Dataset Information

Chemical staining of particulate organic matter for improved contrast in soil X-ray µCT images.

ABSTRACT: Degradability of organic matter (OM) in soil depends on its spatial location in the soil matrix. A recent breakthrough in 3D-localization of OM combined dual-energy X-ray CT-scanning with OsO₄ staining of OM. The necessity for synchrotron-based µCT and the use of highly toxic OsO₄ severely limit applications in soil biological experiments. Here, we evaluated the potential of alternative staining agents (silver nitrate, phosphomolybdenic acid (PMA), lead nitrate, lead acetate) to selectively enhance X-ray attenuation and contrast of OM in CT volumes of soils containing specific mineral soil particle fractions, obtained via lab-based X-ray µCT. In comparison with OsO₄, administration of Ag⁺ and Pb²⁺ resulted in insufficient contrast enhancement of OM versus fine silt (< 20 µm) or clay (< 2 µm) mineral particles. The perfusion procedure used in this work induced changes in soil structure. In contrast, PMA staining resulted in a selective increase of OM's attenuation contrast, which was comparable to OsO₄. However, OM discrimination from other soil phases remained a challenge. Further development of segmentation algorithms accounting for grey value patterns and shape of stained particulate OM may enable its automated identification. If successful in undisturbed soils, PMA staining may form an alternative to OsO₄ in non-synchrotron based POM detection.

SUBMITTER: Maenhout P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7801699 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Chemical staining of particulate organic matter for improved contrast in soil X-ray µCT images.

Maenhout Peter P De Neve Stefaan S Wragg Joanna J Rawlins Barry B De Pue Jan J Van Hoorebeke Luc L Cnudde Veerle V Sleutel Steven S

Scientific reports 20210111 1

Degradability of organic matter (OM) in soil depends on its spatial location in the soil matrix. A recent breakthrough in 3D-localization of OM combined dual-energy X-ray CT-scanning with OsO<sub>4</sub> staining of OM. The necessity for synchrotron-based µCT and the use of highly toxic OsO<sub>4</sub> severely limit applications in soil biological experiments. Here, we evaluated the potential of alternative staining agents (silver nitrate, phosphomolybdenic acid (PMA), lead nitrate, lead acetat ...[more]

PMID: 33432019

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Project description:BackgroundNumerous studies have linked fine particles [≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5))] and health. Most studies focused on the total mass of the particles, although the chemical composition of the particles varies substantially. Which chemical components of fine particles that are the most harmful is not well understood, and research on the chemical composition of PM(2.5) and the components that are the most harmful is particularly limited in Asia.ObjectivesWe characterized PM(2.5) chemical composition and estimated the effects of cause-specific mortality of PM(2.5) mass and constituents in Seoul, Korea. We compared the chemical composition of particles to those of the eastern and western United States.MethodsWe examined temporal variability of PM(2.5) mass and its composition using hourly data. We applied an overdispersed Poisson generalized linear model, adjusting for time, day of week, temperature, and relative humidity to investigate the association between risk of mortality and PM(2.5) mass and its constituents in Seoul, Korea, for August 2008 through October 2009.ResultsPM(2.5) and chemical components exhibited temporal patterns by time of day and season. The chemical characteristics of Seoul's PM(2.5) were more similar to PM(2.5) found in the western United States than in the eastern United States. Seoul's PM(2.5) had lower sulfate (SO(4)) contributions and higher nitrate (NO(3)) contributions than that of the eastern United States, although overall PM(2.5) levels in Seoul were higher than in the United States. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in magnesium (Mg) (0.05 μg/m³) was associated with a 1.4% increase (95% confidence interval: 0.2%, 2.6%) in total mortality on the following day. Several components that were among the largest contributors to PM(2.5) total mass--NO(3), SO(4), and ammonium (NH(4))--were moderately associated with same-day cardiovascular mortality at the p < 0.10 level. Other components with smaller mass contributions [Mg and chlorine (Cl)] exhibited moderate associations with respiratory mortality on the following day (p < 0.10).ConclusionsOur findings link PM(2.5) constituents with mortality and have implications for policy making on sources of PM(2.5) and on the relevance of PM(2.5) health studies from other areas to this region.

Project description:Particulate matter (PM), a major air pollutant in Beijing in recent years, poses a formidable public health threat. Even through many studies have documented the chemical and biological characteristics of PM, less is known about these characteristics on hazardous haze days (Air Quality Index, AQI 301-500) and the difference with sunny or unhealthy haze day (AQI 151-200) characteristics. Herein, studies were performed during a red alert air pollution event (continuous hazardous haze days) and the first few days following the event (sunny days first and then unhealthy haze days) in Beijing from December 19 to 25, 2016. A laser particle counter and an ANDERSEM-6 sampler were used to study the concentration and size distributions dynamics of the PM and the culturable airborne bacteria and fungi, respectively. PM2.5 was sampled by a high-volume air sampler and the chemical compositions, bacterial and fungal community structures, and endotoxin levels were analyzed. The results showed that the PM concentrations on the hazardous haze days and unhealthy haze days were 10.7 and 8.0 times higher, respectively, than those on the sunny days. The chemical composition of PM2.5 was highly correlated with the AQI. The concentration and percentage of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSII), which dominated the PM2.5 constituents, as well as the levels of endotoxin were higher on hazardous haze days than on unhealthy haze days and sunny days. Interestingly, the abundances of bacteria and fungi demonstrated the following order: unhealthy haze days> sunny days> hazardous haze days. Most culturable bacteria and fungi were distributed in particles with aerodynamic diameters of 2.1-4.7 μm. Redundancy analysis found total organic carbon explained 30.0% and 27.1% of total variations in bacterial composition and fungal composition at the genera level, respectively. Our results facilitate a better understanding of the biological and chemical composition dynamics of PM in Beijing.

Dataset Information

Chemical staining of particulate organic matter for improved contrast in soil X-ray µCT images.

Publications

Chemical staining of particulate organic matter for improved contrast in soil X-ray µCT images.

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