Anthropogenic Impact on Atmospheric Aerosol Characteristics

We studied the disperse characteristics of atmospheric aerosols and the degree of their contamination with heavy metals and organic substances. Aerosol samples were collected at a road intersection in one district of Kyiv at different heights from the asphalt surface in April and July 2019. The concentration of heavy metals (Сu, Cr, and Pb) on aerosol filters was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization. The levels of copper and chromium ions increase by 20–40 times, while the level of lead increases by 100–150 times compared to the background value; the concentration of organic carbon increases by 2–5 times depending on the time of day and height from the asphalt surface. The aerosol mixture was processed in a pulsed corona electric discharge reactor, leading to the destruction of organic compounds, yielding over 80% purification of the aerosol mixture from pollutants, and improving the light transmission by 78–83%. Electric-discharge processing of aerosols can be used in industrial installations to decrease the gas contamination of workspace and clean air volumes from dust before they are released into the atmosphere.