SEM-EDX IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AIRBORNE MICROSPHERES: POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences August 2023, Vol. 18, No. 2, p. 299 – 306; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2023/018/260 - Carpathian Journal of Earth And Environmental Sciences

You are here: Home » Past Issues » Volume 18, 2023 - Number 2 » SEM-EDX IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AIRBORNE MICROSPHERES: POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences August 2023, Vol. 18, No. 2, p. 299 – 306; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2023/018/260

Gabriel M. MARIA¹, Roxana D. TRUŞCĂ², Cristian BANCIU¹,*, Mihnea VLADIMIRESCU¹, Ioana C. PAICA¹, Rodica D. CATANĂ¹ & Anca MANOLE¹

¹Developmental Biology Department, Institute of Biology Bucharest, 060031, Bucharest, Romania

²National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania, *corresponding author: cristi.banciu@ibiol.ro

SEM-EDX IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AIRBORNE MICROSPHERES: POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH, Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences August 2023, Vol. 18, No. 2, p. 299 – 306; DOI:10.26471/cjees/2023/018/260

Full text

Airborne particulate matter (PM) are a major environmental pollutant adversely affecting human health. Exposure to atmospheric PM is correlated with significant damages to physiological systems from respiratory and circulatory level to reproductive and central nervous systems. The paper describes the elemental composition of a particular category of PM2.5 – microspheres, originate in exhaust pipes of automobiles and deposited onto vegetation planted along the roads. Microspheres were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). Based on size and chemical composition, the hazard on human health of identified microspheres was evaluated. SEM investigation showed that microspheres size was between 3 and 0.5 μm. EDX analysis indicate that microspheres have a complex elemental structure, which concentrate mainly Si and Al in combination with Mg, Na, Fe, K, Ca and Cl, and seldom Ba and Ti. Our results showed that detected airborne microsphere are breathable and potential harmful to human health.