M. Glikson
R.W. Simpson
Maria Mastalerz
1999
<div id="preview-section-abstract"><div id="abstracts" class="Abstracts u-font-serif text-s"><div id="aep-abstract-id8" class="abstract author"><div id="aep-abstract-sec-id9"><p><span>An increase in particulate matter in the atmosphere has been shown to be linked to increased mortality but this relationship is poorly understood. Light microscopy, <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about electron microscopy from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/electron-microscopy" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/electron-microscopy">electron microscopy</a>, <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about electron microprobe from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/electron-probe-analysis" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/electron-probe-analysis">electron microprobe</a>, and micro-FTIR techniques have been applied to study <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about atmospheric particulates from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/atmospheric-particulate" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/atmospheric-particulate">atmospheric particulates</a> in Brisbane, Australia as a part of a study on asthma. The particulate matter samples were collected daily from April to August 1992, and the sampling covered the autumn period which is typically a time of high asthma incidence in Brisbane. Volumetrically, most atmospheric particulate matter is less than 2 </span><i>μ</i><span>m in size. The microscopic analysis reveals that this material is composed mainly of combusted and incompletely burned hydrocarbons from motor vehicle exhaust emissions, quiescent spores of Mucorales, soil bacteria, and <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about inorganic matter from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/inorganic-matter" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/inorganic-matter">inorganic matter</a> in the form of quartz and other silicates. Elemental and functional group analyses confirm microscope identification, documenting carbon-rich, aromatic exhaust material, more aliphatic pollen and spore material and inorganic matter. Fungal spores dominate <a class="topic-link" title="Learn more about bioaerosol from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/biological-aerosols" data-mce-href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/biological-aerosols">bioaerosol</a> and are very abundant from the end of April through May to mid-June. The cytoplasmic content of pollens or fungal spores is commonly regarded as allergenic. Particulates from the exhaust emissions and crustal material in a sub-micrometer size range may act as carriers or dispersive mechanisms for cytoplasmic material from fungal spores and pollens, perhaps causing periods of the highest exhaust emission to be the most allergenic.</span></p></div></div></div></div><div id="preview-section-introduction"><br></div>
application/pdf
10.1016/S0166-5162(98)00017-2
en
Elsevier
Analysis of atmospheric paniculate matter; application of optical and selected geochemical techniques
article