Indoor PM from residential coal combustion: Levels, chemical composition, and toxicity.

Indoor air quality is crucial for human health due to the significant time people spend at home, and it is mainly affected by internal sources such as solid fuel combustion for heating. This study investigated the indoor air quality and health implications associated with residential coal burning covering gaseous pollutants (CO, CO and total volatile organic compounds), particulate matter, and toxicity. The PM chemical composition was obtained by ICP-MS/OES (elements), ion chromatography (water-soluble ions) and thermal-optical analysis (organic and elemental carbon).

The role of snow in scavenging aerosol particles: A physical-chemical characterization.

The below cloud scavenging of aerosols by snow has been analysed in León (NW Spain). Six snow events were registered over the course of one year of study. Ultrafine and accumulation aerosol particles were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer, while hydrometeors were characterized using a disdrometer.

Links between aerosol radiative forcing and rain characteristics: Stratiform and convective precipitation.

The radiative forcing before and after rain events was studied between 12 February 2016 and 14 March 2017 in León, Spain. For this purpose, the radiative forcing fluxes were calculated using the Radiative Transfer Model Global Atmospheric ModEl (RTM GAME). After the application of a set of selection criteria (based on the availability of AERONET data, rain characteristics and lightning maps), 16 stratiform rain events were identified, concentrated in spring and winter, and 15 convective rain events were found concentrated in spring and summer.

Evolution of size-segregated aerosol concentration in NW Spain: A two-step classification to identify new particle formation events.

Real-time measurements of particles in the 15-736 nm range have been obtained by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer to characterize the evolution of particle size distribution and new particle formation (NPF) events in an urban background area. The annual, weekly and diurnal variations of the modal (nucleation (N), Aitken (N) and accumulation (N)) particle concentrations were characterised. The N and N registered their maximums in cold months during rush hours, in the morning (0600-0900 UTC) and in the afternoon (1700-2000 UTC), while the maximums for N were reached in warm months during midday hours.

Scavenging of submicron aerosol particles in a suburban atmosphere: The raindrop size factor.

This paper studies the below-cloud scavenging caused by precipitation on ultrafine and accumulation modes, as well as the role of the different raindrop sizes in an urban environment. The equipment used to measure aerosol particles and raindrop variables includes a scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer-SMPS and a Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM), respectively. An analysis of the scavenging efficiency and the scavenging coefficient (λ) by modes and rain intensities was carried out.