Characterizing Mineral Dust for
Surveillance Purposes
A Multidisciplinary Approach
Johann Engelbrecht
Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno, Nevada, U.S.A.
johann@dri.edu
Weather Impacts Decision Aids (WIDA) Workshop
Reno, Nevada - March 13, 2012
RJ Lee Group
Baghdad,
Iraq
Syria
Iraq
Iran
Saudi
Arabia
Kuwait
Shamal (Dust Storm)
July 30, 2009
Afghanistan
October 8, 2004
DOD Projects
 Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program (EPMSP):
2005 – 2010
• Provide USCENTCOM with scientifically founded information on
mineralogical, chemical and physical properties of dust collected within
their AOR
Assess potential human health risks
• Assess harmful effect on military equipment
•
 Mobile Aerosol Monitoring System for Department of Defense
– In Theater Aerosol Monitoring Initiative (ITAMI): 20112014?
• Provide
continuous measurements of chemical, optical, morphological
properties of airborne dust and other pollutants
Address health issues
• Support battlefield operations – optical surveillance & remote sensing
•
DOD/DOE/EPA Projects
 Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
(SERDP): Ongoing
• Measure fugitive dust emissions from U.S. DoD activities
EPMSP - Sampling Sites
Title
 Content
Site 6. Balad, Iraq
Site 7. Baghdad, Iraq
Site 8. Tallil Iraq
Site 9. Tikrit, Iraq
Site 10. Taji, Iraq
Site 11. Al Asad, Iraq
KAZAKHSTAN
UZBEKISTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
TAJIKISTAN
TURKMENISTAN
Site 2. Bagram, Afghanistan
Site 3. Khowst, Afghanistan
SYRIA
Site 12. Northern Kuwait
Site 13. Central Kuwait
JORDAN
Site 14. Coastal Kuwait
Site 15. Southern Kuwait
EGYPT
IRAN
PAKISTAN
Site 5. United Arab Emirates
SAUDI ARABIA
OMAN
Site 1. Djibouti
YEMEN
Site 4. Qatar
SUDAN
SOMALIA
ETHIOPIA
KENYA
SEYCHELLES
Sampling plan: 15 Sites , 1 in 6 day, 24 hr, 12 months 2006 - 2007
EPMSP - Aerosol sampling
Three Airmetrics Minivol® filter samplers
installed at each of the 15 sampling sites
Three size fractions of ambient aerosols:
<2.5 m aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)
<10 m aerodynamic diameter (PM10)
Total Suspended Particulates (TSP)
 Aerosol samples collected on 47 mm:
Teflon (2 sampling days/month)
Quartz fiber (2 sampling days/month)
Nuclepore membrane (1 sampling
day/month
Sampling for one year, on a 1 in 6 day
sampling schedule during 2006/7,
providing 3136 filters for chemical,
mineralogical, and individual particle
analysis
Analysis of Teflon & quartz fiber filters
 Gravimetry
 X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF),
(40 major, minor & trace elements: Na to U)
 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS),
(trace elements: As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, V, Zn)
 Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES),
(water soluble Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+)
 Ion Chromatography (IC),
(water soluble Cl-, NO3-, PO43-, SO4=, NH4+)
 Thermal Optical Transmission (TOT),
(elemental & organic carbon)
Individual Particle Analysis of Nuclepore Filters
 Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM) (approximately 250
images & EDS spectra)
 Computer Controlled Scanning
Electron Microscopy (CCSEM)
individual particle chemistry &
morphology (approximately
250 filters, 1000 particles/filter &
28 chemical species)
SEM, Secondary Electron Images & EDS Spectra
Rhombohedral calcite crystal with
few small rods of possibly
palygorkite attached
Tikrit, Iraq
2µm
Tikrit, Iraq
6µm
Quartz particles, with coating
of clay minerals, possibly
montmorillonite/illite, and
needles of palygorskite
Mineralogy by X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
Coastal Kuwait
Halite
Calcite
Clay (Kaolinite)
Chlorite
Mica
4000
Counts per second
Quartz
38 m sieved
3000
Feldspar
2000
1000
Quartz
Calcite
Quartz
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
TSP
70
Degrees 2Q
Halite
6000
Calcite
Counts per second
Calcite
PM2.5
2.5 m
4000
Clay (Kaolinite)
Chlorite
Quartz
2000
0
0
10
20
PM2.5
30
Degrees 2Q
40
50
60
70
Mica
Feldspar
Quartz
Resuspension Chamber
Three Wavelength Photoacoustic (Absorption) Instrument with
Nephelometer (Scattering) Sensor
Lanzarote, Vega de Femes
Single Scattering Albedo
80000
100000
60000
40000
20000
40000
20000
y = 14.44x + 31.856
R2 = 0.9965
14:05:43
14:04:16
14:02:52
14:01:28
14:00:01
13:58:35
13:57:11
13:55:41
13:54:18
13:52:54
13:51:24
13:50:00
13:48:34
13:47:07
13:45:43
13:44:17
13:42:50
13:41:24
0
0
-2000
0
Babs 405nm
Babs 780nm
1/(1+1/m)
Slope = m = 366.86
2000
wo = 0.9975
80000
Bsca 870 nm
3000
6000
wo =
100000
4000
4000
Babs 405 nm
120000
6000
5000
2000
-20000
Time
60000
40000
1000
y = 366.86x + 852.88
R² = 0.9917
20000
Time
14:04:38
14:03:12
14:01:47
14:00:19
13:58:51
13:57:26
13:55:55
13:54:30
13:53:05
13:51:34
13:50:09
13:48:44
13:47:14
13:45:48
13:44:21
13:42:52
13:41:25
0
13:40:01
Absorption (Mm-1),
780nm, 405nm
wo = 0.935
60000
Bsca 405 nm
80000
wo =
1/(1+1/m)
Slope = m = 14.44
Bsca 780nm
Bsca 405nm
Babs 405nm
Babs 780nm
13:40:01
Scattering/ Absorption (Mm-1),
780nm, 405nm
Nephelometer & Photoacoustic
0
-100
0
100
200
-20000
Babs 870 nm
300
Single Scattering Albedo vs % Fe2O3 (Hematite)
PM2.5
1
Single Scattering Albedo, wo, 870 nm
Single Scattering Albedo, wo, 405 nm
1
0.98
y = -0.0046x + 0.9923
R² = 0.9766
0.96
0.94
0.92
0.9
0.88
0.86
0.84
0
5
10
15
20
Percentage Fe2O3
25
30
35
0.999
y = -0.0002x + 0.9992
R² = 0.934
0.998
0.997
0.996
0.995
0.994
0.993
0.992
0.991
0
5
10
15
20
25
Percentage Fe2O3
30
35
Mineralogy by Optical Microscopy
Dust Sample from Mali -Bamako
200 m
Opaque oxide particles together and
transparent quartz grains with reddish
coatings of iron oxides (polarized light
microscopy)
50 m
Transparent quartz grains with reddish
parches of iron oxides on surfaces
(polarized light microscopy)
SEM, Secondary Electron Image
Coastal Kuwait
The large (approx. 80
m) particle in the center
of the field (upper left,
magnified upper right) is
quartz, as identified by
the EDS spectrum (lower
figure) of silicon
SEM, Secondary Electron Image
Coastal Kuwait
EDS analysis (lower part of
figure) of the grain coating
(“desert varnish”) points to
a magnesium-aluminium
silicate with some iron,
possibly a clay & hematite
mixture (analysed in small
white square)
Soils map of Iraq & sampling sites
Tikrit
Balad
Taji
Al Asad
Baghdad
Tallil
Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) of PM10
Chemical Results from Baghdad, Iraq
Conclusion
 The character of airborne mineral dust can best be understood from
measurements of their mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties
by multiple analytical techniques
Publications & Reports
•
Engelbrecht et al. (2009). Characterizing mineral dusts and other aerosols
from the Middle East – Part 1: Ambient sampling. Inhalation Toxicology,
21:4, 297-326
• Engelbrecht et al. (2009). Characterizing mineral dusts and other aerosols
from the Middle East – Part 2: Grab samples and re-suspensions.
Inhalation Toxicology, 21:4, 327- 336
•
•
National Research Council of the National Acadamies, (2010). Review of
the Department of Defense Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance
Program Report, The National Acadamies Press, Washington D.C., 85 pp.
Moosmüller, H., J. P. Engelbrecht, M. Skiba, G. Frey, R. K. Chakrabarty,
and W. P. Arnott (2011). Single Scattering Albedo of Fine Mineral Dust
Aerosols Controlled by Iron Concentration. J. Geophys. Res., submitted.
Thanks,
Questions or Comments?
johann@dri.edu