[1] Climate forcing by mineral dust aerosols is one of the most uncertain processes in our current understanding of climate change. The main natural sources of dust aerosols are blowing dust, dust devils, and dust storms. Electric fields larger than 100 kV/m have been measured in these phenomena. Theoretical calculations and laboratory experiments show that these electric fields produce electri...

The components and quantities of atmospheric dust fallout have been reported to be the pollution indicator of large urban areas. The multiplicity and complexity of sources of atmospheric dusts in urban regions has put forward the need of source apportionment of these sources indicating their contribution to specific environmental receptor. The study presented here is focused on investigation of...

BACKGROUND Agricultural workers are exposed to airborne pollutants, including organic and inorganic (mineral) dusts. OBJECTIVES Lung autopsy specimens from consecutive coroner's cases of Hispanic males in Fresno County, California, (n = 112) were obtained to determine whether mineral dust exposure in agricultural work leads to pneumoconiosis. METHODS The left lung was fixed by inflation. We...

The reactor accident at Chernobyl on 26 April 1986 dramatically demonstrated the dangers involved in man-made radioactivity. The Chernobyl catastrophe was incomparably larger than the reactor accident in Harrisburg, USA in 1979. Chernobyl released enormous amounts of radioactive substances. Wind and weather dynamics transported these substances and deposited them onto the earth as radioactive d...

This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in ACP if available. Abstract The aim of this study is to determine the mass deposition flux of mineral dust to the tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory (CVAO) on the island Sao Vicente for January 2009. Five...

Mass deposition fluxes of mineral dust to the tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean were determined within this study. In the framework of SOPRAN (Surface Ocean Processes in the Anthropocene), the interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean in terms of material exchange were investigated at the Cape Verde atmospheric observatory (CVAO) on the island Sao Vicente for January 2009. Five different...

This proposal outlines a program of scientific research and educational development focused on mineral dust aerosol, atmospheric chemistry, and curricular use of satellite data. Mineral dust impacts the chemical composition of the atmosphere by providing a surface for heterogeneous chemistry, and for light scattering and absorption at photolytic wavelengths. We propose to assess the current and...

Dust fallout can have diverse impacts ranging from major health problems to environmental concerns. It harbour disease-causing microorganisms and toxic heavy metals, it is therefore critical establish the microbial mineral compositions of dust in a particular site elucidate possible related implications for humans entire environment. In this study, samples were collected Arandis, town Erongo re...

The depth distribution of 137Cs in an Austrian spruce forest stand was investigated in soil profiles sampled in thin layers (2 cm) and in pooled soil samples over an area of 200 ha. The 137Cs concentrations both from Chernobyl and global fallout decrease exponentially with depth. Forty-six percent of Chernobyl-derived caesium and 26% from global fallout are still to be found in the litter layer...

one of the world's major mineral dust source regions lies along the border between iran and afghanistan. in this studyit is hypothesized that a low-level jet may play in role in generating the intensity of this source region. the presence of alow-level jet east of the seistan mountains is documented here for the first time. the jet exists mainly from may toseptember and has a core at 850 mb. ma...