Evangelia Manoli

Chemical characterization and source identification/apportionment of fine and coarse air particles in Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract The distribution of air particulate mass and selected particle components (trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) in the fine and the coarse size fractions was investigated at a traffic-impacted urban site in Thessaloniki, Greece. 76±6% on average of the total ambient aerosol mass was distributed in the fine size fraction. Fine-sized trace elemental fractions ranged between 51% for Fe and 95% for Zn, while those of PAHs were between 95% and 99%. A significant seasonal effect was observed for the size distribution of aerosol mass, with a shift to larger fine fractions in winter. Similar seasonal trend was exhibited by PAHs, whereas larger fine fractions in summer were shown by trace elements. The compositional signatures of fine and coarse particle fractions were compared to that of local paved-road dust. A strong correlation was found between coarse particles and road dust suggesting strong contribution of resuspended road dust to the coarse particles. A multivariate receptor model (multiple regression on absolute principal component scores) was applied on separate fine and coarse aerosol data for source identification and apportionment. Results demonstrated that the largest contribution to fine-sized aerosol is traffic (38%) followed by road dust (28%), while road dust clearly dominated the coarse size fraction (57%).

A Study of Surface Water Quality in Macedonia, Greece: Speciation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus

A 2-yr (1997–1998) survey aiming at the establishment of national data bases concerning the quality of surface waters has been conducted in the major river systems of Macedonia, N. Greece. This paper presents the physicochemical parameters(pH, conductivity, total suspended solids, temperature and DO),the organic pollution parameters (BOD5, COD) and the major N and P species (NO3-, NO2-,NH4+,organic N, orthophosphates and total P) determined at 25 sampling sites located on main rivers, tributaries, streams andditches that drain the major rural, agricultural, urban and industrial areas of N. Greece. Use of multivariate statistics is also made to identify the principal factors which influencethe chemistry of the water in individual river systems.The eutrophication status of the examined systems was evaluatedby means of N/P ratios. Mean N/P ratios showed large variationsamong sampling sites ranging from potential N- to P-limitationconditions. N/P ratios at particular sampling sites showed also great temporal variability thus suggesting temporary states of N- or P- limitation. Most frequently, highest ratio values wereobserved during winter and early spring. Comparisons are made between data from this study region and literature on rivers elsewhere.

Increased biomass burning due to the economic crisis in Greece and its adverse impact on wintertime air quality in Thessaloniki.

The recent economic crisis in Greece resulted in a serious wintertime air pollution episode in Thessaloniki. This air quality deterioration was mostly due to the increased price of fuel oil, conventionally used as a source of energy for domestic heating, which encouraged the residents to burn the less expensive wood/biomass during the cold season. A wintertime sampling campaign for fine particles (PM2.5) was conducted in Thessaloniki during the winters of 2012 and 2013 in an effort to quantify the extent to which the ambient air was impacted by the increased wood smoke emissions. The results indicated a 30% increase in the PM2.5 mass concentration as well as a 2-5-fold increase in the concentration of wood smoke tracers, including potassium, levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan. The concentrations of fuel oil tracers (e.g., Ni and V), on the other hand, declined by 20-30% during 2013 compared with 2012. Moreover, a distinct diurnal variation was observed for wood smoke tracers, with significantly higher concentrations in the evening period compared with the morning. Correlation analysis indicated a strong association between reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity and the concentrations of levoglucosan, galactosan, and potassium, underscoring the potential impact of wood smoke on PM-induced toxicity during the winter months in Thessaloniki.

Chemical composition and mass closure of ambient coarse particles at traffic and urban-background sites in Thessaloniki, Greece

Concentrations and chemical composition of the coarse particle fraction (PMc) were investigated at two urban sites in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, through concurrent sampling of PM10 and PM2.5 during the warm and the cold months of the year. PMc levels at the urban-traffic site (UT) were among the highest found in literature worldwide exhibiting higher values in the cold period. PMc levels at the urban-background site (UB) were significantly lower exhibiting a reverse seasonal trend. Concentration levels of minerals and most trace metals were also higher at the UT site suggesting a stronger impact from traffic-related sources (road dust resuspension, brake and tire abrasion, road wear). According to the chemical mass closure obtained, minerals (oxides of Si, Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Ti, and K) dominated the PMc profile, regardless of the site and the period, with organic matter and secondary inorganic aerosols (mainly nitrate) also contributing considerably to the PMc mass, particularly in the warm period. The influence of wind speed to dilution and/or resuspension of coarse particles was investigated. The source of origin of coarse particles was also investigated using surface wind data and atmospheric back-trajectory modeling. Finally, the contribution of resuspension to PMc levels was estimated for air quality management perspectives.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at traffic and urban background sites of northern Greece: source apportionment of ambient PAH levels and PAH-induced lung cancer risk

Thirteen particle-phase PAHs, including nine >4-ring congeners [Benz[a]anthracene (BaAn), Chrysene (Chry), Benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), Benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), Benzo[e]pyrene (BeP), Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (dBaAn), Benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiPe), Indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene (IP)], listed by IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as class 1, class 2A, and 2B carcinogens, plus four ≤4-ring congeners [Phenanthrene (Ph), Anthracene (An), Fluoranthene (Fl), Pyrene (Py)], were concurrently measured in inhalable and respirable particle fractions (PM10 and PM2.5) at a heavy-traffic and an urban background site in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, during the warm and the cold period of the year. Carcinogenic and mutagenic potencies of the PAH-bearing particles were calculated, and the inhalation cancer risk (ICR) for local population was estimated. Finally, Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) modeling was employed for the source apportionment of ambient PAH levels and the estimated lung cancer risk. Resulted inhalation cancer risk during winter was found to be equivalent in the city center and the urban background area suggesting that residential wood burning may offset the benefits from minor traffic emissions.

Redox activity and in vitro bioactivity of the water-soluble fraction of urban particulate matter in relation to particle size and chemical composition.

Chemical and toxicological characterization of the water-soluble fraction of size-segregated urban particulate matter (PM) (<0.49, 0.49-0.97, 0.97-1.5, 1.5-3.0, 3.0-7.2 and >7.2 μm) was carried out at two urban sites, traffic and urban background, during the cold and the warm period. Chemical analysis of the water-soluble PM fraction included ionic species (NO3(-), SO4(2-), Cl(-), Na(+), NH4(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+)), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Ca, and Mg). The dithiothreitol (DTT) assay was employed for the abiotic assessment of the oxidative PM activity. Cytotoxic responses were investigated in vitro by applying the mitochondrial dehydrogenase (MTT) and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) bioassays on human lung cells (MRC-5), while DNA damage was estimated by the single cell gel electrophoresis assay, known as Comet assay. The correlations between the observed bioactivity responses and the concentrations of water-soluble chemical PM constituents in the various size ranges were investigated. The results of the current study corroborate that short-term bioassays using lung human cells and abiotic assays, such as the DTT assay, could be relevant to complete the routine chemical analysis and to obtain a preliminary screening of the potential effects of PM-associated airborne pollutants on human health.

Concentrations and source apportionment of PM10 and associated major and trace elements in the Rhodes Island, Greece.

Ambient concentrations of PM(10) and associated major and trace elements were measured over the cold and the warm season of 2007 at two sites located in the Rhodes Island (Greece), in Eastern Mediterranean, aimed at source apportionment by Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) receptor modeling. Source chemical profiles, necessary in CMB modeling, were obtained for a variety of emission sources that could possibly affect the study area, including sea spray, geological material, soot emissions from the nearby oil-fuelled thermal power plant, and other anthropogenic activities, such as vehicular traffic, residential oil combustion, wood burning, and uncontrolled open-air burning of agricultural biomass and municipal waste. Source apportionment of PM(10) and elemental components was carried out by employing an advanced CMB version, the Robotic Chemical Mass Balance model (RCMB). Vehicular emissions were found to be major PM(10) contributor accounting, on average, for 36.8% and 31.7% during the cold period, and for 40.9% and 39.2% in the warm period at the two sites, respectively. The second largest source of ambient PM(10), with minor seasonal variation, was secondary sulfates (mainly ammonium and calcium sulfates), with total average contribution around 16.5% and 18% at the two sites. Soil dust was also a remarkable source contributing around 22% in the warm period, whereas only around 10% in the cold season. Soot emitted from the thermal power plant was found to be negligible contributor to ambient PM(10) (<1%), however it appeared to appreciably contribute to the ambient V and Ni (11.3% and 5.1%, respectively) at one of the sites during the warm period, when electricity production is intensified. Trajectory analysis did not indicate any transport of Sahara dust; on the contrary, long range transport of soil dust from arid continental regions of Minor Asia and of biomass burning aerosol from the countries surrounding the Black Sea was considered possible.

Spatial and seasonal variations of the chemical, mineralogical and morphological features of quasi-ultrafine particles (PM 0.49) at urban sites.

Combining chemical and physical-structural information of particles is a key issue in PM investigations. Chemical, mineralogical, and morphological characterization of quasi-ultrafine particles (PM 0.49) was carried out at two urban sites of varying traffic-influence (roadside and urban background) in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, during the cold and the warm period of 2013. Bulk analyses of chemical species included organic and elemental carbon (OC, EC), water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), ionic species (NO3(-), SO4(2-), Cl(-), Na(+), NH4(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+)) and trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Ir). X-ray diffractometry (XRD) was employed for the mineralogical analysis of PM 0.49 in order to identify and quantify amorphous and crystalline phases. In addition, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) was employed for morphological characterization and elemental microanalysis of individual particles. Findings of this work could provide the basis for designing epidemiological and toxicity studies to mitigate population exposure to UFPs.

Food Containers and Packaging Materials as Possible Source of Hazardous Chemicals to Food

Plastics are widely used around the world as packaging material covering a wide range of applications. Plastics could be a source of chemicals into food through migration of various compounds (polymers, monomers, and processing aids) from packaging to foodstuffs. The intentionally added substances (IAS) are listed and controlled by laws and regulations from various organisations. For these authorised substances, specific migration limits (SML) have been established on the basis of migration tests performed on the plastic material using different food simulants according to the food type. These tests are based on the risk assessment of the single substance able to migrate, simulating the worst case of the foreseeable conditions, in order to ensure the safety of the final material. However, over 50 % of compounds migrating from food contact materials are non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). The European Regulation No. 10/2011 concerning plastics and multilayers recently became more strict, stating that ‘the risk assessment of a substance should cover the substance itself, relevant impurities and foreseeable reaction and degradation products in the intended use’. This chapter presents the materials used in food containers and food packaging, the additives employed in different types of plastics in order to improve their properties, current legislation with emphasis on European Regulation No. 10/2011, and the migration tests and specific migration limits. In addition, there is discussion on the compounds usually found in various food categories and bottled water due to the presence of IAS or NIAS in packaging materials.