Output details
15 - General Engineering
University of Exeter
Automated Mineralogical Analysis of PM10: New Parameters for Assessing PM Toxicity
WHO estimate that 2 million deaths worldwide per year can be attributed to airborne particulate matter (PM). This study is ground-breaking in providing the first automated mineralogical assessment of urban PM10 and a new method for determining particle surface mineralogy, a major control on toxicity in the lung. The ‘coarse’ fraction (PM10-2.5) was found to contain fewer particles, by two orders of magnitude, than PM2.5-0.8, but 85% of the mineral surface area, which may explain its link to diseases such as asthma. The study provides a platform for all future assessments of PM mineralogy, with wide implications for public health.