title: Influence of road traffic, residential heating and meteorological conditions on PM10 concentrations during air pollution critical episodes.
abstract: The importance of road traffic, residential heating and meteorological conditions as major drivers of urban PM10 concentrations during air pollution critical episodes has been assessed in the city of Florence (Italy) during the winter season. The most significant meteorological variables (wind speed and atmospheric stability) explained 80.5-85.5% of PM10 concentrations variance, while a marginal role was played by major emission sources such as residential heating (12.1%) and road traffic (5.7%). The persistence of low wind speeds and unstable atmospheric conditions was the leading factor controlling PM10 during critical episodes. A specific PM10 critical episode was analysed, following a snowstorm that caused a "natural" scenario of 2-day dramatic road traffic abatement (-43%), and a massive (up to +48%) and persistent (8 consecutive days) increase in residential heating use. Even with such a strong variability in local PM10 emissions, the role of meteorological conditions was prominent, revealing that short-term traffic restrictions are insufficient countermeasures to reduce the health impacts and risks of PM10 critical episodes, while efforts should be made to anticipate those measures by linking them with air quality and weather forecasts.
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy. g.gualtieri@ibimet.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crisci
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Lonardo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Social Geography (LAGES), Department for Historic and Geographic Studies, University of Firenze, Via San Gallo 10, 50129, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tartaglia
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vagnoli
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaldei
authors.affiliation: National Research Council-Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET), Via Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Beniamino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gioli
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006361:Heating / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*; D014887:Weather; D014919:Wind
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Anthropogenic sources; Critical episodes; Particulate matter; Restriction policy; Weather conditions