A PM10 chemically characterized nation-wide dataset for Italy. Geographical influence on urban air pollution and source apportionment.

Urban textures of the Italian cities are peculiarly shaped by the local geography generating similarities among cities placed in different regions but comparable topographical districts. This suggested the following scientific question: can different topographies generate significant differences on the PM chemical composition at Italian urban sites that share similar geography despite being in different regions? To investigate whether such communalities can be found and are applicable at Country-scale, we propose here a novel methodological approach. A dataset comprising season-averages of PM mass concentration and chemical composition data was built, covering the decade 2005-2016 and referring to urban sites only (21 cities).

A combined chemical/size fractionation approach to study winter/summer variations, ageing and source strength of atmospheric particles.

We studied the size distribution of ions (Cl, NO, SO, Na, NH, K, Mg, Ca) and elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cs, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) during the winter and summer seasons of seven consecutive years (2008-2014) in an area of the Po Valley (Northern Italy) characterised by industrial, agricultural and urban settings. The study included the collection and analysis of 41 series of size-segregated samples (MOUDI sampler, 10 stages, cut sizes from 0.18 to 18 μm).

Standardisation of a European measurement method for the determination of anions and cations in PM: results of field trial campaign and determination of measurement uncertainty.

European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Technical Committee 264 'Air Quality' has recently produced a standard method for the measurements of anions and cations in PM within its Working Group 34 in response to the requirements of European Directive 2008/50/EC. It is expected that this method will be used in future by all Member States making measurements of the ionic content of PM. This paper details the results of a field measurement campaign and the statistical analysis performed to validate this method, assess its uncertainty and define its working range to provide clarity and confidence in the underpinning science for future users of the method.

Short-term effects of particulate matter constituents on daily hospitalizations and mortality in five South-European cities: results from the MED-PARTICLES project.

Background: Few recent studies examined acute effects on health of individual chemical species in the particulate matter (PM) mixture, and most of them have been conducted in North America. Studies in Southern Europe are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between particulate matter constituents and daily hospital admissions and mortality in five cities in Southern Europe.

Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of particulate matter: a case study in the Po Valley. Part I: macro-components and mass closure.

The seasonal variability in the mass concentration and chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) was studied during a 2-year field study carried out between 2010 and 2012. The site of the study was the area of Ferrara (Po Valley, Northern Italy), which is characterized by frequent episodes of very stable atmospheric conditions in winter.