Multi-Year Concentrations, Health Risk, and Source Identification, of Air Toxics in the Venice Lagoon

Abstract

This work presents and discusses the results of multi-year measurements of air toxics concentrations from different sites of Venice Lagoon. The aim of the study is the characterization of the air quality of the area, in terms of PM 10 , PM 10-bound metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations, even with the individuation of the related inhalation risk and the identification of the main contaminants' sources. The study moreover provides an important multi-years trend of chemical characterization of the Venice Lagoon. Sampling for PM 10 and its metal content was carried out between 2010 and 2015, using low volume sequential aerosol samplers; V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, and Pb were measured by ICP-MS. Samples for PAHs concentration in gas and particle phases were collected from 2010 to 2014, using a high-volume air sampler that allows to sample both phases simultaneously. Samples for PAHs determinations were analyzed by GC-HRMS. Concentrations of air toxics have been studied with the use of enrichment factor, the coefficient of divergence, and the Mann-Kendal test, to individuate eventual local divergences, seasonal and other temporal trends. The inhalation risk assessment has been achieved by the calculation of the cumulative incremental carcinogenic risk for all the air toxics analyzed. The sources' identification and impact evaluation have been carried out using the atmospheric vanadium concentration, to calculate the primary contribution of ship traffic to PM 10 , the Positive Matrix Factorization, and the Diagnostic Ratios, with the aim of evaluating the impact of construction activities of M.o.S.E, (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico-Electromechanical Experimental Module) as well as of ship traffic and other possible air toxics' sources. Temporal trends indicate a slight decrease of PAHs and PM 10 and of its content of Pb, Zn, Sb. Sharp increases of As and Cd during 2014 and 2015 may be due to local sources like emissions from the construction yard, ship, and road traffic. The cumulative incremental carcinogenic risk was below the unconditionally acceptable risk; Co and As are the most important contributors among metals, followed by Cd and Ni while the PAH congeners that most contribute to the carcinogenic risk were benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(A,H)anthracene.

Chemical characterization and source apportionment of size-segregated aerosol in the port-city of Venice (Italy)

“…The concentration of the most elements was in accordance with values found in other studies regarding size segregated aerosol in continental (Jiang et al, 2015) and coastal cities (Arı et al, 2020;Martins et al, 2020). The average concentrations of elements as Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Pb, considerably lower than that found in the above mentioned works, are in accordance with a study carried out in a port-city (Contini et al, 2010) and in other previous works carried out in the same area (Contini et al, 2011(Contini et al, , 2012Masiol et al, 2010Masiol et al, , 2012aMasiol et al, , 2012bMorabito et al, 2020). The relative concentration of carbon was lower than that reported by Merico et al (2019a) in Lecce (Italy), similar to that measured by Wang et al (2015) in China.…”

“…The reference is a typical crustal element, usually Si, Al, or Fe. In this study, Fe has been chosen as reference element, in accordance with previous studies carried out in the same sampling area (Contini et al, 2012;Morabito et al, 2020) and in other polluted regions (Contini et al, 2010;Enamorado-Báez et al, 2015;Lyu et al, 2015;Malandrino et al, 2016;Rovelli et al, 2020). If EFc value is close to 1, it shows a strong influence of the crustal component, EFc less than 10 indicates that crustal soils are the more probable source of the element, 10<EFc<50 indicates a contribution from non-crustal sources, while EFc≫ 100 indicates an exceptionally enriched element.…”

Seasonal Variation, Chemical Composition, and PMF-Derived Sources Identification of Traffic-Related PM1, PM2.5, and PM2.5–10 in the Air Quality Management Region of Žilina, Slovakia

“…A typical example is the increase in SO 2 , NO x , and aerosol concentrations in winter, when increased concentrations of pollutants are caused not only by higher emissions (more sources in winter), but also by low temperatures and inversions, which facilitate the formation, persistence, and slow deposition of pollutants (meteorological parameters). Seasonal changes in PM concentrations may indicate the presence of different sources of air pollution in a particular area [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…The main sources of PM air pollution in urban areas include road transport and domestic heating with wood and coal [ 14 , 15 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Emissions of PM from motor vehicles originate from two main sources: the combustion of fossil fuels—whose emissions are released via tailpipe exhaust [ 25 , 28 , 31 , 32 ]—and non-exhaust processes, including the degradation of vehicle parts and road surfaces [ 25 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ], as well as the resuspension of road dust.…”