TY - JOUR
T1 - Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics
T2 - Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area
AU - Lepistö, Teemu
AU - Barreira, Luis M.F.
AU - Helin, Aku
AU - Niemi, Jarkko V.
AU - Kuittinen, Niina
AU - Lintusaari, Henna
AU - Silvonen, Ville
AU - Markkula, Lassi
AU - Manninen, Hanna E.
AU - Timonen, Hilkka
AU - Jalava, Pasi
AU - Saarikoski, Sanna
AU - Rönkkö, Topi
N1 - Funding Information:
This work has received funding from BC Footprint project (530/31/2019) funded by Business Finland , participating companies and municipal actors.
PY - 2023/8/15
Y1 - 2023/8/15
N2 - Urban air fine particles are a major health-relating problem. However, it is not well understood how the health-relevant features of fine particles should be monitored. Limitations of PM2.5 (mass concentration of sub 2.5 μm particles), which is commonly used in the health effect estimations, have been recognized and, e.g., World Health Organization (WHO) has released good practice statements for particle number (PN) and black carbon (BC) concentrations (2021). In this study, a characterization of urban wintertime aerosol was done in three environments: a detached housing area with residential wood combustion, traffic-influenced streets in a city centre and near an airport. The particle characteristics varied significantly between the locations, resulting different average particle sizes causing lung deposited surface area (LDSA). Near the airport, departing planes had a major contribution on PN, and most particles were smaller than 10 nm, similarly as in the city centre. The high hourly mean PN (>20 000 1/cm3) stated in the WHO's good practices was clearly exceeded near the airport and in the city centre, even though traffic rates were reduced due to a SARS-CoV-2-related partial lockdown. In the residential area, wood combustion increased both BC and PM2.5, but also PN of sub 10 and 23 nm particles. The high concentrations of sub 10 nm particles in all the locations show the importance of the chosen lower size limit of PN measurement, e.g., WHO states that the lower limit should be 10 nm or smaller. Furthermore, due to ultrafine particle emissions, LDSA per unit PM2.5 was 1.4 and 2.4 times higher near the airport than in the city centre and the residential area, respectively, indicating that health effects of PM2.5 depend on urban environment as well as conditions, and emphasizing the importance of PN monitoring in terms of health effects related to local pollution sources.
AB - Urban air fine particles are a major health-relating problem. However, it is not well understood how the health-relevant features of fine particles should be monitored. Limitations of PM2.5 (mass concentration of sub 2.5 μm particles), which is commonly used in the health effect estimations, have been recognized and, e.g., World Health Organization (WHO) has released good practice statements for particle number (PN) and black carbon (BC) concentrations (2021). In this study, a characterization of urban wintertime aerosol was done in three environments: a detached housing area with residential wood combustion, traffic-influenced streets in a city centre and near an airport. The particle characteristics varied significantly between the locations, resulting different average particle sizes causing lung deposited surface area (LDSA). Near the airport, departing planes had a major contribution on PN, and most particles were smaller than 10 nm, similarly as in the city centre. The high hourly mean PN (>20 000 1/cm3) stated in the WHO's good practices was clearly exceeded near the airport and in the city centre, even though traffic rates were reduced due to a SARS-CoV-2-related partial lockdown. In the residential area, wood combustion increased both BC and PM2.5, but also PN of sub 10 and 23 nm particles. The high concentrations of sub 10 nm particles in all the locations show the importance of the chosen lower size limit of PN measurement, e.g., WHO states that the lower limit should be 10 nm or smaller. Furthermore, due to ultrafine particle emissions, LDSA per unit PM2.5 was 1.4 and 2.4 times higher near the airport than in the city centre and the residential area, respectively, indicating that health effects of PM2.5 depend on urban environment as well as conditions, and emphasizing the importance of PN monitoring in terms of health effects related to local pollution sources.
KW - Airport
KW - Biomass burning
KW - Human respiratory tract
KW - Mobile laboratory
KW - Traffic
KW - Ultrafine particles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85156118032&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068
M3 - Article
C2 - 37149021
AN - SCOPUS:85156118032
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 231
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
M1 - 116068
ER -
