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Spatial variations of levoglucosan in four European study areas

Jedynska, Aleksandra and Hoek, Gerard and Wang, Meng and Eeftens, Marloes and Cyrys, Josef and Beelen, Rob and Cirach, Marta and De Nazelle, Audrey and Keuken, Menno and Visschedijk, Antoon and Nystad, Wenche and Akhlaghi, Helgah Makarem and Meliefste, Kees and Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark and de Hoogh, Kees and Brunekreef, Bert and Kooter, Ingeborg M.. (2014) Spatial variations of levoglucosan in four European study areas. The science of the total environment, Vol. 505. pp. 1072-1081.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6328886

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Abstract

Relatively little is known about long term effects of wood smoke on population health. A wood combustion marker - levoglucosan - was measured using a standardized sampling and measurement method in four European study areas (Oslo, The Netherlands, Munich/Augsburg, Catalonia) to assess within and between study area spatial variation. Levoglucosan was analyzed in addition to: PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), nitrogen oxides (NOx), elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC), hopanes, steranes and elemental composition. Measurements were conducted at street, urban and regional background sites. Three two-week samples were taken per site and the annual average concentrations of pollutants were calculated using continuous measurements at one background reference site. Land use regression (LUR) models were developed to explain the spatial variation of levoglucosan. Much larger within than between study area contrast in levoglucosan concentration was found. Spatial variation patterns differed from other measured pollutants: PM2.5, NOx and EC. Levoglucosan had the highest spatial correlation with ΣPAH (r=0.65) and the lowest with traffic markers - NOx, Σhopanes/steranes (r=-0.22). Levoglucosan concentrations in the cold (heating) period were between 3 and 20 times higher compared to the warm period. The contribution of wood-smoke calculated based on levoglucosan measurements and previous European emission data to OC and PM2.5 mass was 13 to 28% and 3 to 9% respectively in the full year. Larger contributions were calculated for the cold period. The median model R(2) of the LUR models was 60%. The LUR models included population and natural land related variables. In conclusion, substantial spatial variability was found in levoglucosan concentrations within study areas. Wood smoke contributed substantially to especially wintertime PM2.5 OC and mass. The low to moderate correlation with PM2.5 mass and traffic markers offers the potential to assess health effects of wood smoke separate from traffic-related air pollution.
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)
09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) > Environmental Exposures and Health Systems Research > Physical Hazards and Health (Röösli)
UniBasel Contributors:Eeftens, Marloes and de Hoogh, Kees
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0048-9697
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:09 Jan 2015 09:25
Deposited On:09 Jan 2015 09:25

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