Influence of transport from urban sources and domestic biomass combustion on the air quality of a mountain area

The environmental impact of biomass burning for civil uses was investigated through the determination of several air toxicants in Leonessa, a town in the mountain region of central Italy, and in its surroundings. Attention was focussed on PM10, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and regulated gaseous pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, ozone and benzene). Two in-field campaigns were carried out during the summer 2012 and winter 2013. Contemporarily, air quality was monitored in Rome and other localities of Lazio region. In the summer all pollutants with the exception of ozone were more abundant in Rome. On the other hand, in the winter PAHs concentration was higher in Leonessa (15.8 ng/m3 vs. 7.0 ng/m3), while PM10 was less concentrated (22 vs. 34 µg/m3). Due to lack of other important sources and to limited impact of vehicle traffic, biomass burning was identified as the major PAH source in Leonessa during the winter. This hypothesis was confirmed by analysing some PAH diagnostic ratios. A similar phenomenon (i.e., airborne particulate levels similar to those of the capital city but higher PAH loads) was also observed in other locations of the province, suggesting that uncontrolled biomass burning contributed to pollution across the Rome metropolitan area.