Performance of wearable ionization air cleaners: Ozone emission and particle removal

Wearable ionization air cleaners are compact in size and marketed for personal respiratory protection by removing air pollutants from users' breathing zone. In this study, ozone emission and particle removal rates of four wearable ionization air cleaners (namely, AC1 through AC4) were evaluated inside a 0.46 m³ stainless steel chamber. Continuous measurements were conducted for ozone concentration, PM_2.5 concentration, and particle size distribution in the size range of 18.1–289 nm. Two of the four wearable air cleaners (i.e., AC1 and AC2) had detectable ozone emissions. The 10-h average ozone emission rates were quite different (i.e., 0.67 mg·h^?1 for AC1 and 3.40 × 10^?2 mg·h^?1 for AC2); however, the ozone emissions were negligible for AC3 and AC4. The number removal rates for particles within the measured size range were highly variable (i.e., 2.20 h^?1, 0.52 h^?1, 8.10 h^?1, and 27.9 h^?1 for AC1 through AC4, respectively). The corresponding mass removal rates of PM_2.5 were 1.85 h^?1, 0.48 h^?1_,1.52 h^?1, and 5.37 h^?1, respectively. Regulatory guidelines are needed to assure these devices can effectively remove particles without ozone emissions to protect public health.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Nebulizer-spray chamber apparatus and method for production of multi-component particle types and their use in affecting cellular responses

A particle generation apparatus and methodology is described for its application to prepare heterogeneous particles of defined chemical composition and their subsequent delivery to human lung cell cultures. A concentric type nebulizer was used together with a single pass spray chamber that was operated at two different temperature settings, either room temperature or to produce intact particles, at nonuniform temperature with the central axis measuring 54°C. Silica (SiO₂) particles in the micrometer size range were produced from the aggregation of nanoparticles. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a well-characterized cytokine, was incorporated as a secondary soluble component within host silica particles for application as a proof-of-concept heterogeneous particle type. The overall particle deposition and wetting efficiency into media was 2.0 ± 0.4%, and the average size of particles that impacted and sank in the growth medium was 3.4 µm. The particle dose, reported as particle-to-cell ratio, spanned 0.1 to ～2.5. Co-cultures of A549 and differentiated human monocytic cells (THP-1*) exposed to silica particles caused IL-6 upregulation, but not IL-8. For the silica plus TNF-α particle type, ICAM-1 signal increased in A549 mono-cultures as the particle-to-cell ratio increased, yet an estimated 90% of the TNF-α was denatured or possibly bound to the silica particle host, and was therefore bio-unavailable. Method quantitation using particles having two different chemical compositions has been described, illustrating capability for subsequent systematic investigation of the role of particles having different chemical composition in the human health aspects of the particulate air pollution issue.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Deposition efficiency and uniformity of monodisperse solid particle deposition in the Vitrocell® 24/48 Air–Liquid-Interface in vitro exposure system

Abstract

A key to understanding biological response due to cell exposure to chemical constituents in aerosols is to accurately be able to determine the delivered dose. Deposition efficiency and uniformity of deposition was measured experimentally in the Vitrocell^® 24/48 air–liquid-interface (ALI) in vitro exposure system using monodisperse solid fluorescent particles with mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMAD) of 0.51, 1.1, 2.2 and 3.3?µm. Experimental results were compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD; using both Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches) predicted deposition efficiency and uniformity for a single row (N?=?6) of cell culture inserts in the Vitrocell^® 24/48 system. Deposited fluorescent monodisperse particles were quantified using fluorescent microscopy and Image J software. Experiments were conducted using a suspension of two particle MMADs with each experiment being conducted a total of three times on different days. The average experimentally measured deposition efficiency ranged from a low of 0.013% for 0.51?µm MMAD particles to a maximum 0.86% for 3.3?µm MMAD particles. There was good agreement between the average experimentally measured and the CFD predicted particle deposition efficiency (regardless of approach) with agreement being slightly better at the smaller MMADs. Experimentally measured and CFD predicted average uniformity of deposition was >45% of the mean and within 15% of the mean for 0.51?µm and 2.2 MMAD µm particles, respectively. Experimentally measured average uniformity of deposition was between 15 and 45% of the mean while CFD predictions were within 15% of the mean for 1.1 and 3.3?µm MMAD particles. The deposition efficiency and uniformity across the cell culture inserts for solid particles should be considered when designing exposure regimens using the Vitrocell^® 24/48 ALI in vitro exposure system.

Copyright © 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Toxicological characterization of particulate emissions from straw,Miscanthus, and poplar pellet combustion in residential boilers

Wood pellets have been used in domestic heating appliances for three decades. However, because the share of renewable energy for heating will likely rise over the next several years, alternative biomass fuels, such as short-rotation coppice or energy crops, will be utilized. We tested particulate emissions from the combustion of standard softwood pellets and three alternative pellets (poplar, Miscanthus sp., and wheat straw) for their ability to induce inflammatory, cytotoxic, and genotoxic responses in a mouse macrophage cell line. Our results showed clear differences in the chemical composition of the emissions, which was reflected in the toxicological effects. Standard softwood and straw pellet combustion resulted in the lowest PM₁ mass emissions. Miscanthus sp. and poplar combustion emissions were approximately three times higher. Emissions from the herbaceous biomass pellets contained higher amounts of chloride and organic carbon than the emissions from standard softwood pellet combustion. Additionally, the emissions of the poplar pellet combustion contained the highest concentration of metals. The emissions from the biomass alternatives caused significantly higher genotoxicity than the emissions from the standard softwood pellets. Moreover, straw pellet emissions caused higher inflammation than the other samples. Regarding cytotoxicity, the differences between the samples were smaller. Relative toxicity was generally highest for the poplar and Miscanthus sp. samples, as their emission factors were much higher. Thus, in addition to possible technical problems, alternative pellet materials may cause higher emissions and toxicity. The long-term use of alternative fuels in residential-scale appliances will require technological developments in both burners and filtration.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Application of image analysis method to detection and counting of glass fibers from filter samples

Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs) are noncrystalline substances made of glass, rock or slag and are widely used as thermal or acoustic insulation materials. There is continued concern about their potential health impacts and thus, their dosimetry and behavior in the environment still require study using filters to collect fiber samples. After deposition or exposure measurements of MMVFs it is often necessary to analyze the filters with deposited fibers. This task is tedious, time-consuming, and requires skill. Therefore, many researchers have tried to simplify or automatize fiber detection and quantification. This article describes features of our in-house software, which automatically detects and counts fibers in images of filter samples. The image analysis is based on the use of a histogram equalization and an adaptive radial convolution filter that enhances fiber contrast and thus, improves the fiber identification. The accuracy of the software analysis was verified by comparison with manual counting using ordinary phase-contrast microscopy method. The correlation between the methods was very high (coefficient of determination was 0.977). However, there were some discrepancies caused by false identifications, which led to implementation of manual corrective functions.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Effects of relative humidity and particle and surface properties on particle resuspension rates

Wind tunnel experiments examined the coupled effects of relative humidity (RH) and surface and particle properties on aerodynamically induced resuspension. Hydrophilic glass spheres and hydrophobic polyethylene spheres ～20 μm in diameter, with nanoscale surface features, were resuspended from hydrophilic glass, hydrophobic chemical agent resistant coating (CARC), and gold surfaces. Roughness of the glass and gold surfaces was on the nanoscale, whereas CARC surfaces had microscale roughness. Different particle–surface combinations yielded van der Waals interactions that varied by a factor of 4, but these differences had a relatively minor effect on resuspension. Wind tunnel RH was varied between 7% and 78%. Overall, RH affected the resuspension of hydrophilic particles on hydrophilic surfaces most strongly and that of hydrophobic particles on hydrophobic surfaces the least. For each particle–surface combination there was a threshold RH value below which resuspension rates were essentially constant and in good agreement with a dimensionless model of particle resuspension.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Deposition of carbon nitride via hot filament assisted CVD and pulsed laser deposition

Bias-assisted hot filament chemical vapour deposition (HFCVD) and ion-assisted pulsed laser deposition (IA-PLD) have been employed to deposit carbon nitride films. Crystalline C-N films composed of - and β---C₃N₄, as well as some unpredicted C-N solids have been synthesized on Ni(100) substrates via HFCVD using a gas mixture of nitrogen and methane. The crystal constants of the - and β-C₃N₄ phases, obtained via X-ray diffraction, coincide well with those predicted theoretically; additionally, cone-shaped crystals are observed on the Si(100) substrates. Similarly, high density cone-shaped (Si)-C-N crystals have been obtained on Si(100) substrates via ion-assisted pulsed laser ablation of a carbon (graphite) target intersecting a nitrogen ion beam. Amorphous C-N films were also produced using this method.     

Influence of temperature and relative humidity on aging of atmospheric plasma jet treatment effect on ultrahigh-modulus polyethylene fibers

The aging effects of atmospheric pressure plasma treated fiber surfaces are important for storage and processing of the fibers. One of the high-performance fibers, ultrahigh modulus polyethylene (UHMPE) fiber, was chosen as a model system to investigate the aging process of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treated fibers surfaces 0, 7, 15 and 30 days after initial plasma treatment. The fiber was first plasma-treated and then stored at temperatures varying from ?80 to 80°C on the same relative humidity (RH, 0%) and on RH of 0%, 65% and 100% at the same temperature of 20°C. Immediately after the plasma treatment, scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the roughened fiber surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed changed surface chemical compositions. Contact-angle measurement showed increased surface wettability and microbond test showed an increase in IFSS. With increasing relative humidity or decreasing temperature, the IFSS value decreased and the contact angle increased more slowly. However, after 30 days, the IFSS values and contact angles reached a similar level for all groups. Moisture showed no effect on the single fiber tensile strengths during aging. The reasons for the observed aging behavior could be that decreasing temperature or increasing relative humidity hindered the surface rearrangement of polymer chains after plasma treatment.     

Effects of relative humidity and particle type on the performance and service life of automobile cabin air filters

Cabin air filters are the main barrier for protecting automobile passengers from on road particulate matter. There are many studies about the evaluation of their performance in terms of filtration efficiency. However, the knowledge about the loading capacity of them is still lacking. Meanwhile, there has been no quantitative method to estimate the proper filter service life time. This study focuses on testing the loading capacity of different types of cabin air filters under the conditions of different relative humidity values and particle types. The results indicate that when the relative humidity increases, the activated carbon coated filters can adsorb significant amounts of water with no significant increase of the pressure drop. The normal fibrous filters show in contrast negligible water adsorbance. Compared with the filters loaded by Arizona road dust only, loading the filters by Arizona road dust and soot particles simultaneously will result in the steeper loading curves as well as the shift of most penetrating particle size to the smaller diameter. Finally, a new method to estimate the proper service life time of the cabin air filters is suggested based on the loading curves.

© 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

不同相对湿度下亲疏水纳米纤维膜空气过滤性能实验研究

利用静电纺丝法制备了表面静态接触角为23.6°的具有亲水功能的PAN/PVP复合纳米纤维膜、接触角为81.2°的PAN纳米纤维膜、接触角为131.9°的具有疏水功能的PAN/PVDF复合纳米纤维膜。利用自行搭建的空气过滤实验台,在40%、55%、70%三种相对湿度下对三种纳米纤维膜进行空气过滤实验,对纳米纤维膜的过滤效率、阻力损失及品质因子进行分析。结果表明：三种纳米纤维膜的过滤效率随着相对湿度的增大而升高,PAN/PVP膜和PAN膜的阻力损失随着相对湿度的增大而增加,PAN/PVDF的阻力损失随着相对湿度的增大而减小;PAN/PVP膜和PAN膜的品质因子随着相对湿度的增大而减小,PAN/PVDF膜的品质因子随着相对湿度的增大而增大,湿度越大,PAN/PVDF纳米纤维膜的过滤性能越显著。     

Effect of the seed layer on surface morphology and humidity sensing property of CoTiO3 nanocrystalline film

CoTiO₃ nanocrystalline film with enhanced humidity sensing property has been prepared via a two-step method. A nanostructured CoTiO₃ seed layer was firstly grown on silicate substrate by sol-gel process, and another CoTiO₃ layer was subsequently deposited on the seed layer by RF magnetron co-sputtering using TiO₂ and Co₂O₃ targets. The influence of seed layer on the microstructure and humidity sensing property of the CoTiO₃ film was investigated, it was found that the seed layer facilitates the intrinsic growth of CoTiO₃ grain and improves the crystallinity. Meanwhile, the surface morphology changes from brick-like grain type to a pebble-like pattern. The uniformity and alignment of the grains are both strongly related to the underneath CoTiO₃ seed layer. The as-prepared CoTiO₃ multilayer displayed enhanced humidity sensing properties such as the sensitivity to 95%RH reached to 41.9. The response time and recovery time was dramatically shortened, from 50 s for the seed layer to 5 s for the multilayer.     

The effects of an electrostatic field and air stream on water jet break-up length

An experimental study of the break-up length of a circular section liquid jet subject to the combined action of a coaxial airstream and an electrostatic field is reported. A high speed photographic technique has been employed and the results have been correlated empirically by the following dimensionless equation: where “b” and “k” are functions of Reynolds number.     

Effect of carbon dioxide,temperature, and relative humidity on production of aflatoxin in peanuts

Effects of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in combination with reduced relative humidities (RH) and temperatures on growth and aflatoxin production byAspergillus flavus in peanuts were investigated. Sound mature kernels of Early Runner peanuts were surface disinfested, inoculated withA. flavus, and incubated at various temperatures, RH, and CO₂ concentrations. Visible growth, aflatoxin production, and free fatty acid (FFA) formation byA. flavus was inhibited at approximately 86% RH by 20% CO₂ at 17C and by 60 and 40% CO₂ at 25C. Aflatoxin and FFA levels decreased as RH decreased from approximately 99% to 92% to 86%. At a constant temperature, an increase in CO₂ concentration caused a decrease in aflatoxin and percentage FFA; and, at a given CO₂ concentration, lowering the temperature resulted in a decrease in aflatoxin and percentage FFA.     

Liquid-liquid jet breakup under conditions of relative motion,mass transfer and solute adsorption

A linear hydrodynamic stability analysis of a liquid jet in relative motion through a second liquid in the presence of mass transfer between them predicts a significant effect of mass transfer direction and driving force and solute adsorption on jet length. Results of experiments in which acetone transfers between benzene jets and water in the presence and absence of adsorbing surfactant agree qualitatively with most of the predictions of the theory.     

Transparent UV-cured clay/UV-based nanocomposite coatings on wood substrates: surface roughness and effect of relative humidity on optical properties

The esthetic durability of coatings on wood surfaces of components constituting wood furniture used in bathrooms is generally affected by high humidity. In this study, surfaces of yellow birch wood (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) were protected with three different types of transparent UV-cured multilayer coatings (MCs), namely MC1, MC2, and MC3. Each MC consisted of three layers: primer, sealer, and topcoat. MC1, MC2, and MC3 contained, respectively, 0, 1, and 3 wt% of nanoclay (NC) in the topcoat, while no nanoparticle was added in the primer and sealer. The surface roughness of coated wood surfaces was measured before accelerated aging and optical properties (color and gloss) were investigated before, during, and after accelerated aging. Statistical results have shown that: (1) all coated wood samples have a similar surface roughness and (2) NC in the topcoat does not have a significant effect on initial color, whereas its effect on initial gloss is significant. There is a significant effect on relative humidity (RH) on color changes, but not between the different types of MCs. With respect to gloss, a lowering of gloss retention with the increase in aging time and RH has been observed for all coatings on wood surfaces. Significant differences appear only at high RH between: MC1 vs MC3 and MC2 vs MC3.     

Synthesis, surface modification and photocatalytic property of ZnO nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by calcination of precursor prepared by the precipitation method. Polystyrene was grafted onto the surface of ZnO nanoparticles to improve the dispersion of the particles and to reduce their photocatalytic activity. The obtained particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of bare and modified ZnO nanoparticles was studied. The influence of surface modification on the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange has been analyzed. The composition of residual solution was determined through high performance liquid chromatography. Experimental results show that well dispersed ZnO nanoparticles were obtained after surface modification. ZnO nanoparticles possess high photocatalytic activity, whereas the photocatalytic activity can be significantly reduced when polystyrene was grafted onto the particle surface.     

Synthesis,characterization, and property of end-functionalized telechelic PST via ATRP

Polystyrene incorporating carboxylate group as α-end was synthesized by using initiator 4-chloromethyl benzoic acid via atom transfer radical polymerization. Its ω-chlorine end-group was transformed by cumic acid, diethyl malonate, and thiol, respectively, to form end-functionalized telechelic polystyrenes. These PSts with different functionalized ω-end group (PSt 1 , PSt 2 , and PSt 3) were obtained and characterized by H NMR and TGA. This type of end-functionalized telechelic polymers can further act as polymeric ligands to form polymeric metal complexes. In this study, PSt 1 with carboxylate group at each end was allowed to react with Eu(DBM)₂Cl·2H₂O to afford a new polymeric complex PSt 1 -Eu(III) showing significant red-light emission. Moreover, the film of PSt 1 -Eu shows similar emission pattern with its DMF solution. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Effect of polishing method on surface roughness and bacterial adhesion of zirconia-porcelain veneer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of various polishing methods on surface roughness of zirconia-porcelain veneer and to correlate the findings with early bacterial adhesion. The study specimens were glazed (control group), glazed after fine polishing (glazed group) and polished with Exa Cerapol (Cerapol group) or with Shofu porcelain adjustment kit (Shofu group) (n =20). Surface roughness was then measured using profilometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM). After artificial saliva coating, the specimens were incubated in Streptococcus mitis suspension for 4 h at 37 °C. Adherent bacteria were quantified from SEM images. Streptococcal viability was assessed by LIVE/DEAD staining kit and fluorescent microscope. There were significant differences in surface roughness according to polishing method and surface material. Relatively smoother surfaces were found in zirconia surfaces and glazed porcelain surfaces. There were also significant differences in bacterial adhesion according to polishing method and surface material. Cerapol group showed minimal bacterial adhesion with more dead cells when compared to other groups. A positive correlation between surface roughness and bacterial adhesion was found in glazed porcelain surface and a negative correlation in zirconia surface of Cerapol group, both with no statistical significance. Within the limitations of in vitro study, surface roughness and bacteria adhesion were significantly influenced by polishing method and surface material. Also, there was a positive correlation and negative correlation between surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in glazed porcelain surface and in zirconia surface of Cerapol group, respectively.     

Convective air,microwave, and combined drying of potato pre-treated by pulsed electric fields

Abstract

The effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on drying of potato have been investigated. The convective air (CA) (T?=?50?°C), microwave (MW), and combined (CA?+?MW or MW?+?CA) drying was applied. The drying curves, progression of temperature inside samples, microstructure, and capillary imbibition capacity of untreated (U) and PEF treated samples were compared. The PEF treatment noticeably affected the CA and MW drying characteristics and structure of dried samples. It reflected impact of electroporation on the heat and mass transfer processes during the different drying periods. The different progressions of temperatures inside U and PEF samples for the MW mode of drying were revealed. The highest and smallest rehydrations were observed for the U samples for individual CA and MW modes of drying, respectively. The observed behavior was explained accounting for the absence of starch gelatinization for the CA mode of drying and presence of it for the MW mode of drying.