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.
Air pollution with particulate matter smaller than 1 micrometer has fallen by an average of 5% annually in rural Saxony. However, the decreases were particularly marked in air masses coming from Eastern Europe: PM1 concentrations ...
Environment
Apr 28, 2025
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Airborne dust pollution is a growing problem for residents of Utah and other Western states, especially with the exposed lakebed of Great Salt Lake potentially becoming more hazardous as the lake dries. Natural dust blows ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 7, 2025
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327
People breathing contaminated air over the course of years are at greater risk of developing numerous diseases. This is thought to be due to highly reactive components in particulate matter, which affect biological processes ...
Environment
Mar 31, 2025
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117
Anthropogenic organic aerosols are carbon-containing particles emitted by humans into the air, which are classified as particulate matter. They pose a significant health threat and contribute to millions of deaths worldwide ...
Environment
Mar 21, 2025
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New Delhi's air pollution is more severe than previously estimated, with particles absorbing atmospheric water vapor, leading to particulate matter levels across the city being underestimated by up to 20%, a new study reveals.
Environment
Mar 12, 2025
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41
Carbon particles are present in many aspects of our daily lives. Soot, which consists of tiny carbon particles, is generated when energy sources such as oil or wood are not completely burned. Soot particle filters, in turn, ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 22, 2025
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How pharmaceuticals act, how efficient catalysts are and how effective and accurate printing inks function all depend on the size of the nanoparticles they contain. However, there are as of yet no methods for monitoring the ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 24, 2024
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79
Plastic household items and clothing made of synthetic fibers release microplastics, particles less than five millimeters in size that can enter the environment unnoticed. A small proportion of these particles are so small ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 8, 2024
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353
The pathogenic potential of inhaling the inert fibrous nanomaterials used in thermal insulation (such as asbestos or fiberglass) is actually connected not to their chemical composition, but instead to their geometrical characteristics ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 5, 2024
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154
Microplastics are tiny, barely visible plastic particles that can harm the environment, for example, if they are eaten by animals. However, it has been difficult to assess the effect of even smaller particles, which can hardly ...
Nanophysics
Jul 18, 2023
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