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Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 February 2025) | Viewed by 10996

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tariq Mehmood

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Guest Editor

1. College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
2. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Department of Environmental Engineering, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
Interests: aerosols; source appointment; environmental chemistry; air pollution; microplastics; climate change; environmental health

Prof. Dr. Junjie Liu

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Guest Editor

Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Interests: air science; indoor air quality; sustainable urban and buildings; ventilation and air cleaning technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of aerosol studies has been steadily rising in response to growing global concerns regarding the urgent issues of global warming, climate change, and the spread of airborne diseases. Primarily, researchers focus on the properties, source appointment, transportation, fate, level of toxicity, and exposure intensity of aerosols both in outdoor and indoor environment. Recent reports claim that over 90% of the global population breathes polluted air. The impact of this remains a subject of intense discussion as we grapple with the potential consequences for life on Earth. Additionally, we must critically assess whether or not existing efforts to address air pollution will be sufficient to confront anticipated future environmental issues. The use of emerging data science and artificial intelligence, with satellite technology support, holds immense potential in addressing the pressing issue of ambient aerosol pollution. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that effective mitigation strategies necessitate a deep understanding of the complex physio-chemical composition of the atmosphere and aerosols. The current knowledge regarding aerosol interactions, transformation, and their persistence in the atmosphere is still limited and requires comprehensive research.

This Special Issue aims to foster excellence in the monitoring of the characteristics of atmospheric aerosols integrated with recent advancements in technology to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies and prospects.

This Special Issue encompasses various subjects on aerosols, including their properties, consequences, and interactions within the atmosphere. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Aerosol characteristics and composition (conventional and emerging aerosols);
The source appointment of aerosols;
Indoor aerosols and built environment;
Bioaerosols;
The fate and transportation of aerosols in the environment;
Advanced monitoring tools and their precision;
The transformation and persistence of aerosols;
The behaviors and interactions of aerosols with other ambient air attributes in the atmospheric environment;
The risk assessment of aerosols;
The future projection of atmospheric aerosol implications;
Data science and artificial intelligence tools used in aerosol studies;
The effectiveness of existing mitigation strategies and future prospectives;
Regional and global collaboration for clean air.

Given this prevalent area of scientific concern, we invite original articles, reviews, and meta-analyses on relevant topics of interest.

Dr. Tariq Mehmood
Prof. Dr. Junjie Liu
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

aerosols
sources and composition
data science and artificial intelligence
bioaerosols
conventional and emerging aerosols
future prospectives of atmospheric aerosols
regional and global collaborations
atmospheric aerosol implications
atmospheric aerosol mitigation strategies
transformation and persistence of atmospheric aerosols

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1955 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Characteristics of Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions in PM_1.0 and Their Impact on Visibility at a Typical Coastal Airport

by Jingbo Zhao, Yanhong Xu, Jingcheng Xu and Yaqin Ji

Atmosphere 2024, 15(11), 1367; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15111367 - 13 Nov 2024

Viewed by 621

Abstract

Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) can increase the hygroscopicity of aerosols, which will transform aerosols into larger sizes and reduce visibility by enhancing light scattering. To explore the characteristics of WSII concentrations and their impacts on visibility in a coastal airport, in this study, PM_1.0 samples at two monitoring sites (including airport site and background site) were collect in spring and summer, and 12 species of ions were detected. In general, secondary water-soluble inorganic ions (SNA, including

{SO}_{4}^{2 -}

{NO}_{3}^{-}

and

{NH}_{4}^{+}

) and

{Ca}^{2 +}

were the dominant WSIIs in PM_1.0, contributing about 89% to 95% of the total measured ions. The continental contributions of

{SO}_{4}^{2 -}

K^{+}

, and

{Ca}^{2 +}

accounted for more than 60% during the whole period, while Na⁺ and

{Cl}^{-}

were mainly from marine sources. The source identification showed that airport emissions were a major source at the sampling site and significantly contributed to the levels of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium. Agricultural activities were the dominant sources impacting visibility in spring, while airport emissions and secondary inorganic aerosols were the main components affecting visibility in summer. Therefore, improving atmospheric visibility in coastal airport areas should focus on reducing the precursors of secondary particulates and reducing biomass-burning activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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14 pages, 7249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of the Elemental Composition of Aerosols Emitted in the Dry Season of the Pantanal Wetland, Brazil

by Lucas Cardoso Ramos, Thais Costa Brunelli, Flávio César Vicentin, Leone Francisco Amorim Curado, André Matheus de Souza Lima, Fernando Gonçalves Morais, Rafael da Silva Palácios, Nicolas Neves de Oliveira and João Basso Marques

Atmosphere 2024, 15(11), 1361; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15111361 - 13 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 881

Abstract

The Brazilian Pantanal region experiences intense biomass burning during the dry season, releasing large quantities of gasses and particles into the atmosphere, which have serious implications on both the climate system and public health. Understanding the dynamics of these emissions is crucial for mitigating the impact on the ecosystem, its functioning, and potential anthropogenic disturbances. This study focused on analyzing emissions in the northern Pantanal during the 2022 drought. Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), black carbon (BC), and 25 chemical elements were measured using gravimetry, reflectance analysis, and X-Ray fluorescence, respectively, from samples collected between August and October 2022. The average concentrations of PM_2.5 and BC increased approximately 4-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively, compared to averages from a decade ago. Significant increases were also observed in elements such as sulfur (S), potassium (K), iron (Fe), and silicon (Si). The maximum concentrations were comparable to values typical of the southern Amazon, a region known for high deforestation rates and land use changes. Elemental analysis revealed substantial shifts in concentrations, primarily associated with biomass burning (BB) and soil suspension. Additionally, enrichment factor (Ef) analysis showed that lead (Pb) levels, correlated with human activities, were 200 times higher than those found under clean atmospheric conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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16 pages, 4635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Improved Version of the Prewhitening Method for Trend Analysis in the Autocorrelated Time Series

by Rahul Sheoran, Umesh Chandra Dumka, Rakesh K. Tiwari and Rakesh K. Hooda

Atmosphere 2024, 15(10), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15101159 - 27 Sep 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 864

Abstract

Nonparametric trend detection tests like the Mann–Kendall (MK) test require independent observations, but serial autocorrelation in the datasets inflates/deflates the variance and alters the Type-I and Type-II errors. Prewhitening (PW) techniques help address this issue by removing autocorrelation prior to applying MK. We evaluate several PW schemes—von Storch (PW-S), Slope-corrected PW (PW-Cor), trend-free prewhitening (TFPW) proposed by Yue (TFPW-Y), iterative TFPW (TFPW-WS), variance-corrected TFPW (VCTFPW), and newly proposed detrended prewhitened with modified trend added (DPWMT). Through Monte Carlo simulations, we constructed a lag-1 autoregressive (AR(1)) time series and systematically assessed the performance of different PW methods relative to sample size, autocorrelation, and trend slope. Results indicate that all methods tend to overestimate weak trends in small samples (n < 40). For moderate/high trends, the slopes estimated from the VCTFPW and DPWMT series close (within a ± 20% range) to the actual trend. VCTFPW shows slightly lower RMSE than DPWMT at mid-range lag-1 autocorrelation (ρ1 = 0.3 to 0.6) but fluctuates for ρ1 ≥ 0.7. Original series and TFPW-Y fail to control Type-I error with increasing ρ₁, while VCTFPW and DPWMT maintained Type-I errors below the significance level (α = 0.05) for large samples. Apart from TFPW-Y, all PW methods resulted in weak power of the test for weak trends and small samples. TFPW-WS showed high power of the test but only for strong autocorrelated data combined with strong trends. In contrast, VCTFPW failed to preserve the power of the test at high autocorrelation (≥0.7) due to slope underestimation. DPWMT restores the power of the test for 0.1 ≤ ρ1 ≤ 0.9 for moderate/strong trends. Overall, the proposed DPWMT approach demonstrates clear advantages, providing unbiased slope estimates, reasonable Type-I error control, and sufficient power in detecting linear trends in the AR(1) series. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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18 pages, 7843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variations in Cloud Concentration Nuclei Related to Continental Air Pollution Control and Maritime Fuel Regulation over the Northwest Pacific Ocean

by Lei Sun, Wenxin Cui, Nan Ma, Juan Hong, Yujiao Zhu, Yang Gao, Huiwang Gao and Xiaohong Yao

Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080972 - 14 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1089

Abstract

Here, we compared the concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and particle number size distributions (PNSDs) measured during the transient period from the winter to the summer East Asian monsoon in 2021 with those in 2014 to explore possible responses to how CCN responds to upwind continental air pollutant mitigation and marine traffic fuel sulfur content (FSC) regulation over the northwest Pacific Ocean (NWPO). We also employed the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis to apportion concentrations of CCN (N_ccn) to different sources in order to quantify its source-specified responses to mitigation of air pollution during the transient period. Our results showed that (1) upwind continental mitigation likely reduced N_ccn by approximately 200 cm⁻³ and 400 cm⁻³ at 0.2% and 0.4% supersaturation (SS), respectively, in the marine background atmosphere over the NWPO; (2) FSC regulation resulted in a decrease in N_ccn at 0.4% SS by about 50 cm⁻³ and was nearly negligible at 0.2% SS over the NWPO. Additionally, a PMF-resolved factor, characterized by a dominant nucleation mode, was present only in 2014 and disappeared in 2021, likely due to the reduction. This estimation, however, suffered from uncertainties since seasonal changes were hard to be deducted accurately. PMF-resolved factors accurately represented N_ccn in 80–90% of cases, but this accuracy was not observed in the remaining cases. Finally, an integrated analysis of satellite-derived cloud parameters and ship-based measurements indicated that the reduced N_ccn over the NWPO might be co-limited with meteorological factors in forming cloud droplets during the transient period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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16 pages, 9526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Resolution Characterization of Aerosol Optical Depth and Its Correlation with Meteorological Factors in Afghanistan

by Sayed Esmatullah Torabi, Muhammad Amin, Worradorn Phairuang, Hyung-Min Lee, Mitsuhiko Hata and Masami Furuuchi

Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070849 - 19 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols pose a significant global problem, particularly in urban areas in developing countries where the rapid urbanization and industrial activities degrade air quality. This study examined the spatiotemporal variations and trends in aerosol optical depth (AOD) at a 550 nm wavelength, alongside key meteorological factors, in Kabul, Afghanistan, from 2000 to 2022. Using the Google Earth Engine geospatial analysis platform, daily AOD data were retrieved from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to assess monthly, seasonal, and annual spatiotemporal variations and long-term trends. Meteorological parameters such as temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), precipitation (PCP), wind speed (WS), wind direction, and solar radiation (SR) were obtained from the Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications. The Mann–Kendall test was employed to analyze the time-series trends, and a Pearson correlation matrix was calculated to assess the influence of the meteorological factors on AOD. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to understand the underlying structure. The results indicated high AOD levels in spring and summer, with a significant upward trend from 2000 to 2022. The findings revealed a positive correlation of AOD value with T, RH, WS, and PCP and a negative correlation with SR. The PCA results highlighted complex interactions among these factors and their impact on the AOD. These insights underscore the need for stringent air quality regulations and emission control measures in Kabul. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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20 pages, 2824 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Effect of Wood Species on Fine Particle and Gaseous Emissions from a Modern Wood Stove

by Henna Rinta-Kiikka, Karna Dahal, Juho Louhisalmi, Hanna Koponen, Olli Sippula, Kamil Krpec and Jarkko Tissari

Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070839 - 16 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1685

Abstract

Residential wood combustion (RWC) is a significant source of gaseous and particulate emissions causing adverse health and environmental effects. Several factors affect emissions, but the effects of the fuel wood species on emissions are currently not well understood. In this study, the Nordic wood species (named BirchA, BirchB, Spruce, SpruceDry, Pine and Alder) were combusted in a modern stove, and the emissions were studied. The lowest emissions were obtained from the combustion of BirchA and the highest from Spruce and Alder. The fine particle mass (PM_2.5) was mainly composed of elemental carbon (50–70% of PM_2.5), which is typical in modern appliances. The lowest PAH concentrations were measured from BirchA (total PAH 107 µg/m³) and Pine (250 µg/m³). In the ignition batch, the PAH concentration was about 4-fold (416 µg/m³). The PAHs did not correlate with other organic compounds, and thus, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or organic carbon (OC) concentrations cannot be used as an indicator of PAH emissions. Two birch species from different origins with a similar chemical composition but different density produced partially different emission profiles. This study indicates that emission differences may be due more to the physical properties of the wood and the combustion conditions than to the wood species themselves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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17 pages, 4248 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Understanding the Dynamics of Source-Apportioned Black Carbon in an Urban Background Environment

by Daria Pashneva, Agnė Minderytė, Lina Davulienė, Vadimas Dudoitis and Steigvilė Byčenkienė

Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070832 - 11 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1167

Abstract

This study aims to delineate the characteristics of black carbon (BC) in the atmosphere over the urban background environment in Vilnius (Lithuania) from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022 using aethalometer (Magee Scientific) measurements. The annual mean concentrations of BC originating from fossil fuels (BC_ff) and from biomass burning (BC_bb) were found to be 0.63 μg m⁻³ with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.67 μg m⁻³ and 0.27 µg m⁻³ (0.35 μg m⁻³). The further findings highlight the dominance of fossil-fuel-related BC throughout the study period (71%) and the seasonal variability of BC pollution, with biomass-burning-related BC making the largest contribution during the summer season (41%) and the smallest contribution during autumn (23%). This information provides valuable insights into the sources and dynamics of BC pollution in the region. The sources and composition of BC on the days with the highest pollution levels were influenced by a combination of local and regional factors in every season. Additionally, this study employs an advanced approach to understanding urban BC pollution by focusing on high-pollution days (18), identified based on a daily mean BC mass concentration exceeding the 95th percentile, alongside an analysis of overall seasonal and diurnal variations. This methodology surpasses many those of previous urban BC studies, offering a comprehensive examination of the sources and composition of BC pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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16 pages, 5541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity Analysis of Fungi Distributed in Inhalable and Respirable Size Fractions of Aerosols: A Report from Kuwait

by Nazima Habibi, Saif Uddin, Montaha Behbehani, Mohammad Kishk, Mohd. Wasif Khan and Wadha A. Al-Fouzan

Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070806 - 4 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292

Abstract

Fungi are an important part of the atmospheric ecosystem yet an underexplored group. Airborne pathogenic fungi are the root cause of hypersensitive and allergenic states highly prevalent in Kuwait. Frequent dust storms in the region carry them further into the urban areas, posing an occupational health hazard. The fungal population associated with the respirable (more than 2.5 µm) and inhalable (2.5 µm and less) fractions of aerosols is negligibly explored and warrants comprehensive profiling to pinpoint tAhe health implications. For the present investigation, aerosol was collected using a high-volume air sampler coupled with a six-stage cascade impactor (Tisch Environmental, Inc) at a rate of 566 L min⁻¹. The samples were lysed, DNA was extracted, and the internal transcribed regions were sequenced through targeted amplicon sequencing. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Gleotinia and Cryptococcus were recorded in all the size fractions with mean relative abundances (RA%) of 17.5%, 12.9%, 12.9%, 4.85%, 4.08%, 2.77%, and 2.51%, respectively. A weak community structure was associated with each size fraction (ANOSIM r² = 0.11; p > 0.05). The Shannon and Simpson indices also varied among the respirable and inhalable aerosols. About 24 genera were significantly differentially abundant, as described through the Wilcoxon rank sum test (p < 0.05). The fungal microbiome existed as a complex lattice of networks exhibiting both positive and negative correlations and were involved in 428 functions. All the predominant genera were pathogenic, hence, their presence in inhalable fractions raises concerns and poses an occupational exposure risk to both human and non-human biota. Moreover, long-range transport of these fungi to urban locations is undesirable yet plausible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerosols Pollution: Characteristics, Impacts, Projections and Mitigation)

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