AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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Industry Originated Particles, 36 nm in Diameter, Highly Enriched with PAHs, Significantly Contribute to Human Exposure at a European Air Pollution Hot-spot
JAN HOVORKA, Cecilia Leoni, Veronika Docekalova, Tomas Cajthaml, Sona Marvanova, Charles University in Prague
Abstract Number: 297 Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract A European air pollution hot-spot, the residential district of Ostrava-Radvanice and Bartovice, frequently exceeds limits for particulate matter (PM) and benzo[a]pyrene. Of all the PM sizes, the finest fraction, the ultrafine particles (UFPs), deposits most efficiently in the alveolar region of human lungs. This article analyzes highly time-and-space resolved concentration of UFPs acquired by airborne and land-based measurements and UFPs enrichment with heavy (MW>228 amu) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Airborne measurement revealed point sources of UFPs in the metallurgical complex close to the district and mapped out UFPs limited horizontal and upward vertical dispersion. Land-based measurements at the residential district recorded frequent simultaneous peaks of UFPs, SO2, and CO when downwind from the metallurgical complex, i.e. industrial plumes.
During the plume periods, PAHs concentration in UFPs increased significantly with the relative mass contribution of particles < 36 nm in diameter, enriched with PAH up to 29 mg.g-1. Also, particles of 30 – 50 nm were viewed by a transmission electron microscope to constitute the agglomerates of UFPs sampled at the district.
Particles of about 35 nm exhibit the highest pulmonary alveolar deposition amongst UFPs. Therefore, the occurrence of these industry-originated particles, highly enriched with PAHs, significantly contributes to human exposure by polluted air at the hot-spot.
The study is supported by the Czech Grant Agency (P503/12/G147).