Atmospheric Deposition Study in the Area of Kardzhali Lead-Zinc Plant Based on Moss Analysis

For the first time the moss biomonitoring technique was used to assess the environmental situation in the area affected by a lead zinc plant as one of the most hazardous enterprises in Bulgaria. 77 Hypnum cupressiforme moss samples were collected in the Kardzhali municipality, in the summer and autumn of 2011. The concentrations of a total of 47 elements were determined by means of instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Multivariate statistics was applied to characterize the sources of elements detected in the samples. Four groups of elements were found. In comparison to the data averaged for the area outside of the town, the atmospheric deposition loads for the elements of industrial origin in Kardzhali, where the smelter chimney is located, were found to be much higher. Median levels of the measured concentrations for the most toxic metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Cu, In, Sb) were extremely high in this hot spot when compared to the median Bulgarian cross-country data from the 2010/2011 European moss survey. GIS technology was used to produce element distribution maps illustrating deposition patterns of element pollutants in the study area. The results obtained contribute to the Bulgarian environmental research used to study and control the manufacturing processes of a lead-zinc smelter in the town of Kardzhali.

A new implementation of FLEXPART with Enviro-HIRLAM meteorological input,and a case study during a heavy air pollution event

We integrated Enviro-HIRLAM(Environment-High Resolution Limited Area Model)meteorological output into FLEXPART(FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model).A FLEXPART simulation requires meteorological input from a numerical weather prediction(NWP)model.The publicly available version of FLEXPART can utilize either ECMWF(European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts)Integrated Forecast System(IFS)forecast or reanalysis NWP data,or NCEP(U.S.National Center for Environmental Prediction)Global Forecast System(GFS)forecast or reanalysis NWP data.The primary benefits of using Enviro-HIRLAM are that it runs at a higher resolution and accounts for aerosol effects in meteorological fields.We compared backward trajectories gener-ated with FLEXPART using Enviro-HIRLAM(both with and without aerosol effects)to trajectories generated using NCEP GFS and ECMWF IFS meteorological inputs,for a case study of a heavy haze event which occurred in Beijing,China in November 2018.We found that results from FLEXPART were considerably different when using different meteorological inputs.When aerosol effects were included in the NWP,there was a small but noticeable differ-ence in calculated trajectories.Moreover,when looking at potential emission sensitivity instead of simply expressing trajectories as lines,additional information,which may have been missed when looking only at trajectories as lines,can be inferred.

Spectroscopy of Low-lying States in Odd-Z Odd-A Nuclei Beyond Lead

Low-lying states in odd-Z odd-mass nuclei at the proton drip-line beyond lead have recently been studied through fusion-evaporation reactions using a gas-filled recoil separator. Isomeric 1/2+and13/2+states have been observed in odd-mass astatine and francium nuclei. The systematic behaviour of the level energies of these states have been studied and a similarity between the 1/2+state in astatine and francium has been found. Furthermore, the 13/2+state has been observed in the francium nuclei with an oblate behaviour suggesting a coupling of the i13/2proton to the 2p- 2h intruder excitation.