In the context of substances, “particulate” refers to discrete solid or liquid particles suspended within a continuous medium, typically air or liquid, characterized by their size distribution, morphology, and chemical composition. Particulate substances range from nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in diameter and can be composed of inorganic materials (e.g., metals, salts, mineral dust) or organic matter (e.g., soot, biological fragments, organics). Their physicochemical properties, including surface area, hygroscopicity, and reactivity, govern processes such as aggregation, sedimentation, and interaction with radiation or surrounding phases, and are critical parameters in fields like aerosol science, toxicology, and materials research.
A new study shows that a specific type of silicone, the so-called methylsiloxanes, is widely present in the atmosphere across diverse environments. Also, concentrations appear to be much higher than expected. According to ...
Environment
Apr 16, 2026
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After hours spent in the thick pollution-choking parts of northern Thailand, Pon Doikam gets home and blows her burning nose to find blood clots spattered across the tissue.
Environment
Apr 3, 2026
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23
Air quality is expected to deteriorate across parts of Europe in the coming days, driven by an increase in microscopic polluting particles, the EU's Earth observation program said on Thursday.
Environment
Mar 19, 2026
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25
Two microscopic grains collide and produce a tiny spark. This phenomenon may have provided the energy to kick off life on Earth. But if these solid particles have the same composition, what factor causes the charge to flow ...
Astrobiology
Mar 18, 2026
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31
Heat shields are designed to protect the surface and cargo of a spacecraft as it enters an atmosphere. Aerospace engineers in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently observed ...
Space Exploration
Mar 16, 2026
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46
The 2025 Eaton fire's smoke did more than darken the sky: It generated a carbon monoxide and particulate matter surge that far exceeded Los Angeles County's average daily human-caused emissions, according to a new study led ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 14, 2026
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34
Californians have long dealt with wildfire smoke as a seasonal fact of life, but those fires have become more intense and frequent, raising the profile of wildfire smoke as a public health issue. Now, a study led by researchers ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 11, 2026
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Cities are rapidly becoming the defining residential space of human life. Over 55% of the global population lived in urban areas in 2018, a proportion projected to reach nearly 68% by 2050, according to the United Nations ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 27, 2026
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A new study spanning 11 years of data has revealed a clear link between wildfire smoke pollution and an increase in violent assaults in Seattle. These findings represent the first direct causal evidence that short-term exposure ...
Environment
Feb 26, 2026
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96
Unseen but all around us, the air we breathe in enclosed spaces is crucial to our health and well-being. Indoor air is not simply outdoor air that has been run through a filter: it has its own chemical makeup and a unique ...
Environment
Feb 23, 2026
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