dc.contributor.author
Kutzner, Rebecca D.
dc.contributor.author
Schneidemesser, Erika von
dc.contributor.author
Kuik, Friderike
dc.contributor.author
Quedenau, Joern
dc.contributor.author
Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.
dc.contributor.author
Schmale, Julia
dc.date.accessioned
2018-07-24T10:36:39Z
dc.date.available
2018-07-24T10:36:39Z
dc.identifier.uri
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/22533
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-340
dc.description.abstract
Lately, black carbon (BC) has received significant attention due to its climate-warming properties and adverse health effects. Nevertheless, long-term observations in urban areas are scarce, most likely because BC monitoring is not required by environmental legislation. This, however, handicaps the evaluation of air quality models which can be used to assess the effectiveness of policy measures which aim to reduce BC concentrations.
Here, we present a new dataset of atmospheric BC measurements from Germany constructed from over six million measurements at over 170 stations. Data covering the period between 1994 and 2014 were collected from twelve German Federal States and the Federal Environment Agency, quality checked and harmonized into a database with comprehensive metadata. The final data in original time resolution are available for download (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.881173). Though assembled in a consistent way, the dataset is characterized by differences in (a) measurement methodologies for determining evolved carbon and optical absorption, (b) covered time periods, and (c) temporal resolutions that ranged from half hourly to measurements every 6th day. Usage and interpretation of this dataset thus requires a careful consideration of these differences.
Our analysis focuses on 2009, the year with the largest data coverage with one single methodology, as well as on the relative changes in long-term trends over ten years. For 2009, we find that BC concentrations at traffic sites were at least twice as high as at urban background, industrial and rural sites. Weekly cycles are most prominent at traffic stations, however, the presence of differences in concentrations during the week and on weekends at other station types suggests that traffic plays an important role throughout the full network. Generally higher concentrations and weaker weekly cycles during the winter months point towards the influence of other sources such as domestic heating. Regarding the long-term trends, advanced statistical techniques allow us to account for instrumentation changes and to separate seasonal and long-term changes in our dataset. Analysis shows a downward trend in BC at nearly all locations and in all conditions, with a high level of confidence for the period of 2005–2014. In depth analysis indicates that background BC is decreasing slowly, while the occurrences of high concentrations are decreasing more rapidly.
In summary, legislation – both in Europe and locally – to reduce particulate emissions and indirectly BC appear to be working, based on this analysis. Adverse human health and climate impacts are likely to be diminished because of the improvements in air quality.
en
dc.format.extent
12 Seiten
de_DE
dc.rights.uri
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
de_DE
dc.subject
Black carbon
en
dc.subject
Long-term monitoring
de
dc.subject
Air pollution
en
dc.subject
Trend analysis
en
dc.subject
Policy measures
en
dc.subject.ddc
500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::550 Geowissenschaften, Geologie::551 Geologie, Hydrologie, Meteorologie
de_DE
dc.title
Long-term monitoring of black carbon across Germany
de_DE
dc.type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
de_DE
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi
10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.04.039
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle
Atmospheric Environment
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pagestart
41
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pageend
52
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume
185
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.04.039
de_DE
refubium.affiliation
Geowissenschaften
de_DE
refubium.affiliation.other
Institut für Meteorologie
de_DE
refubium.resourceType.isindependentpub
no
de_DE
dcterms.accessRights.openaire
open access
dcterms.isPartOf.issn
1352-2310
dcterms.isPartOf.issn
1873-2844