Search

Being comfortable and healthy in one's home is of the utmost importance and a contributing factor to the quality of their life, and it is greatly affected by the air quality of the residence. Therefore, the subject of this paper centres around the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a standard household in central Athens and how these components influence human health. The air quality assessment is conducted using particulate matter (PM) on-site continuous measurements taken from low-cost sensors (PurpleAir) installed both inside and outside the house. Focusing especially on PM2.5 data from September 2021 to September 2022, the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the number of exceedances are evaluated in detail, investigating the association between indoor and outdoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor air quality remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe, despite the EU policy efforts. Especially in cities, the synergistic interactions between the urban heat island and urban pollution result in premature mortality, associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Mediterranean urban areas are particularly susceptible under the consideration that the intensity, frequency, and duration of heat waves will increase due to climate change. The LIFE SIRIUS project designates that air quality management needs to go beyond traditional approaches in order to consider synergistic effects. This paper assesses the impact of temperature on daily mortality from 2004 to 2019 in the Republic of Cyprus with the use of a Generalized Additive Model (GAM). The association between mean daily temperature and mortality is nonlinear, implying that a prompt rise in deaths occurs when temperatures are high, while for colder temperatures, the effect is delayed. We report an inverted J-shaped relationship between mean temperature and mortality, with the most prominent effects on human health documented at low temperatures. The population under study appears to be acclimatized to local conditions, as mortality increases after 10 days of exposure to the environmental risk. The results of this study will assist in the definition of city-specific thresholds above which health warnings for the protection of the local population will be issued, in the framework of LIFE SIRIUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intense wildfires from the western Canada in May 2016 injected large amount of smoke into the atmosphere. This paper presents integrated observation of the event by a lidar, ceilometer, and satellite together with models and an assessment of smoke plume impacts on local air quality in New York City (NYC) area. A dense aloft plume on May 20 and a boundary layer plume on May 25 are analyzed. The smoke mixing into planetary-boundary-layer (PBL) and strong diurnal variation of PBL-top are shown. For the 2ndcase, the ground PM2.5 measurements show a significant increase in both the urban and upwind non-urban areas of NYC. The smoke sources and transport paths are further verified by the satellite observations and HYSPLIT model data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air pollution has been regional in China with the development of economy. To monitoring the air pollution transmission, a new technique, mobile lidar system (GBQ-S01), was introduced. In this paper, a pollution transmission process happened on October 26th, 2017, was analyzed with the use of mobile lidar, air quality monitoring stations data, and Hysplit backward trajectories. The results showed that the polluted air mass was transferred from northeast under the force of air pressure. Under the influences of air pollution transmission and bad meteorological diffusion conditions, The PM10 quality concentrations in Hefei increased a lot within 5 hours; among all the 10 national air quality monitoring stations, the Luyang District (the northernmost one) and Changjiang Middle Road (the easternmost one) received the most serious impact with PM10 concentration reached up to 252 μg/m3 and 219 μg/m3 at 22:00 (Beijing Time). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a cluster analysis of plume transport paths to New York City (NYC, 40.821°N, 73.949°W) for the 8-year period during 2006-2013. We also show cases of such aloft aerosol plumes intrusion and mixing into the boundary layer (PBL) and the impact on local air quality. Range-resolved monthly occurrence frequency and modification of local aerosol optical properties are presented. The NOAA-HYSPLIT cluster analysis indicates 6 main transport paths; and the optical properties (optical depth-AOD, Angstrom exponent-AE and single scatter albedo- SSA) of aerosol for each cluster are characterized. We further illustrate the impact of these aloft plumes on the satellite MODIS estimate of ground PM2.5 levels and observe that when the aloft plumes-layer AODs are filtered out using lidar, the correlation of MODIS AOD-PM2.5 can be much improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first studies the advantages and main observation methods of atmospheric particulate matter lidar in Regional large-scale measurement, and then discusses the measurement principle of lidar and two commonly used methods for inversion of aerosol extinction coefficient.Finally, the mobile observation system consisting of lidar-assisted vehicle particle monitor is used. Anping County is used as the research area.The lidar data of Anping County on September 15 to September 20, 2017 are obtained by means of the combination of navigation and fixed vertical monitoring.The results of fixed detection showes that foreign pollutants begin to be imported around 10 pm on the 15th, and the superimposed pollutants peakes around 2 pm on the 16th.The concentration of particulate matter gradually decreased after 2 pm on the 16th, which is in line with the trend of air quality rising first and then falling in accordance with the trend of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.According to the particle trajectory tracking map of the navigation area, the contaminant transport was analyzed Combined with the meteorological conditions at that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is a serious issue in most parts of Bihar, especially in its capital city, Patna. The air quality in Patna has significantly worsened due to factors like rapid urbanization, increased traffic, and various natural and human-related causes. This decline in air quality has led to several negative health effects. In light of this, the aim of this study was to examine how air pollution affects the long-term health of Patna's residents, taking into account age and exposure time as important factors. We gathered data from one busy intersection in Patna, specifically Danapur. Health effects from air pollution were collected from the residents via a formatted questionnaire. To analyze the relationship between age, exposure time, and the health effects reported by the participants, we used a statistical test called the chi square test of independence. The findings of the study revealed a clear link between age, exposure time, and the health status of the participants. We concluded that older individuals and those with longer exposure times faced a higher risk associated with the increasing air pollution levels. This study provides a foundation for raising awareness among both authorities and the general public of the adverse health impacts associated with declining air quality, emphasizing the urgency in taking appropriate measures to counter this challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine several different features of DSDs based on data and observations from two mid-latitude coastal locations: (a) the Delmarva peninsula, USA, and (b) Incheon, South Korea. In each case, the full DSD spectra were obtained from two collocated disdrometers. Two events from location (a) and one event from location (b) are presented. For (a), observations and retrievals from NASA's S-band polarimetric radar are included in the analyses as well as retrieved DSD parameters from the dual-wavelength precipitation radar onboard the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite. For (b), the disdrometer-based DSD data are compared with measurements from another sensor. Our main aim is to examine the underlying shape of the DSDs and their representation by the generalized gamma model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution control and air quality monitoring are global priority, which also applies to local scales. Ground-based monitoring stations provide high quality values, but their number and cost make them insufficient for use at certain scales and for air monitoring in urban areas. Satellite imagery provides indicators directly related to air quality. Aerosol optical thickness (AOD), used in atmospheric corrections of images, can be used as an indicator of air quality. This product is present in images obtained by satellites of medium spatial resolution, so it is necessary to develop methodologies to obtain it at higher resolution. This work aims to compare methodologies for obtaining AOD and its use in high spatial resolution satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three case studies of Saharan dust intrusions over southern Romania were performed. For these studies the database from the ceilometers located at Magurele and Strejnic was used. In addition, the meteorological conditions were analyzed using the WLK Catalogue based on the Objektive Wetterlagenklassifikation classification of the weather types [1]. This catalogue uses information from three basic tropospheric levels: 925, 700 and 500 hPa, and information on the precipitable water content over the entire atmosphere column. Geopotential fields at 925hPa and 500hPa are used for establishing the cyclonicity or anticyclonicity, while the U and V components of wind at 700hPa for establishing the dominant direction of the wind flow. For better understanding of the atmospheric parameters we performed HYSPLIT dispersion and trajectories analysis in conjunction with DREAM model output data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents a mineralogical and physicochemical comparison of coal seams located in the regions of Northwest and Central Greece. The comparison extends to the fly ash derivatives from the coal combustion for energy production, in the cases where data are available. Coal occurrences from Northwest Greece tend to exhibit higher content of rare earth elements (REE) compared to those of Central Greece. Moreover, fly ash products show similar trends in Light-REE compared to their coal parent rocks. The observed REE distribution seems to be correlated with the occurrence of specific minerals such as allanite, monazite, as well as with Fe-contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ianos originated from a shallow low in Libya, which formed on the tip of a warm tongue of Saharan air on 12 September 2020, a couple of days before its transformation to a Medicane. The genesis of the incipient cyclone was associated with strong warm air advection, across the Saharan low-level baroclinic zone, ahead of an amplifying thermal wave. On 13 September, when the baroclinic zone weakened, the upper levels played a significant role in the maintenance of the low. The relative position of the upper-level jet favoured downward cyclonic vorticity advection towards the cyclone, which apparently acted to reinforce the cyclonic circulation until the low entered the sea on 14 September 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires stand as significant contributors to atmospheric aerosols, exerting a substantial influence on air quality and radiative forcing. In our research, we utilized the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) to delve into the repercussions of wildfires on aerosol pollution and meteorological interactions. Our study centered on Greece, serving as a poignant test case. We focus on the summer of 2021, a period marked by intense wildfire occurrences within the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the frequency of wildfire occurrence is predicted in all climate model estimates, implying significant health impacts, due to the emission of combustion products. Application of pollutant dispersion models at strategic and operational levels is imperative for safety reasons and for compliance with European Civil Protection Mechanism policies. Here, we describe the dispersion of smoke from the forest fire of Penteli-Attica (Greece) on 19 July 2022, which burnt a total area of 2781.7 hectares. High-resolution dispersion simulations, air-quality measurements, and remote sensing observations are used to describe the transport of smoke and facilitate effective smoke control in areas where air quality impacts are likely to be significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synoptic-meso-a scale study of a convective line shows that the latter was favored by the vertical superposition of the passage of an ULFnt onto a low-level convergence line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, lockdown was implemented, which likely reduced maternal 25(OH)D levels in pregnancy due to reduced sun exposure from social distancing measures and confinement at home. At the same time, however, due to the lockdown and the ban on the free movement of vehicles, the emissions of many atmospheric pollutants also decreased. We know that air pollution and low ground level ultraviolet B radiation (UVB; 290-315) can deteriorate the body's vitamin D status in healthy women living in a polluted area, which plays a significant independent role in vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and, hence, residence can be one of the main reasons of vitamin D status in women. The reduction in air pollution likely produced positive changes in maternal 25(OH)D levels. Methods: We studied serum 25(OH)D in mothers who came for delivery, with stratified random sampling, from 27 September 2019 to April 14, 2021. We divided our sample into the pre-COVID period and the post-COVID period. Quantitative results of 25(OH)D vitamin levels on the mother were converted to qualitative variables assessing lack of 25(OH)D, adequacy, deficiency, and severe deficiency of maternal concentrations and, thus, defined. The results of 25(OH)D are presented as means ± standard deviations or by frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square test was used to find an association between maternal 25(OH)D concentrations within the COVID-19 period. Results: The results of our study showed a paradox. The mean values of 25(OH)D levels of the mothers were statistically significantly higher during the COVID-19 period compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Conclusions: In conclusion, pregnant women should be encouraged to lead a healthier lifestyle, avoid being outside during rush hours, take nature walks, not smoke, exercise, take leisurely morning walks in the sun, and taking take their vitamin D supplements, which are recommended according to the gestational age, imitating all that they did during the pandemic, in order to avoid VDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A network of low-cost sensors operates at six islands in the Aegean Sea (Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Syros and Rhodes) providing real-time PM2.5 concentrations to the public. In the present study, the effect of the prevailing meteorological conditions on the local air quality was examined. For this reason, data about wind direction, dry and wet temperature, wind speed and sunlight were provided by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service for the period from January to September 2022. The analysis of the hourly PM2.5 concentrations revealed different air quality patterns on each island, as well as seasonal changes for the same islands (e.g., higher concentrations in Samos during the cold period). Temperature was found to contribute significantly to the PM2.5 measurements since it affects the anthropogenic activities related to emissions. For instance, higher temperatures in winter result in limited residential heating needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At highly populated areas, such as the Greater Athens Area in Greece, the air quality differs significantly from one municipality to another, being highly affected by the local anthropogenic sources (traffic, residential heating, navigation) and consequent emissions. Thus, the existence of a dense network of low-cost air quality sensors provides evidence of seasonal patterns on particulate concentrations within the urban zone. In the present study, hourly PM2.5 concentrations recorded using low-cost sensors at six municipalities in the Greater Athens Area (Vrilissia, Psychiko, Peristeri, Rentis, Agia Varvara, Palaio Faliro) with different characteristics (population density, pollutant sources, surrounding land use) were collected for the year 2022. The highest mean seasonal values were recorded in the western and southern suburbs (Peristeri, Rentis and Palaio Faliro) during the cold period (winter of the year 2022). Mean concentrations decreased significantly in spring; the mean concentrations were 31.3 µg/m³ and 18.5 µg/m³ in Vrilissia in winter and spring, respectively (year: 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government decision to promote the change of energy mix has led to a serious decrease in industrial activities in the energy basin of Western Macedonia and subsequently had a positive influence on the air quality of the region. To examine the fact and estimate the current atmospheric emission sources, PM10 samples were collected at different sites in Western Macedonia, Greece, from February 2022 to May 2023 and were analyzed for metallic components, major ions, and PAHs. The dataset was then analyzed using PMF and CMB model to identify the possible emission sources. In this study, the first results are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone is formed in the lower layers of the atmosphere mainly by gases emitted by anthropogenic activities in combination with solar radiation. In the present study, the short-term health impacts of ozone (O3) on people living in the Greater Athens Area in Greece are analyzed for the period 2001-2018 by estimating the cardiorespiratory deaths with the AirQ+ model. Ozone measurements (8-h mean values) for two areas with different characteristics (Thrakomakedones and Athinas) were used provided by the National Air Pollution Monitoring Network. Data processing showed that environmental conditions and geographical characteristics influence O3 variation and the risk of cardiorespiratory deaths. The statistical analysis of O3 measurements revealed that at the southwestern suburb of Thrakomakedones the mean annual concentrations range from 74 to 96 µgr/m³, much higher than in the Athens center (40-56 µgr/m³, station: Athinas). The O3 concentration threshold was exceeded in Thrakomakedones approximately 90 times per year, while in the Athinas monitoring station, it was exceeded only 25 times. According to the AirQ+ software package, the percentage of deaths due to O3 exposure ranges from 6% in Thrakomakedones to 7.5% in the Athinas station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on ground-based measurements, the impact on air pollution over the Greater Athens Area (GAA) due to the two public lockdown periods (first lockdown period: 23 March 2020 until 3 May 2020; second lockdown period: 7 November 2020 until 2 May 2021) in the GAA implemented to stop the spread of the COVID-19 is analyzed. The findings demonstrated that vehicular traffic is the main culprit of air pollution in the GAA, while secondary factors for the air pollution over the GAA are considered heating systems and the weather, while the 'ozone paradox' was noticed, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor air quality (radon, pollution, thermal fatigue, ventilation) is crucial for health and performance, especially for children. It is necessary to increase public awareness about the significance of air quality, particularly radon. Environmental school networks can enhance public awareness and provide research opportunities for scientists. SINDAIR, a school network based on SIMA-AEP, provides a flexible platform for larger scale educational and research projects. SINDAIR is in its pilot phase, involving various schools around Greece. With the assistance of UniWA, SINDAIR has started a pilot radon measuring campaign. Preliminary results show increased radon concentrations in certain school rooms, higher than expected, justifying further radon risk and air quality assessment, management, and perception programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is a global environmental issue that primarily affects the health of city residents. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess air pollution levels in the center of Athens and compare them with those in the peri urban Mt. Hymettus Aesthetic Forest. To achieve this, two low-cost sensors, namely, the "PurpleAir PA-II-SD," were combined with the employed methodology. The first sensor was stationed at a fixed central point in the Mt. Hymettus Aesthetic Forest, whereas the second one captured measurements along a specific route among six points in the historic center of Athens during the summer of 2021. The pollutants measured included PM10, PM2.5, and PM1, as well as temperature and humidity. The research findings indicated that all pollutant values were significantly higher in the center of Athens, particularly in terms of PM2.5, which exceeded the permissible limits set by the European Commission. Furthermore, notable variations in temperature were observed in both areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban areas, people live under poor air quality conditions since exceedances in limit concentrations set by the European Union are usually recorded. In port cities, air quality is further deteriorated due to emissions from port activities. This work investigates the variation in fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) through the recordings of PurpleAir low-cost sensors in Aarhus, Hamburg, and Lisbon, which are in northern, central, and southern Europe, respectively, for the period of 2020-2022. Moreover, the calculation of the Intake Dose (ID) was attempted for active population groups of men and women aged from 21 to 61 years old. The results showed that the male population groups of active working ages generally inhale higher amounts of particulate matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quality simulations were performed for the Greater Athens Area in very high spatial resolution using the modeling system WRF-CAMx. Sensitivity runs were performed using the SOAP and VBS schemes for organic gas-aerosol partitioning and oxidation. In January 2019, OA-VBS decreased compared to OA-SOAP because of POA reduction. In July 2019, the OA-VBS increased with respect to OA-SOAP as a result of the increase in SOA levels exceeding the decrease in POA ones. The comparison of the WRF-CAMx results against PM10, PM2.5, and OC surface measurements provides the first indications for improved CAMx performance with the VBS scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dependence of the atmospheric pollution levels on the synoptic conditions and the associated prevailing weather regimes over Ioannina was examined for the 3-year period of 15 February 2019-14 February 2022. The study period is constrained by the availability of quality local air (particulate and gaseous) pollution measurements. The data used consist of (1) daily grid point values of the main meteorological parameters over the geographical domains of southeastern Europe and the greater Epirus region, obtained from ERA5 Reanalysis database and (2) hourly values of the main meteorological parameters and the concentration of basic pollutants recorded at the automatic environmental station of the Epirus Region located at the center of Ioannina. At first, 12 Weather Types (WTs) were defined on daily basis by applying a multivariate statistical methodology including Factor Analysis and k-means Cluster Analysis of the meteorological data. Next, for each WT, the average values, the standard deviations and the mean diurnal variations in the pollutant concentrations were calculated. According to the results, it appears that almost all pollutant concentrations were considerably higher during two anticyclonic WTs prevailing in the cold period of the year, while the diurnal variations in the concentrations were affected by the diurnal variations in traffic, combustion processes and solar radiation. The exact influence of the above factors depends on the characteristics of the prevailing WT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several scientific studies reveal that particulate matter that is smaller than 1 µm (PM1) represents the main hazard for the cardiorespiratory pathological status of the population. The present study deals with the presentation of the long-term continuous measurements of PM1 in the atmospheric environment of the University of Patras Campus (UPC) at Rion. The 1 h mean concentrations of PM1 were recorded and presented in this study, covering a seven-year period (2012-2018) in a suburban area of Patras, with background characteristics. The results indicated that PM1 levels were quite low, with significant differences between cold and warm periods. However, they did not show significant variations. This project aimed to identify and assess UPC air quality. Our findings may contribute to useful PM1 concentration patterns based on the long-term recorded data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2021, extreme wildfires burned wide areas in Greece. The most severe events took place in the region of Attica and significantly affected the air quality over the city of Athens. In the same period, southern winds transferred dust from the Sahara Desert to the city. We chose a day with high dust and smoke loads to test a new method for the determination of the individual components of the aerosol mixture, based on actinometric and radiometric measurements and radiative transfer modelling. Then, we estimated the radiative effect of each of the aerosol mixture components. Assuming that dust particles are coarse while all other particles are fine, coarse to fine mode ratios were estimated and were compared with the corresponding ratios from a CIMEL sun photometer, resulting in quite good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]