Bio-tracking sources of atmospheric pollution using a multi-isotope approach

使用多同位素方法生物追踪大气污染源

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-03921
• 负责人: Widory, David
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: Université du Québec à Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=612658
• 关键词: Bio; tracking; sources; atmospheric; pollution

Air pollution is today a major societal issue for most countries. Environmental management of air quality is almost exclusively based on monitoring pollutant levels in a selection of sites and samples through time. However, there is now ample evidence that this does not allow to unambiguously establish the different pollution sources and their respective contributions. Recent research showed that these limitations can be overcome by using isotopes. Although the application of the isotope tracing approach is fairly recent, it has proven to be effective at precisely discriminating and identifying the different vectors of pollution, and quantifying their respective contributions. The objective of this research program is to demonstrate that integrating isotope data in air quality monitoring networks is technologically feasible and leads to more effective planning of environmental management measures. This program will specifically address key atmospheric pollution issues (identification of sources of air pollution, semi-quantification of their respective contributions, characterisation of secondary processes); in particular, inorganic pollutants, including toxic metals of high environmental impact, such as osmium (Os), cadmium (Cd) or mercury (Hg), will be investigated. The overall research program will be organised into two complementary research axes. First, we will test the possibility of using bioindicators (mosses/lichens) as passive samplers for isotopically (S, Pb, Sr, Os isotopes) tracing sources/processes controlling their budget in the air. The second part of the program will be in continuation with this work, extending this study to other metal isotopes (Hg, Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu). This research program will support research conducted by four graduate students at UQAM. The first part of the program on bioindicators will help train two PhD students. The second part of the program on metal isotopes will support two more PhDs. The candidates will have the opportunity to work within an active research group in Earth Sciences at the GEOTOP center. They will also benefit from my 17-year experience studying air pollution as well as from another study that I am currently supervising: S isotope characterisation of emissions from urban sources of air pollution and aerosols. The originality of this program resides in the multi-isotope characterisation of bioindicators that are here used as air passive samplers. This will also constitute one of the very first studies coupling a mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope fractionations approach. The methodology proposed here will provide a better understanding of the sources of air pollution to be controlled and acted against, as well as of the atmospheric processes involved. The integration of isotope measurements to the study of air-contaminated areas will thus constitute a high degree of innovation with respect to current practices.

对于大多数国家来说，空气污染是今天的主要社会问题。空气质量的环境管理几乎完全基于在时间和样品中选择的监测污染物水平。但是，现在有足够的证据表明，这不允许明确建立不同的污染源及其各自的贡献。最近的研究表明，可以通过使用同位素克服这些局限性。尽管同位素追踪方法的应用是相当新的，但事实证明，它在精确区分和识别污染的不同媒介并量化其各自的贡献方面有效。 该研究计划的目的是证明，在空气质量监测网络中将同位素数据整合在技术上是可行的，并导致对环境管理措施的更有效计划。该计划将特别解决关键的大气污染问题（识别空气污染的来源，对其各自贡献的半定量，次要过程的表征）；特别是，将研究无机污染物，包括高环境影响的有毒金属，例如osmium（OS），镉（CD）或汞（HG）。总体研究计划将分为两个互补的研究轴。首先，我们将测试使用生物指导者（苔藓/地衣）作为被动采样器的可能性（S，PB，SR，OSOTOPES），以追踪控制其空气预算的来源/过程。该程序的第二部分将继续进行这项工作，将这项研究扩展到其他金属同位素（HG，CR，CD，Zn，Cu）。 该研究计划将支持UQAM四名研究生进行的研究。该计划的生物指导者的第一部分将帮助培训两名博士学位学生。金属同位素计划的第二部分将支持另外两个博士学位。候选人将有机会在Geotop中心的地球科学的活跃研究小组中工作。他们还将受益于我研究空气污染的17年经验，以及我目前正在监督的另一项研究：来自城市空气污染和气溶胶的排放量的同位素表征。 该程序的独创性属于此处用作空气被动采样器的生物指示剂的多相位表征。这也将构成结合质量依赖性和质量独立的同位素分馏方法的最初研究之一。此处提出的方法将更好地理解要控制和行动的空气污染来源以及所涉及的大气过程。因此，同位素测量与空气污染区域的研究的整合将构成有关当前实践的高度创新。