Asian dust events transport the airborne bacteria in Chinese desert regions as well as mineral particles and influence downwind area varying biological ecosystems and climate changes. However, the airborne bacterial dynamics were rarely investigated in the Gobi desert area, where dust events are highly frequent. In this study, air samplings were sequentially performed at a 2-m high above the gr...

A new measurement technique was studied using catalysis to specifically detect airborne nanoparticles in presence of background particles in the workplace air. Catalytically active nanoparticles produced by spark discharge were used as aerosol catalysts. According to these particles suitable catalytic test reactions were chosen and investigated by two different approaches: catalysis on airborne...

Introduction: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are the number four cause of death in the United States at an annual cost estimated at $40 billion. With emerging scienti c data regarding the contribution of air contamination to surgical site infections (SSI), there is increased interest in considering innovative adjunctive technologies to support best air quality in operating rooms (ORs). Obje...

Airborne particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial, background and urban atmosphere environments were investigated using toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) in central Taiwan during the period of August-December 2002. Concentrations of airborne particles were 93.4, 81.3 and 102.4 microg/m3 for industrial, background and urban sites, respectively. Concentrations of 21 gaseo...

Fungi grown in pure cultures produce DNA- or RNA-containing particles smaller than spore size (<1.5 microm). High exposures to fungi and bacteria are observed at biofuel plants. Airborne cultivable bacteria are often described to be present in clusters or associated with larger particles with an aerodynamic diameter (d(ae)) of 2-8 microm. In this study, we investigate whether airborne fungal co...

A Lagrangian air quality model is developed which represents the airborne particle complex as a source-oriented external mixture. In a sourceoriented external mixture, particles of the same size can evolve to display different chemical compositions that depend on the chemical and hygroscopic properties of the primary seed particles initially emitted from different sources. In contrast, previous...

Airborne particles may constitute a health risk to man. For example, diesel emissions have been shown to contribute to the incidence of lung cancer and have been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC monograph, 1988). Short-term tests for genotoxicity has shown not only diesel exhaust, but also particles from different outdoor and indoor sources be genotoxic. These particles inclu...

Airborne contaminants occur in the gaseous form (gases and vapours) or as aerosols. Aerosols may exist in the form of airborne dusts, sprays, mists, smokes and fumes. In the occupational setting, all these forms may be important because they relate to a wide range of occupational diseases. Airborne dusts are of particular concern because they are well known to be associated with classical wides...

The oxidation characteristics of airborne carbon nanoparticles were investigated at various temperatures and NO(2) concentrations. Airborne carbon nanoparticles were generated by spark-discharging method using nitrogen as a carrier gas. Monodisperse carbon particles classified using a differential mobility analyzer were introduced into a tube furnace with NO(2) for oxidation reaction. The size ...