109 f. / Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-04-03T13:32:48Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Pag_Iniciais.doc: 792576 bytes, checksum: 12dfaef31d9159988f77ea8619fd118e (MD5) Cap. I - V.doc: 4237312 bytes, checksum: be8dd2f149baada6ca89d1396f98bbb5 (MD5) / Rejected by Ana Hilda Fonseca(anahilda@ufba.br), reason: Solicito o envio em arquivo único. Transformar o arquivo em pdf sem senha. on 2013-04-18T16:41:59Z (GMT) / Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-05-20T15:50:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Luiz Souza Carvalho.pdf: 2954132 bytes, checksum: 0bd3a51a7e2edab66b3681ac3f94951f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Hilda Fonseca(anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-05-20T15:51:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Luiz Souza Carvalho.pdf: 2954132 bytes, checksum: 0bd3a51a7e2edab66b3681ac3f94951f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-20T15:51:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Luiz Souza Carvalho.pdf: 2954132 bytes, checksum: 0bd3a51a7e2edab66b3681ac3f94951f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / CAPES / Os metais traço e os hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos particulados transportados por via aérea são considerados como um risco á saúde e ao ambiente, pois podem ser absorvido pelo tecido do pulmão humano durante a respiração. A queima de combustível fóssil e da madeira, assim como a incineração de dejetos e processos industriais, são as principais fontes antrópicas de metais e hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (PAH) á atmosfera.. Este trabalho tem a finalidade de determinar as concentrações em suspensão (TSP e PM10 de metais, assim como as concentrações e os perfis dos 16 PAH prioritários para estudos ambientais segundo a U.S. EPA), que estão agregados ao material particulado. Os metais: Fe, Mn, Cu e Zn determinados por ICP-OES, e os PAH foram separados por cromatografia gasosa, identificados e quantificados por GC-MS. A amostragem foi feita em três sítios em Salvador-BA: i) Estação de ônibus da Lapa, ii) Porto de Aratu, iii) Vila de Bananeira,,na ilha de Maré próximo ao Porto de Aratu. Os dados experimentais foram analisados usando o programa (STATISTICA 6 Stat Soft). Para os metais: Fe apresentou as concentrações mais elevadas (variou de 26,8 a 328µgm-3) na maioria dos sítios, exceto bananeiras, onde o Zn predominou (variou de 1,83 a 145µgm-3). Para os hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos: BbF apresentou maiores concentrações na maioria dos sítios (variou de 0,130 a 6850ng m-3), exceto na estação da Lapa, predominou CRY(variou de 0,075 a 6,85µgm-3). Os metais e PAH, são principalmente de fonte antrópica, e podem originar sérios problemas de saúde / Salvador

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:55:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRLB.pdf: 1678742 bytes, checksum: 886848bd535c0fd818fc2937a34451b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-05-05 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / In the present work, breathable particulate matter (PM10) concentration was measured in their fine (PM2.5-10) and ultra-fine (MP2.5) fractions, in the municipal district of São Carlos. The samplings were carried out from 2001 to 2004 for PM10 (complemented with data from 1997 to 2001 taken from the research group databank) and for the period of 1 year (2001-2002) for PM2.5. PM10 was sampled with a high volumes sampler, while PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 were sampled with a dichotomous sampler. In order rationalize the seasonal variation MP, the year was separated in two different periods, the so-called dry period characterized by colder months and smaller incidence of rains and the rainy period, characterized by hotter months and by larger incidence of rains. After the collection, XRF analysis were carried out to quantify the chemical elements with mass molar superior to 12 a.m.u.. Also, DIC/DOC (dissolved organic and inorganic carbon) analysis were performed. The results showed 14 chemical elements, on average, both in fne and ultrafine fractions. The chemical elements that appear in larger concentrations in the PM are organic carbon, inorganic carbon, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, K, S and Fe. Two receptor models, the principal factors analysis (PFA) and chemical mass balance (CMB) were used to quantify the probable pollution sources for responsible for the sampled PM in the receptor site. PFA suggests that 3 main sources are responsible for the PM in the ultrafine fraction, both in the dry as well as in the rainy season. As for the fine fraction, the PFA suggests that 4 main sources are responsible for the pollution in the receptor site. The CMB analysis indicates that, for the ultrafine fraction the main source is the gas/particle conversion from sulfur, both in the dry and rainy periods. For the dry period, the biomass burning becomes significant as a pollution source. In the fine fraction of MP, the main sources identified were soil resuspension and vehicular emission. / xix No presente trabalho mediu-se a concentração de Material Particulado (MP) respirável (MP10), em suas frações fina (MP2,5-10) e super fina (MP2,5) no município de São Carlos. As amostragens foram realizadas de 1997 a 2004 para o MP respirável sendo que para o período de 1997 a 2000 foram utilizados dados disponíveis no banco de dados do Grupo de Controle ambiental e pelo período de 1 ano (2001-2002) para o MP2,5. O MP respirável foi amostrado com amostrador de grandes volumes, enquanto o MP2,5 e MP2,5-10 foi amostrado com amostrador dicotômico. Para facilitar o estudo da variação sazonal do MP dividiu-se o ano em dois períodos distintos, o chamado período seco (caracterizado por meses mais frios e menor incidência de chuvas) e o período chuvoso (caracterizado por meses mais quentes e de maior incidência de chuvas). Após a coleta, foram realizadas análise de XRF (Fluorescência de Raios X) para quantificar os elementos químicos com número atômico superiores a 12 u.m.a., e análise de carbono orgânico e inorgânico por DIC/DOC (carbono inorgânico e orgânico dissolvidos). Foram observados em média 14 elementos químicos, tanto para a fração fina como super fina. Os elementos químicos que aparecem em maiores concentrações no MP são carbono orgânico, carbono inorgânico, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, K, S e Fe. Foram utilizados modelos receptores análise de fatores principais (AFP) e balanço químico de massas (BQM) para quantificar as prováveis fontes poluidoras responsáveis pela carga de MP amostrada no receptor. A AFP sugere que há 3 fontes principais responsáveis pela carga de MP super fino no receptor tanto para o período seco como para o período chuvoso. Para o MP fino a AFP sugere que existam 4 fontes principais responsáveis pela poluição no sítio receptor. O BQM indica que para a fração super fina a principal fonte é a conversão gás / partícula de enxofre, tanto para o período seco como para o período chuvoso. Para o período seco a queima de biomassa passa a ter importância significativa como fonte poluidora. Na fração fina do MP as principais fontes identificadas foram ressuspensão do solo e emissão veicular.

abstract: Air pollution is a serious problem in most urban areas around the world, which has a number of negative ecological and human health impacts. As a result, it's vitally important to detect and characterize air pollutants to protect the health of the urban environment and our citizens. An important early step in this process is ensuring that the air pollution monitoring network is properly designed to capture the patterns of pollution and that all social demographics in the urban population are represented. An important aspect in characterizing air pollution patterns is scale in space and time which, along with pattern and process relationships, is a key subject in the field of landscape ecology. Thus, using multiple landscape ecological methods, this dissertation research begins by characterizing and quantifying the multi-scalar patterns of ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan region. Results showed that pollution patterns are scale-dependent, O3 is a regionally-scaled pollutant at longer temporal scales, and PM10 is a locally-scaled pollutant with patterns sensitive to season. Next, this dissertation examines the monitoring network within Maricopa County. Using a novel multiscale indicator-based approach, the adequacy of the network was quantified by integrating inputs from various academic and government stakeholders. Furthermore, deficiencies were spatially defined and recommendations were made on how to strengthen the design of the network. A sustainability ranking system also provided new insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the network. Lastly, the study addresses the question of whether distinct social groups were experiencing inequitable exposure to pollutants - a key issue of distributive environmental injustice. A novel interdisciplinary method using multi-scalar ambient pollution data and hierarchical multiple regression models revealed environmental inequities between air pollutants and race, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic classes. The results indicate that changing the scale of the analysis can change the equitable relationship between pollution and demographics. The scientific findings of the scale-dependent relationships among air pollution patterns, network design, and population demographics, brought to light through this study, can help policymakers make informed decisions for protecting the human health and the urban environment in the Phoenix metropolitan region and beyond. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biology 2014

Die gesundheitsschädliche Wirkung unreiner Luft ist Gegenstand unzähliger Studien und wurde bereits hinreichend nachgewiesen. Der Straßenverkehr ist dabei eine der wesentlichsten Schadstoffquellen, denen der Mensch im Alltag ausgesetzt ist. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Schadstoffbelastung von Nutzern des Straßenverkehrs vertiefend abzubilden. Im Rahmen eines Literaturreviews werden insgesamt 50 wissenschaftliche Studien analysiert. Obwohl sich viele Studien mit dem Vergleich der Verkehrsmittel bezüglich der Immissionsexposition auseinandersetzen, widersprechen sich ihre Ergebnisse je nach Schadstoff regelmäßig hinsichtlich der Reihenfolge der Verkehrsmittel oder auch grundsätzlich bezüglich der Signifikanz der Verkehrsmittelwahl. Ursache dafür sind die zahlreichen Einflussfaktoren, die sich von Arbeit zu Arbeit unterscheiden und eine Vergleichbarkeit der Messergebnisse stark erschweren. Trotz einer steigenden Anzahl an Studien zum Thema mangelt es den Messmethoden an einem strengen Qualitätsstandard sowie einer ausführlichen Dokumentation der Messbedingungen. Eine Verallgemeinerung und Vergleichbarkeit der Forschungsergebnisse untereinander ist damit bislang nicht gewährleistet. Die Betrachtung der Luftqualität bildet die wissenschaftliche Grundlage, um Grenzwertüberschreitungen aufzuspüren, Gegenmaßnahmen zu erarbeiten und diese auf ihre Wirksamkeit zu kontrollieren. Die Werte stationärer Messeinrichtungen geben dabei ein nur unzureichend genaues Bild über die Immissionen, denen die Nutzer des Straßenverkehrs ausgesetzt sind. Um ein realistischeres Bild über die Immissionsbelastung von Verkehrsteilnehmern zu gewinnen, wird mittels eines mobilen Messgeräts die PM10-Belastung für Radfahrer in Teilen des Dresdner Straßennetzes bestimmt. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die gemessene Schadstoffkonzentration sowohl räumlich innerhalb einer Messstrecke als auch zeitlich im Laufe des Tages variiert. Um den weitestgehend emissionsarmen Rad- und Fußverkehr weiter zu fördern und auszubauen, ist es nötig, die Schadstoffbelastung dieser Verkehrsteilnehmer noch besser zu verstehen und quantifizieren zu können. Nur dann sind Verkehrsplaner und Entscheidungsträger in der Lage, eine Infrastruktur zu schaffen, die ihre Nutzer so wenig wie möglich gesundheitlich beeinträchtigt.

Air quality is affected by many factors, one of the most important is transport, especially road transport. In this thesis, the transport intensity is compared with number/concentrations of particulate matter in the air. The evaluation is carried out for days, weeks and months, analyses are focused mainly on Brno. In addition, the particulate matter concentrations are analysed depending on meteorological conditions (temperature). The conclusion is focused on the possible measures which can reduce the impact of transport on air pollution.

An emission inventory tool for estimating SO2, NO2, and PM10 emissions from brick clamp kiln sites was developed from investigations performed on three representative South African clamp kiln sites in order to facilitate application for Atmospheric Emission Licenses (AELs) from these sources. The tool utilizes readily available site-specific parameters to generate emission factors for significant activities that emit the aforementioned pollutants. PM10 emission factors for significant processes were developed using empirical expressions from the Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors (AP-42) documents. SO2 emission factor for clamp kiln firing was obtained from “reverse-modelling”, a technique that integrates ambient monitoring and dispersion modelling (using Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System software) to “standardize” actual emission rate from an assumed rate of 1 g/s. The use of multiple point sources proved to improve the simulation of the buoyancy-induced plume rise; therefore, a “bi-point” source configuration was adopted for the kiln. The “reverse-modelling” technique and “bi-point” source configuration produced SO2 emission rates differing from -9 % to +22 % from mass balance results, indicating that the “reverse-modelling” calculations provide reliable emission estimates for SO2. An NO2 emission factor could not be obtained from the “reverse-modelling” technique due to experimental errors and the significant effect of NO2 emissions from other onsite air emission sources such as internal combustion engines. The NO2 emission factor was obtained from previous comprehensive study on a similar clamp kiln site. The emission factors obtained from this study were utilized in developing an “emission inventory tool” which is utilized by clay brick manufacturers in quantifying air emissions from their sites. Emissions quantification is a requirement for brick manufacturers to obtain an AEL which is regulated under South African environmental laws. It is suggested that the technique used here for SO2 emission confirmation could be used to estimate emissions from a volume or area source where combustion occurs and where knowledge of the source parameters is limited. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted

Les études internationales indiquent que la pollution atmosphérique présente des effets néfastes sur la santé. Au Liban, les taux de polluants atmosphériques dépassent les seuils recommandés par l’OMS et les législations sont presque absentes. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse tentera d’étudier les effets de l’exposition aux polluants de l’air sur la santé respiratoire, cardiaque et cutanée à Beyrouth en utilisant la méthodologie d’analyse des séries temporelles. Pour estimer l’effet de la pollution sur la santé de la population beyrouthine, nous avons principalement utilisé des données extraites des registres des urgences de sept hôpitaux ainsi que celles du réseau de surveillance de la qualité de l’air à Beyrouth et ce pour une période de dix-huit mois. L’analyse de régression, appliquée aux indicateurs de pollution, de santé et d’autres facteurs de confusion nous a permis de montrer une relation significative entre les admissions pour causes respiratoires, cardiaques et cutanées et l’augmentation des niveaux de polluants atmosphériques. Les analyses menées chez les enfants et les personnes âgées ont montré qu’il existe une relation significative entre les admissions aux urgences pour causes respiratoires et l’augmentation de la concentration des particules de 10µg.m-3 au-dessus des normes exigées et ceci au jour même. Cependant, nous avons montré qu’une association significative existe chez les adultes mais pour un délai de six à sept jours. La relation entre l’augmentation des niveaux de polluants et les admissions aux urgences pour causes cardiovasculaires n’a pas été très significative. Par contre une relation a été considérée positive et importante entre l’élévation des taux de polluants et les admissions aux urgences pour des maladies cutanées. En conclusion, nos résultats ont mis en évidence l’effet des polluants sur la santé des habitants à Beyrouth surtout chez des groupes vulnérables (enfants et personnes âgées) et ont souligné la nécessité de mener des études supplémentaires sur ce sujet. / International studies show that air pollution has adverse effects on health. In Lebanon, air pollutants exceed the limits recommended by WHO and laws barely exist. This thesis attempts to study the effects of exposure to air pollutants on respiratory, cardiovascular and skin diseases in Beirut using the methodology of time series analysis.To estimate the health effects of air pollution in Beirut, we mainly used data from emergency registers of seven hospitals as well as data from the air quality monitoring network in Beirut for a period of eighteen months. Regression analysis taking into consideration pollution and health indicators and other confounding factors allowed us to demonstrate a significant relationship between admissions for respiratory, cardiovascular and skin diseases and the increased levels of air pollutants. The analysis conducted in children and elderly groups apart have shown that there is a significant relationship, same day, between emergency admissions for respiratory causes and the increase in particles concentrations of 10μg.m-3. However, this significant association exists in adults group but for a delay of six to seven days. The relationship between increasing levels of air pollution and emergency admissions for cardiovascular causes was barely significant. Beside strong association was found between air pollutants and emergency admissions for skin diseases. In conclusion, our results proved the effect of air pollution on health in Beirut especially among vulnerable groups (children and elderly groups) and stressed the need to conduct additional studies on this subject.

Cette étude porte sur la caractérisation physico-chimique, la quantification et le traçage des émissions particulaires métalliques d'une UIOM dans l'air ambiant. Les techniques utilisées (traitement des données in situ ; modèles de mélange : UMNIX et CMB ; extractions séquentielles, spectrométrie d'absorption des rayons X (XAS)) s'accordent pour : - identifier la source « UIOM » par deux profils (Zn–Ca et Ba–Cu–Fe–Zn–Pb–Ca) ; - estimer sa contribution à environ 25% de la contribution totale des sources ; - montrer une variabilité saisonnière en terme de profil et de contribution ; - montrer que certains éléments émis sont facilement mobilisables. Cette première approche XAS sur des particules atmosphériques montre que le zinc et le plomb se trouvent dans un environnement atomique composé de calcium, de silicium et d'aluminium. Les signatures isotopiques du plomb définissent un pôle « UIOM » et confirment la localisation du centre ville hors de la zone d'influence du panache de l'usine.

<p>An Internet application, VEDAIR, for estimation of air quality in regions with small-scale combustion of bio fuel has been developed by Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute with financing from Swedish Energy Agency and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The model contains user interface and a coupled model concept where concentrations of atmospheric pollutions are calculated for regional, urban and local contributions. In this report the model is described and a first study of air quality considering PM10 (particles with a diameter less than 10 µm) in two Swedish municipalities, Vänersborg and Gnosjö, is introduced.</p><p>According to the result, there are areas with poor air quality even in smaller Swedish municipalities, mostly due to high emission from buildings with older wood heating furnace without hydraulic accumulator.</p><p>In Vänersborg three areas were analysed in VEDAIR for the year 2003: Vargön, Mariedal and the downtown district. In the whole municipality the upper evaluation threshold for PM10, which is defined as 14 µg/m3 for annual average, was exceeded due to background contribution of particles. In all areas, however, the concentrations of PM10 were less than the environmental quality norms. In Vargön, where wood heating furnaces are commonly used, in some areas the concentration of particles was as big as or bigger than the downtown district (annual average of 20 µg/m3). However, in downtown the pollutants were more spread. Biggest concentrations of PM10 were estimated in Mariedal, due to emissions from older wood heating furnaces and streets, mostly in areas with unfavourable meteorological conditions. Measurements of PM10 in the area are therefore suggested. Biggest concentrations of PM10 were prevailed during winter, due to great heating need in combination with cooler air temperature and more stable stratification. The local contribution of PM10 was negative correlated with temperature. In the downtown district, however, the biggest concentrations of PM10 were obtained during spring due to usage of studded tyres.</p><p>In Gnosjö the air quality considering PM10 was analysed in the areas Götarp, downtown and Gårö. Calculations in VEDAIR showed that the emissions from traffic were much less than wood heating furnace. The background annual average of PM10 in Gnosjö was 1 µg/m3 higher than Vänersborg. The air quality was quite equal as in Vänersborg, but there was an area in Gårö where the environmental quality norms considering PM10 almost were exceeded, this mostly due to emission from one building with high heating need.</p><p>In this study a comparison between calculated concentrations of PM10 with measured concentrations in Gnosjö for the period 3 November to 31 December 2003 was also made. The validation showed that VEDAIR underestimated the concentrations, but the result was anyway reasonable. Before, validations have only been performed for the northern part of Sweden, and this study indicates that VEDAIR also estimates concentrations of PM10 sufficiently well in southern part of Sweden.</p><p>The study also showed that if a house owner would replace an old wood heating furnace by a modern furnace with hydraulic accumulator, the annual average of the concentration of PM10 could decrease by 4 µg/m3 which is a reduction of 25%.</p> / <p>Ett internetverktyg, VEDAIR, för bedömning av luftkvalitet vid småskalig förbränning av biobränsle har utvecklats av SMHI med finansiering från bland andra Energimyndigheten och Naturvårdsverket. Modellen består av användargränssnitt och ett kopplat modellsystem där halterna av luftföroreningar beräknas för såväl regionala (internationellt som nationellt), urbana och lokala bidrag. I denna rapport presenteras modellen tillsammans med en första studie av luftkvaliteten med avseende på PM10 (partiklar med en diameter mindre än 10 µm) inom ett par testkommuner, nämligen Vänersborg i Västergötlands län och Gnosjö i Jönköpings län.</p><p>Resultatet visade att det finns områden även i små kommuner där sämre luftkvalitet kan utgöra ett problem. Till största delen berodde detta på hög emission från fastigheter med äldre vedeldningspannor utan ackumulatortank.</p><p>I Vänersborg undersöktes luftkvaliteten med avseende på PM10 i stadsdelarna Vargön, Mariedal och centrum för år 2003. För hela kommunen gällde att övre utvärderingströskel (gränsvärde för vilka mätningar är obligatoriska), som för årsmedelvärdet PM10 är 14 μg/m3 luft, överskrids pga bakgrundsbidrag. Samtliga av de undersökta områdena uppvisade dock halter som är lägre än miljökvalitetsnormerna. Beräkningar i VEDAIR för Vargön, inom vilket vedeldningen är huvudsakliga källan till emissionen av PM10, visade att koncentrationen partiklar inom vissa områden var lika höga eller högre än områden runt de mest trafikerade vägarna i centrala Vänersborg (årsmedelvärde på ca 20 μg/m3). I centrum var dock föroreningarna mer utbredda. Allra högst halter PM10 erhölls vid beräkningar i Mariedal, till följd av utbredd vedeldning med äldre vedpannor, trafikerade vägar och ogynnsamma meteorologiska förutsättningar. Enligt detta kan mätning av partiklar inom området vara befogat. Tidsserier av totalhalten PM10 visade att högst halter erhölls på vintern i Vargön, till följd av större uppvärmningsbehov i kombination med lägre utomhustemperatur och mer stabil skiktning. Det lokala bidraget uppvisade en negativ korrelation mot temperaturen. I centrum var halterna dock högst på våren pga slitagepartiklar från dubbdäck samt vägdamm.</p><p>För Gnosjö undersöktes luftkvaliteten i tre potentiella problemområden; Gårö, centrala Gnosjö och Götarp. Beräkningar i VEDAIR för Gnosjö visade att trafikens bidrag var betydligt mindre, men vedeldning var vanligt förekommande. Samtidigt var årsmedelvärdet för det regionala bakgrundsbidraget ca 1 μg/m3 högre än i Vänersborg. Luftkvaliteten var generellt sett likvärdig den för Vänersborg, men inom stadsdelen Gårö fanns ett område där koncentrationen PM10 var mycket nära miljökvalitetsnormerna. Huvudkällan till emissionen var en enskild fastighet med stort energibehov som värmdes upp uteslutande med ved.</p><p>I studien gjordes även jämförelse av beräknade PM10-halter från VEDAIR med uppmätta värden i Gnosjö för perioden 3 november till 31 december 2003. Valideringen visade att VEDAIR gav något underskattade, men ändå hyggliga resultat. Tidigare valideringar har enbart utförts för Norrland, och de nya resultaten tyder på att VEDAIR även ger tillförlitliga beräkningar för södra Sverige.</p><p>Studien visade också att om en enskild fastighetsägare skulle byta ut en äldre vedeldningspanna mot en modern med ackumulatortank skulle årsmedelvärdet PM10 lokalt i fastighetens närområde kunna sjukna med uppåt 4 μg/m3, vilket är en minskning med 25%.</p>

An Internet application, VEDAIR, for estimation of air quality in regions with small-scale combustion of bio fuel has been developed by Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute with financing from Swedish Energy Agency and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The model contains user interface and a coupled model concept where concentrations of atmospheric pollutions are calculated for regional, urban and local contributions. In this report the model is described and a first study of air quality considering PM10 (particles with a diameter less than 10 µm) in two Swedish municipalities, Vänersborg and Gnosjö, is introduced. According to the result, there are areas with poor air quality even in smaller Swedish municipalities, mostly due to high emission from buildings with older wood heating furnace without hydraulic accumulator. In Vänersborg three areas were analysed in VEDAIR for the year 2003: Vargön, Mariedal and the downtown district. In the whole municipality the upper evaluation threshold for PM10, which is defined as 14 µg/m3 for annual average, was exceeded due to background contribution of particles. In all areas, however, the concentrations of PM10 were less than the environmental quality norms. In Vargön, where wood heating furnaces are commonly used, in some areas the concentration of particles was as big as or bigger than the downtown district (annual average of 20 µg/m3). However, in downtown the pollutants were more spread. Biggest concentrations of PM10 were estimated in Mariedal, due to emissions from older wood heating furnaces and streets, mostly in areas with unfavourable meteorological conditions. Measurements of PM10 in the area are therefore suggested. Biggest concentrations of PM10 were prevailed during winter, due to great heating need in combination with cooler air temperature and more stable stratification. The local contribution of PM10 was negative correlated with temperature. In the downtown district, however, the biggest concentrations of PM10 were obtained during spring due to usage of studded tyres. In Gnosjö the air quality considering PM10 was analysed in the areas Götarp, downtown and Gårö. Calculations in VEDAIR showed that the emissions from traffic were much less than wood heating furnace. The background annual average of PM10 in Gnosjö was 1 µg/m3 higher than Vänersborg. The air quality was quite equal as in Vänersborg, but there was an area in Gårö where the environmental quality norms considering PM10 almost were exceeded, this mostly due to emission from one building with high heating need. In this study a comparison between calculated concentrations of PM10 with measured concentrations in Gnosjö for the period 3 November to 31 December 2003 was also made. The validation showed that VEDAIR underestimated the concentrations, but the result was anyway reasonable. Before, validations have only been performed for the northern part of Sweden, and this study indicates that VEDAIR also estimates concentrations of PM10 sufficiently well in southern part of Sweden. The study also showed that if a house owner would replace an old wood heating furnace by a modern furnace with hydraulic accumulator, the annual average of the concentration of PM10 could decrease by 4 µg/m3 which is a reduction of 25%. / Ett internetverktyg, VEDAIR, för bedömning av luftkvalitet vid småskalig förbränning av biobränsle har utvecklats av SMHI med finansiering från bland andra Energimyndigheten och Naturvårdsverket. Modellen består av användargränssnitt och ett kopplat modellsystem där halterna av luftföroreningar beräknas för såväl regionala (internationellt som nationellt), urbana och lokala bidrag. I denna rapport presenteras modellen tillsammans med en första studie av luftkvaliteten med avseende på PM10 (partiklar med en diameter mindre än 10 µm) inom ett par testkommuner, nämligen Vänersborg i Västergötlands län och Gnosjö i Jönköpings län. Resultatet visade att det finns områden även i små kommuner där sämre luftkvalitet kan utgöra ett problem. Till största delen berodde detta på hög emission från fastigheter med äldre vedeldningspannor utan ackumulatortank. I Vänersborg undersöktes luftkvaliteten med avseende på PM10 i stadsdelarna Vargön, Mariedal och centrum för år 2003. För hela kommunen gällde att övre utvärderingströskel (gränsvärde för vilka mätningar är obligatoriska), som för årsmedelvärdet PM10 är 14 μg/m3 luft, överskrids pga bakgrundsbidrag. Samtliga av de undersökta områdena uppvisade dock halter som är lägre än miljökvalitetsnormerna. Beräkningar i VEDAIR för Vargön, inom vilket vedeldningen är huvudsakliga källan till emissionen av PM10, visade att koncentrationen partiklar inom vissa områden var lika höga eller högre än områden runt de mest trafikerade vägarna i centrala Vänersborg (årsmedelvärde på ca 20 μg/m3). I centrum var dock föroreningarna mer utbredda. Allra högst halter PM10 erhölls vid beräkningar i Mariedal, till följd av utbredd vedeldning med äldre vedpannor, trafikerade vägar och ogynnsamma meteorologiska förutsättningar. Enligt detta kan mätning av partiklar inom området vara befogat. Tidsserier av totalhalten PM10 visade att högst halter erhölls på vintern i Vargön, till följd av större uppvärmningsbehov i kombination med lägre utomhustemperatur och mer stabil skiktning. Det lokala bidraget uppvisade en negativ korrelation mot temperaturen. I centrum var halterna dock högst på våren pga slitagepartiklar från dubbdäck samt vägdamm. För Gnosjö undersöktes luftkvaliteten i tre potentiella problemområden; Gårö, centrala Gnosjö och Götarp. Beräkningar i VEDAIR för Gnosjö visade att trafikens bidrag var betydligt mindre, men vedeldning var vanligt förekommande. Samtidigt var årsmedelvärdet för det regionala bakgrundsbidraget ca 1 μg/m3 högre än i Vänersborg. Luftkvaliteten var generellt sett likvärdig den för Vänersborg, men inom stadsdelen Gårö fanns ett område där koncentrationen PM10 var mycket nära miljökvalitetsnormerna. Huvudkällan till emissionen var en enskild fastighet med stort energibehov som värmdes upp uteslutande med ved. I studien gjordes även jämförelse av beräknade PM10-halter från VEDAIR med uppmätta värden i Gnosjö för perioden 3 november till 31 december 2003. Valideringen visade att VEDAIR gav något underskattade, men ändå hyggliga resultat. Tidigare valideringar har enbart utförts för Norrland, och de nya resultaten tyder på att VEDAIR även ger tillförlitliga beräkningar för södra Sverige. Studien visade också att om en enskild fastighetsägare skulle byta ut en äldre vedeldningspanna mot en modern med ackumulatortank skulle årsmedelvärdet PM10 lokalt i fastighetens närområde kunna sjukna med uppåt 4 μg/m3, vilket är en minskning med 25%.