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Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment
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Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Air".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 15530

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chiara Baldacchini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Dipartimento di Scienze Ecologiche e Biologiche (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
2. Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 05010 Porano, Italy
Interests: impact of nature-based solutions on environment and society; development of new techniques to assess the air quality mitigation by plants; use of urban forest for source apportionment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Matthew Tallis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
Interests: the benefits of vegetation in the urban environment; sustainable approaches in horticulture; the effects of climate change on plant growth and function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gevorg Tepanosyan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies of the National Academy of Sciences, Abovian-68, Yerevan 0025, Armenia
Interests: environmental geochemistry; urban environment; pollution; risk assessment; geostatistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the several environmental problems that affect human health, air pollution is widely recognized as the most severe one. Particulate matter (PM) plays an important role in this, being recognized as the fifth leading factor of death worldwide. However, the risk and the consequences on human health associated with PM largely depend on its size and chemical composition, which, in turn, vary depending on the pollution source.

This Special Issue is seeking original, unpublished papers that advance our understanding on the experimental techniques developed to monitor and characterize PMs in the environment, especially when assessing PMs’ size distribution and/or chemical composition, as well as in connection with the source apportionment. Experimental papers from both field and laboratory research are welcome, as well as modelling ones. The presentation of specific case-studies, which may span a range of spatial scales and environments, widening the interest window of this Special Issue, is also suggested.

Dr. Chiara Baldacchini
Dr. Matthew Tallis
Dr. Gevorg Tepanosyan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Air quality
  • Particulate Matter
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Airborne particle
  • Nature-based solutions
  • Urban forest
  • Carbon Storage

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6166 KiB  
Article
Monitoring the Spatial Variation of Aerosol Optical Depth and Its Correlation with Land Use/Land Cover in Wuhan, China: A Perspective of Urban Planning
by Qijiao Xie and Qi Sun
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 1132; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18031132 - 28 Jan 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3086
Abstract
Aerosols significantly affect environmental conditions, air quality, and public health locally, regionally, and globally. Examining the impact of land use/land cover (LULC) on aerosol optical depth (AOD) helps to understand how human activities influence air quality and develop suitable solutions. The Landsat 8 [...] Read more.
Aerosols significantly affect environmental conditions, air quality, and public health locally, regionally, and globally. Examining the impact of land use/land cover (LULC) on aerosol optical depth (AOD) helps to understand how human activities influence air quality and develop suitable solutions. The Landsat 8 image and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol products in summer in 2018 were used in LULC classification and AOD retrieval in this study. Spatial statistics and correlation analysis about the relationship between LULC and AOD were performed to examine the impact of LULC on AOD in summer in Wuhan, China. Results indicate that the AOD distribution expressed an obvious “basin effect” in urban development areas: higher AOD values concentrated in water bodies with lower terrain, which were surrounded by the high buildings or mountains with lower AOD values. The AOD values were negatively correlated with the vegetated areas while positively correlated to water bodies and construction lands. The impact of LULC on AOD varied with different contexts in all cases, showing a “context effect”. The regression correlations among the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference built-up index (NDBI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), and AOD in given landscape contexts were much stronger than those throughout the whole study area. These findings provide sound evidence for urban planning, land use management and air quality improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment)
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24 pages, 2627 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Treatment Analysis of Air Quality Including Particulate Pollutants: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China
by Bowen Jiang, Yuangang Li and Weixin Yang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(24), 9476; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17249476 - 17 Dec 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2618
Abstract
At present, China’s air pollution and its treatment effect are issues of general concern in the academic circles. Based on the analysis of the development stages of air pollution in China and the development history of China’s air quality standards, we selected 17 [...] Read more.
At present, China’s air pollution and its treatment effect are issues of general concern in the academic circles. Based on the analysis of the development stages of air pollution in China and the development history of China’s air quality standards, we selected 17 cities of Shandong Province, China as the research objects. By expanding China’s existing Air Quality Index System, the air quality of six major pollutants including PM2.5 and PM10 in 17 cities from February 2017 to January 2020 is comprehensively evaluated. Then, with a forecast model, the air quality of the above cities in the absence of air pollution control policies since June 2018 was simulated. The results of the error test show that the model has a maximum error of 4.67% when simulating monthly assessment scores, and the maximum mean error of the four months is 3.17%. Through the comparison between the simulation results and the real evaluation results of air quality, we found that since June 2018, the air pollution control policies of six cities have achieved more than 10% improvement, while the air quality of the other 11 cities declined. The different characteristics of pollutants and the implementation of governance policies are perhaps the main reasons for the above differences. Finally, policy recommendations for the future air pollution control in Shandong and China were provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment)
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19 pages, 4049 KiB  
Article
Innovative Characterization of Particulate Matter Deposited on Urban Vegetation Leaves through the Application of a Chemical Fractionation Procedure
by Martina Ristorini, Chiara Baldacchini, Lorenzo Massimi, Gregorio Sgrigna and Carlo Calfapietra
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17165717 - 07 Aug 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2563
Abstract
In this study, we have evaluated the efficiency of a chemical fractionation procedure for the characterization of both the water-soluble and the insoluble fraction of the main elemental components of particulate matter (PM) deposited on urban leaves. The proposed analytical approach is based [...] Read more.
In this study, we have evaluated the efficiency of a chemical fractionation procedure for the characterization of both the water-soluble and the insoluble fraction of the main elemental components of particulate matter (PM) deposited on urban leaves. The proposed analytical approach is based on the chemical analysis of leaf washing solutions and membrane filters used for their filtration. The ionic concentration of leaf washing solutions was compared with their electrical conductivity, making it a valuable proxy for the quantification of the water-soluble and ionic fraction of leaf deposited PM. The chemical composition of both the water-soluble and the insoluble fraction of PM, resulting from this fractionation procedure, was compared with results obtained by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersed X-Rays spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and processed through chemometrics. Results obtained proved that the proposed approach is able to provide an estimation of total leaf deposited PM and it is highly reliable for the evaluation of the emission impact of different PM sources, being able to increase the selectivity of PM elemental components as specific source tracers; consequently providing useful information also for the assessment of human health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment)
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15 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
Water Sorption by Different Types of Filter Media Used for Particulate Matter Collection Under Varying Temperature and Humidity Conditions
by Kamila Widziewicz-Rzońca and Malwina Tytła
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(14), 5180; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17145180 - 17 Jul 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2330
Abstract
The present study describes the effects of temperature and humidity on the level of water absorption by filter blanks most popularly used for gravimetric analyzes of particulate matter (PM) and the effects of those on the accuracy of its weight measurements. The main [...] Read more.
The present study describes the effects of temperature and humidity on the level of water absorption by filter blanks most popularly used for gravimetric analyzes of particulate matter (PM) and the effects of those on the accuracy of its weight measurements. The main parts of the research quantified the effect of temperature and humidity conditions on water contents quartz fiber (Q), fiberglass (G), PTFE, and nylon (N) filters. Supplementary studies were conducted to estimate the effects of temperature, humidity and material on mass loss/gain and the shape of water retention. All chemical analyses of water contents were performed by the Karl Fischer titration method. The results indicate that quartz filters are the most susceptible to the variations in water contents under changing humidity levels and therefore, less suitable to high accuracy determinations of PM mass compared to nylon or glass filters; PTFE performed the best due to their hydrophobicity. For PM water contents determinations, the best choice of filter media is PTFE. Although many other factors determine the choice of filter type for PM analyses, the present study is an important contribution to knowledge of assessing the suitability of different types of filter material for specific measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment)
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16 pages, 3201 KiB  
Article
Assessment of 10-nm Particle Number (PN) Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) for Future Regulations
by Barouch Giechaskiel, Tero Lähde, Sawan Gandi, Stefan Keller, Philipp Kreutziger and Athanasios Mamakos
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(11), 3878; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17113878 - 30 May 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3954
Abstract
The particle number (PN) emissions of vehicles equipped with particulate filters are low. However, there are technologies that can have high PN levels, especially below the currently lower regulated particle size of 23 nm. Sub-23-nm particles are also considered at least as dangerous [...] Read more.
The particle number (PN) emissions of vehicles equipped with particulate filters are low. However, there are technologies that can have high PN levels, especially below the currently lower regulated particle size of 23 nm. Sub-23-nm particles are also considered at least as dangerous as the larger ultrafine particles. For this reason, the European Union (EU) is planning to regulate particles down to 10 nm. In this study we compared prototype portable emission measurement systems (PEMS) and reference laboratory systems measuring from 10 nm. The tests included cycles and constant speeds, using vehicles fuelled with diesel, gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The results showed that the PEMS were within ±40% of the reference systems connected to the tailpipe and the dilution tunnel. Based on the positive findings and the detection efficiencies of the prototype instruments, a proposal for the technical specifications for the future regulation was drafted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring and Characterizing Particulate Matter in Environment)
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