The variability of mass concentrations and source apportionment analysis of equivalent black carbon across urban Europe
File(s)
Published version
OA Location
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This study analyzed the variability of equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations and their sources in urban Europe to provide insights into the use of eBC as an advanced air quality (AQ) parameter for AQ standards. This study compiled eBC mass concentration datasets covering the period between 2006 and 2022 from 50 measurement stations, including 23 urban background (UB), 18 traffic (TR), 7 suburban (SUB), and 2 regional background (RB) sites. The results highlighted the need for the harmonization of eBC measurements to allow for direct comparisons between eBC mass concentrations measured across urban Europe. The eBC mass concentrations exhibited a decreasing trend as follows: TR > UB > SUB > RB. Furthermore, a clear decreasing trend in eBC concentrations was observed in the UB sites moving from Southern to Northern Europe. The eBC mass concentrations exhibited significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity, including marked differences in eBC mass concentration and variable contributions of pollution sources to bulk eBC between different cities. Seasonal patterns in eBC concentrations were also evident, with higher winter concentrations observed in a large proportion of cities, especially at UB and SUB sites. The contribution of eBC from fossil fuel combustion, mostly traffic (eBCT) was higher than that of residential and commercial sources (eBCRC) in all European sites studied. Nevertheless, eBCRC still had a substantial contribution to total eBC mass concentrations at a majority of the sites. eBC trend analysis revealed decreasing trends for eBCT over the last decade, while eBCRC remained relatively constant or even increased slightly in some cities.
Date Issued
2023-08-01
Date Acceptance
2023-06-30
Citation
Environment International, 2023, 178
ISSN
0160-4120
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Environment International
Volume
178
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:001048719400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
ABSORPTION ANGSTROM EXPONENT
AEROSOL LIGHT-ABSORPTION
Air quality
CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION
CROSS-SECTION
eBC
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
European urban environment
Filter absorption photometer
FOSSIL-FUEL
HELSINKI METROPOLITAN-AREA
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
LONG-TERM TRENDS
PARTICULATE MATTER
REGIONAL BACKGROUND SITES
Science & Technology
Source apportionment
TEMPORAL VARIABILITY
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Netherlands
Article Number
108081
Date Publish Online
2023-07-05