The aim of this study was to determine the mass fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil of the Labin city area (west Croatia) as a consequence of the pollution caused by ...centuries old Raša coal mining and associated metal processing and foundry industries. Samples of topsoil down to 10-cm depth, following the removal of plant cover, were collected, air-dried, and sieved to <2 mm. Afterwards, they were extracted, and PAH levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescence detector with a varying wavelength of excitation and emission (HPLC/FLD). The results showed substantially elevated levels of PAHs across the study area. The soil pollution with PAHs increased in the direction towards the Raša Bay, where a former coal separation unit was in operation decades ago. The results demonstrated the presence of pyrolitic PAHs that resulted from Raša coal combustion at high temperatures in power plants, and unburnt coal-derived PAHs formed by Raša coal carbonization. This paper for the first time reports levels of PAHs in soil of the Labin city area, establishing them as higher than the values set by Croatian legislation. Therefore, this study clearly calls for immediate clean-up measures in order to solve the environmental pollution issue of the vulnerable local karst area.
A measurement station located in an urban area on the southern slope of the Medvednica Mountain (120 m a.s.l.), close to the Croatian capital Zagreb, provided data for an analysis of the photosmog in ...the city of Zagreb. Data for the period 2003–2016 obtained from this station and analysed in this work can also be compared with the nearby Puntijarka station (980 m a.s.l.) for which a similar analysis has already been carried out. In Puntijarka station analysis, it has been shown that there is most probably no significant change in ozone concentrations during the observed period. In this study the mean value of the annual ozone volume fractions showed a linear trend of 0.23 ppb yr
−1
, a growth that is in the worst case scenario among the lowest global prediction, while the seasonal (April-to-September) mean values had a trend of 0.32 ppb yr
−1
, which is a certain clearly observable growth. The 95-percentile values had trends of 0.009 ppb yr
−1
(annual data) and −0.072 ppb yr
−1
(seasonal data), respectively. Both of these values show very small changes if any at all. By using FT analysis, with the calculation of uncertainties, we have observed three prominent cycles of 169 ± 4 h (weekly cycle), 24 ± 1 h and 12 ± 1 h (diurnal cycles). Uncertainties were low which strongly indicate that the cycles are present. However, since high concentrations of ozone were observed only sporadically, ozone pollution in the northern part of Zagreb is at the present rather low. A Fourier transformation was used to analyse the data for periodic behaviour, which revealed the existence of diurnal and weekly modulations. Nevertheless, constant monitoring is important and will continue in the future as part of continuous monitoring of the ozone levels in the area.
Air pollution is recognized as one of the most serious public health issues worldwide and was declared to be a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. At the same time, the cytokinesis-block ...micronucleus (CBMN) assay serves as a cancer predictive method that is extensively used in human biomonitoring for populations exposed to environmental contamination. The objective of this cross-sectional study is two-fold: to evaluate genomic instability in a sample (N = 130) of healthy, general population residents from Zagreb (Croatia), chronically exposed to different levels of air pollution, and to relate them to air pollution levels in the period from 2011 to 2015. Measured frequencies of CBMN assay parameters were in agreement with the baseline data for the general population of Croatia. Air pollution exposure was based on four factors obtained from a factor analysis of all exposure data obtained for the examined period. Based on the statistical results, we did not observe a significant positive association between any of the CBMN assay parameters tested and measured air pollution parameters for designated time windows, except for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) that showed significant negative association. Our results show that measured air pollution parameters are largely below the regulatory limits, except for BaP, and as such, they do not affect CBMN assay parameters' frequency. Nevertheless, as air pollution is identified as a major health threat, it is necessary to conduct prospective studies investigating the effect of air pollution on genome integrity and human health.
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of traffic density on air pollutant levels as well as to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of particulate pollutants and their health ...risk. The following species related to traffic pollution were measured: PM
10
, elemental and organic carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM
10
and gas pollutants (SO
2
, NO
2
and CO). The measurements were carried out at four crossroad sites in the city. Samples of PM
10
were collected over three periods (6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am) on working days and weekends. Statistically significant differences were found between sampling sites for all pollutant concentrations, except for NO
2
. The highest mass concentrations of PM
10
, carbon and PAHs were observed in the south of the city with the highest traffic density. Concentrations of gasses (CO and NO
2
) showed high values in morning and in the late afternoon and evening (west and east). At all measuring sites, the highest concentration of particle-bound pollutants was mostly recorded during morning and afternoon, except at the south, where elevated PAHs concentrations were recorded during night period, which indicated that residential heating takes up a portion of pollution sources in this area. Although for most of the pollutants the concentrations varied during the day, statistically significant differences between sampling periods were not found. The highest health risk was obtained at the south, where it was scored as significant.
IMROH's Division of Environmental Hygiene is a testing laboratory accredited in accordance with the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for 14 measuring methods in the field of ambient air ...quality and is a national reference laboratory for measurements of particulate matter and its content. In addition to the professional work of ambient air quality monitoring, the Division continuously conducts scientific research, studying spatial and temporal variability, interactions and assessment of the possible impact of polluted air on health and the environment. In 1997, she started working at the Environmental Hygiene Unit of the IIMROH. Since the beginning of her employment at IMROH, she has participated in scientific research and professional work in the field of air quality, including optimization and development of measuring methods, the study of atmospheric oxidants (ozone, peroxides), and carcinogenic pollutants related to airborne particulate matter.
Inhalation of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to particulate matter can have adverse effects on human health. Particle size plays an important role in assessing health ...risks. The aim of this study was to compare concentrations of PAHs in different particle fractions. Measurements of PAHs were carried out in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia (~ 790,000 inhabitants). The measuring station was located in the northern, residential part of Zagreb, close to a street with modest traffic density. Twenty-four-hour samples of PM
10
, PM
2.5
and PM
1
particle fraction were collected on quartz filters using a low-volume sampler from about 50 m
3
of air. Three fractions were collected from January to December 2013. The analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector and time-programmed changes in excitation and emission. Comparison of PAH content in PM
10
and PM
2.5
particle fractions revealed that more than 80% of PAHs measured in winter were bound to the smaller particle fraction (PM
2.5
), except for Chry, IP and DahA. In summer, more than 60% of measured PAHs were bound to PM
2.5
particles, except for DahA, while in spring, more than 50% of measured PAHs were bound to PM
2.5
particles, except for Flu, BaP and BbF. Furthermore, comparing PAH content in PM
1
and PM
2.5
fractions, we found that most PAHs were bound to particle fraction PM
1
, and the percentage of PAHs in PM
1
was the highest in winter (more than 90%). Factor analysis showed that most of the PAHs bound to PM
10
, PM
2.5
and PM
1
probably had identical sources in winter, spring and summer (house heating and traffic), and the only significant difference in origin was found in autumn for PAHs bound to PM
2.5
and PM
1
fractions.
This paper present seasonal variation in the equivalent concentration (BaPeq) of PAHs in order to assess the potential cancer risk for two different groups of residents via ingestion, dermal contact ...and inhalation pathways. The possible ecological risk caused by PAH atmospheric deposition based on risk quotient was also estimated. A bulk (total, wet and dry) deposition and PM10 particle fraction (particles with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter < 10 µm) were collected from June 2020 to May 2021 at an urban residential location in the northern part of Zagreb, Croatia. The monthly average of total equivalent BaPeq mass concentrations of PM10 varied from 0.057 ng m−3 in July to 3.656 ng m−3 in December; the annul ∑BaPeq average was 1.348 ng m−3. In bulk deposition, ∑BaPeq mass concentrations varied from 1.94 to 57.60 ng L−1. In both investigated media, BaP had the highest contribution in carcinogenic activity. For PM10 media, dermal absorption implied the greatest potential cancer risk, followed by ingestion and inhalation. For bulk media, a moderate ecological risk for BaA, BbF and BaP was observed according to the risk quotient approach.
The mass concentrations and content of water-soluble anions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42−) and cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) in the PM2.5 particle fraction were measured, and an investigation of their ...relationship and their contribution to the total PM2.5 mass measured was conducted at an urban background site as part of the Croatian monitoring network for air quality located in Rijeka, Croatia. Daily samples of PM2.5 particle fraction were collected over 2017 on PTFE filters using a low volume sampler Sven Leckel SEQ 47/50. Mass concentrations of the PM2.5 particle fraction were determined by gravimetry according to the standard HRN EN 12341:2014 (EN 12341:2014). The content of water-soluble inorganic anions and cations were determined using a Thermo Scientific ICS-5000 capillary ion chromatograph. Results show that the annual average PM2.5 mass concentration was 9.65 μg m-3 and did not exceed the limit value of 25 μg m-3 given by the Regulation on the level of pollutants in air (OG No. 117/12). The annual average mass concentrations of ions in PM2.5 particle fraction was SO42−> NH4+> NO3− > Ca2+> K+> Na+> Cl− > Mg2+. The contributions of total anion mass and total cation mass to the total PM2.5 mass were 25.4% and 12.8%, respectively. The acidic property of PM2.5 was obtained in spring and winter and slightly acidic in summer and autumn. For a prediction of the pollutant sources, we ran a factor analysis which was performed using the statistical packages STATISTICA 13.0. After varimax rotation, the obtained four principal component factors were found to account for 86% of the variance. Factor loadings > 0.7 were considered significant.
•The annual average mass concentrations of PM2.5 did not exceed the limit value.•The average ion mass concentrations was SO42− > NH4+> NO3− > Ca2+> K+> Na+> Cl− > Mg2+.•The most contributing ions to the total PM2.5 mass were SO42−, NH4+ and NO3−•Strong correlation indicated presence secondary aerosols (NH4)2SO4, NH4HSO4, NH4NO3.•Results implies acidic property of PM2.5
The participants of "Air Protection 2021" presented their experiences and the issues they encounter in their work through the 54 presentations in following topics: * Topic 1 - Managing air quality - ...inspection and control * Topic 2 - Atmospheric emissions of pollutants * Topic 3 - Monitoring ambient air pollution * Topic 4 - Developing and testing measuring methods * Topic 5 - Estimating exposure to air pollutants and impact on health * Topic 6 - Air Protection in physical planning, construction, and environmental protection * Topic 7 - EFCA session "Air pollution from shipping emissions" * Topic 8 - IUAPPA and Global Forum special session: "Respiratory pandemics and air pollution: exploring the links" The conference started on 15th September with three introductory lectures: * Richard Mills (IUAPPA): GLOBAL AIR POLLUTION: LESSONS FROM THE LAST 20 YEARS * Sandra Krmpotić, Nina Zovko, Gordan Došen (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia): AN OVERVIEW OF LEGISLATION IN THE FIELD OF AIR QUALITY AT NATIONAL AND EU LEVEL * Vedranka Bobić (Expert witness for environmental protection, occupational safety and environmental accidents): EXPERT WITNESS EXAMINATION AND COURT PRACTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS NOT REGULATED BY LAW- ODOURS Introductory lectures were followed by 17 presentations in Croatian on Topic 1, 2, and 3. Due to her effort CAPPA was first admitted to IUAPPA and then in 1998 to EFCA, where Vladimira Vaðić held its vice-presidency since 2020 until her retirement. Since 2019 she is a honorary member of CAPPA. ...Andrzej Jagusiewicz held a presentation on the cost and environmental benefits of IMO regulations of shiporiginated SOx and NOx emissions, assessed for the case of the Baltic sea.
This study examined a method for determination of rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) in particulate matter using standard solutions, model samples and certified reference materials (NIST ...1648a and ERM CZ120). The method was based on microwave digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that the stability of the standard solution mixture of Rh, Pd and Pt was better when chlorides were present in the solution. A membrane filter and one type of quartz filter were the most adequate for analyzing platinum group elements (PGE). Respective limits of detection for Rh, Pd and Pt were 0.028, 0.503 and 0.0265 pg/m
3
with a membrane filter and 0.478, 4.530 and 0.070 pg/m
3
for one type of quartz filters. The sample matrix had no significant effects on the determination of three PGEs.
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