Studies on particulate matter (PM10) and its precursors over urban environment of Reading, UK

The extent to which airborne particles penetrate into the human respiratory system is determined mainly by their size, with possible health effects. The research over the scientific evidence of the role of airborne particles in adverse health effects has been intensified in recent years. In the present study, seasonal variations of PM10 and its relation with anthropogenic activities have been studied by using the data from UK National Air Quality Archive over Reading, UK. The diurnal variation of PM10 shows a morning peak during 7:00-10:00 LT and an evening peak during 19:00-22:00 LT. 3 The variation between 12:00 and 17:00 LT remains more or less steady for PM10 with the minimum value of similar to 16 mu g m(-3). PM10 and black smoke (BS) concentrations during weekdays were found to be high compared to weekends. A reduction in the concentration of PM10 has been found during the Christmas holidays compared to normal days during December. Seasonal variations of PM10 showed high values during spring compared to other seasons. A linear relationship has been found between PM10 and NO, during March, July, November and December suggesting that most of the PM10 is due to local traffic exhaust emissions. PM10 and SO2 concentrations showed positive correlation with the correlation coefficient of R-2 = 0.65 over the study area. Seasonal variations of SO2 and NOx showed high concentrations during winter and low concentrations during spring. Fraction of BS in PM10 has been found to be 50% during 2004 over the study area. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whether weather affects music

The creative output of composers, writers, and artists is often influenced by their surroundings. To give a literary example, it has been claimed recently that some of the characters in Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol were based on real-life people who lived near Charles Dickens in London [Richardson, 2012]. Of course, an important part of what we see and hear is not only the people with whom we interact but also our geophysical surroundings. Of all the geophysical phenomena to influence us, the weather is arguably the most significant because we are exposed to it directly and daily. The weather was a great source of inspiration for artists Claude Monet, John Constable, and William Turner, who are known for their scientifically accurate paintings of the skies [e.g., Baker and Thornes, 2006].