NEW STUDY: Industrial emissions of heavy metals and ultrafine particles

A new study on the simultaneous industrial emissions of heavy metals and ultrafine particles is published in the issue 61 of the journal Atmospheric Environment.

Figure 1. Picture of Punta del Sebo, one of the industrial states of Huelva

Figure 2. Weekly evolution of the concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cu and Zn) and Ultrafine particles (PN) in the ambient air of Huelva city.

Figure 3. Daily evolution of the concentrations of Ultrafine particles (PN) in the ambient air of Huelva, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Barcelona, London and Lugano.

A new study on the simultaneous industrial emissions of heavy metals and ultrafine particles is published in the issue 61 of the journal Atmospheric Environment. The study was performed by the University of Huelva, the Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre (Tenerife), CSIC (Barcelona), National Accelerator Center (Seville) and the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (Florence, Italy).
It is well known that certain industrial activities, such as Cu smelters, release heavy metals to the atmosphere. This new study evidence how these activities may also release ultrafine sulphuric acid particles. In this study a set of heavy metals of known toxicity (As, Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb; e.g. As interfere with the metabolism affecting certain organs) were identified. Ultrafine particles are associated with cardiovascular diseases. This is the first study wich identifies the simultaneous emissions of both type of pollutants.
In cities, ultrafine particles are typically linked to vehicle exhaust emissions. In the case of industrialized areas, industrial emission may even result in higher contributions to ultrafine particles than vehicle exhaust (Figure 2). Observe in Figure 3 how during the central period of daylight, the concentrations of ultrafine particles in Huelva are almost twice those recorded in other European cities such as Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Barcelona, London (UK) or Lugano (Switzerland).

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