Luis E. Olcese

Some aspects of air pollution in Córdoba, Argentina

Cordoba, as well as many other Latin American cities, is facing problems concerning air pollution. The increase in the number of cars, the poor control on emissions and the little use of catalytic converters, produce a great amount of toxic gases and particulate. Many cities have started air quality measurement programs being the size of the network strongly dependent on the available funds. In 1995, Cordoba started a measurement campaign with two mobile stations. A major part of the city has been characterized, mostly the city center and the suburban zone. Lack of data at the prevailing wind direction is the major shortcoming, but this is mainly a political decision. In this work, we review the air quality measurements performed, and we attempt to explain the causes for the low ozone values found.

Unexpected high levels of ozone measured in Córdoba, Argentina

Results of field measurements carried out from June 15 to December 31, 1995, in Córdoba city (Argentina) are presented. During this field campaign, surface ozone mixing ratios were generally around 30–35 ppb (afternoon peak). However, during the first week of September, days with excessive ozone values close to 100 ppb were found. These elevated ozone concentrations appeared together with high values of NOx, CO, PM10, and an unusual meteorological situation for this time of the year. These results made this episode an interesting one to be studied in more detail. In this work, we used chemical and meteorological data to trace the region from where the assumed precursors were emitted and we identified possible source characteristics.

An inexpensive method to estimate CO and NOx emissions from mobile sources

Abstract CO and NO x measurements from mobile sources at two urban locations in Cordoba City, Argentina, were used to develop a very simple method to estimate emission from these sources. This development was possible because primary urban air pollution in Cordoba comes mostly from mobile sources and because a field measurement campaign was conducted by the city government during 1995–1996 that has allowed us to have a complete and valuable data bank. Air concentrations of CO, NO x as well as physical, and meteorological variables were measured at two urban sites with two monitoring stations. We compared the measured CO and NO x air concentration data with the predictions of a method that uses regression analysis to estimate the emission factor from the mobile sources. The agreement is good, considering the simplicity of the approach.

Simple modelling approaches to assess the impact of traffic air pollution: Córdoba case study

From 1991 to 1999, there were significant commitments to environmental protection in Argentina. During this period, several important cities of the country, such as Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, Bahia Blanca, and Ushuaia, began air quality monitoring programmes. Among these cities, we have taken Cordoba as a case study because of the existence of a continuous monitoring campaign that collected a great amount of high quality data during 1995 and 1996. This campaign has allowed us to characterise an important sector of the city. Lack of data along the prevailing wind direction with respect to downtown is the major shortcoming. Other serious difficulties are the absence of emission inventories and a well characterised fleet. In this work, we present some simple modelling approaches that have proved to be useful for urban planning. Some remarks about the particular situation of Cordoba are presented, together with a general description of the situation in the country.

Latitudinal distribution of OCPs in the open ocean atmosphere between the Argentinian coast and Antarctic Peninsula

Long-range atmospheric transport is one of the most important ways in which persistent organic pollutants can be transported from their source to remote and pristine regions. Here, we report the results of the first Argentinian measurements of organochlorine pesticides in the Antarctic region. During a 9665-km track onboard OV ARA Puerto Deseado, within the framework of Argentinian Antarctic Expeditions, air samples were taken using high-volume samplers and analyzed using GC-μECD. HCB, HCHs, and endosulfans were the major organic pollutants found, and a north-south gradient in their concentrations was evident by comparing data from the Argentinian offshore zone to the South Scotia Sea.