Search Results (8)

The Baikal region, including areas with poor environmental conditions, has significant clean background zones. In the summer of 2023, we analyzed the physical and chemical parameters of aerosol particles with different size fractions at Irkutsk and Listvyanka monitoring stations. Reduced wildfires and minimal impact from fuel and energy industries allowed us to observe regional and transboundary pollution transport. A large data array indicated that, during the shift of cyclones from Mongolia to the south of the Baikal region, the concentrations of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and Cl⁻ ions increased at the Irkutsk station, dominated by NH₄⁺ and SO₄²⁻. The growth of the ionic concentrations at the Listvyanka station was observed in aerosol particles during the northwesterly transport. When air masses arrived from the southerly direction, the atmosphere was the cleanest. The analysis of 27 elements in aerosols revealed that Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn made the greatest contribution to air pollution at the Irkutsk station, while Fe, Al, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni made the greatest contribution to air pollution at the Listvyanka station. The dynamics of the investigated elements were mainly due to natural processes in the air under various synoptic situations and weather conditions in the region, although anthropogenic factors also affected the formation of aerosol composition wth certain directions of air mass transport. Full article

The aim of this study was to expand the monitoring network and evaluate the accuracy of inexpensive WoMaster ES-104 sensors for monitoring particulate matter (PM) in temperate latitudes, using the example of the Southern Baikal region. The research methods included continuous measurements of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations, temperature, and humidity at three stations (Listvyanka, Patrony, and Tankhoy) from October 2023 to October 2024, using the LCS WoMaster ES-104. ERA5-Land reanalysis data and the HYSPLIT model were used to analyze meteorological conditions and air mass trajectories. The results of this study showed a high correlation between the WoMaster ES-104 and the DustTrak 8533; the correlation coefficient was 0.94 (R² = 0.85) for both fractions. The seasonal dynamics of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were characterized by a dual-mode distribution with maxima in summer (secondary aerosols, high humidity) and winter (anthropogenic emissions, inversions). The diurnal cycles showed morning/evening peaks associated with transport activity and atmospheric stratification. Extreme concentrations were recorded in anticyclonal weather (weak north-westerly winds, stable atmosphere). This study confirms the suitability of the LCS WoMaster ES-104 for real-time monitoring of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, which contributes to sustainable development by increasing the availability of air quality data for ecologically significant regions such as Lake Baikal. Full article

This article presents the results of the automatic monitoring of the concentrations of gaseous impurities of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the ground-level atmosphere of the urban and rural areas in the Southern Baikal region (East Siberia, Russia). The study was conducted from 2020 to 2023 at the urban Irkutsk station and the rural Listvyanka station located at a distance of 70 km from each other. We calculated the main statistical characteristics of the variations in the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide in the ground-level atmosphere and determined a nature of variability in their concentrations on various time scales: annual, weekly, and daily. Annual variabilities of gaseous pollutants in the ground-level atmosphere above the Irkutsk city and the Listvyanka settlement were similar and showed the highest values in winter and the lowest in summer. The daily and weekly dynamics of the nitrogen oxide concentrations in the urban area clearly depended on the increase in the road traffic during rush hours (morning and evening). In the rural area, there was no such dependence. In this area, the daily and weekly variability in the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide mainly depended on natural meteorological processes. The work systematizes the meteorological parameters at which the largest amount of anthropogenic impurities enters the air basin of Lake Baikal. The maximum values of acid-forming gas concentrations were observed when the air masses were transferred from the northwest direction, which corresponds to the location of sources in the territory of the Irkutsk–Cheremkhovo industrial hub—the largest concentration of anthropogenic objects in the Irkutsk region. Full article

In recent years, the role of the atmosphere in the formation of the chemical composition of water in Lake Baikal and its tributaries has been increasing. In this regard, the study of equivalent black carbon (eBC) in the air above the lake and its coast has an important practical application. This paper presents the results of the mass concentration of eBC and submicron aerosol in the air above the water area of Lake Baikal, which were obtained during expeditions onboard research vessels in the summer of 2019 and 2023. We analyzed the data from the coastal monitoring station Listvyanka. To measure eBC, an MDA-02 aethalometer was used in the water area of the lake, and a BAC-10 aethalometer at the Listvyanka station. The background level of the eBC concentration in the air at different areas of the lake ranged between 0.15 and 0.3 µg m⁻³. The results of the two expeditions revealed the influence of the coastal settlements and the air mass transport along the valleys of the lake’s large tributaries on the five- to twentyfold growth of the eBC concentration in the near-water atmosphere. In the diurnal dynamics of eBC near settlements, we recorded high values in the evening and at night. In background areas, the diurnal dynamics were poorly manifested. In the summer of 2019, there were smoke plumes in the water area of Lake Baikal from distant wildfires and a local fire site on the east coast of the lake. The eBC concentration increased to 5–6 µg m⁻³, which was 10 to 40 times higher than the background. The long-range transport of plumes from coal-fired thermal power plants in large cities of the region made the major contribution to the eBC concentration at «Listvyanka» in winter, which data on aerosol, gas impurities, and meteorological parameters confirmed. Full article

This article analyses the results of year-round automatic ozone monitoring in seven cities of the Baikal region (southeastern Siberia). We reveal that significant differences in the spatiotemporal variability of the average daily ozone concentrations depend on different anthropogenic loads. In large cities with heavy industry, which are located in the Angara River valley, the ozone concentrations were minimal and changed little during the year: less than 5 µg/m³ in the Angarsk city and 20–30 µg/m³ in the Irkutsk city. In the settlements of a less polluted region, the Selenga River valley, the ozone concentrations were significantly higher, and the annual ozone variability was typical of East Siberia: the maximum in spring (60 to 70 μg/m³) and the minimum in autumn and winter (10 to 30 μg/m³). The maximum ozone concentrations were observed in rural conditions (Listvyanka station), up to 80–100 μg/m³ during the spring maximum. Nitrogen oxides had the main influence on ozone depletion in the surface atmosphere of the cities, especially in winter, the season of maximum burning of fossil fuels (negative correlation can reach −0.9). In cities with heavy industry, the effect of NO_x on ozone was weaker. Perhaps other anthropogenic impurities can also affect ozone suppression in these cities, which have not yet been studied. Full article

This article presents the results of the long-term studies at two stations located in the city of Irkutsk and the Listvyanka settlement of the southern Baikal region (East Siberia) concerning the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in atmospheric aerosol. The studies revealed the seasonal and interannual dynamics in the distribution of PAHs in aerosols from urban (source) and rural (receptor) areas. We carried out a comprehensive analysis of weather conditions such as wind direction, relative humidity, air temperature, and atmospheric pressure. The analysis determined high correlations between air temperature, atmospheric pressure, temperature inversions, and PAHs at the monitoring stations. The average annual concentrations of PAHs in the abnormally warm 2020 were three times lower than the average values obtained in the cold 2016. The toxic equivalent concentrations (BaPeq) increased from summer to winter with an increase in the contribution from benzo(a)pyrene, one of the most toxic and hazardous compounds of this class of organic substances. Four-, five- and six-ring PAHs mainly predominated in aerosol; the proportion of two- and three-ring PAHs increased from the warm season to the cold season. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs identified the main sources of air pollution by this class of compounds: combustion of coal, liquid fuel and firewood, vehicle emissions, and wildfires. The percentage of the transport of anthropogenic aerosol containing PAHs from industrial sources of the Southern Baikal region towards Lake Baikal was 65 to 71%. Full article

A precipitation monitoring station in Listvyanka was set up to determine the potential impact of the coastal area on the state of the adjacent air environment above Lake Baikal on its southwest coast. This article presents the results of studying the chemical composition of atmospheric deposition (aerosols and precipitation) at this station in 2020, and of their comparison with the data from previous years (from 2000 to 2019). In 2020, the ionic composition of atmospheric aerosols and precipitation had changed compared to previous years. In the modern period, the total amount of ions in aerosols, accounting for 0.46 ± 0.40 μg∙m⁻³, was lower by an order of magnitude than between 2000 and 2004. The average annual total amount of ions in precipitation in Listvyanka was almost unchanged from the average values in 2000–2010 and was 10% lower than that from 2011 to 2019 (7.3 mg/L). The ratio of major ions of sulphates and ammonium changed in the aerosol composition: compared to the period from 2000 to 2004, in 2020, the contribution of ammonium ions had decreased significantly, from 32% to 24%; the contribution of sulphates had increased to 43%, and the contribution of calcium had increased from 8 to 13%. Since 2010, the contribution of K⁺ ions has increased to 8–10%, indicating the effect of smoke aerosols from wildfires. In precipitation, despite the dominance of sulphates (26%) and calcium (18%) throughout the year, the contribution of nitrates increases to 19% during the cold season (from October to March), while the contribution of ammonium ions and hydrogen ions increases to 13% and 17%, respectively, in the warm season (from April to September). In 2020, as in previous research years, the acidity of precipitation at the Listvyanka station was elevated (pH 5.1 ± 0.5); 50% of precipitation in 2020 had pH ˂ 5. We quantified ions in atmospheric aerosols and precipitation on the underlying surface of the coastal southwestern part of Lake Baikal. Ion fluxes with precipitation were the highest in the warm season, which corresponds to the annual maximum precipitation. Unlike previous years (from 2000 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2019), wet deposition of most ions—especially calcium, ammonium and nitrates—had decreased in 2020. There was a 35-fold decrease in nitrogen fluxes and a 5-fold decrease in sulphur fluxes in aerosols, as well as 1.6-fold and 1.3-fold decreases, respectively, in precipitation. Full article

The GMOS (Global Mercury Observation System) project has the overall goal to develop a coordinated observing system to monitor mercury on a global scale. Here we present the long-term (2011–2020) air mercury monitoring data obtained at the Listvyanka station located at a shore of Lake Baikal, Siberia. The long-term monitoring shows obvious seasonal variation of the background mercury concentration in air, which increases in the cold and decreases in the warm season. The short-term anomalies are associated with the wind carrying the air from the industrial areas where several big coal-fired power plants are located. A positive correlation between the mercury, SO₂ and NO₂ concentrations is observed both in the short-term variations and in the monthly average concentrations. The analysis of forward and backward trajectories obtained with the HYSPLIT model demonstrates revealing of the mercury emissions sources. During the cruise of 2018, the continuous air mercury survey over Lake Baikal covered 1800 km. The average mercury concentration over Baikal is notably less in comparison with the average value obtained at the onshore Listvyanka station during the same days of the cruise. That can lead to the conclusion that Baikal is a significant sink of the atmospheric mercury. Full article