1. Revealing long-term anthropogenic influence on ▫$PM_{10}$▫ through lead isotope signatures in a post-mining regionTjaša Žerdoner, Judita Burger, Irena Kranjc, Janja Turšič, Tea Zuliani, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: This study investigated long-term anthropogenic contributions to airborne particulate matter (PM10) in the Upper Meža Valley, Slovenia, a region historically affected by ore mining, smelting, and, more recently, secondary Pb production. PM10 samples collected at five locations in the summer and autumn of 2018 and at one location in the spring and summer of 2021 were analysed for elemental composition and Pb isotope ratios to identify and quantify pollution sources. Elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, and As were observed across all sites, with minimal temporal variations. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis indicated lower EF values for Zn and As, suggesting a primarily crustal origin. Conversely, higher EF values for Cd and Pb pointed to mixed crustal and anthropogenic sources. The proportion of PM10 samples with high Pb enrichment increased from 9.09 % in 2018 to 20.5 % in 2021, indicating a rising influence of anthropogenic emissions. This study represents the first application of Pb isotope composition and a two-endmember mixing model for detailed source apportionment of PM10 in the region. The Pb isotope ratios of PM10 samples fell between local geogenic background and known anthropogenic sources, with anthropogenic contributions accounting for 55.8 %–69.3 % of total Pb in PM10. These findings have important implications for local environmental management, as they can support targeted mitigation strategies, which are critical for public health protection.
Keywords: lead isotopes, air pollution, airborne particulate matter, source apportionment, potentially toxic elements, post-mining region
Published in DiRROS: 18.12.2025; Views: 961; Downloads: 229
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2. Can low-cost sensors (LCS) enhance air quality monitoring for personal pollution exposure assessment?Anja Ilenič, Alenka Mauko Pranjić, Janez Ščančar, Radmila Milačič Ščančar, Kumar Prashant, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Laboratory and field assessments of low-cost sensors (LCS) are essential for ensuring the accuracy of PM2.5 measurements collected by citizens in air quality campaigns. Evaluation of Sensirion SPS30 (LCS SPS30) in controlled laboratory setting showed a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.81–0.99 and a root mean square error (RMSE) from 0.81–61.72 μg m−3, at average concentration of 21.5 μg m−3. In contrast, co-location assessment at an average concentration of 9 μg m−3 resulted in R2 of 0.5 and a RMSE of 6.82 μg m−3. The results demonstrated that the sensor met micro-environmental monitoring standards (accuracy < 25%) and United States Environmental Protection Agency's performance criteria (RMSE ≤ 7 μg m−3, R2 > 0.7) only at relative humidity (RH) levels below 60%, emphasising its strong sensitivity to RH and the need for RH-dependent data corrections. The observed underestimation or overestimation of PM2.5 readings was primarily attributed to variations in particle composition and concentration. Despite accuracy variations, LCSs can effectively capture spatiotemporal urban air quality patterns and identify pollution hotspots in community monitoring, particularly in low-pollution environments. In a citizen-led PM2.5 monitoring campaign in Maribor, Slovenia, the lowest concentrations were recorded at 15:00 (2.9 μg m−3), while the highest occurred during the morning rush-hour (4.8 μg m−3), likely attributed to the planetary boundary layer’s impact on atmospheric particulate dispersion. Spatial analysis revealed that hotspots clustered near intersections, where vehicle waiting time is the longest.
Keywords: particulate matter, low-cost sensor, Sensirion SPS30, citizen science, calibration
Published in DiRROS: 18.09.2025; Views: 757; Downloads: 368
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3. Towards a holistic approach to the geochemistry of solid inorganicparticles in the urban environmentMartin Gaberšek, Mateja Gosar, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Airborne particulate matter (PM) has a major impact on the biogeochemical cycles of chemical elements in theurban environment. Anthropogenic-derived PM emissions are the cause of some of the most severe environmen-tal and health problems. The presented study aims to improve our knowledge of PM dynamics by introducing amulti-media, multi-analytical and multi-elemental holistic approach to geochemical studies of inorganic PM inthe urban environment. The importance of the holistic approach is highlighted and its application in a casestudy of Maribor (Slovenia) is presented. The chemical composition and individual particulate characteristicsof street, attic and household dust were determined and compared with the characteristics of airborne PM,and PM deposited in snow, together with the chemical composition of the soil. We found that the mineralogicaland chemical composition and the individual solid particle characteristics of the studied media differ consider-ably. Nevertheless, minerals of geogenic origin are present in all media. The highest levels of potentially toxic el-ements (PTEs) in all media, except household dust, are typical for industrial areas. Street dust primarily reflectsthe influence of winter road maintenance and industrial activities, while characteristics of household dust arepredominantly influenced by indoor activities and properties of dwellings. The comparison of the chemical com-position of attic and street dust indicates that emissions of As, Cd, Pb, S and Zn were higher in the past. The char-acterisation of airborne PM and PM deposited in snow is essential for the identification of the mostrecentsourcesof PTE-bearing particles. Several industrial sources and the fate of some particle types in the environment havebeen determined based on thefindings of the SEM/EDS analyses. This study confirms that various environmentalmedia are carriers of diverse geochemical information and highlights the importance of a holistic approach ingeochemistry of PM in urban areas.
Keywords: Street dust, attic dust, household dust, airborne particulate matter, potentially toxic elements, SEM/EDS
Published in DiRROS: 06.01.2021; Views: 3942; Downloads: 1333
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