Journal of Environmental Research

Source apportionment of the redox activity of urban fine particulate matter in Athens, Greece

Joint Event on 5^th International Conference on Pollution Control and Sustainable Environment & 10^th Edition of International Conference on Water: Pollution, Treatment & Research
March 14-16, 2019 London, UK

Constantinos Sioutas, Sina Taghvaee, Mohammad H Sowlat, Evangelia Diapouli, Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Vasiliki Vasilatou and Kostas
Eleftheriadis

University of Southern California, USA
Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, Greece

ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Environ Res

Abstract

In this study, we performed chemical characterization and source apportionment of the oxidative potential of airborne particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter particulate matter (PM2.5) at a residential, urban background (UB) site in the outlying neighborhood of Demokritos (Greece). To this end, weekly time-integrated PM2.5 samples were collected during summer (July-September), and winter (February-March). PM samples were then analyzed for chemical composition, and the in vitro alveolar macrophage assays were performed to determine PM oxidative potential. Chemical analysis was done for metals, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC), and markers of biomass burning (e.g. levoglucosan). The Spearman rank-order correlation analysis was then used along with the principal component analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regression (MLR) to apportion the redox activity of PM2.5 into its contributing sources. Results of this study indicated that the intrinsic (mass-based) and extrinsic (volumetric) oxidative potentials of ambient PM2.5 in urban background region of Athens was noticeably higher than PM redox activity in many metropolitan areas of the world. In addition based on MLR results, traffic emissions (characterized by EC), secondary organic aerosols (SOA) (characterized by WSOC), and biomass burning (identified by levoglucosan) were the major sources contributing to 44%, 16%, and 9% of the PM oxidative potential respectively. Higher oxidative potential levels were also observed in warm phase than cold period, due mainly to higher concentrations of EC, and WSOC during warm season. Results of this study reveal the most significant PM2.5 sources which are responsible for PM-induced toxicity and thus can be used by policy makers and public health authorities to adopt appropriate policies regarding detrimental health impacts of PM2.5.

Biography

Constantinos Sioutas is the Fred Champion Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at University of Southern California (USA). He has completed ScD in Environmental Engineering from Harvard University. His area of expertise includes development of several particle sampling technologies that have enabled the assessment of the relative toxicity of particulate matters using realistic atmospheres in in-vivo and in-vitro exposure studies funded by US Environment Protection Agency, National Institute of Health and California Air Resources Board in Southern California. Findings from his work have also been extensively used in the revision of US EPA national air quality standards on particulate matters.