The use and misuse of magnetic methods to monitor environmental pollution in urban areas

Kapper, Kathrin Lisa; Bautista, Francisco; Goguitchaishvili, Avto; Bógalo, María Felicidad; Cejudo-Ruíz, Ruben; Solano, Miguel Cervantes

doi:10.18268/bsgm2020v72n1a111219

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Rock magnetism was extensively used also for biomonitoring airborne pollution using tree leaves, barks, mosses and lichens, being efficient PM receptors; for a review, see Hofman et al (2017) , thereinafter, Winkler et al (2019) , Marié at al. (2020) : the magnetic properties of PM filters and bioaccumulators depend on the concentration and the grain-size of magnetite-like minerals accumulated on the samples, with the magnetic susceptibility being the fastest and most used parameter ( Kapper et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of Covid-19 lockdown on airborne particulate matter in Rome, Italy: A magnetic point of view

Winkler

Amoroso

Giosa

et al. 2021

Environmental Pollution

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Between 9 March and 18 May 2020, strict lockdown measures were adopted in Italy for containing the COVID-19 pandemic: in Rome, despite vehicular traffic on average was more than halved, it was not observed a evident decrease of the airborne particulate matter (PM) concentrations, as assessed by air quality data. In this study, daily PM 10 filters were collected from selected automated stations operated in Rome by the regional network of air quality monitoring: their magnetic properties – including magnetic susceptibility, hysteresis parameters and FORC (first order reversal curves) diagrams - were compared during and after the lockdown, for outlining the impact of the COVID-19 measures on airborne particulate matter. In urban traffic sites, the PM 10 concentrations did not significantly change after the end of the lockdown, when traffic promptly returned to its usual levels; conversely, the average magnetic susceptibility approximately doubled, and the linear correlation between volume magnetic susceptibility and PM 10 concentration became significant, pointing out the link between PM 10 concentrations and the increasing levels of traffic-related magnetic emissions. Magnetite-like minerals, attributed to non-exhaust brakes emissions, dominated the magnetic fraction of PM 10 near urban traffic sites, with natural magnetic components emerging in background sites and during exogenous dusts atmospheric events. Magnetic susceptibility constituted a fast and sensitive proxy of vehicular particulate emissions: the magnetic properties can play a relevant role in the source apportionment of PM 10 , especially when unsignificant variations in its concentration levels may mask important changes in the traffic-related magnetic fraction. As a further hint, increasing attention should be drawn to the reduction of brake wear emissions, that are overcoming by far fuel exhausts as the main pollutant in traffic contexts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of Covid-19 lockdown on airborne particulate matter in Rome, Italy: A magnetic point of view

Winkler

Amoroso

Giosa

et al. 2021

Environmental Pollution

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“…Thus, the relationship to COVID-19 mortality in Iran is not unexpected, considering past evidence of association between patterns of PM 2.5 mass concentrations and, for example, cases of cardiovascular mortality: a study of the 2008–2017 period showed that 2009 and 2010 were the most polluted and unhealthy years, the lowest being 2014, coinciding with the minimum and maximum of solar cycle 24, respectively ( Zallaghi et al, 2020 ). Incidentally, note that a small amount of iron oxides arrives as cosmic flux ( Kapper et al, 2020 ). In this regard, the dust concentration in ice cores retrieved from Greenland show a modulation with a period of about 11 years all the way back from at least 100,000 yrs BP, which points to the solar cycle ( Ram et al, 1997 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Airborne magnetic nanoparticles may contribute to COVID-19 outbreak: Relationships in Greece and Iran

Martínez-Boubeta

Simeonidis

2022

Environmental Research

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This work attempts to shed light on whether the COVID-19 pandemic rides on airborne pollution. In particular, a two-city study provides evidence that PM 2.5 contributes to the timing and severity of the epidemic, without adjustment for confounders. The publicly available data of deaths between March and October 2020, updated it on May 30, 2021, and the average seasonal concentrations of PM 2.5 pollution over the previous years in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city of Greece, were investigated. It was found that changes in coronavirus-related deaths follow changes in air pollution and that the correlation between the two data sets is maximized at the lag time of one month. Similar data from Tehran were gathered for comparison. The results of this study underscore that it is possible, if not likely, that pollution nanoparticles are related to COVID-19 fatalities (Granger causality, p < 0.05), contributing to the understanding of the environmental impact on pandemics.

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“…For example, a study of the 2008-2017 period showed that 2009 and 2010 were the most polluted and unhealthy years, the lowest being 2014, coincidentally during the minimum and maximum of solar cycle 24, respectively [29]. Incidentally, note that a small amount of iron oxides arrives as cosmic flux [33]. This relationship has significant practical implications deserving of further research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Airborne magnetic nanoparticles: environmental risk factors for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Martínez-Boubeta¹,

Simeonidis

2020

Preprint

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ObjectivesTo examine the impact of concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution on the incidence of COVID-19.MethodsPublicly available data of COVID-19 deaths in March/October 2020 were compared with concentrations of PM2.5 measured in previous years at urban and suburban areas in Thessaloniki. Similar publicly available data of PM2.5 concentrations from Tehran were gathered for comparison. Cross-correlation and Granger causality analysis were performed in order to assess linkage.ResultsOn the one hand, the mean PM2.5 concentrations in Thessaloniki were significantly higher in the winter, however the magnetic fraction of particulate matter in the autumn is twice its annual average, suggesting that traffic-related emissions alone may not explain the entire variability of PM2.5. On the other hand, it is implied that changes in coronavirus-related deaths follow changes in airborne magnetite, with the correlation between the two data sets being maximized at the lag time of one-month. Further insight is provided by the monthly pattern of PM2.5 mass concentrations in Tehran. We find that air pollution Granger causes COVID-19 deaths (p<0.05).ConclusionsA significant association has been found between PM2.5 values and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a bunch of regions. Reported links between pollution levels, climate conditions and other factors affecting vulnerability to COVID-19 may instead reflect inhalation exposure to magnetic nanoparticles. A hypothesis has been set that ubiquitous airborne magnetite pollution, together with certain climatic conditions, may promote a longer permanence of the viral particles in the air, thus favoring transmission.Key messagesWhat is already known about this subject?▸▸Due to their small dimensions, airborne particles are able to penetrate through inhalation into many human organs, from the lungs to the cardiovascular system and the brain, which can threaten our health. Research has shown that air pollution is an important cofactor increasing the risk of mortality from coronaviruses.What are the new findings?▸▸Evidence exists that the magnetic fraction of PM has modulated the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Thessaloniki, and potentially in any other region in the world.How might this impact on policy or clinical practice in the foreseeable future?▸▸Policymakers should take care not to overestimate the effect of social distancing interventions and should consider the impact of air pollution in current or future epidemic waves.

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The use and misuse of magnetic methods to monitor environmental pollution in urban areas

Abstract: Invited article The use and misuse of magnetic methods to monitor environmental pollution in urban areas Uso y abuso de métodos magnéticos en el monitoreo de contaminación ambiental en áreas urbanas

Cited by 15 publications

References 3 publications

The effect of Covid-19 lockdown on airborne particulate matter in Rome, Italy: A magnetic point of view

The effect of Covid-19 lockdown on airborne particulate matter in Rome, Italy: A magnetic point of view

Airborne magnetic nanoparticles may contribute to COVID-19 outbreak: Relationships in Greece and Iran

Airborne magnetic nanoparticles: environmental risk factors for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2

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