Total Mass Concentration Research Articles

Cardiac alterations with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction association with hepatic steatosis in female prediabetic rats submitted to high-fat-high-sucrose diet

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is known to be linked with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes, but few studies are interested in this relationship in prediabetes. This association needs to be explored especially among prediabetic women, who are at greater risk of CVD than men. We aimed to evaluate cardiac alterations and their association with hepatic inflammation and lipid metabolism in prediabetic female rats submitted to 5 months of high-fat-high-sucrose diet (HFS). Wistar female rats were divided in 2 groups fed for 5 months with standard or HFS diet (CTRL/HFS). We analyzed cardiac function, morphology, perfusion and fibrosis by magnetic resonance imaging, then rats underwent an IPGTT. The expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation was afterwards studied in liver samples, as well as total lipid mass and triglyceride (TG) contents. Five months of HFS diet induced glucose intolerance ( P < 0.05), and cardiac alterations with increased heart perfusion ( P < 0.01), diastolic and systolic myocardial wall thickness ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) but also increased diastolic left ventricular mass ( P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac fibrosis, cardiac output and index between groups. HFS diet induced hepatic lipid accumulation with increased total lipid mass ( P < 0.001) and TG contents, but also lipid metabolism adaptations with increased acyl CoA oxidase ( P < 0.0001), CPT1a ( P < 0.0001) and LCAD ( P < 0.0001) expressions. No significant differences were found for FAS, MCAD and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and MCP1) expressions. HFS diet in female rats induced cardiac alterations associated with hepatic lipid metabolism adaptations characterized by increased lipid peroxidation and β oxidation. Further analyses must be performed to study the relation between cardiac and hepatic alterations observed in female prediabetic rats.

Yam tubers yield and quality subjected to nitrogen doses and staking methods

ABSTRACT Adequate mineral fertilization and staking are necessary to obtain good productivity in yam cultivation. The objective of this study was to determine the increase in yield and quality of yams subjected to nitrogen doses and staking methods. This study was carried out under field conditions using a randomized block design in a 5 × 3 factorial scheme, with five nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) and three staking methods (wire trellises, single staking, and without staking) with four replicates. Nitrogen doses were applied in topdressing, and split into equal parts at 60 and 90 days after seed tuber planting. Tuber length and weight, starch and leaf nitrogen concentrations, and total and marketable yields were determined. Staking promoted higher total yield, mass, length, and leaf nitrogen concentration, but no changes were observed in starch concentration among the staking methods. Commercial productivity was higher with single staking. Planting yam with staking and a nitrogen dose of 120.70 kg ha-1 is recommended to promote maximum productivity.

Seasonal Distribution of Atmospheric Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter in a Medium-Sized City of Northern China.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) was measured continuously at an urban site in Baoji city in northern China in 2018 to investigate the seasonal distribution characteristics. Coarse PM (PM2.5–10) was more prevalent in spring, substantially due to the regional transport of dust. High loadings of coarse PM were found at night compared to daytime, which could result from high production and unfavorable dispersion conditions. Fine PM (PM2.5) constituted, on average, 54% of the total PM mass concentration, whereas it contributed more than 97% of the total PM number concentration. The number and mass concentrations of fine PM increased substantially in the winter, which was possibly due to the enhanced production of atmospheric secondary processes and coal combustion. Precursor gaseous pollutants and meteorology greatly influenced the PM distributions. Fine PM was associated more strongly with gas pollutants than coarse PM, which suggested that it largely originated from secondary production and combustion sources. High relative humidity appeared to promote the production of fine PM, whereas it facilitated the removal of coarse PM. This study highlights that different air-pollution control strategies should be used for coarse and fine PM according to the distribution characteristics and influencing factors in similar medium-sized urban areas.

Identification and Quantification of Nanoplastics in Surface Water and Groundwater by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are currently considered an environmental pollutant of concern, but the actual extent of NP pollution in environmental water bodies remains unclear and there is not enough quantitative data to conduct proper risk assessments. In this study, a pretreatment method combining ultrafiltration (UF, 100 kDa) with hydrogen peroxide digestion and subsequent detection with pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was developed and used to identify and quantify six selected NPs in surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW), including poly(vinylchloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The results show that the proposed method could detect NPs in environmental water samples. Nearly all selected NPs could be detected in the surface water at all locations, while PVC, PMMA, PS, and PET NPs were frequently below the detection limit in the groundwater. PP (32.9-69.9%) and PE (21.3-44.3%) NPs were the dominant components in both surface water and groundwater, although there were significant differences in the pollution levels attributed to the filtration efficiency of riverbank, with total mass concentrations of 0.283-0.793 μg/L (SW) and 0.021-0.203 μg/L (GW). Overall, this study quantified the NPs in complex aquatic environments for the first time, filling in gaps in our knowledge about NP pollution levels and providing a useful methodology and important reference data for future research.

Evaluating the inhalation bioaccessibility of traffic-impacted particulate matter-bound PAHs in a road tunnel by simulated lung fluids

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most highly concerned pollutants bound on traffic-impacted particulate matter (TIPM). The inhaled TIPM-bound PAHs risk has attracted much attention, whereas the inhalation bioaccessibility, a method to refine the exposure risk assessment, has not yet been extensively introduced in the exposure risk assessment. Thus, in vitro assays using artificial lung fluids including artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF), Gamble's solution (GS), and modified GS (MGS) were conducted to assess the inhalation bioaccessibility of USEPA 16 PAHs in TIPM collected from an expressway tunnel, the influence factors of PAHs' inhalation bioaccessibility were explored, and the exposure risk of TIPM-bound PAHs was estimated based on inhalation bioaccessibility. Results showed that the average PAHs concentrations were 30.5 ± 12.9 ng/m3, 36.2 ± 5.19 ng/m3, and 39.9 ± 4.31 ng/m3 in the tunnel inlet PM2.5, TSP, and tunnel center PM2.5, respectively. Phe, Flt, Pyr, Nap, Chr, BbF, and BkF were found as the dominant species in TSP and PM2.5, indicating a dominant contribution of PAHs from diesel-fueled vehicular emissions. The bioaccessible fractions measured for different PAH species in tunnel PM2.5 and TSP were highly variable, which can be attributed to PAHs' physicochemical properties, size, and carbonaceous materials of TIPM. The addition of Tenax into SLF as an “adsorption sink” can greatly increase PAHs' inhalation bioaccessibility, but DPPC has a limited effect on tunnel PM-bound PAHs' bioaccessibility. The incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) of tunnel inlet PM2.5-bound PAHs evaluated according to their total mass concentration exceeded the threshold (1.0 × 10−6) set by the USEPA, whereas the ILCRs estimated based on the inhalation bioaccessibility were far below the threshold. Hence, it is vitally important to take into consideration of pollutant's bioaccessibility to refine health risk assessment.

PM2.5 composition and disease aggravation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: An analysis of long-term exposure to components of fine particulate matter in New York State.

Background:Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with disease aggravation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this study, we characterized long-term exposure to six major PM2.5 components and their individual association with disease aggravation in ALS.Methods:We leveraged 15 years of data from the New York Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (2000–2014) to calculate annual ALS first hospitalizations in New York State. We used the first hospital admission as a surrogate of disease aggravation and a prediction model to estimate population-weighted annual black carbon, organic matter (OM), nitrate, sulfate, sea salt, and soil concentrations at the county level. We used a multi-pollutant mixed quasi-Poisson model with county-specific random intercepts to estimate rate ratios (RR) of 1-year exposure to each PM2.5 component and disease aggravation in ALS, adjusting for potential confounders.Results:We observed 5,655 first ALS-related hospitalizations. The annual average hospitalization count per county was 6.08 and the average PM2.5 total mass concentration per county was 8.1 μg/m3—below the United States’ National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 12 μg/m3. We found a consistent positive association between ALS aggravation and OM (1.17, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.11, 1.24 per standard deviation [SD] increase) and a negative association with soil (RR = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.86, 0.97).Conclusion:Our findings suggest that PM2.5 composition may influence its effect on ALS. We found that annual increases in county-level particulate OM may be associated with disease aggravation in ALS, even at PM2.5 levels below current standards.

Organic aerosol source apportionment by using rolling positive matrix factorization: Application to a Mediterranean coastal city

We investigated the contributions and the evolution of organic aerosol (OA) sources at the Marseille-Longchamp supersite (MRS-LCP, France) based on Time-of-flight Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ToF-ACSM) measurements of non-refractory PM 1 over a fourteen-month period (1 February – 3 April 2018). The OA source apportionment was performed by positive matrix factorization (PMF) using the novel “rolling window” approach implemented in the Source Finder Professional (SoFi Pro). Here, PMF is performed over a 14-days window moving over the entire OA dataset, in order to account for the temporal variability of the source profiles. Six factors were resolved, including hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) which is related to traffic exhausts, cooking-like organic aerosol (COA), biomass burning aerosol (BBOA), less oxidized organic aerosol (LOOA), more oxidized organic aerosol (MOOA) and a new defined source related to the mix between shipping and industrial plumes (Sh-IndOA). While HOA and COA consistently contribute to the total OA with on average 11.2% (ranging between 9.2 and 12.1% over the seasons) and 11.5% (11–12.1%), respectively, BBOA (11.7% on average) shows a larger seasonal variability with 18% in winter and no contribution in summer. BBOA profiles during winter were attributed to fresh biomass burning emissions from domestic heating, and more oxygenated profiles were assigned to regional land and agricultural waste burning for spring and early autumn. Sh-IndOA fraction is estimated to 4.5% (3.7–6.1%) and contributes to the total OA mass concentrations to a minor extent. The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) fraction includes both LOOA with 21.5% (18.8–27.2%) and MOOA with 39.6% (36.8–42.6%). Based on the f44/f43 analysis these sources appeared to be more linked to biogenic influences in summer, whereas the concentrations were associated with oxidized anthropogenic sources (biomass burning and road traffic) for the rest of the year. The investigation of MOOA geographical origins suggests some influence of air masses transported from the Rhône Valley and the west basin of the Mediterranean Sea. • OA source apportionment over 14 months at an urban background site. • Positive matrix factorization using the novel rolling window approach. • A new defined source of OA related to shipping and industrial plumes. • Highest contribution of SOA during every season.

Investigating ambient air quality of a shooting range during official national competitions

Shooting is among nine sports branches that formed the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. A professional shooting athlete shoots millions of bullets throughout their sports life to commune with their gun dedicatedly. The number of simultaneous shots per unit time depends on the capacity of the range. It can enormously increase when a national match is a case. Shooting can cause gunshot residue exposure, including lead, other elements, and their by-products accumulate in ambient air and reveal significant health risks. This study aims to find the levels of PM10 and its chemical composition during official three-day 50 m 22-cal competitions in May 2016, Mersin, Turkey. To this end, PM10 samples were collected on quartz-fiber filters and analyzed for elements by ICP-MS and carbonaceous material by Thermal-Optical EC/OC analyzer. The total PM10 mass concentration average is 28.7±7.3 µg/m3 within the indoor threshold values of different countries. The ambient mass concentrations of PM10, OC, EC, TC, Cd, and Pb were higher during once pistol matches instead of rifle matches. Although Pb values did not exceed the indoor limits for shooting ranges, it has the highest concentration among the analyzed elements. Additionally, Cr poses cancer risk potential. Except for Zn, Sr, and Cu, all the measured parameters have higher calculated emission factor (EF) values during pistol shots. To our best knowledge, this study reports the airborne mass concentrations of EC, OC, and TC from indoor shooting ranges and investigates indoor air quality for shooting sport for the first time.

Reducing the particles generated by flushing institutional toilets

Airborne particles play a significant role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A previous study reported that institutional flush-O-meter (FOM) toilets can generate 3–12 times as many droplets as other toilets by splashing (large droplets) and bubble bursting (fine droplets). In this study, an aerosol suppression lid was evaluated to measure the reduction of particles by size using three metrics; number, surface area, and mass concentrations. To quantify toilet flush aerosol over time, detailed particle size distributions (from 0.016–19.81 µm across 152 size bins) were measured from a FOM toilet in a controlled-environment test chamber, without ventilation, with and without use of the suppression lid. Prior to each flushing trial, the toilet bowl water was seeded with 480 mL fluorescein at 10 mg/mL. A high-speed camera was used to record the large droplet movements after flushing. An ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer was used to analyze the wipe samples to evaluate the contamination on the lid. The particle number, surface area, and mass concentrations without a lid were elevated compared to a lid in the first 90 sec. Overall, the lid reduced 48% of total number concentration, 76% of total surface area concentration, and 66% of total mass concentration, respectively. Depending on the particle size, the number concentration reduction percentage ranged from 48–100% for particles larger than 0.1 µm. Large droplets created by splashing were captured by the high-speed camera. Similar studies can be used for future particle aerodynamic studies. The fluorescein droplets deposited on the lid back sections, which were closer to the FOM accounted for 82% of the total fluorescein. Based on two-way ANOVA analysis, there were significant differences among both the experimental flushes (p = 0.0185) and the sections on the lid (p = 0.0146). Future work should explore the aerosolization produced by flushing and the performance of the lid in real restroom environments, where feces and urine exist in the bowl water and the indoor ventilation system is in operation.

Large contribution of non-priority PAHs in atmospheric fine particles: Insights from time-resolved measurement and nontarget analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), detrimental to human health, are key components contributing to the carcinogenicity of fine particles. The 16 priority PAHs listed by the United States Environment Protection Agency have been studied extensively. However, other than them, there is a large diversity of PAH species, whose atmospheric concentrations, risks, and variations remain elusive. Here, we carried out a time-resolved nontarget measurement in atmospheric PM2.5 using an improved comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The measurement conducted during a 5-day pollution episode at an urban site of Beijing with a time resolution of 2 h. The nontarget analysis of time-resolved chromatographic data was performed for screening PAHs. A total number of 85 PAHs were identified and quantified. We found that other than 16 EPA PAHs, other screened PAHs contributed 43.3% of the total PAH mass concentration and 40.8% poential health risks. Dynamic variations of mass concentrations and their potential health risks of the screened PAHs were captured during a short-term heavy pollution episode, during which the instantaneous PAHs concentrations were much higher than their average concentrations. This study shows the potential for application of nontarget analysis for online comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry and highlights the importance of time-resolved measurement of PAHs in PM2.5 and attention on extended PAHs species other than 16 EPA PAHs.

Assessing Impacts of Additives on Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds Produced from the Grilling of Meat

Cooking fumes are an important source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and carbonyl compounds. The additive is wildly applied in grilling meat for flavor improvement. However, the effects of additives on cooking fumes emissions, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and carbonyl compounds, in meat grilling have not been studied. The impact of four additives, including white pepper, salt, garlic powder, and compound marinade, on the emission characteristics of cooking fumes from the grilling meat was investigated. The concentrations of VOCs and carbonyl compounds in the cooking fumes were analyzed by TD-GC/MS and HPLC, respectively. The PM emission characteristics (mass concentration and size distribution) were measured by DustTrak DRX aerosol monitor in real-time. Results showed that the application of white pepper, salt, garlic powder, and mixed spices could significantly reduce the total particles mass concentration (TPM) emissions during meat-grilling by 65.07%, 47.86%, 32.87%, and 56.01%, respectively. The mass concentration of PM during meat-grilling reached maximum values ranging from 350 to 390 s and gradually fell at the final stages of grilling. The total concentration of 22 representative VOCs emitted from the grilling was significantly increased in grilling meat marinated with compound additives. Aromatic hydrocarbons were the predominant VOCs species, followed by ketone compounds. During the grilling process, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and acetone were major carbonyl compounds. The low molecular weight carbonyl compounds (C1–C3) in cooking fumes were dominant carbonyl compounds.

Impact of engine oil volatility and viscosity on blow-by aerosol formation

AbstractParticulate emissions from diesel engines are a matter of public concern and continued industrial development. For an internal combustion engine, particles may originate either from the after treatment box or from the crankcase ventilation system. This paper quantifies and discusses particle sources within the crankcase ventilation system of a medium-duty 4-cylinder and a heavy-duty 6-cylinder engine and their dependence on the engine oil parameters viscosity (expressed as Noack number) and HTHS volatility. Crankcase aerosol spectra were measured by an optical particle counter in the size range of 0.3–5 µm. For a few cases data of filter samples downstream the separator unit are discussed for the total blow-by aerosol. Engines were found to behave very similarly with regard to changes in either oil parameter, with volatility generally being the far stronger factor of influence. Total particle mass concentration increased by a factor of up to 5 for a rise in Noack volatility of about 13–25%. The mass concentration downstream of the separator also increases with oil volatility. A variation of HTHS viscosity from 3.5 to 2.6 mPas generated a marginal change in aerosol output by a factor of about 1.2. However, and unexpectedly, the most viscose oil generated the relatively highest particle mass concentrations for both engines.

Occurrence of tire and road wear particles in urban and peri-urban snowbanks, and their potential environmental implications

According to estimates put forward in multiple studies, tire and road wear particles are one of the largest sources to microplastic contamination in the environment. There are large uncertainties associated with local emissions and transport of tire and road wear particles into environmental compartments, highlighting an urgent need to provide more data on inventories and fluxes of these particles. To our knowledge, the present paper is the first published data on mass concentrations and snow mass load of tire and polymer-modified road wear particles in snow. Roadside snow and meltwater from three different types of roads (peri-urban, urban highway and urban) were analysed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Tire particle mass concentrations in snow (76.0–14,500 mg/L meltwater), and snow mass loads (222–109,000 mg/m2) varied widely. The concentration ranges of polymer-modified particles were 14.8–9550 mg/L and 50.0–28,800 mg/m2 in snow and meltwater, respectively. Comparing the levels of tire and PMB particles to the total mass of particles, showed that tire and PMB-particles combined only contribute to 5.7% (meltwater) and 5.2% (mass load) of the total mass concentration of particles. The large variation between sites in the study was investigated using redundancy analysis of the possible explanatory variables. Contradictory to previous road studies, speed limit was found to be one of the most important variables explaining the variation in mass concentrations, and not Annual Average Daily Traffic. All identified variables explained 69% and 66%, for meltwater and mass load concentrations, respectively. The results show that roadside snow contain total suspended solids in concentrations far exceeding release limits of tunnel and road runoff, as well as tire particles in concentrations comparable to levels previously reported to cause toxicity effects in organisms. These findings strongly indicate that roadside snow should be treated before release into the environment.

The number fraction of iron-containing particles affects OH, HO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; and H&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;O&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; budgets in the atmospheric aqueous phase

Abstract. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as OH, HO2 and H2O2, affect the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and cause adverse health effects of particulate matter. The role of transition metal ions (TMIs) in impacting the ROS concentrations and conversions in the atmospheric aqueous phase has been recognized for a long time. Model studies usually assume that the total TMI mass as measured in bulk aerosol or cloud water samples is distributed equally across all particles or droplets. This assumption is contrary to single-particle measurements that have shown that only a small number fraction of particles contain iron and other TMIs (FN,Fe&lt;100 %), which implies that also not all cloud droplets contain TMIs. In the current study, we apply a box model with an explicit multiphase chemical mechanism to simulate ROS formation and cycling in aqueous aerosol particles and cloud droplets. Model simulations are performed for the range of 1 % ≤ FN,Fe ≤ 100 % for constant pH values of 3, 4.5 and 6 and constant total iron mass concentration (10 or 50 ng per cubic meter of air). Model results are compared for two sets of simulations with FN,Fe&lt;100 % (FeN&lt;100) and 100 % (FeBulk). We find the largest differences between model results in OH and HO2 / O2- concentrations at pH = 6. Under these conditions, HO2 is subsaturated in the aqueous phase because of its high effective Henry's law constant and the fast chemical loss reactions of the O2- radical anion. As the main reduction process of Fe(III) is its reaction with HO2 / O2-, we show that the HO2 subsaturation leads to Fe(II) / Fe(total) ratios for FN,Fe&lt;100 % that are lower by a factor of ≤ 2 as compared to bulk model approaches. This trend is largely independent of the total iron concentration, as both chemical source and sink rates of HO2 / O2- scale with the iron concentration. We compare model-derived reactive uptake parameters γOH and γHO2 for the full range of FN,Fe. While γOH is not affected by the iron distribution, the calculated γHO2 values range from 0.0004 to 0.03 for FN,Fe = 1 % and 100 %, respectively. Implications of these findings are discussed for the application of lab-derived γHO2 in models to present reactive HO2 uptake on aerosols. We conclude that the iron distribution (FN,Fe) should be taken into account to estimate the ROS concentrations and oxidation potential of particulate matter that might be overestimated by bulk sampling and model approaches. Our study suggests that the number concentration of iron-containing particles FN,Fe may be more important than the total iron mass concentration in determining ROS budgets and uptake rates in cloud and aerosol water.

Cosmicflows-4: the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation providing ∼10 000 distances

ABSTRACT The interstellar gas in spiral galaxies can constitute a significant fraction of the baryon mass and it has been demonstrated that the sum of stellar and gas components correlates well with the kinematic signature of the total mass content, the widths of H i line profiles. The correlation of baryonic mass with H i linewidths is used here to obtain distances for 9984 galaxies extending to ∼0.05c. The sample is H i flux limited and a correction is required to account for an H i selection bias. The absolute scale is established by 64 galaxies with known distances from studies of Cepheid variables and/or the magnitudes of stars at the tip of the red giant branch. The calibration of the baryonic relationship results in a determination of the Hubble constant of H0 = 75.5 ± 2.5 km s−1 Mpc−1. The error estimate is statistical. This material will be combined with contributions from other methodologies in a subsequent paper where systematic uncertainties will be investigated.

Emission levels and phase distributions of PCDD/Fs in a full-scale municipal solid waste incinerator: The impact of wet scrubber system

The emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerations will pose serious risk to ecological environment and human health. To further understand the memory effect of wet scrubber system (WSS) on PCDD/Fs emission and phase distribution characteristics, a field study was conducted in a full-scale (850 t d−1) MSW incinerator where a WSS was newly adopted. The four exhaust flue gas samples and the two scrubbing solution samples inside WSS were separately collected for PCDD/Fs analyzing. The results indicated that the memory effect of WSS obviously enhanced the I-TEQ concentration of PCDD/Fs from 0.007 to 0.033 ng I-TEQ Nm−3 after flue gas passed through WSS, owing to increasing the total mass concentration of PCDD/Fs and the proportion of low-chlorinated congeners. The gas-phase PCDD/Fs was dominant (62.5%–88.9%) in flue gas, among which the PCDD/Fs enriched in condensed water notably contributed to nonnegligible proportions of 25.0%–67.6%. The adsorption/desorption process of PCDD/Fs was considered as one of the reasonable mechanisms of memory effect, based on the PCDD/Fs phase distribution and the congeners profile inside the WSS. Besides, the I-TEQ concentration of PCDD/Fs determined in scrubbing solution was up to 50.2 pg I-TEQ L−1, which might be a potential source to cause the enhancement of PCDD/Fs emission. This study verified the enhancement impact of WSS on PCDD/Fs emission and inspired the optimal design of WSS, i.e., choosing more suitable filling materials and timely replacing them to reduce the negative impact of memory effect, keeping WSS operated in relatively stable and consistent conditions, and safely disposing the scrubbing solution to mitigate the secondary pollution of PCDD/Fs.

Assessment of gaseous air pollutants motility in Khulna City of Bangladesh using direct sense probes

The atmosphere surrounding Bangladesh is being polluted day by day in short order due to harmful activities strongly related to air pollution. This study was carried out in Khulna City of Bangladesh located in the southern part of the country. Gaseous air pollutants concentrations at specific eight locations were measured and analysed using real-time monitoring equipment. Time series analysis, diurnal and seasonal variations in mass concentration and variation in total mass concentration of SO2, CO, and NOx were analysed. This study reveals the highest average concentrations of SO2, CO, and NOx as 224 μg/m3, 3,104 μg/m3, and 116 μg/m3 consecutively. Significant diurnal and seasonal variation of pollutants can be sanctioned by the adjustable working scenario of concerning locations. Air pollution controlling provisions can be directed considering this baseline study in Bangladesh and other similar Asian countries.

Aerosol Measurements Before and During Combustion of Various Pellets from Spruce Sawdust and Face Masks FFP2

Aerosols in the atmosphere affect our health and quality of life. The most commonly measured property is their mass concentration. In this work was measured the mass concentration of aerosols by optical particle sizer in the range from 0.3 μm to 10 μm. It was realized in the laboratory with an automatic heat source for pellet combustion. Aerosols were firstly measured before the combustion process, then during combustion of three types of samples: pellets from pure sawdust, pellets from 5 % of disintegrated face masks FFP2 blended with spruce sawdust and from10 % of disintegrated face masks FFP2 blended with spruce sawdust. The lowest total mass concentration was measured during the combustion of pellets from pure spruce sawdust. However, results indicate that the combustion process does not have an impact on aerosol mass concentration in the laboratory space for the particle range 0.3-10 μm when an automatic heat source for pellets is used.

Mobile On-Road Measurements of Aerosol Optical Properties during MOABAI Campaign in the North China Plain

We present the mapping at fine spatial scale of aerosol optical properties using a mobile laboratory equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), sun photometer and in situ instruments for performing on-road measurements. The mobile campaign was conducted from 9 May to 19 May 2017 and had the main objective of mapping the distribution of pollutants in the Beijing and North China Plain (NCP) region. The highest AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) at 440 nm of 1.34 and 1.9 were recorded during two heavy pollution episodes on 18 May and 19 May 2017, respectively. The lowest Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) heights (0.5–1.5 km) were recorded during the heavy pollution events, correlating with the highest AOD and southern winds. The transport of desert dust from the Gobi Desert was captured during the mobile measurements, impacting Beijing during 9–13 May 2017. Exploring the NCP outside Beijing provided datasets for regions with scarce ground measurements and allowed the mapping of high aerosol concentrations when passing polluted cities in the NCP (Baoding, Tianjin and Tangshan) and along the Binhai New Area. For the first time, we provide mass concentration profiles from the synergy of LIDAR, sun photometer and in situ measurements. The case study along the Binhai New Area revealed mean extinction coefficients of 0.14 ± 0.10 km−1 at 532 nm and a mass concentration of 80 ± 62 μg/m3 in the PBL (&lt;2 km). The highest extinction (0.56 km−1) and mass concentrations (404 μg/m3) were found in the industrial Binhai New Area. The PM10 and PM2.5 fractions of the total mass concentration profiles were separated using the columnar size distribution, derived from the sun photometer measurements. This study offers unique mobile datasets of the aerosol optical properties in the NCP for future applications, such as satellite validation and air quality studies.

Inoculation of growth-promoting bacteria in the lettuce crop

Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) are an alternative to increase the productivity of several crops, including lettuce. Several reports are found in the literature with the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria in lettuce cultivation, but most seek increments during the production of seedlings. Aiming to provide increments in the cultivation of lettuce in the field and to generate subsidies to technicians and producers, the present work aimed to study the influence of the application of commercial products based on Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis + B. megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescens, on agronomic characteristics and quality of crisp lettuce. The experiment was implemented in two locations, in a randomized block design, in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme, with four replications. The first factor refers to the application of different PGPB: control, without inoculation; inoculations with A. brasilense; B. subtilis + B. megaterium and P. fluorescens. The second factor was composed of three times of application of PGPB, the first being on the day of seedling transplantation (DAT), the second at 15 STR and the third on the day of seedling transplantation + 15 DAT. At 15 DAT, the relative chlorophyll content, plant height, head diameter, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass, root dry mass, total dry mass, root volume were evaluated. and root length. At harvest, the same variables analyzed at 15 DAT + leaf fresh mass, stem fresh mass, head fresh mass, root fresh mass, total fresh mass and leaf contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were analyzed. The inoculated plant growth-promoting bacteria did not promote a significant increase in the development of the lettuce cultivar Vera when compared to the control (without PGPB application).