Towards a model for aerosol removal by rain scavenging: The role of physical-chemical characteristics of raindrops.

A one-year study was carried out in León, Spain, in order to characterize physically and chemically the precipitation. With the aim of studying the scavenging process of atmospheric pollutants, scavenging ratio and removal coefficients were calculated through physical parameters of raindrops (obtained by disdrometer data) and through chemical properties of aerosols. Finally, linear models for the prediction of the chemical composition of rainwater and the efficiency of the removal effect were established.

The importance of contamination control in airborne fibers and microplastic sampling: Experiences from indoor and outdoor air sampling in Aveiro, Portugal.

Airborne microplastics and microfibers are released from daily materials, contaminating both indoor and outdoor air. Sampling in Aveiro, Portugal, revealed concentrations of 6 fibers m, with more synthetic fibers found in outdoor than indoor (8.5% vs.

Fine Particulate Matter and Gaseous Compounds in Kitchens and Outdoor Air of Different Dwellings.

Passive diffusion tubes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbonyls and low volume particulate matter (PM) samplers were used simultaneously in kitchens and outdoor air of four dwellings. PM filters were analysed for their carbonaceous content (organic and elemental carbon, OC and EC) by a thermo-optical technique and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) and plasticisers by GC-MS. The morphology and chemical composition of selected PM samples were characterised by SEM-EDS.

An easy method for processing and identification of natural and synthetic microfibers and microplastics in indoor and outdoor air.

Microplastics and microfibers can contaminate every matrix, including in the atmosphere, thus leading to incidental inhalation. However, concentrations of airborne synthetic particle in indoor and outdoor environments are not well understood due to the complexities of sampling, sample processing and identification. This work aims at producing a simple protocol to determine the concentrations of airborne microplastics and fibers.

A one-year record of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at an urban background site in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic chemicals that are widely distributed in the atmosphere and well known for their adverse health effects. This study aims to describe, for the first time, the levels, sources and associated health risks of particulate PAHs in an urban background atmosphere of Lisbon, the capital and largest city in Portugal. PM aerosol samples were collected from early January to the end of December 2012 with a high-volume sampler and were later analyzed for 10 PAHs by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives (nitro-PAHs, oxygenated PAHs, and azaarenes) in PM from Southern European cities.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) samples were collected over two one month periods during winter and summer in three Southern European cities (Oporto - traffic site, Florence - urban background, Athens - suburban). Concentrations of 27 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 15 nitro-PAHs (NPAHs), 15 oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) and 4 azaarenes (AZAs) were determined. On average, the winter-summer concentrations of ΣPAHs were 16.

A one-year record of carbonaceous components and major ions in aerosols from an urban kerbside location in Oporto, Portugal.

PM2.5 aerosol samples were collected from January 2013 to January 2014 on the kerbside of a major arterial route in the city of Oporto, Portugal, and later analyzed for carbonaceous fractions and water soluble ions. The average concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the aerosol were 6.

Elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in exhaust particles emitted by light-duty vehicles.

The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) emitted by eight different light-duty vehicles. Exhaust samples from petrol and diesel cars (Euro 3 to Euro 5) were collected in a chassis dynamometer facility. To simulate the real-world driving conditions, three ARTEMIS cycles were followed: road, to simulate a fluid traffic flow and urban with hot and cold starts, to simulate driving conditions in cities.

Wet deposition of particulate carbon to the Central North Atlantic Ocean.

Elemental carbon (EC) and water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) concentrations were measured in wet-only precipitation samples collected on Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal) between December 2009 and October 2010, to investigate temporal variations, source regions and wet deposition fluxes. The global volume-weighted average (vwa) concentrations were 134 ± 19 μgC L(-1) for WIOC and 15.0 ± 1.

Assessment of river water quality using an integrated physicochemical, biological and ecotoxicological approach.

In order to maintain and improve the water quality in European rivers, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires an integrated approach for assessing water quality in a river basin. Although the WFD aims at a holistic understanding of ecosystem functioning, it does not explicitly establish cause-effect relationships between stressors and changes in aquatic communities. To overcome this limitation, the present study combines the typical WFD physicochemical and biological approaches with an ecotoxicological approach.

Indoor and outdoor suspended particulate matter and associated carbonaceous species at residential homes in northwestern Portugal.

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 10 μm (PM10), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations were measured simultaneously in the indoor and outdoor air of 4 residences located in urban and sub-urban areas in northwestern Portugal. The residences were studied with occupants. One residence was also studied without any indoor activity, taking advantage of the fact that the occupants had moved into a new home.

Impact of water quality on bacterioplankton assemblage along Cértima River Basin (central western Portugal) assessed by PCR-DGGE and multivariate analysis.

The information on bacterial community composition (BCC) in Portuguese water bodies is very scarce. Cértima River (central western Portugal) is known to have high levels of pollution, namely organic. In the present work, the BCC from a set of 16 water samples collected from Cértima River Basin and its main tributaries was characterized using 16S rDNA-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, a culture-independent molecular approach.

Size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a roadway tunnel in Lisbon, Portugal.

Atmospheric aerosols of four aerodynamic size ranges were collected using high volume cascade impactors in an extremely busy roadway tunnel in Lisbon (Portugal). Dust deposited on the tunnel walls and guardrails was also collected. Average particle mass concentrations in the tunnel atmosphere were more than 30times higher than in the outside urban background air, revealing its origins almost exclusively from fresh vehicle emissions.

Spatial patterns of surface water quality in the Cértima River basin, central Portugal.

The Cértima River is the principal source of water flowing into the Pateira de Fermentelos, which is one of the largest natural lakes of the Iberian Peninsula and has elevated conservation value. This study aims at a more comprehensive understanding of the spatial pattern in water quality and, thus, pollution problems in and especially upstream of the Pateira, including a comparison with a prior study in 2003. To this end, surface water samples were collected, in May 2007, at 29 sites covering the basin's four main types of water bodies, and analysed for electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, various nitrogen species, orthophosphate and chlorophyll a.