In this work, we present a method to localize a source in complex urban environments using particle swarm optimization (PSO). Instead of using PSO to minimize the difference between a plume model and measurements as is often done, PSO is run such that each particle is modeled by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that measures and directly finds the global maximum of the concentration field. Several

The role of deposition fluxes on the mercury cycle at Concordia station, on the high Antarctic plateau have been investigated over the Austral summer between December 2017 to January 2018. Wet/frozen deposition was collected daily from specially sited tables, simultaneously with the collection of surface (0–3 cm) and subsurface (3–6 cm) snow and the analysis of Hg0 in the ambient air. Over the course

Airport-related pollution is quantified using an idealized numerical environment. 14-hour large-eddy simulations are run over a fictitious but representative regional airport under an academic wintertime anticyclonic situation with the atmospheric model Meso-NH. A simplified photo-chemical module is used and the model is coupled with an emission inventory providing realistic traffic conditions over

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced a lockdown that has resulted in a sharp reduction in air and motor traffic and industrial activities. This in turn led to a reduction in air pollution around the world. It is important to quantify the extent of that reduction in order to estimate the weight of the impact of air and motor traffic and industrial activities over the total variation of air

Atmospheric secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), formed from condensable oxidation products of anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are important constituents of the atmosphere accounting for a significant fraction of ambient tropospheric aerosol. In this study, the formation of SOAs from the gas-phase ozonolysis of γ-terpinene (1-isopropyl-4-methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene), a monoterpene

Eucalyptus gunnii is a fast-growing, cold-tolerant tree species endemic to Tasmania that is suitable for growing as short-rotation coppice (SRC) plantations in the UK. Fast growing eucalypts such as E. gunnii could potentially deliver higher biomass yields with a superior calorific value for the domestic bioenergy market than other SRC plantation species such as willow or poplar. However, eucalypts

It is known that air pollution affects human health and commuting environments are significant contributors to the total daily personal exposure to air pollution. With this study we aim at assessing and comparing personal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and related estimated inhaled dose of different typical commuter profiles in real-world scenarios focusing on multimodal commuting and different

Model predictions are sensitive to a number of complex and often coupled input parameters. Some of these parameters have a wide range of acceptable values from literature and therefore choosing the appropriate value is non-trivial. In this paper, we use the INdoor Detailed Chemical Model (INDCM) to perform a Monte Carlo analysis, in which a wide but realistic range of model input parameter values is

Modelling of ambient particle number concentrations (PNC) has been implemented in the Danish air quality modelling system DEHM/UBM/AirGIS and evaluated with long-term measurements. We implemented particle dynamical processes in the regional scale model DEHM using the M7 aerosol dynamics module (presented in the accompanying article by Frohn et al. 2021), and we developed models for PNC at the local

The integrated model system DEHM/UBM/AirGIS, developed at Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, has been extended with the dynamic aerosol module M7 to account for particle number concentrations of particles with diameters below 1 μm in the atmosphere. The aim of this development is to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of particle number concentration across Denmark and

The typical spatio-temporal evolutions of large-scale weather patterns before and after a high-concentration events of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) (High-PM10) over the Korean Peninsula were investigated. Using the K-means clustering method, five significant large-scale weather patterns associated with High-PM10 events were identified. Among the 91 High-PM10 events

Exhalation of infectious micrometer-sized particles has been strongly implicated in respiratory infection spread. An important fundamental question is then the fate of infectious exhaled particles in indoor spaces, i.e., whether they will remain suspended in an aerosol until ventilation leads to their clearance or whether they will deposit, and if so, on what surfaces in an indoor space. We investigated

The lung deposited surface area (LDSA) measured by diffusion charging (DC) method has been recently receiving increased attention as it is believed to accurately represent the surface reactivity of the particles, including ultrafine particles. To characterize regional and seasonal behaviors of the LDSA in the atmosphere and the factors controlling them, we measured the LDSA concentrations, using the

As exhaust emissions of particles and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from road vehicles have progressively come under greater control, non-exhaust emissions have become an increasing proportion of the total emissions, and in many countries now exceed exhaust emissions. Non-exhaust particle emissions arise from abrasion of the brakes and tyres and wear of the road surface, as well as from resuspension

San Antonio, the second-most populous city in Texas and the seventh-most populous city in the United States (US), has been designated a marginal non-attainment area by the US Environmental Protection Agency with respect to the 2015 ozone (O3) National Ambient Air Quality Standard. While stationary air quality monitoring sites are operated in the region by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

The increase of surface ozone during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown in China has aroused great concern. In this study, we combine 1.5 years of measurements for ozone, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nitrogen oxide (NOX) at four sites to investigate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on surface ozone in Dongguan, an industrial city in southern China. We show that the average concentrations

Released pollutants, biological agents, and poisonous chemicals in populated urban areas can spread via wind flow and affect the safety and welfare of those close to the source and downstream. Being able to predict the transport of airborne contaminants in such urban areas could help stakeholders to plan emergency responses. Airflow due to the wind in urban areas with closely packed buildings results

The UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has set up a framework for Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) and Local Authorities widely use nitrogen dioxide (NO2) diffusion tubes for Indicative monitoring to calculate annual NO2 concentrations for Review and Assessment purposes. The European Union under directive 20/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe

The scarcity and sparsity of meteorological vertical observations have caused severe restrictions in the accurate forward prediction and backward analysis of weather and air pollution. In this study, we used a common camera to automatically photograph the daytime and nighttime lights at an urban site in Beijing during 2019–2020, to support or act as a possible alternative to radiosonde measurement

Background Previous research has shown that many current-use pesticides can be detected in air around application areas. Environmental exposure to pesticides may cause adverse health effects, necessitating accurate assessment of outdoor and indoor air concentrations for people living close to spraying sites. We evaluated outdoor and indoor air concentrations of different pesticides, as well as factors

Humic-like substances are ubiquitous constituents of atmospheric aerosol worldwide. Their sources, formation processes, physical and chemical properties have been studied thoroughly but hardly any information is available on the ecotoxicity of this complex organic mixture. In this study the ecotoxicity of HULIS isolated from winter rural aerosol was determined using the kinetic version of Vibrio fischeri

To determine the stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) and source apportionment of carbonaceous components in Taiyuan, PM2.5 samples were collected using medium flow samplers (TH-150C) during 4 months in 2014. The δ13C values of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM2.5 were determined using an MAT-251 gas mass spectrometer with a dual inlet system. Moreover, δ13CEC values from industrial

Based on the concentrations of the carbonaceous components and the typical organic tracers in 682 p.m.2.5 samples collected in Shanghai from 2012 to 2018, the temporal trends of the concentrations and potential sources of the secondary organic aerosols in PM2.5 in Shanghai were investigated. The annual average concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon

Acidity is a critical characteristic of aerosol particles that impacts many atmospheric chemical reactions. However, the measurement of aerosol acidity remains challenging because of the high ionic strength of atmospheric aerosol particles. In this study, we developed and evaluated a direct method for measuring the pH of atmospheric aerosol samples using pH testing paper. We first examined the color

Cold-air pools (CAPs) are common in mountain valleys throughout the world (e.g., western North America, Himalayas, Alps, etc.) during winter months. Weak surface winds, cold temperatures, high humidity, and snow cover presence are common characteristics of CAPs, and in populated areas there is an increase in air pollution concentrations. Previous methods for identifying CAP events and determining their

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a dominant driver of interannual climate variations around the world, is characterized in the central-to-eastern tropical Pacific by anomalous sea-surface warming during the El Niño phase and cooling during the La Niña phase. Although ENSO strongly affects atmospheric circulation in East Asia, its effects on tropospheric ozone there have not been fully explored

Direct normal irradiance is the component of solar radiation exploited by concentrating solar power plants. However, solar radiation reflected by heliostats can be partially extinguished on its way to the receivers in solar power tower plants. These energy losses are accentuated with the distance travelled by the light. The growing development of solar power tower plants has highlighted the interest

The air quality in Republic of Korea, especially in cities such as Seoul, has been a serious public health concern over the years. The key pollutant in the atmosphere leading to poor air quality in Korea is fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Here, we use a 3-D global chemistry model (GEOS-Chem) to conduct source attribution to PM2.5 in Korea from international and domestic emissions. The modeling was

Dry deposition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the aerosol phase represents a potential source of nutrients to marine surface waters. To investigate the significance of this deposition pathway, aerosol samples were collected from Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory in SW England, UK, over a 6-month period (February to July 2015) covering the spring bloom. Samples were analysed for nitrate

Paired PM10 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected indoor and outdoor at a fully mechanically ventilated high school in the ultraindustrialized ship channel region of Houston, Texas over a two-month period. The primary foci of this research are to measure the elemental composition of ambient outdoor and indoor coarse particulate matter (PM10-2.5), characterize aerosol infiltration/ventilation

Marine aerosols affect the climate directly and indirectly as well as serving as tracers of biogenic processes. Here we present the results from size-segregated and bulk aerosol samples collected from 2nd August to 10th October 2015 during the US GEOTRACES Arctic Ocean (GN01) expedition. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of major water-soluble organic and inorganic species, including acetate

The 2019–2020 Black Summer wildfires wrought destruction across Australia and exposed millions of people to air pollution. Using a new school-based observational network alongside long-standing observations, we provide the first assessment of spatiotemporal variations in Black Summer's air pollution impacts across Sydney, including how meteorology modulated the severity and timing of these episodes

Here we present an environmental magnetic study of atmospheric deposition collected by a multi-site network in Spain that covers fourteen locations representative of urban, industrial, agricultural, and natural environments across southwestern Europe. We have combined magnetic methods with scanning electron microscopy and geochemical data to characterize the magnetic mineral assemblages of particulate