Air Quality Atmosphere and Health最新文献

{"title":"Atmospheric microplastic dispersion in diverse land-use context: insight from the black sea coastal region in Türkiye","authors":"Pelin Ertürk Arı,&nbsp;Şeyda Erdoğan,&nbsp;Akif Arı,&nbsp;Okan Ürker,&nbsp;Gökben Başaran Kankılıç,&nbsp;Tamer Çırak,&nbsp;Eftade O. Gaga,&nbsp;Ülkü Nihan Tavşanoğlu","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01735-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01735-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The atmospheric deposition of microplastic particles is a critical pathway for their input into the environment; however, available information remains limited. This study investigates atmospheric microplastics across urban, suburban, and rural areas in the humid/subtropical climate region of Black Sea coastline, specifically Düzce, Türkiye. The highest mean total microplastic deposition fluxes were recorded during the winter season, highlighting the influence of seasonal factors, such as meteorological conditions, on microplastic deposition. Fibers were the dominant type of microplastics (84%), with the primary colors being black, red, blue, and white/transparent with predominantly 0.5–1 mm in size range. During the winter period, characterized by heavy precipitation and peak microplastic depositions rates, dominant air mass trajectories pointed towards Eastern Europe and the Black Sea regions. In contrast, during the summer season, with lower deposition rates and minimal precipitation, the prevailing air trajectories predominantly originated from Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia, moving in northwestern and northeastern directions. While this study provides evidence of microplastic deposition and transport, it is crucial to address significant uncertainties arising from variations in sampling methodologies. Factors such as sampling height, sampler size, sampling duration, and seasonal differences can impact results and complicate comparisons across studies. Therefore, further investigations are necessary to resolve these methodological discrepancies and to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the implications of atmospheric microplastics on human and ecosystem health, particularly from a One Health perspective.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1729 - 1743"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145169104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Atmospheric herbicide contamination: sources, long-range transport, and health-environmental risks","authors":"Mohammad Mehdizadeh,&nbsp;Anahita Omidi,&nbsp;Atun Roy Choudhury,&nbsp;Zainul Abideen,&nbsp;Kassio Ferreira Mendes","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01733-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01733-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This review provides a comprehensive examination of herbicide contaminants in the air, focusing on their sources, transport mechanisms, and implications for human and environmental health. Herbicides, extensively used in agriculture, forestry, and urban settings, are frequently detected in the atmosphere due to their volatile properties. For instance, glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are found in air and rain across agricultural regions, with up to 0.7% of applied glyphosate removed via precipitation. Agricultural spraying, volatilization from treated surfaces, and industrial emissions are identified as major sources, with spray drift documented to affect non-target areas up to 250 m away. Inhalation exposure poses significant risks, including respiratory irritation and potential carcinogenicity, while ecological impacts include biodiversity loss and disruption of aquatic ecosystems. The review underscores the need for improved monitoring, stricter regulations (buffer zones), and mitigation strategies such as drift-reduction technologies and integrated weed management (IWM). By synthesizing current knowledge, this work emphasizes actionable solutions to minimize airborne herbicide contamination and protect human and environmental health.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1861 - 1878"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145169119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial variability of metal pollution in sands and sandy soils of playgrounds and parks in the Barcelona metropolitan area: assessing the impact of urban and industrial activities","authors":"Adolfo González-Romero,&nbsp;Patricia Escorcia Rico,&nbsp;Andrés Alastuey,&nbsp;Natalia Moreno,&nbsp;Xavier Querol,&nbsp;Patricia Córdoba Sola","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01726-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01726-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the geochemical composition of sands and sandy soils collected from 10 playgrounds and 13 parks across the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA), a region characterised by high population density, extensive industrial activity, and heavy traffic. By examining the variability in metal loads and the deposition of contaminants, the research sheds light on the impact of urban pollution sources on the spatial distribution of harmful elements. The findings reveal that playgrounds tend to exhibit coarser sand textures compared to parks, likely reflecting both the progressive milling of sand and the accumulation of deposited particulate matter (DPM) over time. Several parks exhibited significant enrichment factors (EF) (5 ≤ EF ≤ 20) for a variety of elements, which can be attributed to vehicle wear, while others showed even higher enrichments, particularly related to braking systems. Distinct anomalies in metal concentrations were found in several parks, indicating a diversity of pollution sources, including industrial emissions and port activities. Particularly noteworthy are the elevated Ce/La ratios (1.79–2.95) found in some parks, which point to vehicular catalytic emissions. Additionally, exceptional anomalies in Pb (EF: 62.3–84.1) and Sb (EF: 26.8–44.4) concentrations were identified, most likely due to industrial and port activities near certain parks. Another significant finding of this study is the higher concentrations of traffic-related metals found beneath tree canopies compared to open spaces. This suggests that the presence of vegetation, particularly trees, plays a crucial role in modifying the deposition and distribution of PM in urban green spaces. This research provides critical insights into urban pollution dynamics, particularly the distribution of metals in relation to sand composition, environmental interactions, and the role of urban greenery in mitigating the negative effects of airborne pollutants. By examining both the geochemical impacts of pollution and the physical processes that contribute to contamination in urban environments, this study underscores the importance of thoughtful urban green infrastructure in reducing the environmental and health risks associated with urban pollution.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1713 - 1727"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11869-025-01726-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145168170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the filtration efficiency and antibacterial activity of reusable antibacterial face masks after washing","authors":"Yeram Yang,&nbsp;Jongmin Park,&nbsp;Sueun Choi,&nbsp;Kiyoung Lee,&nbsp;Cheonghoon Lee,&nbsp;Chungsik Yoon","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01731-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01731-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study evaluated the filtration efficiency, and continuity of the antibacterial activity of reusable antibacterial silver, copper, and graphene antibacterial masks before and after washing. The masks were washed at three different temperatures (40 °C, 60 °C, 90 °C) and up to 10 washing cycles. The filtration efficiencies of the three reusable antibacterial masks were between 10 and 13% before washing and increased by approximately 6% after washing. Before washing, the bacterial filtration efficiency was between 93 and 98%. The antibacterial activity was 98% for both the silver and copper masks, and 88% for the graphene mask. All these values were higher than those of non-antibacterial masks. There were no trends in performance difference with increasing washing temperature or cycles, and performance did not change significantly compared to before washing, regardless of the temperature or washing cycles. Under certain testing conditions, the bacterial filtration efficiency of the three reusable antibacterial masks was &lt; 95%, indicating that they might not be able to block effectively bacterial particles. Therefore, in the context of public health, the use of certified masks in daily life is strongly advised to ensure effective respiratory protection for the respiratory system and to mitigate potential health risks from aerosols and bioaerosols.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1701 - 1712"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11869-025-01731-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145167792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring PM2.5 and O3 disparities and synergies management through integrated natural and sociology-environmental drivers in the YRD","authors":"Fanmei Zeng,&nbsp;Chu Ren,&nbsp;Weiqing Wang,&nbsp;Liguo Zhou,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Dai,&nbsp;Weichun Ma","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01728-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01728-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Identifying the main factors influencing PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations is crucial for effective pollution control in urban areas. By combining optimal parameter-based geographical detector (OPGD) and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models, this study reveals the underlying mechanisms of PM_2.5 and O₃ spatial variation in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), focusing on both natural and socioeconomic indicators. The OPGD model optimized the spatial scale and zoning of geographic data, enhancing the accuracy of identifying PM_2.5 and O₃ drivers compared to conventional methods. The results showed that the optimal spatial scale of PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations in this study region was 9 km. Optimal discrete parameter combinations for most socioeconomic factors were quantile breaks with 9 intervals, while Natural Breaks or equal breaks were more suitable for natural factors. Both natural factors, such as precipitation, wind speed, dew point, temperature, solar radiation, and elevation, and anthropogenic factors, including land use types and vehicle numbers, were key drivers of variations in PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations over the years. Combined natural and socioeconomic factors significantly enhanced the explanatory power of PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations. The MGWR model’s fit for key factors was highest in spring, with adjusted R² values for PM_2.5 and O₃ both exceeding 0.8, indicating that the coordinated management of these pollutants should prioritize spring, particularly in areas with low wind speed, where wind interacted non-linearly with most of factors, strongly influencing PM_2.5 and O₃ variation. Even in summer, when O₃ and PM_2.5 concentrations differed significantly, elevation and land use types each explain over 40% of the variance. This suggests that optimizing land use structures in low-altitude urbanized areas and enhancing local dispersion conditions could improve air quality. However, during autumn and winter, no significant common factor was found to explain the variation in both PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations. Vegetation-related factors, such as the Normalized Digital Vegetation Index (NDVI) and urban green coverage ratio, though weak individually, exhibited strong nonlinear interactions, highlighting their indirect role in pollutant dynamics, especially for O₃ in colder months and PM_2.5 during spring and summer. This study underscores the necessity for region-specific air pollution regulations to consider both natural and social factors across various time scales.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1681 - 1700"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145167795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between formaldehyde, PM2.5, physical environmental and total IgE serum with asthmatic symptoms in 13–14 years olds","authors":"Rusyda Sheffani Abbad,&nbsp;Hasnur Zalsabila Arna,&nbsp;Corie Indria Prasasti,&nbsp;Soejajadi Keman,&nbsp;Khuliyah Candraning Diyanah,&nbsp;Juliana Jalaludin","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01729-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01729-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Indoor air quality has a strong influence on human respiratory health because humans remain indoors for 90% of the time. Formaldehyde, PM_2.5 has been examined to increase serum IgE in the body and is associated with asthma in children. This study aimed to examine the association between formaldehyde, PM_2.5, physical environmental and total IgE serum with asthmatic symptoms in 13–14 years olds. This research study encompassed households comprised of individuals aged between 13 and 14 years within the population who fulfill the inclusive criteria. The data was obtained through a cross-sectional study involving 71 children aged 13–14 years old dealing with asthma symptoms. The study was conducted following the International Childhood Asthma and Allergy Research (ISAAC) guidelines. The measurement of formaldehyde and PM_2.5 concentrations was done using AiRBOXSense Low-Cost Air Quality Sensors (LAQSs). The statistical analysis included Chi-square, Fisher’s exact and logistic regression tests. The results revealed that the indoor air quality (formaldehyde in bedroom (OR = 0.0149; CI: 0.031–0.731), PM_2.5 in the living room (OR = 0.73; CI: 0.011–0.510), humidity in the bedroom (OR = 7.018; CI: 1.504–32.746), individual characteristics (family history of illness (OR = 0.072; CI: 0.010–0.540), household environment (mosquito repellent (OR = 11.089; CI: 1.897–64.825), use of wooden furniture (OR = 0.025; CI: 0.001–0.840), air fragrance (OR = 0.108; CI: 0.013–0.088) and the IgE Test (OR = 38.106; CI: 2.191–662.770) were associated with asthma symptoms respectively. This study indicates that the continuous monitoring of indoor air quality is an effective strategy for preventing asthma symptoms in children.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1667 - 1680"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145166064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health risk assessment of the levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants in ambient air around urban dumpsites in Nigeria","authors":"F. O. Ayodele,&nbsp;O. O. Ojuri,&nbsp;J. K. Ogunjobi,&nbsp;B. D. Oluyemi-Ayibiowu,&nbsp;O. O. Esuola,&nbsp;I. Nakouti","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01694-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01694-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Open dump disposal is the commonly used means of disposing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Nigeria, just like in various other developing and underdeveloped countries. The environment (land, air, and water) has become contaminated due to this unwholesome practice of uncontrolled dumping of MSW. Notable among the contaminants are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This study measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentrations of the Igbatoro and Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) dumpsites' ambient air within 30 days (October 2021). The air samples were collected following the standard operating procedures prescribed by the UNEP (2017) and evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results obtained revealed that considerable levels of PAH and PCB are found at the dumpsites. The summation of the concentration levels of PAH <span>(left(sum text{PAH}right))</span> for FUTA and Igbatoro dumpsites were 3.55 × 10^-5 and 5.51 × 10^-5 µ/m³ while <span>(sum text{PCBs})</span> are 1.00 and 0.99 <span>(text{ng}/{text{m}}^{3})</span>. Cancer risk values of 1.10 × 10^–5 and 1.23 × 10^–5 obtained for FUTA and Igbatoro dumpsites respectively are within the acceptable limits of 1 × 10 ⁻⁶ to 1 × 10 ⁻⁴. The inhalation rate analysis values of 1.53 × 10^–6 ng TEQ kg⁻¹ day⁻¹(1.53 fg TEQ/kg per day) and 3.38 × 10^–6 ng TEQ kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ (3.38 fg TEQ/kg per day) obtained for adults and children respectively at these dumpsites are below the permissible threshold. Despite, being a short-term risk level assessment for the dumpsites, this study highlights the need for effective waste management strategies and the enforcement of environmental regulations to reduce the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, ultimately safeguarding public health and the environment. However, a long-term assessment (annual) of the PAH compounds and PCB congeners within and around the selected dumpsites is recommended for an effective and reliable evaluation of the dumpsite risk, especially concerning ambient air.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 6","pages":"1653 - 1665"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11869-025-01694-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145162851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An accurate two-stage deep machine learning aided air quality estimation based on multiple gases from aerial images","authors":"Iacovos Ioannou,&nbsp;Prabagarane Nagaradjane,&nbsp;Ala Khalifeh,&nbsp;Vasos Vassiliou,&nbsp;Janardhan M,&nbsp;Kaavya S,&nbsp;Vibish Kashyap B,&nbsp;Andreas Pitsillides","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01710-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01710-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Currently, industry-related environmental factors negatively affect human health. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a measurement of air pollution, is worsening and affecting our daily life. Increasing air pollution, concerns about climate change, evolving technologies, and environmental research estimate air quality as increasingly important. Air pollution management has become crucial, and environmental monitoring conditions and air quality in daily life are necessary. The latest research on AQI does not focus on aerial images or specific pollutants. Additionally, avoid tackling the issue of having a high level of some specific weather elements, such as temperature and humidity. In the proposed research, we tackle the issues mentioned above by splitting our investigation into two phases. Thus, in this paper, an image-based high-accuracy air quality monitoring system is realized in two stages. In the first stage of our examination, popular deep machine learning prediction algorithms, including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Convolution Neural Networks (CNN), CNN-Long Short Term Memory (CNN-LSTM), and MobileNetv2 networks, for the assignment into different categories of the AQI, targeting the AQI prediction with the utilization of aerial images. Next, the second stage utilizes ANN, Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), LSTM, and RNN-B-LSTM popular deep machine learning techniques to develop a regression prediction system trained with the features and the resulting classification of air quality results from the highest accuracy approach of the first stage (which is the ANN approach with 99.14% accuracy). To tackle the issue of overfitting/underfitting, the oversampling technique (SMOTE) is used. The proposed method considers the contribution of each significant pollutant gas (i.e., PM2.5, PM10, NOx, NH₃, SO₂, O₃) to the overall air quality index (AQI). The weather elements such as temperature and humidity impact air quality; they are also considered in our examination, resulting in a more accurate forecast. In addition, a comparison study is performed to identify the best model architecture for the proposed prediction system. Finally, the results show that the first stage of image classification should be executed with ANN (99.14 % accuracy), which is a highly accurate approach, and the second stage should be executed with the RNN-B-LSTM approach, again because of its high accuracy (98.73 % accuracy).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 5","pages":"1545 - 1568"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145171541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring of indoor microbial air quality of dental healthcare units in Lahore","authors":"Naseem Akhtar,&nbsp;Arifa Tahir,&nbsp;Moneeza Abbas,&nbsp;Abdul Qadir","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01725-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01725-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Common indoor pollutants include biological particles and their byproducts, impacting people’s health and productivity. Biological pollutants can affect indoor air quality and cause nosocomial infections. This study aimed to isolate and identify the seasonal (monsoon/winter) quantity of culturable bioaerosols from the indoor air of dental healthcare units, implicating the health of inhabitants using an antibiotic resistance test. Bioaerosols were collected from ten dental healthcare units for indoor air quality assessment. Recommended morphological and biochemical tests were performed for microbial identifications. Maximum bacterial colonies were found near the mouth area (S2), while fungi exhibited a mixed trend at both S1(2 m away from patient’s oral cavity) and S2 (0.5 m; near patient’s oral cavity) areas. Airborne fungi and bacteria in both seasons showed average concentrations of 46–485 and 56-1091 CFU/m3, respectively. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (26%) and <i>Penicillium sp.</i> (42%) were the dominant bacterial and fungal species. Based on the Global Index of Microbiological Contamination sanitary conditions, current results showed that the microbiological indoor air quality was within the “acceptable” range. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that winter was a more agile season for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The NFZIH33-strain of <i>S. aureus</i> found in winter showed the sturdiest results by delivering 90% antibiotic resistance, primarily to erythromycin. The number of microorganisms was strongly correlated (<i>r</i> = 0.7) with the number of occupants. The indoor presence of dental units was linked (<i>r</i> = 0.8 in monsoon while <i>r</i> = 0.5 in winter) with the abundance of microbial colonies. This research provides a solid foundation for assisting dentists to implement adequate precautions and protect against harmful bioaerosols.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 5","pages":"1527 - 1543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling solar irradiance dynamics in arid atmospheres: A multi-decadal wavelet coherence and probability density functions analysis with implications for air quality, climate, and renewable energy","authors":"Baqer Al-Ramadan,&nbsp;Adel S. Aldosary,&nbsp;Abdulla Al Kafy,&nbsp;Hamad Ahmed Altuwaijri,&nbsp;Zullyadini A. Rahaman","doi":"10.1007/s11869-025-01718-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11869-025-01718-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Solar irradiance (SI) is a critical driver of atmospheric processes, with significant implications for air quality, climate change, and renewable energy potential. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of decadal SI variability and trends across six major Saudi Arabian cities from 1984–2022, utilizing advanced statistical techniques including probability density functions, Mann–Kendall tests, and wavelet coherence analysis. Results reveal significant spatiotemporal variability in SI trends. Mean annual SI increased in five cities, with the highest rise in Buraydah (5.20 to 6.10 kW/m²/day) and decrease only in Dammam (5.35 to 5.24 kW/m²/day) from 1984–1993 to 2014–2022. Monthly probability density function analysis showed reduced SI variability and right-shifted distributions in recent decades for most cities. Mann–Kendall tests indicated increasing SI trends in Jeddah, Madinah, and Tabuk in the last decade, with declining trends elsewhere. Wavelet analysis revealed complex temporal patterns, with initial increases followed by recent declines in most cities. The average SI of 6.18 kW/m²/day across cities translates to a potential solar energy production of 406 kWh/year/m² at 18% efficiency. This study provides crucial insights for regional air quality modeling, climate change assessment, and renewable energy planning in arid regions, supporting Saudi Arabia's transition towards sustainable energy sources and improved environmental management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 5","pages":"1463 - 1487"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145164184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}