Aerosolized black carbon is monitored worldwide to quantify its impact on air quality and climate. Given its importance, measurements of black carbon mass concentrations must be conducted with instruments operating in quality-checked and ensured conditions to generate data which are reliable and comparable temporally and geographically. In this study, we report the results from the largest characterization and intercomparison of filter-based absorption photometers, the Aethalometer model AE33, belonging to several European monitoring networks. Under controlled laboratory conditions, a total of 23 instruments measured mass concentrations of black carbon from three well-characterized aerosol sources: synthetic soot, nigrosin particles, and ambient air from the urban background of Leipzig, Germany. The objective was to investigate the individual performance of the instruments and their comparability; we analyzed the response of the instruments to the different aerosol sources and the impact caused by the use of obsolete filter materials and the application of maintenance activities. Differences in the instrument-to-instrument variabilities from equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentrations reported at 880 nm were determined before maintenance activities (for soot measurements, average deviation from total least square regression was −2.0 % and the range −16 % to 7 %; for nigrosin measurements, average deviation was 0.4 % and the range −15 % to 17 %), and after they were carried out (for soot measurements, average deviation was −1.0 % and the range −14 % to 8 %; for nigrosin measurements, the average deviation was 0.5 % and the range −12 % to 15 %). The deviations are in most of the cases explained by the type of filter material employed by the instruments, the total particle load on the filter, and the flow calibration. The results of this intercomparison activity show that relatively small unit-to-unit variability of AE33-based particle light absorbing measurements is possible with well-maintained instruments. It is crucial to follow the guidelines for maintenance activities and the use of the proper filter tape in the AE33 to ensure high quality and comparable black carbon (BC) measurements among international observational networks.

In the present study the results from annual measurement campaign (2018) conducted in Racibórz are presented. Daily PM2.5 samples were analyzed for carbonaceous matter (elemental and organic carbon) and water-soluble ions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+). The content of secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) as well as secondary and primary organic carbon (SOC and POC, respectively) was estimated. The contributions of aerosol chemical species along with meteorological parameters were further investigated to reveal the causes of the elevated PM2.5 concentrations. Considering the entire measurement period, PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 50 µg·m-3 were recorded in 38 cases, of which 7 episodes were identified. Such events were only observed in the heating season, due to stable meteorological conditions (low air temperatures, weak winds, high relative humidity, no precipitation) and increased emission of PM and its precursors from anthropogenic sources. The carbonaceous aerosol was the dominant component of PM2.5, especially POC, although the SOC content increased significantly during high pollution periods. The share of SIA clearly decreased with increasing PM2.5 concentration, and its variability was affected to a large extent by regional and/or long-range transport events. The results of the study could provide insights on the development of effective control strategies related to air pollution with fine particulate matter. This is particularly important in Poland, where PM2.5 concentrations remain high compared to many European countries.

Air pollution by particulate matter (PM) is recognized as a one of the most important environmental issue. A particular attention is being paid to fine PM fraction (PM_2.5, PM_1.0) due to its detrimental impact on human health and long-term persistence in the air. Presented work is an in-depth bibliometric study on the concentrations and chemical composition of PM_2.5 among 27 rural and 38 urban/urban background stations dispersed across the Europe. Obtained results indicate that the chemical composition of PM_2.5, in terms of mass concentrations and percentage contribution of main chemical constituents, is relatively different in various parts of Europe. Urban and urban background stations are typically characterized by higher share of total carbon (TC) in PM_2.5, compared to rural background sites, mostly pronounced during the heating periods. The share of the secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) is typically higher at rural background stations, especially in North-Western Europe. In general, the relative contribution of SIA in PM_2.5 mass, both at rural and urban background stations, showed more or less pronounced seasonal variation, opposite to Polish measurement sites. Moreover, Poland stands out from the majority of the European stations by strong dominance of total carbon over secondary inorganic aerosol.

This study assesses the air quality in Zabrze (southern Poland) based on the ambient concentrations of equivalent black carbon (eBC). eBC measurement campaigns were carried out from April 2019 to March 2020 using a modern AE33 Aethalometer, accompanied by parallel measurements of gaseous pollutants, PM₁₀ and meteorological parameters. The use of the two-component AE33 model allows for the determination of the eBC from fossil fuel combustion (eBC_ff) and biomass burning (eBC_bb). The obtained results showed a clear seasonal variability of eBC concentrations, with higher average levels in the heating season (4.70 µg·m⁻³) compared to the non-heating one (1.79 µg·m⁻³). In both seasons, the eBC_ff component had a dominant share in total eBC, which indicates significant emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels for heating purposes and from local traffic sources. The obtained results showed high correlation coefficients with gaseous and particulate pollutants, with the strongest relationship for eBC and carbon monoxide (CO). During the non-heating and heating period, both anticyclone and cyclone systems played an important role in shaping eBC, eBC_ff and eBC_bb concentrations. High concentrations of all components occurred with a significant decrease in air temperature and solar radiation in winter.

In recent years, black carbon (BC) has been gaining more attention due to the diversity of anthropogenic sources and the harmful effects on human health, environment, and climate. In this paper, for the first time in Poland, the results of long-term measurements of eBC concentrations (2009–2020) at the urban background station in Zabrze (southern Poland) are presented. A Multi-Angle Absorption Photometer (MAAP) was used, which enables the measurement of eBC concentration in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). The mean concentration of eBC over the 11-year period (3.82 μg·m⁻³) was higher compared to the values recorded at most European urban stations. Annual averaged eBC levels showed a downward trend and clear seasonal variations, which was caused mainly by changes in the intensity of anthropogenic emissions. The impact of meteorological parameters, in particular air temperature and wind speed, which determine the intensity of emissions and the conditions of pollutant dispersion, was not without significance. The work additionally attempts to assess the possible impact of remedial actions carried out in Zabrze over the last decade. The results showed that modernization in industry and heating and maintenance of green areas potentially had the most important impact on the decline in eBC concentrations.

This research concerns the measurement of daily PM₁₀ concentrations and the assessment of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The measurements were carried out in the urban-industrial area in southern Poland in the period from February to December 2019 (covering heating and non-heating seasons). The metal content of As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, V, was estimated using mass spectrometry with inductively excited plasma (ICP-MS), and that of Au and Mg using atomic emission spectrometry with induced plasma (ICP-OES). Analysis of selected PAHs (Naph, Acy, Ace, Fl, Phen, An, Fluo, Pyr, BaA, Chry, BbF, BkF, BaP, IcdP, DahA, BghiP) was performed using a gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The share of the analyzed metals in PM₁₀ concentrations was ~1.37% in the entire measurement period, ~1.09% in the heating season and ~1.55% in the non-heating one. High concentrations of aluminum and chromium, observed over the measurement period, indicate the presence of strong anthropogenic sources of both metals. In the case of PAHs in PM₁₀, the average total share of the analyzed was ~1.25%, while this share slightly increased in the heating season (average: ~2.19%) compared to non-heating (average: ~0.63%).