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Seasonal and microscale variability of PM1 and PM10
Grégr, Michal ; Hovorka, Jan (advisor) ; Braniš, Martin (referee)
The master thesis evaluates the middle scale spatial/seasonal variability of PM1 and PM10 at four sampling localities. Statistical significant differences in PM values could be crucial for a representative placement of a measuring station at the locality. A set of 7 portable laser nephelometers DustTrak - DT (8520, TSI) was used to record 5 minute integrates of PM1 and PM10 consecutively for each size for 3 days at 4 localities. The localities were rural, urban, background and freeway and contrasted as far as the main aerosol sources are concerned. At each locality, inter-DT distances ranged from 30 - 500m, 80 - 220m, 70 - 150m, and 30m and total area covered 290 000 m2 , 57 000 m2 , 29 000m2 , 240m2 in rural, urban, background and freeway locality, respectively. Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for 2 dependent samples was used to evaluate the variability. As expected, PM1 did not vary statistically significantly (α=0.05) among DT's at all localities in both winter and summer. Contrary to PM1, inter-DT PM10 values varied significantly at background and rural localities, according to the Wilcoxon test. These differences occurred in 3 out of 50 possibilities for winter measurements. However, there is no statistically significant difference in median values comparison.
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Air quality in schools
Hromádka, Jiří ; Braniš, Martin (advisor) ; Hůnová, Iva (referee)
A lot of scientific articles were published about the indoor air quality during the last decade. It is proven that high concentrations of particulate matter and problems connected with poor ventilation conditions can cause health effects to people who are sensitive to them. Children are one of the groups at risk. They spend a lot of time at home and also at school, so the air quality at schools is an important issue. This work contains a review of scientific papers concerning this issue. It discusses the factors influencing indoor air quality, mainly concentration of particulate matter and carbon dioxide. Other factors were also chosen: the age of the school building and its location, the seasonality, the number and level of activity of pupils, floor carpeting and the amount of air circulation in the classrooms. The preliminary study tries to prove these theories. The concentration of PM10 and CO2, the temperature and the relative humidity were measured in three classrooms at one primary school in Prague. The results show that higher concentration of particulate matter is correlated with higher level of activity of pupils. Also poor ventilation leads to the higher concentration of carbon dioxide and poor air quality. It was proven that there is a minimal correlation between indoor and outdoor...
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Characterisation of fine aerosol fraction (PM1) in the indoor environment - mass concentration and chemical composition
Řezáčová, Pavla ; Braniš, Martin (advisor) ; Schwarz, Jaroslav (referee) ; Holcátová, Ivana (referee)
11 Abstract In the last decades great attention has been paid to the particulate matter with respect to its effects on human health. However, only recently have studies begun to examine finer PM size fractions. Despite an increasing number of the publications very little has been known about the PM1 size fraction, its concentration, chemical composition and the relationship to the coarse particles.. The present dissertation is aimed at characterisation of the particulate matter indoors and namely chemical composition of its fine size fraction PM1 (particles with the aerodynamic diameter less than 1 μm) in the indoor environment. The sampling of particulate matter was carried out in Prague as a part of an EU-project "Urban Aerosol" EVK4-CT-2000-00018 during three (2 winter and 1 summer) approx. 30 days long campaigns. 24-hour samples of the PM1, PM2,5 a PM10 size fraction indoors and PM2,5 outdoors were collected. The average 24-hour PM10 outdoor concentrations from the nearest station of the Czech air quality monitoring system AIM obtained from the CHMI were used for comparison. PM1 concentrations were found in range from 8,1 µg m-3 (median for winter 2002) to 23 µg m-3 (median for winter 2003). PM1 represented a majority (more than 70%) of PM2,5 concentration and nearly 1/2 of PM10 concentration indoors....
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The impact of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl on the environment
Dvořáková, Markéta ; Přibil, Rudolf (advisor) ; Braniš, Martin (referee)
Modern civilization is dependent on the production of energy. But there are only two energy sources that can cover our energy needs: the energy produced by burning fossil fuels and the energy produced by nuclear fission. People are afraid of nuclear accidents and storage of radioactive waste in relation with the use of nuclear energy. My work focuses on the risk of a nuclear accident, which is demonstrated on the Chernobyl nuclear accident. There were obsolete types of nuclear reactors at Chernobyl. The staff, which serviced the power plant, was inadequately prepared for the experiment. A lot of radionuclides released into atmosphere after the explosion at Chernobyl. They affected mainly the near area from the power plant. There was announced the thirty kilometers large Zone of Alienation. My work deals with the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl for environment - health effects for people and the exposure to animals and plants in the near but also in farther area from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
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Potential of renewable resource utilzation in the Republic of Moldova
Granici, Olga ; Braniš, Martin (advisor) ; Přibil, Rudolf (referee)
With growing energy consumption the sector with renewable resources is increasing and becoming interesting for countries all around the world. Use of renewable sources of energy around the world recorded an increasing trend. Currently Moldova do not use hardly any of the renewable technologies. The potential for using alternative energy sources in the country is relatively high. The task of the thesis is to find potential applications of renewable energy sources on the territory of Moldova. Installation of renewable energy technologies considered in the work on the basis of geographic or climatic conditions of the state. One of the main motives of involving a broad spectrum of renewable energy in Moldova could be an attempt to reduce energy dependence on neighboring countries and increase own share of energy production. The thesis is based on the knowledge of the application of renewable energy in the rest of the world.
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Environmental Justice - links between air pollution and selected social characteristics of the czech population
Linhartová, Martina ; Braniš, Martin (advisor) ; Kryl, Martin (referee)
The present bachelor thesis deals with socioenvironmental problems. The first part involves review of literature, the second part is devoted to a pilot study covering the territory of the Czech Republic. Many studies pointed out uneven distribution of pollution among minorities, people with lower education and other socially disadvantaged individuals. The lower the social status, the worse the air quality and the higher risk of the threat from exposure to airborne pollutants. We analyzed association between various air quality factors and indicators of socio-economic status of the population from Czech cities. Our results correspond to those obtained from USA, Germany, New Zealand etc.: pollutants to which people are exposed to vary by level of social status. People with lower degree of education have to bear higher concentration of SO2 and PM10 - higher concentrations of combustion by- products. Contrary to that, people with higher degree of education and higher income are more likely exposed to pollutants from transport (namely NO2). Key words: environmental justice, air quality, Czech Republic
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Trends of air pollution in the USA and Europe, particularly the Czech Republic, from 1950 to the present
Bendlová, Tereza ; Braniš, Martin (advisor) ; Hůnová, Iva (referee)
Bendlová, 2012 ABSTRACT - English Air pollution represents one of the main environmental issues. It affects human health and the environment through phenomena such as smog, acid rain, ozone layer depletion and climate change. Human health is not affected only outdoors but also indoors where other sources of pollution are in effect. People were already concerned about polluted air in the past. Nowadays, people have become more aware of the harmful impacts of polluted air, particularly after a few smog episodes which resulted in numerous deaths in 1950s. Since then, a lot of has been done to improve the situation, especially in the developed world. The United States (US) led the way by early environmental movements, establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and setting legislation to restrict polluting of the atmosphere. The European Union (EU) started later with their efforts. However, the air quality standards are much stricter now in the EU than in the US. The Czech Republic was behind on the way to cleaner air due to presence in the region of the Soviet Block where the environment was not seriously taken into consideration. Very rapid recovery has taken place establishing laws and legislation to adjust to the European standards and improve the air quality as fast as possible. Air pollution is...
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