Phenomenology of ultrafine particle concentrations and size distribution across urban Europe

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107744
• Publication Date: 2023-01-13T10:30:24Z
• Authors: Pedro Trechera; Meritxell Garcia-...; Xiansheng Liu; Cristina Reche; Noemí Pérez; Marjan Savadkoohi; David Beddows; Imre Salma; Máté Vörösmarty; Andrea Casans; Juan Andrés Casqu...; Christoph Hueglin; Nicolas Marchand; Benjamin Chazeau; Grégory Gille; Panayiotis Kalkav...; Nikos Mihalopoulos; Jakub Ondracek; Nadia Zikova; Jarkko V. Niemi; Hanna E. Manninen; David C. Green; Anja H. Tremper; Michael Norman; Stergios Vratolis; Konstantinos Elef...; Francisco J. Góme...; Elisabeth Alonso-...; Holger Gerwig; Alfred Wiedensohler; Kay Weinhold; Maik Merkel; Susanne Bastian; Jean-Eudes Petit; Olivier Favez; Suzanne Crumeyrolle; Nicolas Ferlay; Sebastiao Martins...; Jean-Philippe Putaud; Hilkka Timonen; Janne Lampilahti; Christof Asbach; Carmen Wolf; Heinz Kaminski; Hicran Altug; Barbara Hoffmann; David Q. Rich; Marco Pandolfi; Roy M. Harrison; Philip K. Hopke; Tuukka Petäjä; Andrés Alastuey; Xavier Querol
• Keywords: Ultrafine particle; Seasonality

The 2017–2019 hourly particle number size distributions (PNSD) from 26 sites in Europe and 1 the US were evaluated focusing on 16 urban background (UB) 6 traffic (TR) framework of Research Infrastructures services reinforcing air quality monitoring capacities European URBAN & industrial areaS (RI-URBANS) project. main objective was to describe phenomenology ultrafine particles (UFP) with a significant focus. varying lower detection limits made it difficult compare PN concentrations (PNC), particularly PN10-25, different cities. PNCs follow TR > UB Suburban (SUB) order. PNC Black Carbon (BC) progressively increase Northern Southern Western Eastern Europe. At sites, typical rush hour peaks are evident, many also showing midday-morning anti-correlated BC. These result increased suggesting contributions nucleation, fumigation shipping. Site types be identified by daily seasonal BC patterns are: (i) mainly driven emissions, marked correlations time scales; (ii) midday/morning anti-correlation PNC/BC; (iii) both midday without patterns. Groups included cities high insolation. PNC, especially PN25-800, positively correlated BC, NO2, CO PM for several sites. variable correlation PNSD pollutants demonstrates that these do not reflect variability UFP environments. Specific is needed if nanoparticles their associated health impacts assessed. Implementation CEN-ACTRIS recommendations measurements would provide comparable measurements, <10 nm full evaluation effects this fraction.