Composition and sources of carbonaceous aerosols in Northern Europe during winter

Sources of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) in atmospheric aerosols (carbonaceous aerosols) were investigated by collection of weekly aerosol filter samples at six background sites in Northern Europe (Birkenes, Norway; Vavihill, Sweden; Risoe, Denmark; Cabauw and Rotterdam in The Netherlands; Melpitz, Germany) during winter 2013....

Organic aerosol concentration and composition over Europe: Insights from comparison of regional model predictions with aerosol mass spectrometer factor analysis

A detailed three-dimensional regional chemical transport model (Particulate Matter Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions, PMCAMx) was applied over Europe, focusing on the formation and chemical transformation of organic matter. Three periods representative of different seasons were simulated, corresponding to intensive field campaigns....

Impacts of controlling biomass burning emissions on wintertime carbonaceous aerosol in Europe

We use a 3-D regional chemical transport model, with the latest advancements in the organic aerosol (OA) treatment, and an updated emission inventory for wood combustion to study the organic aerosol change in response to the replacement of current residential wood combustion technologies with pellet stoves. Simulations show a large decrease of...

Drought stress signals in modern and subfossil Quercus laurifolia (Fagaceae) leaves reflect winter precipitation in southern Florida tied to El Niño-Southern Oscillation activity

In the present study, structural xeromorphic features in modern and subfossil Quercus laurifolia leaves from southern Florida were quantified to reconstruct past precipitation changes in sensitive terrestrial settings. Absolute cell numbers/mm², quantified as epidermal cell density (ED) have been analyzed on leaves from herbarium...

Geochemistry and flooding as determining factors of plant species composition in Dutch winter-flooded riverine grasslands

Dutch water policy aims for more frequent, controlled flooding of river valley floodplains to avoid unwanted flooding elsewhere; in anticipation of increased flooding risks resulting from climate changes. Controlled flooding usually takes place in winter in parts of the valleys which had not been subject to flooding in the last decades. It may...

Seasonal variation in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

Evaluation of long-term ozone simulations from seven regional air quality models and their ensemble

Long-term ozone simulations from seven regional air quality models, the Unified EMEP model, LOTOS-EUROS, CHIMERE, RCG, MATCH, DEHM and TM5, are intercompared and compared to ozone measurements within the framework of the EuroDelta experiment, designed to assess air quality improvement at the European scale in response to emission reduction...

Effect of season and meteorological conditions on community noise annoyance

More than 80 000 residents' responses to transportation noise from 42 studies conducted at different times of year provide statistical estimates of the effects of season and meteorological conditions on community response to noise. The strongest evidence for a seasonal effect comes from 7 years of continuous daily interviewing of nationally...

Intrauterine famine exposure and body proportions at birth: The Dutch Hunger Winter

Background. Fetal programming of adult disease may be a long-term effect of fetal nutrition. Expected short-term effects include changes in body size and proportions at birth. The specific responses of fetal growth to acute undernutrition at varying points in pregnancy are still unclear. Methods. We abstracted all birth records of infants born...

Energy restriction early in life and colon carcinoma risk: Results of The Netherlands Cohort Study after 7.3 years of follow-up

BACKGROUND. This study evaluated the effects of severe undernutrition during adolescence and subsequent colon carcinoma risk. METHODS. The authors evaluated The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer (NLCS) among 62,573 women and 58,279 men aged 55-69 years at baseline. Information on diet and risk factors was collected by questionnaire in...

C2-C5 hydrocarbon measurements in the Netherlands 1981-1991

Measurements of C2-C5 hydrocarbons on an hourly basis at the TNO site in Delft from 1982 to 1984 and at Moerdijk over the period 1981-1991 are presented. In combination with meteorological data (wind direction and wind speed) the Delft and Moerdijk series are evaluated to identify source categories, annual variations, background concentrations...

Seasonal variation in fibrinogen in the Rotterdam study

As evidence accumulates to implicate fibrinogen as a risk indicator for cardiovascular disease, it is of interest to study its seasonal variation. A population based cross-sectional study was performed among participants of the Rotterdam Study, a cohort of 7983 men and women, aged 55 years and over. Fibrinogen levels were measured by the...