Evidence of new particle formation during post monsoon season over a high-altitude site of the Western Ghats,India

The formation of ultrafine particles, their growth, and associated characteristic features has been studied during new particle formation events over a high-altitude station of the Western Ghats during the 2014 post-monsoon season. Most of the events were observed during noon time where particle bursts in the nucleation-mode size range from 5 to 25 nm followed by sustained growth in size. This phenomenon persists for ～4–8 h with a growth rate of 1–2 nm h^–1. Peak concentrations of nucleation-mode particles during the event generally vary from 2300 to 5000 cm^–3. The mean growth rate is 1.4 ± 0.42 nm h^–1, particle formation rate is 1.14 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, coagulation sink is 0.35 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, and condensational sink is 15.4 ± 2.6?×?10^–3 s^–1. All these values are comparable with earlier results from Indian region. Comparison of size-segregated particle number concentration during days of new particle formation events and those without new particle formation were carried out showing a distinct variation in nucleation and Aitken mode with least variability associated with the accumulation mode.     

Key features of new particle formation events at background sites in China and their influence on cloud condensation nuclei

New particle formation (NPF) event at multi rural sites in China Identifying the characteristics of NPF event Comparing NPF event between clean and polluted conditions Quantifying contribution to the cloud condensation nuclei Implication of climate and air quality Long-term continuous measurements of particle number size distributions with mobility diameter sizes ranging from 3 to 800 nm were performed to study new particle formation (NPF) events at Shangdianzi (SDZ), Mt. Tai (TS), and Lin’an (LAN) stations representing the background atmospheric conditions in the North China Plain (NCP), Central East China (CEC), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regions, respectively. The mean formation rate of 3-nm particles was 6.3, 3.7, and 5.8 cm⁻³·s⁻¹, and the mean particle growth rate was 3.6, 6.0, and 6.2 nm·h⁻¹ at SDZ, TS, and LAN, respectively. The NPF event characteristics at the three sites indicate that there may be a stronger source of low volatile vapors and higher condensational sink of pre-existing particles in the YRD region. The formation rate of NPF events at these sites, as well as the condensation sink, is approximately 10 times higher than some results reported at rural/urban sites in western countries. However, the growth rates appear to be 1–2 times higher. Approximately 12%–17% of all NPF events with nucleated particles grow to a climate-relevant size (>50 nm). These kinds of NPF events were normally observed with higher growth rate than the other NPF cases. Generally, the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration can be enhanced by approximately a factor of 2–6 on these event days. The mean value of the enhancement factor is lowest at LAN (2–3) and highest at SDZ (~4). NPF events have also been found to have greater impact on CCN production in China at the regional scale than in the other background sites worldwide.     

Temporal evolution of charged and neutral nanoparticle concentrations during atmospheric new particle formation events and its implications for ion-induced nucleation

Time series of nanoparticle number concentration during new particle formation (NPF) events in the urban environment of Brisbane, Australia, showed that the formation of charged particles often occurred before that of neutral particles. We monitored 241 days during the calendar year 2012 over which NPF events were observed on 108 days. We studied the times at which the charged and neutral particle concentrations in the size range 1.8–3.2 nm reached their peak values and found that they were clearly different in 50 events with the peak neutral particle concentration lagging behind the charged particle concentration during 42 of these events with a mean time lag of 24±12 min. While the charged particles were more likely to form before the neutral particles, once formed, the growth rate of the particles did not depend on their charge. While ion-induced nucleation is not the dominant mechanism of NPF in the atmosphere, our observations suggest that the presence of ions in the atmosphere plays a role that cannot be ignored.

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Speciation of mercury in South African coals

Total mercury (Hg_TOT) concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) for South African Highveld coals. The distribution of Hg in coals was investigated using a four-stage sequential leaching protocol and isotope dilution/gas chromatography coupled to ICP MS (ID-GC-ICP MS). The results show that Hg_TOT ranged from 144 to 303?µg?kg^?1 with a mean of 199?±?26?µg?kg^?1, while Hg_TOT leached from coals using different solvents ranged between 103 and 310?µg?kg^?1 (mean: 218?±?60?µg?kg^?1). Hg leaching rates of 53–78% were achieved in crushed coals. Hg⁰, Hg²⁺, and CH₃Hg⁺ were identified in all coals. CH₃Hg⁺ in studied coals ranged between 0.1 and 0.4 (mean: 0.2) µg?kg^?1. GC ICP MS chromatograms also showed unknown Hg peaks which were identified as other organomercury species such as ethylmercury. Modes of occurrence of Hg in coals were variable with the organic-bound (37–40%) and the sulfide-bound (37–39%) being the dominant mercury forms. Increasing the HCl concentration in the used protocol increased the amount of Hg leached (16%) during this step.     

Enrichments of Trace Metals in Particulate Matter From the Southern East China Sea,North of Taiwan

Abstract

This study investigates the distributions and enrichments of trace metals in suspended and sinking particulate matter from southern East China Sea (ECS) north of Taiwan during the period April 1992 to April 1993. According to these results, concentration of suspended particulate matter in the inner shelf of southern China Sea, the upwellinginfluenced shelf break, and in Kuroshio water are 1.30 (surface)–4.2 (bottom) mg1^?1, ca. 0.4 mg1^?1 and 0.1–0.2 mg1^?1, respectively, reflecting various influences of terrestrial inputs. A benthic nepheloid layer (BNL), apparently owing to resuspension of local and/or remote bottom sediments, formed over the shelf region. Temporal variations in trace metal contents and enrichments in suspended matter from the shelf region reflect the variation of metal inputs from Chinese rivers, particularly from the Changjiang runoff. the enriched metals are more likely to be derived from anthropogenic input, rather than from biological accumulation. in addition, a decrease in metal contents and an increase in salinity confirm the transport of suspended particulate metals from the East China Sea shelf to the open ocean. the feature of metal plume in the intermediate layer (550–800m) of Kuroshio water also verifies this occurrence. Moreover, the sinking particles collected from a sediment trap on the upper slope are relatively enriched in lithogenic matter and trace metals, suggesting the deposit of anthropogenic metals in the slope area.     

Impacts of mussel dredging on sediment phosphorus dynamics in a eutrophic Danish fjord

Effects of mussel dredging on sediment metabolism (oxygen uptake and sulfate reduction rates) and phosphorus dynamics (flux across sediment-water interface and sequential extraction) were examined in Limfjorden (Denmark) during spring (May) and summer (August). Sediment samples were taken during mussel dredging and in addition an experimental simulation of the dredging was performed to investigate short-term changes in phosphorus (P) dynamics. Iron-bound P was reduced by up to 2/3 in the surface layer in the dredging track (from 31 to 8?mmol?P?m^?2), whereas the dissolved P-pools and less reactive particulate pools were not affected by dredging. Sediment oxygen consumption was enhanced immediately after dredging, but returned to the initial level after 4 days (20–40?mmol?m^?2?d^?1). The enhanced consumption was attributed to reoxidation of reduced compounds released during dredging. Sulfate reduction rates were high in the area (13–15?mmol?m^?2?d^?1) and sulfides competed with P for oxidized iron resulting in low iron-bound pools in the area (<4% of total P pools). Sulfate reduction rates were stimulated by the resuspension of sediments, especially in August, where a subsurface maximum was found, possibly due to a mixing of labile organic matter into these layers. In contrast sulfate reduction rates were reduced in the dredging track due to removal of labile organic matter from the surface layers. The loss of P during dredging was to some extent counteracted by regeneration of iron-bound P pools in the surface layers. The release of P due to mussel dredging was estimated to be in the same order of magnitude as the annual loading from the catchments and point sources to Limfjorden.     

Characteristics of mass distributions of aerosol particle and its inorganic water-soluble ions in summer over a suburb farmland in Beijing

Agricultural activity is one of the most important sources of aerosol particles. To understand the mass distribution and sources of aerosol particles and their inorganic water-soluble ions in a suburb farmland of Beijing, particle samples were collected using a microorifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) in the summer of 2004 in a suburb vegetable field. The distribution of the particles and their inorganic water-soluble ions in the diameter range of 0.18–18 μm were measured. The dominant fine particle ions were SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, and NH₄ ⁺. The association of day-to-day variation of the concentration of these ions with temperature, humidity, and solar radiation suggested that they are formed by the reaction of NH₃ released from the vegetable field with the acid species produced from photochemical reactions. Fine particle K⁺ is likely from vegetation emission and biomass burning. Coarse particles like Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, NO₃ ^?, and SO₄ ^2? are suggested to come from the mechanical process by which the soil particle entered the atmosphere, and from the reaction of the acid species at the surface of the soil particle. The results show that fertilizer and soil are important factors determining the aerosol particle over agricultural fields, and vegetable fields in suburban Beijing contribute significantly to the aerosol particle.     

Seasonal changes in inorganic nutrient concentration in the alexandria western harbour (Egypt)

Surface and bottom water samples were collected on a monthly basis from six locations in the Alexandria Western Harbour between April 2002 and March 2003. Total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, reactive phosphate and silicate were analysed. The average content of total nitrogen ranged from 81.1 to 65.7?µmol?l^?1 in the surface and bottom waters, respectively, while ammonia ranged from 13.77 to 15.79?µmol?l^?1 in surface and bottom waters, respectively. Also, the average concentration of nitrite was relatively higher in surface waters than in bottom waters (0.89 and 0.61?µmol?l^?1, respectively). The results of this study also indicated a considerable temporal variation in nitrate concentrations which ranged from 1.12 to 13.83?µmol?l^?1. Total phosphorus displayed an irregular pattern throughout the year, ranging from 1.9 to 11.8?µmol?l^?1 in surface waters and from 1.7 to 9.1?µmol?l^?1 in bottom waters. The results of PO₄-P analysis showed higher values in surface waters (0.28–2.75?µmol?l^?1) than in bottom waters (0.10–1.70?µmol?l^?1). The average concentration of silicates was relatively lower in the surface than in the bottom waters (8.97 and 10.1?µmol?l^?1, respectively). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) among seasons and sites revealed significant differences for ammonia, total nitrogen and phosphate, while nitrate showed no significant differences among stations. Finally, silicate did not show any significant variance among sites and seasons (ANOVA, P?>?0.05).     

Atomic force microscopy study on the microtopography of natural organic matter and newly formed hydrous MnO2

To understand the water purification mechanism of potassium permanganate as a coagulation-aid during the preoxidation process, the microtopography of its reductive products, the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide and the aged hydrous manganese dioxide, was investigated. The morphology of natural organic matter (NOM) adsorbed by the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was also compared with that of NOM alone. By using the tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), the observation results show that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide possess a perforated sheet (with a thickness of 0–1.75 nm) as well as some spherical particle structures compared with the hydrous manganese dioxide with 2 h aging time, which demonstrated that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide had a large surface area and adsorption capacity. When 1 mmol/L newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was added, the microtopography of NOM molecules shifted from a loosely dispersed pancake shape (with adsorption height of 5–8.5 nm) to a densely dispersed and uniform spherical structure. These results provide a valid proof that it is the perfect adsorption capability of the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide that might result in the coagulation aid effect of potassium permanganate preoxidation.     

Size-resolved aerosol ionic composition and secondary formation at Mount Heng in South Central China

To understand the size-resolved aerosol ionic composition and the factors influencing secondary aerosol formation in the upper boundary layer in South Central China, size-segregated aerosol samples were collected using a micro-orifice uniform deposit irnpactor （MOUDI） in spring 2009 at the summit of Mount Heng （1269 m asl）, followed by subsequent laboratory analyses of 13 inorganic and organic water-soluble ions. During non- dust-storm periods, the average PM1.8 concentration was 41.8 μg·m^-3, contributing to 55% of the PM10. Sulfates, nitrates, and ammonium, the dominant ions in the fine particles, amounted to 46.8% of the PM1.8. Compared with Mount Tai in the North China Plain, the concentrations of both fine and coarse particles and the ions contained therein were substantially lower. When the air masses from Southeast Asia prevailed, intensive biomass burning there led to elevated concentrations of sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, potassium, and chloride in the fine particles at Mount Heng. The air masses originating from the north Gobi brought heavy dust storms that resulted in the remarkable production of sulfates, ammonium, methane sulfonic acid, and oxalates in the coarse particles. Generally, the sulfates were primarily produced in the form of （NH4）2SO4 in the droplet mode via heterogeneous aqueous reactions. Only approximately one-third of the nitrates were distributed in the fine mode, and high humidity facilitated the secondary formation of fine nitrates. The heterogeneous formation of coarse nitrates and ammonium on dry alkaline dust surfaces was found to be less efficient than that on the coarse particles during non-dust-storm periods.     

Unique aluminosilicate-based natural nanoparticles in the volcanogenic Goshiki-numa pond

We report here the occurrence of uniquely shaped nanoparticles newly discovered in natural ponds. Nanoparticles originate from the Goshiki-numa pond community in Japan, where volcanic activity facilitated the formation of four specific ponds. We built a steric three-dimensional image of nanoparticles by integrating 120 transmission-electron-microscope image fragments obtained from various angle ranges. The thick-walled, cylindrically shaped particle has an outer diameter that measures approximately 40 nm and a length that measures 70 nm. A 10-nm-thick wall surrounds a 30 nm hole located in the particle centre. Particles are composed of an aluminium silicate-based material with an Al₂O₃:SiO₂ ratio of 2:1. They also exhibit an amorphous X-ray diffraction pattern. Although the water solubility characteristics and the infrared spectrum of these newly discovered particles resembles imogolite, these two materials do not have identical structural characteristics.     

Reef coral reproduction in the eastern Pacific: Costa Rica,Panamá, and the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador). VI. Agariciidae, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pavona clavus</Emphasis>

The reproductive ecology of the zooxanthellate reef coral Pavona clavus was investigated at several sites in Costa Rica, Panamá, and the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) over the period 1985–2009. Pavona clavus displayed stable gonochorism as only five hermaphrodites were found in 590 samples. At four of five locations, sex ratios were skewed toward female dominance; however, at Saboga Island (Panamá) male colonies predominated. In Panamá, sexual maturity was observed in an estimated eight-year-old female colony, and several colonies of 10–20 years of age demonstrated gametogenesis. Sexual activity was observed at all study sites, but gamete development occurred in only 14–31% of colonies sampled sporadically. Seasonality of gametogenic activity occurred predominantly during the warm/wet season, June to August, at mainland sites (Caño Island, Costa Rica, and Gulfs of Chiriquí and Panamá, Panamá). This pattern was repeated in the Galápagos Islands, but mainly from March to May when seasonally high sea temperatures and rainfall prevailed there. Histological sampling and field observations indicated that spawning was centered around the full moon, most frequently on lunar day 17, and near sunset (1,800 h). Mean fecundity (mature ova cm^?2 live tissue) estimates were significantly different for two sites and ranged from ~1,780 (Saboga Island, Gulf of Panamá, seasonally upwelling) to ~4,280 (Uva Is, Gulf of Chiriquí, non-upwelling). Assuming three annual spawning events colony^?1 (August, September, October), extrapolation of minimum and maximum fecundities yield 5,340 and 12,840 ova cm^?2 year^?1. Seasonal, lunar, and diel spawning patterns in nine zooxanthellate species at Uva Island indicate asynchronous coral community spawning.     

Determination of persistent organic pollutants in sediment and fish of the western coast of Alexandria,Egypt

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were recorded in sediment and fish samples collected from the western coast of Alexandria. Total hydrocarbons (aliphatic+PAHs ) in sediment ranged from 683.8 to 34670.1 ng g ^?1 with an average of 9286.9 ng g ^?1. The sum of C16–C34 of aliphatic fractions was<4000?ng g;^?1, indicating the presence of a fresh petroleum source. For all sediments, the anthracene/phenanthrene ratio was>0.1, suggesting the dominance of a pyrolytic source. Total aliphatics in different fish species ranged from 253 to 11?132 ng g;^?1, while total PAHs ranged from 3862 to 35?746 ng g;^?1 wet weight. Benzo[a]pyrene was the most dominant PAH fraction ranged from 1902.7 to 32 905.5 with an average of 9464.5?ng g;^?1 wet weight in all fish species. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) ranged from 0.79 to 64.9?ng g;^?1 with an average 12.14?ng g;^?1 wet weight. The concentrations of organochlorines in fish species (Euthynnus alleferatus, Scomberomorus commerson, Sphyraena Sphyraena, Diplodus vulgaris, and Alepes djedaba) decreased following the order: PCBs>DDTs>HCHs>total cyclodienes. Concentrations of DDTs in fish tissues ranged from 4.89 to 36.37 ng g^?1 with an average of 16.4?ng g;^?1 wet weight. The concentrations of total HCHs ranged from 0.3 to 65.7?ng g;^?1 with an average of 16.35?ng g;^?1. The present study indicates: (1) fresh petroleum input where Pr/Ph>1; (2) PAHs in sediment<4000 ng g ^?1; (3) BaP concentration exceeded the permissible levels in Alepes djedaba species; (4) DDTs in sediment were below the effective range low level; (5) PCBs>effective range low and相似文献   

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of a Fe3O4–AgCl nanocomposite against Escherichia coli

In this investigation, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared by the alkalinization of an aqueous medium containing ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride. In the next step, a Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated by the drop-by-drop addition of silver nitrate solution into a NaCl solution containing Fe₃O₄ MNPs. All prepared nanoparticles were characterized by transition electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Both particle types varied in size from 2.5 to 20?nm, with an average size of 7.5?nm for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 12.5?nm for Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites. The antibacterial effect of the Fe₃O₄ MNPs and fabricated Fe₃O₄–AgCl nanocomposites against Escherichia coli (ATCC 35218) were investigated by conventional serial agar dilution method using the Müller–Hinton Agar medium. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 4?mg?mL^?1 for Fe₃O₄ MNPs and 2?mg?mL^?1 for the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites. Time-kill course assays showed that the Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites successfully killed all inoculated bacterial cells during an exposure time of 60?min. The antibacterial activity of recycled Fe₃O₄–AgCl magnetic nanocomposites over four 60?min cycles of antibacterial treatment was further tested against E. coli by the colony-forming unit (CFU) method. The antibacterial efficiency of the nanocomposites was constant over two cycles of antibacterial testing.     

Uranium quantification in groundwater and health risk from its ingestion in Haryana,India

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element which may cause toxicological or radiological hazards to the public if present in drinking water. This study reports the quantification of uranium in groundwater of major towns of the district Fatehabad, Haryana, India. Uranium concentrations ranged between 0.3 and 48 μg L^?1. In 22% of the groundwater samples, uranium concentrations were higher than the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 30 µg L^?1. The radiological dose for males was found to be in the range of 4.8?×?10^?4–7.1?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1 and for females 3.5?×?10^?4–5.2?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1. The results showed that due to the ingestion of groundwater in the study area, radiological cancer risk is in the range of 9.1?×?10^?7–1.3?×?10^?4, lower than the risk limit. Uranium ingestion from groundwater varied from 0.02 to 3.5 µg kg^?1 day^?1, which is within acceptable limit.     

Photodegradation of an azo dye by silver-doped nano-particulate titanium dioxide

The synthesis of silver doped nano-particulate titanium dioxide (Ag/TiO₂) using a microemulsion method and an investigation of its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Acid Red 27 in distilled water under UV-irradiation is reported. The prepared Ag/TiO₂ is characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The size of the Ag nanoparticles is around 5–15?nm, with almost uniform distribution on the TiO₂ particles. The efficiency of the photocatalytic process is evaluated to establish the optimum conditions, found to be at 2?wt% of Ag loading on TiO₂, catalyst dosage of 400?mg?L^?1, and calcination temperature of 300°C. Complete decolorization of the dye solution on Ag/TiO₂ was observed in 20?min of UV irradiation in the optimum conditions.     

Occurrence and particle-size distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ambient air of coking plant

The purpose of this study was to characterize the occurrence and size distributions of ten species of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the ambient air of coking plants. Particulate-matter samples of four size fractions, including ≤2.1, 2.1–4.2, 4.2–10.2, and ≥10.2 μm, were collected using a Staplex234 cascade impactor during August 2009 at two coking plants in Shanxi, China. The PAHs were analyzed by a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass-selective detector. The concentrations of total particulate-matter PAHs were 1,412.7 and 2,241.1 ng/m³ for plants I and II, and the distributions showed a peak within the 0.1–2.1 μm size range for plant I and the 0.1–4.2 μm for plant II. The size distributions of individual PAHs (except fluoranthene) exhibited a considerable peak within the 0.1–2.1 μm size range in coking plant I, which can be explained by the gas–particle partition mechanism. The ambient air of the coking plant was heavily polluted by PAHs associated with fine particles (≤2.1 μm), and benzo[b]fluoranthene made the largest contribution to total PAHs. The exposure levels of coking-plant workers to PAHs associated with fine particles were higher than to PAHs associated with coarse particles. Benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene should be the primary pollutants monitored in the coking plant. This research constitutes a significant contribution to assessing the exposure risk of coking-plant workers and providing basic data for PAH standards for ambient air in coking plants.     

In vitro kinetic characterization of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphate and carbamate compounds in food animals

Organophosphate, dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorovinyldimethylphosphate, DDVP), and diazinon (DZN) as well as carbamates are currently found in contaminated water, dust, soil, agricultural waste, and elsewhere in the environment, and can be harmful after accidental or deliberate exposure. Intoxication by these compounds causes a generalized cholinergic crisis due to the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), whose major physiological role in mammalian tissues is in nervous transmission. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was found to be higher for carbaryl than DDVP and DZN, about 3–4 times in liver and about 4–6 times in muscles. The half time (t _1/2) of inhibition (8?µmol?L^?1 DDVP or DZN; 40?µmol?L^?1 carbaryl) ranged between 4 and 16?min and decreased as follows: pig?>?cattle?>?sheep for liver tissue, and cattle?>?sheep?>?pig for muscle. Rate constants of inhibition (k _i) ranged between 43?×?10^?3 and 168?×?10^?3?min^?1 for liver and from 46?×?10^?3 to 115?×?10^?3?min^?1 for muscles. Very little residual AChE activity (<6.1%) was seen in liver, but more was seen in muscle (<17%).     

A novel extraction method for analysing available sulfamethoxazole in soil

A novel extraction method was established to determine the water-extractable (available) content of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in soil. The SMX imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesised and the performance was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and binding experiments. Results showed that the MIPs exhibited good selectivity for SMX, so the MIPs were applied as a sorbent. SMX in soil was extracted by water, sorbed from the extract to MIPs and analysed with a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after its desorption from MIPs. Meanwhile, the classic organic solvent extraction was employed to measure the total SMX content in soil. Results showed that when SMX level in spiked soils varying from 1.0–500?μg?kg^?1, the observed recoveries of available SMX contents ranged from 63.27?±?3.11% to 82.11?±?2.77% (n?=?3), while the total SMX varied between 89.59?±?1.65% and 97.64?±?3.92% (n?=?3). The detection limit of the developed method for SMX in soils was 0.05?μg?kg^?1. Available SMX contents in five field soil samples ranged from 0.13 to 4.14?μg?kg^?1, which were only 0.35–25.40% of the respective total SMX contents. Results from this study manifest the importance of the extents of SMX immobilisation with different soils for assessing SMX's ecological and human health risks.     

Particle size distributions, PM2.5 concentrations and water-soluble inorganic ions in different public indoor environments: a case study in Jinan, China

In this study, we collected particles with aerodynamic diameter ?2.5 μm (PM_2.5) from three different public indoor places (a supermarket, a commercial office, and a university dining hall) in Jinan, a medium-sized city located in northern China. Water-soluble inorganic ions of PM_2.5 and particle size distributions were also measured. Both indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 levels (102.3–143.8 μg·m^?3 and 160.2–301.3 μg·m^?3, respectively) were substantially higher than the value recommended by the World Health Organization (25 μg·m^?3), and outdoor sources were found to be the major contributors to indoor pollutants. Diurnal particle number size distributions were different, while the maximum volume concentrations all appeared to be approximately 300 nm in the three indoor locations. Concentrations of indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 were shown to exhibit the same variation trends for the supermarket and dining hall. For the office, PM_2.5 concentrations during nighttime were observed to decrease sharply. Among others, SO ₄ ^2? , NH ₄ ⁺ and NO ₃ ^? were found to be the dominant water-soluble ions of both indoor and outdoor particles. Concentrations of NO ₃ ^? in the supermarket and office during the daytime were observed to decrease sharply, which might be attributed to the fact that the indoor temperature was much higher than the outdoor temperature. In addition, domestic activities such as cleaning, water usage, cooking, and smoking also played roles in degraded indoor air quality. However, the results obtained here might be negatively impacted by the small number of samples and short sampling durations.