Aerosol Chemistry and Effects in the Anthropocene

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Carmichael
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Climate Services ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Earth Systems ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Prediction Systems ◽  
Physical And Chemical

<p>Atmospheric aerosols impact air quality and human health. They also play a key role in the Earth’s weather and climate systems.  Aerosol amounts and physical and chemical properties determine their toxicity, radiative and microphysical impacts. Recent advances in observations and models are significantly enhancing our ability to quantify the distribution and properties of aerosols, understand their impacts on atmospheric radiation and cloud distributions and properties, and their presence near the Earth’s surface and the resulting impacts to human health. There is a need for closer integration of aerosols into numerical prediction systems. The World Meteorological Organization has set a strategic goal to advance earth systems modeling to enhance seamless prediction of environmental, weather and climate services across spatial and temporal scales. In this talk the need for this approach and the opportunities and advances will be discussed.</p>

scholarly journals An Overview of Dynamic Heterogeneous Oxidations in the Troposphere

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Pillar-Little ◽  
Marcelo Guzman
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Physical And Chemical Properties ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Chemical Properties

Due to the adverse effect of atmospheric aerosols on public health and their ability to affect climate, extensive research has been undertaken in recent decades to understand their sources and sinks, as well as to study their physical and chemical properties. Atmospheric aerosols are important players in the Earth’s radiative budget, affecting incoming and outgoing solar radiation through absorption and scattering by direct and indirect means. While the cooling properties of pure inorganic aerosols are relatively well understood, the impact of organic aerosols on the radiative budget is unclear. Additionally, organic aerosols are transformed through chemical reactions during atmospheric transport. The resulting complex mixture of organic aerosol has variable physical and chemical properties that contribute further to the uncertainty of these species modifying the radiative budget. Correlations between oxidative processing and increased absorptivity, hygroscopicity, and cloud condensation nuclei activity have been observed, but the mechanisms behind these phenomena have remained unexplored. Herein, we review environmentally relevant heterogeneous mechanisms occurring on interfaces that contribute to the processing of aerosols. Recent laboratory studies exploring processes at the aerosol–air interface are highlighted as capable of generating the complexity observed in the environment. Furthermore, a variety of laboratory methods developed specifically to study these processes under environmentally relevant conditions are introduced. Remarkably, the heterogeneous mechanisms presented might neither be feasible in the gas phase nor in the bulk particle phase of aerosols at the fast rates enabled on interfaces. In conclusion, these surface mechanisms are important to better understand how organic aerosols are transformed in the atmosphere affecting the environment.

scholarly journals Facts about phthalate toxicity in humans and their occurrence in alcoholic beverages

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Brčić Karačonji ◽  
Sonja Anić Jurica ◽  
Dario Lasić ◽  
Karlo Jurica
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Aliphatic Alcohol ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Alcohol Production ◽  
Regulatory Limits ◽  
Alternative Materials ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
And Chemical Properties

AbstractPhthalates are esters of phthalic acid and aliphatic alcohol added to plastic to improve its softness, flexibility, and extensibility. They easily migrate from plastic products into the environment because of their physical and chemical properties. This review summarises their characteristics, distribution in the environment, monitoring, use, toxic effects on human health, regulatory limits in different matrices and products, and tolerable daily intake. The studies we have reviewed suggest that phthalates have a potential to affect reproduction and development in humans. Due to the inconsistent data, further studies are needed and, in the meantime, precautionary policies must be implemented. Here we draw attention to the methods of determining phthalate levels in alcoholic beverages and reported levels in plum spirits produced in Croatia. Legally produced and moderately consumed plum spirits do not seem to increase the risk of phthalate toxicity for human health. We conclude with recommendations for the effective monitoring of phthalate exposure in humans and for the implementation of alternative materials in alcohol production.

scholarly journals Perspectives on tipping points in integrated models of the natural and human earth system: cascading effects and telecoupling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian L. E. Franzke ◽  
Alessio Ciullo ◽  
Elisabeth A. Gilmore ◽  
Denise Margaret Matias ◽  
Nidhi Nagabhatla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tipping Points ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Integrated Models ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Earth Systems ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Systematic Development ◽  
Climate Crisis

Abstract The Earth system and the human system are intrinsically linked. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have led to the climate crisis, which is causing unprecedented extreme events and could trigger Earth system tipping elements. Physical and social forces can lead to tipping points and cascading effects via feedbacks and telecoupling, but the current generation of climate-economy models do not generally take account of these interactions and feedbacks. Here, we show the importance of the interplay between human societies and Earth systems in creating tipping points and cascading effects and the way they in turn affect sustainability and security. The lack of modeling of these links can lead to an underestimation of climate and societal risks as well as how societal tipping points can be harnessed to moderate physical impacts. This calls for the systematic development of models for a better integration and understanding of Earth and human systems at different spatial and temporal scales, specifically those that enable decision-making to reduce the likelihood of crossing local or global tipping points.

scholarly journals Bimetal CuFe Nanoparticles—Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1978
Author(s):  
Zaneta Swiatkowska-Warkocka
Keyword(s):  
Size Structure ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Synthesis Properties ◽  
Earth Abundant ◽  
Review Reports ◽  
Synthetic Approaches ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
And Chemical Properties

Bimetal CuFe (copper-iron) nanoparticles, which are based on the earth-abundant and inexpensive metals, have generated a great deal of interest in recent years. The possible modification of the chemical and physical properties of these nanoparticles by changing their size, structure, and composition has contributed to the development of material science. At the same time, the strong tendency of these elements to oxidize under atmospheric conditions makes the synthesis of pure bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles still a great challenge. This review reports on different synthetic approaches to bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles and bimetallic CuFe nanoparticles supported on various materials (active carbide, carbide nanotubes, silica, graphite, cellulose, mesoporous carbide), their structure, physical, and chemical properties, as well as their utility as catalysts, including electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.

Hydrothermal Properties of Geologic Fluids

Elements ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 375-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Steele-MacInnis ◽  
Craig E. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Geochemical Evolution ◽  
Physical And Chemical Properties ◽  
Fluid Circulation ◽  
Hydrothermal Conditions ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geologic Setting ◽  
Multicomponent Solutions ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
And Chemical Properties

Aqueous fluids are critical agents in the geochemical evolution of Earth’s interior. Fluid circulation and fluid–rock reactions in the Earth take place at temperatures ranging from ambient to magmatic, at pressures from ambient to extreme, and involve fluids that range from nearly pure H2O through to complex, multicomponent solutions. Consequently, the physical and chemical properties of hydrothermal fluids vary widely as functions of geologic setting; this variation strongly impacts fluid-driven processes. This issue will focus on the nature of geologic fluids at hydrothermal conditions and how such fluids affect geologic processes in some major settings.

scholarly journals Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Their Importance in Animal Nutrition

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarkan Şahin ◽  
Sakine Dalğa ◽  
Mükremin Ölmez
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines ◽  
Animal Nutrition ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Pah Exposure ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formed as a result of incomplete combustion of organic compounds. It contains compounds that cause toxic, teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic damage, such as heterocyclic aromatic amines, benzene and formaldehyde. PAHs can be found in industrial wastes, garbage, cigarette smoke, pesticides and flue gases and can contaminate air, water, soil and food. Although more than 100 PAH compounds are detected in nature, it is accepted that 16 PAH compounds have more harmful effects. It is important to determine the PAH exposure levels of feeds used in animal nutrition, since the contamination of feed plants and factory feeds with PAH compounds will indirectly affect human health. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of PAHs and their effects on animal production and indirectly on human health were compiled.

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