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Industrial processes, coal combustion, biomass burning (BB), and vehicular transport are important sources of atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) and contribute to ambient air concentrations of health-hazardous species, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAH). In China, emission controls have been implemented to improve air quality during large events, like the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August 2014 in Nanjing. In this work, six measurement campaigns between January 2014 and August 2015 were undertaken in Nanjing to determine the effects of emission controls and meteorological factors on PM2.5 concentration and composition. PAHs, OPAHs, hopanes, n-alkanes, heavy metals, and several other inorganic elements were measured. PM2.5 and potassium concentrations were the highest in May-June 2014 indicating the prevalence of BB plumes in Nanjing. Emission controls substantially reduced concentrations of PM2.5 (31%), total PAHs (59%), OPAHs (37%), and most heavy metals (44-89%) during the YOG compared to August 2015. In addition, regional atmospheric transport and meteorological parameters partly explained the observed differences between the campaigns. The most abundant PAHs and OPAHs were benzo [b,k] fluoranthenes, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, 1,8-naphthalic anhydride, and 9,10-anthracenedione in all campaigns. Carbon preference index and the contribution of wax n-alkanes indicated mainly biogenic sources of n-alkanes in May-June 2014 and anthropogenic sources in the other campaigns. Hopane indexes pointed to vehicular transport as the major source of hopanes, but contribution of coal combustion was detected in winter 2015. The results provide evidence to the local government of the impacts of the air protection regulations. However, differences between individual components were observed, e.g., concentrations of potentially more harmful OPAHs decreased less than concentrations of PAHs. The results suggest that the proportions of hazardous components in the PM2.5 may also change considerably due to emission control measures.

Small-scale batch combustion of wood is a major source of fine particles, black carbon emission and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Finland. The mass and chemical compositions of batch combustion emissions are known to be highly time-dependent. In this study, the gaseous and particulate batch combustion emissions of three European wood species (beech, birch and spruce) were quantified in detail with an extensive set of online analysers, including a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) for real-time detection of particulate chemical composition. Ignition and a new batch addition on top of glowing embers were identified as the primary low temperature events during which both particulate and gaseous organic emissions peaked. The flaming combustion created high temperature conditions and produced increased emissions of refractory black carbon (rBC) and PAHs. The residual char combustion phase was characterized by low particulate mass emission consisting mainly of alkali salts and elevated concentrations of gaseous organic emissions and CO. Overall, hardwood species (beech and birch) had the highest PM1 emissions, and the difference between the lowest average emission (spruce) and the highest (birch) was more than 3-fold. The increasing combustion chamber temperature during sequential combustion of wood batches was found to decrease the carbonaceous fraction of the PM as well as OC/EC ratio, as the result of more efficient secondary combustion.

Elemental carbon (EC) concentrations in the exhaust of a medium-speed marine engine was evaluated using thermal-optical analysis (TOA). Particulate matter (PM) samples were collected at 75% and 25% engine loads using residual and distillate fuels with sulphur contents of 2.5%, 0.5% and 0.1%, and a biofuel (30% of bio-component). The EC analysis of PM samples from a marine engine proved to be challenging. For example, transformations of structure of the sampled particles in the inert and the oxygen mode were observed for marine engine exhaust samples. The relationship between constituents present in the samples from the marine engine using different fuels, and phenomena observed in the thermograms are discussed. Temperature protocol selection and sample pre-treatment (extractions and drying) affected the reported EC mass. Modifications in the methodology were suggested to increase the accuracy of the analysis. Repeatability and reproducibility of the EC analysis was studied in the round-robin of three laboratories.

New particulate matter (PM) filtering technologies are needed to meet the emission regulations for small combustion appliances. In this work, we investigate the performance of a novel electrical particle filtration system, the single needle shielded corona charger (SCC), which offers an advantageous solution for PM control in boilers by enhancing particulate deposition within existing boiler sections. Experiments under different operating conditions of a wood-fired boiler were performed, wherein the SCC was installed upstream of either a condensing heat exchanger (CHX) or a cyclone. PM reduction was found to be strongly affected by the SCC temperature and the following collection surface area, and reached its highest reduction efficiency of >90% at the temperature range of 400–500 °C when operating in combination with a CHX. The SCC–cyclone combination was less efficient, providing a 27% PM reduction, as a result of the low surface area and residence time in the cyclone. These results indicate that the SCC can feasibly provide particle filtration when combined with a CHX, wet scrubber, or a cyclone to meet the new emission regulation requirements. The system is best suited for small-scale boilers but can be scaled up to larger boilers by increasing the number of corona chargers.

Development of thermal processes for selective recovery of Zn and other valuable elements from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash requires comprehensive knowledge of the impact of gas atmosphere on the volatile behaviour of the element constituents of the ash at different reaction temperatures. This study assesses the partitioning of 18 elements (Al, As, Bi, C, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cu, K, Mg, Na, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, Ti, and Zn) between condensed and gaseous phases during thermal treatment of MSWI fly ash in both oxidising gas and reducing gas atmospheres, at different temperatures spanning the range 200–1050 °C. The operating atmosphere had major impacts on the partitioning of the following elements: As, Bi, C, Cd, Cu, Na, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, and Zn. The partitioning of these elements cannot be accurately predicted over the full range of investigated operating conditions with global thermodynamic equilibrium calculations alone, i.e. without also considering chemical kinetics and mass transfer. In oxidising conditions, the following elements were predominately retained in condensed phases, even at high temperatures: As, Bi, Sb, Sn, and Zn. All these elements, except As, were largely released to the gas phase (>70%) at high temperatures in reducing conditions. The impact of gas atmosphere on the volatility of Cd and Pb was greatest at low reaction temperatures (below ~750 °C). Results for volatile matrix elements, specifically C, Cl, K, Na, and S, are interpreted in terms of the mechanisms governing the release of these elements to the gas phase.

Air pollution emitted by residential biomass combustion (RBC) is a known cause of adverse health and climate effects. Currently, manufacturers of stoves and fireplaces are facing challenges due to tightening emission regulations, such as the Ecodesign Directive in the European Union. Consequently, there is a demand for new emission control solutions for RBC. Herein, a novel method has been introduced to reduce particulate emissions, namely: high-temperature electric soot collector (HiTESC). In this method, an electrically insulated high-voltage electrode is installed in a combustion chamber, which generates an electric field. Particles that acquire the electrical charges produced by flames are collected on the electrode surface and oxidized at high temperatures. A fine particle (PM1) reduction efficiency of 45% was achieved using this method in a logwood-fired masonry heater. The reduction efficiency of the method was found to be dependent on the combustion phase. The PM1 reduction was most efficient during the flaming conditions, when the PM emissions were the highest with the studied logwood appliance. The advantages of this method are its simple construction, low space requirement, and low energy consumption; further, it does not require a separate cleaning mechanism. The proposed method can be used in logwood-fired combustion appliances to achieve future emission regulation limits, without using costly exhaust after-treatment systems.

Nanomaterials (NM) exhibit novel physicochemical properties that determine their interaction with biological substrates and processes. Recent nano-technological advances are leading to wide usage of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in various fields. However, the increasing use of NPs has led to their release into environment and the toxicity of NPs on human health has become a concern. Moreover, there are inadvertently generated metallic NPs which are formed during various human activities (e.g. metal processing and energy production). Unfortunately, there are still widespread controversies and ambiguities with respect to the toxic effects and mechanisms of metallic NPs, e.g. metal oxides including ZnO. In this study, we generated zinc containing NMs, and studied them in vitro. Different nano-sized particles containing Zn were compared in in vitro study to elucidate the physicochemical characteristics (e.g. chemical composition, solubility, shape and size of the particles) that determine cellular toxicity. Zn induced toxicity in macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) was detected, leading to the cell cycle disruption, cell death and excitation of release of inflammatory mediators. The solubility and the size of Zn compounds had a major role in the induced toxic responses. The soluble particles reduced the cell viability, whereas the less soluble NPs significantly increased inflammation. Moreover, uptake of large ZnO NPs inside the cells was likely to play a key role in the detected cell cycle arrest., final draft, peerReviewed

Fly and bottom ashes are collected at power plants to reduce the environmental effects of energy production. However, handling the ashes causes health problems for operators, maintenance workers and truck drivers at the power plants. Hence, we evaluated ash loaders’ peak inhalation exposures to the chemical components of ash and diesel exhausts in open and closed ash loading stations at biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plants. We also carried out chemical and morphological analyses of the ashes to evaluate their health hazard potential in order to find practical technical measures to reduce workers’ exposure. On the basis of X-ray diffraction analyses, the main respirable crystalline ash compounds were SiO2, CaSO4, CaO, Ca2Al2SiO7, NaCl and Ca3Al2O6 in the fly ashes and SiO2, KAlSi3O8, NaAlSi3O8 and Ca2Al2SiO7 in the bottom ashes. The short-term exposure levels of respirable crystalline silica, inhalable inorganic dust, Cr, Mn, Ni and nitric oxide exceeded their Finnish eight hours occupational exposure limit values in the closed ash loading station. According to our observations, more attention should be paid to the ash-moistening process, the use of tank trucks instead of open cassette flatbed trucks, and the sealing of the loading line from the silo to the truck which would prevent spreading the ash into the air. The idling time of diesel trucks should also be limited, and ash loading stations should be equipped with exhaust gas ventilators. If working conditions make it impossible to keep to the OEL values, workers must use respirators and protect their eyes and skin., final draft, peerReviewed

Residential wood combustion (RWC) emits large amounts of gaseous and particulate organic aerosol (OA). In the atmosphere, the emission is transformed via oxidative reactions, which are under daylight conditions driven mainly by hydroxyl radicals (OH). This continuing oxidative ageing produces secondary OA and may change the health- and climate-related properties of the emission. However, it is not well known how the composition of RWC-originated OA changes as the function of OH exposure. In this work, emissions from two modern residential logwood combustion appliances were photochemically aged in an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) with various OH exposure levels, reaching up to 6×1011 s cm−3 (equivalent to 1 week in the atmosphere). Gaseous organic compounds were analysed by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS), while particulate OA was analysed online by a high-resolution soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-HR-ToF-AMS) and offline by in situ derivatization thermal desorption–gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IDTD-GC-ToF-MS). Photochemical reactions increased the mass of particulate organic carbon by a factor of 1.3–3.9. The increase in mass took place during the first atmospheric equivalent day of ageing, after which the enhancement was independent of the extent of photochemical exposure. However, ageing increased the oxidation state of the particulate OA linearly throughout the assessed range, with ΔH:C/ΔO:C slopes between −0.17 and −0.49 in van Krevelen space. Ageing led to an increase in acidic fragmentation products in both phases, as measured by the IDTD-GC-ToF-MS for the particulate and PTR-ToF-MS for the gaseous phase. For the gaseous organic compounds, the formation of small carbonylic compounds combined with the rapid degradation of primary volatile organic compounds such as aromatic compounds led to a continuous increase in both the O : C and H : C ratios. Overall, the share of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in particles degraded rapidly during ageing, although some oxygen-substituted PACs, most notably naphthaldehydic acid, increased, in particular during relatively short exposures. Similarly, the concentrations of particulate nitrophenols rose extensively during the first atmospheric equivalent day. During continuous photochemical ageing, the dominant transformation mechanisms shifted from the initial gas-phase functionalization/condensation to the transformation of the particulate OA by further oxidation reactions and fragmentation. The observed continuous transformation of OA composition throughout a broad range of OH exposures indicates that the entire atmospheric lifetime of the emission needs to be explored to fully assess the potential climate and health effects of RWC emissions.

Airborne particles may effect on indoor air quality in schools. One significant particle source is outdoor dust and soil transported indoors on people's shoes, which may be resuspended, and further inhaled by pupils and teachers. In many Finnish schools, shoes are taken off by coat racks near the classrooms (shoe schools). The new course of action is to take shoes off right when entering the building (sock schools). In this study, particle mass and number concentrations, together with chemical composition of the dust were investigated in sock and shoe schools. According to results, PM10 and PM15 concentrations in corridors were significantly higher in shoe schools compared to sock schools (p

This study assesses the volatility of 15 elements (As, Bi, C, Cd, Cl, Cu, K, Mn, Na, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, and Zn) during thermal processing of fly ashes obtained from four waste-to-energy plants and one wood-combustion plant. Differences in volatility in oxidising and reducing atmospheres (air and 10% H2/90% N2) were assessed at two temperatures, 700 and 1000 °C. P and Mn were predominately retained in all ashes regardless of the operating atmosphere and temperature. Other elements showed significant variation in volatility depending on the type of fly ash, atmosphere, and temperature. Heat-treatment of the wood-combustion fly ash in the air atmosphere resulted in low release of K, Na, and all investigated heavy metals and metalloids. Several valuable elements, including Zn, Sb, Sn, and Bi, were significantly more volatile in the reducing atmosphere than in the oxidising atmosphere, particularly at 1000 °C. Other elements were either less volatile, equally volatile, or only marginally more volatile when the ashes were heated at 1000 °C in the reducing atmosphere. These elements include C, Cl, Cu, and, in the case of fly ashes derived from municipal solid waste, Cd and Pb. A two-step process, in which municipal solid waste incineration fly ash is first heated in an oxidising atmosphere and then in a reducing atmosphere, is proposed for production of a chloride-free zinc concentrate. Evaluation of the two-step process at 880 °C shows good potential for selective volatilisation of Zn with other valuable elements, including Sn, Sb, and Bi.

According to the World Health Organization particulate emissions from the combustion of solid fuels caused more than 110,000 premature deaths worldwide in 2010. Log wood combustion is the most prevalent form of residential biomass heating in developed countries, but it is unknown how the type of wood logs used in furnaces influences the chemical composition of the particulate emissions and their toxicological potential. We burned logs of birch, beech and spruce, which are used commonly as firewood in Central and Northern Europe in a modern masonry heater, and compared them to the particulate emissions from an automated pellet boiler fired with softwood pellets. We determined the chemical composition (elements, ions, and carbonaceous compounds) of the particulate emissions with a diameter of less than 1 µm and tested their cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, inflammatory potential, and ability to induce oxidative stress in a human lung epithelial cell line. The chemical composition of the samples differed significantly, especially with regard to the carbonaceous and metal contents. Also the toxic effects in our tested endpoints varied considerably between each of the three log wood combustion samples, as well as between the log wood combustion samples and the pellet combustion sample. The difference in the toxicological potential of the samples in the various endpoints indicates the involvement of different pathways of toxicity depending on the chemical composition. All three emission samples from the log wood combustions were considerably more toxic in all endpoints than the emissions from the pellet combustion. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1487-1499, 2017.

Iron doped aluminium oxide nanoparticles are of interest for number of applications (e.g. water treatment, catalytic conversion of exhaust gases) due to their high surface area, hardness, catalytic and magnetic properties. In the present study, flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) was employed for the synthesis of Fe/Al2O3 nanoparticles. Precursor solutions of aluminium acetylacetonate (0.2 mol·L− 1) and ferrocene (0 to 0.2 mol·L− 1) in toluene were used to synthesise pure and iron (Fe) doped Al2O3. The particle composition and morphology were studied and effect of iron concentration was analysed. It was found that in the absence of the iron precursor, FSP produced a mixture of two Al2O3 polymorphs: θ-Al2O3 and η-Al2O3. The addition of ferrocene as an iron precursor was found to suppress formation of θ-Al2O3. At an iron molar concentration of 0.2 mol·L– 1 mainly hercynite, FeAl2O4, was observed. Furthermore, increasing the iron concentration caused a linear shift of the X-ray diffraction peaks from positions corresponding to η-Al2O3 to those of FeAl2O4. This indicates the formation of a solid solution (FexAl2O3 + x) at intermediated concentrations. It was also found that the primary particle size, which was below 10 nm, did not significantly change with the increased iron concentration and was comparable to the mean crystallite size indicating that size of these single crystalline primaries is determined by the synthesis process rather than the chemistry of the product. However, the hydrodynamic size was around 180 nm indicating that the particles are agglomerates in the water suspension. Additionally, zeta potential of the nanoparticles was found to decrease slightly with increasing iron content, though in all cases it was above 50 mV. Finally, the potential of synthesized nanoparticles was examined for the removal of fluoride because fluoride causes harmful health effects to human health at elevated concentrations. The results of fluoride removal using synthesized nanoparticles produced in this study showed that the highest fluoride removal efficiency was observed for the sample having no iron content.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) is a leading global environmental health risk. Current air quality regulations are based on airborne mass concentration. However, PM from different sources have distinct chemical compositions and varied toxicity. Connections between emission control measures, air quality, PM composition, and toxicity remain insufficiently elucidated. The current study assessed the composition and toxicity of PM collected in Nanjing, China before, during, and after an air quality intervention for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. A co-culture model that mimics the alveolar epithelium with the associated macrophages was created using A549 and THP-1 cells. These cells were exposed to size-segregated inhalable PM samples. The composition and toxicity of the PM samples were influenced by several factors including seasonal variation, emission sources, and the air quality intervention. For example, we observed a size-dependent shift in particle mass concentrations during the air quality intervention with an emphasized proportion of smaller particles (PM2.5) present in the air. The roles of industrial and fuel combustion and traffic emissions were magnified during the emission control period. Our analyses revealed that the PM samples demonstrated differential cytotoxic potencies at equal mass concentrations between sampling periods, locations, and time of day, influenced by variations in the predominant emission sources. Coal combustion and industrial emissions were the most important sources affecting the toxicological responses and displayed the least variation in emission contributions between the sampling periods. In conclusion, emission control mitigated cytotoxicity and oxidative stress for particles larger than 0.2 μm, but there was inadequate evidence to determine if it was the key factor reducing the harmful effects of PM0.2.

Ambient inhalable particulate matter (PM) is a serious health concern worldwide, but especially so in China where high PM concentrations affect huge populations. Atmospheric processes and emission sources cause spatial and temporal variations in PM concentration and chemical composition, but their influence on the toxicological characteristics of PM are still inadequately understood. In this study, we report an extensive chemical and toxicological characterization of size-segregated urban air inhalable PM collected in August and October 2013 from Nanjing, and assess the effects of atmospheric processes and likely emission sources. A549 human alveolar epithelial cells were exposed to day- and nighttime PM samples (25, 75, 150, 200, 300 μg/ml) followed by analyses of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, cell cycle, and inflammatory response. PM10–2.5 and PM0.2 caused the greatest toxicological responses for different endpoints, illustrating that particles with differing size and chemical composition activate distinct toxicological pathways in A549 cells. PM10–2.5 displayed the greatest oxidative stress and genotoxic responses; both were higher for the August samples compared with October. In contrast, PM0.2 and PM2.5–1.0 samples displayed high cytotoxicity and substantially disrupted cell cycle; August samples were more cytotoxic whereas October samples displayed higher cell cycle disruption. Several components associated with combustion, traffic, and industrial emissions displayed strong correlations with these toxicological responses. The lower responses for PM1.0–0.2 compared to PM0.2 and PM2.5–1.0 indicate diminished toxicological effects likely due to aerosol aging and lower proportion of fresh emission particles rich in highly reactive chemical components in the PM1.0–0.2 fraction. Different emission sources and atmospheric processes caused variations in the chemical composition and toxicological responses between PM fractions, sampling campaigns, and day and night. The results indicate different toxicological pathways for coarse-mode particles compared to the smaller particle fractions with typically higher content of combustion-derived components. The variable responses inside PM fractions demonstrate that differences in chemical composition influence the induced toxicological responses. &nbsp

Urban air particulate pollution is a known cause for adverse human health effects worldwide. China has encountered air quality problems in recent years due to rapid industrialization. Toxicological effects induced by particulate air pollution vary with particle sizes and season. However, it is not known how distinctively different photochemical activity and different emission sources during the day and the night affect the chemical composition of the PM size ranges and subsequently how it is reflected to the toxicological properties of the PM exposures. The particulate matter (PM) samples were collected in four different size ranges (PM10-2.5; PM2.5-1; PM1-0.2 and PM0.2) with a high volume cascade impactor. The PM samples were extracted with methanol, dried and thereafter used in the chemical and toxicological analyses. RAW264.7 macrophages were exposed to the particulate samples in four different doses for 24 h. Cytotoxicity, inflammatory parameters, cell cycle and genotoxicity were measured after exposure of the cells to particulate samples. Particles were characterized for their chemical composition, including ions, element and PAH compounds, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to take images of the PM samples. Chemical composition and the induced toxicological responses of the size segregated PM samples showed considerable size dependent differences as well as day to night variation. The PM10-2.5 and the PM0.2 samples had the highest inflammatory potency among the size ranges. Instead, almost all the PM samples were equally cytotoxic and only minor differences were seen in genotoxicity and cell cycle effects. Overall, the PM0.2 samples had the highest toxic potential among the different size ranges in many parameters. PAH compounds in the samples and were generally more abundant during the night than the day, indicating possible photo-oxidation of the PAH compounds due to solar radiation. This was reflected to different toxicity in the PM samples. Some of the day to night difference may have been caused also by differing wind directions transporting air masses from different emission sources during the day and the night. The present findings indicate the important role of the local particle sources and atmospheric processes on the health related toxicological properties of the PM. The varying toxicological responses evoked by the PM samples showed the importance of examining various particle sizes. Especially the detected considerable toxicological activity by PM0.2 size range suggests they're attributable to combustion sources, new particle formation and atmospheric processes.

The use of wood instead of oil fuels in heating systems is strongly encouraged in many countries. Yet it is unknown to what extent such a large-scale change from oil to wood fuels in heating systems would contribute to any negative health effects from their emissions. We compared the toxicological properties of particulate matter (PM) emissions from wood and oil fuels from two small-scale and two medium-scale heating systems. To assess whether oil or wood combustion emissions cause adverse effects and which PM emissions' effects are more profound, we measured cell viability and proliferation, inflammatory markers, as well as DNA damage in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. We found that the medium-scale oil-fueled heating system induced a dose-dependent increase of DNA damage, short-term cytotoxic effects, and a cell cycle arrest in the G2/M-phase. We did not detect an induction of DNA damage by the medium-scale wood-fired system. However, we detected significant short-term cytotoxicity. We found that both oil and wood combustion emission samples from the small-scale heating systems induced DNA damage. However, the short-term cytotoxic effects were greater for the PM emissions from the oil-fired heating system. PM mass emissions differed significantly between the tested heating systems. The lowest emissions, 0.1 mg/MJ, were produced by the small-scale oil-fired heating system; the highest emissions, 20.3 mg/MJ, by the medium-scale oil-fired heating system. The wood-fired heating systems' PM mass emissions were in between these concentrations, complicating the direct comparison of the emissions' health related toxic effects. Conclusively, our results indicate that the emissions from both the small- and the medium-scale wood-fueled heating systems cause overall less cytotoxicity and DNA damage in a cell model than the emissions from the corresponding oil-fueled heating systems. Hence, controlled wood-fueled heating systems may be good alternatives to heating systems fired with fuel oil.

The increasing use and production of bioenergy means that the number of employees working in this area will inevitably grow, making it ever more important to know the health and safety issues involved in the biomass supply chain. Our aim was to determine the exposure of employees to biological and chemical agents during various work tasks at different biomass-fuelled power plants in Finland. The study included technical surveys on biomass operations and occupational measurements at three CHP plants. Workers’ main health risks were bacteria and fungi, which were easily spread to the air during heavy biomass processes. The exposure levels of actinobacteria, bacterial endotoxins and fungi were high, especially during the unloading of peat and wood chips. In addition, workers were exposed to mechanical irritation caused by organic dust, and chemical irritation caused by volatile organic compounds and components of diesel exhausts. Multiple exposures to these agents may simultaneously have synergistic health effects on workers’ lower and upper respiratory tracts. During operations, workers were also exposed to endotoxins, actinobacteria and fungi, especially during the cleaning and handling of wood chips in silos and while working near screens or crushers. The measured concentrations exceeded the limit values proposed for these agents. The highest concentration of volatile organic compounds was found near conveyors. On the basis of these measurements, we suggested best practices for the power plants. The levels of biological agents in outdoor measurements reflected only low spreading of contaminants from power plants to the environment. publishedVersion

According to the World Health Organization particulate emissions from the combustion of solid fuels caused more than 110,000 premature deaths worldwide in 2010. Log wood combustion is the most prevalent form of residential biomass heating in developed countries, but it is unknown how the type of wood logs used in furnaces influences the chemical composition of the particulate emissions and their toxicological potential. We burned logs of birch, beech and spruce, which are used commonly as firewood in Central and Northern Europe in a modern masonry heater, and compared them to the particulate emissions from an automated pellet boiler fired with softwood pellets. We determined the chemical composition (elements, ions, and carbonaceous compounds) of the particulate emissions with a diameter of less than 1 µm and tested their cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, inflammatory potential, and ability to induce oxidative stress in a human lung epithelial cell line. The chemical composition of the samples differed significantly, especially with regard to the carbonaceous and metal contents. Also the toxic effects in our tested endpoints varied considerably between each of the three log wood combustion samples, as well as between the log wood combustion samples and the pellet combustion sample. The difference in the toxicological potential of the samples in the various endpoints indicates the involvement of different pathways of toxicity depending on the chemical composition. All three emission samples from the log wood combustions were considerably more toxic in all endpoints than the emissions from the pellet combustion. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1487-1499, 2017.

Background: Accurate blood pressure measurements are needed in clinical practice, intervention studies and health examination surveys. Blood pressure measurements are sensitive: their accuracy can be affected by measurement environment, behaviour of the subject, measurement procedures, devices used for the measurement and the observer. To minimize errors in blood pressure measurement, a standardized measurement protocol is needed. Methods: The European Health Examination Survey (EHES) Pilot project was conducted in 2009-2012. A pilot health examination survey was conducted in 12 countries using a standardized protocol. The measurement protocols used in each survey, training provided for the measurers, measurement data, and observations during site visits were collected and evaluated to assess the level of standardization. Results: The EHES measurement protocol for blood pressure was followed accurately in all 12 pilot surveys. Most of the surveys succeeded in organizing a quiet and comfortable measurement environment, and staff instructed survey participants appropriately before examination visits. In all surveys, blood pressure was measured three times, from the right arm in a sitting posture. The biggest variation was in the device used for the blood pressure measurement. Conclusions: It is possible to reach a high level of standardization for blood pressure measurements across countries and over time. A detailed, standardized measurement protocol, and adequate training and monitoring during the fieldwork and centrally organized quality assessment of the data are needed. The recent EU regulation banning the sale of mercury sphygmomanometer in European Union Member States has set new challenges for the standardization of measurement devices since the validity of oscillometric measurements is device-specific and performance of aneroid devices depends very much on calibration.