Due to the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 in Croatia, all unnecessary activities were prohibited during the designated lockdown period (March–May 2020). With reduced human activity, levels of some air ...pollutants decreased. In this study, mass concentrations of the PM
1
particle fraction (particulate matter with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter < 1 μm) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM
1
and NO
2
were measured and compared with concentrations measured in the same period the year before. Air pollutant concentrations were measured at two measuring sites: urban residential and urban traffic. Our results show a concentration decrease by 35% for NO
2
and PM
1
particles and by 26% for total PAHs at the traffic measuring site. At the residential measuring site, only concentrations of NO
2
decreased slightly, but PM
1
particles and PAHs were similar to the year before.
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.
Praćenje razina koncentracija PM2,5 frakcije lebdećih čestica kao i određivanje njihova kemijskog sastava od velike je važnosti s obzirom na to da su brojna istraživanja pokazala povezanost te ...frakcije čestica i štetnih učinaka na zdravlje ljudi i kvalitetu okoliša. Na mjernoj postaji smještenoj na području Nacionalnog parka Plitvička jezera sakupljani su 24-satni uzorci frakcije lebdećih čestica PM2,5 na filtrima od kvarcnih vlakana tijekom 2015. godine. Masene koncentracije frakcije lebdećih čestica PM2,5 gravimetrijski su određene, dok su masene koncentracije organskog (OC) i elementnog (EC) ugljika određene metodom termičko-optičke transmisije. Najviše masene koncentracije lebdećih čestica, OC-a i EC-a izmjerene su ljeti, dok su najniže izmjerene zimi.
Ovo djelo je dano na korištenje pod licencom Creative Commons Imenovanje 4.0 međunarodna .
More than eight million premature deaths annually can be attributed to air pollution, with 99% of the world's population residing in areas below recommended air quality standards. Hence, the present ...study aimed to examine the association between primary DNA damage and air pollution data among 123 participants enrolled between 2011 and 2015 in Zagreb, Croatia. While most measured air pollutants adhered to regulatory limits, benzoapyrene concentrations bound to PM
exceeded them. Factorial analysis narrowed down air pollution data to four exposure factors (particulate matter, two metal factors, and other pollutants). Despite the absence of significant positive associations between modeled air pollution exposure factors and comet assay descriptors (tail length, tail intensity, tail moment, and highly damaged nuclei), the critical health implications of air pollution warrant further investigations, particularly with biomarkers of exposure and different biomarkers of effect in populations facing air pollution exposure.
Atmospheric bulk and wet deposition samples were collected simultaneously at the background coastal site in the Eastern Middle Adriatic region in order to assess the impact of major ions (Cl
, NO
, ...SO
, Na
, K
, NH
, Mg
, Ca
) on deposition acidity and distinguish the main sources. Higher ion levels were observed during the cold period, especially for Cl
, Na
, Mg
and K
. Dust intrusion caused significant increases in levels of Ca
, Mg
and K
, while open-fire events increased the levels of K
. Deposition acidity showed seasonal differences as well as the influence of dust intrusion. Low ionic balance ratios indicated acidic deposition properties and the presence of organic anions. The highest neutralization ability was found for Ca
, Na
and NH
. Several natural (marine, crustal) and anthropogenic sources were determined, as well as the formation of secondary aerosols. Wet deposition was characterized by higher contribution of sea salt fraction compared to bulk deposition and lower contribution of crustal fraction.
Accreditation in accordance with the international General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard) has become a widely accepted method ...of quality management and objective evidence of technical competence, knowledge, and skills of testing and calibration laboratories. In 2010, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMROH) had its management system accredited against the HRN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard for the following scopes: determination of radioactivity, testing of ambient air quality, and testing in the scope of ionising radiation protection. This accreditation encompassed three laboratories: Radiation Protection Unit, Environmental Hygiene Unit, and the Radiation Dosimetry and Radiobiology Unit. In accordance with the rules of the Croatian Accreditation Agency, the second re-accreditation is due in 2020. This paper describes and discusses the quality management system at IMROH over the ten years of its implementation. We share our experiences about non-conformities discovered during regular work, internal audits, and external audits performed by the Croatian Accreditation Agency. The accredited management system significantly improved the performance of the accredited units, and the Institute increased its visibility and marketing advantage, consequently improving its market position.
We studied the occurrence and levels of hexachlorobenzene, α-, β-, and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, 4,4'-DDT, 4,4'-DDE, 4,4'-DDD, and 17 PCBs (six indicator and eleven other toxicologically significant ...congeners) in PM.sub.10 and/or PM.sub.2.5 particle fractions collected between 2000 and 2003 and in 2010 at a site in the northern residential part of Zagreb, Croatia. Twenty-four-hour particle samples were collected on glass or quartz microfibre filters from approximately 100 m.sup.3 of ambient air per filter. Filters with particles collected over seven consecutive days were combined for ultrasonic extraction with 1: 1 acetone : n-hexane mixture followed by capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection. In the monitored periods, the mass concentrations of organochlorine compounds in atmospheric particles were characteristic of global environmental pollution and showed a decreasing trend. Local input was observed only for γ-hexachlorocyclohexane. There were no pronounced seasonal variations in the mass fraction levels of any pesticide or PCB in airborne particles. A decreasing trend in the mass concentrations of some compounds with higher air temperatures was mostly related to the lower particle concentrations in warmer seasons and, consequently, to less particle-bound organochlorine compounds in the atmosphere. Keywords: organochlorine pesticides, PM.sub.10, PM.sub.2.5, polychlorinated biphenyls
Narrow city streets surrounded by tall buildings are favorable to inducing a general effect of a “canyon” in which pollutants strongly accumulate in a relatively small area because of weak or ...inexistent ventilation. In this study, levels of nitrogen-oxide (NO2), elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) mass concentrations in PM10 particles were determined to compare between seasons and different years. Daily samples were collected at one such street canyon location in the center of Zagreb in 2011, 2012 and 2013. By applying machine learning methods we showed seasonal and yearly variations of mass concentrations for carbon species in PM10 and NO2, as well as their covariations and relationships. Furthermore, we compared the predictive capabilities of five regressors (Lasso, Random Forest, AdaBoost, Support Vector Machine and Partials Least squares) with Lasso regression being the overall best performing algorithm. By showing the feature importance for each model, we revealed true predictors per target. These measurements and application of machine learning of pollutants were done for the first time at a street canyon site in the city of Zagreb, Croatia.
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•Applying Machine Learning Methods of traffic-related pollutants at a street canyon site, Croatia.•Selection of features and ability to explain model were improved with permutation importance.•The predictivity of pollutants by regression models increases in order PM10 < NO2 < EC < OC.•Test predictivity of pollutants are important for future urban planning and air quality.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds known for their adverse effects on human health. Many of them are proven carcinogens, especially those with 5 and 6 aromatic rings, which under ...normal tropospheric conditions are found in the particle-phase. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is often measured as their general representative. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is among the European cities with the poorest air quality. However, in Sarajevo PAHs are neither routinely measured within the air quality monitoring network nor have been a subject of extended, continuous field studies during the most polluted cold periods of the year. The capital of Croatia, Zagreb, is located approximately 300 km air distance north-west from Sarajevo. PAH mass concentrations in Zagreb have been measured continuously since 1994 within air quality monitoring networks. During winter 2017/2018, the SAFICA project (Sarajevo Canton Winter Field Campaign 2018) was carried out in order to characterize the chemical composition of organic and inorganic aerosol in the Sarajevo Canton. This paper presents the results of PAH measurements in the cities of Sarajevo and Zagreb at one urban location per city. Daily (24 h), continuous samples of PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm) were collected during heating season, from December 27, 2017 to February 27, 2018. Mass concentrations of eleven particle-phase PAHs in Sarajevo and Zagreb from filter samples collected during the same period were compared. The average BaP ambient mass concentrations in Sarajevo and Zagreb were 6.93 ng m−3 and 3.11 ng m−3, respectively. The contribution of BaP to the total PAH mass concentration was similar at both locations (11%). However, much higher contributions of particle-phase fluoranthene and pyrene were found in Sarajevo. Contributions of individual PAH, diagnostic ratios and factor analysis indicate that combustion of gasoline and diesel from vehicle traffic are a potential source of PAHs at both locations, as well as combustion of other liquid fossil fuels (petroleum and fuel oil). Wood burning was occasionally indicated as a PAH emission source in Zagreb, while in Sarajevo the contribution of PAHs from wood and coal combustion was more evident. Calculated value for total carcinogenic potency (TCP) of PAHs, which was estimated using toxic equivalence factors from the literature, in PM10 samples collected in Sarajevo was more than twice higher than in Zagreb (10.6 ng m−3 and 4.7 ng m−3, respectively). BaP had the highest contribution to the TCP at both locations (69 and 67%).
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•11 particle-phase PAHs in Sarajevo, B&H and Zagreb, Croatia were analyzed.•The first study of PAHs in PM10 for continuous two-month winter period in Sarajevo•Traffic and heating were identified as a potential PAH sources at both locations.•The contribution of PAHs from wood and coal combustion was more evident in Sarajevo.•PAH carcinogenic potency in Sarajevo was found to be among the highest in Europe.
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