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Dataset - Photochemical sensitivity to emissions and local meteorology in Bogotá, Santiago, and São Paulo

2020 , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE

Data on mobile source emissions for Sao Paulo

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Road Traffic Noise on the Santa Marta City Tourist Route

2021 , Dámaris A. Jiménez-Uribe , Darwin Daniels , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Andrés M. Vélez-Pereira

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of vehicular traffic on the environmental noise levels of the Santa Marta City tourist route on the Colombian coast. An analysis of vehicle types and frequencies at various times of the day over nearly a year helped to track the main sources of environmental noise pollution. Five sampling points were selected, which were distributed over 12 km, with three classified as peripheral urban and two as suburban. The average traffic flow was 966 vehicles/h and was mainly composed of automobiles, with higher values in the peripheral urban area. The noise level was 103.3 dBA, with background and peak levels of 87.2 and 107.3 dBA, respectively. The noise level was higher during the day; however, there were no differences between weekdays and weekends. The results from the analysis of variance showed that the number of vehicles and the noise levels varied greatly according to the time of day and sampling point location. The peak and mean noise levels were correlated with the number of automobiles, buses and heavy vehicles. The mean noise levels were similar at all sample points despite the traffic flow varying, and the background noise was only correlated for automobiles (which varied much more than the heavy vehicles between day and night).

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Dataset - Characterizing the photochemical sensitivity to emissions and local meteorology of 2 South American megacities : Bogotá, Santiago and the effect of local lockdowns

2021 , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE

This dataset contains urban vehicle exhaust emission of NO2 and MP2.5 from on-road transportation in Santiago, Chile, for the period March-June 2020; and PM10 exhaust emissions at Bogota, Colombia, for March-April 2020. The data is presented as NetCDF4 files, in Gg/y per cell for each specie and at different hours, gridded with a spatial resolution of 0.01° x 0.01°. Santiago includes three periods: 7, 12 and 19 hours, and Bogota comprises the periods: 5, 12 and 21 hours.

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Blowin’ in the Wind: Mapping the Dispersion of Metal(loid)s From Atacama Mining

2024 , Nicolás C. Zanetta‐Colombo , Carlos A. Manzano , Dagmar Brombierstäudl , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Eugenia M. Gayo , David A. Rubinos , Óscar Jerez , Jorge Valdés , Manuel Prieto , Marcus Nüsser

AbstractThe Atacama Desert’s naturally elevated metal(loid)s pose a unique challenge for assessing the environmental impact of mining, particularly for indigenous communities residing in these areas. This study investigates how copper mining influences the dispersion of these elements in the wind‐transportable fraction (<75 μm) of surface sediments across an 80 km radius. We employed a multi‐pronged approach, utilizing spatial modeling to map element distributions, exponential decay analysis to quantify concentration decline with distance, regime shift modeling to identify dispersion pattern variations, and pollution assessment to evaluate impact. Our results reveal significant mining‐driven increases in surface concentrations of copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and arsenic (As). Notably, within the first 20 km, concentrations peaked at 1,016 mg kg⁻1 for Cu, 31 mg kg⁻1 for Mo, and a remarkable 165 mg kg⁻1 for As. Cu and Mo displayed significant dispersion, extending up to 50 km from the source. However, As exhibited the most extensive reach, traveling up to 70 km downwind, highlighting the far‐reaching ecological footprint of mining operations. Mineralogical analyses corroborated these findings, identifying mining‐related minerals in surface sediments far beyond the immediate mining area. Although pollution indices based on the proposed Local Geochemical Background reveal significant contamination across the study area, establishing accurate pre‐industrial baseline values is essential for a more reliable assessment. This study challenges the concept of “natural pollution” by demonstrating that human activities exacerbate baseline metal(loid)s levels. Expanding monitoring protocols is imperative to comprehensively assess the combined effects of multiple emission sources, including mining and natural processes, in safeguarding environmental and human health for future generations.

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When another one bites the dust: Environmental impact of global copper demand on local communities in the Atacama mining hotspot as registered by tree rings

2024 , Nicolás C. Zanetta-Colombo , Tobias Scharnweber , Duncan A. Christie , Carlos A. Manzano , Mario Blersch , Eugenia M. Gayo , Ariel A. Muñoz , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Marcus Nüsser

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Dataset - Air quality data of Bogotá, Santiago, and São Paulo. PANGAEA

2022 , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE

We compiled criteria pollutants from four air quality monitoring stations in Bogotá, eight in Santiago, and five in São Paulo to characterize the impact of emission changes on air quality during the early Coronavirus-imposed lockdown. Time series include hourly measurements (UTC) of ozone (ppbv), nitric oxide (ppbv), nitrogen dioxide (ppbv), carbon monoxide (ppmv), and PM2.5 (microgram per cubic meter), from 1 January 2014 to 1 June 2020.

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Forecasting PM2.5 levels in Santiago de Chile using deep learning neural networks

2021 , Camilo Menares , Patricio Perez , Santiago Parraguez , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE

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Impact of mining on the metal content of dust in indigenous villages of northern Chile

2022 , Nicolás C. Zanetta-Colombo , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Eugenia M. Gayo , Carlos A. Manzano , Marios Panagi , Jorge Valdés , Alexander Siegmund

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Long-term airborne particle pollution assessment in the city of Coyhaique, Patagonia, Chile

2022 , Rafael Solís , Richard Toro A. , Luis Gomez , Andrés M. Vélez-Pereira , Manuela López , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Nicolás Fierro , Manuel Leiva G.

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Photochemical sensitivity to emissions and local meteorology in Bogotá, Santiago, and São Paulo

2022 , Rodrigo J. Seguel , Laura Gallardo , Mauricio Osses , Néstor Y. Rojas , Thiago Nogueira , Camilo Menares , Maria de Fatima Andrade , Luis C. Belalcázar , Paula Carrasco , Henk Eskes , FLEMING, ZOE LOUISE , Nicolas Huneeus , Sergio Ibarra-Espinosa , Eduardo Landulfo , Manuel Leiva , Sonia C. Mangones , Fernando G. Morais , Gregori A. Moreira , Nicolás Pantoja , Santiago Parraguez , Jhojan P. Rojas , Roberto Rondanelli , Izabel da Silva Andrade , Richard Toro , Alexandre C. Yoshida

This study delves into the photochemical atmospheric changes reported globally during the pandemic by analyzing the change in emissions from mobile sources and the contribution of local meteorology to ozone (O3) and particle formation in Bogotá (Colombia), Santiago (Chile), and São Paulo (Brazil). The impact of mobility reductions (50%–80%) produced by the early coronavirus-imposed lockdown was assessed through high-resolution vehicular emission inventories, surface measurements, aerosol optical depth and size, and satellite observations of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns. A generalized additive model (GAM) technique was also used to separate the local meteorology and urban patterns from other drivers relevant for O3 and NO2 formation. Volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decreased significantly due to motorized trip reductions. In situ nitrogen oxide median surface mixing ratios declined by 70%, 67%, and 67% in Bogotá, Santiago, and São Paulo, respectively. NO2 column medians from satellite observations decreased by 40%, 35%, and 47%, respectively, which was consistent with the changes in mobility and surface mixing ratio reductions of 34%, 25%, and 34%. However, the ambient NO2 to NOx ratio increased, denoting a shift of the O3 formation regime that led to a 51%, 36%, and 30% increase in the median O3 surface mixing ratios in the 3 respective cities. O3 showed high sensitivity to slight temperature changes during the pandemic lockdown period analyzed. However, the GAM results indicate that O3 increases were mainly caused by emission changes. The lockdown led to an increase in the median of the maximum daily 8-h average O3 of between 56% and 90% in these cities.