Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area

Teemu Lepistö; Luis M.F. Barreira; Aku Helin; Jarkko V. Niemi; Niina Kuittinen; Henna Lintusaari; Ville Silvonen; Lassi Markkula; Hanna E. Manninen; Hilkka Timonen; Pasi Jalava; Sanna Saarikoski; Topi Rönkkö

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068

Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area

Teemu Lepistö^*, Luis M.F. Barreira, Aku Helin, Jarkko V. Niemi, Niina Kuittinen, Henna Lintusaari, Ville Silvonen, Lassi Markkula, Hanna E. Manninen, Hilkka Timonen, Pasi Jalava, Sanna Saarikoski, Topi Rönkkö

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at VTT

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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 PM_2.5 (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 PM_2.5, 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 PM_2.5 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 PM_2.5 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.

Original language	English
Article number	116068
Journal	Environmental Research
Volume	231
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068
Publication status	Published - 15 Aug 2023
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This work is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 814978 (TUBE: Transport-derived ultrafines and the brain effects). This work has received funding from BC Footprint project (530/31/2019) funded by Business Finland, participating companies and municipal actors. We gratefully acknowledge Academy of Finland Flagship funding Atmosphere and Climate Competence Centre, ACCC (grant no. 337552, 337551).

Keywords

Airport
Biomass burning
Human respiratory tract
Mobile laboratory
Traffic
Ultrafine particles

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Lepistö, T., Barreira, L. M. F., Helin, A., Niemi, J. V., Kuittinen, N., Lintusaari, H., Silvonen, V., Markkula, L., Manninen, H. E., Timonen, H., Jalava, P., Saarikoski, S., & Rönkkö, T. (2023). Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area. Environmental Research, 231, Article 116068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068

@article{6974c447690b47b99e19097a27b46f38,

title = "Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "Airport, Biomass burning, Human respiratory tract, Mobile laboratory, Traffic, Ultrafine particles",

author = "Teemu Lepist{\"o} and Barreira, \{Luis M.F.\} and Aku Helin and Niemi, \{Jarkko V.\} and Niina Kuittinen and Henna Lintusaari and Ville Silvonen and Lassi Markkula and Manninen, \{Hanna E.\} and Hilkka Timonen and Pasi Jalava and Sanna Saarikoski and Topi R{\"o}nkk{\"o}",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068",

language = "English",

volume = "231",

journal = "Environmental Research",

issn = "0013-9351",

publisher = "Academic Press",

}

Lepistö, T, Barreira, LMF, Helin, A, Niemi, JV, Kuittinen, N, Lintusaari, H, Silvonen, V, Markkula, L, Manninen, HE, Timonen, H, Jalava, P, Saarikoski, S & Rönkkö, T 2023, 'Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area', Environmental Research, vol. 231, 116068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116068

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

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 - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85156118032

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 -

Snapshots of wintertime urban aerosol characteristics: Local sources emphasized in ultrafine particle number and lung deposited surface area

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this