Biological Effects of Air Pollution on Sensitive Bioindicators: A Case Study from Milan, Italy

In this study, the physiological response of a sensitive lichen species (Evernia prunastri) exposed for three months in a complex urban area (Milan, Italy) was evaluated in order to verify if the air pollution abatement measures adopted over the years resulted in a suitable air quality for the survival of this sensitive species. Parameters investigated rely on the photosynthetic activity of the photobiont (Fv/Fm, PIabs, and OJIP curves), damage to mycobiont (membrane damage and antiradical activity), and the production of secondary metabolites involved in the protective functions of the organisms. Results showed that although air quality in Milan still suffers from heavy pollution from PM and NOx, the overall situation is not as severe as to induce the death of this sensitive biomonitor, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, the vital status of the samples exposed in the study area showed a significant impairment compared to that of samples exposed in a control area, indicating that the current air quality in Milan still prevents the optimal survival of E. prunastri.

Local fractions – a method for the calculation of local source contributions to air pollution, illustrated by examples using the EMEP MSC-W model (rv4_33)

We present a computationally inexpensive method for individually quantifying the contributions from different sources to local air pollution. It can explicitly distinguish between regional–background and local–urban air pollution, allowing for fully consistent downscaling schemes. The method can be implemented in existing Eulerian chemical transport models and can be used to distinguish the contribution of a large number of emission sources to air pollution in every receptor grid cell within one single model simulation and thus to provide detailed maps of the origin of the pollutants. Hence, it can be used for time-critical operational services by providing scientific information as input for local policy decisions on air pollution abatement. The main limitation in its current version is that nonlinear chemical processes are not accounted for and only primary pollutants can be addressed. In this paper we provide a technical description of the method and discuss various applications for scientific and policy purposes.

Local Fractions – a method for the calculation of local source contributions to air pollution, illustrated by examples using the EMEP MSC-W model (rv4_33)

We present a computationally inexpensive method for individually quantifying the contributions from different sources to local air pollution. It can explicitly distinguish between regional/background and local/urban air pollution, allowing fully consistent downscaling schemes. The method can be implemented in existing Eulerian chemical transport models and can be used to distinguish a large number of emission sources to air pollution in every receptor grid cell within one single model simulation and thus to provide detailed maps of the origin of the pollutants. Hence it can be used for time-critical operational services providing scientific information as input to local policy decisions on air pollution abatement. The main limitation in its current version is that only primary pollutants can be addressed. In this paper we provide a technical description of the method and discuss various applications for scientific and policy purposes.