The purpose of the Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program was to provide scientifically founded information on the chemical and physical properties of dust collected during a period of approximately 1 year in Djibouti, Afghanistan (Bagram, Khowst), Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq (Balad, Baghdad, Tallil, Tikrit, Taji, Al Asad), and Kuwait (northern, central, coastal, and southern re...

In forensic science, soil, dust, and vegetable traces have as high a value as evidence as classical traces such as fingerprints or toolmarks. It is imperative that the potential information in these traces can be identified by a combination of analytical methods selected by a qualified expert. Experience has shown that the best results can be expected when all of the aspects of evidence, includ...

This paper is on the biological impact of arsenic and antimony on the flora and microflora on a former Sbmining site in Schlaining (Stadtschlaining, Burgenland, Austria). Several habitats were investigated with respect to biodiversity and metalloid contamination in soil. Although the overburden of the mining activity had been remediated less than ten years ago, metalloid concentrations occurred...

Windblown transport and deposition of dust is widely recognized as an important physical and chemical concern to climate, human health and ecosystems. Sistan is a region located in southeast Iran with extensive wind erosion, severe desertification and intense dust storms, which cause adverse effects in regional air quality and human health. To mitigate the impact of these phenomena, it is vital...

-A new chemical mass balance technique has been developed for simultaneous mineralogical quantification and chemical characterization of soil clays. The procedure includes separation of the whole clay (<2 ~tm fraction) into six particle size fractions (<0.02, <0.06, <0.2, 0.02-0.06, 0.06-0.2, and 0.22 um fractions), chemical analysis of the whole clay and each of the six fractions, and fitting ...

The sharp, nonoverlapping Raman bands for plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine would be advantageous for on-surface, active mineralogical nalysis of lunar materials. A robust, light-weight, low-power, over-based Raman spectrometer with a laser exciting source, entirely transmission-mode holographic optics, and a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector could fit within a <20 cm cube. A sensor head on...