Fine Particulates Research Articles

A Review on Fog and Smog: Impact, Mode of Action and Remedial Measures under COVID-19 Pandemics

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus pandemic: the Sars-Cov-2 virus (COVID-19) is a threat to the population’s health. A positive correlation has been observed between the spread of the virus and air pollution, which is one of the greatest challenges of our millennium. COVID-19 could have an air transmission and atmospheric particulate matter could create a suitable environment for transporting the virus at greater distances than those considered for close contact. Smog is formed when pollutants like nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds that are released from automobiles, industries and burning of rice crop residues (parali) and fossil fuels interact with sunlight (WHO, 2016). In this context, COVID-19 could also have an airborne transmission and particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 which is Fine particulates of 2.5 micrometer or 10 micrometer less are also among the pollutants found in smog and haze) could act as a carrier through the aerosol, conveying the virus and increasing its spread. It prove a direct correlation between current high air pollution levels and incidence of COVID-19, high pollution levels might also increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. One of the most pressing and urgent problems is that polluted air can severely endanger human health and life. Individual residents who are affected by smog pollution can often do very little to prevent it, but they can apply adaptive and protective measures to reduce their risk. Elderly and people experiencing any cardiac or respiratory illness are more prone to harmful effects of smog (Sierra Vargas et al., 2012). These measures are minimal exposure to outdoor air but if exposure is inescapable than a facemask should be worn. Those people who are affected with cardio-vascular disease and its allied patients should increase the dosage of medication on their physician’s advice to prevent worsening of disease. Supplements and food containing antioxidants like omega 3 fatty acids when added to diet may help against oxidative stress caused by pollutants (Xing et al., 2016). Therefore, it is crucial to minimize the negative effects of smog by wearing mask and reduced the environmental pollution by adopting eco-friendly products.

Analysis of fine particulates from fuel burning in a reconstructed building at \xc7atalh\xf6y\xfck World Heritage Site, Turkey: assessing air pollution in prehistoric settled communities

The use of wood, dung and other biomass fuels can be traced back to early prehistory. While the study of prehistoric fuel use and its environmental impacts is well established, there has been little investigation of the health impacts this would have had, particularly in the Neolithic period, when people went from living in relatively small groups, to living in dense settlements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, is one of the earliest large ‘pre-urban’ settlements in the world. In 2017, a series of experiments were conducted to measure fine particulate (PM2.5) concentrations during typical fuel burning activities, using wood and dung fuel. The results indicate that emissions from both fuels surpassed the WHO and EU standard limits for indoor air quality, with dung fuel being the highest contributor for PM2.5 pollution inside the house, producing maximum values > 150,000 µg m−3. Maximum levels from wood burning were 36,000 µg m−3. Average values over a 2–3 h period were 13–60,000 µg m−3 for dung and 10–45,000 µg m−3 for wood. The structure of the house, lack of ventilation and design of the oven and hearth influenced the air quality inside the house. These observations have implications for understanding the relationship between health and the built environment in the past.

Health Implications of Air Quality Index of Fine and Coarse Particulates During Outdoor Combustion of Biomass in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Rural dwellers in the Niger Delta commonly use biomass for cooking and other activities. This study investigated the air quality index of fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter 10 (PM10) and its health implications during outdoor combustion of fuelwood in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. A mini-volume air sampler (model: AEROCET 531) was used to measure PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particulate (TSP) in the study area. A bimonthly triplicate sampling was carried out at 3 distances in 4 different states spanning one Calendar year. The results showed that PM2.5, PM10, and TSP ranged from 19.85 – 27.95µg/m3, 55.66 – 80.59µg/m3, and 74.29 – 140.44µg/m3, respectively. There was statistical variation across the different months, locations and distances, and their interactions. The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 occasionally exceeds the World Health Organization limits of 25µg/m3 and 50µg/m3 for 24-hourly average, respectively. The air quality index showed no contamination to slight contamination in both seasons. The air quality index indicates that the air is slightly contaminated at the emission source which decreased as distance away increased. Therefore, there is a need for the regulatory agencies to consider PM2.5 and PM10 in the monitoring of ambient air quality to forestall potential hazards associated with human exposure.

A New Method of Removing Fine Particulates Using an Electrostatic Force.

Many studies have found that the concentration of fine particulates in the atmosphere has increased. In particular, when using the bus, the situation in which people are exposed to relatively high concentrations of fine particulates is increasing. The purpose of this study is to reduce exposure to these potentially harmful particulates by introducing open shelters at outdoor bus stops. In order to use it as an outdoor fine particulates reduction device, a brush filter using electrostatic force (EF) was used on an experimental scale and the generation of electrostatic force, according to the material, was examined. As electrostatic force was generated, the fine particulates collection performance was about 90% efficiency. In addition, it was confirmed that the efficiency of each particle size was improved by 57% through structural improvement. Finally, through experimentation, it was confirmed that the brush module can be used for about 70 days.

Air pollution impacts of COVID-19-related containment measures.

Responses to the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in one of the largest short-term decreases in anthropogenic emissions in modern history. To date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the impact of lockdowns on air quality and human health. Using global satellite observations and ground measurements from 36 countries in Europe, North America, and East Asia, we find that lockdowns led to reductions in NO2 concentrations globally, resulting in ~32,000 avoided premature mortalities, including ~21,000 in China. However, we do not find corresponding reductions in PM2.5 and ozone globally. Using satellite measurements, we show that the disconnect between NO2 and ozone changes stems from local chemical regimes. The COVID-related lockdowns demonstrate the need for targeted air quality policies to reduce the global burden of air pollution, especially related to secondary pollutants.

Dramatic catalytic activation of kinetically inert disilane hydrolysis in metallic iron particulate via barrierless chemical dissociation: First-principles study

Disilane (Si2H6) is a key substance for chemical industries designing semiconductors and graphene materials. Its reaction mechanism is, however, still elusive, as evident from serious chemical accidents when exposed to open air. Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we investigate the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of Si2H6 hydrolysis, with and without oxidative conditions of adjacent water, oxygen gas and metallic Fe particulates. Despite the remarkable thermodynamic spontaneity, direct hydrolysis is kinetically sluggish due to the high energy barrier. Hydrolysis initiated by O2 is identified with a multi-step radical mechanism, which is kinetically more favored than the direct hydrolysis. The energy barrier of rate-determining step is, however, still too high for Si2H6 to react in a humid and oxidative environment. Surprisingly, we report that metallic iron serves as an of interest heterogeneous catalyst for the Si2H6 hydrolysis dramatically lowing the activation energy barrier for the dissociation. Our results propose that fine air particulates including Fe can play a key role in facilitating the explosive reaction of Si2H6 potentially leading to severe chemical accidents, otherwise very inert.

Mask on Beauty: Mask, Respirator, and Cloth Face Covering Wearers at Risks of Inhaling Abundant Respirable Hazards From Leave-On Facial Cosmetics

With mounting scientific evidence, wearing masks, respirators, or cloth face coverings has proved to be an effective means of infection prevention and control of respiratory pathogens, which has become a universal requirement in public settings in the current pandemic. Yet, many people continue to wear beauty products, including leave-on cosmetics, in their daily activities for aesthetic purposes or workplace requirements. A widely overlooked risk, however, is that wearing masks or other face coverings upon beauty products may expose users to abundant respirable hazards in their confined breathing zone. Fine particulates of both mineral and plastic origins, with sizes between one hundred nanometers to several microns, constitute the main ingredients of cosmetic powders, which fall into the category of respirable hazards if excessively inhaled by human. There are major knowledge gaps on the hazard exposure to leave-on beauty products while wearing masks or face coverings for prolonged periods of time and on a regular basis. In this discussion, we demonstrate that, for sedentary individuals with a normal breathing pattern and no intentional touch or facial muscle movement, wearing a mask dramatically increases the quantities of fine particulates inhaled from leave-on cosmetic powders by humans in real office environments. Most of those particulates were in the sub-micron range, with some as loose aggregates of small particles in the order of 100 nm. Moreover, the confined microenvironment created by the mask and sorption of substances on particulates may also result in the inhalation of a plethora of cosmetic ingredients, such as volatile substances, dye pigments, and preservatives. As wearing masks and face coverings becomes a standard practice in public spaces, during the current pandemic and possibly extended to the post-pandemic era, the aggravated risk of inhaling respirable hazards from leave-on facial beauty products warrants further studies and safety assessments for vulnerable population groups.

Effect of ambient fine particulates (PM2.5) on hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Wuhan, China

BackgroundPositive associations between ambient PM2.5 and cardiorespiratory disease have been well demonstrated during the past decade. However, few studies have examined the adverse effects of PM2.5 based on an entire population of a megalopolis. In addition, most studies in China have used averaged data, which results in variations between monitoring and personal exposure values, creating an inherent and unavoidable type of measurement error.MethodsThis study was conducted in Wuhan, a megacity in central China with about 10.9 million people. Daily hospital admission records, from October 2016 to December 2018, were obtained from the Wuhan Information center of Health and Family Planning, which administrates all hospitals in Wuhan. Daily air pollution concentrations and weather variables in Wuhan during the study period were collected. We developed a land use regression model (LUR) to assess individual PM2.5 exposure. Time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression models were adopted to estimate cardiorespiratory hospitalization risks associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5. We also conducted stratification analyses by age, sex, and season.ResultsA total of 2,806,115 hospital admissions records were collected during the study period, from which we identified 332,090 cardiovascular disease admissions and 159,365 respiratory disease admissions. Short-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of a cardiorespiratory hospital admission. A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 (lag0–2 days) was associated with an increase in hospital admissions of 1.23% (95% CI 1.01–1.45%) and 1.95% (95% CI 1.63–2.27%) for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, respectively. The elderly were at higher PM-induced risk. The associations appeared to be more evident in the cold season than in the warm season.ConclusionsThis study contributes evidence of short-term effects of PM2.5 on cardiorespiratory hospital admissions, which may be helpful for air pollution control and disease prevention in Wuhan.

Environmental and Social Justice on the Border of Five Major U.S. Cities

This study examines environmental and social justice metrics on the city and suburban borders of five major U.S. cities: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York. The author expected a marked increase in measures of social injustice at the border but not for every environmental indicator. Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)s EJSCREEN tool, 18 variables were extracted for 276 circular zones with a 1-mile radius (3.14 square miles) on both sides of the city–suburb border. The analysis found expected major differences at the border in low income, formal educational achievement, and minority populations, especially in Detroit and Philadelphia. Environmental indicators were much less clearly demarcated at the borders. Ozone and lead, as expected, did not demonstrate a border effect. Localized particulates, including fine particulates, and toxic air pollutants were disproportionately concentrated on the city side of borders, and higher values moderately correlated with lower income, minority, and linguistically isolated populations. Environmental exposure at the border is lower than that at clustered concentrations around ports, industrial centers, and other densely developed locations. However, it clearly exists and needs to be included in multipronged efforts to reduce environmental injustice.

An investigation for airflow and deposition of PM2.5 contaminated with SAR-CoV-2 virus in healthy and diseased human airway

This study is motivated by the amplified transmission rates of the SAR-CoV-2 virus in areas with high concentrations of fine particulates (PM2.5) as reported in northern Italy and Mexico. To develop a deeper understanding of the contribution of PM2.5 in the propagation of the SAR-CoV-2 virus in the population, the deposition patterns and efficiencies (DEs) of PM2.5 laced with the virus in healthy and asthmatic airways are studied. Physiologically correct 3-D models for generations 10–12 of the human airways are applied to carry out a numerical analysis of two-phase flow for full breathing cycles. Two concentrations of PM2.5 are applied for the simulation, i.e., 30 μg⋅m−3 and 80 μg⋅m−3 for three breathing statuses, i.e., rest, light exercise, and moderate activity. All the PM2.5 injected into the control volume is assumed to be 100% contaminated with the SAR-CoV-2 virus. Skewed air-flow phenomena at the bifurcations are proportional to the Reynolds number at the inlet, and their intensity in the asthmatic airway exceeded that of the healthy one. Upon exhalation, two peak air-flow vectors from daughter branches combine to form one big vector in the parent generation. Asthmatic airway models has higher deposition efficiencies (DEs) for contaminated PM2.5 as compared to the healthy one. Higher DEs arise in the asthmatic airway model due to complex secondary flows which increase the impaction of contaminated PM2.5 on airways’ walls.

Sources and characteristics of light-absorbing fine particulates over Delhi through the synergy of real-time optical and chemical measurements

This study examines the light absorption characteristics of fine atmospheric particulates using the co-located real-time measurements of chemical and optical aerosol characteristics at a site located in Delhi during winter. The contribution of absorption by black carbon and brown carbon (BC and BrC) to the total absorption (babs) is computed using the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) method. The period average contribution of BrC absorption (babs_BrC) to babs is found to be highest at 370 nm (23%) that decreased exponentially with increasing wavelengths, i.e.,18, 12, 10, and 4% at 470, 520, 590, and 660 nm, respectively. The absorption spectrum of BrC is used to study the bulk composition of BrC, which indicates that primary BrC was dominant during morning and night time, whereas secondary BrC was significant during the rest of the time. Further, organic aerosols (OA) were divided into different factors using positive-matrix factorization (PMF) analysis, and the mass absorption efficiency (Eabs) of each factor was assessed through multivariate linear regression of babs_BrC with OA factors. The biomass burning OA (BBOA) exhibited the highest Eabs at 370 nm (0.86 m2 g−1), followed by semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SVOOA; 0.67 m2 g−1) and hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA; 0.42 m2 g−1). Further, although the composition of OA was dominated by LVOOA (32%) and BBOA (32%), followed by SVOOA (22%), and HOA (14%), their contribution to bBrC followed different order due to differences in their mass absorption efficiencies. The BBOA contributed almost half (48%) of babs_BrC followed by SVOOA (26%), and HOA (10%). This study provides quantitative information on the sources of BrC and their relative contribution to BrC absorption over a heavily polluted region, which is still lacking in the literature. These results have implications in understanding the source-specific BrC absorption.

Comparison of attenuation coefficient at different lasers 632, 785nm, 1310nm and 1550nm in Dust for optical wireless

FSO is the main communication in the world. The air is composed of dust, sand, elemental loading and mineral particulates. The minerals particulates the particulates are majorly of two categories: A. Coarse Particulates (2.5-10 micrometer)B. Fine Particulates (less than 2.5 micrometer) coarse aerosol particulate is determined by crustal sources like dust.Methodology used FSO include a laser represent of transmitter through atmosphere to spectrum analyzer (receiver). Transmitter uses many laser sources (632.8, 780, 1310, 1550 nm). Results as shown the transmittance at different lasers and calculated the visibility caused by decreases of total attenuation coefficient with increasing to the light beam propagation. In this paper the visibility measurements for using different laser according laser transmissometer at short distance in the light and heavy dust around this distance between transmitter and receiver, indicate that results are appropriate when choosing a laser window of 632.8 and 1550 nm.

Population Response to Air Pollution and the Risk of Coronavirus Disease in Chinese Cities during the Early Pandemic Period.

Health behavior is a critical measure in controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We estimated the effect of health behaviors against air pollution on reducing the risk of COVID-19 during the initial phase of the pandemic. The attack rates of COVID-19 in 159 mainland Chinese cities during the first 2 weeks after the closure of major cities was estimated; air pollution level as a surrogate indicator of the mask-wearing rate. Data on air pollution levels and meteorologic factors 2 weeks prior to the closure were obtained. The attack rate was compared with the level of air pollution using a generalized linear model after adjusting for confounders. When fine particulates (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels increased by one unit of air quality index (AQI), the infection risk decreased by 0.7% and 3.4%, respectively. When PM2.5 levels exceeded 150 (level 4), the infection risk decreased (relative risk, RR = 0.635, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.442 to 0.912 for level 4; RR = 0.529, 95% CI: 0.337 to 0.830 for level 5; respectively). After controlling for the number of high-speed railway routes, when PM2.5 and NO2 levels increased by one AQI, relative risk for PM2.5 and NO2 was 0.990 (95% CI, 0.984 to 0.997) and 0.946 (95% CI, 0.911 to 0.982), respectively, demonstrating a consistently negative association. It is postulated that, during the early phase of the pandemic, the cities with higher air pollution levels may represent the higher practice of mask-wearing to protect from air pollution, which could have acted as a barrier to the transmission of the virus. This study highlights the importance of health behaviors, including mask-wearing for preventing infections.

Understanding the link between exposure to fine particulate matter and internalizing problem behaviors among children in South Korea: Indirect effects through maternal depression and child abuse.

Exposure to air pollution is known to have detrimental effects on health. Previous studies have also found that exposure to fine particulate matter can cause adverse mental health outcomes. However, the link between exposure to fine particulate matter and children's mental health outcomes remains largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the effects of exposure to fine particulate matter on children's mental health outcomes, particularly focusing on internalizing problem behaviors. Using fine particulate data from the Ministry of Environment's Air Korea initiative and data from the Panel Study on Korean Children in 2018, this study employed structural equation models to examine the associations between exposure to fine particulate matter, maternal depressive symptoms, child abuse, and children's internalizing problems. Findings suggest that living in neighborhoods with higher exposure to fine particulate matter is positively associated with maternal depressive symptoms, increasing emotional abuse and neglect, which in turn is positively associated with children's internalizing problem behavior. However, physical abuse was not a significant mediator of children's internalizing problem behaviors. It may be necessary for policies that provide interventions for primary caregivers to reduce depression and child abuse to promote mental health outcomes for children, even in the presence of severe fine particulates.

Co-firing raw and torrefied rice husk with a high-Na/Ca/Cl coal: Impacts on fine particulates emission and elemental partitioning

While co-firing Si-rich biomass showed the potential for mitigating ash-related issues in low-rank coal combustion, the underlying mechanisms need further investigation. This work aims to examine the impacts of co-firing rice husk and its torrefied product with a high-Na/Ca/Cl low-rank coal on PM10 (particle size below 10 μm) emission and elemental partitioning. Combustion tests were performed on a drop tube furnace (DTF) at 1300 °C. The bulk ashes and PM10 were collected by fiberglass filters and Dekati low pressure impactor respectively. The ash samples were carefully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It is found that co-firing raw or torrefied rice husk reduces emissions of PM1 (particle size below 1 μm) together with the Na and Cl in it, mainly due to the capture of Na by coarse Si-rich particles from rice husk. The emissions of PM1-10 (particle size between 1 and 10 μm) are elevated after co-firing. This is because the formation of Ca-silicates is facilitated instead of K-silicates, thus weaken the agglomeration between the coarse particulates with melting surface from rice husk. Compared to raw rice husk, its torrefied product leads to a lower reduction ratio regarding PM1 from co-firing. Combined the results in this and previous investigations, for raw/torrefied rice husk and Xinjiang low-rank coals, the PM1 yields from both of the individual fuels and the blends almost linearly correlated with the mole ratio of (Na + K + Cl + 2S)/(Si + Al) in the ash.

Particulate matter (PM2.5) as a potential SARS-CoV-2 carrier

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic had raised questions on the route of transmission of this disease. Initial understanding was that transmission originated from respiratory droplets from an infected host to a susceptible host. However, indirect contact transmission of viable virus by fomites and through aerosols has also been suggested. Herein, we report the involvement of fine indoor air particulates with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) as the virus’s transport agent. PM2.5 was collected over four weeks during 48-h measurement intervals in four separate hospital wards containing different infected clusters in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results indicated the highest SARS-CoV-2 RNA on PM2.5 in the ward with number of occupants. We suggest a link between the virus-laden PM2.5 and the ward’s design. Patients’ symptoms and numbers influence the number of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA with PM2.5 in an enclosed environment.

Size-Segregated Particulate Matter from Gasification of Bulgarian Agro-Forest Biomass Residue

The main purpose of the present work was to evaluate the efficiency of the gasification process of three different types of agro-forest biomass residue (rapeseed, softwood, and sunflower husks) along with the characterization of size-segregated particulates’ emissions. The experiments were carried out in a drop tube furnace (DTF), using two different gasifying agents (O2/N2 and O2/N2/CO2) at atmospheric pressure and a constant temperature of 1000 °C. In focus was the effect of biomass and the gasifying agent on syngas composition (CO, H2, CH4, and CO2), cold gas and carbon conversion efficiency, and on the emissions of by-products, such as particulate matter (PM), known for having negative environmental and health impacts. The collected particulates were characterized by SEM/EDS and XPS analysis. The results reveal that: (i) the introduction of CO2 increased the production of CO and CH4 and syngas’ lower heating value (LHV), thus leading to higher cold gas and carbon conversion efficiency; (ii) CO2 decreased the production of H2, leading to lower H2/CO ratio (between 0.25 and 0.9). Therefore, the generated syngas is suitable for the synthesis of higher hydrocarbons, (iii) CO2 lowered the emissions of char (cyclone) particles but increased the overall PM10–0.3. Submicron size PM was the dominant fraction (PM1–0.3) in O2/N2 and (PM1.6–0.3) in O2/N2/CO2. Unimodal PM size distribution was observed, except for sunflower husks gasification in O2/N2/CO2; (iv) the SEM/EDS and XPS analysis confirmed that submicron-sized PM1–0.3 contain above 80% of carbon associated to soot, due to incomplete oxidation, whereas in cyclone (char) particles, carbon decreased to about 50%. The SEM/EDS results showed that K and Cl are typical constituents of the submicron size PM, whereas the alkaline earth metals were detected mainly in fine and coarse particulates. Detailed analysis of the XPS (C1s) spectra showed that the most common oxygen-containing groups on the PM1 surface were carbonyl and carboxyl.

Study on the influence of T4 and T6 heat treatment on the wear behavior of coarse and fine WC particulate reinforced LM28 Aluminium cast composites

This work presents the Influence of T4 and T6 heat treatment on the wear behavior of coarse and fine WC reinforced LM28 cast Composites. Production of the composites was achieved by stir casting method in the presence of inert gas. Fine (0.1–20 µm) and coarse (60–80 µm) particulates of WC were used from 0 to 12 wt.% in a step of 3%. Composites were given T4 and T6 heat treatment in the conventional manner. For T4 heat treatment, composites were heat treated at 450 °C for 2–3 h followed by quenching in oil and then naturally aged for 6–40 days at normal room temperature whereas for T6 heat treatment, similar cycle was employed with the addition of artificial aging at 180–220 °C for 3–7 h followed by normal cooling. T6 heat treated composites showed optimum hardness in comparison to T4 heat treated and non-heat treated composites. Pin on disk tests revealed the optimal wear resistance and coefficient of friction in T6 heat treated composites at varying sliding distance and load. Scanning-electron microscopy examination showed that the surface damage under the influence of load and sliding distance was higher in T4 heat treated and non-heat treated composites as compared to T6 heat treated composites. Abrasive wear mechanism was observed in the initial phase of material removal but gradually as the sliding distance increases, the wear mechanism transformed into adhesive. T6 composites showed superior wear resistance and hardness and therefore can ideally be employed in applications where high resistance to wear is critical.

Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near edge structure of low concentration arsenic in ambient air particulates

Utilizing the tunability of the synchrotron radiation, the occurrence of arsenic in coarse and fine particulates was investigated. Arsenic is mainly released from industrial sources and tends to settle at its source of provenance.

Transport and Deposition of Fine Particulates in Turbulence: Numerical Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification

Transport and Deposition of Fine Particulates in Turbulence: Numerical Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification