Suspended particulates, total level

FIGURE S.30 Comparison of ambient levels of t h maximum ozone, annual average of total suspended particulate matter (TSP), and sulfur dioxide in selected cities from around the world to illustrate the v tacion in these levels from countr)i to country with respect to the United States. [Reproduced from the National Air Quality and Emission Trends Report (1992), with permission.] ... 

Some studies have also reported PBDE levels in sediments collected near industry facilities. Sellstrom et al. [29] reported total PBDE concentration levels between nd and 364 ng/g dw (nd-360 ng/g dw for BDE-209) in river sediments from a Swedish river with numerous textile industries. Higher PBDE levels up to 1,400 ng/g dw (nd-399 ng/g dw for BDE-209) were found downstream from a foam manufacturing plant using PBDEs in the United Kingdom [31]. BDE-209 burdens up to 4,600 ng/g dw have also been reported on suspended particulates from Dutch surface waters, decreasing with distance from a textile facility [42]. Our PBDE results were considerably higher than those reported for sediments collected near industrial areas, probably because of the small dilution factor of the Vero River at this area, which has an average flow of 2.1 m3/s. 

Addition of fuel oil no. 2 to a laboratory marine ecosystem showed that the insoluble, saturated hydrocarbons in the oil were slowly transported to the sediment on suspended particulate material. The particulate material contained 40-50% of the total amount of aliphatics added to the system and only 3-21% of the aromatic fraction (Oviatt et al. 1982). This indicates that most aromatic hydrocarbons are dissolved in the water (Coleman et al. 1984), whereas the aliphatic hydrocarbons are not (Gearing et al. 1980 Oviatt et al. 1982). In a similar experiment, when fuel oil no. 2 was added continuously to a marine ecosystem for 24 weeks, oil concentrations in the sediment remained low until 135 days after the additions began, but then increased dramatically to levels that were 9% of the total fuel oil added (108 g/tank) and 12% of the total fuel oil saturated hydrocarbons. The fuel oil concentrations in the sediment began to decrease quite rapidly after the maximum levels were reached. The highest sediment concentrations of saturated hydrocarbons (106-527 g/g) were found in the surface flocculent layer, with concentrations decreasing with sediment depth from 22 g/g to not detectable at 2-3 cm below the sediment surface. 

Lioy, P. J., R. P. Mallon and T. J. Kneip. Long-term trends in total suspended particulates, vanadium, manganese and lead at near street level and elevated sites in New York City. Air Pollut. Contr. Assoc. 30 153-156 (1980). 

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate has been shown to account for 69 and 52% of the total amount of phthalates adsorbed to sedimented dust and particulate matter, respectively, in a number of Oslo dwellings. It was found at levels of 11-210 pg/100 mg [110-2100mg/kg] sedimented dust in 38 dwellings and at levels of 24-94 pg/100 mg [240-940 mg/kg] suspended particulate matter (mean SD, 60 30) in six dwellings. It was suggested that suspended particulate exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is one- to three-fold higher than the estimated vapour phase exposure (0ie et al., 1997). 

It is useful to recollect the limits set by WHO 90 pg/m3 for total suspended particulates, 50 pg/m3 for sulfur dioxide, and 50 pg/m3 for nitrogen dioxide. It is apparent that the world has a long way to go till compliance with these numbers is achieved. Mexico City is notorious for bad ah quality. Pollution levels exceed WHO standards 350 days per year. More than half of all children in the city have lead levels in their blood sufficient to lower intelligence and retard development. The 130,000 industries and 2.5 million motor vehicles spew out more than 5500 metric tons of ah pollutants every day, which are trapped by the mountains tinging the city. 

Arditsoglou A, Samara C (2005) Levels of total suspended particulate matter and major trace elements in Kosovo a source identification and apportionment study. Chemosphere 59 (5) 669-678 (Original Research Article)... 

The variation in total available sediment phosphorus concentration among the three sediment types shown in Table II is clear. A statistical analysis of this data shows that both the suspended sediment and particulate total phosphorus concentrations are greater than the bottom sediment value at the 99% confidence level. Phosphorus content increases in the sequence bottom sediment, suspended sediment, and particulate material in accordance with the increase in surface area (M. M. Reddy, New York State Dept, of Health, unpublished data, 1977). High surface area sediment components may adsorb phosphorus-containing substances,from the water column, increasing their phosphorus concentration. Another possible explanation includes dilution of bottom sediment by relatively inert primary minerals in the sand and silt size fractions. 

Traces of a triCDE and a tetraCDE (0.03 ng 1 1 and 0.06 ng l-1) have been reported in suspended particulate material from Narrangesett Bay, Rhode Island, a disposal site for municipal and industrial wastes [51]. Significantly elevated levels of PCDEs have been measured in Whitby Harbor sediments in the Great Lakes [115] and in sediments of a Finnish river contaminated by a chlorophe-nol formulation [33,114]. The total contents of PCDEs varied from 0.05 mg kg 1 to 4.9 mg kg 1 in Whithby harbor sediments [115]. 

Additional evidence for a bacterial contribution to HMW DOM proteins comes from molecular-level analyses of dissolved amino acids. Hydrolysis of HMW DON releases 11-29% of the nitrogen as amino acids (McCarthy et al., 1996). Specific amino acids include common protein amino acids, as well as /3-alanine and y-aminobutyric acid which are nonprotein amino acid degradation products. The distribution of amino acids is similar to that of fresh plankton cells, suspended particulate matter, and total dissolved amino acids. However, stereochemical analyses show HMW DOM amino acids to be elevated in the D-enantiomer, with d/l ratios for alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acids, and serine ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 (McCarthy et al., 1998). Racemization of phytoplankton-derived L-amino acids is too slow at ocean temperatures to yield such high D/L ratios, but bacteria can synthesize D-amino acids, and it is likely that the D-amino acids in HMW DOM result from bacterial bioploymers rich in these particular amino acids. The high dA ratios of some amino acids and the abundance of amide nitrogen in HMW DOM N-NMR spectra led McCarthy et al. (1998) to... 

Inhalation is actually a less Important route of entry than assumed by CDC, if other data are considered. For example, the EPA has estimated that the average concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) In Missouri Is about one-half the level assumed by CDC, or about 0.070 mg/m (32.33). Secondly, only a fraction (about 30%) of the total amount of airborne dust Is respirable (less than 10 pm aerodynamic diameter) (32). The percentage of TSP which Is respirable has been estimated by EPA to be no more than 50% (2). Also, the assumption that all of the airborne particles are derived from dioxin-contaminated soil Is overly conservative. Actually, about 50% of the Inhaleable particles are respirable and the remainder are between 10 and 50 pm. Further, about 83% of the non-respirable particles are from crustal material (e.g., soil) and only 47% of the respirable particles are from soil (32). Larger studies conducted by the U.S. EPA have suggested that the portion of Inhaleable dust due to soil can often be much less (34). 

Many areas already experience unhealthy air quality levels for total suspended particulate (TSP) matter. Most TSP comes from stationary sources but diesels... 

Twelve provinces of Indonesia had forest fires during the 1997 haze episode and an estimated 165,000 hectares were burnt. During the peak period of September-October 1997, significant increases in asthma, bronchitis, and ARI were observed in eight Indonesian provinces. As estimated 12.4 million persons were affected by the haze, and about 1.8 million cases of the diseases mentioned above were reported. Levels of total suspended particulates (TSP) exceeded the national standard by 3-15 times during the peak air pollution period of October 1997. 

Dust. Williston 26) mentioned the possibility of mercury removal by dust particles. He based his assumption on the observation that an open silica gel container adsorbed up to 1 /Ltg/gram from laboratory air after several months of exposure (7). In laboratory air, half of the total mercury was found on suspended particulate matter when the latter was collected on a membrane filter at 40-60% relative humidity (24). The settled dust had a lower mercury content (Table IV). Thus, mercury on suspended particulate matter appears to be associated mainly with the submicron particles. Other examples in Table IV show higher levels of mercury collected on urban dust. Apparently some samples from... 

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