In this work, nanoporous carbons (NPCs) were prepared by the self-assembly of polymeric carbon precursors and block copolymer template in the presence of tetraethyl orthosilicate and colloidal silica. The NPCs' pore structures and total pore volumes were analyzed by reference to N2/77 K adsorption isotherms. The porosity and elemental mercury adsorption of NPCs were increased by activation with carbon dioxide. It could be resulted that elemental mercury adsorption ability of NPCs depended on their specific surface area and micropore fraction.

Exposure to Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) potentially causes adverse health effects (e.g. respiratory symptoms, lung cancer). Due to a lack of data on Elemental Carbon (EC) exposure levels in underground copper ore mining (unlike other underground mining industries such as non-metallic and coal mining), this case study aims to provide individual miners’ EC exposure levels, and information on their work practices including use of personal protective equipment. EC measurement was carried out during different work activities (i.e. drilling, driving a loader, plant fitting, plant operation, driving a Specialized Mining Vehicle (SMV)) as per NIOSH Method 5040. The copper miners were working 10 h/day and 5 days/week. This study found that the most significant exposures to EC were reported from driving a loader (range 0.02-0.42 mg/m3). Even though there were control systems (i.e. water tanks and DPM filters) on the diesel vehicles, around 49.5% of the results were over the adjusted recommendable exposure limit (0.078 mg/m3). This was probably due to: (1) driver’s frequently getting in and out of the diesel vehicles and opening the windows of the diesel vehicles, and (2) inappropriate maintenance of the diesel vehicles and the DPM control systems. The use of the P2 type respirator provided was less than 19.2%. However, there was no significant difference between the day shift results and the night shift results. In order to prevent or minimize exposure to EC in the copper ore mine, it is recommended that the miners are educated in the need to wear the appropriate respirator provided during their work shifts, and to maintain the diesel engine and emission control systems on a regular basis. Consideration should be given to a specific examination of the diesel vehicles’ air-conditioning filters and the air ventilation system to control excessive airborne contaminants in the underground copper mine.

Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and several of its particle constituents measured outside homes in Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, were characterized using multiple regression analysis with proximity to point and mobile sources and meteorological factors as the independent variables. PM2.5 mass and the concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), benzo-[a]-pyrene (BaP), perylene (Per), benzo-[g,h,i]-perylene (BghiP), and coronene (Cor) were examined. Negative associations of wind speed with concentrations demonstrated the effect of dilution by high wind speed. Atmospheric stability increase was associated with concentration increase. Petrochemical source proximity was included in the EC model in Houston. Area source proximity was not selected for any of the PM2.5 constituents' regression models. When the median values of the meteorological factors were used and the proximity to sources varied, the air concentrations calculated using the models for the eleven PM2.5 constituents outside the homes closest to influential highways were 1.5-15.8 fold higher than those outside homes furthest from the highway emission sources. When the median distance to the sources was used in the models, the concentrations of the PM2.5 constituents varied 2 to 82 fold, as the meteorological conditions varied over the observed range. We found different relationships between the two urban areas, illustrating the unique nature of urban sources and suggesting that localized sources need to be evaluated carefully to understand their potential contributions to PM2.5 mass and its particle constituents concentrations near residences, which influence baseline indoor air concentrations and personal exposures. The results of this study could assist in the appropriate design of monitoring networks for community-level sampling and help improve the accuracy of exposure models linking emission sources with estimated pollutant concentrations at the residential level.

A thermal-optical transmittance carbon analyzer has been developed to determine particulate organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon. Several analysis factors affecting the sensitivity of OC and EC determination were investigated for the carbon analyzer. Although total carbon (TC) is usually consistent in the determination, OC and EC split is sensitive to adopted analysis protocol. In this study the maximum temperature in oxygen-free He in the analysis was examined as a main cause of the uncertainty. Prior to the sensitivity analysis consistency in OC-EC determination of the carbon analyzer and the uniformity of carbonaceous aerosol loading on a sampled filter were checked to be in acceptable range. EC/TC ratios were slightly decreased with increasing the maximum temperature between 550-800oC. For the increase of maximum temperature from 500oC to 800oC, the EC/TC ratio was lowered by 4.65-5.61% for TC loading of 13-44 μg/cm2 with more decrease at higher loading. OC and EC determination was not influenced by trace amount of oxygen in pure He (>99.999%), which is typically used in OC and EC analysis. The facing of sample loaded surface to incident laser beam showed negligible influence in the OC-EC split, but it caused elevated PC fraction in OC for forward facing relative to backward facing.