scholarly journals Ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol as tracers for biogenic aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 829-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Burshtein ◽  
N. Lang-Yona ◽  
Y. Rudich
Keyword(s):  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Biogenic Aerosols ◽  
Chemical Biomarkers

Abstract. Aerosols containing biological components can have a significant effect on human health by causing primarily irritation, infection and allergies. Specifically, airborne fungi can cause a wide array of adverse responses in humans depending on the type and quantity present. In this study we used chemical biomarkers for analyzing fungi-containing aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean region during the year 2009 in order to quantify annual fungal abundances. The prime marker for fungi used in this study was ergosterol, and its concentrations were compared with those of mannitol and arabitol which were recently suggested to also correlate with fungal spores concentrations (Bauer et al., 2008a). Back trajectory analysis, inorganic ions, humidity and temperature were used in an attempt to identify sources as well as the dependence on seasonal and environmental conditions. We found that the ambient concentrations of ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol range between 0 and 2.73 ng m−3, 1.85 and 58.27 ng m−3, 5.57 and 138.03 ng m−3, respectively. The highest levels for all biomarkers were during the autumn, probably from local terrestrial sources, as deduced from the inorganic ions and back trajectory analysis. Significant correlations were observed between arabitol and mannitol during the entire year except for the winter months. Both sugars correlated with ergosterol only during the spring and autumn. We conclude that mannitol and arabitol might not be specific biomarkers for fungi and that the observed correlations during spring and autumn may be attributed to high levels of vegetation during spring blossoms and autumn decomposing.

scholarly journals Ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol as tracers for biogenic aerosols in the Eastern Mediterranean

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 27725-27758 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Burshtein ◽  
N. Lang Yona ◽  
Y. Rudich
Keyword(s):  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Biogenic Aerosols ◽  
Chemical Biomarkers

Abstract. Aerosols containing biological components can have a significant effect on human health by causing primarily irritation, infection and allergies. Specifically, airborne fungi can cause a wide array of adverse responses in humans depending on the type and quantity present. In this study we used chemical biomarkers for analyzing fungi-containing aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean region during the year 2009 in order to quantify annual fungal abundances. The prime marker for fungi used in this study was ergosterol, and its concentrations were compared with those of mannitol and arabitol, which were recently suggested to also correlate with fungal spores concentrations (Bauer et al., 2008a). Back trajectory analysis, inorganic ions, humidity and temperature were used in an attempt to identify sources as well as the dependence on seasonal and environmental conditions. We found that the ambient concentrations of ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol range between 0 and 2.73 ng m−3, 1.85 and 58.27 ng m−3, 5.57 and 138.03 ng m−3, respectively. The highest levels for all biomarkers were during the autumn, probably from local terrestrial sources, as deduced from the inorganic ions and back trajectory analysis. Significant correlations were observed between arabitol and mannitol during the entire year except for the winter months. Both sugars correlated with ergosterol only during the spring and autumn. We conclude that mannitol and arabitol might not be specific biomarkers for fungi and that the observed correlations during spring and autumn may be attributed to high levels of vegetation during spring blossoms and autumn decomposition.

scholarly journals Airborne microplastic particles detected in the remote marine atmosphere

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miri Trainic ◽  
J. Michel Flores ◽  
Iddo Pinkas ◽  
Maria Luiza Pedrotti ◽  
Fabien Lombard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Anthropogenic Pollution ◽  
Terminal Velocity ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Marine Atmosphere ◽  
Local Production ◽  
The North ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis

AbstractAnthropogenic pollution from marine microplastic particles is a growing concern, both as a source of toxic compounds, and because they can transport pathogens and other pollutants. Airborne microplastic particles were previously observed over terrestrial and coastal locations, but not in the remote ocean. Here, we collected ambient aerosol samples in the North Atlantic Ocean, including the remote marine atmosphere, during the Tara Pacific expedition in May-June 2016, and chemically characterized them using micro-Raman spectroscopy. We detected a range of airborne microplastics, including polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly-silicone compounds. Polyethylene and polypropylene were also found in seawater, suggesting local production of airborne microplastic particles. Terminal velocity estimations and back trajectory analysis support this conclusion. For technical reasons, only particles larger than 5 µm, at the upper end of a typical marine atmospheric size distribution, were analyzed, suggesting that our analyses underestimate the presence of airborne microplastic particles in the remote marine atmosphere.

Air mass origins by back trajectory analysis for evaluating atmospheric 210Pb concentrations at Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan

2009 ◽  
Vol 279 (2) ◽  
pp. 493-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Akata ◽  
H. Kawabata ◽  
H. Hasegawa ◽  
K. Kondo ◽  
T. Sato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis

A GIS based approach to back trajectory analysis for the source apportionment of aerosol constituents and its first application

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik van Pinxteren ◽  
Erika Brüggemann ◽  
Thomas Gnauk ◽  
Konrad Müller ◽  
Christian Thiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Back Trajectory Analysis

scholarly journals Sampling of an STT event over the Eastern Mediterranean region by lidar and electrochemical sonde

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2039-2050 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Papayannis ◽  
D. Balis ◽  
P. Zanis ◽  
E. Galani ◽  
H. Wernli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Structure Evolution ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Northern Greece

Abstract. A two-wavelength ultraviolet (289–316nm) ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system is used to perform ozone measurements in the free troposphere in the Eastern Mediterranean (Northern Greece). The ozone DIAL profiles obtained during a Stratosphere-to-Troposphere Transport (STT) event are compared to that acquired by an electrochemical ozonesonde, in the altitude range between 2 and 10 km. The measurement accuracy of these two instruments is also discussed. The mean difference between the ozone profiles obtained by the two techniques is of the order of 1.11 ppbv (1.86%), while the corresponding standard deviation is 4.69 ppbv (8.16%). A case study of an STT event which occurred on 29 November 2000 is presented and analyzed, using ozone lidar, satellite and meteorological data, as well as air mass back-trajectory analysis. During this STT event ozone mixing ratios of 55–65 ppbv were observed between 5 and 7 km height above sea level (a.s.l.). Stratospheric air was mixed with tropospheric air masses, leading to potential vorticity (PV) losses due to diabatic processes. The ozone DIAL system can be used for following STT events and small-scale mixing phenomena in the free troposphere, and for providing sequences of vertical ozone profiles in the free troposphere. Keywords. Atmospheric composition and structure (Evolution of the atmosphere; Instruments and techniques) – Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (Middle atmosphere dynamics; Turbulence)

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