Publications by authors named "E Alonso-Blanco"

This study presents a refined method that uses liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (LC-FD) to quantify trace amounts of dimethylamine in particulate matter (PM). This method was optimized to prioritize simplicity, cost-effectiveness and practicality. To ensure accurate and reliable analysis, strict protocols and procedures were followed to minimize cross-contamination.

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There is a body of evidence that ultrafine particles (UFP, those with diameters ≤ 100 nm) might have significant impacts on health. Accordingly, identifying sources of UFP is essential to develop abatement policies. This study focuses on urban Europe, and aims at identifying sources and quantifying their contributions to particle number size distribution (PNSD) using receptor modelling (Positive Matrix Factorization, PMF), and evaluating long-term trends of these source contributions using the non-parametric Theil-Sen's method.

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Article Synopsis
  • Monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is essential as children spend significant time indoors, with traffic being a major contributor to air pollution, particularly in urban areas like south Madrid.
  • The study conducted measurements from November to December 2017, examining the relationship between indoor and outdoor pollutant levels, showing strong correlations and noting that indoor pollution is influenced by outdoor sources, especially regarding particulate matter and black carbon.
  • Findings revealed that indoor contaminant levels can rise during school occupancy due to activities and can fluctuate based on meteorological conditions, with specific trends noted regarding the delay in pollution levels between indoor and outdoor environments.
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Ultrafine particles (UFP, those with diameters ≤ 100 nm), have been reported to potentially penetrate deeply into the respiratory system, translocate through the alveoli, and affect various organs, potentially correlating with increased mortality. The aim of this study is to assess long-term trends (5-11 years) in mostly urban UFP concentrations based on measurements of particle number size distributions (PNSD). Additionally, concentrations of other pollutants and meteorological variables were evaluated to support the interpretations.

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Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to health, causing millions of deaths and deleterious health effects worldwide, especially in urban areas where citizens are exposed to high ambient levels of pollutants, also influencing indoor air quality (IAQ). Many sources of indoor air are fairly obvious and well known, but the contribution of outside sources to indoor air still leads to significant uncertainties, in particular the influence that environmental variables have on outdoor/indoor pollutant exchange mechanisms. This is a critical aspect to consider in IAQ studies.

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