The assessment of the degree of air pollution in ports requires considering many emission sources. In addition to the role of sea ships, one should remember about everyday activities related to, for example, reloading of goods or trucks or trains used for their transport but also sandblasting, painting or painting of ships. This results in the release of aerosols of different size, which contain toxic and hazardous substances, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or elemental carbon [Journal of Laws of 2009; McLean Ch. i.in., 2001; Wiśniewska et al, 2019]. It has been estimated that the vast majority of the world’s fleet spends an average of 20% of their time at sea and the remaining 80% in or in the vicinity of a port. Research using data on geographical marine activity has shown that 70 to 80% of pollution from ships occurs within 400 km from land [Corbett et al., 1999]. This leads not only to the deterioration of air quality in port areas and their surroundings, but also has a negative impact on sea water, soil, as well as rivers and lakes located in these areas [Puig et al., 2014].
During the internship student will analyse different pollutants in PM2.5 aerosols collected in Port of Brest in the period 2023-2024. The chemical analyses of organic and elemental carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (FLU, CHRY, PYR, B(a)P, B(a)A), as well as ionic composition is planned using several anylisers. In addition student will analyse meteorological sytuation as well as air mass trajecories with NOAA model to determine source of origin of substances which are toxic and hazardous to human health and other living organisms. The internships will be ended with writing a report summarizing the obtained results.
Understanding of air-sea water interaction, recognition of pollution source of origin in air of harbour, operation of specialized measuring and analytical equipment (gas and ion chromatography, thermo-optical carbon analyzer, samplers for sampling aerosols)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
