Search results for "Particulate matter"
showing 10 items of 119 documents
Changes in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: a multi-city study
2021
Highlights • Variations in air quality in terms of CO, SO2, PM10, O3 and NO2 levels were studied • The lockdown of Spain was not able to reduce severe air pollution in all its forms • Significant reductions of NO2 levels were achieved in most cities • Increases of O3 pollution levels were found in several cities
Occurrence of platinum, palladium and gold in pine needles of Pinus pinea L. from the city of Palermo (Italy)
2003
Abstract Preliminary data on the presence of Pt, Pd and Au in airborne particulate matter from the urban area of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) are presented. They were obtained by analysing 40 samples of pine needles (Pinus pinea L.) collected in and around the city. Observed concentrations range from 1 to 102 μg/kg for Pt, 1 to 45 μg/kg for Pd and 22 to 776 μg/kg for Au. Platinum and Pd concentrations in pine needles are up to two orders of magnitude higher than their crustal abundances. They exhibit a high statistical correlation (R2=0.74) which suggests a common origin. Precious metal concentrations measured within the city centre are much higher than those occurring outside the town. The dist…
Contamination of Surface Water and River Sediments by Antibiotic and Antiretroviral Drug Cocktails in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Occurrence, Ri…
2020
Presence of antimicrobial cocktails in the hydrological cycles is of interest because of their potential to mediate antimicrobial resistance within the natural environment. In this study, we determined the concentrations of selected antibiotics and antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, effluent suspended particulate matter (SPM), surface waters and river sediments in Kenya in order to determine the extent of pollution within the sampled environment. Target analysis for the most common antibiotics and ARVDs was done. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), trimethoprim (TMP), norfloxacin (NOR), zidovidine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC) and nevirapine (NVP)…
Metaproteomic analysis of atmospheric aerosol samples.
2016
Metaproteomic analysis of air particulate matter provides information about the abundance and properties of bioaerosols in the atmosphere and their influence on climate and public health. We developed and applied efficient methods for the extraction and analysis of proteins from glass fiber filter samples of total, coarse, and fine particulate matter. Size exclusion chromatography was applied to remove matrix components, and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was applied for protein fractionation according to molecular size, followed by in-gel digestion and LC-MS/MS analysis of peptides using a hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap MS. Maxquant software and the Swiss-…
Background element content of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea: A supra-national state of art implemented by novel field data from Italy
2018
Abstract In biomonitoring, the knowledge of background element content (BEC) values is an essential pre-requisite for the correct assessment of pollution levels. Here, we estimated the BEC values of a highly performing biomonitor, the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea, by means of a careful review of literature data, integrated by an extensive field survey. Methodologically homogeneous element content datasets, reflecting different exposure conditions across European and extra-European countries, were compiled and comparatively analysed. Element content in samples collected in remote areas was compared to that of potentially enriched samples, testing differences between medians for 2…
Do Saharan Dust Days Carry a Risk of Hospitalization From Respiratory Diseases for Citizens of the Canary Islands (Spain)?
2021
Background: Saharan dust meets the Canary Islands at the beginning of its westward path across the North Atlantic, exceeding the European daily levels for PM10; for this reason, their two provincial capital cities, constitute optimal sites where to evaluate the health effects of this natural event. Objectives: To assess the short-term association between Saharan Dust Days (SDDs) and respiratory morbidity in the two capital cities. Methods: We carried out a time-series analysis with daily emergency hospital admissions due to all respiratory system diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma between 2001 and 2005, assessing the independent effect of SDDs, defined accordi…
Assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil of a Natural Reserve (Isola delle Femmine) (Italy) located in front of a plant for the …
2009
Isola delle Femmine Natural Reserve is a very little isle about 15 km from the centre of Palermo, in front of a plant for the production of cement and about 600 m from coast. In the present research, profiles soil PAHs were obtained for 16 sites within the reserve and for 8 stations on the rural soil taken as reference. summation Sigma PAHs, in the soil of investigated area, ranged from 35 to 545 microg/kg. With the aim to find the origin of PAHs in the soil of Isola delle Femmine, we compare the distribution of single analytes in the investigated area with those of the reference rural area (Monte Raffo Rosso), with those of atmospheric urban particulate collected at Palermo along with repo…
Electrochemical characterization of mangrove sediments: A proposal of new proxies for organic matter oxidation
2019
Abstract The voltammetric response of microparticulate deposits resulting from solvent evaporation of ethanolic extracts of mangrove sediments in contact with aqueous acetate buffer is hereby described. Dated sediment cores sampled from the Peruvian mangrove system (“Manglares de Tumbes” National Sanctuary) presented voltammetric responses dominated by oxidative signals of organic components that exhibit significant variations depending on the depth. Voltammetric data allowed for the definition of electrochemical indexes representative of the electrochemically oxidable organic matter fraction. These electrochemical indexes were fEAOM (for the total amount of organic matter being electrochem…
Residential Exposure to PM2.5 Components and Risk of Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Denmark: A Nationwide Register-Based Case-Control Study
2020
In a recent study, we observed an increased risk of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) associated with exposure to fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC). In this nationwide register-based case-control study, we focus on specific components of PM2.5 in relation to childhood NHL in Denmark (1981&ndash
Risk Perception of Air Pollution: A Systematic Review Focused on Particulate Matter Exposure
2020
The adverse health effects of exposure to air pollutants, notably to particulate matter (PM), are well-known, as well as the association with measured or estimated concentration levels. The role of perception can be relevant in exploring effects and pollution control actions. The purpose of this study was to explore studies that analyse people’s perception, together with the measurement of air pollution, in order to elucidate the relationship between them. We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In March 2020, PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were explored in an attempt to search for …