J.M. Santamaría
University of Navarra
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Featured researches published by J.M. Santamaría.
Environmental Pollution | 2010
Harry Harmens; D.A. Norris; Eiliv Steinnes; Eero Kubin; Juha Piispanen; Renate Alber; Yuliya Aleksiayenak; Oleg Blum; Munevver Coskun; Maria Dam; L. De Temmerman; J.A. Fernández; Marina Frolova; M. V. Frontasyeva; L. González-Miqueo; Krystyna Grodzińska; Zvonka Jeran; Szymon Korzekwa; M. Krmar; Kestutis Kvietkus; Sébastien Leblond; Siiri Liiv; Sigurður H. Magnússon; Blanka Maňkovská; Roland Pesch; Åke Rühling; J.M. Santamaría; Winfried Schröder; Zdravko Špirić; Ivan Suchara
In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.
Science of The Total Environment | 2008
M.A. Parra; David Elustondo; R. Bermejo; J.M. Santamaría
Ambient concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were measured by means of passive sampling at 40 sampling points in a medium-size city in Northern Spain, from June 2006 to June 2007. VOC and NO2 samplers were analysed by thermal desorption followed by gas chromatography/mass-selective detector and by visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Mean concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, propylbenzene, trimethylbenzenes, and NO(2) were 2.84, 13.26, 2.15, 6.01, 0.59, 1.32 and 23.17 microg m(-3) respectively, and found to be highly correlated. Their spatial distribution showed high differences in small distances and pointed to traffic as the main emission source of these compounds. The lowest levels of VOC and NO2 occurred during summer, owing to the increase in solar radiation and to lower traffic densities. Mean concentrations of benzene and NO2 exceeded the European limits at some of the monitored points.
Environmental Pollution | 2011
Harry Harmens; D.A. Norris; David Cooper; Gina Mills; Eiliv Steinnes; Eero Kubin; Lotti Thöni; J.R. Aboal; Renate Alber; A. Carballeira; Munevver Coskun; L. De Temmerman; Marina Frolova; L. González-Miqueo; Zvonka Jeran; Sébastien Leblond; Siiri Liiv; Blanka Maňkovská; Roland Pesch; Jarmo Poikolainen; Åke Rühling; J.M. Santamaría; P. Simonèiè; Winfried Schröder; Ivan Suchara; Lilyana Yurukova; Harald G. Zechmeister
In 2005/6, nearly 3000 moss samples from (semi-)natural location across 16 European countries were collected for nitrogen analysis. The lowest total nitrogen concentrations in mosses (<0.8%) were observed in northern Finland and northern UK. The highest concentrations (≥ 1.6%) were found in parts of Belgium, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The asymptotic relationship between the nitrogen concentrations in mosses and EMEP modelled nitrogen deposition (averaged per 50 km × 50 km grid) across Europe showed less scatter when there were at least five moss sampling sites per grid. Factors potentially contributing to the scatter are discussed. In Switzerland, a strong (r(2) = 0.91) linear relationship was found between the total nitrogen concentration in mosses and measured site-specific bulk nitrogen deposition rates. The total nitrogen concentrations in mosses complement deposition measurements, helping to identify areas in Europe at risk from high nitrogen deposition at a high spatial resolution.
Environmental Pollution | 2012
Harry Harmens; Ilia Ilyin; Gina Mills; J.R. Aboal; Renate Alber; Oleg Blum; Munevver Coskun; L. De Temmerman; J.A. Fernández; Rui Figueira; M. V. Frontasyeva; Barbara Godzik; Natalia Goltsova; Zvonka Jeran; Szymon Korzekwa; Eero Kubin; Kestutis Kvietkus; Sébastien Leblond; Siiri Liiv; Sigurður H. Magnússon; Blanka Maňkovská; Olgerts Nikodemus; Roland Pesch; Jarmo Poikolainen; Dragan Radnović; Åke Rühling; J.M. Santamaría; Winfried Schröder; Zdravko Špirić; Trajče Stafilov
Previous analyses at the European scale have shown that cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses are primarily determined by the total deposition of these metals. Further analyses in the current study show that Spearman rank correlations between the concentration in mosses and the deposition modelled by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) are country and metal-specific. Significant positive correlations were found for about two thirds or more of the participating countries in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 (except for Cd in 1990). Correlations were often not significant and sometimes negative in countries where mosses were only sampled in a relatively small number of EMEP grids. Correlations frequently improved when only data for EMEP grids with at least three moss sampling sites per grid were included. It was concluded that spatial patterns and temporal trends agree reasonably well between lead and cadmium concentrations in mosses and modelled atmospheric deposition.
Environmental Pollution | 2015
Harry Harmens; David Norris; Katrina Sharps; Gina Mills; Renate Alber; Yuliya Aleksiayenak; Oleg Blum; S.-M. Cucu-Man; Maria Dam; L. De Temmerman; Antoaneta Ene; J.A. Fernández; Javier Martínez-Abaigar; M. V. Frontasyeva; Barbara Godzik; Zvonka Jeran; Pranvera Lazo; Sébastien Leblond; Siiri Liiv; Sigurður H. Magnússon; Blanka Maňkovská; G. Pihl Karlsson; Juha Piispanen; Jarmo Poikolainen; J.M. Santamaría; Mitja Skudnik; Zdravko Špirić; Trajče Stafilov; Eiliv Steinnes; Claudia Stihi
In recent decades, naturally growing mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. In 2010, the lowest concentrations of metals and nitrogen in mosses were generally found in northern Europe, whereas the highest concentrations were observed in (south-)eastern Europe for metals and the central belt for nitrogen. Averaged across Europe, since 1990, the median concentration in mosses has declined the most for lead (77%), followed by vanadium (55%), cadmium (51%), chromium (43%), zinc (34%), nickel (33%), iron (27%), arsenic (21%, since 1995), mercury (14%, since 1995) and copper (11%). Between 2005 and 2010, the decline ranged from 6% for copper to 36% for lead; for nitrogen the decline was 5%. Despite the Europe-wide decline, no changes or increases have been observed between 2005 and 2010 in some (regions of) countries.
Science of The Total Environment | 2008
M.A. Parra; David Elustondo; R. Bermejo; J.M. Santamaría
This study examines the exposure level of passengers and drivers to VOC in public buses in a medium-size metropolitan area (Northern Spain). In-vehicle monitoring was performed on different routes, on peak and non-peak hours, during January and February 2007. A total of 112 air samples were collected onto adsorbent tubes and analysed by thermal desorption (TD) and gas chromatography/mass selective detector (GC/MSD) technique. Statistical differences were found among route to route concentrations, with those routes with major prevalence in the commercial area of the city displaying higher values; differences between peak and non-peak hours were also observed. A decrease in VOC concentrations was also registered during the weekend. BTEX ratios were estimated and found to be related to traffic emissions and similar for all the surveyed routes. Correlations confirmed traffic as the main emission source for BTEX and trimethylbenzene, their concentrations being highly associated to changes in meteorological conditions.
Chemosphere | 2010
L. González-Miqueo; David Elustondo; Esther Lasheras; J.M. Santamaría
A biomonitoring survey using the moss species Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. was conducted in the surroundings of two steel plants located in the North of Spain. Levels of V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and N were determined. Very high concentrations in the areas of study were detected when compared to nearby unaffected regions. Similar trends were observed for all the elements in the differently orientated transects, showing an appreciable influence of the NW prevailing winds of the region in the dispersion of pollutants, as well as a clear decreasing gradient in the concentrations of metals in mosses within a distance of 1500 meters from the facilities. A differentiation between the elements emitted by the chimney as result of the industrial activity (V, Cr, Ni, Cu and As) and those with a high presence in steel slag deposits (Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) was observed. The range of contamination was also established by means of the Contamination Factor, indicating a category 4 out of 6 categories, which shows the high levels reported in the areas of study. A different dynamic was registered for nitrogen regarding the rest of the heavy metals analysed except for Hg, probably due to the elevated volatility and mobility of both elements, as well as their high persistence in the atmosphere.
Water Air and Soil Pollution | 1997
J.M. Santamaría; A. Martín
During a two year research period from 1992 to 1993, samples of different species of trees were taken in 17 forest stands located in Navarra, Spain. From these samples, bark extracts were prepared in which the pH and the conductivity were measured. The health of the sampling trees was also evaluated by determining the degree of defoliation and decoloration of the canopies. The bark tissue analysis revealed the presence of an environmental acidity gradient that decreased from NW to SE. This coincides with the location of important sources of pollution and their course of transport and dispersion. On the other hand, in the samples ofQuercus ilex a significant correlation between the pH and the defoliation levels (P≤0.01, r=0.62) was found. This fact reveals the potential usefulness of tree bark as a health bioindicator of trees.
Global Change Biology | 2013
Verónica Delgado; Alicia Ederra; J.M. Santamaría
In this study we used recent (2010) and herbarium material (1980) of six bryophyte species to assess long-term atmospheric deposition in natural forested areas in northern Spain. For this purpose, tissue nitrogen and carbon content, as well as δ(13) C and δ(15) N signatures of samples of Hypnum cupressiforme, Polytrichastrum formosum, Leucobryum juniperoideum, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Homalothecium lutescens and Diplophyllum albicans were analysed and comparisons made between years and species. In addition, the usefulness of each of the six species was evaluated. The range of values observed was similar to that in other studies carried out in rural areas. Significantly lower values were found in 2010 for N (H. cupressiforme), δ(15) N (R. loreus and D. albicans), C (R. loreus) and δ(13) C (all except L. juniperoideum). Our natural areas are thus now less influenced by atmospheric pollutants than they were, most probably due to changes in some traditional local activities. Differences were observed between species for all the four parameters studied, so different species must not be analysed together. Finally, R. loreus and H. lutescens seem to be good bioindicators, sensitive even with a few samples, although further studies are needed to corroborate their usefulness.
Chemosphere | 1998
J.M. Santamaría; A. Martín
Abstract During a two year research period from 1992 to 1993, foliage samples from different tree species were taken in 17 forest stands located in Navarra, Spain. Samples were analyzed for Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, P, Pb, S and Zn. The health of the sampling trees was assessed by determining the degree of defoliation and discolouration of the canopies. In almost all the species, no significant correlations between the different foliar elements and the crown condition parameters were observed, although in Quercus faginea trees, an increase of defoliation was associated with an increase in P and S concentrations. In general, the nutritional status of the sampled trees was good. However, when forest stands of the same species were compared, higher lead and cadmium concentrations were detected respectively in Goizueta (1) and Larra (11) stands, fact that suggests an anthropogenic influence of pollutants in such areas.