Oxidative Potential of PM2.5 in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and the effect of dust storms.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manna Alwadei ◽  
Steven Thomson ◽  
Louisa Kramer ◽  
Zongbo Shi ◽  
William Bloss
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Oxidative Potential ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Average Mass ◽  
The Mean

<p>The ability of particulate matter (PM) to generate reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative stress in human body is known as oxidative potential (OP). OP is considered an important indicator of the toxicity of PM, which is associated with adverse health impacts. Linking the predicted health impacts of aerosols to OP may be more relevant than considering PM mass only. In this study, we determined the OP of PM<sub>2.5</sub> (PM with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm) in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in order to understand the relationship of OP to PM mass and composition in the present and absent of dust storm.<br>PM<sub>2.5</sub> was collected from two locations in Dammam city in the winter and summer of 2018. The first location was the city centre as an urban area while the second one was in the campus of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University as an urban background area. OP was quantified using dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The mean PM<sub>2.5</sub> mass in the summer (120.5 µg/m<sup>3</sup>) was nearly  twice that in the winter (62.6 µg/m<sup>3</sup>). The average OP activity per air volume (DDTv) in the winter was 1.14 nmol min<sup>-1</sup> m<sup>-3</sup> while in the summer it was 1.77 nmol min<sup>-1</sup> m<sup>-3</sup>. Conversely, the mean OP activity per PM mass (DDTm) in the winter was 24.56 pmol min<sup>-1</sup> µg<sup>-3</sup> while it was lower in the summer at 17.3 pmol min<sup>-1</sup> µg<sup>-3</sup>. Results showed an inverse correlation between PM mass and DDTm, while there was a positive correlation between PM mass and DDTv. Even though the average mass of PM<sub>2.5</sub> in the summer was almost twice that in the winter, the average DDTm was lower in the summer compared to winter. This is due to the much lower oxidative potential in dust storm particles, which contribute significantly to the summertime PM<sub>2.5</sub>. Our results suggest that OP is driven by PM composition rather than mass. </p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Dust Storms in Northern China: Long-Term Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Climate Controls

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (17) ◽  
pp. 6683-6700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingyu Guan ◽  
Xiazhong Sun ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Baotian Pan ◽  
Shilei Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Spatiotemporal Characteristics ◽  
Dust Generation ◽  
The Mean

Airborne dust derived from desertification in northern China can be transported to East Asia and other regions, impairing human health and affecting the global climate. This study of northern China dust provides an understanding of the mechanism of dust generation and transportation. The authors used dust storm and climatological data from 129 sites and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets in northern China to analyze spatiotemporal characteristics and determine the main factors controlling dust storms occurring during 1960–2007. Dust storm–prone areas are consistent with the spatial distribution of northern China deserts where the average wind speed (AWS) is more than 2 m s−1, the mean annual temperature (MAT) ranges from 5° to 10°C, and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) is less than 450 mm. Dust storms commonly occur on spring afternoons in a 3- to 6-h pattern. The three predominant factors that can affect DSF are the maximum wind speed, AWS, and MAT. During 1960–2007, dust storm frequency (DSF) in most regions of northern China fluctuated but had a decreasing trend; this was mainly caused by a gradual reduction in wind speed. The effect of temperature on DSF is complex, as positive and negative correlations exist simultaneously. Temperatures can affect source material (dust, sand, etc.), cyclone activity, and vegetation growth status, which influence the generation of dust storms. NDVI and precipitation are negatively correlated with DSF, but the effect is weak. Vegetation can protect the topsoil environment and prevent dust storm creation but is affected by the primary decisive influence of precipitation.

scholarly journals The March 2009 Dust Event in Saudi Arabia: Precursor and Supportive Environment

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. H. Alharbi ◽  
A. Maghrabi ◽  
N. Tapper
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Dust Storm Event ◽  
Jet Streak ◽  
Dust Load

A case study is presented of the environmental background for a massive Saudi Arabian dust storm event that took place on 10 and 11 March 2009. The dust storm was large enough to be clearly seen from outer space and caused a widespread heavy atmospheric dust load, very low visibility, total airport shutdown, and damage to vehicles and trees across northern and central parts of Saudi Arabia. The precursor and supportive environment for this dust storm outbreak are investigated, drawing upon routine synoptic data and satellite imagery. Analytical evidence is offered to suggest that this dust storm was triggered and sustained by a cold front passage coincident with the propagation of a preexisting intense upperlevel jet streak. The major plume of the 10 March 2009 dust storm originated from several rich dust source areas extending across two regions—the Qasim region and the Adibdibah and As-Summan Plateau region. The intensity and frequency of dust storms triggered from these active areas of dust emissions seem to be dominated by a response to the amount of precipitation during November and December.

scholarly journals Quantitative Detection of Dust Storms with the Millimeter Wave Radar in the Taklimakan Desert

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming ◽  
Wei ◽  
Wang
Keyword(s):  
Dust Storm ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Taklimakan Desert ◽  
Effective Height ◽  
Average Mass ◽  
Wave Radar ◽  
Dust Mass ◽  
Spectrum Distribution ◽  
Reflectivity Factor

In order to conduct real-time quantitative monitoring of dust storms, Ka-band millimeter wave radar (MMWR) was utilized for the consecutive detection of dust storms over the Taklimakan Desert from April to June 2018. The retrievals of the reflectivity factor, dust spectrum distribution and dust mass concentration were carried out with the power spectrum data detected by MMWR for three dust storm processes. The analysis shows that: The probability density distribution of dust conforms to the lognormal distribution. During the dust storm processes, the effective detection height of the reflectivity factor was within 2000 m and the range of the reflectivity factors was between-25 dBZ and 25 dBZ. During the floating dust period, the effective height of the dust spectrum distribution was lower than 300 m and the values of dust mass concentration were less than 31.62 μg·m-3,at a height of 200 m. Furthermore, during the blowing sand stage, the effective height of the dust spectrum distribution was normally lower than 600 m and the values of dust mass concentration were mainly less than 316.23 μg·m-3,at a height of 200 m. During the dust storm period, the effective height of the dust spectrum distributionexceeded1000 m; when the height was 100 m, the values of dust mass concentration were between 1220 μg∙m-3 and 42,146 μg∙m-3 and the average mass concentration was 9287 μg·m-3; whereas, the values of dust mass concentration were between 2 μg∙m-3 and 820 μg∙m-3 when the height was 1200m and the average mass concentration was 24 μg∙m-3. The relationship between the reflectivity factor Z and the dust mass concentration M isdefined as Z=651.6M0.796. Compared with the observational data from Grimm180 particle detector, the data of the retrieved dust mass concentration are basically accurate and this retrieved method proves to be feasible. Thus, the MMWR cans be used as a new device for quantitative monitoring of dust storms.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Incidence of Dust Storms in Saudi Arabia Revealed from In Situ Observations

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Albugami ◽  
Steven Palmer ◽  
Jonathan Cinnamon ◽  
Jeroen Meersmans
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
The West ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Over Time

Monthly meteorological data from 27 observation stations provided by the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) of Saudi Arabia were used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric dust in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2016. These data were used to analyze the effects of environmental forcing on the occurrence of dust storms across Saudi Arabia by considering the relationships between dust storm frequency and temperature, precipitation, and wind variables. We reveal a clear seasonality in the reported incidence of dust storms, with the highest frequency of events during the spring. Our results show significant positive relationships (p < 0.005) between dust storm occurrence and wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation. However, we did not detect a significant relationship with temperature. Our results reveal important spatial patterns, as well as seasonal and inter-annual variations, in the occurrence of dust storms in Saudi Arabia. For instance, the eastern part of the study area experienced an increase in dust storm events over time, especially in the region near Al-Ahsa. Similarly, an increasing trend in dust storms was also observed in the west of the study area near Jeddah. However, the occurrence of dust storm events is decreasing over time in the north, in areas such as Hail and Qaisumah. Overall, the eastern part of Saudi Arabia experiences the highest number of dust storms per year (i.e., 10 to 60 events), followed by the northern region, with the south and the west having fewer dust storm events (i.e., five to 15 events per year). In addition, our results showed that the wind speeds during a dust storm are 15–20 m/s and above, while, on a non-dust day, the wind speeds are approximately 10–15 m/s or lower. Findings of this study provide insight into the relationship between environmental conditions and dust storm occurrence across Saudi Arabia, and a basis for future research into the drivers behind these observed spatio-temporal trends.

Persistence of modern varieties and hybrids of carrots and its dependence on the biochemical composition

2020 ◽  
pp. 16-19
Author(s):  
Е.В. Янченко
Keyword(s):  
Botrytis Cinerea ◽  
Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
White Rot ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Modern Varieties

Цель исследований – дать оценку сохраняемости и болезнеустойчивости современных сортов и гибридов моркови столовой и определить корреляционные зависимости влияния биохимических показателей качества на сохраняемость и степень поражения моркови столовой различными видами болезней в процессе хранения. Исследования проводились в 2011–2016 годах во ВНИИО – филиале ФГБНУ ФНЦО по общепринятым методикам. В биохимической лаборатории отдела земледелия и агрохимии содержание сухого вещества определяли высушиванием до абсолютно сухого веса, общего сахара – по Бертрану, аскорбиновой кислоты – по Мурри, нитраты – ионоселективным методом. При характеристике моркови столовой важнейший показатель, определяющий его качество – количество сухого вещества и сахаров. В процессе хранения были выявлены следующие болезни моркови: серая гниль (Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr.), белая гниль (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.)), белая парша (Rhizoctonia carotae Rad.), альтернариоз (Alternaria radicina M., Dr. et E.). В большей степени сортообразцы моркови столовой поражались серой гнилью. Лучшими по сохраняемости сортообразцами были Корсар (94,6%), F1Берлин (94,5%), Берликум Роял (94,1%) и F1 Звезда (94%). Сохраняемость у зарубежных сортов и гибридов моркови столовой была немного выше, чем у отечественных (на 0,4%) как за счет меньшей величины убыли массы (6,3% против 6,4%), так и потерь от болезней (1,6% против 1,9%). Сохраняемость корнеплодов моркови находится в прямой корреляционной зависимости от содержания сухого вещества (r=+0,41), каротиноидов (r=+0,39), моносахаров (r­=+0,30) и суммы сахаров (r=+0,27). Проявление серой гнили находится в обратной корреляционной связи с содержанием сухого вещества и каротиноидов (r=-0,37 и r=-0,35 соответственно), белой парши – в прямой корреляции с содержанием сухого вещества , моносахаров и дисахаров (r= +0,21; r= +0,39; r= -0,41 соответственно), белой гнили в обратной корреляционной связи с содержанием сухого вещества, моносахаров и дисахаров. The purpose of the research is to assess the persistence and disease resistance of modern varieties and hybrids of carrots and to determine the correlation between the influence of biochemical quality indicators on the persistence and degree of damage to carrots by various types of diseases during storage. The research was conducted in 2011–2016 at ARRIVG – branch of FSBSI FSVC, according to generally accepted methods. In the biochemical laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and Agrochemistry, the dry matter content was determined by drying to absolutely dry weight, total sugar – by Bertran, ascorbic acid – by Murri, nitrates – by the ion-selective method. When describing carrots, the most important indicator that determines its quality is the amount of dry matter and sugars. During storage, the following diseases of carrots were detected: gray rot (Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr.), white rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.), white scab (Rhizoctonia carotae Rad.), alternariasis (Alternaria radicina M., Dr. et E.). To a greater extent, varieties of table carrots were affected by gray rot. The best preserved varieties were Corsar (94.6%), F1 Berlin (94.5%), Berlicum Royal (94.1%) and F1 Zvezda (94%). The persistence of foreign varieties and hybrids of table carrots was slightly higher than that of domestic ones by 0.4%. both due to a smaller amount of weight loss (6.3% vs. 6.4%) and losses from diseases (1.6% vs. 1.9%). The persistence of carrot root crops is directly correlated with the content of dry matter (r=+0.41), carotenoids (r=+0.39), monosaccharides (r=+0.30) and the amount of sugars (r=+0.27). The manifestation of gray rot is in inverse correlation with the content of dry matter and carotenoids (r=-0.37 and r=-0.35, respectively), white scab is in direct correlation with the content of dry matter (r= +0.21; r= +0.39; r= –0.41, respectively), white rot is in inverse correlation with the content of dry matter, monosaccharides and disaccharides.

scholarly journals Global Health Impacts of Dust Storms: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117863022110183
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Aghababaeian ◽  
Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Ali Asgary ◽  
Mehry Akbary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Emergency Medical Dispatch ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
English Articles

Background: Dust storms and their impacts on health are becoming a major public health issue. The current study examines the health impacts of dust storms around the world to provide an overview of this issue. Method: In this systematic review, 140 relevant and authoritative English articles on the impacts of dust storms on health (up to September 2019) were identified and extracted from 28 968 articles using valid keywords from various databases (PubMed, WOS, EMBASE, and Scopus) and multiple screening steps. Selected papers were then qualitatively examined and evaluated. Evaluation results were summarized using an Extraction Table. Results: The results of the study are divided into two parts: short and long-term impacts of dust storms. Short-term impacts include mortality, visitation, emergency medical dispatch, hospitalization, increased symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function. Long-term impacts include pregnancy, cognitive difficulties, and birth problems. Additionally, this study shows that dust storms have devastating impacts on health, affecting cardiovascular and respiratory health in particular. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that dust storms have significant public health impacts. More attention should be paid to these natural hazards to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate these hazardous events to reduce their negative health impacts. Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018093325

scholarly journals Dust Transport from Inland Australia and Its Impact on Air Quality and Health on the Eastern Coast of Australia during the February 2019 Dust Storm

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Emilie Aragnou ◽  
Sean Watt ◽  
Hiep Nguyen Duc ◽  
Cassandra Cheeseman ◽  
Matthew Riley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
The State ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Dust Storm Event

Dust storms originating from Central Australia and western New South Wales frequently cause high particle concentrations at many sites across New South Wales, both inland and along the coast. This study focussed on a dust storm event in February 2019 which affected air quality across the state as detected at many ambient monitoring stations in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) air quality monitoring network. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast Model—Chemistry) model is used to study the formation, dispersion and transport of dust across the state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia). Wildfires also happened in northern NSW at the same time of the dust storm in February 2019, and their emissions are taken into account in the WRF-Chem model by using Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) as emission input. The model performance is evaluated and is shown to predict fairly accurate the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration as compared to observation. The predicted PM2.5 concentration over New South Wales during 5 days from 11 to 15 February 2019 is then used to estimate the impact of the February 2019 dust storm event on three health endpoints, namely mortality, respiratory and cardiac disease hospitalisation rates. The results show that even though as the daily average of PM2.5 over some parts of the state, especially in western and north western NSW near the centre of the dust storm and wild fires, are very high (over 900 µg/m3), the population exposure is low due to the sparse population. Generally, the health impact is similar in order of magnitude to that caused by biomass burning events from wildfires or from hazardous reduction burnings (HRBs) near populous centres such as in Sydney in May 2016. One notable difference is the higher respiratory disease hospitalisation for this dust event (161) compared to the fire event (24).

An overview of bioaerosol load and health impacts associated with dust storms: A focus on the Middle East

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 ◽  
pp. 117187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Soleimani ◽  
Pari Teymouri ◽  
Ali Darvishi Boloorani ◽  
Alireza Mesdaghinia ◽  
Nick Middleton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Health Impacts

scholarly journals Disease phenotype analyses of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Canada and Saudi Arabia

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (S1) ◽  
pp. S32-S32
Author(s):  
M Alluqmani ◽  
M Alqermli ◽  
G Blevins ◽  
B Alotibi ◽  
F Giuliani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Similar Disease ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibits a spectrum of clinical findings, especially in relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS). To assess the effects of geographic location and ethnicity on RR-MS phenotype, we investigated RR-MS patients in Canada and Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients receiving active care in MS Clinics was performed in Medina, Saudi Arabia and Edmonton, Alberta. Demographic and clinical data was collected for each patient. Results: 98 patients with treated RR-MS were recruited (n=51, Medina; n=47, Edmonton); 40 patients were Caucasian (Edmonton) while 46 patients were Bedouin (Medina). Although the disease duration was longer in the Edmonton (5.7+2.3 yr) compared to the Medina group (4.4+1.4 yr) (p<0.05), the mean age of RR-MS onset, relapse rate and EDSS change were similar. The female:male ratio was comparable in Edmonton (35:12) and Medina (32:19), as was the risk of optic neuritis. The likelihood of an infratentorial lesion-associated presentation differed (Edmonton, n=23; Medina; n=13) among groups (p<0.05). Spinal cord lesions on MRI were more frequent in Edmonton (n=18) compared to Medina (n=1) patients (p<0.05). Conclusions: Despite differences in location, ethnicity, and a predominance of infratentorial lesion burden the Edmonton group, the RR-MS phenotype displayed similar disease severity and trajectory in these cohorts.

Estimating the intra- and inter-individual imprecision of manual pipetting

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lippi ◽  
Gabriel Lima-Oliveira ◽  
Giorgio Brocco ◽  
Antonella Bassi ◽  
Gian Luca Salvagno
Keyword(s):  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Biological Samples ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Distilled Water ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Laboratory Practice ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Plastic Container ◽  
Water Solutions ◽  
The Mean

AbstractBackground:Despite the importance of manual pipetting of fluids such as water, solutions, buffers, reagents, or biological samples in daily laboratory practice, the intra- and inter-individual imprecision of this activity has not been recently described in scientific publications.Methods:Twenty laboratory operators were randomly enrolled for this study. Imprecision of manual pipetting was estimated by asking each laboratory professional to dispense 1 mL, 100 μL or 10 μL of distilled water for 10 consecutive times with three certified pipettes into a 50-mL plastic container placed into a gravimetric balance. The weight of the water dispensed was systematically recorded for each of the 10 repeated attempts, and the inter- and intra-operator imprecision was finally calculated and expressed as coefficient of variation (CV%).Results:The mean intra-individual imprecision was 5.7% (range, 0%–11.8%) for pipetting 10 μL, 0.8% (range, 0.4%–1.9%) for pipetting 100 μL, and 0.2% (range, 0.1%–0.5%) for pipetting 1 mL. Overall, the mean inter-individual imprecision was 8.1% for pipetting 10 μL, 1.1% for pipetting 100 μL and 0.4% for pipetting 1 mL. A significantly inverse correlation was found between intra-individual pipetting imprecision and the amount of water dispensed (r = –0.80; p<0.001). No significant correlation was observed between individual pipetting performance and sex, age, qualification, and years of experience in the laboratory.Conclusions:The results of this study show that manual pipetting is plagued by a considerable intra- and inter-individual imprecision, which is inversely correlated with the amount of fluid dispensed.

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