Contamination assessment and source identification of metals and metalloids in submicron road dust (PM) in Moscow Megacity.

The content of 39 metals and metalloids (MMs) in submicron road dust (PM fraction) was studied in the traffic zone, residential courtyards with parking lots, and on pedestrian roads in parks in Moscow. The geochemical profiles of PM vary slightly between different types of roads and courtyards but differ significantly from those in parks. In Moscow, compared to other cities worldwide, submicron road dust contains less As, Sb, Mo, Cr, Cd, Sn, Tl, Ca, Rb, La, Y, U, but more Cu, Zn, Co, Fe, Mn, Ti, Zr, Al, V.

Metals and metalloids pollution levels, partitioning, and sources in the environmental compartments of a small urban catchment in Moscow megacity.

This study examines the contamination levels and sources of 32 metals and metalloids (MMs) in environmental compartments (roadside soil, road dust, and river suspended sediments) of a small urbanized river catchment located in Moscow megacity. MMs partitioning between particle size fractions (PM, PM, and PM) was analyzed by ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods. The pollution level of particle size fractions with MMs decreases in the following series: road dust > suspended sediments > soils.

Aerosol characterization and peculiarities of source apportionment in Moscow, the largest and northernmost European megacity.

High population and a wide range of activities in a megacity lead to large-scale ecological consequences which require the assessment with respect to distinct characteristics of climate, location, fuel consumption, and emission sources. In-depth study of aerosol characteristics was carried out in Moscow, the largest megacity in Europe, during the cold period (autumn and winter) and in spring. PM chemical speciation based on carbonaceous matter, water-soluble ions, and elements was carried out to reconstruct the PM mass and evaluate the primary and secondary aerosol contribution.

Elemental composition of atmospheric PM during COVID-19 lockdown and recovery periods in Moscow (April-July 2020).

Changes in the concentrations of PM-bound potentially toxic elements (PTEs) during the COVID-19 lockdown period and after the revocation of restrictions were analyzed using the data received at the Aerosol Complex of Moscow State University in April-July 2020. During the lockdown, the input of biomass combustion products enriched in PTEs from the Moscow region hindered the decrease in pollutant concentrations. After the introduction of the self-isolation regime, lower concentrations of most PTEs occurred due to the decrease in anthropogenic activity and the rainy meteorological conditions.

Contamination levels and source apportionment of potentially toxic elements in size-fractionated road dust of Moscow.

The distributions of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) among PM, PM, PM, and PM fractions of the road dust were studied in the western and eastern parts of Moscow, impacted mainly by the road transport and the industrial sector, respectively. The partitioning of PTEs in road dust can provide more precise information on pollution sources and its further interpretation regarding human health risks. The concentrations of PTEs were analyzed by mass and atomic emission inductively coupled plasma spectrometry.

Anthropogenic factors affecting the Moskva River water quality: levels and sources of nutrients and potentially toxic elements in Moscow metropolitan area.

This study aims to identify the main patterns of distribution and sources of pollutants in the Moskva River and their influence on river water quality under different levels of anthropogenic stress caused by the largest megacity in Europe - Moscow. For this study, we determined concentrations of 18 trace elements, nutrient elements and major ions, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, and physical parameters of water at 45 stations on the Moskva River and 20 stations on its tributaries during spring flood and low water of 2019 and 2020 to identify the extent and mechanisms of urban impact on its water chemistry. Chemical elements concentrations have been determined using ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods.

Main features and contamination of sealed soils in the east of Moscow city.

The aim of this paper is to characterize the main properties and level of pollution of sealed soils in different land use zones of the Eastern administrative district (EAD) of Moscow. In 2016-2017 overall, 47 samples were taken from 35 soil pits. The list of soil properties analyzed included actual acidity, organic carbon content, particle-size distribution, and degree of salinity.

Impact of Restrictive Measures during the Covid-19 Pandemic on Aerosol Pollution of the Atmosphere of the Moscow Megalopolis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to self-isolation and business interruptions around the world. On the basis of measurements of concentrations of an indicator of aerosol emissions from fuel combustion products-black carbon-it is shown that the decrease in economic activity had a significant effect on the pollution of the Moscow atmosphere. The decrease in the intensity of the traffic and the change in the operating mode of industrial and heat-and-power enterprises of the city during the period of restrictive measures in the spring of 2020 were determined by the dynamics of the daily and weekly trend of black carbon levels.

Spatial distribution and sources of potentially toxic elements in road dust and its PM fraction of Moscow megacity.

For the first time, the contents of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in road dust and in its PM fraction were studied in Moscow from June 09 to July 30, 2017 on roads with different traffic intensities, inside courtyards with parking lots, and on pedestrian walkways in parks. The contents of PTEs in road dust and PM fraction were analyzed by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. The main pollutants of road dust and its PM fraction included Sb, Zn, W, Sn, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Mo.

Potentially toxic elements in urban topsoils and health risk assessment for the mining W-Mo center in the Baikal region.

The main threats to health are associated with the entry of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) into human bodies. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the Zakamensk W-Mo deposit development on soil surface horizons and the health of the local population. The results of the geochemical survey of 2012 revealed the spatial distribution patterns and abundances of 15 PTEs.

Health risk assessment based on the contents of potentially toxic elements in urban soils of Darkhan, Mongolia.

Toxic element's accumulation in the urban environment not only worsens the quality of air, water, soils, and foodstuffs but also threatens the health of people because of entering human bodies through lungs, stomach, and contact with skin. The aim of this study is to assess the current geochemical and ecological state of the soil cover in the city of Darkhan (Mongolia) and to estimate health risks on this basis. Soil geochemical survey was performed in 2012-2013, the result was a collection of 126 soil samples.

Contamination of soils by potentially toxic elements in the impact zone of tungsten‑molybdenum ore mine in the Baikal region: A survey and risk assessment.

Mining of mineral resources exerts strong impact on the environment and leads to irreversible changes in vegetation, soils, atmosphere, surface and ground waters. The aim of this study is to assess the modern geochemical state of soil cover in Zakamensk, a city located in Buryat Republic (Russia) and known as one of the biggest ore mining center in the former Soviet Union. The center was operating for 68 years and closed 17 years ago.

Сontamination of urban soils with heavy metals in Moscow as affected by building development.

Building development in cities creates a geochemical heterogeneity via redistributing the atmospheric fluxes of pollutants and forming sedimentation zones in urban soils and other depositing media. However, the influence of buildings on the urban environment pollution is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to evaluate the barrier functions of urban development by means of a joint analysis of the contents of heavy metals and metalloids in the upper horizon of urban soils, their physicochemical properties, and the parameters of the buildings.

[An endoscopic method of ureterolith elimination].

Ureteropyeloscopy was made in 57 patients with ureterolithiasis. It was effective in 55 (96.5%) patients.

[A telangiectatic clinical variant of mastocytosis].

Six cases of telangiectatic clinical variant of mastocytosis (TMV) are reported. Patients' age varied from 33 to 62, there were 2 men and 4 women. A number of clinical features of TMV were detected in the course of follow-up: a generalized type of the skin process; abundant maculopapular eruptions colored brownish, sometimes with a cyanotic shade, liable to fuse and form diffuse foci of involvement; development of telangiectasias on the surface of these eruptions; symptoms of elevated blood histamin levels, i.

[Mycetoma of the foot].

A forty-year-old woman suffering from maduromycosis of the right sole is described with a disease history of 17 years. After a contusion and surgery for fibroma she developed an edema on the skin of the right sole, then ulcers with purulent discharge. She was repeatedly treated on an outpatient basis and in hospital by surgeons, phthisiologist, and dermatologist for osteomyelitis, tuberculosis of the bones, and Kaposi's sarcoma without effect.

[The clinical picture and therapy of nodular mastocytosis].

The authors review the literature data on and describe 6 cases of nodular mastocytosis presenting as multiple blending nodes. The patients (2 girls and 4 boys aged under 4) have developed a disseminated process with multiple nodes up to 3.0-3.

[Ashy dermatosis].

Five patients with ashy dermatitis are described, aged 6 to 14, one boy and four girls. The process is characterized by dirty grayish or ash-gray-colored maculae on the skin of the trunk and limbs. These maculae do not tend to fuse, nor exfoliate; they are not associated with any subjective sensations.

[Morphology of mastocytosis].

Histochemical and electron-microscopic studies of skin biopsy specimens from 65 patients with mastocytosis have enabled the authors to classify the various mastocytoses (on the basis of infiltrate topography and structural features of mast cells) into macular, pustular, and nodular varieties of cutaneous mastocytosis (urticaria pigmentosa) and mastocytoma. No differences in mast cell structure were detected between cutaneous and systemic mastocytoses. Electron microscopically, mast cells in both appeared normal, with a predominance of granules having a fine-grained or homogeneous matrix and a small number of lamellar structures.