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| Titel |
Characterization and Source Apportions of Local and Foreign PM2.5 in the Middle East under Different Synoptic Conditions |
| VerfasserIn |
Nivi Kessler, Ofir Tirosh, Uri Dayan, Shimshon Belkin, James Schauer, Yigal Erel |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2011
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 13 (2011) |
| Datensatznummer |
250046294
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Numerous studies have demonstrated that elevated concentrations of suspended atmospheric
particles (PM) are associated with adverse health effects including oxidative stress,
respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases, oxidative DNA damage, and have important
impacts on the general population and sensitive individuals including children, pregnant
women and elderly people. Increasing evidence suggests that exposures to fine particles (less
than 2.5 or even less than 1 micrometer) are associated with the largest health risk
compared to coarse particles. Likewise, the type of particles, their composition,
and the amount of toxic components present in the particles have an important
impact on the health outcome of an exposed human population. Given the need to
reduce the public’s risk to ambient PM exposure, an accurate assessment of relative
impact of different sources, including long-range transboundary transport is greatly
needed.
The current study aims to combine meteorological analysis with air pollution in order to
classify air pollution sources and composition to provide a cost effective metric for use in
epidemiological studies. The project relies on a close link between synoptic and back
trajectory analyses and chemical and statistical analyses of aerosols. Aerosols were sampled
in several urban centers in Israel and underwent advanced chemical analyses, which were
directed by an analysis of synoptic conditions. Aerosol data was obtained from three
sources: (1) Chemical analysis of the mineral fraction of PM2.5 collected by the
Ministry for Environmental Protection (MOE) and by Union of Municipalities for
Environmental Quality between 2008 and 2010. (2) Collection of PM2.5 with dedicated
samplers in four urban centers during 2009-2010. These samplers allowed for a
complete chemical characterization of PM2.5 (mineral fraction, sulfates, nitrates,
black carbon, elemental carbon, and selected organic compounds). (3) Statistical
analysis of mass loadings obtained by the same monitoring stations during 2000 –
2010.
The data gathered by the present study, and the subsequent source attribution
analyses, should serve as foundation for the development of control strategies and to
design cost-effective location-specific health studies that can quantify the spatial
distribution of exposure throughout Israel and the relative risk associated with the
emissions from different sources. It should allow policy makers to determine and
adjust emission standards for PM2.5 in order to maintain acceptable exposure levels. |
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