In utero ultrafine particulate matter exposure causes offspring pulmonary immunosuppression.

Early life exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) in air is associated with infant respiratory disease and childhood asthma, but limited epidemiological data exist concerning the impacts of ultrafine particles (UFPs) on the etiology of childhood respiratory disease. Specifically, the role of UFPs in amplifying Th2- and/or Th17-driven inflammation (asthma promotion) or suppressing effector T cells (increased susceptibility to respiratory infection) remains unclear. Using a mouse model of in utero UFP exposure, we determined early immunological responses to house dust mite (HDM) allergen in offspring challenged from 0 to 4 wk of age. Two mice strains were exposed throughout gestation: C57BL/6 (sensitive to oxidative stress) and BALB/C (sensitive to allergen exposure). Offspring exposed to UFPs in utero exhibited reduced inflammatory response to HDM. Compared with filtered air (FA)-exposed/HDM-challenged mice, UFP-exposed offspring had lower white blood cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and less pronounced peribronchiolar inflammation in both strains, albeit more apparent in C57BL/6 mice. In the C57BL/6 strain, offspring exposed in utero to FA and challenged with HDM exhibited a robust response in inflammatory cytokines IL-13 and Il-17. In contrast, this response was lost in offspring exposed in utero to UFPs. Circulating IL-10 was significantly up-regulated in C57BL/6 offspring exposed to UFPs, suggesting increased regulatory T cell expression and suppressed Th2/Th17 response. Our results reveal that in utero UFP exposure at a level close to the WHO recommended PM guideline suppresses an early immune response to HDM allergen, likely predisposing neonates to respiratory infection and altering long-term pulmonary health

Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China

As the world's second largest economy, China has experienced severe haze pollution, with fine particulate matter ( PM) recently reaching unprecedentedly high levels across many cities, and an understanding of the PM formation mechanism is critical in the development of efficient mediation policies to minimize its regional to global impacts. We demonstrate a periodic cycle of PM episodes in Beijing that is governed by meteorological conditions and characterized by two distinct aerosol formation processes of nucleation and growth, but with a small contribution from primary emissions and regional transport of particles. Nucleation consistently precedes a polluted period, producing a high number concentration of nano-sized particles under clean conditions. Accumulation of the particle mass concentration exceeding several hundred micrograms per cubic meter is accompanied by a continuous size growth from the nucleation-mode particles over multiple days to yield numerous larger particles, distinctive from the aerosol formation typically observed in other regions worldwide. The particle compositions in Beijing, on the other hand, exhibit a similarity to those commonly measured in many global areas, consistent with the chemical constituents dominated by secondary aerosol formation. Our results highlight that regulatory controls of gaseous emissions for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides from local transportation and sulfur dioxide from regional industrial sources represent the key steps to reduce the urban PM level in China.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000345921500021&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Multidisciplinary SciencesSCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Remarkable nucleation and growth of ultrafine particles from vehicular exhaust

High levels of ultrafine particles (UFPs; diameter of less than 50 nm) are frequently produced from new particle formation under urban conditions, with profound implications on human health, weather, and climate. However, the fundamental mechanisms of new particle formation remain elusive, and few experimental studies have realistically replicated the relevant atmospheric conditions. Previous experimental studies simulated oxidation of one compound or a mixture of a few compounds, and extrapolation of the laboratory results to chemically complex air was uncertain. Here, we show striking formation of UFPs in urban air from combining ambient and chamber measurements. By capturing the ambient conditions (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, sunlight, and the types and abundances of chemical species), we elucidate the roles of existing particles, photochemistry, and synergy of multipollutants in new particle formation. Aerosol nucleation in urban air is limited by existing particles but negligibly by nitrogen oxides. Photooxidation of vehicular exhaust yields abundant precursors, and organics, rather than sulfuric acid or base species, dominate formation of UFPs under urban conditions. Recognition of this source of UFPs is essential to assessing their impacts and developing mitigation policies. Our results imply that reduction of primary particles or removal of existing particles without simultaneously limiting organics from automobile emissions is ineffective and can even exacerbate this problem

Remarkable nucleation and growth of ultrafine particles from vehicular exhaust

High levels of ultrafine particles (UFPs; diameter of less than 50 nm) are frequently produced from new particle formation under urban conditions, with profound implications on human health, weather, and climate. However, the fundamental mechanisms of new particle formation remain elusive, and few experimental studies have realistically replicated the relevant atmospheric conditions. Previous experimental studies simulated oxidation of one compound or a mixture of a few compounds, and extrapolation of the laboratory results to chemically complex air was uncertain. Here, we show striking formation of UFPs in urban air from combining ambient and chamber measurements. By capturing the ambient conditions (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, sunlight, and the types and abundances of chemical species), we elucidate the roles of existing particles, photochemistry, and synergy of multipollutants in new particle formation. Aerosol nucleation in urban air is limited by existing particles but negligibly by nitrogen oxides. Photooxidation of vehicular exhaust yields abundant precursors, and organics, rather than sulfuric acid or base species, dominate formation of UFPs under urban conditions. Recognition of this source of UFPs is essential to assessing their impacts and developing mitigation policies. Our results imply that reduction of primary particles or removal of existing particles without simultaneously limiting organics from automobile emissions is ineffective and can even exacerbate this problem

Formation and optical properties of brown carbon from small α-dicarbonyls and amines

Brown Carbon (BrC) aerosols scatter and absorb solar radiation, directly affecting the Earth’s radiative budget. However, considerable uncertainty exists concerning the chemical mechanism leading to BrC formation and their optical properties. In this work, BrC particles were prepared from mixtures of small α-dicarbonyls (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) and amines (methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine). The absorption and scattering of BrC particles were measured using a photoacoustic extinctometer (405 and 532 nm), and the chemical composition of the α-dicarbonyl-amine mixtures was analyzed using orbitrap-mass spectrometry and thermal desorption-ion drift-chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The single scattering albedo for methylglyoxal-amine mixtures is smaller than that of glyoxal-amine mixtures and increases with the methyl substitution of amines. The mass absorption cross-section for methylglyoxal-amine mixtures is two times higher at 405 nm wavelength than that at 532 nm wavelength. The derived refractive indexes at the 405 nm wavelength are 1.40–1.64 for the real part and 0.002–0.195 for the imaginary part. Composition analysis in the α-dicarbonyl-amine mixtures reveals N-heterocycles as the dominant products, which are formed via multiple steps involving nucleophilic attack, steric hindrance, and dipole–dipole interaction between α-dicarbonyls and amines. BrC aerosols, if formed from the particle-phase reaction of methylglyoxal with methylamine, likely contribute to atmospheric warming

Formation of Urban Fine Particulate Matter

Urban air pollution represents one of the greatest environmental challenges facing mankind in the 21st century. Noticeably, many developing countries, such as China and India, have experienced severe air pollution because of their fast-developing economy and urbanization. Globally, the urbanization trend is projected to continue: 70% of the world population will reside in urban centers by 2050, and there will exist 41 megacities (with more than 10 million inhabitants) by 2030. Air pollutants consist of a complex combination of gases and particulate matter (PM). In particular, fine PM (particles with the aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm or PM_(2.5)) profoundly impacts human health, visibility, the ecosystem, the weather, and the climate, and these PM effects are largely dependent on the aerosol properties, including the number concentration, size, and chemical composition. PM is emitted directly into the atmosphere (primary) or formed in the atmosphere through gas-to-particle conversion (secondary) (Figure 1). Also, primary and secondary PM undergoes chemical and physical transformations and is subjected to transport, cloud processing, and removal from the atmosphere

OH-Initiated Oxidation of <i>m</i>‑Xylene on Black Carbon Aging

Laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate aging of size-classified black carbon (BC) particles from OH-initiated oxidation of <i>m</i>-xylene. The variations in the particle size, mass, effective density, morphology, optical properties, hygroscopicity, and activation as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are simultaneously measured by a suite of aerosol instruments, when BC particles are exposed to the oxidation products of the OH–<i>m</i>-xylene reactions. The BC aging is governed by the coating thickness (Δ<i>r</i>_ve), which is correlated to the reaction time and initial concentrations of <i>m</i>-xylene and NO_<i>x</i>. For an initial diameter of 100 nm and Δ<i>r</i>_ve = 44 nm, the particle size and mass increase by a factor of 1.5 and 10.4, respectively, and the effective density increases from 0.43 to 1.45 g cm^–3 due to organic coating and collapsing of the BC core. The BC particles are fully converted from a highly fractal to nearly spherical morphology for Δ<i>r</i>_ve = 30 nm. The scattering, absorption, and single scattering albedo of BC particles are enhanced accordingly with organic coating. The critical supersaturation for CCN activation is reduced to 0.1% with Δ<i>r</i>_ve = 44 nm. The results imply that the oxidation of <i>m</i>-xylene exhibits larger impacts in modifying the BC particle properties than those for the OH-initiated oxidation of isoprene and toluene

Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China

As the world&apos;s second largest economy, China has experienced severe haze pollution, with fine particulate matter ( PM) recently reaching unprecedentedly high levels across many cities, and an understanding of the PM formation mechanism is critical in the development of efficient mediation policies to minimize its regional to global impacts. We demonstrate a periodic cycle of PM episodes in Beijing that is governed by meteorological conditions and characterized by two distinct aerosol formation processes of nucleation and growth, but with a small contribution from primary emissions and regional transport of particles. Nucleation consistently precedes a polluted period, producing a high number concentration of nano-sized particles under clean conditions. Accumulation of the particle mass concentration exceeding several hundred micrograms per cubic meter is accompanied by a continuous size growth from the nucleation-mode particles over multiple days to yield numerous larger particles, distinctive from the aerosol formation typically observed in other regions worldwide. The particle compositions in Beijing, on the other hand, exhibit a similarity to those commonly measured in many global areas, consistent with the chemical constituents dominated by secondary aerosol formation. Our results highlight that regulatory controls of gaseous emissions for volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides from local transportation and sulfur dioxide from regional industrial sources represent the key steps to reduce the urban PM level in China.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000345921500021&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Multidisciplinary SciencesSCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]