Variations in PM2.5 Surface Concentration in Moscow according to Observations at MSU Meteorological Observatory

Chichaeva

Kasimov

2021

Her. Russ. Acad. Sci.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to self-isolation and business interruptions around the world. On the basis of measurements of concentrations of an indicator of aerosol emissions from fuel combustion products-black carbon-it is shown that the decrease in economic activity had a significant effect on the pollution of the Moscow atmosphere. The decrease in the intensity of the traffic and the change in the operating mode of industrial and heat-and-power enterprises of the city during the period of restrictive measures in the spring of 2020 were determined by the dynamics of the daily and weekly trend of black carbon levels. The decrease in the fraction of fossil fuel combustion at this time correlates with the increased contribution of biomass combustion in the residential sector and during agricultural fires around the megalopolis. Changes in the intensity and direction of sources of high concentrations of black carbon were observed during the recovery of economic activity in the summer of 2020. The decrease in the concentration of black carbon and fine particles less than 2.5 μm in size (PM2.5) in the urban atmosphere reflects a decline in economic activity and an improvement in air quality and conditions for maintaining the health of the Moscow population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Section: Impact Of Restrictive Measures On the Change In The Daily And Weekly Trend Of Black Carbon Concentrationssupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Impact Of Restrictive Measures On the Change In The Daily And Weekly Trend Of Black Carbon Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact Of Restrictive Measures On the Change In The Daily And Weekly Trend Of Black Carbon Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Restrictive Measures during the Covid-19 Pandemic on Aerosol Pollution of the Atmosphere of the Moscow Megalopolis

Chichaeva

Kasimov

2021

Her. Russ. Acad. Sci.

“…In Moscow, mass concentrations of fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 µm (PM10) were found to be comparable or slightly higher than in other big European cities (around 20-30 µg m -3 in yearly average) and lower than in Asian megacities (50-100 µg m -3 ) (Cheng et al, 2016). Temporal variability of PM 2.5 , the aerosol optical depth (AOD), temperature, humidity, and wind speed have been considered at the urban background site (Gubanova et al, 2018). However, no aerosol characterization approaches and source assessment analyses were applied for Moscow urban aerosols yet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Spring Aerosol in Urban Atmosphere of Megacity: Analytical and Statistical Assessment for Source Impacts

Padoan

Kreis

et al. 2020

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

In the complex situation with the plurality of emissions, the important research task of assessing the air quality and potential sources through aerosol composition analyses remains for Moscow's megacity environment. The light absorption, PM 10 mass concentration, aerosol composition, and meteorological parameters in this urban background were measured during spring 2017, a period characterized by significant changes in the air temperature, mass advection, and solar radiation. The organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) and 76 organic compounds, e.g., alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxidized PAHs, hopanes, anhydrosugars, polyols, primary and secondary saccharides, and HULIS, as well as 13 ions, including K + , a marker of biomass burning, have been quantified to determine the carbonaceous and inorganic chemical profiles of the aerosol. The correlation between the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) and the levoglucosan concentration reveals the relative contributions of agricultural fires and residential biomass burning (BB) nearby to the urban aerosol composition. Combining detailed analytical and statistical approaches, we have identified and analyzed the specific chemical compounds that most accurately represent the variability of the aerosol composition. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlights the main factors for marker species related to gasoline/diesel traffic, BB, biogenic activity, and secondary formation in the atmosphere. Distinguishing the BB-affected periods allows us to evaluate daily changes in the aerosol composition in relation to the transported air masses and detected fires in the areas surrounding Moscow.

“…However, Environmental Protection Agency "Mosecomonitoring" conducts the measurements for only PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations at some monitoring stations. The analysis of measured daily mean PM10 concentrations and calculated ones by chemical transport model CHIMERE showed the high temporal variability reflecting the influence of local sources and atmospheric processes (Kuznetsova et al 2011;Gubanova et al 2018). Presently, BC is not a subject of the consistent monitoring, it is remaining as a topic of a few scientific research performed in the Moscow center (Golitsyn et al 2015;Kopeikin et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black carbon in spring aerosols of Moscow urban background

Volpert

Sitnikov

et al. 2020

GES

Air quality in megacities is recognized as the most important environmental problem. Aerosol pollution by combustion emissions is remaining to be uncertain. Measurements of particulate black carbon (BC) were conducted at the urban background site of Meteorological Observatory (MO) MSU during the spring period of 2017 and 2018. BC mass concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 10 μg m–3, on average 1.5±1.3 and 1.1±0.9 µg/m3 , in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Mean BC concentrations displayed significant diurnal variations with poorly prominent morning peak and minimum at day time. BC mass concentrations are higher at night time due the shallow boundary layer and intensive diesel traffic which results in trapping of pollutants. Wind speed and direction are found to be important meteorological factors affected BC concentrations. BC pollution rose identifies the North as the direction of the preferable pollution. A negative correlation between BC concentrations and wind speed confirms the pollution accumulation preferably in stable weather days. Relation of BC pollution to a number of agriculture fires is distinguishable by air mass transportation from South and South-Est of Russia and Western Europe. Mean season ВС concentrations at rural and remote sites in different world locations are discussed.