A comparative study on the ultrafine particle episodes induced by vehicle exhaust: A crude oil refinery and ship emissions

NEW STUDY:

Urban air pollution due to emissions of vehicle exhaust, ships and refinery. New study published in Atmospheric Research 120–121, (2013) 43–54, “A comparative study on the ultrafine particle episodes induced by vehicle exhaust, a crude oil refinery and ship emissions”.

Figure 1. Daily evolution (hourly values) of ultrafine particles linked to each source during vehicle exhaust, ship and refinery events. Lower and upper borders of each shadowed area represent the 25th and 75th percentiles, respectively.

The journal Atmospheric Research publishes (vol 120-121) a new study on the impact of vehicles exhaust, ships and refineries on the urban air quality. Vehicle exhausts have been considered the main source of ultrafine particles in urban areas. A study performed by the Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre in 2011 showed that ships are also an important source of ultrafine particles (LINK). In this new study, the contribution of vehicle exhaust, ships and refinery emissions to the ultrafine particle concentrations is compared (Figure 1):

–vehicles exhaust result in high concentration of ultrafine particles during the morning, when about 30000 particles per cubic cm (cm^-3), as average, are recorded,
–ships result in high concentration of ultrafine particles during the central period of daylight due to the entry of the ship plumes to into the city by the action of sea breeze, when about 40000 particles per cubic cm (cm^-3), as average, are recorded,
–refinery results in high concentration of ultrafine particles during the central period of daylight due to the entry of the ship plumes to into the city by the action of sea breeze, when about 80000 particles per cubic cm (cm^-3), as average, are recorded,

Ultrafine particles are smaller than 0.1 micron, much smaller than a human hair (70 microns). These particles are constituted by sulphate, organic compounds and soot.

This study was performed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife city, where a previous study performed by the ‘University Hospital of the Canary Islands’ and the ‘Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre’ already identified that there is an association between the exposure to ultrafine particles in ambient air and hospitalizations due to heart failure (LINK).

This research was performed by researchers of the Izaña Atmospheric Research Centre (Doctors Yenny González and Sergio Rodríguez).

Data of the study: