Study Finds Airborne Trace Elements Can Have Significant Health Effects – The Source

Seasonal allergies caused by airborne particles can have a significant impact on a person’s health. While pollen counts are widely available and closely monitored, limited information exists about the concentrations of cancer-causing trace elements like lead and arsenic in urban areas of developing countries.

A recent study led by Randall Martin, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, analyzed global ambient particulate matter to understand mineral dust and trace element oxides. Trace elements, such as lead and arsenic, are known to have negative health effects and primarily come from human activities like fossil fuel combustion. Dust sources can be natural, like deserts, or human-made, such as construction activities.

Martin’s research team, which included Jay Turner and graduate student Xuan Liu, studied data from the Surface Particulate Matter Network (SPARTAN), the only global monitoring network that measures PM elemental composition. The results of their study, published in ES&T Air on March 10, provided valuable information on regions with elevated trace elements. The study highlighted regions in Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam as areas of concern that could benefit from interventions to reduce emissions from human activities.

For more more detailed information, please visit the McKelvey School of Engineering website.