Jerzy Zwoździak

Seasonal variability of the mutagenicity of airborne particles in the town center

Abstract The mutagenicity of samples of suspended particulates collected from the center of Wroclaw (SW Poland, 642.000 inhabitants) in the period August 1997–July 1998 was studied with the Ames test. The strain Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and its derivatives with higher nitroreductase (YG 1021) and O-acetyltransferase (YG 1024) activities were used. All samples studied were mutagenic in the Ames test. The mutagenicity of the samples was the highest in winter and the lowest in summer. The air volume corresponding to the dose of particulates required to obtain the mutagenic effect was dependent on the atmospheric concentration of particulates and adsorbed organic compounds. The increase of the mutagenicity of the majority of the samples for the strain TA 98 upon metabolic activation indicates the presence of promutagens in the samples. High activity against the strains YG 1021 and YG 1024 indicates a considerable contribution of nitro and amino derivatives of PAHs to the total mutagenicity of airborne particles. The samples contained PAHs from the EPA list, other PAHs and their nitro and amino derivatives, and other aromatics including heterocyclic compounds.

The contribution of outdoor particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) to school indoor environment

The contributions of outdoor and indoor sources to the indoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) were investigated in a secondary school in Wroclaw, Poland. PM measurements were performed one week per month from December 2009 to October 2010. The sizes of the aerosols generated form indoor sources were in the range of 1–2.5 µm in winter and 2.5–10 µm in summer. It was found that the indoor PM1 concentrations in the school were mostly due to infiltration, with an infiltration factor of 0.65 in winter and 0.68 in summer. These findings, complemented with single particle analyses (using electron probe X-ray microanalysis) revealed that the finest particles, mostly infiltrated from outdoor air, were dominated by organic carbon, sulphates and that organic carbon particles were associated with fly ash or soil dust. Organic carbon was also associated with larger particles of fly ash or soil dust. As part of mineral dust calcium carbonate, salt particles and aluminosilicates were identified. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the health risks posed to school children associated with the high exposure to indoor PM containing potentially toxic materials in this and probably other schools.

Meteorological Aspect of Chemical Composition of Precipitation/Deposition - Long Range Pollution Transport in a Mountain Region

The acidification of forest ecosystems in the southwestern Poland (Sudety Mountains) has been a topic of intensive research and modeling efforts in recent years. It is generally believed that this problem is a consequence of transport and deposition of acidic atmospheric pollutants, both gases and particles. In the period from 1988 to 1992 sampling was underway at five locations of the mountain legion (810 ÷ 1490 m a.s.l.)1,2. The main objective of the network was to measure routinely the daily concentration: SO2, NH 4 + , NO2, \(SO_{4 acr}^ =\), total suspended particles, sulphates in air and the following species: pH value, SO 4 = , C1-, N(NO 3 - ), N(NH 4 + ), K+, Na+, Ca++, Mg++ in precipitation/deposition (rain, snow, rime). Moreover, meteorological parameters were registered: windspeed (V) and direction, humidity (H), temperature (T), the circulation type, the amount of precipitation and trajectory wind roses. Air acidic species episodes and precipitation/deposition concentrations of ionic species are found to be strongly dependent upon meteorological circumstances. On a basis of freq-uency histogram of daily average values (concentration species, meteorological parameters), the range of values wem determined for which frequency of occurence was 55 ÷ 80%.

Contribution of Poland to Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to the Baltic Sea

Poland is the second most important emission source after Germany in contributing atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the Baltic Sea basin. The main sectors contributing to reactive nitrogen emissions from Polish sources, in the period 1995–2014, are combustion and transportation, responsible together for over 97% of nitrogen oxide emissions, and agriculture responsible for over 98% of ammonia emissions. The EMEP MSC-W model with 50-km resolution was used for estimating the contribution of nitrogen emission sources from Poland to nitrogen deposition into the Baltic Sea basin and its sub-basins, in the period 1995–2014. Polish contribution in this period is mainly visible in annual wet deposition of reduced nitrogen with the range 13–18% and in wet deposition of oxidized nitrogen: 9–15%. Concerning sub-basins, a major contribution for Polish sources to total nitrogen deposition can be noticed for Baltic Proper with the range 13–19%, followed by northern sub-basins (7–18%) and finally by three western sub-basins (5–7%). Polish contribution to the Baltic Sea Basin in the year 2013 was analyzed in more detail using two models, the EMEP MSC-W model with 50-km resolution and model developed at the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management in Warsaw with 14-km resolution (IMWM Model). Both models give similar results concerning the deposition of oxidized nitrogen from Polish sources, but results show that the deposition of reduced nitrogen calculated with IMWM model is lower. The most likely reasons for the differences are different parameterizations of the deposition processes and chemical reactions in both models.