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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Trace Metal Analysis Of Pond Sediments To Measure Deposition From A Coal-Fired Power Plant In Ackerman Mississippi, Charles Bills Aug 2023

Trace Metal Analysis Of Pond Sediments To Measure Deposition From A Coal-Fired Power Plant In Ackerman Mississippi, Charles Bills

Theses and Dissertations

Trace element sediment pollution due to coal power plants have been reported in many countries. In this study, pond sediment samples collected from locations around a coal fired power plant in Ackerman, MS, were evaluated for their trace element concentration and pollution status. The samples were collected at two depths to study changes in element accumulation over time. The samples were digested and the elements, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Zn were analyzed using ICP-MS. Results were then compared to known background concentrations as well as sediment quality guidelines and pollution thresholds. The sample locations downwind of the …


Air Quality Impacts From Mineral Dust, Fireworks, And Urban Pollution Revealed By Trace Element Chemistry And Strontium Isotopes Ratios In The Wasatch Front, Utah, Usa, Micah J. Marcy Aug 2022

Air Quality Impacts From Mineral Dust, Fireworks, And Urban Pollution Revealed By Trace Element Chemistry And Strontium Isotopes Ratios In The Wasatch Front, Utah, Usa, Micah J. Marcy

Theses and Dissertations

Airborne particulate matter (PM) in urban areas is derived from a combination of natural and anthropogenic sources. To identify PM sources and their effects on air quality, we collected PM using active filter samplers over a two-year period in the urban Wasatch Front, northern Utah, an area affected by multiple pollution sources. Filters from active samplers and other PM samples were analyzed for major and trace element concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. We identified wind-blown mineral dust from dry lake beds, winter inversions, and fireworks as primary PM sources affecting air quality in the Wasatch Front. Dust contributes Al, Be, Ca, …


Measurement, Characterization, And Source Apportionment Of The Major Chemical Components Of Fine Particulate Material, Including Semi-Volatile Species, Brett D. Grover Feb 2006

Measurement, Characterization, And Source Apportionment Of The Major Chemical Components Of Fine Particulate Material, Including Semi-Volatile Species, Brett D. Grover

Theses and Dissertations

The promulgation of revised standards for atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) by the US EPA has sparked renewed interest in the ability to accurately measure and characterize suspended atmospheric particulate matter. Semi-volatile material (SVM), consisting of ammonium nitrate and semi-volatile organic material (SVOM), is not accurately measured by EPA accepted methods such as the Federal reference method (FRM) or Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM). However, SVM is often a major fraction of urban aerosols. Recent advances in atmospheric sampling instrumentation allowed for the semi-continuous characterization of urban PM2.5, including SVM. The Filter Dynamic Measurement System (FDMS) was shown to measure total …