Tropospheric fine particulate matter (PM) poses serious health risks and has a significant impact on global climate change. The measurement of various aspects of PM is challenging due to its complex chemical nature. This dissertation addresses various aspects of PM, including composition, measurement, and visibility. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a new secondary standard based on visibility in urban areas using 24-h averaged measurements of either light scatter or PM concentration. However shorter averaging times may better represent human perception of visibility. Data from two studies conducted in Lindon, UT, 2012, and Rubidoux, CA, 2003, were used to compare different techniques to estimate visibility, particularly the effect of relative humidity on visibility estimations. Particle composition was measured in Salt Lake City during January-February of 2009. One-hour averaged concentrations of several gas phase and particle phase inorganic species were measured. The results indicate ammonium nitrate averages 40% of the total PM2.5 mass in the absence of inversions and up to 69% during strong inversions. Also, the formation of ammonium nitrate is nitric acid limited, while the formation of ozone appears to be oxidant and volatile organic carbon (VOC) limited. Reduction of NOx will reduce ammonium nitrate secondary particle formation, however, a decrease in NOx may increase ozone concentration.Due to the complexity of PM it is poorly characterized. A large fraction of PM is composed of organic compounds, but these compounds are not regularly monitored due to limitations in current sampling techniques. The GC-MS Organic Aerosol Monitor (OAM) combines a collection device with thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to quantitatively measure the carbonaceous components of PM on an hourly averaged basis. A compact GC and simple pre-concentrator were developed for the system to decouple separation from manual injection and enhance separation of environmentally-relevant polar organic compounds, such as levoglucosan. The GC-MS OAM is fully automated and has been successfully deployed in the field. It uses a chemically deactivated filter for collection followed by thermal desorption and GC-MS analysis. Laboratory tests show that detection limits range from 0.2 to 3 ng for many atmospherically relevant compounds. The GC-MS OAM was deployed in the field for semi-continuous measurement of the organic markers, levoglucosan, dehydroabietic acid, and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during winter (January to March), 2015 and 2016. Results illustrate the significance of this monitoring technique to more fully characterize the organic components of PM and identify sources of pollution.

Eventos climáticos ocorridos no planeta deixam registros no ambiente, com os quais é possível realizar reconstruções das condições ambientais. No oceano, o destino de grande parte da matéria orgânica é o sedimento; assim o estudo de colunas sedimentares preservadas, testemunhos, fornece um registro de informações sobre os processos biológicos, geológicos e químicos ocorridos no passado e de como esses processos responderam às mudanças ambientais. No presente trabalho foram analisados sedimentos superficiais marinhos ao longo da margem continental superior do Sudeste do Brasil de forma a validar a utilização de marcadores geoquímicos orgânicos na região e foi analisado um testemunho cuja base aponta para 35.000 anos e que engloba importantes eventos climáticos ocorridos no planeta: eventos Heinrich 3, 2 e 1, o Último Máximo Glacial e o evento Younger Dryas, de forma a realizar uma reconstrução paleoceanográfica desse período. Os resultados dos marcadores orgânicos moleculares nas amostras superficiais, quando comparados com outros trabalhos realizados na região, mostraram que os marcadores respondem corretamente aos processos sedimentares na margem continental do Sudeste do Brasil e que a utilização de alquenonas como indicadores de temperatura superficial marinha na região é válida. A análise do testemunho permitiu correlacionar as variações de temperatura da água superficial do mar e variações do nível do mar com o fluxo de material terrígeno para o meio marinho nos últimos 35.000 anos, além de identificar os eventos climáticos citados e verificar a influência desses eventos para a região da margem continental superior do Sudeste do Brasil. Os resultados mostraram uma variação de temperatura superficial marinha de até 4°C entre o Último Máximo Glacial e o Holoceno e mostraram que, para a região, não ocorreu a anti-fase térmica entre o Atlântico Norte e o Atlântico Sul citada em diversos trabalhos realizados no Atlântico Sul, durante os eventos climáticos citados. / Climatic changes produce environmental signatures with which it is possible to reconstruct past environmental conditions. In the ocean, the fate of most of the organic matter is the marine sediment. Sediment core analyses reveal a unique reservoir of biological, chemical and geological information about past processes and how they responded to the environmental changes. In the present work, marine surface sediments from the Southeastern Brazilian Continental Margin were analyzed to verify the efficiency of organic geochemical markers in this area. Sediment core from the Southeastern Brazilian upper slope were also analyzed to carry out a paleoceanographic reconstruction. The core covers a time period of 35,000 years, where important climatic changes occurred, such as the Heinrich events 3, 2 and 1, the LGM, and the Younger Dryas events. Surface sediment results for geochemical markers were comparable with other works developed in the area, efficiently describing the processes that occur there. The alkenone based SST was also comparable with observations from multinational programs, being valid for this area. The core analyses showed correlations between SST and sea level variations with changes in terrestrial organic matter flow to the ocean over the last 35,000 years, allowed the identification of previously mentioned climatic events and the verification of the influence of these events on the Southeastern Brazilian Continental Shelf. Results showed that the SST varied up to 4.5°C between the LGM and the Holocene indicating that at this region a thermal antiphasing between southern and northern Atlantic Ocean SST during the last 35,000 years did not occur.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar as fontes de matéria orgânica em sedimentos ao longo do Sistema Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia-Iguape, por meio de diferentes indicadores geoquímicos. Foram coletados 12 testemunhos. Os 10 centímetros superficiais foram fatiados de 2 em 2 centímetros, totalizando 60 amostras. Análises granulométricas, de razão C/N, 13C/12C e a datação de alguns dos testemunhos, foram feitos pelo grupo de Oceanografia Geológica do IOUSP. Os marcadores orgânicos moleculares utilizados foram os hidrocarbonetos alifáticos, álcoois graxos e esteróides, analisados por GCFID. O total de hidrocarbonetos alifáticos variou entre 0,571 a 9,932 g g-1. Os álcoois totais variaram de 0,318 a 35,291 g g-1. Os esteróides totais variaram de 0,241 a 11,054 g g-1. Para interpretação dos dados foram utilizadas as razões entre n-alcanos ímpares e pares leves (C21) e pesados (C22), somatório de álcoois graxos leves e pesados, relação entre a soma de coprostanol e epicoprostanol sobre o total de esteróides e relação entre epicoprostanol e coprostanol. Os resultados das razões indicam uma origem terrestre dos compostos orgânicos analisados com uma clara predominância da contribuição da vegetação de manguezal da região. Entretanto, existe uma discreta introdução de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo e esgoto domésticos nãotratados em alguns pontos isolados do Sistema Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia-Iguape. / This work has the objective in evaluate the sources of organic matter in sediments of the Cananéia-Iguape Estuarine-Lagunar System, using several geochemical markers. For the study area, 12 sample points were chosen, where the corers were obtained. For each point, the superficial 10 centimeters, sliced in each 2 centimeters, totalizing 60 samples. Granulometric analysis, C/N and 13C/12C ratios and dating of some cores, were realized by the Geological Oceanography group of IOUSP. The molecular organic markers used were the aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols and steroids, analyzed by GC-FID. The total hydrocarbons varied from 0.571 to 9.932 g g-1. The total fatty alcohols ranged from 0.318 to 35.291 g g-1. The total steroids varied from 0.241 to 11.054 g g-1. For interpretation of data, some relations were used such as odd/even hydrocarbons C21 and C22, total short and long chain fatty alcohols, the coprostanol + epicoprostanol divided by total sterols and epicoprostanol/coprostanol. The results of the ratios showed a terrestrial origin of the organic matter with a clear predominance of the contribution of the mangrove higher plants of the region. However, there is a discrete introduction of petroleum hydrocarbons and untreated domestic sewage in isolated points of the Estuarine-Lagunar System of Cananéia-Iguape.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar as fontes de matéria orgânica em sedimentos ao longo do Sistema Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia-Iguape, por meio de diferentes indicadores geoquímicos. Foram coletados 12 testemunhos. Os 10 centímetros superficiais foram fatiados de 2 em 2 centímetros, totalizando 60 amostras. Análises granulométricas, de razão C/N, 13C/12C e a datação de alguns dos testemunhos, foram feitos pelo grupo de Oceanografia Geológica do IOUSP. Os marcadores orgânicos moleculares utilizados foram os hidrocarbonetos alifáticos, álcoois graxos e esteróides, analisados por GCFID. O total de hidrocarbonetos alifáticos variou entre 0,571 a 9,932 g g-1. Os álcoois totais variaram de 0,318 a 35,291 g g-1. Os esteróides totais variaram de 0,241 a 11,054 g g-1. Para interpretação dos dados foram utilizadas as razões entre n-alcanos ímpares e pares leves (C21) e pesados (C22), somatório de álcoois graxos leves e pesados, relação entre a soma de coprostanol e epicoprostanol sobre o total de esteróides e relação entre epicoprostanol e coprostanol. Os resultados das razões indicam uma origem terrestre dos compostos orgânicos analisados com uma clara predominância da contribuição da vegetação de manguezal da região. Entretanto, existe uma discreta introdução de hidrocarbonetos de petróleo e esgoto domésticos nãotratados em alguns pontos isolados do Sistema Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia-Iguape. / This work has the objective in evaluate the sources of organic matter in sediments of the Cananéia-Iguape Estuarine-Lagunar System, using several geochemical markers. For the study area, 12 sample points were chosen, where the corers were obtained. For each point, the superficial 10 centimeters, sliced in each 2 centimeters, totalizing 60 samples. Granulometric analysis, C/N and 13C/12C ratios and dating of some cores, were realized by the Geological Oceanography group of IOUSP. The molecular organic markers used were the aliphatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols and steroids, analyzed by GC-FID. The total hydrocarbons varied from 0.571 to 9.932 g g-1. The total fatty alcohols ranged from 0.318 to 35.291 g g-1. The total steroids varied from 0.241 to 11.054 g g-1. For interpretation of data, some relations were used such as odd/even hydrocarbons C21 and C22, total short and long chain fatty alcohols, the coprostanol + epicoprostanol divided by total sterols and epicoprostanol/coprostanol. The results of the ratios showed a terrestrial origin of the organic matter with a clear predominance of the contribution of the mangrove higher plants of the region. However, there is a discrete introduction of petroleum hydrocarbons and untreated domestic sewage in isolated points of the Estuarine-Lagunar System of Cananéia-Iguape.

Eventos climáticos ocorridos no planeta deixam registros no ambiente, com os quais é possível realizar reconstruções das condições ambientais. No oceano, o destino de grande parte da matéria orgânica é o sedimento; assim o estudo de colunas sedimentares preservadas, testemunhos, fornece um registro de informações sobre os processos biológicos, geológicos e químicos ocorridos no passado e de como esses processos responderam às mudanças ambientais. No presente trabalho foram analisados sedimentos superficiais marinhos ao longo da margem continental superior do Sudeste do Brasil de forma a validar a utilização de marcadores geoquímicos orgânicos na região e foi analisado um testemunho cuja base aponta para 35.000 anos e que engloba importantes eventos climáticos ocorridos no planeta: eventos Heinrich 3, 2 e 1, o Último Máximo Glacial e o evento Younger Dryas, de forma a realizar uma reconstrução paleoceanográfica desse período. Os resultados dos marcadores orgânicos moleculares nas amostras superficiais, quando comparados com outros trabalhos realizados na região, mostraram que os marcadores respondem corretamente aos processos sedimentares na margem continental do Sudeste do Brasil e que a utilização de alquenonas como indicadores de temperatura superficial marinha na região é válida. A análise do testemunho permitiu correlacionar as variações de temperatura da água superficial do mar e variações do nível do mar com o fluxo de material terrígeno para o meio marinho nos últimos 35.000 anos, além de identificar os eventos climáticos citados e verificar a influência desses eventos para a região da margem continental superior do Sudeste do Brasil. Os resultados mostraram uma variação de temperatura superficial marinha de até 4°C entre o Último Máximo Glacial e o Holoceno e mostraram que, para a região, não ocorreu a anti-fase térmica entre o Atlântico Norte e o Atlântico Sul citada em diversos trabalhos realizados no Atlântico Sul, durante os eventos climáticos citados. / Climatic changes produce environmental signatures with which it is possible to reconstruct past environmental conditions. In the ocean, the fate of most of the organic matter is the marine sediment. Sediment core analyses reveal a unique reservoir of biological, chemical and geological information about past processes and how they responded to the environmental changes. In the present work, marine surface sediments from the Southeastern Brazilian Continental Margin were analyzed to verify the efficiency of organic geochemical markers in this area. Sediment core from the Southeastern Brazilian upper slope were also analyzed to carry out a paleoceanographic reconstruction. The core covers a time period of 35,000 years, where important climatic changes occurred, such as the Heinrich events 3, 2 and 1, the LGM, and the Younger Dryas events. Surface sediment results for geochemical markers were comparable with other works developed in the area, efficiently describing the processes that occur there. The alkenone based SST was also comparable with observations from multinational programs, being valid for this area. The core analyses showed correlations between SST and sea level variations with changes in terrestrial organic matter flow to the ocean over the last 35,000 years, allowed the identification of previously mentioned climatic events and the verification of the influence of these events on the Southeastern Brazilian Continental Shelf. Results showed that the SST varied up to 4.5°C between the LGM and the Holocene indicating that at this region a thermal antiphasing between southern and northern Atlantic Ocean SST during the last 35,000 years did not occur.

In this work the organic markers that serve for identification of sources of aerosols are monitored. Theoretic part deals with detailed survey of organic markers emitted from the most significant sources of atmospheric aerosols (biomass combustion, combustion of fossil fuels and traffic) as well as with sampling of aerosols and analysis of organic markers by analytical techniques. Monosaccharide anhydrides (emissions from biomass combustion) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (emissions from traffic and incomplete combustion) were observed especially. Hopanes and steranes (traffic, coal combustion) and fatty acids (cooking) were next groups of monitored organic markers. Markers were studied mainly in size fraction PM1 because this fraction of aerosols is the most harmful to human health. Aerosols were sampled in two seasons (winter and summer) in two towns in 2009. Higher concentrations of aerosols and organic compounds were found in winter season, which resulted from increased combustion of biomass, coal and other organic material while traffic was the most significant source of aerosols in summer.

La mise en place de politiques efficaces visant à la réduction des niveaux de concentrations en PM exige la connaissance préalable des sources primaires et secondaires de l’aérosol organique, une fraction majoritaire des PM demeurant encore mal appréhendée. Les travaux réalisés au cours de cette thèse s’inscrivent dans le cadre du projet FORMES qui avait pour principal objectif d’évaluer et de contraindre les principales méthodes de quantification de l’influence des différentes sources de la fraction organique de l’aérosol en milieu récepteur et d’en optimiser les procédures. La caractérisation physico-chimique de l’aérosol s’est articulée autour de deux campagnes de mesures intensives de 15 jours chacune dans deux environnements urbains très contrastés : Marseille en été, et Grenoble en hiver. Ce travail de thèse s’est concentré sur le cas de Marseille, un environnement très complexe, combinant une activité photo oxydante très intense à un ensemble d’émissions primaires qui incluent les sources industrielles et les émissions par les bateaux.L’analyse CMB appliquée sur le cas de Marseille a montré que les sources primaires sont dominées par les émissions véhiculaires contribuant à 17 % du carbone organique (OC). Bien que les sources industrielles contribuent faiblement à la masse de l’aérosol (2.5 % de l’OC), ces émissions contrôlent les concentrations des HAP et de certains métaux lourds. Ces sources contribuent également, en moyenne sur la période, à environ 30% du nombre des particules ultrafines (Dp<50 nm), ce qui augmente probablement leurs effets sanitaires. Contrairement à Grenoble, où la combustion de bois est une source prépondérante (environ 70 % de l’OC), à Marseille ces émissions ne constituent qu’une source minoritaire, contribuant à 0.8 % de l’OC. Toutefois, la principale information révélée par la déconvolution de sources par CMB est que les sources primaires considérées ne permettent d’expliquer, que 22 % de l’OC mesuré ; 78 % du carbone restant non expliqué. Cette fraction est associée majoritairement à l’aérosol organique secondaire (SOA). En combinant les résultats CMB aux mesures 14C, il a été montré que plus que 70% de cet aérosol est très vraisemblablement d’origine biogénique. En conséquence, les contributions du SOA formé à partir de l’isoprène, l’&#945;-pinène et le &#946;-caryophyllène ont été examinées moyennant une approche basée sur les marqueurs de cet aérosol. Le SOA issu de ces précurseurs a été estimé comme contribuant uniquement à 4.3 % de l’OC, laissant une grande fraction de ce carbone non-attribuée. Cette sous-estimation est la conséquence de trois causes : (i) les incertitudes associées à l’approche utilisée, (ii) des précurseurs biogéniques non-considérés et (iii) le vieillissement de l’aérosol secondaire au cours de son transport dans l’atmosphère, comme suggéré par les mesures d’organosulfates et de la fraction polycarboxylique de type HULIS. Cette dernière fraction peut contribuer à près de 40% de l’OC non-attribué. / Tougher particulate matter regulations around the world and especially in Europe point out the need of source apportionment studies in order to better understand the different primary and secondary sources of organic aerosol, a major fraction of particulate matter that remains not well constrained. The work carried out in this thesis takes part of the FORMES project whose main objective is the source apportionment of the organic aerosol using different approaches, including mainly CMB modelling, AMS/PMF and radiocarbon (14C) measurements. The aerosol characterisation was performed within two intensive field campaigns conducted in two contrasted urban environments: Grenoble during winter and Marseille during summer. The present work focuses on the Marseille case study that presents a particularly complex environment, combining an intense photochemistry to a mixture of primary emissions including shipping and industrial emissions. Primary organic carbon (POC) apportioned using CMB modelling contributed on average for only 22% and was dominated by vehicular emissions accounting on average for 17% of OC. Even though, industrial emissions contribute for only 2.3% of the total OC, they are associated with ultrafine particles and high concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and heavy metals such as Pb, Ni and V, which most likely relate them with acute health outcomes. Whereas in Grenoble the organic aerosol was dominated by wood burning smoke (70% of OC), this source was negligible in Marseille contributing for less than 1% of OC. The main result from this source apportionment exercise is that 78% of OC mass cannot be attributed to the major primary sources and remains un-apportioned; this fraction is mostly associated with secondary organic aerosol. Radiocarbon measurements suggest that more than 70% of this fraction is of modern origins, assigned predominantly to biogenic secondary organic carbon (BSOC). Therefore, contributions from three traditional BSOC precursors, isoprene, &#945;-pinene and &#946;-caryophellene, were considered using a marker based approach. The aggregate contribution from BSOC derived from these precursors was estimated at only 4.2% of total OC. As a result, these estimates underpredict the high loading of OC. This underestimation can be associated with (i) uncertainties underlying the marker-based approach, (ii) presence of other SOC precursors and (iii) further processing of fresh SOC, as indicated by organosulfates (RSO4) and HUmic LIke Substances (HULIS) measurements. This HULIS can contribute up to 40% of the unattributed OC.