The adverse health effects of ambient (outdoor) air pollution have been recognized since increased mortality due to smog was reported in London in 1952 (1). Suspended particles (particulate matters) from soot were associated with increased mortality and morbidity related to both respiratory and cardiovascular disorders (1). Since then, great efforts have been made to control ambient air polluti...

In the nanosecond laser ablation regime, absorption of laser energy by the plasma during its early stage expansion critically influences the properties of the plasma and thus its interaction with ambient air. These influences can significantly alter spectral emission of the plasma. For organic samples especially, recombination of the plasma with the ambient air leads to interfering emissions wi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Nickel is one of the most prevalent causes of contact allergy in the general population. This study focuses on human exposure to airborne nickel and its potential to induce allergic sensitization. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 309 children at school-starter age living in the West of Germany in the vicinity of two industrial sources and in a rural ...

BACKGROUND The spread of influenza and highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) presents a significant threat to human health. Avian influenza outbreaks in downwind areas of Asian dust storms (ADS) suggest that viruses might be transported by dust storms. OBJECTIVES We developed a technique to measure ambient influenza and avian influenza viruses. We then used this technique to measure concen...

Ambient air temperature prediction is of a concern in environment, industry and agriculture. The increase of average temperature results in natural disasters, higher energy consumption, damage to plants and animals and global warming. Ambient air temperature predictions are notoriously complex and stochastic models are not able to learn the non-linear relationships among the considered variable...

outdoor experiments on a once-through single glazed solar air heater with perforated metal absorber plate were conducted to determine the practical effect of absorber plate porosity as well as suction air flow rate on the collector thermal efficiency and its total pressure drop. three aluminum absorber plates were made perforated by drilling circular holes with different diameter/pitch ratios i...