Search results for "Particulates"

Speciation of Sb in airborne particulate matter, vehicle brake linings, and brake pad wear residues

2013

Insights into the speciation of Sb in samples of brake linings, brake pad wear residues, road dust, and atmospheric particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 were obtained combining several well established and advanced characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy e energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (SR-XAS). The advantage of SR-XAS is that samples do not undergo any chemical treatment prior to measurements, thus excluding possible alterations. These analyses revealed that the samples of wheel rims dust, road dust, and atmospheric particulate matter are composed…

2014

Abstract. In-cloud production of sulfate modifies aerosol size distribution, with important implications for the magnitude of indirect and direct aerosol cooling and the impact of SO2 emissions on the environment. We investigate which sulfate sources dominate the in-cloud addition of sulfate to different particle classes as an air parcel passes through an orographic cloud. Sulfate aerosol, SO2 and H2SO4 were collected upwind, in-cloud and downwind of an orographic cloud for three cloud measurement events during the Hill Cap Cloud Thuringia campaign in autumn 2010 (HCCT-2010). Combined SEM and NanoSIMS analysis of single particles allowed the δ34S of particulate sulfate to be resolved for pa…

Temperature effect on phase state and reactivity controls atmospheric multiphase chemistry and transport of PAHs

2017

Atmospheric refrigerator increases the global transport and health risks of carcinogenic PAHs.

2020

Abstract. Aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) are frequently applied in atmospheric aerosol research in connection with climate, environmental or health-related projects. This is also true for the measurement of the organic fraction of particulate matter, still the least understood group of components contributing to atmospheric aerosols. While quantification of the organic and/or inorganic aerosol fractions is feasible, more detailed information about individual organic compounds or compound classes can usually not be provided by AMS measurements. In this study, we present a new method to detect organic peroxides in the particle phase in real-time using an AMS. Peroxides (ROOR') are of high i…

Vegetation fire emissions and their impact on air pollution and climate

2009

Gaseous and particulate emissions from vegetation fires substantially modify the atmospheric chemical composition, degrade air quality and can alter weather and climate. The impact of vegetation fire emissions on air pollution and climate has been recognised in the late 1970s. The application of satellite data for fire-related studies in the beginning of the 21th century represented a major break through in our understanding of the global importance of fires. Today the location and extent of vegetation fires, burned area and emissions released from fires are determined from satellite products even though many uncertainties persist. Numerous dedicated experimental and modeling studies contri…

2010

Abstract. Filter samples of fine and coarse air particulate matter (PM) collected over a period of one year in central Europe (Mainz, Germany) were analyzed for water-soluble organic compounds (WSOCs), including the α- and β-pinene oxidation products pinic acid, pinonic acid and 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (3-MBTCA), as well as a variety of dicarboxylic acids and nitrophenols. Seasonal variations and other characteristic features in fine, coarse, and total PM (TSP) are discussed with regard to aerosol sources and sinks in comparison to data from other studies and regions. The ratios of adipic acid and phthalic acid to azelaic acid indicate that the investigated aerosol samples w…

Rainwater composition over a rural area with special emphasis on the size distribution of insoluble particulate matter

1987

The rainwater composition in the vicinity of Mainz, FRG, has been investigated with special emphasis on insoluble constituents. The number size distribution was determined in the range from 0.1 μm up to 100 μm radius. For particles with r>0.5 μm radius the shape of the size distribution of insoluble particles in rain follows the shape of the average urban and rural aerosol. In this particular size range no major size selective removal processes could be seen. For r<0.5 μm the number size distribution tends to flatten compared to the average aerosol. This might be the indication of a size selective removal process (Greenfield Gap).

Aerosol responses to precipitation along North American air trajectories arriving at Bermuda

2021

North American pollution outflow is ubiquitous over the western North Atlantic Ocean, especially in winter, making this location a suitable natural laboratory for investigating the impact of precipitation on aerosol particles along air mass trajectories. We take advantage of observational data collected at Bermuda to seasonally assess the sensitivity of aerosol mass concentrations and volume size distributions to accumulated precipitation along trajectories (APT). The mass concentration of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm normalized by the enhancement of carbon monoxide above background (PM2.5/ΔCO) at Bermuda was used to estimate the degree of aerosol loss durin…

Composition and diurnal variability of the natural Amazonian aerosol

2003

As part of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA)-Cooperative LBA Airborne Regional Experiment (CLAIRE) 2001 campaign, separate day and nighttime aerosol samples were collected in July 2001 at a ground-based site in Amazonia, Brazil, in order to examine the composition and temporal variability of the natural “background” aerosol. A combination of analytical techniques was used to characterize the elemental and ionic composition of the aerosol. Major particle types larger than ∼0.5 μm were identified by electron and light microscopy. Both the coarse and fine aerosol were found to consist primarily of organic matter (∼70 and 80% by mass, respectively), with the coar…

RADIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN AIR PARTICULATE AT PALERMO (ITALY) FOLLOWING FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT

2012

Following the Fukushima accident, a series of samplings were carried out with a daily frequency to detect the arrival of radioactive contamination in air at Palermo (Italy) and to follow its evolution during the time. Air particulate collection was performed by suction of atmospheric air through cellulose filter paper by means of a high-volume air sampler (∼15 000 m(3) d(-1)). Spectrometric analysis of the filters highlights the presence of (131)I, (134)Cs, (137)Cs and, only for a few samples, traces of (132)Te-(132)I and (136)Cs. Maximum airborne concentrations were 883 μBq m(-3) for (131)I (only particulate), 81 μBq m(-3) for (137)Cs and 70 μBq m(-3) for (134)Cs. From a dose to population…