The Occurrence of Skeletons of Silicoflagellata and Other Siliceous Bioparticles in Floral Honeys

Siliceous marine microfossils were unexpectedly discovered during the analysis of flower honey samples from Poland and Tunisia. The microfossils were represented by protist with siliceous skeletons: silicoflagellates, diatoms, and endoskeletal dinoflagellates. This is the first record of such microfossils in honeys. Based on the high percent of anemophilous pollen grains and spores in the sample, it was hypothesized that silicoflagellates were deposited from the air onto the nectariferous flowers, then bees harvested them with the nectar. Based on the comparison of pollen content of honeys and flowering calendar of Tunisia, the harvest time of honey was identified as a period between 1 April and 31 May 2011. Trajectory analysis of air masses in this period confirmed that siliceous microfossils could be aerosolized by wind from the rocks of the so-called Tripoli Formation of Messinian age (6–7 Ma). Similar to the Tunisian case, the Polish trajectory simulation also supports the hypothesis of atmospheric transport of silicoflagellates from outcrops of Oligocene age in the Polish Outer Carpathians. In the case of diatom content of honey, however, the source can be both natural (wind) and artificial (diatomaceous earth filters). For a correct determination, natural sources of siliceous bioparticles, such as wind transport from nearby outcrops should be also considered. Silicoflagellates could be used as complementary indicators of the geographical origin of honeys collected in areas characterized by diatomite outcrops, supporting the results obtained with other methods; thus, such indicators merit further studies within the area of honey authenticity.

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FUNGI IN AIR MASSES OVER MONTREAL DURING 1950 AND 1951

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b56-001 ◽

1956 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

S. M. Pady ◽

L. Kapica

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Average Concentration ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

The Sun ◽

Air Masses ◽

Air Sampler ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

Very High ◽

Made In

Numbers and kinds of fungi were determined from nutrient plate and silicone slide studies from the roof of the Sun Life Building, Montreal, between September 1950 and December 1951. Exposures of plates were made in the General Electric Bacterial Air Sampler, and plates and silicone slides in the Bourdillon Slit Sampler. A total of 978 exposures was made on 113 sampling days during 16 months; 507 plates in the G. E. Sampler, 344 plates and 127 slides in the Slit Sampler. Of 40,359 colonies examined, Cladosporium, Penicillium, yeasts, Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Actinomycetes were commonest, constituting 47.7, 15.8, 10.4, 4.6, 4.2, and 2.2% of the total. The next commonest fungi were Pullularia, Oöspora, Fusarium, Stemphylium, Verticillium, Rhizopus, Spicaria, Scopulariopsis, Phoma, Mucor, Botrytis, Cephalosporium, Trichoderma, Helmin-thosporium, Neurospora, Papularia, Cephalothecium, Pyrenochaeta, Zythia, and Nigrospora. In addition 12 genera were infrequently found. Unidentified colonies numbered 174 and nonsporulating 3371 (8.3%). On a cubic foot basis numbers in the plates varied from 17.7 per cu. ft. in August to 0.4 per cu. ft in February.Fungus spores showed a seasonal variation with summer highs averaging 244 per cu. ft. in July to a low of 0.8 per cu. ft. in December. The most abundant spores were Cladosporium, yeasts, smuts, Fusarium, Alternaria, Venturia-like, Stemphylium, rusts, Septoria, and Helminthosporium. Hyphal fragments and pollen grains were present also. On eight occasions during the summer, readings of over 200 spores per cu. ft. were recorded, the maximum being 445 per cu. ft. on September 6, 1951. Cladosporium in August reached a peak of 74.1 per cu. ft. and yeast cells in July had an average concentration of 100 per cu. ft.An analysis of the air masses indicated that pure polar air carried low numbers of fungi, whereas tropical air had very high numbers. Most of the air masses were modified polar air and their fungus content varied considerably. The fungi in the air over Montreal are believed to have had their origin in agricultural areas.

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Virola dominicana sp. nov. (Myristicaceae) from Dominican amber

Botany ◽

10.1139/cjb-2013-0019 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 91 (8) ◽

pp. 530-534 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

George Poinar ◽

Royce Steeves

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Intraspecific Variation ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

First Record ◽

Western Hemisphere ◽

Dominican Amber ◽

The Family ◽

Small Pollen ◽

Male Flowers ◽

Staminal Column

The Myristicaceae is a member of the early diverging angiosperm order Magnoliales; however, the family is poorly represented by fossil collections. We describe Virola dominicana sp. nov. (Myristicaceae), the first record of fossilized Myristicaceae flowers, from mid-Tertiary (45–15 million years ago) Dominican amber. The description is based on 24 male flowers in 17 pieces of amber, thus providing some indication of intraspecific variation, including a two-tepaled flower. Diagnostic characters of the new species are the long-simple or few-branched trichomes on the perianth margins, the small pollen grains, and a short staminal column. These fossils also show co-occurring insects, some of which could be Virola pollinators. It is speculated that V. dominicana disappeared from Hispaniola during the Pliocene–Pleistocene cooling events leaving no native members of the Myristicaceae in this region today. Additionally, these fossils demonstrate that Myristicaceae was present in the Western Hemisphere during the mid-Tertiary.

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An assessment of the Ambrosia L. pollen threat at a regional scale using the example of the town of Sosnowiec (Silesian Uplands, Poland)

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.2011.017 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 51-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kazimiera Chłopek ◽

Katarzyna Dąbrowsa-Zapart ◽

Barbara Tokarska-Guzik

Keyword(s):

Wind Direction ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Maximum Temperature ◽

Sampling Point ◽

Air Masses ◽

Daily Count ◽

Annual Total ◽

The Town ◽

Maximum Air Temperature

The investigation of Ambrosia pollen counts in the air of Sosnowiec was carried out from 1998 to 2010 by means of the volumetric method. The pollen season which was determined by means of the 98% method started at the end of July and the beginning of August and lasted until the end of October. The highest Ambrosia pollen count was recorded in 1999 (222 grains x m-3) and the lowest in 2001 (18 grains x m-3). It was stated that the daily count of pollen grains depended on the wind direction and maximum air temperature. The strongest correlations were found with maximum temperature and with a wind direction from the south east. A high negative correlation coefficient was found between the frequency of inflows of air masses from the west and the annual total of pollen grains and the value of the maximum daily count. The closest sites of Ambrosia L. are at a distance of 25-40 kilometres from the sampling point. Significant correlations with the frequency of inflow of air masses can support the conclusion that Ambrosia pollen grains recorded in Sosnowiec were most probably carried not only from local sources but also, at least in part, from distant places.

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Airborne Pollen Records of Shomolu Local Government Area in Lagos State

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb649355 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 428-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tiwalade A. ADENIYI ◽

Peter A. ADEONIPEKUN ◽

James D. OLOWOKUDEJO ◽

Idowu S. AKANDE

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Airborne Pollen ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

State University ◽

Current Trends ◽

Pollen Content ◽

Lagos State ◽

Total Pollen ◽

Pollen Distribution ◽

The Town

Data on the prevalence of pollen in the atmosphere is limited and almost non-existent for Lagos State and Nigeria. Pollen grains are known to be highly allergenic and thus they are potential causes of respiratory diseases. To investigate airborne incidence of pollen, so as to construct a pollen calendar and contribute to current trends in the development of aeropalynology/allergy study in Nigeria, three highly populated locations in Shomolu Local Government areas of Lagos State: University of Lagos, Bariga and Gbagada, were sampled. Aero-samplers were harvested monthly from January 2013 to December 2013. After acetolysis treatment and analysis, the total pollen count was 4393, belonging to 38 pollen taxa and 29 families. The main taxa include Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Amaranthaceae, Ludwigia and Alchornea. Monthly pollen counts were highest in October and lowest in June. Almost three-quarters of the total pollen content came from grasses and weeds. This composition reflects the ornamental and grassland flora of the town, as well as the natural vegetation surrounding the urban area. The total pollen concentration correlates positively with the temperature and negatively with the wind, rainfall and relative humidity, which was similar in the dominant taxa Amaranthaceae and Alchornea. Dominant taxa Cyperaceae and Ludwigia have significant positive correlation with wheezing cough. Results from this work will form the basis for a forecast service required to inform and educate the general public and allergy sufferers about pollen distribution in Lagos State.

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Black carbon over Mexico: the effect of atmospheric transport on mixing state, mass absorption cross-section, and BC/CO ratios

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-10-219-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 219-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 109

Author(s):

R. Subramanian ◽

G. L. Kok ◽

D. Baumgardner ◽

A. Clarke ◽

Y. Shinozuka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Black Carbon ◽

Mexico City ◽

Cross Section ◽

Absorption Cross Section ◽

Atmospheric Transport ◽

Absorption Cross ◽

Air Masses ◽

Wet Scavenging ◽

The City ◽

Absorption Photometer

Abstract. A single particle soot photometer (SP2) was operated on the NCAR C-130 during the MIRAGE campaign (part of MILAGRO), sampling black carbon (BC) over Mexico. The highest BC concentrations were measured over Mexico City (sometimes as much as 2 μg/m3) and over hill-fires to the south of the city. The age of plumes outside of Mexico City was determined using a combination of HYSPLIT trajectories, WRF-FLEXPART modeling and CMET balloon tracks. As expected, older, diluted air masses had lower BC concentrations. A comparison of carbon monoxide (CO) and BC suggests a CO background of around 65 ppbv, and a background-corrected BC/COnet ratio of 2.89±0.89 (ng/m3-STP)/ppbv (average ± standard deviation). This ratio is similar for fresh emissions over Mexico City, as well as for aged airmasses. Comparison of light absorption measured with a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP) and the SP2 BC suggests a BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) of 10.9±2.1 m2/g at 660 nm (or 13.1 m2/g @ 550 nm, assuming MAC is inversely dependent on wavelength). This appears independent of aging and similar to the expected absorption cross-section for aged BC, but values, particularly in fresh emissions, could be biased high due to instrument artifacts. SP2-derived BC coating indicators show a prominent thinly-coated BC mode over the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), while older air masses show both thinly-coated and thickly-coated BC. Some 2-day-old plumes do not show a prominent thickly-coated BC mode, possibly due to preferential wet scavenging of the likely-hydrophilic thickly-coated BC.

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Metal contamination of natural surface soils from long-range atmospheric transport: Existing and missing knowledge

Environmental Reviews ◽

10.1139/a06-002 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 169-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Eiliv Steinnes ◽

Andrew J Friedland

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Long Range ◽

Atmospheric Transport ◽

Long Range Transport ◽

Surface Soils ◽

Air Masses ◽

Range Transport ◽

Zinc Cadmium ◽

Lead Zinc ◽

Temporal And Spatial

This review focuses on the long-range atmospheric transport of metals to organic-rich surface soils (mostly 50–90% organic matter) in the temperate, coniferous, and boreal zones of North America and Europe. From various air-pollution related measurements (air, precipitation, moss, peat cores) Pb and Zn are known to be transported long distances in the air in large amounts. Arsenic, Cd, Hg, Sb, and Se are also typical representatives of long-range transported air masses, and there is evidence that Ag, Bi, In, Mo, Tl, and W belong to this group of elements. Through the use of “environmental archives” such as ice and peat cores it has become evident that long-range transport of pollutants and associated contamination of natural surfaces is not just a recent phenomenon. There is compelling evidence for widespread enrichment of surface soil horizons in Pb from long-range transport, and many studies support enrichment of Zn. Mercury is also generally elevated by anthropogenic emissions over natural levels in organic-rich surface soils, whereas results for Cd are less conclusive. There is evidence that As, Se, Ag, Mo, In, Sb, W, Tl, and Bi all are subject to some enrichment in organic-rich surface soils from long-range atmospheric transport, but studies are still few for most of these elements. With the exception of Pb, little is known about residence times of the elements in the organic-rich surface horizon, and more research is needed on this topic. Further studies are desirable on the temporal and spatial trends in supply of the above elements, which are poorly known in large parts of the northern temperate zone.Key words: natural soils, metals, long-range atmospheric transport, organic matter, lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury.

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Observation and analysis of speciated atmospheric mercury in Shangri-la, Tibetan Plateau, China

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-14-11041-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 11041-11074 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

H. Zhang ◽

X. W. Fu ◽

C.-J. Lin ◽

X. Wang ◽

X. B. Feng

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Atmospheric Transport ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Atmospheric Mercury ◽

North India ◽

Air Masses ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Wet Scavenging ◽

In The Beginning

Abstract. This study reports the speciated concentration and the potential sources of atmospheric mercury measured at the Shangri-La Atmosphere Watch Regional Station (SAWRS), a pristine high-altitude site (3580 m a.s.l.) in Tibetan Plateau, China. The total gaseous mercury (TGM, defined as the sum of Gaseous Elemental Mercury, GEM, and gaseous oxidized mercury, GOM), GOM and particulate-bound mercury (PBM) were monitored from November 2009 to November 2010 to investigate the characteristics and atmospheric transport of mercury influenced by the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and westerlies. The mean concentrations of TGM, PBM and GOM were 2.55 ± 0.73 ng m−3, 37.78 ± 31.35 pg m−3 and 7.90 ± 7.89 ng m−3. A notable seasonal pattern was observed with higher TGM concentrations in the beginning and end of the ISM. High TGM concentrations were associated with the transport of dry air that carried regional anthropogenic emissions from both domestic and foreign sources. The low PBM and GOM level was attributed to the deposition and wet scavenging during the ISM period. Backward trajectory analysis of air masses associated with TGM levels suggested that both the ISM and westerlies can carry Hg emitted in Burma, Bengal bay and north India to the SAWRS.

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Melissopalynological analysis of honey produced by two species of stingless bees in Lombok Island, Indonesia

Nusantara Bioscience ◽

10.13057/nusbiosci/n120203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Lalu Zulkan Jayadi ◽

Ratna Susandarini

Keyword(s):

Stingless Bees ◽

Geographical Origin ◽

Botanical Origin ◽

Pollen Type ◽

Pollen Content ◽

Pollen Types ◽

Unifloral Honey ◽

Melissopalynological Analysis ◽

Lombok Island ◽

Number Of Plant Species

Abstract. Jayadi LZ, Susandarini R. 2020. Melissopalynological analysis of honey produced by two species of stingless bees in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 12: 97-108. Honey is a natural product with a variety of benefits that commonly used as food sweeteners, health supplements, and traditional medicine. There has been no comprehensive publication regarding the diversity of pollen contained in honey produced by stingless bee Tetragonula laeviceps and Heterotrogona itama from Lombok. This study aimed to reveal the diversity of pollen content in honey through melissopalynological analysis of honey samples produced by two species of stingless bees T. laeviceps and H. itama in Lombok Island. This melissopalynological study was performed on honey samples obtained from nine villages from nine sub-districts representing the three districts on Lombok Island. Pollen extraction from honey was carried out using standard methods for melissopalynological analysis. The diversity of pollen recovered from honey varied from 15 to 41 pollen types. Total number of plant species whose pollen was recovered from honey samples was 127 which consisted of 61 families. The occurrence of predominant pollen type in particular unifloral honey samples indicated their botanical origin and presumed geographical origin of honey. Results of this study are useful in confirming botanical origin of honey and generating information on plants potential as food source for sustainable beekeeping in Lombok Island.

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Sea-spray aerosols and SARS-Cov-2: an analysis using AERONET data

10.21203/rs.3.rs-105929/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jacques Piazzola ◽

Christelle Desnues ◽

Philippe Parent ◽

Christophe Yohia ◽

Elisa Canepa

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Transport ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Sea Spray ◽

Anthropogenic Aerosols ◽

Virus Propagation ◽

Air Masses ◽

The People ◽

The Social ◽

Aerosol Properties

Abstract Even if the people density, habits and displacements probably represent the most important causes of the SARS-Cov-2 virus propagation, the role of the atmospheric aerosol needs to be investigated. Therefore, we aimed to study if the aerosol properties related to the different sources and meteorological conditions we can observe in urbanized areas can have an influence on in the atmospheric transport of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This paper focuses on the lockdown period to reduce the differences in the social behavior. As an example, we investigated the contamination cases during March 2020 in two specific French areas located in both continental and coastal areas with regard to the meteorological conditions and the corresponding aerosol properties. To this end, we used both the optical depth (AOD) and the Angstrom exponent provided by the AERONET network. The results show that the analysis of aerosol ground-based data can be of interest to assess a virus survey. In particular, our data show that moderate to strong onshore winds occurring in coastal regions, which allow large sea-spray production episodes, deal with smaller COVID-19 contamination rates. This is probably due to the fact that the coagulation of SARS-Cov-2 particles with hygroscopic salty sea-spray aerosols would tend to inhibit its viral infectivity via possible reaction with NaCl, especially in high relative humidity environments. In contrast, out results confirm that the atmospheric transport of the SARS-Cov-2 can be favored by its coagulation with anthropogenic aerosols, which protects the virus particle from ambient humidity and preserves its infectivity.Capsule: Our results suggest that maritime air-masses limit the SARS-Cov-2 impact via the role of the sea-spray.

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Temporal Variability and Geographical Origins of Airborne Pollen Grains Concentrations from 2015 to 2018 at Saclay, France

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs10121932 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1932 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Roland Sarda Estève ◽

Dominique Baisnée ◽

Benjamin Guinot ◽

Jean-Eudes Petit ◽

John Sodeau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Airborne Pollen ◽

Pollen Grains ◽

Receptor Site ◽

Software Tool ◽

Point Sources ◽

Spore Trap ◽

Air Masses ◽

Synoptic Conditions ◽

Mild Temperature ◽

User Friendly

The study of the origin and dispersion processes associated with airborne pollen grains are important to understand due to their impacts on health. In this context, a Hirst-type spore trap was utilized over the period 2015–2018 to monitor ambient pollen grains at Saclay, France, a receptor site influenced by both clean air masses originating from the Atlantic Ocean and polluted air masses under anticyclonic conditions. The objective of this work was to use ZeFir (a user-friendly, software tool recently-developed to investigate the geographical origin and point sources of atmospheric pollution) as a method to analyse total and allergenic airborne pollen grain concentrations. Strong interannual variability was exhibited for the total pollen grains concentrations and it was determined that this was mainly driven by Betulaceae pollen, with a general increasing trend displayed. The start of the pollen season was seen to be triggered by particular synoptic conditions after a period of dormancy and two maximums were displayed, one in April and a second in June. Results from the ZeFir tool, fed with on-site hourly meteorological and pollen measurements, demonstrate that the dominant pollen grains inputs to Saclay are favoured by non-prevailing winds originating from East and North in association with dry air, moderate winds, mild temperature and enhanced insolation.

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