Dithiothreitol-Measured Oxidative Potential of Reference Materials of Mineral Dust: Implications for the Toxicity of Mineral Dust Aerosols in the Atmosphere

Oxidative stress is a mechanism that might raise the toxicity of mineral dust aerosols. We evaluated the oxidative potential (OP) of four reference materials (RMs) of mineral dusts using dithiothreitol assay. The OP of the water-soluble fraction of the dust RMs accounts for 40%-70% of the OP of the total fraction. The values of total and water-soluble OP normalized by the surface area of insoluble particles showed agreement among the different dust RMs. The surface area of insoluble dust particles was therefore inferred as an important factor affecting the OP of mineral dust. Using the relation between total OP and the surface area of insoluble particles of the dust RMs, we estimated the total OPs of fine and coarse atmospheric mineral dust aerosols assuming a typical particle size distribution of Asian dust aerosols observed in Japan. Mass-normalized total OPs were estimated at 44 and 23 pmol min^-1 μg^-1 for fine and coarse atmospheric mineral dust particles. They closely approximate the values observed for urban aerosols in Japan, which suggests that mineral dust plume advection can lead to a marked increase in human exposure to redox-active aerosols, even far downwind from mineral dust source regions.

Morphology and mineralogical composition of sandblasting dust particles from the Taklimakan Desert

The physicochemical characteristics of dust particles from the Taklimakan Desert are the fundamental basis for the assessment of particle variation during their long-distance transport and the subsequent environmental effects. In this study, 43,222 individual sandblasting dust particles, which were mobilised using a chamber with surface soils of sand dunes and Gobi (the two types of surfaces constituting the desert) were analysed to statistically quantify the shape and mineralogical composition of dust particles from the desert. The mode of the number-size distribution of particles from the sand dunes was 0.5-0.7 μm and that of particles from Gobi soils was approximately 1.0 μm. In contrast, the distributions of particle number fractions versus shape factors such as aspect ratio and roundness were similar, despite the irregular shape of the particles. Clay mineral particles were most frequently composed of chlorite and kaolinite, accounting for 66.74 ± 12.08% of the particles from both types of soils. Quartz and feldspar particles accounted for 9.57 ± 4.52% and 2.84 ± 1.28%, respectively. The mineralogical composition of particles smaller than 1.0 μm, in both soil types, was dominated by chlorite (Al-Si-O-Mg), kaolinite (Ai-Si-O), and quartz (SiO). Gypsum (CaS) and halite (NaCl) were the major salt components in particles from both soil types. Gypsum-containing particles existed in a wide size range and occupied 3.42%-8.98% of the particles from Gobi soils and 0.27%-2.18% of the particles from sand dunes. Most gypsum-containing particles were mixed with Si-containing minerals in the form of silicate or aluminosilicate; the remaining gypsum-containing particles were gypsum crystals or mixtures of gypsum and Ca-containing minerals. These results provide a comprehensive statistical profile of dust particles released by the sandblasting process from the Taklimakan Desert to the atmosphere.

Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy to Investigate Chemical Composition, Mixing States, and Heterogeneous Reactions of Individual Atmospheric Particles

Measuring the chemical composition of individual atmospheric aerosol particles can provide direct evidence of their heterogeneous reactions and mixing states in the atmosphere. In this study, micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the chemical composition of 1200 individual atmospheric particles in 11 samples collected in Beijing air. (NH₄)₂SO₄, NH₄NO₃, various minerals, carbonaceous species (soot and organics), and NaNO₃ were identified in the measured particles according to their characteristic Raman peaks. These species represented the main components of aerosol particles. In individual particles, NH₄NO₃ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ either existed separately or were internally mixed. Possible reaction pathways of CaCO₃ particles in the atmosphere were proposed based on the results of this study and laboratory simulations on heterogeneous reactions in the literature. CaCO₃ reacted with N- and S-containing (nitrogen- and sulfur-containing) acidic gases to produce Ca(NO₃)₂ and CaSO₄. Ca(NO₃)₂ further reacted with S-containing acidic gases and oxidants to produce CaSO₄. Of the soot-containing particles, 23% were internal mixtures of soot and inorganic material. Of the organics-containing particles, 57% were internal mixtures of organic and inorganic materials. Micro-Raman spectroscopy directly identified functional groups and molecules in individual atmospheric particles under normal ambient conditions, rendering it a powerful tool for measuring the chemical composition of individual atmospheric particles with a diameter of ≥1.0 μm.

Dithiothreitol-Measured Oxidative Potential of Size-Segregated Particulate Matter in Fukuoka, Japan: Effects of Asian Dust Events

Oxidative potential is an important property of particulate matter (PM) that has been regarded as a more health-relevant metric than PM mass. We investigated the oxidative potential of size-segregated PM and effects of Asian dust events in Fukuoka, western Japan. Aerosol particles with diameters smaller and larger than 2.5 μm (fine and coarse particles, respectively) were collected continually from 16 March through 26 May 2016. The oxidative potential was analyzed using dithiothreitol (DTT) assay; chemical components of PM were also found. Air-volume normalized oxidative potential quantified by DTT assay (DTT_v) was significantly higher during Asian dust events than during nondust-event days. The mean DTT_v of fine and coarse particles during Asian dust events were, respectively, 1.5 and 2.7 times higher than that during nonevent days. DTT_v of fine particles was highly correlated with elements dominated by anthropogenic combustion sources and with the elements emitted from multiple sources including mineral dust and combustion sources. DTT_v of coarse particles strongly correlated with the mineral dust derived elements, suggesting concentration of mineral dust particles as an important controlling factor especially for the oxidative potential of the coarse particles. We estimated the contributions of water-soluble transition metals to the oxidative potential of PM. Water-soluble transition metals (mainly Cu and Mn) can explain only approximately 37% and 60% of the measured oxidative potential of fine and coarse particles, respectively, suggesting substantial contributions of aerosol components other than water-soluble transition metals such as quinones and insoluble minerals.

Global Ramifications of Dust and Sandstorm Microbiota

Dust and sandstorm events inject substantial quantities of foreign microorganisms into global ecosystems, with the ability to impact distant environments. The majority of these microorganisms originate from deserts and drylands where the soil is laden with highly stress-resistant microbes capable of thriving under extreme environmental conditions, and a substantial portion of them survive long journeys through the atmosphere. This large-scale transmission of highly resilient alien microbial contaminants raises concerns with regards to the invasion of sensitive and/or pristine sink environments, and to human health-concerns exacerbated by increases in the rate of desertification. Further increases in the transport of dust-associated microbiota could extend the spread of foreign microbes to new ecosystems, increase their load in present sink environments, disrupt ecosystem balance, and potentially introduce new pathogens. Our present understanding of these microorganisms, their phylogenic affiliations and functional significance, is insufficient to determine their impact. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of available data regarding dust and sandstorm microbiota and their potential ramifications on human and ecosystem health. We conclude by discussing current gaps in dust and sandstorm microbiota research, and the need for collaborative studies involving high-resolution meta-omic approaches in conjunction with extensive ecological time-series studies to advance the field towards an improved and sufficient understanding of these invisible atmospheric travelers and their global ramifications.

Using X-ray computed tomography and micro-Raman spectrometry to measure individual particle surface area, volume, and morphology towards investigating atmospheric heterogeneous reactions

Heterogeneous reactions on the aerosol particle surface in the atmosphere play important roles in air pollution, climate change, and global biogeochemical cycles. However, the reported uptake coefficients of heterogeneous reactions usually have large variations and may not be relevant to real atmospheric conditions. One of the major reasons for this is the use of bulk samples in laboratory experiments, while particles in the atmosphere are suspended individually. A number of technologies have been developed recently to study heterogeneous reactions on the surfaces of individual particles. Precise measurements on the reactive surface area, volume, and morphology of individual particles are necessary for calculating the uptake coefficient, quantifying reactants and products, and understanding the reaction mechanism better. In this study, for the first time we used synchrotron radiation X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and micro-Raman spectrometry to measure individual CaCO₃ particle morphology, with sizes ranging from 3.5-6.5μm. Particle surface area and volume were calculated using a reconstruction method based on software three-dimensional (3-D) rendering. The XCT was first validated with high-resolution field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) to acquire accurate CaCO₃ particle surface area and volume estimates. Our results showed an average difference of only 6.1% in surface area and 3.2% in volume measured either by micro-Raman spectrometry or X-ray tomography. X-ray tomography and FE-SEM can provide more morphological details of individual CaCO₃ particles than micro-Raman spectrometry. This study demonstrated that X-ray computed tomography and micro-Raman spectrometry can precisely measure the surface area, volume, and morphology of an individual particle.

Natural versus anthropogenic inhalable aerosol chemistry of transboundary East Asian atmospheric outflows into western Japan

The eastward transport of aerosols exported from mainland Asia strongly influences air quality in the Japanese archipelago. The bulk of the inhalable particulate matter (PM(10)) in these intrusions comprises either natural, desert-derived minerals (mostly supermicron silicates) or anthropogenic pollutants (mostly submicron sulphates), in various states of mixing. We analyse PM(10) collected in Kumamoto, SW Japan, during three contrasting types of aerosol intrusions, the first being dominated by desert PM which became increasingly mixed with anthropogenic components as time progressed, the second being a relatively minor event mixing fine, distal desert PM with anthropogenic materials, and the third being dominated by anthropogenic pollutants. Whereas the chemistry of the natural mineral component is characterised by "crustal" elements (Si, Al, Fe, Mg, K, Li, P, Sc, V, Rb, Sr, Zr, Th, lanthanoids), the anthropogenic component is rich in secondary inorganic compounds and more toxic metallic elements (NH(4)(+), SO(4)(2-), As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Sn, Bi, Sb, and Ge). Some desert-dust (Kosa) intrusions are more calcareous than others, implicating geologically different source areas, and contain enhanced levels of NO(3)(-), probably as supermicron Ca(NO(3))(2) particles produced by chemical reaction between NOx pollutants (mostly from industry and traffic) and carbonate during atmospheric transport. The overall trace element chemistry of aerosol intrusions into Kumamoto shows low V/Rb, low NO(3)(-)/SO(4)(2-), enhanced As levels, and unfractionated La/Ce values, which are all consistent with anthropogenic sources including coal emissions rather than those derived from the refining and combustion of oil fractionates. Geographically dispersed, residual sulphatic plumes of this nature mix with local traffic (revealed by OC and EC concentrations) and industrial emissions and dissipate only slowly, due to the dominance of submicron accumulation mode PM which is atmospherically persistent, and raise questions over the chronic health effects of breathing finely respirable sulphatic aerosol containing enhanced amounts of toxic metals.

Observed chemical characteristics of long-range transported particles at a marine background site in Korea

Deokjeok Island is located off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and is a suitable place to monitor the long-range transport of air pollutants from the Asian continent. In addition to pollutants, Asian dust particles are also transported to the island during long-range transport events. Episodic transport of dust and secondary particles was observed during intensive measurements in the spring (March 31-April 11) and fall (October 13-26) of 2009. In this study, the chemical characteristics of long-range-transported particles were investigated based on highly time-resolved ionic measurements with a particle-into-liquid system coupled with an online ion chromatograph (PILS-IC) that simultaneously measures concentrations of cations (Li+, Na , NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) and anions (F-, C1-, NO3-, SO42-). The aerosol optical thickness (AOT) distribution retrieved by the modified Bremen Aerosol Retrieval (M-BAER) algorithm from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data confirmed the presence of a thick aerosol plume coming from the Asian continent towards the Korean peninsula. Seven distinctive events involving the long-range transport (LRT) of aerosols were identified and studied, the chemical components of which were strongly related to sector sources. Enrichment of acidic secondary aerosols on mineral dust particles, and even of sea-salt components, during transport was observed in this study. Backward trajectory, chemical analyses, and satellite aerosol retrievals identified two distinct events: a distinctively high [Ca2++Mg2]/[Na+] ratio (>2.0), which was indicative of a preprocessed mineral dust transport event, and a low [Ca2++Mg2+]/[Na+] ratio (<2.0), which was indicative of severe aging of sea-salt components on the processed dust particles. Particulate C1- was depleted by up to 85% in spring and 50% in the fall. A consistent fraction of carbonate replacement (FCR) averaged 0.53 in spring and 0.55 in the fall. Supporting evidences of C1- enrichment on the marine boundary layer prior to a dust front were also found. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association for sector and air mass classifications of clean and LRT cases.

Speciation of sulfate in size-fractionated aerosol particles using sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) at sulfur K-edge was used to determine the sulfate species present in size-fractionated aerosol particles based on the postedge structure after the main absorption peak in the XANES region. A comparison of the XANES spectra of reference sulfate materials and aerosol samples collected in Tsukuba in Japan clearly showed that (NH4)2SO4 was the main sulfur species in particles with a smaller diameter and CaSO4 x 2H2O (gypsum) was the main sulfur species in particles with a larger diameter. A simulation of the XANES spectra by reference materials allows us to obtain the quantitative mixing ratios of the different sulfate species present in the aerosol samples. The presence of minor sulfur species other than (NH4)2SO4 and gypsum at the surface of mineral aerosols is suggested in our simulations and by a surface-sensitive conversion electron/He-ion yield XANES. In the absence of a contribution from a large dust event, the mole concentration of gypsum in the mineral aerosol fraction (particle diameter > 1 microm) determined by XANES is similar to that of Ca which is determined independently using ion chromatography. This shows that the Ca and sulfate in the mineral aerosols are present only as gypsum. Considering that calcite is the main Ca mineral in the original material arising from an arid and semiarid area in China, it is strongly suggested that gypsum is formed in aerosol during its long-range transportation by a reaction between calcite and sulfate ions.

Single-particle characterization of four "Asian Dust" samples collected in Korea, using low-Z particle electron probe X-ray microanalysis

A single-particle analytical technique, named low-Z particle electron probe X-ray microanalysis (low-Z particle EPMA), employing an ultrathin window X-ray detector and enabling the quantitative determination of even low-Z elements such as C, N, and O, is applied to characterize "Asian Dust" samples, collected in ChunCheon, Korea, during four Asian Dust storm events on March 7, 2000, April 7, 2000, March 22, 2001, and May 17, 2001. In this study, it is demonstrated that single-particle analysis using the low-Z particle EPMA provides detailed information on various types of chemical species in the samples. The most abundantly encountered particles, both in coarse and fine fractions, are aluminosilicates. The relative abundances of those particles on the basis of their size are different between the four Asian Dust samples. The sample collected on March 7, 2000 did not experience any chemical modification during its transport because the sample does not contain particles of chemical species that result from atmospheric reactions. The sample collected on April 7, 2000 contains both genuine and reacted sea-salt particles. The genuine sea-salts are in the form of a mixture of NaCl and MgCl2 entrained during their passage over the Yellow Sea. The reacted sea-salts particles are encountered very much in fine fraction. The sample collected on March 22, 2001 shows somewhat significant chemical modification both for CaCO3 and sea-salts particles. For this sample, a significant number of reacted CaCO3 and sea-salt particles, such as those containing nitrate and/or sulfate, are encountered, implying that CaCO3 and sea-salts particles have reacted with sulfur or nitrogen oxide species during their long-range transport. The sample collected on May 17, 2001 experienced the most extensive chemical modification during its transport. In addition to the observation of the extensively reacted CaCO3 and sea-salt particles, reacted K2CO3 particles are also extensively encountered in this sample, which implies that K2CO3 species should be regarded as an additional important chemical species in the study of the chemical modification of Asian Dust particles during long-range transport.