Particles size and composition in Mediterranean countries:
geographical variability and short-term health effects
MED-PARTICLES Project 2011-2013
Under the Grant Agreement EU LIFE+ ENV/IT/327
Particles size and composition in Mediterranean countries:
geographical variability and short-term health effects
MED-PARTICLES
ACTION 7. Pooling and cleaning of country-specifi environmental and health data
Report on: environmental, meteorological and health database in the MED-PARTICLES
cities
Summary: This report provides city-specific statistics on the pooled environmental, meteorological,
health variables, and Saharan dust and forest fires days in the Mediterranean cities involved in the
project.
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Air pollution and meteorological pooled data
Table 1: City- specific means of air pollution and meteorological variables
Study period
PM10
(µg/m3)
PM2.5
(µg/m3)
PM2.5-10
(µg/m3)
NO2
(µg/m3)
CO
(mg/m3)
SO2
(µg/m3)
O3
(µg/m3)
Temperature
(°C)
Relative
humidity
(%)
Barometric
pressure
(hPa)
Athens
2007-2009
38.7
23.0
15.7
46.4
1.6
12.8
69.9
19.0
61.6
-
Barcelona
2003-2010
36.5
23.7
12.8
40.1
0.7
3.1
61.9
14.4
72.3
1012.0
Bologna
2006-2010
38.4
25.8
-
50.1
1.0
-
63.4
14.7
69.3
1015.0
Huelva
2003-2010
40.8
-
-
15.4
1.0
7.0
83.6
18.4
-
993.0
Madrid
2004-2009
35.1
17.2
17.6
62.7
0.5
13.3
40.4
15.1
51.1
940.0
Marseille
2001-2008
29.1
17.6
8.9
49.7
1.7
6.2
80.2
15.6
65.1
1016.0
Milan
2006-2010
46.3
32.9
14.8
60.0
1.5
-
60.2
13.9
72.7
1015.0
Modena
2008-2010
38.3
21.0
16.0
51.2
0.7
-
66.4
14.5
65.6
1006.0
Palermo
2006-2009
35.7
-
-
43.0
0.7
5.4
70.7
18.8
63.7
1010.0
Parma
2008-2010
33.7
21.0
11.3
38.1
0.9
-
68.6
15.3
63.7
1005.0
Reggio Emilia
2008-2010
35.2
21.5
10.7
40.6
0.9
-
70.5
14.7
66.1
1006.0
Rome
2006-2010
34.5
19.6
13.2
59.2
1.3
1.3
69.2
15.9
72.3
1014.0
Thessaloniki
2007-2009
48.2
29.5
18.1
44.5
-
-
59.5
19.0
61.6
1016.0
Turin
2006-2010
49.7
34.4
-
59.8
1.0
6.6
68.6
12.7
63.8
1015.5
CITY
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
PM10 (µg/m3)
PM2.5 (µg/m3)
NO2 (µg/m3)
SO2 (µg/m3)
Figure 1: City-specific concentration of pollutants in the MED-PARTICLES cities
O3 (µg/m3)
Mortality and hospital admissions pooled data
MORTALITY
Table 2. Descriptive characteristics of mortality data in the cities of MED-PARTICLES project
City
Period
Mean No of Deaths per day
Natural
CVD
Respiratory
Athens
2007-2009
81
37
9
Barcelona
2003-2009
38
12
4
Bologna
2006-2010
11
4
1
Emilia Romagna
2008-2010
13
5
1
Madrid
2004-2009
60
18
10
Marseille
2001-2008
22
7
2
Milan
2006-2010
35
12
3
Rome
2006-2010
58
24
4
Thessaloniki
2007-2009
18
8
2
Turin
2006-2010
21
8
2
HOSPITALIZATIONS
Table 3. Descriptive characteristics of hospital admissions in the cities of MED-PARTICLES
project
City
Period
Mean No of hospital admissions
per day
CVD*
Respiratory
Barcelona
2003-2010
51
46
Bologna
2006-2010
19
8
Emilia Romagna
2008-2010
18
9
Madrid
2004-2009
116
97
Marseille
2001-2003
43
17
Milan
2006-2010
39
19
Rome
2006-2010
84
30
Turin
2006-2010
27
12
*cardiovascular diseases
Saharan dust events
Table 4a. Distribution of desert dust events in the MED-PARTICLES cities - datasets for
MORTALITY
City
Study period
2007-2009
Athens
2003-2009
Barcelona
2006-2010
Bologna
2008-2010
Emilia-Romagna
2007-2009
Madrid
May 2004-2008
Marseille
2006-2010
Milan
2006-2010
Rome
2007-2009
Thessaloniki
2006-2010
Turin
# days with
PM
#
monitoring
days
on rural
site
Desert dust
with PM10
load ≥ 50%
#
%
days days
Desert dust
with PM10
load < 50%
#
%
days days
No
desert
dust
1,096
1,057
727
286
27
44
4
2,557
2,545
2,119
355
14
71
3
1,826
1,781
1,512
246
14
23
1
1,096
1,084
950
126
12
8
1
1,096
1,075
877
171
16
27
3
1,706
1,660
1,348
242
15
70
4
1,826
1,765
1,512
213
12
40
2
1,826
1,812
1,402
380
21
30
2
1,096
1,008
795
207
21
6
1
1,826
1,811
1,512
264
15
35
2
Table 4b. Mean levels of PM concentrations from desert dust in the MED-PARTICLES cities datasets for MORTALITY
City
Study
period
PM from local
sources
on the full timeseries
Local
Local
Local
PM2.5PM2.5
PM10
10
Desert dust with
PM10 load < 50%
Desert dust with
PM10 load ≥ 50%
desert
desert
desert
PM2.5PM2.5
PM10
desert
desert
desert
PM2.5PM2.5
PM10
10
10
Athens
2007-2009
20.4
12.0
32.8
5.9
4.7
10.1
21.5
41.0
62.5
Barcelona
2003-2009
23.6
12.6
36.1
5.2
3.4
8.5
15.5
20.1
35.4
Bologna
EmiliaRomagna
Madrid
2006-2010
-
-
37.3
-
-
5.7
-
-
30.3
2008-2010
-
-
33.5
-
-
5.0
-
-
29.1
2007-2009
14.2
14.8
29.1
2.7
4.0
8.9
7.5
18.6
36.1
Marseille
May 20042008
-
-
24.1
-
-
7.5
-
-
24.0
Milan
2006-2010
32.1
14.2
45.6
5.0
3.1
7.9
16.0
15.3
32.1
Rome
2006-2010
18.5
12.2
32.6
4.3
3.0
6.8
11.6
17.3
28.6
Thessaloniki
2007-2009
-
-
46.1
-
-
5.0
-
-
44.3
Turin
2006-2010
33.4
-
46.7
5.2
3.1
7.6
21.3
12.5
33.8
Wild-land fires data
Table 5. Distribution of forest fires events, by intensity, in the MED-PARTICLES
study areas
City
Athens
Barcelona
Bologna
Emilia-Romagna
Madrid
Marseille
Milan
Palermo
Rome
Thessaloniki
Turin
Forest fire
Medium Severe
Study period
# days
No forest fire
2007-2009
1,096
1,052
30
8
6
44
2003-2010
2,922
2,875
45
2
0
47
2006-2010
1,826
1,812
8
5
1
14
2008-2010
1,096
1,093
3
0
0
3
2004-2009
1,735
1,701
25
6
3
34
2001-2008
2,922
2,886
26
9
1
36
2006-2010
1,826
1,812
8
5
1
14
2006-2009
1,461
1,427
28
5
1
34
2005-2010
2,191
2,137
40
13
1
54
2007-2009
1,096
1,032
43
16
5
64
2006-2010
1,826
1,812
8
5
1
14
Mild
Total
Figura 2: Forest fires events by season in the MED-PARTICLES cities
PM composition
Table 6. Average concentrations (µg/m3) of the PM10 components in the MED-PARTICLES cities
Ctotal
Si
Al
Ca
K
Na
Mg++
Fe
PO43SO42NO3Cl
NH4+
Li
P
Ti
V
Cr
Mn
Co
Ni
Cu
Huelva
Barcelona
Madrid
5.429
4.994
1.665
1.173
0.421
1.099
0.303
0.672
0.291
3.785
2.670
1.148
1.040
6.871
3.829
1.276
2.134
0.381
0.999
0.279
0.855
10.435
3.770
4.258
0.875
1.230
3.151
2.456
0.754
1.515
0.001
0.032
0.040
0.002
0.007
0.020
0.000
0.002
0.113
0.057
0.005
0.003
0.013
0.000
0.003
0.048
0.027
0.040
0.010
0.005
0.018
0.005
0.056
0.085
0.718
2.090
0.326
0.377
0.225
1.673
Roma
Villa Ada
Roma
Montelibretti
0.995
0.265
1.265
0.384
0.540
0.095
0.459
0.891
0.245
1.350
0.384
0.522
0.091
0.238
3.371
1.990
0.361
0.868
2.892
1.733
0.353
0.912
0.151
0.099
0.177
0.100
0.016
0.109
0.155
2.414
5.229
0.246
2.596
0.023
0.006
0.010
0.012
0.005
0.040
0.038
0.017
0.004
0.005
0.007
0.006
0.003
0.003
0.003
0.017
Bologna
0.002
Zn
As
Se
Rb
Sr
Y
Cd
Sn
Sb
Cs
Ba
La
Ce
Pr
Nd
Pb
Th
Ge
K+
Ca++
BrOC
EC
0.051
0.007
0.002
0.001
0.005
0.001
0.001
0.005
0.000
0.006
0.001
0.005
0.018
0.001
0.026
0.000
0.014
0.017
0.003
0.024
0.001
0.010
0.004
0.294
1.125
1.104
8.456
2.250
7.368
1.208
0.002
0.000
0.002
0.006
0.000
0.000
0.015
0.015
0.000
0.000
0.001
0.000
0.000
0.015
0.000
0.000
0.021
0.001
0.010
5.062
1.620
Conclusions: City-specific means of air pollutants and meteorological variables were compared. In
Turin we saw the highest PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations. The highest NO2 concentration was
observed in Madrid, followed by Milan. In Huelva and Marseille there was the highest concentration of
O3 during the whole year. The cities of the Emilia-Romagna region are very similar in the levels of air
pollutants.
The mean number of deaths per day was higher in Athens than in the other cities (about 80 deaths per
day), mainly dead for cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular hospitalizations mean number per day was
higher in Madrid, followed by Rome. In Madrid there was also the highest mean number per day of
respiratory hospitalizations.
Saharan dust days with a PM10 desert load higher than 50% are more frequent in Athens and Marseille.
The desert PM2.5-10 fraction is always higher than the desert PM2.5, but not in Milan and Turin.
The forest fires events are more frequent in Greece, where they are more intense, and Spain. In Italy
Rome and Palermo have the highest number of forest fires events. The fires happen mostly during the
summer season, although in Barcelona they are more frequent during winter and in the Po Valley
during spring.
PM composition is analyzed in six monitoring stations in five cities. The chemical components may
vary among cities, according to their availability.