| 1. |
- Bienert, Gern, 2008, et al.
(författare)
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A subgroup of plant aquaporins facilitate the bi-directional diffusion of As(OH)3 and Sb(OH)3 across membranes
- 2008
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Ingår i: BMC Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1741-7007. ; 6:26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Arsenic is a toxic and highly abundant metalloid that endangers human health through drinking water and the food chain. The most common forms of arsenic in the environment are arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)). As(V) is a non-functional phosphate analog that enters the food chain via plant phosphate transporters. Inside cells, As(V) becomes reduced to As(III) for subsequent extrusion or compartmentation. Although much is known about As(III) transport and handling in microbes and mammals, the transport systems for As(III) have not yet been characterized in plants. Results Here we show that the Nodulin26-like Intrinsic Proteins (NIPs) AtNIP5;1 and AtNIP6;1 from Arabidopsis thaliana, OsNIP2;1 and OsNIP3;2 from Oryza sativa, and LjNIP5;1 and LjNIP6;1 from Lotus japonicus are bi-directional As(III) channels. Expression of these NIPs sensitized yeast cells to As(III) and antimonite (Sb(III)), and direct transport assays confirmed their ability to facilitate As(III) transport across cell membranes. On medium containing As(V), expression of the same NIPs improved yeast growth, probably due to increased As(III) efflux. Our data furthermore provide evidence that NIPs can discriminate between highly similar substrates and that they may have differential preferences in the direction of transport. A subgroup of As(III) permeable channels that group together in a phylogenetic tree required N-terminal truncation for functional expression in yeast. Conclusion This is the first molecular identification of plant As(III) transport systems and we propose that metalloid transport through NIPs is a conserved and ancient feature. Our observations are potentially of great importance for improved remediation and tolerance of plants, and may provide a key to the development of low arsenic crops for food production.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENT WITH X-RAY FLUORESCENCE
- 2011
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Ingår i: Advances in X-ray Analysis. - 0376-0308. ; 54, s. 266-279
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we will introduce the general benefits of X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) for assessing the condition of the outer environment, especially where ambient aerosol particles are causing environmental disturbances. Examples from recent environmental studies are presented, and energy dispersive XRF is concluded to be a powerful, nondestructive yet easily applicable tool to supply detailed elemental information of particles collected in different applications. The further development and future potential of the method for detailed analysis of aerosol particles are discussed.
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| 4. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Elemental characterization of aerosols in urban and rural locations in Bangladesh
- 2005
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Ingår i: X-Ray Spectrometry. - : Wiley. - 0049-8246 .- 1097-4539. ; 34:5, s. 460-467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bangladesh became the first country in South Asia to ban the use of lead in gasoline in 1999. In 2003, two-stroke engine auto rickshaws were banned in the city centre of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and one of the Asian mega-cities, in an attempt to improve the air quality. In July and August 2003, fine aerosol particles (PM2.5) were collected in Dhaka and in Rangpur in the northern part of the country. The aim was to study the effect of the action and to characterize PM2.5 particles in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Sampling was done with a cyclone of Dewell-Higgins type equipped with Teflon filters with a pore size of 3 mu m. Day- and night-time filters were collected in an attempt to understand the possible difference in air pollution between the two periods. An energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer with three-axial geometry was utilized for the analysis of the elemental content of the particles. Large variations of concentrations for most elements in both Dhaka and in Rangpur were observed. Most of the elemental concentrations in Dhaka in daytime were higher than at night whereas the opposite was the case for Rangpur. The concentrations showed a significant influence of human activities and weather. Considerable concentrations of Pb were found despite the official ban of leaded gasoline. Motor transport, especially the two-stroke engine taxis and elements remobilized by burning, were the major sources identified. This is the first report on elemental concentrations in PM2.5 particles in both Dhaka and Rangpur. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 5. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Elemental content of aerosol particles in an underground tram station
- 2009
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Ingår i: X-Ray Spectrometry. - : Wiley. - 0049-8246 .- 1097-4539.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Particulate matter is an important air pollutant, especially in closed environments like a tunnel. The aim of this study was to determine the mass, black carbon, and elemental concentrations of particulate matter of two size fractions at an underground tram station in Hammarkullen, Gothenburg, Sweden. Samples were collected during June 2007 using a dichotomous virtual impactor separating the sampled aerosol particles into coarse (PM(2.5-10)) and fine (PM2.5) fractions. To minimize the possible influence of waiting passengers, the platform for trams going towards the suburb Angered was chosen. The elemental analysis of the samples, collected on Teflon filters, was carried out using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry, resulting in concentrations of 14 elements in most of the samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify possible sources for the elements in the particles. Owing to the tunnel environment, the elemental difference between the fine and coarse particle fractions was not as large as that in similar particles collected under normal outdoor ambient conditions. Likewise, the influence of the local weather situation was not significant. Particle content from the tram traffic was identified by PCA, with Fe being the major element in both coarse and fine particles. The particle mass concentration was higher in the tunnel compared to the ambient concentration at the monitoring station Femman in downtown Gothenburg. In some days, the mass concentration exceeded the Swedish daily ambient air quality standard of 50 µg m-3, but it was lower than the limits in the environmental work act, 5 mg m-3.
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| 6. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Elemental content of PM2.5 aerosol particles collected in Göteborg during the Göte-2005 campaign in February 2005
- 2008
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Ingår i: Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss. ; 8:2, s. 7703-7724
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Göte–2005 was a measurement campaign in the city of Göteborg with the aim of studying the influence of the winter thermal inversions on urban air pollution. Elemental speciation of PM2.5 aerosol particles, collected on Teflon filters at three urban sites and one rural site in the Göteborg region, was a major part of the study. Trace element analysis was done by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry and the concentrations of S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Pb were determined. The elemental content of the particles in combination with information of local wind speed and direction and also backward trajectories were used to estimate the source areas of the pollutants. We can conclude that S, V, Ni, Br, and Pb have their main sources outside the Göteborg area, since we cannot see elevated concentrations of these elements during an inversion episode. Sea traffic and harbour activities were also identified, primarily by the S and V content of the particles. This study proves that the elemental analysis by EDXRF presents valuable information for tracing the origin of air masses arriving at a measurement site.
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| 7. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Elemental content of PM2.5 aerosol particles collected in Göteborg during the Göte-2005 campaign in February 2005
- 2009
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 9, s. 2597-2606
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Göte-2005 measurement campaign aimed at studying the influence of the winter thermal inversions on urban air pollution. Elemental speciation of PM2.5 aerosol particles, collected on Teflon filters at three urban sites and one rural site in the Göteborg region, was a major part of the study. Trace element analysis was done by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry and the concentrations of S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Pb were determined. The elemental content of the particles, local wind speed and direction, and backward trajectories were used to investigate possible sources for the pollutants. We concluded that S, V, Ni, Br, and Pb had their main sources outside the central Göteborg area, since elevated concentrations of these elements were not observed during an inversion episode. Sea traffic and harbour activities were identified, primarily by the S and V content of the particles. This study showed that the elemental analysis by EDXRF presents valuable information for tracing the origin of air masses arriving at a measurement site.
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| 8. |
- Boman, Johan, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Trace elements in PM2.5 in Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2010
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Ingår i: Spectrochimica Acta - Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0584-8547. ; 65:6, s. 478-482
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ambient aerosol particles smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) are getting more and more attention worldwide. While legal focus is mainly on sample mass, the composition of the particles is an important research field gaining increased interest. The interest is not only connected to possible health effects of the elemental content of the particles, but the elemental determination can also add valuable information for source apportionment. Samples were collected during 20 days in November 2007 at the campus of the Chemistry Department, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. The particles were collected using a cyclone that separates the PM2.5 particles from the air stream and impacts them on polycarbonate filters. Filters were changed at early afternoon. The samples were analyzed for particulate mass, black carbon (BC) and the elements S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, As, Br, Cd and Pb. Several of the elements were above detection limit in only a few of the samples. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometer based on the Wobi TXRF module supplied by the International Atom Energy Agency (IAEA) has been used for the determination of most trace elements in the samples. A Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (GF-AAS) was used for complementary trace element analysis and a reflectometer was used to analyze black carbon. Before elemental analysis the filters were digested using a microwave digestion system with temperature and pressure control. The results showed a large variation in sample mass, BC and analyzed elemental concentrations. The variation of the different constituents did not show the same pattern. This added to the picture of different sources for different pollutants. The highest S concentration was noted on a day when the air masses were determined to come from the southeast, i.e. Poland and some other Eastern European countries. From the results it can be concluded that more work is needed on the TXRF spectrometer to optimize it for determination of the EU legally regulated elements As, Ni, Pb and Cd. Despite this the study shows that there is no problem in meeting the AAQS limits for Cd and Pb in Gothenburg.
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| 9. |
- Gaita, Samuel Mwaniki, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of Size-Fractionated Particulate Matter and Deposition Fractions in Human Respiratory System in a Typical African City: Nairobi, Kenya
- 2016
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Ingår i: Aerosol and Air Quality Research. - : Taiwan Association for Aerosol Research. - 2071-1409 .- 1680-8584. ; 16:10, s. 2378-2385
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Information from elemental and mass composition of size-fractionated airborne particle matter (PM) provides insightfulknowledge about their impact on human health, meteorology and climate. To attain insight into the nature of sizefractionatedPM from a typical African city, samples were collected from an urban background site in Nairobi, Kenya,during the months of August and September in 2007. PM samples ranging in size from 0.06 to 16 µm aerodynamicdiameter were collected on pre-weighed polycarbonate filters with 0.4 µm pore size using a nine-stage cascade impactor.Particles less than 0.06 µm were collected on a backup filter. A total of 170 samples were collected and analysed for traceelements using the Proton Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) technique. The analysis showed that Si, Fe and S dominated inall size ranges and displayed unimodal mass-size distribution whereas K, Cu, Zn and Pb, depicted bimodal mass-sizedistribution highlighting the multiplicity of their sources. To estimate human exposure to PM, deposition fractions of boththe coarse and fine PM in the human respiratory system were calculated. The deposited concentration was found to behighest in the head airways region compared to the tracheobronchial and pulmonary regions.
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| 10. |
- Gatari, Michael J, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of inorganic content of PM(2.5) particles sampled in a rural area north-east of Hanoi, Vietnam.
- 2006
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Ingår i: The Science of the total environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 368:2-3, s. 675-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atmospheric aerosols from seven rural sites in northern Vietnam, east of Hanoi, were sampled and analyzed. The aim of the study was to evaluate trace elemental and black carbon (BC) concentrations in fine particles (PM(2.5)) and to investigate the influence of the Pha Lai power plant and other pollution sources on regional air quality. Seven measurement stations were set up at selected rural sites and a campaign consisting of 12 two-day measurement periods was conducted from the end of May until the end of October 2000. At each location a pair of samplers was installed consisting of a cyclone loaded with Teflon filters and a modified Millipore air monitoring cartridge loaded with glass fibre filters. The obtained samples were analyzed for trace elements by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), while a black smoke detector was used for BC analysis. Seventeen trace elements were analyzed; Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, S, Se, Sr, Ti, V and Zn and their concentrations evaluated. The results showed that BC, Ca, Cl, Fe, K and S dominated in the sampled atmospheric aerosols. The measured concentrations of the potentially hazardous trace elements Cr, Mn, Ni and Pb were all below the limits defined by Vietnamese standards of ambient air quality. Statistical evaluations indicated that coal and heavy fuel oil combustion were major sources of atmospheric pollutants in the area and that biomass burning and road transport had a marked influence on regional air quality. It was concluded that the Pha Lai power plant was the major source of coal combustion emissions. Trace element emissions originating from river transportation were suggested as another major source of atmospheric pollutants. The results indicate that the elemental concentrations in PM(2.5) are strongly influenced by seasonal variations. Further measurements are required to identify the impact of long-range transported continental air masses on the air quality of the investigated rural area.
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