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Atmosphere
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Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects
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Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (4 July 2020) | Viewed by 51972

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yevgen Nazarenko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
Interests: emerging nanoscale air pollutants; air pollutants in northern environments; health and environmental effects of air pollution; indoor air pollutants; regulation of nanotechnology; nanosafety; industrial hygiene and occupational exposure to air pollutants and nanomaterial aerosols
Prof. Dr. Parisa A. Ariya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The James McGill chair in Atmospheric and Interfacial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
Interests: analytical/environmental chemical; physics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Atmosphere focused on the interaction of air pollutants with snow and the seasonality of outdoor and indoor air pollution where winter-specific environmental factors are studied. Air pollution has been shown to cause numerous adverse environmental and health effects. Recent studies have found links not only with cardiovascular and pulmonary disease but also neurological disorders and carcinogenesis.

Between the time when air pollutants are released and when exposure occurs, air pollutants in gaseous and particulate forms can undergo various physical and chemical transformations. A large body of research has been dedicated to investigating these transformations. The studies focus on the multiple aspects of the question: from gas-phase atmospheric chemistry to aerosol dynamics. The interaction of air pollutants with environmental surfaces such as vegetation, soil, exposed rock, water surfaces, and snow is an important determiner of air pollutants’ fate. The interactions of air pollutants with snow lead to temporary or permanent removal of air pollutants from the atmosphere and the introduction of pollutants into the air. The same processes can also alter the chemical nature and distribution of air pollutants across the gas and particulate phases within a range of aerosol particle sizes.

Interactions with environmental surfaces may change the abundance and distribution of air pollutants significantly. These changes may, in turn, alter environmental and health effects caused by the resulting mix of air pollutants in ways that are still poorly understood.

Among the various types of environmental surfaces, snow and ice crystal surfaces have historically attracted comparatively less research attention, in part due to the difficulties of conducting both laboratory and field studies at subfreezing temperatures. Nevertheless, during the last few years, snow and ice research has intensified thanks to newly developed experimental and field approaches, and rapidly increasing research activity in the seasonally or permanently colder regions of the world, including Canada, China, and Scandinavia. It is now clear that snow plays an important role in the fate of air pollutants, from exhaust-derived contaminants to microplastics.

This Special Issue focuses on all aspects of the interaction of air pollution with snow and the effects of seasonality on outdoor and indoor air pollution. We invite you to consider submitting articles reporting on field and laboratory-based observational and modeling studies, environmental monitoring, exposure and epidemiological research, and work that is either regionally or globally relevant. Both outdoor and indoor air effects are of interest, as well as urban, rural, industrial, remote, and other locations. Other aspects of air pollution interactions with snow not listed above are very welcome.

Dr. Yevgen Nazarenko
Prof. Dr. Parisa A. Ariya
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Snow;
  • Snow pollution;
  • Snow contamination;
  • Snow-borne;
  • Ice contaminants;
  • Ice pollutants;
  • Snow interactions;
  • Ice interactions;
  • Seasonality;
  • Indoor air.

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Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 207 KiB  
Editorial
Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects
by Yevgen Nazarenko and Parisa A. Ariya
Atmosphere 2021, 12(4), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12040490 - 14 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2681
Abstract
Interactions with environmental surfaces significantly affect the abundance and distribution of air pollutants [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

11 pages, 1952 KiB  
Article
Insoluble Particles in the Snowpack of the Ob River Basin (Western Siberia) a 2800 km Submeridional Profile
by Vladimir P. Shevchenko, Sergey N. Vorobyev, Ivan V. Krickov, Andrey G. Boev, Artyom G. Lim, Alexander N. Novigatsky, Dina P. Starodymova and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Atmosphere 2020, 11(11), 1184; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11111184 - 2 Nov 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2846
Abstract
Snowpack exhibits properties that make it a unique natural archive of airborne pollution. The data on insoluble particles in the Ob River catchment (Western Siberia) snowpack are limited. Insoluble particles in the snowpack of Western Siberia were studied at 36 sites on a [...] Read more.
Snowpack exhibits properties that make it a unique natural archive of airborne pollution. The data on insoluble particles in the Ob River catchment (Western Siberia) snowpack are limited. Insoluble particles in the snowpack of Western Siberia were studied at 36 sites on a 2800 km submeridional profile from the city of Barnaul to Salekhard in February 2020. Snow samples were collected over the full depth of the snow core, from the surface of the snow cover to the boundary with soil, except for the lower 1–2 cm. After the filtration of melted snow through a 0.45-µm membrane, the particle composition was studied using a scanning electron microscope with an energy microprobe. In the background areas, the concentration of insoluble particles in the snow was below 2 mg/L. Significantly higher particle concentrations were encountered near cities and hydrocarbon production areas. Particulate matter in snow mainly consists of biogenic and lithogenic particles mixed with anthropogenic particles (ash and black carbon aggregates). The proportion of anthropogenic particles increases near cities and areas of active hydrocarbon production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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10 pages, 3876 KiB  
Article
Snow Surface Albedo Sensitivity to Black Carbon: Radiative Transfer Modelling
by Nicholas D. Beres, Magín Lapuerta, Francisco Cereceda-Balic and Hans Moosmüller
Atmosphere 2020, 11(10), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11101077 - 9 Oct 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4240
Abstract
The broadband surface albedo of snow can greatly be reduced by the deposition of light-absorbing impurities, such as black carbon on or near its surface. Such a reduction increases the absorption of solar radiation and may initiate or accelerate snowmelt and snow albedo [...] Read more.
The broadband surface albedo of snow can greatly be reduced by the deposition of light-absorbing impurities, such as black carbon on or near its surface. Such a reduction increases the absorption of solar radiation and may initiate or accelerate snowmelt and snow albedo feedback. Coincident measurements of both black carbon concentration and broadband snow albedo may be difficult to obtain in field studies; however, using the relationship developed in this simple model sensitivity study, black carbon mass densities deposited can be estimated from changes in measured broadband snow albedo, and vice versa. Here, the relationship between the areal mass density of black carbon found near the snow surface to the amount of albedo reduction was investigated using the popular snow radiative transfer model Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR). We found this relationship to be linear for realistic amounts of black carbon mass concentrations, such as those found in snow at remote locations. We applied this relationship to measurements of broadband albedo in the Chilean Andes to estimate how vehicular emissions contributed to black carbon (BC) deposition that was previously unquantified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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15 pages, 3794 KiB  
Article
Snow Impurities in the Central Pyrenees: From Their Geochemical and Mineralogical Composition towards Their Impacts on Snow Albedo
by Jorge Pey, Jesús Revuelto, Natalia Moreno, Esteban Alonso-González, Miguel Bartolomé, Jesús Reyes, Simon Gascoin and Juan Ignacio López-Moreno
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090937 - 2 Sep 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3113
Abstract
The aim of this work is to understand aerosol transfers to the snowpack in the Spanish Pyrenees (Southern Europe) by determining their episodic mass-loading and composition, and to retrieve their regional impacts regarding optical properties and modification of snow melting. Regular aerosol monitoring [...] Read more.
The aim of this work is to understand aerosol transfers to the snowpack in the Spanish Pyrenees (Southern Europe) by determining their episodic mass-loading and composition, and to retrieve their regional impacts regarding optical properties and modification of snow melting. Regular aerosol monitoring has been performed during three consecutive years. Complementarily, short campaigns have been carried out to collect dust-rich snow samples. Atmospheric samples have been chemically characterized in terms of elemental composition and, in some cases, regarding their mineralogy. Snow albedo has been determined in different seasons along the campaign, and temporal variations of snow-depth from different observatories have been related to concentration of impurities in the snow surface. Our results noticed that aerosol flux in the Central Pyrenees during cold seasons (from November to May, up to 12–13 g m−2 of insoluble particles overall accumulated) is much higher than the observed during the warm period (from June to October, typically around 2.1–3.3 g m−2). Such high values observed during cold seasons were driven by the impact of severe African dust episodes. In absence of such extreme episodes, aerosol loadings in cold and warm season appeared comparable. Our study reveals that mineral dust particles from North Africa are a major driver of the aerosol loading in the snowpack in the southern side of the Central Pyrenees. Field data revealed that the heterogeneous spatial distribution of impurities on the snow surface led to differences close to 0.2 on the measured snow albedo within very short distances. Such impacts have clear implications for modelling distributed energy balance of snow and predicting snow melting from mountain headwaters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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23 pages, 8973 KiB  
Article
Organic Compounds and Suspended Particulate Matter in Snow of High Latitude Areas (Arctic and Antarctic)
by Inna A. Nemirovskaya and Vladimir P. Shevchenko
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090928 - 30 Aug 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2884
Abstract
Long-term studies of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and organic compounds (OCs)—Corg, lipids, hydrocarbons (aliphatic—AHCs and polycyclic aromatic—PAHs), and chlorophyll a in the snow cover of the Arctic (Franz Victoria Trough, Mendeleev Rise, White Sea) and Antarctica (in the coastal waters on [...] Read more.
Long-term studies of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and organic compounds (OCs)—Corg, lipids, hydrocarbons (aliphatic—AHCs and polycyclic aromatic—PAHs), and chlorophyll a in the snow cover of the Arctic (Franz Victoria Trough, Mendeleev Rise, White Sea) and Antarctica (in the coastal waters on fast ice and on the mainland near Russian stations) were generalized. It was shown that in the Arctic, the influence of continental air masses leads to an increase in OCs in snow. Therefore, despite the fact that the Franz Victoria Trough and the Mendeleev Rise are at the same latitude (82° N), the OCs content in the snow in the region of the Mendeleev Rise was lower for aliphatic hydrocarbons 5 and 14–18 μg/L. In the White Sea, the AHC content in the snow and the upper layers of the ice in the mouth of the Severnaya Dvina River and in the Kandalaksha Bay was higher than that in the lower layers of the ice and sharply decreased with distance from the emission sources. As a result, the snow was supplied mainly by pyrogenic PAHs. In the Antarctica, the lowest OCs levels in atmosphere were found in areas where coastal hills are covered with snow. The maximum SPM and AHCs concentration was found in the sludge (SPM—to 4.37 mg/L, AHC—to 33 μg/L). An increase in the concentration of OCs and SPM in snow sampled on the continent took place in the areas of stations and oases (St. Novolazarevskaya) where the predominance of mineral particles in the SPM was registered. In the area of the operating stations, mainly low molecular weight PAHs with the dominance of petroleum PAHs were found in the SPM of snow and in mosses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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16 pages, 3366 KiB  
Article
Sampling, Filtering, and Analysis Protocols to Detect Black Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Total Carbon in Seasonal Surface Snow in an Urban Background and Arctic Finland (>60° N)
by Outi Meinander, Enna Heikkinen, Minna Aurela and Antti Hyvärinen
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090923 - 29 Aug 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4560
Abstract
Black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and total carbon (TC) in snow are important for their climatic and cryospheric effects. They are also part of the global carbon cycle. Atmospheric black and organic carbon (including brown carbon) may deposit and darken snow surfaces. [...] Read more.
Black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and total carbon (TC) in snow are important for their climatic and cryospheric effects. They are also part of the global carbon cycle. Atmospheric black and organic carbon (including brown carbon) may deposit and darken snow surfaces. Currently, there are no standardized methods for sampling, filtering, and analysis protocols to detect carbon in snow. Here, we describe our current methods and protocols to detect carbon in seasonal snow using the OCEC thermal optical method, a European standard for atmospheric elemental carbon (EC). We analyzed snow collected within and around the urban background SMEARIII (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) at Kumpula (60° N) and the Arctic GAW (Global Atmospheric Watch) station at Sodankylä (67° N). The median BC, OC, and TC in snow samples (ntot = 30) in Kumpula were 1118, 5279, and 6396 ppb, and in Sodankylä, they were 19, 1751, and 629 ppb. Laboratory experiments showed that error due to carbon attached to a sampling bag (n = 11) was <0.01%. Sonication slightly increased the measured EC, while wetting the filter or filtering the wrong side up indicated a possible sample loss. Finally, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of OCEC to detect carbon in snow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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31 pages, 7775 KiB  
Article
Dissolved and Suspended Forms of Metals and Metalloids in Snow Cover of Megacity: Partitioning and Deposition Rates in Western Moscow
by Dmitry Vlasov, Jessica Vasil’chuk, Natalia Kosheleva and Nikolay Kasimov
Atmosphere 2020, 11(9), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090907 - 26 Aug 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4639
Abstract
Concentrations and ratio of dissolved and suspended forms of metals and metalloids (MMs) in snow cover and their deposition rates from the atmosphere in the western part of Moscow were studied. Forms of MMs were separated using a filter with pore diameter of [...] Read more.
Concentrations and ratio of dissolved and suspended forms of metals and metalloids (MMs) in snow cover and their deposition rates from the atmosphere in the western part of Moscow were studied. Forms of MMs were separated using a filter with pore diameter of 0.45 μm; their concentrations were measured by ICP-MS and ICP-AES methods. Anthropogenic impact in Moscow caused a significant increase in dust load (2–7 times), concentration of solid particles in snow cover (2–5 times), and mineralization of snow meltwater (5–18 times) compared to the background level. Urban snow contains Sn, Ti, Bi, Al, W, Fe, Pb, V, Cr, Rb, Mo, Mn, As, Co, Cu, Ba, Sb, Mg mainly in suspended form, and Ca and Na in dissolved form. The role of suspended MMs in the city significantly increases compared to the background region due to high dust load, usage of de-icing salts, and the change of acidic background conditions to alkaline ones. Anthropogenic emissions are the main sources of suspended Ca, W, Co, V, Sr, Ti, Mg, Na, Mo, Zn, Fe, Sb, and Cu in the snow cover of traffic zone. These elements’ concentrations in roadside snow cover exceed the background values more than 25 times. The highest concentrations and deposition rates of MMs in the snow of Moscow are localized near the large and medium roads. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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20 pages, 10353 KiB  
Article
7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs in Snow Deposits in the Arctic Part of Western Siberia (Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District)
by Kseniya Mezina, Mikhail Melgunov and Dmitriy Belyanin
Atmosphere 2020, 11(8), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080825 - 5 Aug 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Radioactive isotopes (7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs) are used as indicators of processes associated with the transfer of matter from the atmosphere. Studying snow cover can provide information about the seasonal deposition flux of the isotopes to the Earth’s [...] Read more.
Radioactive isotopes (7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs) are used as indicators of processes associated with the transfer of matter from the atmosphere. Studying snow cover can provide information about the seasonal deposition flux of the isotopes to the Earth’s surface over the entire period of snow accumulation. The purpose of this study is to identify the features of 7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs deposition with the atmospheric precipitation in winter in the Arctic part of Western Siberia and to study the contribution of the particulate fractions of suspended matter in snow water to the total content of the radionuclides in samples of integrated seasonal snowfall. Snow samples were taken over a wide area along the highways around Novy Urengoy in April 2019. The suspended matter in snow samples was divided into three fractions. The isotopic composition was determined by high-resolution semiconductor gamma-spectrometry. The seasonal deposition flux of 7Be and 210Pbatm in the winter at the time of sampling averaged 58.7 and 25.2 Bq m−2 season−1, respectively. The average specific activity of 7Be and 210Pbatm in the snow water was 248.0 and 104.5 mBq L−1. The deposition flux of 137Cs from the atmosphere was low compared to 7Be and 210Pbatm and did not exceed 0.39 Bq m−2 season−1 at all sampling points. This indicates an insignificant modern flux of the radionuclide from the atmosphere. The separation of suspended matter in snow water by particulate fractions shows that the studied isotopes are present in all the extracted fractions: >3, 0.45–3 and <0.45 μm. The main part of 210Pbatm in all studied samples is in the coarse-grained fraction >3 μm. Most 7Be is contained in finely dispersed aerosols, colloids, or a dissolved component (where the fraction <0.45 μm). A significant increase in the contribution of coarse-grained fractions of suspended matter in snow water to the total activity of 7Be in snow precipitation was observed in territories with a higher anthropogenic impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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18 pages, 2237 KiB  
Article
Anthropogenic Photolabile Chlorine in the Cold-Climate City of Montreal
by Ryan Hall, Oleg Nepotchatykh, Evguenia Nepotchatykh and Parisa A. Ariya
Atmosphere 2020, 11(8), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080812 - 31 Jul 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2972
Abstract
Chlorine atoms play a key role in the oxidative potential of the atmosphere and biogeochemical cycling of selected elements. This study provides a decadal analysis (2010−2019) of chloride ions in PM2.5 particles in the city of Montreal, where these are most concentrated [...] Read more.
Chlorine atoms play a key role in the oxidative potential of the atmosphere and biogeochemical cycling of selected elements. This study provides a decadal analysis (2010−2019) of chloride ions in PM2.5 particles in the city of Montreal, where these are most concentrated systematically in the winter (up to 1.6 µg/m3). We also herein present the measurement of photolabile chlorine, which includes chlorine-containing compounds (e.g., Cl2, HOCl, ClNO2, ClNO3, and BrCl) that release chlorine atoms upon interaction with radiation, in urban Montreal, Canada using Cl2-RPGE (Cl2 Reactive Phase Gas Extraction) tubes and quantifying the chlorinated product by GC-MS. Photolabile chlorine in urban Montreal was measured during a discontinuous period primarily in summer 2018 and winter 2019 with a time resolution of 30 min, with concentrations ranging from 3 to 545 ng/m3 expressed as Cl2. The reported values are considered lower limits, as compounds such as HOCl and ClNO2 can only be partially converted in the current setup. The largest peak of gaseous photolabile chlorine occurred in the winter, when significant sources of anthropogenic salt are used in snow removal in the city. This coincides with observed chloride ion measurements in airborne particles, implying that anthropogenic salt addition produces photoactive chlorine. The maximum chlorine signal was consistently obtained during the daytime, which is in accordance with the tropospheric radiation profile. Complementary photochemistry laboratory experiments indicated that upon tropospheric radiation (340 ≤ λ ≤ 400 nm; UVA), an increase (20–100%) was observed, confirming the formation of Cl atoms from photolabile chlorine compounds. Thus, this portable technique is adequate for Cl atoms and photolabile chlorine-containing compounds upon photolysis using UVA lamps. High-resolution S/TEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to evaluate collected particle morphology and composition. The behavior of complementary pollutants (O3, CO, PM2.5, and NOx) was also briefly discussed. We herein discuss the measurement of photolabile halogens within a northern urban metropolitan environment and the impact of anthropogenic sources on chlorine concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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16 pages, 4135 KiB  
Article
Online Measurement of PM2.5 at an Air Monitoring Supersite in Yangtze River Delta: Temporal Variation and Source Identification
by Lian Duan, Lei Yan and Guangli Xiu
Atmosphere 2020, 11(8), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080789 - 26 Jul 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2947
Abstract
To comprehensively explore the transport of air pollutants, one-year continuous online observation of PM2.5 was conducted from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 at Dianshan Lake, a suburban junction at the central of Yangtze River Delta. The chemical species of PM [...] Read more.
To comprehensively explore the transport of air pollutants, one-year continuous online observation of PM2.5 was conducted from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 at Dianshan Lake, a suburban junction at the central of Yangtze River Delta. The chemical species of PM2.5 samples mainly focused on Organic carbon (OC), Elemental carbon (EC) and Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions (WSIIs). The annual average of PM2.5 concentration was 59.8 ± 31.7 µg·m−3, 1.7 times higher than the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standards (CNAAQS) (35 µg·m−3). SNA (SO42−, NO3− and NH4+) was the most dominated species of PM2.5 total WSIIs, accounting for 51% of PM2.5. PM2.5 and all of its chemical species shared the same seasonal variations with higher concentration in winter and spring, lower in autumn and summer. The higher NO3−/EC and NOR occurred in winter suggested that intensive secondary formation of nitrate contributed to the higher levels of PM2.5. Cluster analysis based on 72-h backward air trajectory showed that the air mass cluster from nearby inland cities, including Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces contributed mostly to the total trajectories. Furtherly, potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis revealed that local sources, namely the emissions in the Yangtze River, were the primary sources. During haze pollution, NO3− was the most important fraction of PM2.5 and the heterogeneous formation of nitrate became conspicuous. All the results suggested that the anthropogenic emissions (such as traffic exhaust) was responsible for the relatively high level of PM2.5 at this monitoring station. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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21 pages, 5671 KiB  
Article
Wintertime Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Hemiboreal Drained Peatlands
by Birgit Viru, Gert Veber, Jaak Jaagus, Ain Kull, Martin Maddison, Mart Muhel, Mikk Espenberg, Alar Teemusk and Ülo Mander
Atmosphere 2020, 11(7), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11070731 - 10 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3497
Abstract
The aim of this study is to estimate wintertime emissions of greenhouse gases CO2, N2O and CH4 in two abandoned peat extraction areas (APEA), Ess-soo and Laiuse, and in two Oxalis site-type drained peatland forests (DPF) on nitrogen-rich [...] Read more.
The aim of this study is to estimate wintertime emissions of greenhouse gases CO2, N2O and CH4 in two abandoned peat extraction areas (APEA), Ess-soo and Laiuse, and in two Oxalis site-type drained peatland forests (DPF) on nitrogen-rich sapric histosol, a Norway spruce and a Downy birch forest, located in eastern Estonia. According to the long-term study using a closed chamber method, the APEAs emitted less CO2 and N2O, and more CH4 than the DPFs. Across the study sites, CO2 flux correlated positively with soil, ground and air temperatures. Continuous snow depth > 5 cm did not influence CO2, but at no snow or a thin snow layer the fluxes varied on a large scale (from −1.1 to 106 mg C m−2 h−1). In all sites, the highest N2O fluxes were observed at a water table depth of −30 to −40 cm. CH4 was consumed in the DPFs and was always emitted from the APEAs, whereas the highest flux appeared at a water table >20 cm above the surface. Considering the global warming potential (GWP) of the greenhouse gas emissions from the DPFs in the wintertime, the flux of N2O was the main component of warming, showing 3–6 times higher radiative forcing values than that of CO2 flux, while the role of CH4 was unimportant. In the APEAs, CO2 and CH4 made up almost equal parts, whereas the impact of N2O on GWP was minor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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17 pages, 7417 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Variation of Black Carbon Aerosol in China Based on Revised Aethalometer Monitoring Data
by Bin Guo, Yaqiang Wang, Xiaoye Zhang, Huizheng Che, Jing Ming and Ziwei Yi
Atmosphere 2020, 11(7), 684; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11070684 - 29 Jun 2020
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4023
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) aerosol, as a typical optical absorption aerosol, is of great significance to the study of climate and radiation. The China Atmosphere Watch Network (CAWNET), established by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), contains 35 BC-monitored stations, which have been collecting data [...] Read more.
Black carbon (BC) aerosol, as a typical optical absorption aerosol, is of great significance to the study of climate and radiation. The China Atmosphere Watch Network (CAWNET), established by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), contains 35 BC-monitored stations, which have been collecting data using commercial Aethalometer instruments (AEs) since 2006. Element carbon (EC) data measured from the thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) method was used to correct the BC monitoring data from the AEs, which are affected by various sampling and analytical artifacts. The average difference before and after the revision was about 17.3% (±11.5%). Furthermore, we analyzed the variations of BC in China from 2006 to 2017 using a revised dataset. The ten-year averaged concentration of BC would have been applicable for climate analysis, and can be a comparison sample in future research. The concentrations of BC across the stations in China showed a general downward trend, with occasional fluctuations, and the concentrations at urban sites decreased more significantly. The average concentrations of BC in urban sites are higher than rural and remote sites. The 10-year averaged concentration of BC ranges from 11.13 μg m−3 in Gucheng to 0.19 μg m−3 in Shangri-La, showing a strong spatial variation; the proportion of BC aerosol in PM2.5 is generally less than 20%. The BC showed obvious seasonal and diurnal variation; and the highest concentration occurred in winter, with more dramatic diurnal variation, followed by autumn and spring. There was a significant increase in concentration between local time 7:00–9:00 and 18:00–0:00. The distribution and trend of BC concentration in China showed a consistency with emissions of BC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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13 pages, 9536 KiB  
Article
Black Carbon: The Concentration and Sources Study at the Nam Co Lake, the Tibetan Plateau from 2015 to 2016
by Feiteng Wang, Xin Zhang, Xiaoying Yue, Mengyuan Song, Guoshuai Zhang and Jing Ming
Atmosphere 2020, 11(6), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11060624 - 12 Jun 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2942
Abstract
We measured black carbon (BC) with a seven-wavelength aethalometer (AE-31) at the Nam Co Lake (NCL), the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) from May 2015 to April 2016. The daily average concentration of BC was 145 ± 85 ng m−3, [...] Read more.
We measured black carbon (BC) with a seven-wavelength aethalometer (AE-31) at the Nam Co Lake (NCL), the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) from May 2015 to April 2016. The daily average concentration of BC was 145 ± 85 ng m−3, increasing by 50% since 2006. The seasonal variation of BC shows higher concentrations in spring and summer and lower concentrations in autumn and winter, dominated by the adjacent sources and meteorological conditions. The diurnal variation of BC showed that its concentrations peaked at 9:00–16:00 (UTC + 8), significantly related to local human activities (e.g., animal-manure burning and nearby traffic due to the tourism industry). The concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis showed that the long-distance transport of BC from South Asia could also be a potential contributor to BC at the NCL, as well as the biomass burning by the surrounding residents. The analyses of the absorption coefficient and absorption Ångström exponent show the consistency of sourcing the BC at the NCL. We suggest here that urgent measures should be taken to protect the atmospheric environment at the NCL, considering the fast-increasing concentrations of BC as an indicator of fuel combustion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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15 pages, 9404 KiB  
Article
One-Year Measurements of Equivalent Black Carbon, Optical Properties, and Sources in the Urumqi River Valley, Tien Shan, China
by Xin Zhang, Zhongqin Li, Jing Ming and Feiteng Wang
Atmosphere 2020, 11(5), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11050478 - 8 May 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2533
Abstract
Equivalent black carbon (EBC) was measured with a seven-wavelength Aethalometer (AE-31) in the Urumqi River Valley, eastern Tien Shan, China. This is the first high-resolution, online measurement of EBC conducted in the eastern Tien Shan allowing analysis of the seasonal and hourly variations [...] Read more.
Equivalent black carbon (EBC) was measured with a seven-wavelength Aethalometer (AE-31) in the Urumqi River Valley, eastern Tien Shan, China. This is the first high-resolution, online measurement of EBC conducted in the eastern Tien Shan allowing analysis of the seasonal and hourly variations of the light absorption properties of EBC. Results showed that the highest concentrations of EBC were in autumn, followed by those in summer. The hourly variations of EBC showed two plateaus during 8:00–9:00 h local time (LT) and 16:00–19:00 h LT, respectively. The contribution of biomass burning to EBC in winter and spring was higher than in summer and autumn. The planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) showed an inverse relationship with EBC concentrations, suggesting that the reduction of the PBLH leads to enhanced EBC. The aerosol optical depths (AOD) over the Urumqi River Valley, derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and back trajectory analysis, showed that the pollution from Central Asia was more likely to affect the atmosphere of Tien Shan in summer and autumn. This suggests that long-distance transported pollutants from Central Asia could also be potential contributors to EBC concentrations in the Urumqi River Valley, the same as local anthropogenic activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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14 pages, 2335 KiB  
Article
Snowpack as Indicators of Atmospheric Pollution: The Valday Upland
by Marina Dinu, Tatyana Moiseenko and Dmitry Baranov
Atmosphere 2020, 11(5), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11050462 - 3 May 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3501
Abstract
Snowpack is a unique indicator in assessing both local and transboundary contaminants. We considered the features of the snow chemical composition of the Valday Upland, Russia, as a location without a direct influence of smelters (conditional background) in 2016–2019. We identified the influence [...] Read more.
Snowpack is a unique indicator in assessing both local and transboundary contaminants. We considered the features of the snow chemical composition of the Valday Upland, Russia, as a location without a direct influence of smelters (conditional background) in 2016–2019. We identified the influence of a number of geochemical (landscape), biological (trees of the forest zone, vegetation), and anthropogenic factors (technogenic elements—lead, nickel) on the formation of snow composition. We found increases in the content of metals of technogenic origin in city snowfall in the snowpack: cadmium, lead, and nickel in comparison with snowfall in the forest. Methods of sequential and parallel membrane filtration (in situ) were used along with ion-exchange separation to determine metal speciation (labile, unlabile, inorganic speciation with low molecular weight, connection with organic ligands) and explain their migration ability. We found that forest snow samples contain metal compounds (Cu, Pb, and Ni) with different molecular weights due to the different contributions of organic substances. According to the results of filtration, the predominant speciation of metals in the urban snow samples is suspension emission (especially more 8 mkm). The buffer abilities of snowfall in the forest (in various landscapes) and in the city of Valday were assessed. Based on statistical analysis, a significant difference in the chemical composition of snow in the forest and in the city, as well as taking into account the landscape, was shown. Snow on an open landscape on a hill is most susceptible to airborne pollution (sulfates, copper, nickel), city snow is most affected by local pollutants (turbidity, lead). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects)
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