Articles | Volume 23, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6431-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6431-2023
Research article
 | 
12 Jun 2023
Research article |  | 12 Jun 2023

Ambient carbonaceous aerosol levels in Cyprus and the role of pollution transport from the Middle East

Aliki Christodoulou, Iasonas Stavroulas, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Maximillien Desservettaz, Michael Pikridas, Elie Bimenyimana, Jonilda Kushta, Matic Ivančič, Martin Rigler, Philippe Goloub, Konstantina Oikonomou, Roland Sarda-Estève, Chrysanthos Savvides, Charbel Afif, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Stéphane Sauvage, and Jean Sciare

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Cited articles

Achilleos, S., Evans, J. S., Yiallouros, P. K., Kleanthous, S., Schwartz, J., and Koutrakis, P.: PM10 concentration levels at an urban and background site in Cyprus: The impact of urban sources and dust storms, J. Air Waste Manage., 64, 1352–1360, https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2014.923061, 2014. 
Achilleos, S., Wolfson, J. M., Ferguson, S. T., Kang, C. M., Hadjimitsis, D. G., Hadjicharalambous, M., Achilleos, C., Christodoulou, A., Nisanzti, A., Papoutsa, C., Themistocleous, K., Athanasatos, S., Perdikou, S., and Koutrakis, P.: Spatial variability of fine and coarse particle composition and sources in Cyprus, Atmos. Res., 169, 255–270, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2015.10.005, 2016. 
Achilleos, S., Mouzourides, P., Kalivitis, N., Katra, I., Kloog, I., Kouis, P., Middleton, N., Mihalopoulos, N., Neophytou, M., Panayiotou, A., Papatheodorou, S., Savvides, C., Tymvios, F., Vasiliadou, E., Yiallouros, P., and Koutrakis, P.: Spatio-temporal variability of desert dust storms in Eastern Mediterranean (Crete, Cyprus, Israel) between 2006 and 2017 using a uniform methodology, Sci. Total Environ., 714, 136693, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136693, 2020. 
Alfarra, M. R., Prevot, A. S. H., Szidat, S., Sandradewi, J., Weimer, S., Lanz, V. A., Schreiber, D., Mohr, M., and Baltensperger, U.: Identification of the mass spectral signature of organic aerosols from wood burning emissions, Environ. Sci. Technol., 41, 5770–5777, https://doi.org/10.1021/es062289b, 2007. 
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Short summary
Our study presents, for the first time, a detailed source identification of aerosols at an urban background site in Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean), a region strongly impacted by climate change and air pollution. Here, we identify an unexpected high contribution of long-range transported pollution from fossil fuel sources in the Middle East, highlighting an urgent need to further characterize these fast-growing emissions and their impacts on regional atmospheric composition, climate, and health.
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