Standardisation of a European measurement method for organic carbon and elemental carbon in ambient air: results of the field trial campaign and the determination of a measurement uncertainty and working range.

The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Technical Committee 264 'Air Quality' has recently produced a standard method for the measurements of organic carbon and elemental carbon in PM2.5 within its working group 35 in response to the requirements of European Directive 2008/50/EC. It is expected that this method will be used in future by all Member States making measurements of the carbonaceous content of PM2.5. This paper details the results of a laboratory and field measurement campaign and the statistical analysis performed to validate the standard method, assess its uncertainty and define its working range to provide clarity and confidence in the underpinning science for future users of the method. The statistical analysis showed that the expanded combined uncertainty for transmittance protocol measurements of OC, EC and TC is expected to be below 25%, at the 95% level of confidence, above filter loadings of 2 µg cm-2. An estimation of the detection limit of the method for total carbon was 2 µg cm-2. As a result of the laboratory and field measurement campaign the EUSAAR2 transmittance measurement protocol was chosen as the basis of the standard method EN 16909:2017.

Internal exposure, effect monitoring, and lung function in welders after acute short-term exposure to welding fumes from different welding processes.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the effect of short-term exposure to welding fumes emitted by different welding techniques on workers was investigated. METHODS: In a 3-fold crossover study, six welders used three different welding techniques for 3 hours. Before and after welding, blood and urine samples were collected to perform biomonitoring of metals. Breath condensate was collected to assess inflammatory reactions, and lung function measurements were performed. RESULTS: Welding led to a significant increase of chromium and nickel in blood and urine and of nitrate and nitrite in exhaled breath condensate. These increases were higher for manual metal arc welding with alloyed material (MAW-a). Several lung function parameters decreased after welding. This decrease was significantly higher after MAW-a. CONCLUSIONS: In respect to biological effects, MAW-a seems to be more important than other welding techniques.

Sources and source contributions to fine particles.

Fine dust is currently seen is one of the major issues in air quality as being responsible for causing negative health effects. Hence it is important to derive information on particle sources and their contribution to the ambient concentrations. This paper reviews two recent studies related to fine particle sources in Germany. The first study deals with the attribution of source regions to PM10 mass concentrations in nine agglomeration areas of Germany. The second study focuses on the diffusive sources from traffic differentiating and quantifying the various non-exhaust related emissions at an Autobahn.