scholarly journals Chemistry, lung toxicity and mutagenicity of burn pit smoke-related particulate matter

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Ho Kim ◽  
Sarah H. Warren ◽  
Ingeborg Kooter ◽  
Wanda C. Williams ◽  
Ingrid J. George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Combustion Temperature ◽  
Mutagenic Activity ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Equal Mass ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Military Bases ◽  
Base Substitution ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Smoldering Combustion

Abstract Background Open burning of anthropogenic sources can release hazardous emissions and has been associated with increased prevalence of cardiopulmonary health outcomes. Exposure to smoke emitted from burn pits in military bases has been linked with respiratory illness among military and civilian personnel returning from war zones. Although the composition of the materials being burned is well studied, the resulting chemistry and potential toxicity of the emissions are not. Methods Smoke emission condensates from either flaming or smoldering combustion of five different types of burn pit-related waste: cardboard; plywood; plastic; mixture; and mixture/diesel, were obtained from a laboratory-scale furnace coupled to a multistage cryotrap system. The primary emissions and smoke condensates were analyzed for a standardized suite of chemical species, and the condensates were studied for pulmonary toxicity in female CD-1 mice and mutagenic activity in Salmonella (Ames) mutagenicity assay using the frameshift strain TA98 and the base-substitution strain TA100 with and without metabolic activation (S9 from rat liver). Results Most of the particles in the smoke emitted from flaming and smoldering combustion were less than 2.5 µm in diameter. Burning of plastic containing wastes (plastic, mixture, or mixture/diesel) emitted larger amounts of particulate matter (PM) compared to other types of waste. On an equal mass basis, the smoke PM from flaming combustion of plastic containing wastes caused more inflammation and lung injury and was more mutagenic than other samples, and the biological responses were associated with elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels. Conclusions This study suggests that adverse health effects of burn pit smoke exposure vary depending on waste type and combustion temperature; however, burning plastic at high temperature was the most significant contributor to the toxicity outcomes. These findings will provide a better understanding of the complex chemical and combustion temperature factors that determine toxicity of burn pit smoke and its potential health risks at military bases.

scholarly journals Large global variations in measured airborne metal concentrations driven by anthropogenic sources

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob McNeill ◽  
Graydon Snider ◽  
Crystal L. Weagle ◽  
Brenna Walsh ◽  
Paul Bissonnette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Metal Concentrations

AbstractGlobally consistent measurements of airborne metal concentrations in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are important for understanding potential health impacts, prioritizing air pollution mitigation strategies, and enabling global chemical transport model development. PM2.5 filter samples (N ~ 800 from 19 locations) collected from a globally distributed surface particulate matter sampling network (SPARTAN) between January 2013 and April 2019 were analyzed for particulate mass and trace metals content. Metal concentrations exhibited pronounced spatial variation, primarily driven by anthropogenic activities. PM2.5 levels of lead, arsenic, chromium, and zinc were significantly enriched at some locations by factors of 100–3000 compared to crustal concentrations. Levels of metals in PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded health guidelines at multiple sites. For example, Dhaka and Kanpur sites exceeded the US National Ambient Air 3-month Quality Standard for lead (150 ng m−3). Kanpur, Hanoi, Beijing and Dhaka sites had annual mean arsenic concentrations that approached or exceeded the World Health Organization’s risk level for arsenic (6.6 ng m−3). The high concentrations of several potentially harmful metals in densely populated cites worldwide motivates expanded measurements and analyses.

scholarly journals Multi-Oxygenated Organic Compounds in Fine Particulate Matter Collected in the Western Mediterranean Area

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Esther Borrás ◽  
Luis Antonio Tortajada-Genaro ◽  
Francisco Sanz ◽  
Amalia Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Tetradecanoic Acid

The chemical characterization of aerosols, especially fine organic fraction, is a relevant atmospheric challenge because their composition highly depends on localization. Herein, we studied the concentration of multi-oxygenated organic compounds in the western Mediterranean area, focusing on sources and the effect of air patterns. The organic aerosol fraction ranged 3–22% of the total organic mass in particulate matter (PM)2.5. Seventy multi-oxygenated organic pollutants were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, including n-alkanones, n-alcohols, anhydrosugars, monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and keto-derivatives. The highest concentrations were found for carboxylic acids, such as linoleic acid, tetradecanoic acid and, palmitic acid. Biomarkers for vegetation sources, such as levoglucosan and some fatty acids were detected at most locations. In addition, carboxylic acids from anthropogenic sources—mainly traffic and cooking—have been identified. The results indicate that the organic PM fraction in this region is formed mainly from biogenic pollutants, emitted directly by vegetation, and from the degradation products of anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic pollutants. Moreover, the chemical profile suggested that this area is interesting for aerosol studies because several processes such as local costal breezes, industrial emissions, and desert intrusions affect fine PM composition.

scholarly journals Ambient Aerosol Measurements in Different Environments

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 429
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Bougiatioti ◽  
Evangelia Kostenidou
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Heterogeneous Mixture ◽  
Ambient Aerosol

Particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere has diverse natural and anthropogenic sources, and is a complex, heterogeneous mixture [...]

scholarly journals Long-term Particulate Matter Modeling for Health Effects Studies in California – Part II: Concentrations and Sources of Ultrafine Organic Aerosols

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianlin Hu ◽  
Shantanu Jathar ◽  
Hongliang Zhang ◽  
Qi Ying ◽  
Shu-Hua Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Size Fraction ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Major Constituent ◽  
Spatial Distributions ◽  
Mobile Emissions

Abstract. Organic aerosol (OA) is a major constituent of ultrafine particulate matter (PM0.1). Recent epidemiological studies have identified associations between PM0.1 OA and premature mortality and low birth weight. In this study, the source-oriented UCD/CIT model was used to simulate the concentrations and sources of primary organic aerosols (POA) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in PM0.1 in California for a 9-year (2000–2008) modeling period with 4 km horizontal resolution to provide more insights about PM0.1 OA for health effects studies. As a related quality control, predicted monthly average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) total organic carbon at six major urban sites had mean fractional bias of −0.31 to 0.19 and mean fractional errors of 0.4 to 0.59. The predicted ratio of PM2.5 SOA/OA was lower than estimates derived from chemical mass balance (CMB) calculations by a factor of 2 ~ 3, which suggests the potential effects of processes such as POA volatility, additional SOA formation mechanism, and missing sources. OA in PM0.1, the focus size fraction of this study, is dominated by POA. Wood smoke is found to be the single biggest source of PM0.1 OA in winter in California, while meat cooking, mobile emissions (gasoline and diesel engines), and other anthropogenic sources (mainly solvent usage and waste disposal) are the most important sources in summer. Biogenic emissions are predicted to be the largest PM0.1 SOA source, followed by mobile sources and other anthropogenic sources, but these rankings are sensitive to the SOA model used in the calculation. Air pollution control programs aiming to reduce the PM0.1 OA concentrations should consider controlling solvent usage, waste disposal, and mobile emissions in California, but these findings should be revisited after the latest science is incorporated into the SOA exposure calculations. The spatial distributions of SOA associated with different sources are not sensitive to the choice of SOA model, although the absolute amount of SOA can change significantly. Therefore, the spatial distributions of PM0.1 POA and SOA over the 9-year study period provide useful information for epidemiological studies to further investigate the associations with health outcomes.

scholarly journals Spatial and Seasonal Variations of PM Concentration and Size Distribution in Manure-Belt Poultry Layer Houses

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reyna M. Knight ◽  
Xinjie Tong ◽  
Zhenyu Liu ◽  
Sewoon Hong ◽  
Lingying Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Particle Size Distributions ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract. Poultry layer houses are a significant source of particulate matter (PM) emissions, which potentially affect worker and animal health. Particulate matter characteristics, such as concentration and size distribution inside layer houses, are critical information for assessment of the potential health risks and development of effective PM mitigation technologies. However, this information and its spatial and seasonal variations are lacking for typical layer facilities. In this study, two TSI DustTrak monitors (DRX 8533) and an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS 3321) were used to measure PM mass concentrations and number-weighted particle size distributions in two typical manure-belt poultry layer houses in Ohio in three seasons: summer, autumn, and winter. Bimodal particle size distributions were consistently observed. The average count median diameters (mean ±SD) were 1.68 ±0.25, 2.16 ±0.31, and 1.87 ±0.07 µm in summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The average geometric standard deviations of particle size were 2.16 ±0.23, 2.16 ±0.18, and 1.74 ±0.17 in the three seasons, respectively. The average mass concentrations were 67.4 ±54.9, 289.9 ±216.2, and 428.1 ±269.9 µg m-3 for PM2.5; 73.6 ±59.5, 314.6 ±228.9, and 480.8 ±306.5 µg m-3 for PM4; and 118.8 ±99.6, 532.5 ±353.0, and 686.2 ±417.7 µg m-3 for PM10 in the three seasons, respectively. Both statistically significant (p < 0.05) and practically significant (difference of means >20% of smaller value) seasonal variations were observed. Spatial variations were only practically significant for autumn mass concentrations, likely due to external dust infiltration from nearby agricultural activities. The OSHA-mandated permissible exposure limit for respirable PM was not exceeded in any season. Keywords: Air quality, Particulate matter, Poultry housing, Seasonal variation, Spatial variation.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variability in the Composition of Particulate Matter and the Microclimate in Cultural Heritage Areas

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radulescu ◽  
Stihi ◽  
Ion ◽  
Dulama ◽  
Stanescu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Museum Exhibits ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Chemical Measurements ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

This study is the first attempt to decipher the effect of particulate matter (PM) composition on people’s health and on historic sites, in correlation with the daily and seasonal microclimate monitoring of the indoor and outdoor areas of the Roman Mosaic Edifice museum (the maritime port of Constanta, Romania). More specifically, the increase of metal concentrations in particulate matter during the summer of 2018 and spring of 2019 in the museum under investigation could possibly be associated with the microclimates of both seasons, with coastal factors, as well as with the anthropic activities specific to the port of Constanta. FTIR and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) techniques, used for the investigation of PM2.5–10 samples, revealed high concentrations of Fe, Al-rich, and soluble particles inside the investigated museum area. In this respect, the chemical measurements of the PM2.5–10 masses highlighted high concentrations of heavy metals (i.e., Al, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Pb) and low concentrations of trace metals (i.e., Cr, Ni, Cu, and Cd). Statistical analysis showed that the chemical compositions of the particulate matter in the indoor and outdoor areas of the Roman Mosaic Edifice were influenced by microclimatic conditions, mainly temperature and relative humidity (RH). A potential health risk for tourists is the thermal and humid conditions, alongside the toxic components of the particulate matter. This research seeks to provide solutions for improving the environmental conditions inside the Roman Mosaic Edifice and to offer useful suggestions concerning health promotion and the protection of museum exhibits against possible future deterioration.

Mutagenic Activity of Total and Particle-Sized Fractions of Urban Particulate Matter

1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 3512-3516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piergiacomo Pagano ◽  
Tonino De Zaiacomo ◽  
Elena Scarcella ◽  
Stefania Bruni ◽  
Massimo Calamosca
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Mutagenic Activity ◽  
Urban Particulate Matter

scholarly journals Strong influence of 2000–2050 climate change on particulate matter in the United States: Results from a new statistical model

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Shen ◽  
Loretta J. Mickley ◽  
Lee T. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Statistical Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Meteorological Variables ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Low Cloud

Abstract. We use a statistical model to investigate the effect of 2000–2050 climate change on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality across the contiguous United States. By applying observed relationships of PM2.5 and meteorology to the IPCC Coupled Model Intercomparision Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) archives, we bypass many of the uncertainties inherent in chemistry-climate models. Our approach uses both the relationships between PM2.5 and local meteorology as well as the synoptic circulation patterns, defined as the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) pattern of the spatial correlations between PM2.5 and meteorological variables in the surrounding region. Using an ensemble of 17 GCMs under the RCP4.5 scenario, we project an increase of ~ 1 μg m−3 in annual mean PM2.5 in the eastern US and a decrease of 0.3–1.2 μg m−3 in the Intermountain West by the 2050s, assuming present-day anthropogenic sources of PM2.5. Mean summertime PM2.5 increases as much as 2–3 μg m−3 in the eastern United States due to faster oxidation rates and greater mass of organic carbon from biogenic emissions. Mean wintertime PM2.5 decreases by 0.3–3 μg m−3 over most regions in United States, likely due to the volatilization of ammonium nitrate. Our approach provides an efficient method to calculate the climate penalty or benefit on air quality across a range of models and scenarios. We find that current atmospheric chemistry models may underestimate or even fail to capture the strongly positive sensitivity of monthly mean PM2.5 to temperature in the eastern United States in summer, and may underestimate future changes in PM2.5 in a warmer climate. In GEOS-Chem, the underestimate in monthly mean PM2.5-temperature relationship in the East in summer is likely caused by overly strong negative sensitivity of monthly mean low cloud fraction to temperature in the assimilated meteorology (~ −0.04 K−1), compared to the weak sensitivity implied by satellite observations (±0.01 K−1). The strong negative dependence of low cloud cover on temperature, in turn, causes the modeled rates of sulfate aqueous oxidation to diminish too rapidly as temperatures rise, leading to the underestimate of sulfate-temperature slopes, especially in the South. Our work underscores the importance of evaluating the sensitivity of PM2.5 to its key controlling meteorological variables in climate-chemistry models on multiple timescales before they are applied to project future air quality.

scholarly journals Air pollution interventions and respiratory health: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Saleh ◽  
W. Shepherd ◽  
C. Jewell ◽  
N. L. Lam ◽  
J. Balmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Exposure Reduction ◽  
Air Pollution Exposure ◽  
Pollution Exposure

BACKGROUND: Indoor and ambient air pollution exposure is a major risk to respiratory health worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Interventional trials have mainly focused on alternatives to cooking stoves, with mixed results. Beyond cooking, additional sources of particulate matter also contribute to the burden of air pollution exposure. This review explores evidence from current randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the clinical effectiveness of interventions to reduce particulate matter in LMICs.METHODS: Twelve databases and the grey literature (e.g., Government reports and policy papers) were searched. Eligible studies were RCTs conducted in LMICs aiming to reduce particulate exposure from any source and reporting on at least one clinical respiratory outcome (respiratory symptoms, lung function or clinical diagnoses). Data from relevant studies were systematically extracted, the risk of bias assessed and narrative synthesis provided.RESULTS: Of the 14 included studies, 12 tested ‘improved' cookstoves, most using biomass, but solar and bioethanol cookers were also included. One trial used solar lamps and another was an integrated intervention incorporating behavioural and environmental components for the treatment and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Of the six studies reporting child pneumonia outcomes, none demonstrated significant benefit in intention-to-treat analysis. Ten studies reported respiratory symptom outcomes with some improvements seen, but self-reporting made these outcomes highly vulnerable to bias. Substantial inter-study clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded calculation of pooled effect estimates.CONCLUSION: Evidence from the RCTs performed to date suggests that individual household-level interventions for air pollution exposure reduction have limited benefits for respiratory health. More comprehensive approaches to air pollution exposure reduction must be developed so their potential health benefits can be assessed.

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