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- Bosch, Carme, et al.
(author)
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Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Central European Soils with Compound-Specific Triple Isotopes (delta C-13, Delta C-14, and delta H-2)
- 2015
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In: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 49:13, s. 7657-7665
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper reports the first study applying a triple-isotope approach for source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The C-13/C-12, and H-2/H-1 isotope ratios of PAHs were determined in forest soils from mountainous areas of the Czech Republic, European Union. Statistical modeling applying a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework to the environmental triple isotope PAR data and an end-member PAR isotope database allowed comprehensive accounting of uncertainties and quantitative constraints on the PAR sources among biomass combustion, liquid fossil fuel combustion, and coal combustion at low and high temperatures. The results suggest that PAHs in this central European region had a clear predominance of coal combustion sources (75 +/- 6%; uncertainties represent 1 SD), mainly coal pyrolysis at low temperature (similar to 650 degrees C; 61 +/- 8%). Combustion of liquid fossil fuels and biomass represented 16 +/- 3 and 9 + 3% of the total PAR burden (Sigma PAH(14)), respectively. Although some soils were located close to potential PAR point sources, the source distribution was within a narrow range throughout the region. These observation-based top-down constraints on sources of environmental PARS provide a reference for both improved bottom-up emission inventories and guidance for efforts to mitigate PAR emissions.
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2. |
- Brehm, Nicolas, et al.
(author)
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Tree-rings reveal two strong solar proton events in 7176 and 5259 BCE
- 2022
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Sun sporadically produces eruptive events leading to intense fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs) that dramatically disrupt the near-Earth radiation environment. Such events have been directly studied for the last decades but little is known about the occurrence and magnitude of rare, extreme SEP events. Presently, a few events that produced measurable signals in cosmogenic radionuclides such as 14C, 10Be and 36Cl have been found. Analyzing annual 14C concentrations in tree-rings from Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Russia, and the USA we discovered two spikes in atmospheric 14C occurring in 7176 and 5259 BCE. The ~2% increases of atmospheric 14C recorded for both events exceed all previously known 14C peaks but after correction for the geomagnetic field, they are comparable to the largest event of this type discovered so far at 775 CE. These strong events serve as accurate time markers for the synchronization with floating tree-ring and ice core records and provide critical information on the previous occurrence of extreme solar events which may threaten modern infrastructure.
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