Stig Hellebust

The use of polar organic compounds to estimate the contribution of domestic solid fuel combustion and biogenic sources to ambient levels of organic carbon and PM2.5 in Cork Harbour, Ireland

PM(2.5) samples collected at Cork Harbour, Ireland during summer, autumn, late autumn and winter, 2008-2009 were analyzed for polar organic compounds that are useful markers for aerosol source characterization. The determined compounds include tracers for biomass burning primary particles, fungal spores, markers for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from isoprene, α-/β-pinene, and d-limonene. Seasonal and temporal variations and other characteristic features of the detected tracers are discussed in terms of aerosol sources and processes. The biogenic species were detected only during the summer period where the contributions of isoprene SOA and fungal spores to the PM(2.5) organic carbon (OC) were estimated to be 1.6% and 1% respectively. The biomass burning markers, and in particular levoglucosan, were present in all samples and attributed to the combustion of cellulose-containing fuels including wood, peat, bituminous and smokeless coal. The contribution of domestic solid fuel (DSF) burning to the measured OC mass concentration was estimated at 10.8, 50, 66.4 and 74.9% for summer, autumn, late autumn and winter periods, respectively, based on factors derived from a series of burning experiments on locally available fuels. Application of an alternative approach, namely principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR), to the measured concentrations of the polar organic marker compounds used in conjunction with real-time air quality data provided similar trends and estimates for DSF combustion during all seasons except summer. This study clearly demonstrates that, despite the ban on the sale of bituminous coal in Cork and other large urban areas in Ireland, DSF combustion is still the major source of OC during autumn and winter periods and also makes a significant contribution to PM(2.5) levels. The developed marker approach for estimating the contribution of DSF combustion to ambient OC concentrations can, in principle, also be applied to other locations.

Using the WIBS-4 (Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor) Technique for the On-Line Detection of Pollen Grains

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) such as pollen and fungal spores can induce allergenic responses and affect health in general. Conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma have been related to pollen concentrations. Likewise some pollen have been shown to induce ice nucleation and cloud condensation at higher temperatures than those associated with some chemical species, thereby affecting planet Earths albedo and overall radiative balance. Hence, the near real-time (on-line) monitoring of airborne pollen and other PBAP using a variety of spectroscopic and light scattering techniques represents an area of growing development and consequence. In this study, two separate field campaigns (one at a rural site in Ireland and the other at an urbanized location in Germany) were performed to detect and quantify pollen releases using a novel on-line fluorescence spectrometer (WIBS-4). The results were compared with results obtained using more traditional Hirst-type impactors. Size, “shape,” and fluorescence characteristics of ambient particles were used to determine the concentrations and identity of the PBAP likely to be pollen grains. The concentration results obtained for both methodologies at both the Irish and German sites correlated very well, with R 2 values >0.9 determined for both campaigns. Furthermore, the sizing data available from the WIBS-4 approach employed in Ireland indicated that pollen grains can be identified in appropriate conditions. WIBS-4 measurements of Yew pollen both in the laboratory and at the rural site indicated almost identical size ranges of 25 to 27 μm. Yew pollen is generally reported to be in this range, but the measurements reported here are the first of their type providing data on the size of in-flight Yew pollen. Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research

Using a pattern recognition approach to link inorganic chemical fingerprints of ambient PM 2.5-0.1 with in vitro biological effects

Atmospheric fine particulates act as prime vehicles for the transport of toxic chemicals into the human respiratory system on a daily basis and adverse human health effects do exist. By examining toxicological differences and chemical composition of ambient fine particles using a novel experimental design and chemometric approach, the present work examines the hypothesis: that it is not clear whether there are significant differences in public health risk from exposure to fine particles in a rural location compared to those in urban locations. In the present study, an investigation into the inorganic chemical characteristics and biological effects of PM2.5–0.1 on human lung epithelial cell line A549 has been performed. Biological responses were evaluated by in vitro tests using equivalent masses of PM2.5–0.1 samples, collected during different seasons at urban and rural locations in Cork, Ireland. The relationship between the biological responses and the chemical composition of the samples were investigated using Principal Component Analysis followed by Partial Least Squares regression analysis. The PM2.5–0.1 samples collected at three contrasting sites in Cork demonstrated the ability to generate reactive oxygen species upon exposure irrespective of season. However, the magnitude of generation was somewhat higher for samples collected in the urban sites, compared to those generated by rural samples. Similarly, metals such as Cu and Mn were found to be present in larger quantities in the urban-based composite samples compared to those for their rural counterparts. The induction of interleukin 6 determined in this study followed a very similar seasonal trend to the measured concentrations of potassium ions in the PM2.5–0.1 samples to which the A549 cells were exposed. The current study provides further support that identifying important chemical components and their sources, with subsequent targeted emission controls, which will likely prove to be a more cost-effective strategy for mitigating toxicity and protecting human health, than current approaches which depend on uncharacterized total particle mass, especially when sophisticated pattern recognition techniques are employed to assess limited airborne datasets.

Airborne emissions in the harbour and port of Cork.

It is now accepted that the transport sector is responsible for a large and growing share of global emissions affecting both health and climate. The quantification of these effects requires, as an essential first step, a comprehensive analysis and characterization of the contributing subsectors, i.e. road transport, shipping, aviation and rail. The shipping contribution in dock/harbour areas is of particular interest because many vessels use old engines powered with old technology giving rise to high levels of particulate emissions mainly because the fuel employed contains high levels of sulphur, up to 4.5%. Large amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and varying contents of transition metals are also detected. Few studies on the physicochemical composition of direct emissions from ship fuels have been performed; none have been compared to actual contents in local harbour or port atmospheres. The transformation of these ship-related materials to toxicologically active species may be much more efficient than corresponding road emission or domestic sources because of the expected highly acidic nature of the particulates. Surface, toxic material may therefore become readily bioavailable under such conditions but such studies have not been performed hitherto. This mini-review outlines in detail the issues raised above in the context of measurements made in Cork, Ireland.

Characterization of Primary Organic Aerosol from Domestic Wood, Peat, and Coal Burning in Ireland

An aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) was deployed to study the primary nonrefractory submicron particulate matter emissions from the burning of commercially available solid fuels (peat, coal, and wood) typically used in European domestic fuel stoves. Organic mass spectra (MS) from burning wood, peat, and coal were characterized and intercompared for factor analysis against ambient data. The reference profiles characterized in this study were used to estimate the contribution of solid fuel sources, along with oil combustion, to ambient pollution in Galway, Ireland using the multilinear engine (ME-2). During periods influenced by marine air masses, local source contribution had dominant impact and nonsea-spray primary organic emissions comprised 88% of total organic aerosol mass, with peat burning found to be the greatest contributor (39%), followed by oil (21%), coal (17%), and wood (11%). In contrast, the resolved oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA) dominated the aerosol composition in continental air masses, with contributions of 50%, compared to 12% in marine air masses. The source apportionment results suggest that the use of domestic solid fuels (peat, wood, and coal) for home heating is the major source of evening and night-time particulate pollution events despite their small use.

1638c Particles at work – and everywhere else

Airborne Particulate Matter (PM) is ubiquitous in both indoor and outdoor environments. Its adverse effect on human health is well known and is associated with both size and composition of particles. PM is a complex and heterogenous mixture, including a range of both toxic and non-toxic chemical compounds. These materials can penetrate in the human respiratory tract with the possibility to cause respiratory and heart related illnesses. Small particulate pollution has health impacts even at very low concentrations – no threshold has been identified below which no damage to health is observed. WHO estimates that in 2012 around 1 in 8 deaths were attributed to exposure to air pollution, making it the number one environmental risk factor for ill health. Particulate matter (PM) constitute a principal component of residential indoor air pollution and have been linked with both acute effects, such as irritation in the skin, eyes, nose and throat and upper airways, and chronic health effects including asthma and cardiac disease. It is also of concern in many workplace environments across a wide range of industries and sectors. Wood dust, especially hardwood dust, has been known to cause health problems and cancers in workers. Aerosols from cleaning spray products pose a threat to cleaning workers. In the ceramic sector workers can be exposed to a wide variety of powdered materials with different characteristics and chemical compositions during the manufacturing cycle (handling, materials preparation, bag filling, tiles production or cleaning processes, among others). Cooking aerosols are emitted in high concentrations from processes like frying and charbroiling, exposing kitchen and restaurant workers to high levels of airborne organic aerosols. Nanoparticles is a relatively new and little understood threat to both manufacturing and laboratory workers, and it is not known how many escape to the wider environment. Any workshop environment may contain high levels of particles in the indoor air, as will construction environments, where workers may potentially be exposed to a range of materials, including asbestos particles. Even office workers occupying near-road premises can experience high levels of toxic particles from vehicle emissions. Furthermore, bioaerosols are a class of atmospheric particles that include bacteria, viruses, pollen and fungal spores, algae, plant debris, proteins, etc. This class of particles can also have an impact on public health, as they have been associated with infectious diseases, allergies, acute toxic effects and even cancer.