Spatiotemporal variation and source apportionment of ultrafine particles near brussels airport (Belgium)
Ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions from aircraft engines are associated with increased UFP concentrations near airports, raising concerns for air quality and public health. This study investigated the impact of airport operations at Brussels Airport (Belgium) on local air quality during a two-month...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/394304 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/394304 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105009420908 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Taxiing Air quality Aircraft emissions Particle number size distribution Positive matrix factorization Takeoff http://metadata.un.org/sdg/9 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/11 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/13 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/3 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/7 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts |
| Sumario: | Ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions from aircraft engines are associated with increased UFP concentrations near airports, raising concerns for air quality and public health. This study investigated the impact of airport operations at Brussels Airport (Belgium) on local air quality during a two-month monitoring campaign in autumn 2015. Four monitoring sites, strategically located from the airport and along a transect parallel to the main runway, were used to measure particle number size distributions (PNSD), black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM<inf>10</inf>), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). This novel approach, using high-resolution PNSD data, provided a detailed analysis of aircraft-related UFPs under varying meteorological conditions and operational phases. Results showed strong correlations between UFP concentrations, meteorological conditions, and aircraft landing and takeoff (LTO) operations, with the smallest measured particles (10–20 nm) dominating the particle number concentrations (PNC) near the airport, contributing up to 65 % of total PNC. Aircraft emissions were responsible for 15000–20000 # cm<sup>−3</sup> of 10–20 nm particles near the airport, with peak concentrations (30-min) reaching 65000–80000 # cm<sup>−3</sup> during high-activity periods. While airport-related UFP concentrations decreased with distance, they persisted up to 7 km. Source apportionment analysis identified taxiing and takeoff as major contributors to UFPs near the airport (50–64 % of PNC), with road traffic, biomass burning, and regional background more significant at greater distances. Despite attempts to distinguish between landing and takeoff emissions, similar particle profiles were observed for both operations. These findings provide insight into the spatial persistence, dominant operational phases, and size distribution of aircraft-related UFP emissions, and underscore the need for targeted mitigation strategies to improve air quality near airports. |
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