The aim of this study is to interpret the variation of precipitation chemistry during the last 25 years in Montseny (NE Spain) by taking into account the main air mass transport routes and emission ...sources. To this end, trajectory cluster analysis and source–receptor models were applied to an early monitoring period (1984–1993) and compared to a more recent one (1998–2009). A decrease of Atlantic advections and increase of African and European air flows was found. Cluster analysis and source–receptor approaches showed that this region is under the influence of natural and anthropogenic sources from the local and long-range scale. Sulphate and H+ source areas extended over a vast stretch of central Europe in the early period, but were drastically reduced in the recent period, showing the effectiveness of pollution abatement measures for S. On the other hand, NO3− sources areas from central Europe strikingly increased. Ship emissions and industrialisation in Eastern Europe and North Africa seem to be acquiring a greater role in the recent period.
► Precipitation SO42− and H+ decreased but NO3− increased (p < 0,05) at a NE Spain site. ► In 1984–1993 these pollutants were mostly originated in central and eastern Europe. ► Recently this shifted to marine traffic and eastern Europe and North Africa emissions.
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Building-integrated rooftop greenhouse (i-RTG) agriculture has intensified in recent years, due to the growing interest in the development of new agricultural spaces and in the ...promotion of food self-sufficiency in urban areas. This paper provides a first assessment of the indoor dynamics of bioaerosols in an i-RTG, with the aim of evaluating biological air quality in a tomato greenhouse near Barcelona. It evaluates the greenhouse workers' exposure to airborne pollen and fungal spores in order to prevent allergy problems associated with occupational tasks. Moreover, it evaluates whether the quality of the hot air accumulated in the i-RTG is adequate for recirculation to heat the building.
Daily airborne pollen and fungal spore concentrations were measured simultaneously in the indoor and outdoor environments during the warm season. A total of 4,924pollengrains/m3 were observed in the i-RTG, with a peak of 334pollengrains/m3day, and a total of 295,038 fungal spores were observed, reaching a maximum concentration of 26,185spores/m3day. In general, the results showed that the most important source of pollen grains and fungal spores observed indoors was the outdoor environment. However, Solanaceae pollen and several fungal spore taxa, such as the allergenic Aspergillus/Penicillium, largely originated inside the greenhouses or were able to colonize the indoor environment under favourable growing conditions. Specific meteorological conditions and agricultural management tasks are related to the highest observed indoor concentrations of pollen grains and fungal spores. Therefore, preventive measures have been suggested in order to reduce or control the levels of bioaerosols indoors (to install a system to interrupt the recirculation of air to the building during critical periods or to implement appropriate air filters in ventilation air ducts). This first evaluation could help in making decisions to prevent the development of fungal diseases, specifically those due to Oidium and Torula.
This work provides a first assessment of the possible barrier effect of the Pyrenees on the atmospheric transport of airborne pollen from Europe to the North of the Iberian Peninsula. Aerobiological ...data recorded in three Spanish stations located at the eastern, central and western base of the Pyrenees in the period 2004–2014 have been used to identify the possible long range transport episodes of Betula pollen. The atmospheric transport routes and the origin regions have been established by means of trajectory analysis and a source receptor model. Betula pollen outbreaks were associated with the meteorological scenario characterized by the presence of a high-pressure system overm over Morocco and Southern Iberian Peninsula. France and Central Europe have been identified as the probable source areas of Betula pollen that arrives to Northern Spain. However, the specific source areas are mainly determined by the particular prevailing atmospheric circulation of each location. Finally, the Weather Research and Forecasting model highlighted the effect of the orography on the atmospheric transport patterns, showing paths through the western and easternmost lowlands for Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bellaterra respectively, and the direct impact of air flows over Vielha through the Garona valley.
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•France and Central Europe are potential source areas of Betula pollen reaching Northern Iberian Peninsula.•WRF model highlighted the effect of the orography on the atmospheric transport patterns across Pyrenees.•Betula pollen outbreaks were associated to the presence of a high over British Islands reinforced by a low over NW Africa.
Climatic oscillations triggered by the atmospheric modes of the Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns have an important influence on the atmospheric circulation at synoptic scale in Western ...Mediterranean Basin. Simultaneously, this climate variability could affect a variety of ecological processes. This work provides a first assessment of the effect of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) on the atmospheric long-range pollen transport episodes in the North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula for the period 1994–2011. Alnus, Ambrosia, Betula, Corylus and Fagus have been selected as allergenic pollen taxa with potential long-range transport associated to the Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns in the Western Mediterranean Basin. The results showed an increase of long range pollen transport episodes of: (1) Alnus, Corylus and Fagus from Western and Central Europe during the negative phase of annual NAO and AO; (2) Ambrosia, Betula and Fagus from Europe during the negative phase of winter WeMO; (3) Corylus and Fagus from Mediterranean area during the positive phase of the annual AO; and (4) Ambrosia from France and Northern Europe during the positive phase of winter WeMO. Conversely, the positive phase of annual NAO and AO are linked with the regional transport of Alnus, Betula and Corylus from Western Iberian Peninsula. The positive phase of annual WeMO was also positively correlated with regional transport of Corylus from this area.
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•Teleconnection patterns influence atmospheric circulation in Mediterranean basin.•Effects of climatic variability on airborne pollen transport were examined.•Pollen transport from Europe was related with negative NAOi, AOi and WeMOi.•Pollen transport from S and W Europe was linked with positive AOi and WeMOi.
Pollen allergenicity plays an important role on human health and wellness. It is thus of large public interest to increase our knowledge of pollen grain behavior in the atmosphere (source, emission, ...processes involved during their transport, etc.) at fine temporal and spatial scales. First simulations with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center NMMB/BSC-CTM model of
Platanus
and
Pinus
dispersion in the atmosphere were performed during a 5-day pollination event observed in Barcelona, Spain, between 27 – 31 March, 2015. The simulations are compared to vertical profiles measured with the continuous Barcelona Micro Pulse Lidar system. First results show that the vertical distribution is well reproduced by the model in shape, but not in intensity, the model largely underestimating in the afternoon. Guidelines are proposed to improve the dispersion of airborne pollen by numerical prediction models.
Wet-only, dry-only, bulk deposition and deposition of sedimentary particles and gases deposited after the last rain (DAR) were collected weekly at La Castanya station in the Montseny mountains (NE ...Spain, 41°46′N, 2°21′E) from February 2009 to July 2010. These samples were analysed for pH, alkalinity, and the concentrations of major ions (Cl
−
, NO
3
−
, SO
4
2−
, Na
+
, K
+
, Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, NH
4
+
). Significant differences were observed between bulk and wet-only precipitation, with an enrichment of ions associated to coarse particles in bulk deposition. The comparison between wet and dry fluxes revealed that the removal of compounds at Montseny occurred mainly by wet deposition, which accounted for 74 % of total deposition. The dry flux was characterised by the predominance of K
+
, Ca
2+
and Mg
2+
, which are related to coarse particles. Bulk collection methods at Montseny were considered representative of total atmospheric deposition, since bulk deposition plus DAR accounted for 97 % of total deposition measured with wet and dry-only collection devices. Thus, bulk deposition collectors can be recommended for deposition networks at remote sites (lacking electricity connection) in environments, where coarse particles are a predominant fraction of the aerosol mass.
Using 22 pollen taxa collected at 6 localities in Catalonia (NE Spain) during the period 1994−2011, we show that climate variability associated with Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns (North ...Atlantic Oscillation, Arctic Oscillation and Western Mediterranean Oscillation) affects both seasonal pollen production and the timing of the airborne pollen season. For most of the studied pollen taxa, positive phases of the 3 climatic indices were related to a decrease in the seasonal pollen index and an advance and enlargement of the pollen season. Furthermore, for most taxa, negative phases of the climatic indices were linked to higher pollen production via an increase in rainfall. A clear relationship between climatic indices and the end of the pollen season was not observed. Since pollen parameters correlate more strongly with the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index (WeMOi) than other indices, the WeMOi negative trend observed over the last decades needs to be confirmed to properly identify its effect on ecosystems and public health in the western Mediterranean basin.
Air pollutant concentrations in many urban areas are still above the legal and recommended limits that are set to protect the citizens’ health. Madrid is one of the cities where traffic causes high ...NO2 levels. In this context, Madrid City Council launched the Air Quality and Climate Change Plan for the city of Madrid (Plan A), a local strategy approved by the previous government in 2017. The aim of this study was to conduct a quantitative health impact assessment to evaluate the number of premature deaths that could potentially be prevented by the implementation of Plan A in Madrid in 2020, at both citywide and within-city level. The main purpose was to support decision-making processes in order to maximize the positive health impacts from the implementation of Plan A measures.
The Regional Statistical Office provided information on population and daily mortality in Madrid. For exposure assessment, we estimated PM2.5, NO2 and O3 concentration levels for Madrid city in 2012 (baseline air-quality scenario) and 2020 (projected air-quality scenario based on the implementation of Plan A), by means of an Eulerian chemical-transport model with a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km and 30 vertical levels. We used the concentration-response functions proposed by two relevant WHO projects to calculate the number of attributable annual deaths corresponding to all non-accidental causes (ICD-10: A00-R99) among all-ages and the adult population (>30 years old) for each district and for Madrid city overall. This health impact assessment was conducted dependant on health-data availability.
In 2020, the implementation of Plan A would imply a reduction in the Madrid citywide annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 0.6 μg/m3 and 4.0 μg/m3 for NO2. In contrast, an increase of 1 μg/m3 for O3 would be expected. The annual number of all-cause deaths from long-term exposure (95% CI) that could be postponed in the adult population by the expected air-pollutant concentration reduction was 88 (57–117) for PM2.5 and 519 (295–750) for NO2; short-term exposure accounted for 20 (7–32) for PM2.5 and 79 (47–111) for NO2 in the total population. According to the spatial distribution of air pollutants, the highest mortality change estimations were for the city centre – including Madrid Central and mainly within the M-30 ring road –, as compared to peripheral districts. The positive health impacts from the reductions in PM2.5 and NO2 far exceeded the adverse mortality effects expected from the increase in O3.
Effective implementation of Plan A measures in Madrid city would bring about an appreciable decline in traffic-related air-pollutant concentrations and, in turn, would lead to significant health-related benefits.
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•Madrid launched the Air Quality and Climate Change Plan (Plan A) in 2017.•Plan A implementation would imply a reduction in traffic-related air pollution.•Plan A measures could postpone more than 500 all-cause deaths annually.•Plan A successful enforcement would lead to significant health-related benefits.
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