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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 November 2021) | Viewed by 20319

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Dr. Aikaterini Bougiatioti

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Guest Editor

Institute for Environmental Research & Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, I. Metaxa & Vas. Pavlou, GR-15236 Palea Penteli, Greece
Interests: air quality; particulate matter; aerosol-cloud-climate interactions; cloud condensation nuclei; source apportionment; aerosol impact on climate & health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Despina Paraskevopoulou

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Guest Editor

Institute for Environmental Research & Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, I. Metaxa & Vas. Pavlou, P. Penteli (Lofos Koufou), 15236 Athens, Greece
Interests: atmospheric pollution; air quality; aerosol sources; aerosol chemical composition; oxidative potential; aerosol toxicity; aerosol impact on health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The atmospheric environment in which we live in, and in particular airborne particulate matter and atmospheric pollutants, are often related to a diverse range of environmental, health and climate impacts. While according to UN, world’s population life expectancy at birth has increased by 5.2 yr between 1990-95 and 2010-15, air pollution is responsible for large reductions in life expectancy as high as 5.5 yr, as recently estimated for China. In lieu to the above, during the recent decades Europe has made significant efforts to reduce the emissions of several air pollutants. Nevertheless, air quality remains an important issue, with high levels of particulate matter, ozone and other gaseous pollutants from local sources, further increased by long-range transport of pollution, and thus posing a supplementary challenge. For several European countries, observations show that less than 50% of the measured fine PM concentrations (PM_2.5) come from the countries’ own emissions. Especially for Greece,various studies have shown that the atmosphere over the Aegean Sea in summer is mainly affected by the northern part of the Black Sea and Istanbul.

Especially during the last decade, due to the economic recession in Greece, primary and secondary precursor emissions have become altered and intensified, as residents have switched from fossil fuel combustion to the uncontrolled burning of wood and biomass for heating purposes, impacting gravely air quality all over Greece during wintertime. On the other hand, during summertime, extensive forest fires impact large areas in the mainland and the islands.

For this Special Issue we aim to compile publications presenting high-quality studies of in-situ, remote sensing, as well as modelling studies of ambient aerosol in Greece. Solicited contributions include, but are not limited, to studies on long-term variability in ambient air pollutants, specific pollution episodes, emissions and/or emission sources, transboundary, long-range transport of air pollutants impacting Greece, and behaviour of atmospheric pollutants in particular in the context of human health and exposure.

Dr. Aikaterini Bougiatioti
Dr. Despina Paraskevopoulou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

air quality
aerosol sources
seasonal variability
atmospheric observations
impacts on climate
impacts on health
atmospheric composition
aerosol acidity/toxicity

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Resolution Measurements of SO₂, HNO₃ and HCl at the Urban Environment of Athens, Greece: Levels, Variability and Gas to Particle Partitioning

by Eleni Liakakou, Luciana Fourtziou, Despina Paraskevopoulou, Orestis Speyer, Maria Lianou, Georgios Grivas, Stelios Myriokefalitakis and Nikolaos Mihalopoulos

Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020218 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3113

Abstract

High-resolution measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitric acid (HNO₃), and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were conducted in Athens, Greece, from 2014 to 2016 via a wet rotating annular denuder system paired with an ion chromatograph. Decreased mean annual levels of SO₂ and HNO₃ (equal to 3.3 ± 4.8 μg m⁻³ and 0.7 ± 0.6 μg m⁻³, respectively) were observed relative to the past, whereas for HCl (mean of 0.4 μg m⁻³ ) no such comparison was possible as the past measurements are very scarce. Regional and local emission sources regulated the SO₂ levels and contributed to both the December and the July maxima of 6.6 μg m⁻³ and 5.5 μg m⁻³, respectively. Similarly, the significant enhancement at noon and during the winter nighttime was due to transported SO₂ and residential heating, respectively. The oxidation of NO₂ by OH radicals and the heterogeneous reactions of HNO₃ on sea salt seemed to drive the HNO₃ and HCl formation, respectively, whereas nighttime biomass burning affected only the former by almost 50%. During summer, the sulfate anions dominated over the SO₂, in contrast to the chloride and nitrate ions that prevailed during the winter and were linked to the aerosol acidity that influences their lifetime as well as their impact on ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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28 pages, 2182 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Online Chemical Characterization and Sources of Submicron Aerosol in the Major Mediterranean Port City of Piraeus, Greece

by Iasonas Stavroulas, Georgios Grivas, Eleni Liakakou, Panayiotis Kalkavouras, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Dimitris G. Kaskaoutis, Maria Lianou, Kyriaki Papoutsidaki, Maria Tsagkaraki, Pavlos Zarmpas, Evangelos Gerasopoulos and Nikolaos Mihalopoulos

Atmosphere 2021, 12(12), 1686; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12121686 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3314

Abstract

Port cities are affected by a wide array of emissions, including those from the shipping, road transport, and residential sectors; therefore, the characterization and apportionment of such sources in a high temporal resolution is crucial. This study presents measurements of fine aerosol chemical composition in Piraeus, one of the largest European ports, during two monthly periods (winter vs. summer) in 2018–2019, using online instrumentation (Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor—ACSM, 7-λ aethalometer). PMF source apportionment was performed on the ACSM mass spectra to quantify organic aerosol (OA) components, while equivalent black carbon (BC) was decomposed to its fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning (BB) fractions. The combined traffic, shipping and, especially, residential emissions led to considerably elevated submicron aerosol levels (22.8 μg m⁻³) in winter, which frequently became episodic late at night under stagnant conditions. Carbonaceous compounds comprised the major portion of this submicron aerosol in winter, with mean OA and BC contributions of 61% (13.9 μg m⁻³) and 16% (3.7 μg m⁻³), respectively. The contribution of BB to BC concentrations was considerable and spatially uniform. OA related to BB emissions (fresh and processed) and hydrocarbon-like OA (from vehicular traffic and port-related fossil fuel emissions including shipping) accounted for 37% and 30% of OA, respectively. In summer, the average PM₁ concentration was significantly lower (14.8 μg m⁻³) and less variable, especially for the components associated with secondary aerosols (such as OA and sulfate). The effect of the port sector was evident in summer and maintained BC concentrations at high levels (2.8 μg m⁻³), despite the absence of BB and improved atmospheric dispersion. Oxygenated components yielded over 70% of OA in summer, with the more oxidized secondary component of regional origin being dominant (41%) despite the intensity of local sources, in the Piraeus environment. In general, with respect to local sources that can be the target of mitigation policies, this work highlights the importance of port-related activities but also reveals the extensive wintertime impact of residential wood burning. While a separation of the BB source is feasible, more research is needed on how to disentangle the short-term effects of different fossil-fuel combustion sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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19 pages, 4590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Five Years of Spatially Resolved Ground-Based MAX-DOAS Measurements of Nitrogen Dioxide in the Urban Area of Athens: Synergies with In Situ Measurements and Model Simulations

by Myrto Gratsea, Eleni Athanasopoulou, Anastasia Kakouri, Andreas Richter, Andre Seyler and Evangelos Gerasopoulos

Atmosphere 2021, 12(12), 1634; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12121634 - 7 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2097

Abstract

Long-term nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) slant column density measurements using the MAX-DOAS (multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy) technique were analyzed in order to demonstrate the temporal and horizontal variability of the trace gas in Athens for the period October 2012–July 2017. The synergy with in situ measurements and model simulations was exploited for verifying the MAX-DOAS technique and its ability to assess the spatiotemporal characteristics of NO₂ pollution in the city. Tropospheric NO₂ columns derived from ground-based MAX-DOAS observations in two horizontal and five vertical viewing directions were compared with in situ chemiluminescence measurements representative of urban, urban background and suburban conditions; a satisfactory correlation was found for the urban (r ≈ 0.55) and remote areas (r ≈ 0.40). Mean tropospheric slant columns retrieved from measurements at the lowest elevation over the urban area ranged from 0.1 to 32 × 10¹⁶ molec cm⁻². The interannual variability showed a rate of increase of 0.3 × 10¹⁶ molec cm⁻² per year since 2012 in the urban area, leading to a total increase of 20%. The retrieved annual cycles captured the seasonal variability with lower NO₂ levels in summer, highly correlated (r ≈ 0.85) with the urban background and suburban in situ observations. The NO₂ diurnal variation for different seasons exhibited varied patterns, indicating the different role of photochemistry and anthropogenic activities in the different seasons. Compared to in situ observations, the MAX-DOAS NO₂ morning peak occurred with a one-hour delay and decayed less steeply in winter. Measurements at different elevation angles are shown as a primary indicator of the vertical distribution of NO₂ at the urban environment; the vertical convection of the polluted air masses and the enhanced NO₂ near-surface concentrations are demonstrated by this analysis. The inhomogeneity of the NO₂ spatial distribution was shown using a relevant inhomogeneity index; greater variability was found during the summer period. Comparisons with city-scale model simulations demonstrated that the horizontal light path length of MAX-DOAS covered a distance of 15 km. An estimation of urban sources’ contribution was also made by applying two simple methodologies on the MAX-DOAS measurements. The results were compared to NO₂ predictions from the high resolution air quality model to infer the importance of vehicle emissions for the urban NO₂ levels; 20–35% of the urban NO₂ was found to be associated with road transport. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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13 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Household Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Rural Crete, Greece: A Cross-Sectional FRESH AIR Study

by Marilena Anastasaki, Ioanna Tsiligianni, Dimitra Sifaki-Pistolla, Vasiliki Eirini Chatzea, Andreas Karelis, Antonios Bertsias, Niels H. Chavannes, Frederik van Gemert, Christos Lionis and the FRESH AIR Collaborators

Atmosphere 2021, 12(11), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111369 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2582

Abstract

Breathing polluted air is a risk to respiratory conditions. During the Greek financial crisis, the use of household fireplaces/wood stoves shifted from mostly decorative to actual domestic heating, resulting in increased indoor smoke production. We aimed to evaluate household air pollution (HAP), fuel use and respiratory symptoms in rural Crete, Greece. PM_2.5 and CO were measured in 32 purposively selected rural households (cross-sectional study) at periods reflecting lesser (baseline) versus extensive (follow-up) heating. Clinical outcomes were assessed using questionnaires. Mean PM_2.5 were not significantly different between measurements (36.34 µg/m³ vs. 54.38 µg/m³, p = 0.60) but exceeded the WHO air quality guidelines. Mean and maximal CO levels were below the WHO cut-offs (0.56 ppm vs. 0.34 ppm, p = 0.414 and 26.1 ppm vs. 9.72 ppm, p = 0.007, respectively). In total, 90.6% of households were using wood stoves or fireplaces for heating, but half also owned clean fuel devices. The differences between devices that were owned versus those that were used were attributed to financial reasons. In both cases, the most frequent respiratory symptoms were phlegm (27.3% vs. 15.2%; p = 0.34) and cough (24.2% vs. 12.1%; p = 0.22). Our findings demonstrate the magnitude of HAP and confirm the return to harmful practices during Greece’s austerity. Upon validation, these results can support strategies for fighting fuel poverty, empowering communities and strengthening local health systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

17 pages, 4204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance of Aether Low-Cost Sensor Device for Air Pollution Measurements in Urban Environments. Accuracy Evaluation Applying the Air Quality Index (AQI)

by Georgios C. Spyropoulos, Panagiotis T. Nastos and Konstantinos P. Moustris

Atmosphere 2021, 12(10), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12101246 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2672

Abstract

Significant portions of European cities’ population are still exposed to levels of air pollution deemed harmful by the World Health Organization. Given the high impact of air pollution both on human health and the economy, numerous low-cost electrochemical sensor monitoring systems are being installed. The market is forced to develop new air quality monitoring systems to meet the needs of providing forecasting services based on advanced technologies and protocols that utilize certain characteristics such as high accuracy, real-time monitoring, daily and yearly statistics, data access from both experts and simple users with the use of low-cost equipment. In this study, conducted in Athens, Greece, a comparison is attempted between the findings from a low-cost electrochemical sensor device and those of a static, fixed site measurement monitoring station; this comparison is based on the data quality and Air Quality Index (AQI) concerning data accuracy and quality on adverse health effects due to air pollution. With regard to the prediction of different AQI intervals, TPR ranges from 35.2% up to 100.0%, FPR from 0.0% up to 36.1% and FNR from 0.0% up to 38.1%. The outcome of this study reveals flexible and affordable alternatives adopted during the evaluation and calibration of low-cost gas sensors for monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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17 pages, 5208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing the Knowledge on Residential Heating Characteristics in Greece via Crowd-Sourcing Approach

by Kyriaki-Maria Fameli, Katerina Papagiannaki and Vassiliki Kotroni

Atmosphere 2021, 12(9), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12091178 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2465

Abstract

Households have been pointed out as a significant source of air pollution and climate change. In Europe, the 60% of energy used by households is for space heating. The present work focuses on improving the knowledge on residential heating characteristics in Greece. The full causal chain, from the appliances used to the pollutants emitted, is examined at thelocal scale. A crowdsourcing approach was followed for the collection of the necessary data for performing the emissions calculations. With the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS), dynamic maps were produced for each Greek region, providing the information produced in this study in gridded form. In terms of energy demands, it was found that Greece relies mainly on oil and biomass and secondarily on gas and electricity. The use of biomass burning as a main heating fuel is quite high inthe colder and rural areas, while it is popular as a secondary heating fuel inthe urban areas. The residential heating period in Greece lasts from October to April and it is even shorter in southern Greece. In terms of emissions, CO and PM10 had the highest values since they are related to biomass burning. NOx emissions are mainly emitted by the oil burned in boilers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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19 pages, 7063 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Power Plant NO_x Emissions over Northwest Greece Using a Data Assimilation Technique

by Ioanna Skoulidou, Maria-Elissavet Koukouli, Arjo Segers, Astrid Manders, Dimitris Balis, Trissevgeni Stavrakou, Jos van Geffen and Henk Eskes

Atmosphere 2021, 12(7), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12070900 - 13 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2237

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the ability of a data assimilation technique and space-borne observations to quantify and monitor changes in nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions over Northwestern Greece for the summers of 2018 and 2019. In this region, four lignite-burning power plants are located. The data assimilation technique, based on the Ensemble Kalman Filter method, is employed to combine space-borne atmospheric observations from the high spatial resolution Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) and simulations using the LOTOS-EUROS Chemical Transport model. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service-Regional European emissions (CAMS-REG, version 4.2) inventory based on the year 2015 is used as the a priori emissions in the simulations. Surface measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from air quality stations operating in the region are compared with the model surface NO₂ output using either the a priori (base run) or the a posteriori (assimilated run) NO_x emissions. Relative to the a priori emissions, the assimilation suggests a strong decrease in concentrations for the station located near the largest power plant, by 80% in 2019 and by 67% in 2018. Concerning the estimated annual a posteriori NO_x emissions, it was found that, for the pixels hosting the two largest power plants, the assimilated run results in emissions decreased by ~40–50% for 2018 compared to 2015, whereas a larger decrease, of ~70% for both power plants, was found for 2019, after assimilating the space-born observations. For the same power plants, the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) reports decreased emissions in 2018 and 2019 compared to 2015 (−35% and −38% in 2018, −62% and −72% in 2019), in good agreement with the estimated emissions. We further compare the a posteriori emissions to the reported energy production of the power plants during the summer of 2018 and 2019. Mean decreases of about −35% and−63% in NO_x emissions are estimated for the two larger power plants in summer of 2018 and 2019, respectively, which are supported by similar decreases in the reported energy production of the power plants (~−30% and −70%, respectively). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in Greece)

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