Transport Of Particulate Matter Research Articles

Physical mechanisms, dynamics and interconnections of multiple estuarine turbidity maximum in the Pearl River estuary

The formation and dynamics of individual estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) in the Pearl River estuary (PRE) have been investigated but the temporal variability of the ETMs and interconnections among them remain poorly understood. To address these open questions, the distribution and transport of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the PRE for the period of 2017–2020 are investigated by numerical modeling. The simulated sediment transport flux is decomposed into several major components associated with specific physical processes. Then, the relative contribution of each component to the formation of the ETMs is evaluated. Results suggest the coexistence of three prominent ETMs in the Lingding Bay of the PRE. They are formed by different physical mechanisms and characterized by remarkable seasonality in the spatial extension. In the two ETMs located at the west shoal and middle shoal, advection dominates the sediment transport flux, whilst tidal pumping plays a crucial role in maintaining the ETMs. A sharp bathymetric gradient leads to an entrapment of sediment flux within the bottom layer in the west channel ETM, a phenomenon referred to as topographical trapping. The interconnection analysis shows that the sediment transport between the ETMs varies with seasons, which is attributed to the variation of stratification driven by the monsoon-mediated river runoff. Our results provide new insights into the physical dynamics and interconnections of the ETMs in the PRE, which can serve as scientific base for estuarine sediment management and engineering.

Measurement of the vertical distributions of atmospheric pollutants using an uncrewed aerial vehicle platform in Xi'an, China.

Vertical observations of atmospheric pollutants play crucial roles in a comprehensive understanding of the distribution characteristics and transport of atmospheric pollutants. A hexacopter uncrewed aerial vehicle equipped with miniature monitors was employed to measure the vertical distribution of atmospheric pollutants within a height of 1000 m at a rural site in Xi'an, China, in 2021. The concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) showed generally decreasing trends with increasing height. The ozone (O3) concentration showed a general increasing trend with height followed by a gradual decreasing trend. Vertical decrements of PM2.5 and CO from 0 to 1000 m were significantly (p < 0.05) lower on observation days during summer (14.0 ± 8.1 μg m-3 and 8.7 ± 6.6 ppb, respectively), compared with those in winter (78.3 ± 14.1 μg m-3 and 34.8 ± 17.3 ppb, respectively). The horizontal transport of PM and CO mostly occurred in the morning and at night during winter observations at an altitude of 400-500 m. During the winter haze, the PM and CO profile concentrations below 500 m increased substantially with the decrease in the height of the thermal inversion layer. Vertical O3 transportation was observed in the afternoon and evening during summer, and a ∼37.7% (11.6 ppb) increase in ground-level O3 was observed in relation to vertical transport from the upper atmosphere. The results provide insights into the vertical distribution and transport of atmospheric pollutants in rural areas near cities.

Drifting along: using diatoms to track the contribution of microbial mats to particulate organic matter transport in a glacial meltwater stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

Flow pulses mobilize particulate organic matter (POM) in streams from the surrounding landscape and streambed. This POM serves as a source of energy and nutrients, as well as a means for organismal dispersal, to downstream communities. In the barren terrestrial landscape of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica, benthic microbial mats occupying different in-stream habitat types are the dominant POM source in the many glacier-fed streams. Many of these streams experience daily flow peaks that mobilize POM, and diatoms recovered from underlying stream sediments suggest that mat-derived diatoms in the POM are retained there through hyporheic exchange. Yet, 'how much' and 'when' different in-stream habitat types contribute to POM diatom assemblages is unknown. To quantify the contribution of different in-stream habitat types to POM diatom assemblages, we collected time-integrated POM samples over four diel experiments, which spanned a gradient of flow conditions over three summers. Diatoms from POM samples were identified, quantified, and compared with dominant habitat types (i.e., benthic 'orange' mats, marginal 'black' mats, and bare sediments). Like bulk POM, diatom cell concentrations followed a clockwise hysteresis pattern with stream discharge over the daily flow cycles, indicating supply limitation. Diatom community analyses showed that different habitat types harbor distinct diatom communities, and mixing models revealed that a substantial proportion of POM diatoms originated from bare sediments during baseflow conditions. Meanwhile, orange and black mats contribute diatoms to POM primarily during daily flow peaks when both cell concentrations and discharge are highest, making mats the most important contributors to POM diatom assemblages at high flows. These observations may help explain the presence of mat-derived diatoms in hyporheic sediments. Our results thus indicate a varying importance of different in-stream habitats to POM generation and export on daily to seasonal timescales, with implications for biogeochemical cycling and the local diatom metacommunity.

The Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Potential Toxic Elements in Atmospheric Deposition from Ion-Adsorption Rare Earth Mining Areas in the Ganzhou City of Southeast China

Potential toxic elements (PTEs), including Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, As, and Mo, are common pollutants in ion-adsorption rare earth mines (IAREEMs), and atmospheric deposition is an important method of PTE migration. However, the level of PTE atmospheric deposition in and around IAREEMs remains unknown. We established 25 stations at typical sites in the Ganzhou city of southeast China. An exposure assessment model was used to evaluate the health risks for adults and children. The results show that the concentration and fluxes of atmospheric deposition of PTEs follow the order of Pb &gt; Cu &gt; Cr &gt; Ni &gt; As &gt; Mo &gt; Cd, and most PTEs present no human health risk. However, due to the high toxicty of As, it poses both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to children as indicated by the analysis of an exposure assessment model of heavy rare earth minerals in Longnan county, Ganzhou city. The As concentration in atmospheric deposition ranged from 3.18 to 251.87 mg kg−1, and the As atmospheric fluxes in atmospheric deposition ranged from 0.11 to 39.4 mg m−2 y−1. This is because As-rich materials (e.g., arsenic-adsorbing clay zones and chernovite-(Y) (Y[AsO4])) are exposed in fully weathered layers, and the formed suspended particulate matter is transported into the atmosphere at Longnan county. Consequently, restoring vegetation to reduce particulate matter transport is an important method for controlling the spread of pollutants. These results provide significant insights into pollution characteristics and prevention in and around mining areas under the influence of atmospheric deposition.

Trajectory of Particulate Waste Transported by Artificial Upwelling

The feeding activities of fish in marine aquaculture have raised concerns about severe benthic pollution within the cage area. This paper suggests removing particulate waste from the cage area through the implementation of artificial upwelling (AU), a method likely to alleviate the organic burden within the cultivation area. A numerical model was developed to simulate AU-induced particulate matter transport under different operating conditions, with the majority of simulation results validated through flume experiments. The influence of particle characteristics, environmental conditions, and engineering parameters of AU on organic matter transport are discussed. In particular, our study offers a detailed analysis of the minimum initial upwelling velocity required to transport particulate waste to a designated distance. It also recommends situating the bottom of the cage above the maximum height of the waste plume to effectively segregate fish from the waste carried by the upwelling.

Correlations between Urban Morphological Indicators and PM2.5 Pollution at Street-Level: Implications on Urban Spatial Optimization

During rapid urbanization, microclimate environment deterioration through events such as haze pollution and heat waves has continuously occurred in cities, which greatly affects the living environment, production activities, and health of urban residents. Therefore, it is particularly necessary to explore methods for controlling and optimizing the urban microclimate environment. In this paper, based on the mechanism of the effect of urban spatial structure at street-level on the distribution of atmospheric particulate matter, an indicator system that can be employed to comprehensively describe and quantify urban morphological structure at street-level was constructed from eight aspects: the spatial morphology of street-valleys, intensity of land use and development, geometric structure of buildings, inhomogeneity of buildings, roughness of the underlying surface, distribution of ecological landscapes, 3D architectural landscape morphology, and ventilation potential. Furthermore, using satellite remote sensing images and vector thematic maps of Shanghai, indicator factors were quantified by applying GIS technique. The intrinsic mechanism of the influence of the urban morphology on the diffusion and transport of atmospheric particulate matter was comprehensively analyzed by combining statistical methods and data mining algorithm, and eight key dominant factors were identified that can be considered to improve the urban ventilation conditions and help control urban air pollution, namely, the land use intensity, urban canopy resistance, vegetation cover, spatial congestion rate, comprehensive porosity, height-to-gross floor area ratio, building density, and average building volume ratio. As such, according to the quantitative analysis results for various combinations of the dominant factors, a spatial optimization strategy at street-level that can help improve the urban air quality was proposed in terms of identifying the pathways through which urban spatial elements affect the distribution of particulate matter, i.e., controlling the source–flow diversion–flow convergence process.

Venturi Injector Optimization for Precise Powder Transport for Directed Energy Deposition Manufacturing Using the Discrete Element Method and Genetic Algorithms.

Additive manufacturing technologies such as directed energy deposition use powder as their raw material, and it must be deposited in a precise and controlled manner. Venturi injectors could be a solution for the highly precise transport of particulate material. They have been studied from different perspectives, but they are always under high-pressure conditions and mostly fed by gravity. In the present study, an optimization of the different dimensional parameters needed for the manufacturing of a Venturi injector in relation to a particle has been carried out to maximize the amount of powder capable of being sucked and transported for a specific flow in a low-pressure system with high precision in transport. For this optimization, simulations of Venturi usage were performed using the discrete element method, generating different variations proposed by a genetic algorithm based on a preliminary design of experiments. Statistical analysis was also performed to determine the most influential design variables on the objective, with these being the suction diameter (D3), the throat diameter (d2), and the nozzle diameter (d1). The optimal dimensional relationships were as follows: a D3 34 times the particle diameter, a d2 26.5 times the particle diameter, a d1 40% the d2, a contraction angle alpha of 18.73°, and an expansion angle beta of 8.28°. With these proportions, an 85% improvement in powder suction compared to the initial attempts was achieved, with a maximum 2% loss of load.

Operator learning for urban water clarification hydrodynamics and particulate matter transport with physics-informed neural networks

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be a powerful tool for higher-fidelity water infrastructure planning and design. Despite decades of development and demonstration over a wide range of water systems such as clarification basins, activated sludge processes, ozone contactors, etc., CFD remains primarily used in academic research, with limited application in civil and environmental engineering practice. This limitation is contributed by its higher computational cost and demand for specialized user skills. This, however, need not be the case, if a robust and efficient surrogate model can be developed from CFD simulations and independently deployed for engineering purposes. Leveraging the emerging scientific machine learning (ML) techniques of physics-informed ML and operator learning, this study develops a composite neural network (CPNN) for learning the flow hydrodynamics and particulate matter (PM) transport and fate in clarification systems. The CPNN consists of a deep operator network (DeepONet) as an encoder and a physics-informed neural network (PINN) as a decoder. In contrast to common “black box” and lumped ML approaches, the developed CPNN directly incorporates physics principles into its architecture. Furthermore, the CPNN is designed for process-resolved and operator learning, enabling it to predict spatial hydrodynamics and PM concentration distribution (i.e., contours) across different basin geometrics and loading conditions. Compared to CFD simulation, the developed CPNN model has significantly higher computational efficiency (∼ milliseconds) while demonstrating robust predictive capability. For predicting basin hydrodynamics across 10,000 test cases, the trained CPNN model achieves an R2 above 0.8 for 66.4% of cases and an R2 above 0.4 for 89.2% of cases. A similar performance is also demonstrated by the CPNN in predicting basin PM concentration. Further investigation reveals that basin geometrics that trigger bi-modal flow solutions can be particularly challenging for ML. Additionally, this study visualizes the dependency of basin hydrodynamics and PM concentration on basin geometrics and loading conditions, providing valuable insights for optimizing basin configuration. Lastly, the potentials and benefits of web-based applications, e.g., DeepXtorm, as a user-friendly interface for the developed CPNN model is discussed. This study represents the initial step toward achieving real-time higher-fidelity water infrastructure planning, design, optimization, and regulation.

Spatial distribution and modelling of 239+240Pu in the sediments and seawater columns of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean

In order to investigate the 239+240Pu potential influence in the ocean, and develop a new method for rapidly monitoring radioactive pollution, the 239+240Pu spatial distribution in the South China Sea (SCS) and the Indian Ocean (IND) sediments is analyzed by SF-ICP-MS (ELEMENT 2). The inventory-weighted mean activities of 239+240Pu were 0.413 ± 0.333 mBq/g, 0.128 ± 0.044 mBq/g, and 0.483 ± 0.606 mBq/g in the sediments of the SCS, eastern IND, and Arabian Sea, respectively. The 239+240Pu activity spatial distribution in the SCS sediments was influenced by the current, the vertical distribution of Pu in seawater, and the transport of particulate matter. The 239+240Pu activity spatial distribution in the IND sediments could be impacted by Antarctic Intermediate Water. The average of 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios were 0.258 ± 0.034, 0.219 ± 0.031, and 0.212 ± 0.028 in the sediments of the SCS, eastern IND, and Arabian Sea, respectively. The 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios in the SCS and IND indicate that Pu from the Pacific Proving Ground (PPG) is transported to the IND via the SCS internal current and transverse ocean currents within Indonesia. In addition, a seawater advection-dispersion equation (S-ADE) model is established based on the actual physical processes of radionuclides in the seawater column and well fitting results were obtained (R2 = 0.49 to 0.99). The 239+240Pu data and the geographic information from the sample site were used to correct the Pu distribution in the seawater. The calculated 239+240Pu mean concentrations in the surface seawater were 2.465 mBq/m3 and 2.205 mBq/m3 for the SCS and the eastern IND seawater, respectively, and the result is consistent with the previous measurements. Then, the 239+240Pu stored in the study area of SCS and eastern IND was estimated to be approximately 1.0–1.4% of the global ocean based on the model. This study provides a useful model for guiding and designing future monitoring of pollution by anthropogenic Pu and other isotopes.

The prevailing smog conditions over the Delhi-NCR during the 2022 post monsoon

New Delhi experienced worst air-quality days and occurrence of severe smog on 03–04 November 2022. Remote sensing data from various platforms, NOAA HYSPLIT and ERA-5 is utilized to monitor the episode of high smog conditions over Delhi during October- November 2022. It has been observed that AOD has increased up to 4 times till 04 November 2022 when compared to before the starting of burning period. Since the anthropogenic source regions are concentrated around Delhi; the adjoining areas have shown increased burning using fire count data from MODIS Aqua. Study revealed that wind pattern with reduced speeds at lower altitudes is favored to sustain smog for an extended period. The study revealed that the smog over Delhi region for an extended period is formed majorly by the transport of particulate matter and CO emission from nearby areas, compounded by the prevailing fog. Air-mass trajectory analysis confirms that atmosphere over Delhi region was influenced by the transported mass of aerosol particles which corroborated well with the areas characterized by the fire counts, indicating a role of residual burning.

Predictability Augmentation by In-silico Study to In-vivo and In-vitro Results of Lung Doses of Airborne Fine and Ultrafine Particles Inhaled by Humans at Industrial Workplaces

This study correlates computational predictions with in vivo and in vitro experimental results of inhaled fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) transport, dissemination, and deposition in the human respiratory airways. Epidemiological studies suggest that workplace exposure to anthropogenic pollutant PMs is a risk factor for increased susceptibility to acute broncho-pulmonary illnesses. However, investigations on detailed human inhalation and PM transport processes are restrictive from time, cost, and ethical perspectives. Computational simulation based on the Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model was employed to quantify the risks associated with workplace exposure of these PMs. Here, the physical, mechanical, and electrical properties of PMs of carbon black (CB) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) from wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WEDM), with mass median aerodynamic diameter (CMAD) in the range of 1 nm to 1000 nm, were used as input parameters of MPPD. Additionally, it mimicked occupational workers’ age, body mass index, and oronasal-combinational nose and mouth breathing exposure time. The deposition results were compared with several vivo and in vitro experimental data reported in the literature, and satisfactory agreements were found. For example, a total lung dose of CB-PMs of 100 nm is the highest (28%), while a 380 nm dose is the lowest (15%). Afterward, deposition increases with particle size, reaching 26% for 1000 nm. In the case of WEDM-UFPs, about 98% of all 1.0 nm inhaled particles remain in the lung. Subsequently, the deposition dose decreases with the particle size and reaches up to 28% for 100 nm particles. Approximately 51% of deposited WEDM-UFPs are of CMAD ≤ 5 nm. The images of lung geometry also observed the maximum deposited mass and mass flux rate in the head, tracheobronchial, and pulmonary airways.

Numerical Simulation of Particulate Matter Transport in the Atmospheric Urban Boundary Layer Using the Lagrangian Approach: Physical Problems and Parallel Implementation

Numerical Simulation of Particulate Matter Transport in the Atmospheric Urban Boundary Layer Using the Lagrangian Approach: Physical Problems and Parallel Implementation

Experimental Study of Particle Transport and Deposition Distribution over Complex Terrains Based on Spherical Alumina

The transport and deposition of atmospheric particulate matter have attracted significant attention recently due to the increasing frequency of extreme disaster events, such as dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and extensive forest fires. The size distribution of the transported material and the conditions of the land–air interface are dominant factors in comprehending the detrimental potential of atmospheric particulate matter. However, it is still a challenge to understand the mechanism of dust deposition, especially over complex terrain. In an effort to investigate the deposition characteristics of particles over complex terrain, a series of experiments were conducted in a multifunctional environmental wind tunnel. The results show that the wind speed directly above the top of the mild slope model is significantly greater than that in the steep slope model, which indicates that a steep slope has a greater blocking effect on wind fields. At low wind speeds, the average wind speed at the top of the mild slope model is 17.8% higher than that at the top of the steep slope model, and at high wind speeds the average wind speed at the top of the mild slope model is 8.6% higher than that at the top of the steep slope model. The influence trend of the steep slope model and the combination model is basically the same, with both decreasing first and then increasing with the direction of wind velocity. The amount of surface deposition is greatly affected by the location of the feeding point and the microscale characteristics of the surface. In the steep slope model, the deposition is mainly distributed on the windward side, while the leeward side has a small amount of deposition. In the mild slope model, particles are deposited not only on the windward side, but also on the leeward side. The average rate of decline in deposition flux in the steep slope model is 88.4% and 75.1% in the mild slope model. The use of the combination model reduces the particle concentration at the back end compared with the single model. In three different models, the deposition on the windward side was shown to be significantly greater than that on the leeward side of the model. Our work increases understanding of the deposition of coarse dust particles over complex terrain and provides basic data for improving the accuracy of large-region particle transport and deposition simulations.

Observing a dust aerosol layer at a height of 3–4 km above the ground on the southern margin of the Tarim Basin

The vertical distribution and transport properties of dust aerosols play a key role in regional and even global climate and environmental changes. However, there are still gaps in understanding the optical properties, transport mechanisms, and topographic effects on dust in the dust-prone area-southern margin of the Tarim Basin. In this study, we use the Ground-Based Aerosol Lidar (GBQL-01) installed in Hotan and Minfeng in cooperation with the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) to synthesize and analyze the dust formation process at the southern margin of the basin once, and to test the reliability of the ground-based aerosol lidar. The variability characteristics of meteorological elements during this dust process will be discussed. Furthermore, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) was used to reproduce this dust process. The results show that the vertical transport of dust particles reaches about 4 km and 3 km in Hotan and Minfeng, respectively, and the dust aerosol stratification intensity is obvious within 1 km height in both places, and there is a dust aerosol layer at 3 km height in both places. The high winds are blocked by the large topography of the Tianshan Mountains and the northern slopes of the Tibet Plateau, and they change to northeasterly winds, triggering dusty weather outbreaks at the southern margin of the Tarim Basin. When the dusty weather subsided, dust aerosols with concentrations of 300–400 μg m−3 were still present at an altitude of 4 km, and a clear suspended dust phenomenon was formed. Meanwhile, the increase of wind speed and relative humidity, as well as the decrease of temperature, easily contribute to the occurrence of dusty weather and the transport of particulate matter. This work provides a useful reference for the study of regional climate change, topographic effects and "suspended dust".

Spatial and temporal distributions of clay minerals in the central Andaman Sea: Provenances and sedimentary processes over the last 42 kyr

The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau has led to the formation of the world’s largest sediment “source–sink” system in the northeastern Indian Ocean, and seafloor sediments record rich environmental and climatic information during the accumulation process, making it an ideal area to reconstruct past sedimentary processes. To reveal fine sediment provenance and climatic implications, we present a sedimentary reconstruction during the past 42 kyr based on clay mineral analyses of sediments from core ADM-159 retrieved from the central Andaman Sea. The clay minerals mainly consist of illite (I, 27%–47%) and kaolinite (K, 8%–37%) with minor smectite (S, 11%–37%) and chlorite (C, 11%–37%). Provenance analyses show that the illite-dominated clay minerals are mainly derived from terrestrial sources of detrital material input from the Irrawaddy River, indicating a primary supply of fine sediment from Myanmar terrestrial material. Considering the stable sediment provenance, S/K, S/(I+C), and the illite chemical index were chosen to reconstruct the transport pattern of the fine fraction sediment over the last 42 kyr. S/K and S/(I+C) showed relatively consistent trends over time with relatively high values at 32–25 and 15–6 ka BP, indicating a strong supply and transport capacity of fine particulate matter. In contrast, relatively low values of S/K and S/(I+C) occurred at 25–15 ka BP, indicating a relatively weak deposition process of fine sediments in the study area. The trends in S/K and S/(I+C) are roughly consistent with the variations in solar radiation. Together with the illite chemical index, these trends indicate that solar activity controlled the weathering and sedimentation of fine-grained sediments. We also found significant periodicities in our clay mineral records at 25.05 and 0.473–0.477 kyr, suggesting that the parameters of the Earth’s orbit and solar radiation were potential driving mechanisms of the changes in regional climate. Moreover, monsoon precipitation triggered by the movement of the intertropical convergence zone was another important factor controlling the supply and transport of fine particulate matter in the study area, especially the weak precipitation during the last deglacial period and the relatively strong precipitation during the Holocene, so we could draw a conclusion that precipitation during these periods had significant effects on the weathering, erosion, and transport of fine particulate terrestrial materials over the last 42 kyr.

Linkage between Airborne Particulate Matter and Viral Pandemic COVID-19 in Bucharest.

The long-distance spreading and transport of airborne particulate matter (PM) of biogenic or chemical compounds, which are thought to be possible carriers of SARS-CoV-2 virions, can have a negative impact on the incidence and severity of COVID-19 viral disease. Considering the total Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm (AOD) as an atmospheric aerosol loading variable, inhalable fine PM with a diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) or coarse PM with a diameter ≤10 µm (PM10) during 26 February 2020-31 March 2022, and COVID-19's five waves in Romania, the current study investigates the impact of outdoor PM on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest city. Through descriptive statistics analysis applied to average daily time series in situ and satellite data of PM2.5, PM10, and climate parameters, this study found decreased trends of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations of 24.58% and 18.9%, respectively compared to the pre-pandemic period (2015-2019). Exposure to high levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles was positively correlated with COVID-19 incidence and mortality. The derived average PM2.5/PM10 ratios during the entire pandemic period are relatively low (<0.44), indicating a dominance of coarse traffic-related particles' fraction. Significant reductions of the averaged AOD levels over Bucharest were recorded during the first and third waves of COVID-19 pandemic and their associated lockdowns (~28.2% and ~16.4%, respectively) compared to pre-pandemic period (2015-2019) average AOD levels. The findings of this research are important for decision-makers implementing COVID-19 safety controls and health measures during viral infections.

Source apportionment study on particulate air pollution in two high-altitude Bolivian cities: La Paz and El Alto

Abstract. La Paz and El Alto are two fast-growing, high-altitude Bolivian cities forming the second-largest metropolitan area in the country. Located between 3200 and 4050 m a.s.l. (above sea level), these cities are home to a burgeoning population of approximately 1.8 million residents. The air quality in this conurbation is heavily influenced by urbanization; however, there are no comprehensive studies evaluating the sources of air pollution and their health impacts. Despite their proximity, the substantial variation in altitude, topography, and socioeconomic activities between La Paz and El Alto result in distinct sources, dynamics, and transport of particulate matter (PM). In this investigation, PM10 samples were collected at two urban background stations located in La Paz and El Alto between April 2016 and June 2017. The samples were later analyzed for a wide range of chemical species including numerous source tracers (OC, EC, water-soluble ions, sugar anhydrides, sugar alcohols, trace metals, and molecular organic species). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF v.5.0) receptor model was employed for the source apportionment of PM10. This is one of the first source apportionment studies in South America that incorporates an extensive suite of organic markers, including levoglucosan, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, and alkanes, alongside inorganic species. The multisite PMF resolved 11 main sources of PM. The largest annual contribution to PM10 came from the following two major sources: the ensemble of the four vehicular emissions sources (exhaust and non-exhaust), accountable for 35 % and 25 % of the measured PM in La Paz and El Alto, respectively; and dust, which contributed 20 % and 32 % to the total PM mass. Secondary aerosols accounted for 22 % (24 %) in La Paz (El Alto). Agricultural smoke resulting from biomass burning in the Bolivian lowlands and neighboring countries contributed to 9 % (8 %) of the total PM10 mass annually, increasing to 17 % (13 %) between August–October. Primary biogenic emissions were responsible for 13 % (7 %) of the measured PM10 mass. Additionally, a profile associated with open waste burning occurring from May to August was identified. Although this source contributed only to 2 % (5 %) of the total PM10 mass, it constitutes the second largest source of PAHs, which are compounds potentially hazardous to human health. Our analysis additionally resolved two different traffic-related factors, a lubricant source (not frequently identified), and a non-exhaust emissions source. Overall, this study demonstrates that PM10 concentrations in La Paz and El Alto region are predominantly influenced by a limited number of local sources. In conclusion, to improve air quality in both cities, efforts should primarily focus on addressing dust, traffic emissions, open waste burning, and biomass burning.

Geomorphic complexity influences coarse particulate organic matter transport and storage in headwater streams

Coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM; organic matter 1–100 mm in diameter, excluding small wood) stored in streams provides an important energy source for aquatic ecosystems, and CPOM transport provides downstream energy subsidies and is a pathway for watershed carbon export. However, we lack understanding of the magnitude of and processes influencing CPOM storage and transport in headwater streams. We assessed how geomorphic complexity and hydrologic regime influence CPOM transport and storage in the Colorado Front Range, USA. We compared CPOM transport during snowmelt in a stream reach with high retentive feature (e.g., wood, cobbles, and other features) frequency to a reach with low retentive feature frequency, assessing how within-a-reach geomorphic context influences CPOM transport. We also compared CPOM transport in reaches with differing valley geometry (two confined reaches versus a wide, multi-thread river bead) to assess the influence of geomorphic variations occurring over larger spatial extents. Additionally, we compared CPOM storage in accumulations in reaches (n = 14) with flowing water or dry conditions in late summer and investigated how small pieces of organic matter [e.g., woody CPOM and small wood (&amp;gt;1 min length and 0.05–1 min diameter or 0.5–1 min length and &amp;gt;0.1 min diameter)] influence CPOM storage. We found that within-a-reach retentive feature frequency did not influence CPOM transport. However, valley geometry influenced CPOM transport, with a higher CPOM transport rate (median: 1.53 g min−1) downstream of a confined stream reach and a lower CPOM transport rate (median: 0.13 g min−1) downstream of a low gradient, multi-thread river bead. Additionally, we found that particulate organic carbon (POC) export (0.063 Mg C) in the form of CPOM was substantially lower than dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export (12.3 Mg C) in one of these headwater streams during the 2022 water year. Dry reaches stored a higher volume of CPOM (mean = 29.18 m3 ha−1) compared to reaches with flowing water (15.75 m3 ha−1), and woody CPOM pieces trapped 37% of CPOM accumulations. Our results demonstrate that the influence of geomorphic context on CPOM transport depends on the scale and type of geomorphic complexity, POC may be lower than DOC export in some headwater streams, and small woody organic material is important for trapping CPOM small streams.

GPU parallelization of particulate matter concentration modeling in indoor environment with cellular automata framework

Nowadays, the CFD approaches for modeling turbulent airflow and particulate matter (PM) concentration distribution are matured despite they all suffer from heavy computational demands. Particularly, in indoor PM concentration modeling, a novel cellular automata (CA) approach in “Modeling particulate matter concentration in indoor environment with cellular automata framework” is developed to achieve almost the same accuracy with improved efficiency as the Eulerian approach. To further enhance its efficiency, this study proposes two parallelization procedures. With the mechanism parallelization, the four PM transport mechanisms (flow advection, turbulent diffusion, gravitational settling, and boundary deposition) are simulated simultaneously instead of sequentially. Besides, using the GPU-based cell parallelization by adopting OpenCL 2.1 under Nvidia CUDA, the execution of all the PM transport mechanisms is performed parallelly on GPUs instead of sequentially on the CPU. Three parallelized CA scenarios, i.e., the parallelized CA approach with only the mechanism parallelization, with only the GPU-based cell parallelization, and with both the two parallelization procedures, are evaluated through two indoor PM concentration experiments. The three parallelized CA scenarios are found to maintain the accuracy but enhance the efficiency by 174%–210%, 1780%–5730%, and 2427%–7695%, respectively. Thus, the GPU-based cell parallelization obtains more efficiency enhancement than the mechanism parallelization. Furthermore, despite the simulations are performed on an i9 PC with an Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphic card, the parallelized CA approach with both the two parallelization procedures can enhance its efficiency up to 24–77 times, proving its considerable potentials as a useful tool for real-time 3D indoor PM distribution modeling.

Nasal anatomy and sniffing in respiration and olfaction of wild and domestic animals.

Animals have been widely utilized as surrogate models for humans in exposure testing, infectious disease experiments, and immunology studies. However, respiratory diseases affect both humans and animals. These disorders can spontaneously affect wild and domestic animals, impacting their quality and quantity of life. The origin of such responses can primarily be traced back to the pathogens deposited in the respiratory tract. There is a lack of understanding of the transport and deposition of respirable particulate matter (bio-aerosols or viruses) in either wild or domestic animals. Moreover, local dosimetry is more relevant than the total or regionally averaged doses in assessing exposure risks or therapeutic outcomes. An accurate prediction of the total and local dosimetry is the crucial first step to quantifying the dose-response relationship, which in turn necessitates detailed knowledge of animals' respiratory tract and flow/aerosol dynamics within it. In this review, we examined the nasal anatomy and physiology (i.e., structure-function relationship) of different animals, including the dog, rat, rabbit, deer, rhombus monkey, cat, and other domestic and wild animals. Special attention was paid to the similarities and differences in the vestibular, respiratory, and olfactory regions among different species. The ventilation airflow and behaviors of inhaled aerosols were described as pertinent to the animals' mechanisms for ventilation modulation and olfaction enhancement. In particular, sniffing, a breathing maneuver that animals often practice enhancing olfaction, was examined in detail in different animals. Animal models used in COVID-19 research were discussed. The advances and challenges of using numerical modeling in place of animal studies were discussed. The application of this technique in animals is relevant for bidirectional improvements in animal and human health.