (SOM)-hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) bindings upon microbially mediated redox conditions were examined. While the extractability of pyrene associated with soil declined after its biodegradation began during aerobic incubation, its variations were almost constant (±3.0-4.4%) during anoxic/anaerobic incubations. The dissolved organic matter released from the soil incubated under highly reduced conditions became more humified and aromatic, had a higher average molecular weight, and was more polydispersed compared to that obtained from oxic incubation, similar to the SOM alterations in the early stage of diagenesis (humification). The concentrations of pyrene in the aqueous phase increased significantly during the soil incubations under highly reduced conditions due to its favorable interaction with the altered DOM. Our results suggest that the microbially mediated redox conditions have significant impacts on SOM and should be considered for the transport, fate, bioavailability, and exposure risk of HOCs in the geo-environments. HOC association within soil/sediment matrix can be controlled by microbially mediated redox conditions.

Since 1972, at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, airborne particulate matter (PM12 and then PM10) was continuously collected on filters and analyzed for environmentally relevant elements by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The resulting long-term time series are suitable for the investigation of trends and of seasonal variation. For the period 1972-2005, monthly and annual concentration mean values of 13 elements (Br, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Ti, V, and Zn) in the air are presented. Trend curves were fitted and the mean yearly variation of the concentration for these elements was calculated and represented graphically. All trend curves show a diminution of the air pollution during this period, but to different extents. Mean trends in percent per year were calculated for each element both for the entire investigation period and for three data subsets of 10-11 years. Possible explanations are discussed in detail. In Stuttgart, Germany, during 1972-2005 the air pollution shows a clearly decreasing trend, especially for Pb and Br.

A passive air sampler was developed for collecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air mass from various directions. The airflow velocity within the sampler was assessed for its responses to ambient wind speed and direction. The sampler was examined for trapped particles, evaluated quantitatively for influence of airflow velocity and temperature on PAH uptake, examined for PAH uptake kinetics, calibrated against active sampling, and finally tested in the field. The airflow volume passing the sampler was linearly proportional to ambient wind speed and sensitive to wind direction. The uptake rate for an individual PAH was a function of airflow velocity, temperature and the octanol–air partitioning coefficient of the PAH. For all PAHs with more than two rings, the passive sampler operated in a linear uptake phase for three weeks. Different PAH concentrations were obtained in air masses from different directions in the field test. A novel directional passive air sampler was developed and tested for monitoring PAHs in air masses from different directions.