Airborne silica levels in an urban area.

In order to evaluate the exposure levels of the general population we studied the concentrations of silica particles in the inhalable particulate fraction (PM10) in different meteorological-climate periods in an urban area of Rome. In order to determine the concentration and the granulometric spectrum of silica particles, PM10 sampled by a cascade impactor was analysed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and by scanning electron microscopy equipped with a thin-window system for X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDX). Over the period September 2004-October 2005 the abundance of silica particles as evaluated by SEM/EDX ranged from 1.6 to 10.4% of the total PM10 particulate, with a weight concentration of free crystalline silica, evaluated by XRD, in the range 0.25-2.87 microg/m3. The mean diameter of silica particles ranged from 0.3 to 10.5 microm, with more than 87% of particles having a diameter of less than 2.5 microm. The correlations between SEM/EDX and XRD data seem to suggest that the airborne silica particles in the urban location studied were mainly in the form crystalline silica. A strong relationship was found between the meteorological-climate conditions and the concentration level of free crystalline silica. This result suggests that the Southern winds from the Sahara desert carry an important amount of silica particles into Mediterranean Europe.

[The "silica" component in the PM10 of an urban site]. / La componente "silice" nel PM10 di un ambiente urbano.

BACKGROUND: In vivo and in vitro toxicological studies have shown that the aged fracturated crystalline silica, which is a component of airborne particulate, exerts an important inflammatory action on airways. The evaluation of the concentration level of airborne crystalline silica in an urban area is an important research subject in order to determine the exposure levels of the general population. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study the seasonal trend of the quartz (the most common form of crystalline silica) concentration levels in the particulate inhalable faction (PM10) in the urban area of Rome. METHODS: PM10, sampled by a cascade impactor, was analysed by scanning electron microscopy, equipped with a thin-window system for X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDX) for qualitative analysis. Parallely the concentration levels of quartz in the particulate were determined by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) for quantitative analysis, using the NIOSH 7500 method (NIOSH, 1994). RESULTS: From September 2004 to October 2005 the abundance of silica particles, evaluated by SEM/EDX was in the range 1.6/10.4%, with a concentration level of free crystalline silica in the range 0.25/2.87 microg/mi. The equivalent diameter of silica particles ranged from 0.3 to 10.5 mircom, moreover, more than 87% of particles showed a diameter less than 2.5 microm. CONCLUSIONS: The correlations between SEM/EDX and XRD data seem to suggest that the airborne silica particles in the urban location studied consisted mostly of crystalline silica. Moreover, the data suggest the existence of a significant contribution of silica particles due to southwest wind carrying a fine dust from the Sahara desert to Mediterranean Europe.

Effect of the addition of electrolytes on the partition coefficients, activity coefficients, and acid dissociation constants of carnitine and its acetyl and propionyl derivatives.

The partition coefficients, P, between n-octanol and water of carnitine, acetylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine, and tetraethylammonium pentacyanopropenides have been determined spectrophotometrically at 20 degrees C. The value of P increases upon addition of electrolytes, the increase produced by LiCl being particularly high. The carnitine cations are 'salted-out' by electrolytes as shown by the variation of their 'single-ion' activity coefficients (relative to that of the tetraethylammonium ion) with electrolyte concentration. These cations are appreciably more hydrated than the reference tetraethylammonium ion. The considered carnitine cations are at least one pKa (where Ka is the acid dissociation constant) unit more acidic than butanoic acid in water at 25 degrees C. Electrolyte addition somewhat increases the pKa of these cationic acids.