Using dispersion models at microscale to assess long-term air pollution in urban hot spots: A FAIRMODE joint intercomparison exercise for a case study in Antwerp.

In the framework of the Forum for Air Quality Modelling in Europe (FAIRMODE), a modelling intercomparison exercise for computing NO long-term average concentrations in urban districts with a very high spatial resolution was carried out. This exercise was undertaken for a district of Antwerp (Belgium). Air quality data includes data recorded in air quality monitoring stations and 73 passive samplers deployed during one-month period in 2016.

Air quality in cabin environment of different passenger cars: effect of car usage, fuel type and ventilation/infiltration conditions.

Despite that commuters spend only 5.5% of their time in cabin vehicles, their exposure to harmful air pollutants, originated from the vehicle itself, and traffic emission is considered significant. In this study, two passenger cars with different type of fuels were investigated in terms of air quality and thermal comfort of their cabin.

Association of subjective health symptoms with indoor air quality in European office buildings: The OFFICAIR project.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between the building-related occupants' reported health symptoms and the indoor pollutant concentrations in a sample of 148 office rooms, within the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed in 37 office buildings among eight countries, which included (a) 5-day air sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, ozone, and NO (b) collection of information from 1299 participants regarding their personal characteristics and health perception at workplace using online questionnaires. Stepwise and multilevel logistic regressions were applied to investigate associations between health symptoms and pollutant concentrations considering personal characteristics as confounders.

Environmental data treatment to support exposure studies: The statistical behavior for NO, O, PM10 and PM2.5 air concentrations in Europe.

In determining and assessing external exposure, there is a need for extensive environmental data sets of sufficient time and space resolution. It is unlikely that a complete set of those data exist for a specific study. Therefore, there will be a need to fill the necessary data gaps.

Investigation of the PM, NO and O I/O ratios for office and school microenvironments.

Differentiation of the exposure to PM (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter), NO and O i.e.

Indoor gaseous air pollutants determinants in office buildings-The OFFICAIR project.

The aim of this study was to identify determinants of aldehyde and volatile organic compound (VOC) indoor air concentrations in a sample of more than 140 office rooms, in the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed, which included (a) the air sampling of aldehydes and VOCs in 37 newly built or recently retrofitted office buildings across 8 European countries in summer and winter and (b) the collection of information on building and offices' characteristics using checklists. Linear mixed models for repeated measurements were applied to identify the main factors affecting the measured concentrations of selected indoor air pollutants (IAPs).

Comparison of methods for converting Dylos particle number concentrations to PM2.5 mass concentrations.

The aim of this study was to (a) develop a method for converting particle number concentrations (PNC) obtained by Dylos to PM2.5 mass concentrations, (b) compare this conversion with similar methods available in the literature, and (c) compare Dylos PM2.5 obtained using all available conversion methods with gravimetric samples.

PM2.5 source apportionment for the port city of Thessaloniki, Greece.

This paper aims to identify the chemical fingerprints of potential PM2.5 sources and estimate their contribution to Thessaloniki port-city's air quality. For this scope, Positive Matrix Factorization model was applied on a comprehensive PM2.

A comprehensive air quality investigation at an aquatic centre: Indoor/outdoor comparisons.

Air quality and comfort parameters in a naturally ventilated aquatic centre were studied in relation to the outdoor pollution levels. Simultaneous measurements of PM 2.5, as well as of volatile organic compounds, were carried out for the indoor and outdoor environment of the aquatic centre.

Spatial and temporal variation of particulate matter characteristics within office buildings - The OFFICAIR study.

In the frame of the OFFICAIR project, office buildings were investigated across Europe to assess how the office workers are exposed to different particulate matter (PM) characteristics (i.e. PM mass concentration, particulate oxidative potential (OP) based on ascorbate and reduced glutathione depletion, trace element concentration and total particle number concentration (PNC)) within the buildings.

Assessment of indoor air quality in office buildings across Europe - The OFFICAIR study.

The European project OFFICAIR aimed to broaden the existing knowledge regarding indoor air quality (IAQ) in modern office buildings, i.e., recently built or refurbished buildings.

Oxidative potential and chemical composition of PM2.5 in office buildings across Europe - The OFFICAIR study.

In the frame of the OFFICAIR project, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected in office buildings across Europe in two sampling campaigns (summer and winter). The ability of the particles to deplete physiologically relevant antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AA), reduced glutathione (GSH)) in a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid, i.

Perceived Indoor Environment and Occupants' Comfort in European "Modern" Office Buildings: The OFFICAIR Study.

Indoor environmental conditions (thermal, noise, light, and indoor air quality) may affect workers' comfort, and consequently their health and well-being, as well as their productivity. This study aimed to assess the relations between perceived indoor environment and occupants' comfort, and to examine the modifying effects of both personal and building characteristics. Within the framework of the European project OFFICAIR, a questionnaire survey was administered to 7441 workers in 167 "modern" office buildings in eight European countries (Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain).

Modelling short term individual exposure from airborne hazardous releases in urban environments.

A key issue, in order to be able to cope with deliberate or accidental atmospheric releases of hazardous substances, is the ability to reliably predict the individual exposure downstream the source. In many situations, the release time and/or the health relevant exposure time is short compared to mean concentration time scales. In such a case, a significant scatter of exposure levels is expected due to the stochastic nature of turbulence.

EPHECT II: Exposure assessment to household consumer products.

Within the framework of the EPHECT project (Emissions, exposure patterns and health effects of consumer products in the EU), irritative and respiratory health effects were assessed in relation to acute and long-term exposure to key and emerging indoor air pollutants emitted during household use of selected consumer products. In this context, inhalation exposure assessment was carried out for six selected 'target' compounds (acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene, naphthalene, d-limonene and α-pinene). This paper presents the methodology and the outcomes from the micro-environmental modelling of the 'target' pollutants following single or multiple use of selected consumer products and the subsequent exposure assessment.

Modelling Short-Term Maximum Individual Exposure from Airborne Hazardous Releases in Urban Environments. Part ΙI: Validation of a Deterministic Model with Wind Tunnel Experimental Data.

The capability to predict short-term maximum individual exposure is very important for several applications including, for example, deliberate/accidental release of hazardous substances, odour fluctuations or material flammability level exceedance. Recently, authors have proposed a simple approach relating maximum individual exposure to parameters such as the fluctuation intensity and the concentration integral time scale. In the first part of this study (Part I), the methodology was validated against field measurements, which are governed by the natural variability of atmospheric boundary conditions.

Modeling Short-Term Maximum Individual Exposure from Airborne Hazardous Releases in Urban Environments. Part I: Validation of a Deterministic Model with Field Experimental Data.

The release of airborne hazardous substances in the atmosphere has a direct effect on human health as, during the inhalation, an amount of concentration is inserted through the respiratory system into the human body, which can cause serious or even irreparable damage in health. One of the key problems in such cases is the prediction of the maximum individual exposure. Current state of the art methods, which are based on the concentration cumulative distribution function and require the knowledge of the concentration variance and the intermittency factor, have limitations.

Self-reported health and comfort in 'modern' office buildings: first results from the European OFFICAIR study.

In the European research project OFFICAIR, a procedure was developed to determine associations between characteristics of European offices and health and comfort of office workers, through a checklist and a self-administered questionnaire including environmental, physiological, psychological, and social aspects. This procedure was applied in 167 office buildings in eight European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Finland) during the winter of 2011-2012. About 26 735 survey invitation e-mails were sent, and 7441 office workers were included in the survey.

On organic emissions testing from indoor consumer products' use.

A wide range of consumer and personal care products may, during their use, release significant amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air. The identification and quantification of the emissions from such sources is typically performed in emission test chambers. A major question is to what degree the obtained emissions are reproducible and directly applicable to real situations.

One-year intensive characterization on PM2.5 nearby port area of Thessaloniki, Greece.

The chemical characterization of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 fraction was studied during a 1-year sampling campaign conducted at a site near Thessaloniki's port area. PM2.

Ozone-initiated terpene reaction products in five European offices: replacement of a floor cleaning agent.

Cleaning agents often emit terpenes that react rapidly with ozone. These ozone-initiated reactions, which occur in the gas-phase and on surfaces, produce a host of gaseous and particulate oxygenated compounds with possible adverse health effects in the eyes and airways. Within the European Union (EU) project OFFICAIR, common ozone-initiated reaction products were measured before and after the replacement of the regular floor cleaning agent with a preselected low emitting floor cleaning agent in four offices located in four EU countries.

National radon programmes and policies: the RADPAR recommendations.

Results from epidemiological studies on lung cancer and radon exposure in dwellings and mines led to a significant revision of recommendations and regulations of international organisations, such as WHO, IAEA, Nordic Countries, European Commission. Within the European project RADPAR, scientists from 18 institutions of 14 European countries worked together for 3 y (2009-12). Among other reports, a comprehensive booklet of recommendations was produced with the aim that they should be useful both for countries with a well-developed radon programme and for countries with little experience on radon issues.

Emission rate estimation through data assimilation of gamma dose measurements in a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model.

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for estimating the unknown emission rate of radionuclides in the atmosphere following a nuclear accident. The algorithm is based on assimilation of gamma dose rate measured data in a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model. Such models are used in the framework of nuclear emergency response systems (ERSs).

Atmospheric dispersion and individual exposure of hazardous materials.

In this work a new approach for CFD RANS modelling of dispersion of airborne point source releases is presented. The key feature of this approach is the model capability to predict concentration time scales that are functions not only of the flow turbulence scales but also of the pollutant travel time. This approach has been implemented for the calculation of the concentration fluctuation dissipation time scale and the maximum individual exposure at short time intervals.

A gamma radiation dose calculation method for use with Lagrangian puff atmospheric dispersion models used in real-time emergency response systems.

The paper presents the development of a model for the calculation of the gamma radiation dose rate from a cloud or plume of radionuclides. The model has been implemented in the Lagrangian puff dispersion model DIPCOT which is used in the framework of the RODOS system for nuclear emergency management. The basic characteristics of the model are its speed of execution and its ability to calculate the gamma dose rates from clouds or plumes of random shape formed under non-homogeneous meteorological conditions or over complicated topography.