21. Household and road dust as indicators of airborne particulate matter elemental composition : dissertationKlemen Teran, 2020, doktorska disertacija Opis: Household dust (HD) and road dust (RD) are widespread and easily accessible urban sediments, which are influenced by deposition of airborne particulate matter (PM). Since airborne PM is considered to be one of the most important pollutants in urban areas, with significant adverse effects on human health, a better understanding of its elemental composition and dispersion mechanisms is needed. The present study examines whether the HD and RD elemental composition can be used as a quick alternative method for the determination of corresponding PM elemental composition over a selected area.
In summer 2016, HD, RD, and topsoil samples were collected from 249 sampling locations distributed across rural, urban, and industrial areas in Slovenia. The collected samples were sieved for particle diameters below 63 μm and analysed for 53 elements with ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion. SEM/EDS analyses were applied for the determination of characteristic particles at the microlevel. Finally, the elemental composition of HD and RD was compared with the PM10 elemental composition obtained from National Network for Ambient Air Quality Monitoring governed by Slovenian Environmental Agency (ARSO) to determine any potential connection between them.
The results show that HD and RD are considerably enriched with a large set of elements compared to the topsoil. Correlations and factor analyses show that spatial distribution of factor scores in RD revealed strong regional trends, connected with soil resuspension (Al, Ce, Ga, K, La, Li, P, Rb, Sc and Y) or with anthropogenic sources such as traffic (Ag, Bi, Cu, Sb and Sn), steel mill emissions (Cr, Mo, Mn, Ni and W) and construction material decomposition (Ca and Sr). In contrast, HD elemental composition was highly variable between sampling locations. Variability was probably caused by indoor sources, such as smoking (Ce and La), biomass combustion (K, P and Rb), construction material decomposition (Ca and Sr) and residents’ professional occupation: dental care employees (Ag, Au, Pd) and employees in the metal-processing industry (Cr, Mo, Ni).
Among deposited particles in RD, urbanization processes, such as fossil fuel combustion and traffic emissions, including brake pad abrasion and tyre wear, contributed the largest share of particles with anomalous elemental composition. Brake pad abrasion, for instance, contributed Ba-, Cu-, Sn-, and Zn-enriched irregular, angular and tabular particles, while tyre wear produced elongated rubber particles with traces of Ba, Cu, and Zn. RD from urban areas showed significantly higher elemental levels of Ag, Bi, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Fe, Mo, Nb, Pb, Pt, Sb, Sn, Sr, Ti, Zn, and W in comparison to the rural environment, indicating the strong impact of urbanization on RD elemental composition.
Another important anthropogenic source of deposited particles in RD were steel mills. Strong anomalies of Cr, Mo and Ni were detected in their vicinity. Their elemental levels decreased with distancing from the plan location, reaching urban background levels between 15 and 20 km from the mills. SEM/EDS analyses identified enrichments of Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, and W in spherical particles and particles with partially melted surfaces, which were found only in the proximity of steel mills, indicating their influence of the PM deposition.
Comparison of RD and the corresponding PM10 elemental composition showed that the RD fraction with particle diameters below 63 μm reflects PM10 elemental composition for the last 30 to 90 days for Cr, Cu, Mo and Zn and can be used as a predictor for PM10 elemental levels. This is not true for HD, as indoor particle sources prevail over the deposition of ambient PM10.
Ključne besede: household dust, road dust, particulate matter, PM10, pollution, Slovenia, steel mills, topsoil, traffic, urbanization
Objavljeno v RUNG: 02.12.2020; Ogledov: 3874; Prenosov: 187
 Celotno besedilo (17,40 MB) |
22. OBJECTIVE AND PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN THE TOWNS OF ZENICA AND MARIBOR : GROUP PROJECT FINAL REPORTIvana Pandža, Katja Belec, Matjaž Žvokelj, Merima Vrškić, Tajda Huber, Ula Urbas, 2020, elaborat, predštudija, študija Opis: In this study, we measured the concentrations of specific heavy metals in the soil and sediment samples taken on different locations of the cities of Maribor (Slovenia), and Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The report also includes a questionnaire regarding the residents’ views about the environmental quality of the city they live in.
Ključne besede: Soil, sediments, heavy metals, AAS, pollution, questionnaire, environmental quality.
Objavljeno v RUNG: 11.09.2020; Ogledov: 2859; Prenosov: 0
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24. Use of reactive tracers to determine ambient OH radical concentrations: Application within the indoor environmentIain R. White, Damien Martin, Maria Paz Muñoz, Fredrik K Petersson, Stephen J Henshaw, Graham Nickless, Guy C Lloyd-Jones, Keven C Clemitshaw, Dudley E. Shallcross, 2010, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The hydroxyl radical (OH) plays a key role in determining indoor air quality. However, its highly reactive nature and low concentration indoors impede direct analysis. This paper describes the techniques used to indirectly quantify indoor OH, including the development of a new method based on the instantaneous release of chemical tracers into the air. This method was used to detect ambient OH in two indoor seminar rooms following tracer detection by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GCMS). The results from these tests add to the small number of experiments that have measured indoor OH which are discussed with regard to future directions within air quality research.
Ključne besede: Ozone, Indoor air pollution, Indoor ozone, chemical tracers
Objavljeno v RUNG: 18.07.2019; Ogledov: 3135; Prenosov: 0
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27. Retrieval of Vertical Mass Concentration Distributions—Vipava Valley Case StudyLonglong Wang, Samo Stanič, Klemen Bergant, William Eichinger, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Janja Vaupotič, Miloš Miler, Mateja Gosar, Asta Gregorič, 2019, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Aerosol vertical profiles are valuable inputs for the evaluation of aerosol transport models, in order to improve the understanding of aerosol pollution ventilation processes which drive the dispersion of pollutants in mountainous regions. With the aim of providing high-accuracy vertical distributions of particle mass concentration for the study of aerosol dispersion in small-scale valleys, vertical profiles of aerosol mass concentration for aerosols from different sources (including Saharan dust and local biomass burning events) were investigated over the Vipava valley, Slovenia, a representative hot-spot for complex mixtures of different aerosol types of both anthropogenic and natural origin. The analysis was based on datasets taken between 1–30 April 2016. In-situ measurements of aerosol size, absorption, and mass concentration were combined with lidar remote sensing, where vertical profiles of aerosol concentration were retrieved. Aerosol samples were characterized by SEM-EDX, to obtain aerosol morphology and chemical composition. Two cases with expected dominant presence of different specific aerosol types (mineral dust and biomass-burning aerosols) show significantly different aerosol properties and distributions within the valley. In the mineral dust case, we observed a decrease of the elevated aerosol layer height and subsequent spreading of mineral dust within the valley, while in the biomass-burning case we observed the lifting of aerosols above the planetary boundary layer (PBL). All uncertainties of size and assumed optical properties, combined, amount to the total uncertainty of aerosol mass concentrations below 30% within the valley. We have also identified the most indicative in-situ parameters for identification of aerosol type.
Ključne besede: valley air pollution, aerosol vertical distributions, lidar remote sensing, in-situ measurements, aerosol identification
Objavljeno v RUNG: 09.01.2019; Ogledov: 4355; Prenosov: 113
Celotno besedilo (7,43 MB) |
28. FIRST EFFORT TO FIGHT LIGHT POLLUTION IN MACEDONIATanja Petrushevska, 2018, strokovni članek Opis: Light pollution is a serious problem in majority of European countries, with negative effects on the environment, animal life and human health. Not only light pollution is causing unnecessary electricity consumption, it also prevents the citizens to enjoy the dark night sky. Following the experience in Slovenia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy with approaching this problem, we proposed a joined effort to perform field measurements of the light pollution, increase the awareness of this issue to the public and the policy makers in Macedonia. Light pollution is a very interdisciplinary field that necessitates the collaboration of policy makers, environmentalist, amateur and professional astronomers.
The proposal was submitted to proESOF initiative in Trieste, Italy. This initiative consists of the organisation of collaborative events in North East Italy and the Balkan countries where the objective is to spread science for the benefit to the citizens. ProESOF events will happen before 2020, after which the main event “Trieste – European City of Science” will follow. Our proposal has been positively judged by the proESOF evaluators, and currently we are waiting for their decision regarding the financial support they will provide. The first step will to train a group of people to perform field measurements of light pollution. The second step is to share these results, so the target is the general public in Macedonia. To successfully fight light pollution, anti-light pollution laws have to be made and enforced, so relevant politicians and law makers in Macedonia will be included. We will use the local team who has experience and contacts with the media, so that this event gets covered well. This will be a first meeting of this kind in Skopje, Macedonia which will join experts of the region and offer new ideas to fight light pollution in Macedonia and the Balkans. Macedonia is one of the few countries that is lacking any initiative when it comes to light pollution. It is very important to act timely, also because in Macedonia there are still some regions with dark sky that can be saved. Italy and Slovenia have collaborated previously on several occasion regarding light pollution: the purpose of the project Public Lighting of the Future that was running from 2011 to 2014 was to create a common methodology and database. After our proposed workshop and measurement, the aim will be to include Macedonia in this common effort to fight light light pollution.
Ključne besede: light pollution
Objavljeno v RUNG: 11.09.2018; Ogledov: 3114; Prenosov: 0
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29. Assessment of Pb, Cd and Hg soil contamination and its potential to cause cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in human cell lines (CaCo-2 and HaCaT)Maida Šljivić Husejnović, Martina Bergant Marušič, Sasa Jankovic, Suzana Žižek, Aida Smajlović, Adaleta Softić, Omer Music, Biljana Antonijevic, 2018, izvirni znanstveni članek Ključne besede: Lead, Cadmium and mercury, Soil pollution, Tuzla Canton, Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity
Objavljeno v RUNG: 25.01.2018; Ogledov: 4089; Prenosov: 0
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30. Biotransformation of copper oxide nanoparticles by the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinereaEva Kovačec, Marjana Regvar, Johannes Teun van Elteren, Iztok Arčon, Tamás Papp, Darko Makovec, Katarina Vogel-Mikuš, 2017, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Two plant pathogenic fungi, Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata, isolated from crop plants, were
exposed to Cu in ionic (Cu2þ), microparticulate (MP, CuO) or nanoparticulate (NP, Cu or CuO) form, in
solid and liquid culturing media in order to test fungal response and toxic effects of the mentioned
compounds for the potential use as fungicides. B. cinerea has shown pronounced growth and lower levels
of lipid peroxidation compared to A. alternata. Its higher resistance/tolerance is attributed mainly to
biotransformation of CuO and Cu NPs and CuO MPs into a blue compound at the fungal/culturing media
interface, recognized by Cu K-edge EXAFS analysis as Cu-oxalate complex. The pronounced activity of
catechol-type siderophores and organic acid secretion in B. cinerea induce leaching and mobilization of
Cu ions from the particles and their further complexation with extracellularly secreted oxalic acid. The
ability of pathogenic fungus to biotransform CuO MPs and NPs hampers their use as fungicides. However
the results show that B. cinerea has a potential to be used in degradation of Cu(O) nanoparticles in
environment, copper extraction and purification techniques.
Ključne besede: copper, metal oxide nanoparticles, detoxification mechanisms, metal pollution, Cu-oxalate
Objavljeno v RUNG: 23.08.2017; Ogledov: 4471; Prenosov: 0
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