Search results for "particulate"
showing 10 items of 295 documents
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)…
A facile and eco-friendly route to fabricate poly(Lactic acid) scaffolds with graded pore size
2016
Over the recent years, functionally graded scaffolds (FGS) gaineda crucial role for manufacturing of devices for tissue engineering. The importance of this new field of biomaterials research is due to the necessity to develop implants capable of mimicking the complex functionality of the various tissues, including a continuous change from one structure or composition to another. In this latter context, one topic of main interest concerns the design of appropriate scaffolds for bone-cartilage interface tissue. In this study, three-layered scaffolds with graded pore size were achieved by melt mixing poly(lactic acid) (PLA), sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Pore size distr…
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…
An experimental approach to efficiency calibration for gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of large air particulate filters
2013
Abstract A full-energy-peak efficiency (FEPE) calibration procedure for gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of air particulate samples collected on large filters is described herein. The experimental results are obtained for an unconventional measurement geometry, termed a “packet-sample”. The sample is obtained from a large cellulose filter (45 cm×45 cm) used to collect air particulate samples that is resized to dimensions suitable for spectrometric measurements (6 cm×6 cm×0.7 cm). To determine the FEPEs, many standards were created, i.e., some filters containing a small amount of ThO 2 and others containing a known amount of KCl. Efficiency curves obtained through best fits to experimental d…
Quantitative X-ray diffraction phase analysis of airborne particulate collected by a cascade impactor sampler using the Rietveld full-pattern fitting…
1997
Samples of airborne particulate were collected at the “El Ingenio” site in Castellón (Spain) using a cascade impactor sampler. Quantitative analysis of present phases in the aerosol was performed using the full-pattern fitting Rietveld method. Quantitative information was obtained from refined individual scale factors and unit-cell volumes, obtained with a Rietveld refinement program. Quartz, calcite, and gypsum were encountered as major phases, and their size distribution and concentration in the atmosphere were calculated.
The behaviour of REEs in Thailand's Mae Klong estuary: Suggestions from the Y/Ho ratios and lanthanide tetrad effects
2007
Abstract The concentrations of Rare Earth Elements and yttrium (REY) were measured in dissolved phase, in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and in sediments in seven sampling stations in the Mae Klong estuarine system (Inner Thailand Gulf) in order to study their behaviour and distribution pattern. The analysed samples generally show high Rare Earth Element (REE) content in the dissolved phase, with high Medium Rare Earth Elements (MREEs) and Y enrichments in the shale-normalized pattern (versus PAAS). These chemical features are interpreted in terms of direct influences of weathering processes of REE-rich minerals (e.g., phosphates), which abundantly out-crop in the Mae Klong watershed. T…
Reactive species formed upon interaction of water with fine particulate matter from remote forest and polluted urban air
2020
Interaction of water with fine particulate matter leads to the formation of reactive species (RS) that may influence the aging, properties, and health effects of atmospheric aerosols. In this study, we explore the RS yields of fine PM from remote forest (Hyytiälä, Finland) and polluted urban air (Mainz, Germany and Beijing, China) and relate these yields to different chemical constituents and reaction mechanisms. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry was used to characterize organic aerosol composition, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with a spin-trapping technique was used to determine the concentrations •OH, O2•−, and carbon- or oxygen-centered organic radicals, …