Article
Engineering, Environmental
Peng Ren, Chunle Luo, Hongmei Zhang, Hayley Schiebel, Meredith G. Hastings, Xuchen Wang
Summary: Deposition of atmospheric particulates plays a significant role in transporting materials from land to the ocean, impacting climate and nutrient cycling. This study reveals that old organic carbon (OC) in aerosols contributes significantly to marginal sea sediments, serving as a crucial sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
C. I. Ortega-Rosas, D. Meza-Figueroa, J. R. Vidal-Solano, B. Gonzalez-Grijalva, B. Schiavo
Summary: The study suggests that climate-driven dust emissions may alter the physicochemical characteristics of pollen and spores surfaces, potentially affecting their allergenic potential. Particles from geogenic origin mixed with metals linked to traffic were found to attach to pollen surfaces, forming micro- to nanoparticles. It was also discovered that two local soil types are the main contributors to PM in the urban atmosphere.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Arijeet Mitra, Indra S. Sen, Satyendra K. Pandey, Vinoj Velu, Laurie Reisberg, Michael Bizimis, Christophe Cloquet, Sarwar Nizam
Summary: This study demonstrates a seasonal pattern of anthropogenic lead transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the Himalayas, with enhanced transport coinciding with higher summer temperatures. Over 50% of lead in Himalayan aerosols originates from the resuspension of historic lead derived from phased out leaded gasoline, underscoring the importance of legacy lead stored in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Millan-Martinez, Daniel Sanchez-Rodas, Ana M. Sanchez de la Campa, Jesus de la Rosa
Summary: The study found that North African dust events have a significant impact on air quality in Southern Europe, leading to higher PM10 concentrations and increased levels of major compounds and toxic trace elements. Natural sources had a higher contribution to PM10 concentrations during NAF events, with an increase in anthropogenic sources as well, indicating the important influence of NAF air masses on these sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anja Holzinger, Magdalena M. Mair, Darleen Luecker, Dimitri Seidenath, Thorsten Opel, Nico Langhof, Oliver Otti, Heike Feldhaar
Summary: Terrestrial ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic pollutants, including pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, particulate matter, and microplastics. This study focuses on the effects of multiple pollutants on soil-dwelling earthworms, particularly their survival, body weight, reproductive fitness, and oxidative stress. The results reveal that the combination of pollutants can have different effects than their individual effects, and the identity and concentration of the pollutants play a significant role in determining the combined effects.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Angelina G. Perrotti, Tanjona Ramiadantsoa, Jennifer O'Keefe, Noelia Nunez Otano
Summary: The abundance of coprophilous fungal spores (CFS) in sedimentary records is a popular proxy for past megaherbivore abundance. This study quantifies the uncertainty associated with estimating concentration values and recommends increasing counts and reporting the uncertainty surrounding concentration values in future CFS studies.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dennis R. Fitz, Kurt Bumiller, Vic Etyemezian, Hampden D. Kuhns, John A. Gillies, George Nikolich, David E. James, Rodney Langston, Russell S. Merle
Summary: Testing PM10 emissions on roadways revealed an initial rise in emission rates after street sweeping, but a rapid decay after depositing soil. Mobile measurement methods offer a cost-effective way to measure PM10 emissions from roads.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenqing Zhu, Yuxuan Qi, Huihui Tao, Haizhou Zhang, Wenshuai Li, Wenjun Qu, Jinhui Shi, Yingchen Liu, Lifang Sheng, Wencai Wang, Guanru Wu, Yunhui Zhao, Yanjing Zhang, Xiaohong Yao, Xinfeng Wang, Li Yi, Yingge Ma, Yang Zhou
Summary: The long retention of dust air masses in polluted areas can change the properties of aerosols and impact health and ecology. This study analyzed the impact of a large-scale haze-to-dust event in the North China Plain region on the city of Qingdao. The analysis revealed the formation of sulfate in PM2.5 and nitrate in PM10-2.5 during the dust swing process. The study also identified waste incineration, coal burning, and regional transport as major contributors to pollution in Qingdao.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elio Padoan, Jacopo Maf, Paolo Balsari, Franco Ajmone-Marsan, Elio Dinuccio
Summary: Soil can be resuspended in the atmosphere during agricultural activities and the Soil Emission Potential (EP) is influenced by various factors. Soil Resuspension Chambers (SRC) are a suitable method to assess this potential. Enrichment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) in soil-emitted PM10 poses a potential safety concern for operators during agricultural activities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dennis Fitz, David Pankratz, Sally Pederson, James Bristow
Summary: Fugitive particulate matter (PM) from small sources can have significant impacts on urban air pollution. The EPA has addressed some emission rates, including those from landscape cleaning operations, but many sources remain unmeasured. Researchers have developed a method using a semi-portable enclosure to measure PM emission rates and demonstrated its effectiveness through testing and evaluation.
AEROSOL AND AIR QUALITY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jalil Jaafari, Kazem Naddafi, Masud Yunesian, Ramin Nabizadeh, Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand, Mansour Shamsipour, Mohammad Ghanbari Ghozikali, Shahrokh Nazmara, Hamid Reza Shamsollahi, Kamyar Yaghmaeian
Summary: The study found that in urban areas, the health effects of anthropogenic sources of particulate matter were higher than dust storm conditions; while in rural areas, the concentration changes of hs-CRP, IL-6, and WBCs under dust storm conditions were higher than inversion and cold season conditions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Ipsita Roy, Nidhi Tomar, Parminder Singh Ranhotra, Jaishri Sanwal
Summary: Based on sediment and speleothem archives from South Asia, this study reviewed the climate records of the past 2 millennia. The findings showed that the Little Ice Age (LIA) was a dry phase in the core-monsoon regions of the Indian sub-continent, while it was wet in the western and central Himalaya. The study also emphasized the different responses of proxies towards primary precipitation sources, the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and winter westerly disturbances (WDs), in the Himalayan region.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Kristina A. Da Silva, Rebecca A. Snyder, Maara S. Packalen, James W. McLaughlin, Dorothy M. Peteet, Sarah A. Finkelstein
Summary: The Hudson Bay Lowlands in Canada's boreal subarctic is a significant peatland region that is currently experiencing climate warming and anthropogenic stressors. A study conducted on a peat core from the region revealed the impact of climate variability and multiple stressors on peat accumulation. The findings suggest that mineral nutrients, supplied by surface hydrology or eolian deposition, played a role in carbon accumulation in the peatland.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juan C. Larrasoana, Jorge Pey, Xiang Zhao, David Heslop, Tania Mochales, Pilar Mata, Elisabet Beamud, Jesus Reyes, Jose C. Cerro, Noemi Perez, Sonia Castillo
Summary: This study conducted an environmental magnetic examination of atmospheric deposition in Spain using a multi-method approach, revealing the presence of important magnetic mineral assemblages of both anthropogenic and natural origins across different types of environments.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alla V. Varenik
Summary: In Sevastopol, even at the background station, the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 particles in the air exceed the maximum permissible concentrations in the case of dust transported from deserts. The impact of both local sources and long-distance atmospheric transport depends on weather conditions.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maciej Gorka, Elzbieta Kosztowniak, Anita U. Lewandowska, David Widory
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Longfei Yu, Eliza Harris, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Matti Barthel, Margareta R. A. Blomberg, Stephen J. Harris, Matthew S. Johnson, Moritz F. Lehmann, Jesper Liisberg, Christoph Mueller, Nathaniel E. Ostrom, Johan Six, Sakae Toyoda, Naohiro Yoshida, Joachim Mohn
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Justyna Ciesielczuk, Maciej Gorka, Monika J. Fabianska, Magdalena Misz-Kennan, Dominik Jura
Summary: This study elaborates on the influence of natural intra-deposit heating on the delta C-13 signature, organic geochemistry, and petrology of coal and coal-bearing rocks in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. Heating experiments conducted in open and semi-closed systems demonstrated the importance of temperature and oxygen access in palaeofire reconstruction. The impact of palaeofires on coal properties was observed in terms of devolatilisation pores, reflectance, and extractable compounds. The isotopic and geochemical features of coal seams suspected of intra-deposit heating were more similar to semi-closed-system heating, with delta C-13 signatures and organic geochemistry showing minimal response to laboratory re-heating.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaroslav Bezyk, Izabela Sowka, Maciej Gorka, Jan Blachowski
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of interpolation techniques and adjust interpolation parameters by observing the spatial characteristics and temporal trends of atmospheric CO2 levels in Wroclaw city. It discusses the impact of different interpolation methods on assessing air pollutant levels in urban environments and identifies optimal sampling strategies. The study also explores optimization schemes based on kriging error predictions and extends interpolation results by considering future sampling limitations on seasonal representation of CO2 levels in urban areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wojciech Bartz, Maciej Gorka, Justyna Rybak, Radoslaw Rutkowski, Agnieszka Stojanowska
Summary: Air pollution can be monitored using various methods. In this study, spider webs were used as passive samplers to test two analytical techniques, revealing a significant correlation between chemical and mineralogical composition, showing comparable results to quantitative analysis.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Agnieszka Stojanowska, Tomasz Mach, Tomasz Olszowski, Jan Stefan Bihalowicz, Maciej Gorka, Justyna Rybak, Malgorzata Rajfur, Pawel Swislowski
Summary: Spider web biomonitoring shows potential in monitoring potentially toxic elements, with results similar to those of continuous particulate monitoring (CPM). This new monitoring method has the possibility to become a commonly used tool in biomonitoring.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaroslav Bezyk, Izabela Sowka, Maciej Gorka
Summary: This study conducted in Wroclaw, Poland, analyzed the role and interactions of anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 emission sources and sinks, determining the processes controlling urban ecosystem-atmosphere gas exchange. The findings showed that biogenic fluxes accounted for about 16.3% of total city carbon emissions, being compensated by local vegetation C uptake, making Wroclaw a net biogenic C sink.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Maciej Gorka, Yaroslav Bezyk, Izabela Sowka
Summary: Landfills are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change. Spatial distribution and isotopic composition of methane and carbon dioxide around landfill sites show significant variability, and landfill management practices can play a role in reducing methane emissions into the air.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Maciej Gorka, Yaroslav Bezyk, Dariusz Strapoc, Jaroslaw Necki
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the origin of exhaust gases, including CO2 and CH4, from self-heating coal waste dumps. Methane enrichment from coal pyrolysis was identified as the primary source of methane emissions. Significant amounts of methane were found in hot spots near the dump, but there was limited impact on methane levels at distances up to 3 km away.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaroslav Bezyk, Izabela Sowka, Maciej Gorka, Jaroslaw Necki
Summary: The environmental changes associated with urbanization have a significant impact on soil-atmosphere gas exchange, which affects greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. This study investigates the factors controlling CH4 uptake in urban ecosystems and estimates its role in urban carbon balance. The results show that urban soil ecosystems act as sinks for atmospheric CH4, with the efficiency varying spatially and temporally.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Monika Maria Ciezka, Maciej Gorka, Agnieszka Trzyna, Magdalena Modelska, Anna Lubek, David Widory
Summary: The isotope biogeochemistry of bioindicators has been proven valuable in addressing environmental issues. This study presents a novel multi-proxy approach combining chemistry and both stable and radiogenic isotope systematics. By analyzing Hypogymnia physodes bioindicators, the air quality in the Swietokrzyski National Park in Poland was evaluated, with the aim of identifying isotopically the sources of contamination. The combination of isotope systematics revealed that home heating is the major source of contamination in winter, while road traffic contributes more during the summer. Pb isotope ratios identified industrial activities as the primary source of atmospheric lead.
ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Maciej Gorka, Agnieszka Trzyna, Anita Lewandowska, Anetta Drzeniecka-Osiadacz, Beata Miazga, Justyna Rybak, David Widory
Summary: This study aimed to understand the respective inputs of local and regional sources concentrations of PM2.5 in Legnica, SW Poland. It was found that higher concentrations in winter were mainly from an increased activity of local emission sources coupled with specific meteorological conditions, while the pollution levels in summer were explained by a mix of emissions from coal and bio/organic combustion and road traffic. By studying FTIR spectra, it was confirmed that incomplete combustion of fossil fuels was a major source in winter, while biogenic particles were dominant in summer. The findings suggest that a multi-proxy approach combining TC/OC/EC and FTIR with carbon isotope geochemistry provides a reliable evaluation tool for air quality and identifies the sources of PM2.5.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaroslav Bezyk, Maciej Gorka, Izabela Sowka, Jaroslaw Necki, Dariusz Strapoc
Summary: This research applies stable isotope source-partitioning studies to analyze the interactions between biogenic and anthropogenic CO2 and CH4 emissions. The study finds distinct temporal variations in atmospheric CO2 and CH4 levels and their isotopic composition. These findings are significant for understanding urban atmospheric pollution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Agnieszka Stojanowska, Maciej Gorka, Anita Urszula Lewandowska, Kinga Wisniewska, Magdalena Modelska, David Widory
Summary: The use of Abies alba needles as bio-passive samplers is a reliable method for monitoring aerosols, with the ability to distinguish between bio-organic aerosols and anthropogenically derived aerosols. One-year-old needles are the most reliable isotope bioindicators for this purpose, suggesting that they can be used for future air quality monitoring programs due to their low cost and ease of implementation.
AEROSOL AND AIR QUALITY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lena Rohe, Traute-Heidi Anderson, Heinz Flessa, Anette Goeske, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Nicole Wrage-Moennig, Reinhard Well
Summary: The study investigated the contribution of fungi to soil greenhouse gas emissions of N2O, finding that fungal denitrification in soil has a small impact on N2O fluxes.