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Ambient Air :
Ashwini Kumar 2K14/EN/011
Ashwinkr007@gmail.com
Speciation of particulate matter in ambient air is a studies. All in all the speciation of particulate
justifiable requirement of today’s developing matter in ambient air is a big requirement against
India. . The speciation of an element is the the challenging air pollution of today
chemical species represents the key to the Speciation analysis is the analytical activity of
contaminants in environment, and their harmful more individual chemical species in a sample.
effects towards ecology. There are four routes by The chemical species are specific forms of an
which a substance can enter the body: inhalation, element defined as to isotopic composition, electronic
skin (or eye) absorption, ingestion, and injection. or oxidation state, and/or complex or molecular
All of them are triggered by the speciation profiles structure. The speciation of an element is the
studied efficiently using speciation .The presence and/or concentration level of elements in a
bioavailability can also be determined using the sample, the data are meant to answer one of the
speciation which would trigger as to how the following questions depending on the nature of the
organism)
Are there any risks or benefits related to the
distribution (the internal transport inside the
probed entity? [1]
organism to the tissue on which it has toxic
Depending on the origin of the sample effects - for example the crossing of the
(environmental compartment, human body, food, and intestinal membrane or the blood-brain
specific activity of the chemical species, such as: biotransformation (its accumulation, bio-
lifetime, fate and metabolism than the elemental constituent in order to create
EXAMPLE 1: harmless, since the main species present are the non-
absorption (or the physical availability for Cr (III) compounds do have some positive biological
exposure - if the metal is tightly bound to in- activity and are therefore considered to be essential,
needed to provide information about the status as range of sizes (“fine” particles are less than 2.5
well as the processes involved for the emission, micrometers in diameter and coarser size particles are
cycling, degradation and fate of matter in the larger than 2.5 micrometers), originate from many
1.2 Nature and Sources of the Particulate Matter Inhalable PM includes both fine and coarse particles.
Pollutant
These particles can accumulate in the respiratory
Particulate matter (PM) is the general term used for a system and are associated with numerous health
mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in effects. Exposure to coarse particles is primarily
the ambient air. Some particles are large or dark associated with the aggravation of respiratory
enough to be seen as soot or smoke. Others are so conditions, such as asthma.[4] Fine particles are most
small that they can be detected only with an electron
closely associated with such health impacts as of combustion-related particles are diesel and
increased hospital admissions and emergency room gasoline motor vehicles, managed and open burning,
visits for heart and lung disease, increased respiratory residential wood combustion, and utility and
symptoms and disease, decreased lung function, and commercial boilers. Combustion processes also emit
even premature death. Sensitive groups that appear to primary fine particles consisting of mixtures of many
be at great risks to such effects include the elderly, trace metal compounds and sulfuric acid mists.
of the following components that are both primary mode as they take on water.
Suspended dusts consisting mainly of oxides of open playas, and after de-icing materials are applied.
aluminum, silicon, calcium, titanium, iron, and other In its raw form, salt is usually in the coarse particle
metal oxides. The precise combination of these fraction and is classified as a geological material.
components depends on the geology and industrial When sodium chloride-containing water of fog
processes of the area. droplets evaporate, many of the “dry” core particles
atmospheric particles. These compounds are water nitrate or sulfate. Such particles will be classified as
emissions include coal-burning power plants and Particles emitted from combustion sources contain
Soluble nitrates, sulfates, ammonium, sodium, other and marine-derived aerosols contain negligible
hundreds, possibly thousands of separate compounds combustion of various fuels. About one-half of the
that usually contain more than 20 carbon atoms. No NOx is from stationary sources, while the remainder
single analytical technique can characterize the is from mobile sources such as spark- ignition and
Ammonium sulfate, ammonium bisulfate, and Speciation analysis is the analytical activity of
ammonium nitrate are the most common compounds identifying and quantifying one or more chemical
Atmospheric ammonia (NH3 ) results from biological environment, and their harmful effects to biota and
decay at the earth’s surface and can absorb on wet humans.[7] The toxicity of metals, their
surfaces or react with nitric acid to form ammonium environmental mobility, their interaction with solid
compound resulting from a reversible gas-to-particle give sufficient information about the potential risks.
3.2 Interaction of particulate matter with human • Skin (or eye) absorption:
There are four routes by which a substance can enter dermatitis; more severe effects include destruction of
the body: inhalation, skin (or eye) absorption, skin tissue or other debilitating conditions. Many
ingestion, and injection.[8] These four routes depict chemicals can also cross the skin barrier and be
how speciation profile is linked to particulate matter absorbed into the blood system. Once absorbed, they
interaction with the human body thereby may produce systemic damage to internal organs.
necessitating the requirement of speciation profile for The eyes are particularly sensitive to chemicals. Even
the study of interactions with body especially the a short exposure can cause severe effects to the eyes
respiratory system of the humans:- or the substance can be absorbed through the eyes
entry. Once inhaled, chemicals are either exhaled or Chemicals that inadvertently get into the mouth and
deposited in the respiratory tract. If deposited, are swallowed do not generally harm the
damage can occur through direct contact with tissue gastrointestinal tract itself unless they are irritating or
or the chemical may diffuse into the blood through corrosive. Chemicals that are insoluble in the fluids
the lung-blood interface. Upon contact with tissue in of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small, and large
the upper respiratory tract or lungs, chemicals may intestines) are generally excreted. Others that are
cause health effects ranging from simple irritation to soluble are absorbed through the lining of the
severe tissue destruction. Substances absorbed into gastrointestinal tract. They are then transported by
the blood are circulated and distributed to organs that the blood to internal organs where they can cause
Effects can then occur as the substance is circulated 3.4 Health effects linked to PM components
3.3 Creation of a nation- wide air pollution exposure to PM to cardiovascular and respiratory
control policy focusing on selective chemical disorders, severe sickness and premature deaths.
PM is deposited in the alveolar regions of the lungs. leaching procedures is a good indicator for their
reported a link between PM exposure and decreased available at the site of physiological activity
speciation source profiles in Europe has been recently speciation studies which makes it a need of the hour
The SPECIEUROPE is a repository developed in the in a country like India which lags behind the world in
framework of the Forum for Air quality Modeling in control of air pollution measures. A nationwide
Europe (FAIRMODE) that contains the chemical policy and a comprehensive program can be
composition of PM emission sources reported in developed using the speciation data and records. This
European scientific papers and official reports. Currently, could prove instrumental in the go ahead for the fight
SPECIEUROPE consists of 209 PM speciation profiles, against air pollution specially pertaining to the
combining measured, composite, calculated (from particulate matter. Efficient and justifiable measures
stoichiometric composition) and derived (results of can be taken up for the control focussing on the
source apportionment studies) profiles.[14] Emission speciation of particulates in ambient air. Hence, it is
inventories are datasets used to estimate the amount of conclusive that speciation of particulate matter is the
air pollutants being emitted to the atmosphere, caused by ultimate need of the hour and we need to investigate
The need for speciation of particulate matter is area. Inhal Toxicol 2008: 20: 423–433.
evident. The total elemental composition studies are [2] Andersen Z.J., Wahlin P., Raaschou-Nielsen
insufficient so as to give the accurate detailing O., Scheike T., and Loft S. Ambient particle
information about the effects of the particulates. source apportionment and daily hospital
Individual sources profiles can be determined using admissions among children and elderly in
625–636. Bell M.L., Dominici F., Ebisu K., Giordano, A. Total element concentration
Zeger S.L., and Samet J.M. Spatial and and chemical fractionation in airborne
composition in the United States for health Atmos. Environ. 2007, 41, 6729–6738.
effect studies. Environ Health Perspect [9] M. Guevara, F. Martínez, G. Arévalo, S. Gassó
Air Quality Criteria for Particulate [10] H. Simon, L. Beck, P. V. Bhave, F. Divita, Y.
[5] Yue W., et al. Ambient source-specific over the continental U.S.: spatial and
particles are associated with prolonged seasonal patterns. Presented at the A&WMA
repolarization and increased levels of Conference, Kansas City, MO, 1992; Paper
disease patients. Mutat Res 2007: 621: 50– [12] Pope III C.A., Burnett R.T., Thurston G.D.,
[6] Smichowski, P.; Polla, G.; Gómez, D. Metal Cardiovascular mortality and long-term
[7] Di Ciaula, A. Emergency visits and hospital disease. Circulation 2004: 109: 71–77.
admissions in aged people living close to a [13] Sarnat J.A., Marmur A., Klein E., Kim E.,
gas-fired power plant. Eur. J. Intern. Med. Russel A.G., Sarnat S.E., Mulholland J.A.,
2012, 23, 53–58. Hopke P.K., and Tolbert P.E. Fine particle
116: 459–466.
113: 1768–1774.