Outdoor concentration, size distribution and composition of respirable particles in WB urban area

Urban particulate matter is a recognized environmental problem throughout Europe. It poses challenges both in terms of monitoring, in terms of compliance with EU legislation, and in terms of interpretation of data. Further, particulate matter poses recogn ized health risks to the population, both as a total amount and as specific species. Physical and chemical characteristics need to be described and understood in order to provide risk assessment information, and prioritized abatement strategies. This proj ect aims at generating information about amount, size distribution and chemical composition of PM in Belgrade on the basis of a one-year measurement campaign, during which advanced equipment (European Standard sampler Kleinfiltergerät with three different intakes, a diferential mobility particle sizer) will be placed alongside two routine monitoring stations (street canyon and an open urban site). A sampling plan alowing to obtain information for three particle fractions to be analyzed for mass, heavy met al contents, BaP, organic and elemental carbon and two selected organic tracers (levoglucosan, other to be selected) will be implemented and carried out in a period of 18 months, allowing for total 50 weeks of sampling with 100 daily samples to be collect ed. A database of measurement data and meteorological information will be constructed and used as a basis for statistical modelling using methods based on principal component analysis. In the final stage, results from Belgrade will be compared to results from Oslo generated in other projects, in order to better understand sources and processes leading to particulate burden in both places. As a part of the programme, a PhD candidate will be trained, and two project workshops in Belgrade will be carried out (on particulate matter physical and chemical properties and on particle modelling).