Scholarly record
THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF ZINC IN SNOW: CASE STUDY OF JELGAVA CITY
Abstract
The harmful effects of various air pollutants on human health, living in a polluted air environment, are relatively well proven: the morbidity of the population is increasing, life expectancy is decreasing. Suspended particulates are one of the generally recognized air pollutants. The most dangerous solid particles are released during primary combustion processes, they contain heavy metals (zinc, copper, iron, lead). Heavy metals are known to be persistent in the human body and remain for decades. Heavy metals can enter the human body by inhaling dust particles, coming in contact with contaminated soil and water. According to the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, the main causes of zinc suspended particulate matter pollution are emissions from industrial areas, fuel and diesel combustion processes. Even suspended particles from car tires and brake disc wear can account for up to 20% of zinc air pollution. As a result of all these activities, zinc enters the urban environment, where it accumulates as the snow melts. In environmental monitoring snow is a valuable resource for information on air pollution sources and air pollution levels. Snow serves as an efficient accumulator for car exhaust gases, as well as an accumulator of other pollutants. It has a large surface area that can store as much pollutants as possible. The aim of the work is to look at the zinc pollution in the snow cover in the city of Jelgava by using descriptive statistics, and to draw conclusions about the changes in air quality over the years. The results of 240 measurements obtained from 60 measurement sites in Jelgava in the period from 2018 to 2021 were used in the data processing. The compacted infrastructure and high-rise buildings in the city center form corridors where zinc pollution can accumulate. Preliminary results indicate high levels of zinc pollution at key traffic points.
Publication Impact Profile
- Citations
- Scopus - Citation Indexes: 1
- Captures
- Mendeley - Readers: 9
Publication details
References13
Fosmire G. J., Zinc toxicity, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 51/issue 2, pp 225-227, 1990. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/51.2.225
Li Z., Feng X., Li G., Bi X., Zhu J., Qin H., Dai Z., Liu J., Li Q., Sun G., Distributions, sources and pollution status of 17 trace metal/ metalloids in the street dust of a heavily industrialized city of central China, Journal Environmental Pollution, vol. 182, pp 408-416, 2013. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.07.041
WHO global air quality guidelines. Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
Turap Y., Talifu D., Wang X., Abulizi A., Maihemuti M., Tursun Y., Ding X., Aierken T., Rekefu, S., Temporal distribution and source apportionment of PM2.5 chemical composition in Xinjiang, NW-China, Atmospheric Research, vol. 218, pp 257�268, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2018.12.010
Mortazavi R., Attiya S., Ariya P.A., Diversity of metals and metal-interactive bacterial populations in different types of Arctic snow and frost flowers: Implications on snow freeze-melt processes in a changing climate, Science of The Total Environment, vol. 690, pp 277-289, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.350
Xue H., Chen W., Li M., Liu B., Li G., Han X. Assessment of major ions and trace elements in snow: A case study across northeastern China, 2017�2018. Chemosphere, vol. 251, pp No. 126328, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126328
Dore C. J., Watterson J. D., Murrells T. P., Passant N. R., Hobson M. M., Baggott S. L., Thistlethwaite G., Goodwin J. W. L., King K. R., Adams M., Walker C., Downes M. K., Coleman P. J., Stewart R. A., Wagner A., Sturman J., Conolly C., Lawrence H., Li Y., Jackson J., Bush T., Grice S., Brophy N., UK Emissions of Air Pollutants 1970 to 2004, AEA Energy & Environment Emissions of Zinc, pp. 145-146, 2006.
Impact of pollution. Effects of outdoor air pollution on human health. Available at: https://www.vi.gov.lv/lv/piesarnojuma-ietekme (in Latvian). Last accessed 05.06.2022.
Transport. Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/lv/themes/transport/intro (in Latvian). Last accessed 05.06.20212.
European Environment Agency. Urban air quality. Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/urban-air-quality. Last accessed 10.04.2022.
Transport. Road transport. Available at: https://www.zalabriviba.lv/ilgtspejigspaterins/zalais-celvedis/transports/ (in Latvian). Last accessed 05.06.2022.
The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre is a governmental service under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia. Temperature and other statistical parameters. Available at: https://www.meteo.lv/meteorologija-datu-meklesana/?nid=461 (in Latvian). Last accessed 12.04.2021.
Grinfelde I., Pilecka-Ulcugaceva J., Bertins M., Viksna A., Rudovica V., Liepa S., Burlakovs J., Dataset of trace elements concentrations in snow samples collected in Jelgava City (Latvia) in December 2020, Data in Brief, vol. 38, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107300
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.