saffron is an important spice values for its color, aroma and flavor in the food industry. a significant proportion of saffron compound is lost during processing and storage because of its volatility and sensitivity to oxidation. thepresent research microencapsulated saffron color compounds (crocin) by freeze drying. the freeze-dried aqueous saffron effective compound extract was first prepared...

Due to the hygroscopic nature of organolead halide perovskites, humidity is one of the most important factors affecting the efficiency and longevity of perovskite solar cells. Although humidity has a long term detrimental effect on device performance, it also plays a key role during the initial growth of perovskite crystals. Here we demonstrate that atmospheric relative humidity (RH) plays a ke...

The 880 nm group samples collected under high relative humidity condition showed high scattering coefficient at 550 nm and sulfate mass concentrations. In general, relative humidity (RH) influences the water content of aerosol particles through hygroscopic growth, which changes their optical properties. Not to mention, hygroscopic growth of sulfate aerosols must have increased scattering coeffi...

A low-cost, high-sensitivity humidity sensor based on a low-loss dielectric thin film waveguide (WG) is presented. The guided mode is produced by coupling laser light into the film by optical tunneling through a solid gap deposited on the base of a semi-cylindrical lens. The light reflected from this optical system carries information about the refractive index of the medium neighboring the WG,...

We examine size-dependent deliquescence/efflorescence phase transformation for particles down to several nanometers in size. Thermodynamic properties of inorganic salt particles, coated with aqueous solution layers of varying thickness and surrounded by vapor, are analyzed. A thin layer criterion (TLC) is introduced to define a limiting deliquescence relative humidity (RH(D)) for small particle...

The hygroscopic properties of the organic fraction of aerosols are poorly understood. The ability of organic aerosols to absorb water as a function of relative humidity (RH) was examined using data collected during the 1999 Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observational Study (BRAVO). (On average, organics accounted for 22% of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less th...

Human health is influenced by various factors including microorganisms present in built environments where people spend most of their lives (approximately 90%). It is therefore necessary to monitor and control indoor airborne microbes for occupational safety and public health. Most studies concerning airborne microorganisms have focused on fungi, with scant data available concerning bacteria. T...