Abstract: Suspended particles and dissolved substances in water provide reactive surfaces, influence metabolic activity and contribute to the net sediment deposition. It therefore plays an important part in the ecology and quality of the water mass. The water quality in reservoirs is crucial and it is naturally maintained by flushing and sedimentation, which continuously remove phosphorus from the water. In some reservoirs, however, these removal processes are countered by recycling of ions which could play a key role to start and/or maintain the eutrophic state. The combination of macro-, trace- and microanalysis techniques can be useful to trace pollution sources through a chemical fingerprint, whether be during an acute environmental disaster or a long-term release of pollutants. The water quality and total metal content of reservoir sediments were assessed in a reservoir, situated in the capital of the Paraná State, in the South-Eastern part of Brazil. The goal of this paper was to determine the metal presence in the sediment and metal and ionic speciation in the Green River reservoir water. Water and bed sediment samples, collected from various sites during 2008 and 2009, were investigated using XRF, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, XRD and zeta potential measurements. Based on the results, the heavy metal concentration and chemical composition of the suspended matter in the water samples, as well as the sediment's chemical composition will be discussed.

Abstract: Daily and seasonal variations in dry and wet atmospheric nitrogen fluxes have been studied during four campaigns between 2004 and 2006 at a coastal site of the Southern North Sea at De Haan (Belgium) located at coordinates of 51.1723° N and 3.0369° E. Concentrations of inorganic N-compounds were determined in the gaseous phase, size-segregated aerosol (coarse, medium, and fine), and rainwater samples. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was quantified in rainwater. The daily variations in N-fluxes of compounds were evaluated with air-mass backward trajectories, classified into the main air-masses arriving at the sampling site (i.e., continental, North Sea, and Atlantic/UK/Channel). The three, non-episodic campaigns showed broadly consistent fluxes, but during the late summer campaign exceptionally high episodic N-deposition was observed. The average dry and wet fluxes for non-episodic campaigns amounted to 2.6 and 4.0 mg N m−2 d−1, respectively, whereas during the episodic late summer period these fluxes were as high as 5.2 and 6.2 mg N m−2 d−1, respectively. Non-episodic seasons/campaigns experienced average aerosol fluxes of 0.91.4 mg N m−2 d−1. Generally, the contribution of aerosol NH4+ was more significant in the medium and fine particulate fractions than that of aerosol NO3−, whereas the latter contributed more in the coarse fraction, especially in continental air-masses. During the dry mid-summer campaign, the DON contributed considerably (15%) to the total N-budget. Exceptionally high episodic aerosol-N inputs have been observed for the late summer campaign, with especially high deposition rates of 3.6 and 2.9 mg N m−2 d−1 for Atlantic/UK/Channel and North Sea-continental (mixed) air-masses, respectively. During this pollution episode, the flux of NH4+ was dominating in each aerosol fraction/air-mass, except for coarse continental aerosols. High deposition of gaseous-N was also observed in this campaign with an average total N-flux of 22.5-times higher than in other campaigns.

Abstract: Atmospheric aerosols were collected during the winter in Bethlehem, South Africa. The particulate mass concentrations, ambient carbon mass concentrations, and chemical composition of various particulate fractions showed that the area is highly polluted. The fine particle mass concentrations peaked at 1000 µg/m3 for PM2.5. Ambient carbon mass concentrations ranged from 20 to 40 µg/m3. Single particle analysis confirmed that the fine particle fraction was dominated by organic particles. The topographical conditions, causing a low inversion, together with the high amounts of emissions from biomass burning, result in unacceptable levels of air pollution and pose a considerable health threat to the population.

Abstract: The chemical characterization of particulate matter inside and outside of confined bus shelters has been discerned for the first time. Transit patrons are at risk due to the close vicinity of densely trafficked areas resulting in elevated pollution footprints. Incomplete combustion processes, as well as exhaust and wear and tear emissions from public and personal transportation vehicles, are key contributors to degraded urban air quality and are often implicated as causal to various diseases in humans. Urban planning, therefore, includes efficient public transport systems to mitigate the effect. The bus rapid transit system was inaugurated in Curitiba to ensure dedicated traffic lanes, major bus interchanges and semi-confined bus stops called tube stations. To assess the chemical risk that the passengers are exposed to, an investigation of the aerosol inside and outside five of these tube stations was launched. Electron probe X-ray micro-analysis and X-ray fluorescence were used to determine the elemental composition of individual and of bulk particle samples. An aethalometer quantified the black carbon. Elemental concentrations inside the shelters were in general higher than outside, especially for traffic-related elements. The lead concentration exceeded the NAAS standard at times, although the average was below the guideline. The biogenic, organic and soot clusters showed the highest abundance for the city centre sites. The overall carcinogenic risk could be classed as moderate, and the risk was significant at two sites during one of the sampling campaigns. The non-carcinogenic risk is well below the significant value.

Abstract: In the past years, and also within the framework of this CRP, we have used a combination of several nuclear and non-nuclear techniques in fundamental research and especially in various applications. Most work has been done with energy-dispersive X ray fluorescence in combination with electron probe X ray microanalysis, but several other more common analysis techniques have been used as well. The applications have included mostly preventive conservation (e.g. characterisation of damaging atmospheric particles in many museums) and environmental monitoring (e.g. for atmospheric particles in relation to their health effects in outdoor and especially indoor environments). Fundamental aspects have been in the optimising of interfaced electron microprobe and Raman microprobe analysis and the evaluation of the potential of such an instrument for atmospheric aerosols; quite a few unexpected and unpredicted problems have appeared in the latter study.