Study on Size Distributions of Airborne Particles by Aircraft Observation in Spring over Eastern Coastal Areas of China

The authors studied the size distributions of particles at an altitude of 2000 m by aircraft observation over eastern costal areas of China from Zhuhai, Guangdong to Dalian, Liaoning (0.47-30 μm, 57 channels, including number concentration distribution, surface area concentration distribution and mass concentration distribution). In these cities, the average daily concentrations of PM10 are very high. They are among the most heavily polluted cities in China. The main pollution sources are anthropogenic activities such as wood, coal and oil burning. The observed size distributions show a broad spectrum and unique multi-peak characteristics, indicating no significant impacts of individual sources from urban areas. These results are far different from the distribution type at ground level. It may reflect the comprehensive effect of the regional pollution characteristics. Monitoring results over big cities could to some extent reflect their pollution characteristics.

The role of airborne particles and environmental considerations in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by the novel coronavirus,results in an acute respiratory condition coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)and is highly infectious.The recent spread of this virus has caused a global pandemic.Currently,the transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 are being established,especially the role of environmental transmission.Here we review the environmental transmission routes and persistence of SARS-CoV-2.Recent studies have established that the transmission of this virus may occur,amongst others,in the air,water,soil,cold-chain,biota,and surface contact.It has also been found that the survival potential of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is dependent on different environmental conditions and pollution.Potentially important pathways include aerosol and fecal matter.Particulate matter may also be a carrier for SARS-CoV-2.Since microscopic particles can be easily absorbed by humans,more attention must be focused on the dissemination of these particles.These considerations are required to evolve a theoretical platform for epidemic control and to minimize the global threat from future epidemics.

Vertical profiles of aerodynamic size distribution for airborne particles over Yangtze River Delta

Based on the aircraft observations in the summer of 2003, we have studied the aerodynamic size distributions of airborne particles at altitudes ranging from 400 m to 2800 m over the central and southern areas of Jiangsu province located in Yangtse River Delta of China. The sizes of airborne particles are measured to be in a range of 0.47- 30 μm with 57 channels, and their number concentrations, surface area concentrations and mass concentrations are also measured. The results show that the concentrations of airborne particles are very low above an altitude of 2000 m and the size distributions present a specific multi-peak mode by using insufficient samples. Below 1000 m, however, the concentrations of particles increase obviously, and their size distribution is similar to that at the ground level. The study also indicates that the concentrations, size distributions and median diameters of airborne particles above and below the boundary layer are very different, displaying different pollution features. Meanwhile, the results also show that the pollution level of airborne particles has a descending tendency with altitude increasing.

Asphalt fractions in airborne particles from highway traffic and the accumulation in plants

With reference to ASTM D4124, asphalt fractions, including polar aromatics (polars),naphthene aromatics (aromatics) and saturates,were characterized both in airborne particles collected in the distances of 2.0 -83.6m from the highway and in the plant samples (including grass,leaves and wheat straw) collected in the distance of 2.0 -10. 0m from the highway. In comparison to the results of diesel particulate, background plant samples and asphalt cernent samples from highway surface, it is concluded that there could be asphalt rnatters in airborne particles and asphalt makes the rnain contributions to the accumulation of the three factions mentioned above in plant species. In the ambient air,the concentrations of the three asphalt fractions are 0. 54- 3.06 ×10-3 mg polars,1. 77- 9. 50 × 10-4 mg aromatics and 0. 21- 1. 23 × 10-4 mg saturates for per cubic meter air. The percentage of bitumen in airborne particles is 1. 61%-11. 02%. In the plant samples, the concentrations are 0. 29- 3.07mg polars, 0.89- 3.89 aromatics and 0. 37-1. 53 mg saturates for per gram dry plant materials.

An assessment of the concentrations of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the aftermath of a chemical store fire incident

PM 10 airborne particles and soot deposit collected after a fire incident at a chemical store were analyzed in order to determine the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs). The samples were extracted with 1∶1 hexane-dichloromethane by ultrasonic agitation. The extracts were then subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometric(GC-MS) analysis. The total PAHs concentrations in airborne particles and soot deposit were found to be 3.27±1.55 ng/m 3 and 12.81±24.37 μg/g, respectively. Based on the molecular distributions of PAHs and the interpretation of their diagnostic ratios such as PHEN/(PHEN + ANTH), FLT/(FLT + PYR) and BeP/(BeP + BaP), PAHs in both airborne particles and soot deposit may be inferred to be from the same source. The difference in the value of IP/(IP + BgP) for these samples indicated that benzo[g,h,i]perylene and coronene tend to be attached to finer particles and reside in the air for longer periods. Comparison between the molecular distributions of PAHs and their diagnostic ratios observed in the current study with those reported for urban atmospheric and roadside soil particles revealed that they are of different sources.

A simulation study of airborne wear particles from laboratory wheel-rail contacts

Laboratory measurements of airborne particles from sliding contacts are often performed using a tri- bometer located in a ventilation chamber. Although knowledge of particle transport behavior inside the chamber is required because it can influence the analysis of measurements, this knowledge is lacking. A numerical model was built based on the same geometry as a pin-on-disc measurement system to explain particle transport behavior inside the chamber and to determine the deviation between real amounts of generated and measured particles at the outlet. The effect of controlled flow conditions on the airflow pattern and particle transport inside the chamber was studied for different experimental conditions. Cal- culations show that a complex airflow pattern is formed by the spinning disc, and that it differs for each rotational speed. Simulation results reveal that particle transport in the chamber is governed mainly by the airflow pattern. The deposition velocity in the chamber was estimated and the possibility that part of the generated particles would remain in the chamber was studied. This led to an approximate estima- tion of particle loss rate. A comparison between experimental and simulated results with respect to the particle mass flow rate close to the outlet yields a reference factor of 0.7, which provides an indication of the difference between measured and real values.

Steady-state model for predicting size-resolved gas-particle partitioning of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in indoor environments

Semi-volatile organic compounds(SVOCs)are ubiquitous and important pollutants in indoor environments.The strong partition between gas phase and suspended particles has significant effects on the transport,human exposure via inhalation,and control strategies of indoor SVOCs.Several models have been developed to simulate the gas–particle partitioning of indoor SVOCs,including a steady-state model by expanding the steady-state model suitable for the outdoor environment to indoor environments.However,the effects of two important indoor environment-specific parameters,i.e.,the particle size distribution(PSD)and the air-change rate(ACH),were not considered in the existing steady-state model,leading to the inaccurate predictions among buildings.To solve this problem,this study developed a novel steady-state model to more comprehensively simulate the gas-particle partitioning of indoor SVOCs by incorporating the effects of PSD and ACH.Better agreement between the predictions of the novel model and the results collected via both field tests and laboratory tests(retrieved from two different studies)supported the effectiveness of the improvements in the novel model.Sensitivity analysis further supported the necessity of involving PSD and ACH.Further implications of the novel model were also discussed.This study should be helpful for deepening the understanding and accurate simulation of the gas-particle partitioning,as well as the transport and human exposure via inhalation,of indoor SVOCs.

Characterisation and seasonal variations of particles in the atmosphere of rural, urban and industrial areas：Organic compounds

Atmospheric aerosol samples（PM2.5–0.3, i.e., atmospheric particles ranging from 0.3 to2.5 μm） were collected during two periods： spring–summer 2008 and autumn–winter 2008–2009, using high volume samplers equipped with cascade impactors. Two sites located in the Northern France were compared in this study： a highly industrialised city（Dunkirk） and a rural site（Rubrouck）. Physicochemical analysis of particulate matter（PM） was undertaken to propose parameters that could be used to distinguish the various sources and to exhibit seasonal variations but also to provide knowledge of chemical element composition for the interpretation of future toxicological studies. The study showed that PM2.5–0.3concentration in the atmosphere of the rural area remains stable along the year and was significantly lower than in the urban or industrial ones, for which concentrations increase during winter.High concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs）, dioxins, furans and dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls（DL-PCBs）, generated by industrial activities, traffic and municipal wastes incineration were detected in the samples. Specific criteria like Carbon Preference Index（CPI） and Combustion PAHs/Total PAHs ratio（CPAHs/TPAHs） were used to identify the possible sources of atmospheric pollution. They revealed that paraffins are mainly emitted by biogenic sources in spring–summer whereas as in the case of PAHs, they have numerous anthropogenic emission sources in autumn-winter（mainly from traffic and domestic heating）.

Size distribution of chemical elements and their source apportionment in ambient coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles in Shanghai urban summer atmosphere

Ambient coarse particles （diameter 1.8-10 μm）, fine particles （diameter 0.1-1.8 μm）, and ultrafine particles （diameter 〈 0.1 μm） in the atmosphere of the city of Shanghai were sampled during the summer of 2008 （from Aug 27 to Sep 08）. Microscopic characterization of the particles was investigated by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （SEM/EDX）. Mass concentrations of Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, and Pb in the size-resolved particles were quantified by using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SRXRF）. Source apportionment of the chemical elements was analyzed by means of an enrichment factor method. Our results showed that the average mass concentrations of coarse particles, fine particles and ultrafine particles in the summer air were 9.38 ± 2.18, 8.82 ± 3.52, and 2.02 ± 0.41 μg/m3, respectively. The mass percentage of the fine particles accounted for 51.47% in the total mass of PM10, indicating that fine particles are the major component in the Shanghai ambient particles. SEM/EDX results showed that the coarse particles were dominated by minerals, fine particles by soot aggregates and fly ashes, and ultrafine particles by soot particles and unidentified particles. SRXRF results demonstrated that crustal elements were mainly distributed in the coarse particles, while heavy metals were in higher proportions in the fine particles. Source apportionment revealed that Si, K, Ca, Fe, Mn, Rb, and Sr were from crustal sources, and S, Cl, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, and Pb from anthropogenic sources. Levels of P, V, Cr, and Ni in particles might be contributed from multi-sources, and need further investigation.

Seasonal variation and source apportionment of organic and inorganic compounds in PM_(2.5) and PM_(10) particulates in Beijing,China

The distribution and source of the solvent-extractable organic and inorganic components in PM2.5 （aerodynamics equivalent diameter below 2.5 microns）, and PM10 （aerodynamics equivalent diameter below 10 microns） fractions of airborne particles were studied weekly from September 2006 to August 2007 in Beijing. The extracted organic and inorganic compounds identified in both particle size ranges consisted of n-alkanes, PAHs （polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons）, fatty acids and water soluble ions. The potential emission sources of these organic compounds were reconciled by combining the values of n-alkane carbon preference index （CPI）, %waxCn, selected diagnostic ratios of PAHs and principal component analysis in both size ranges. The mean cumulative concentrations of n-alkanes reached 1128.65 ng/m3 in Beijing, 74% of which （i.e., 831.7 ng/m3） was in the PM2.5 fraction, PAHs reached 136.45 ng/m3 （113.44 ng/m3 or 83% in PM2.5）, and fatty acids reached 436.99 ng/m3 （324.41 ng/m3 or 74% in PM2.5）, which resulted in overall enrichment in the fine particles. The average concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, and NH4＋ were 21.3 ± 15.2, 6.1 ±1.8, 12.5 ± 6.1 μg/m3 in PM2.5, and 25.8±15.5, 8.9± 2.6, 16.9±9.5 μg/m3 in PM10, respectively. These three secondary ions primarily existed as ammonium sulfate （（NH4）2SO4）, ammonium bisulfate （NH4HSO4） and ammonium nitrate （NH4NO3）. The characteristic ratios of PAHs revealed that the primary sources of PAHs were coal combustion, followed by gasoline combustion. The ratios of stearic/palmitic acid indicated the major contribution of vehicle emissions to fatty acids in airborne particles. The major alkane sources were biogenic sources and fossil fuel combustion. The major sources of PAHs were vehicular emission and coal combustion.

Influence of staff number and internal constellation on surgical site infection in an operating room

Prediction of bacteria-carrying particle （BCP） dispersion and particle distribution released from staffmem- bers in an operating room （OR） is very important for creating and sustaining a safe indoor environment. Postoperative wound infections cause significant morbidity and mortality, and contribute to increased hospitalization time. Increasing the number of personnel within the OR disrupts the ventilation airflow pattern and causes enhanced contamination risk in the area of an open wound. Whether the amount of staffwithin the OR influences the BCP distribution in the surgical zone has rarely been investigated. This study was conducted to explore the influence of the number of personnel in the OR on the airflow field and the BCP distribution. This was performed by applying a numerical calculation to map the airflow field and Lagrangian particle tracking （LPT） for the BCP phase. The results are reported both for active sampling and passive monitoring approaches. Not surprisingly, a growing trend in the BCP concentration （cfu/ms） was observed as the amount of staff in the OR increased. Passive sampling shows unpredictable results due to the sedimentation rate, especially for small particles （5-10 i^m）. Risk factors for surgical site infections （SSls） must be well understood to develop more effective prevention programs.

On COVID-19-safety ranking of seats in intercontinental commercial aircrafts:A preliminary multiphysics computational perspective

The evolution of coronavirus disease(COVID-19)into a pandemic has severely hampered the usage of public transit systems.In a post-COVID-19 world,we may see an increased reliance on autonomous cars and personal rapid transit(PRT)systems,with inherent physical distancing,over buses,trains and aircraft for intracity,intercity,and interstate travel.However,air travel would continue to be the dominant mode of intercontinental transportation for humans.In this study,we perform a comprehensive computational analysis,using ANSYS Fluent,of typical intercontinental aircraft ventilation systems to determine the seat where environmental factors are most conducive to human comfort with regards to air quality,protection from orally or nasally released pollutants such as CO_(2)and coronavirus,and thermal comfort levels.Air velocity,temperature,and air pollutant concentration emitted from the nose/mouth of fellow travelers are considered for both Boeing and Airbus planes.In each plane,first class,business class,and economy class sections were analyzed.We present conclusions as to which is the optimum seat in each section of each plane and provide the data of the environmental conditions to support our inferences.The findings may be used by the general public to decide which seat to occupy for their next intercontinental flight.Alternatively,the commercial airliners can use such a model to plan the occupancy of the aircraft on long-duration intercontinental flights(viz.,Airbus A380 and Boeing B747).