Air pollution from traffic emissions in Oporto, Portugal: Health and environmental implications

Air pollution represents a serious risk not only to environment and human health, but also to historical heritage. In this study, air pollution of the Oporto Metropolitan Area and its main impacts were characterized. The results showed that levels of CO, PM₁₀ and SO₂ have been continuously decreasing in the respective metropolitan area while levels of NO_x and NO₂ have not changed significantly. Traffic emissions were the main source of the determined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; 16 PAHs considered by U.S. EPA as priority pollutants, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene and benzo[j]fluoranthene) in air of the respective metropolitan area. The mean concentration of 18 PAHs in air was 69.9 ± 39.7 ng m⁻³ with 3-4 rings PAHs accounting for 75% of the total Σ_PAHs. The health risk analysis of PAHs in air showed that the estimated values of lifetime lung cancer risks considerably exceeded the health-based guideline level. Analytical results also confirm that historical monuments in urban areas act as passive repositories for air pollutants present in the surrounding atmosphere. FTIR and EDX analyses showed that gypsum was the most important constituent of black crusts of the characterized historical monument Monastery of Serra do Pilar classified as “UNESCO World Cultural Heritage”. In black crusts, 4-6 rings compounds accounted approximately for 85% of Σ_PAHs. The diagnostic ratios confirmed that traffic emissions were the major source of PAHs in black crusts; PAH composition profiles were very similar for crusts and PM₁₀ and PM_2.5.     

Evidence of tin and other anthropogenic metals in particulate matter in Lisbon, Portugal

Thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis techniques were used to analyze 27 Teflon air filters which were exposed to ambient air in Lisbon, Portugal, in February 2007. Tin was detected which is strongly suggestive of an anthropogenic source. Arsenic, antimony and copper were shown to be highly correlated, which is also suggestive of anthropogenic pollution. Trace element analysis of short- and medium-lived isotopes was performed yielding concentration information of various elements. Analytical sensitivities were enhanced using a Compton suppression system. Enrichment factor analysis shows that arsenic, tin, zinc, copper and antimony are at elevated concentrations in the Lisbon atmosphere.     

Characterizing air particulate matter composition and sources in Lisbon,Portugal

The goal of this research is to determine trends and sources of airborne particulates in the centre of Lisbon, by using speciated particulate-matter data and back-trajectory analyses. Results showed that, in 2007, the annual PM_2.5 concentration exceeded the World Health Organization recommended levels. PM_2.5 diurnal variability and the ratio between weekdays’ and weekends’ concentrations indicated that traffic contributed highly to decreasing air quality. Air back-trajectory analysis showed that maritime air mass transport had a significant role on air quality in Lisbon, promoting the decrease of anthropogenic aerosol concentrations.     

A new non-destructive method for chemical analysis of particulate matter filters: the case of manganese air pollution in Vallecamonica (Italy)

Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) is a well-established technique for chemical analysis, but it is mainly employed for quality control in the electronics semiconductor industry. The capability to analyze liquid and uniformly thin solid samples makes this technique suitable for other applications, and especially in the very critical field of environmental analysis. Comparison with standard methods like inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) shows that TXRF is a practical, accurate, and reliable technique in occupational settings. Due to the greater sensitivity necessary in trace heavy metal detection, TXRF is also suitable for environmental chemical analysis. In this paper we show that based on appropriate standards, TXRF can be considered for non-destructive routine quantitative analysis of environmental matrices such as air filters. This work has been developed in the frame of the EU-FP6 PHIME (Public Health Impact of long-term, low-level Mixed element Exposure in susceptible population strata) Integrated Project (www.phime.org). The aim of this work was to investigate Mn air pollution in the area of Vallecamonica (Italy).     

Toxicological study of pesticides in air and precipitations of Paris by means of a bioluminescence method

A detailed toxicological study on several pesticides, including chlorothalonil, cyprodynil, dichlobénil, pendimethaline, trifluraline, and α-endosulfan, present at trace levels in air and total atmospheric precipitations of Paris is presented. The pesticides contained in the atmospheric samples, collected during sampling campaigns in February–March 2007, are identified and quantified by a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC)-UV detection method. The toxicity measurements are performed by means of the Microtox® bioluminescence method, based on the evaluation of the bioluminescence inhibition of the Vibrio fischeri marine bacteria at two exposure times to the pesticide solutions. The specific toxicity, corresponding to the particular toxicity of the compound under study and represented by the EC₅₀ parameter, is determined for these pesticides. Also, the global toxicity, which is the toxicity of all micro-pollutants present in the sample under study, is estimated for the extracts of air and atmospheric precipitation (rainwater) samples. The specific toxicities strongly vary with the nature of the pesticide, the EC₅₀ parameter values being comprised between 0.17 and 0.83 mg/mL and 0.15 and 0.66 mg/mL, respectively, for exposure times of 5 and 15 min. The importance of the atmospheric samples’ global toxicity and the respective contribution of the toxic potency of the various pesticides contained in these samples are discussed.

Comparison between ordinary least squares regression and weighted least squares regression in the calibration of metals present in human milk determined by ICP-OES

In this study we compared the use of ordinary least squares and weighted least squares in the calibration of the method for analyzing essential and toxic metals present in human milk by ICP-OES, in order to avoid systematic errors in the measurements used. Human milk samples were provided by maternity clinic Odete Valadares and digested by means of a high-performance microwave (MW) oven. Evaluation of plasma short and long-term stability was made using a solution of digested milk (1:50) with 2.0 mg L⁻¹ Mg in HNO₃ 2% (v/v). The detection power resulted to be at or below the μg L⁻¹ level, whilst the precision expressed as relative standard deviation R.S.D. was almost always equal to or better than 3.3%. Certified reference material Infant Formula (NIST SRM 1846) was used to assess the accuracy of the proposed method, which proved to be accurate and precise. Recovery rates were in the range of 83-117%. Aqueous calibration was carried out for each element under study.     

Direct and rapid analysis of ambient air and exhaled air via electrostatic precipitation of aerosols in an atomizer furnace and Zeeman spectrometry

Techniques that allow the elements present in the air to be determined in a simple and rapid manner are very attractive. Direct aerosol sampling techniques avoid the need to pretreat the filter via wet digestion in order to remove any sources of contamination, and they decrease the precipitation time significantly. Analyzers based on this technique can also determine the concentrations of elements in the air automatically in situ. This paper is concerned with the development of a novel analytical system that is based on electrostatically precipitating aerosols from the air into a graphite furnace. The equipment includes a Zeeman spectrometer with high frequency modulation polarization (MGA-915), and an electrostatic precipitation system incorporated into the analyzer. The high sensitivity of the system developed here means that it can be used to determine element concentrations in the air exhaled by humans, as well as those in ambient air.     

An overview of emerging pollutants in air: Method of analysis and potential public health concern from human environmental exposure

Air pollutants are perhaps the largest cause of diseases and death in the world today. Increasing urbanization and industrialization have caused an increase in number of diverse forms and types of new pollutants, which are difficult to detect and characterize due to their stench behaviour and complex sources of production. Such pollutants have been called emerging pollutants (EPs) and their list is ever increasing. Therefore, the understanding of the method of analysis and health implication of (EPs) in air is critical to providing a more robust understanding of exposure routes, regulations and mitigation. EPs in air discussed in this study are not in any way exhaustive but limited to emerging VOCs (including acrylonitrile, 1−3-butadiene, chloroform, dichloromethane, ethylene oxides, formaldehyde, toluene, trichloroethylene, 1,4-Dioxane) and metals (arsenic, manganese, and vanadium), ultrafine particles, micro- and nano- plastics, engineered nanoparticles, diesel/black carbon and bioaerosols. Occurrence, detection and health implications of these EPs in air are still unfolding due to limited monitoring studies, lack of standard methodology and regulations. To address this knowledge gap, authors conducted an in-depth review of available information. Their spatial distribution, analytical methods and health implications are discussed including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a potential EP in air. The study concluded with highlights of gaps in knowledge and suggestions to key areas for future research. This information is of general interest to environmental scientists and of specific interest to both health and sanitation workers and policymakers at private, government and international organizations.     

Synergy between Hofmeister effect and coupled water in proteins: Unusual dilational moduli of BSA at air/solution interface

This study relates interfacial interactions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules in dilute solutions with its dilatational rheology. Dynamic surface tension and the associated dilational elastic modulus and viscosity for BSA and mixtures of BSA with Hofmeister electrolytes—NaCl, NaClO₄, Na₂SO₄, NaF and Na₂HPO₄ have been studied using a sinusoidal surface compression and expansion for frequencies ranging from 0.01 to 0.4 Hz. at solution/air interface. In all the BSA + electrolyte systems, both the elastic modulus and viscosity show unusually high values compared with pure BSA or pure electrolytes. In the presence of NaF and Na₂SO₄ the viscosity of protein increases almost by 50–80-fold and the corresponding elastic modulus also changes by 30–50-fold. Hydrated Hofmeister ions surely influence the measured rheological properties. In addition, the synergistic effect of the hydrated protein and the vicinal hydrated electrolytes possibly contribute to the high viscosity and elasticity due to change in dynamics of these assemblies. Thus the behavior of BSA is effected by salts in different ways, especially due to the dynamics and strength of the water molecules in the assembly.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of environmental markers from Coastal to Plateau areas in Antarctica by firn core chemical analysis

The chemical analysis of shallow firn cores sampled in coastal and plateau areas in Northern Victoria Land and along a transect from Talos Dome to Dome C (East Antarctica, Pacific Ocean sector) allowed a global view of spatial and temporal changes in chemical composition of snow depositions over the last 100 years. Variations in concentration of primary (sea spray) and secondary (biogenic emission, atmospheric inputs) source markers were observed and discussed as a function of distance from the sea and altitude.

In the stations characterized by relatively high snow accumulation rates, the sub-sampling resolution was sufficient to obtain a stratigraphic dating by using the periodical variations of seasonal markers. In these stations, a subdivision in “summer” and “winter” samples was carried out in order to study the seasonal changes of the contributions of the measured compounds to the snow composition as elevation and distance from the sea increase.

Some evidence of post-depositional effects which are able to change the original deposition of chloride and nitrate, was observed at stations with low accumulation rates. The reliability of the depth/concentration profile of these substances for reconstructing past deposition was also discussed.     

A new method for sorptive enrichment of gaseous samples: Application in air analysis and natural gas characterization

A new method for the preconcentration of trace components from gaseous samples is described. The system is based on enrichment of the solutes on a packed bed of 100% polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) particles followed by thermal desorption and GC analysis. It was demonstrated that breakthrough volumes for packed PDMS traps can be calculated from theoretical equations. The PDMS material exhibits excellent thermal stability even after 200 consecutive runs. Additional advantages of packed sorbent beds over conventional adsorbent materials include high inertness, the absence of displacement effects and a reduced affinity for water. The practicality of the system was demonstrated by the analysis of air and natural gas using the system described here, components in the range of octane to benso[a] pyrene could be quantitatively trapped and thermally desorbed at mild temperatures. With the present set-up the detection limit is in the order of 0.1 ng/m³ (MSD detector).     

A simple and fast micromethod for the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in air by sorbent enrichment and ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction

A combination of sorbent enrichment and ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction has been used to determine polychlorinated biphenyls in air. Analytes were sampled by pumping a known volume of air through a porous polymer (Tenax TA). The enriched adsorbent was transferred into a glass vial, and ultrasound-assisted extraction of the analytes was then performed in n-hexane. Quantification was carried out by using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Breakthrough volume of the sampling step was studied, indicating that 10 m³ of air could be processed without losses of the most volatile compounds. Good recoveries (75–96%) were obtained, and limits of detection at the sub ng m^–3 were achieved for all the analytes. The proposed method is very simple and fast, avoiding the use of large solvent volumes and time-consuming preconcentration steps.     

Development and validation by accuracy profile of a method for the analysis of monoterpenes in indoor air by active sampling and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The technique of thermal desorption (TD)-GC/MS was evaluated for the measurement of monoterpenes in indoor air. The validation strategy was intentionally oriented towards routine use and the reliability of the method rather than extreme performance. For this reason, validation by accuracy profile was chosen. The accuracy profile procedure, which is based on the concept of total error (bias + standard deviation), guarantees that a known proportion of future results obtained with the method will be within acceptance limits. For all the compounds tested in the present study, α-pinene, α-terpineol, β-pinene, d-limonene, Δ³-carene, camphene, 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, linalool, but not in the case of carvone, the accuracy profile procedure established that at least 95% of the future results obtained would be within the ±15% acceptance limits of the validated method over the whole defined concentration range. Other parameters, such as selectivity, recovery, repeatability, stability of the molecules of interest and the effect of temperature, were also determined. The performance of the described method was finally evaluated by the analysis of indoor air from new timber frame constructions.     

Optimization and validation of a low temperature microwave-assisted extraction method for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in airborne particulate matter

A low temperature microwave-assisted extraction method (MAE) is reported for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in airborne particulate matter (PM). The main parameters affecting the extraction efficiency (choice of extractants, microwave power, and extraction time) were investigated and optimized. The optimized procedure requires a 20 ml mixture of acetone:n-hexane (1:1) for extraction of PAHs in PM at 150 W of microwave energy (20 min extraction time). Clean-up of MAE extracts was not found to be necessary. The optimized method was validated using two different SRM (1648-urban particulate matter and 1649a, urban dust). The results obtained are in good agreement with certified values. PAHs recoveries for both reference materials were between 79 and 122% with relative standard deviation ranging from 3 to 21%. Detection limits were determined based on blank determination using two kinds of quartz filter substrates (n = 10), which ranged from 0.001 (0.03) ng m⁻³ (pg/μg) for B(k)Ft to 1.119 (37.3) for Naph in ng m⁻³ (pg/μg), respectively. The repeatability and day-to-day reproducibility obtained in this study were in the range of 4-16 and 3-25% for spiked standards and SRM 1649, respectively. The optimized and validated MAE technique was applied to the extraction of PAHs from a set of real world PM samples collected in Singapore. The sum of particulate-bound PAHs in outdoor PM ranged from 1.05 to 3.45 ng m⁻³ while that in indoor PM (cooking emissions) ranged from 27.6 to 75.7 ng m⁻³, respectively.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution recorded in annual rings of gingko (Gingko biloba L.): Regression analysis and comparison to other pollutants

Further interesting information about contamination recorded in gingko annual rings is revealed in this paper. The degradation degrees of varied PAHs in gingko trunk, range 2.4 to 3.4%, are evaluated by using regression analysis and confirmed to depend upon their molecular sizes and chemical properties. For other lipophilic compounds, the translocation and diffusion behaviors conform to our donut model of PAHs in previous work, while for hydrophilic contaminants, the translocation and diffusion are more complicated owing to the second uptake pathways by roots. Further, the gingko tree exhibits selective absorption to heavy metals, such as Cu, Cd, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Fe, and Mn. The relative accumulation degrees of these heavy metals are estimated by comparing to Fe in the soil and the gingko tree, and the result suggests that the gingko accumulates Cr, Cd and Pb from the soil. However, the metals in annual rings might not reflect historical environment changes for their diffusive nature in water-sapwood.     

Estimation of source spectra profiles and simultaneous determination of polycomponent in mixtures from ultraviolet spectra data using kernel independent component analysis and support vector regression

A method that use kernel independent component analysis (KICA) and support vector regression (SVR) was proposed for estimation of source ultraviolet (UV) spectra profiles and simultaneous determination of polycomponents in mixtures. In KICA-SVR procedure, the UV source spectra profiles were estimated using KICA, then the mixing matrix of the components were calculated using the estimated sources, and the calibration model was build using SVR based on the calculated mixing matrix. A simulated UV dataset of three-component mixtures was used to test the ability of KICA for estimating source spectra profiles from spectra data of mixtures. It was found that KICA has the potential power to estimate pure UV spectra profiles, and correlation coefficient of estimated sources correspond to the real adopted ones are better compared with that by FastICA and Infomax ICA. An UV dataset of polycomponent vitamin B was processed using the proposed KICA-SVR method. The results show that the estimated source spectra profiles are correlative with the real UV spectra of the components and chemically interpretable, and accurate results were obtained.     

Hyphenated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate in wine: Comparison with results of other sampling procedures via a robust regression

This work describes a new purge and trap gas chromatography electron impact mass spectrometry (PT-GC-EIMS) method for quantifying 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3-MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3-MHA), two molecules able to characterize some wines with their tropical scents. Firstly the experimental conditions of the purge and trap extraction (sample temperature, extraction time, trap temperature, flow rate) following a multivariate approach were optimized. Then the method through the construction of the calibration curves and the establishment of the detection limits was validated. The purge and trap procedure appears faster and more sensitive than both the headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and the solid phase extraction (SPE) procedures, reaching detection limits for the two thiols closer to their sensory thresholds. Evidence of similar performances of the three sampling methods considered was gained comparing the results relevant to same wine samples. The Theil's regression method was used for purpose of comparison.     

Use of carbon adsorption traps combined with high resolution gas chromatography – mass spectrometry for the analysis of polar and non-polar C4-C14 hydrocarbons involved in photochemical smog formation

A method has been developed for the collection and analysis of polar and non-polar C₄-C₁₄ hydrocarbons involved in the formation of photochemical smog. Enrichment of hydrocarbons from both polluted and unpolluted areas has been achieved with three-stage traps packed with carbon adsorbents of different surface area; the use of a home-made desorption unit employing cryofocusing then enables the determination of the compounds by HRGC-FID. Two-stage traps filled with graphitic carbon have been used prior to GC-MS identification and quantitation of compounds producing overlapping peaks. The methodology has been tested in the urban area of Rome and in a pine forest, and more than 140 different compounds identified and quantitated. Many of the constituents were found to be oxygenated, either formed by photochemical reactions or of anthropogenic origin.     

A combination of Tedlar bag sampling and solid-phase microextraction for the analysis of trimethylamine in air: Relationship between concentration level and sample size

To extend the experimental applicability of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method to the analysis of trimethylamine (TMA) by the grab sampling method (i.e., Tedlar bag sampler), we investigated how experimental results are affected by the interaction between the concentration level of TMA standard and the volume size of its sample that is exposed to SPME fiber. To obtain comparative data sets for TMA analysis, all standards were analyzed as triplicate at five different concentrations (10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 ppb) each of which was prepared in four different bag sizes (1, 3, 5, and 10 L capacity). The sorptive characteristics of TMA were then evaluated in terms of recovery rate (RR) values derived by relationship between added and found quantities of TMA standard. The results of randomized block design showed that the determination of TMA is affected by the two major variables (i.e., TMA concentration level and sample size) at 95% confidence interval.