Indoor-outdoor concentrations of fine particulate matter in school building microenvironments near a mine tailing deposit

Health Risk Due to Heavy Metal(loid)s Exposure Through Fine Particulate Matter and Sedimented Dust in People Living Next to a Beach Contaminated by Mine Tailings

“…One of the strengths of this study is that we integrated the information of two highly contaminated environmental matrices in the city of Chañaral, particles and sedimented dust, which are two very relevant source of exposure to population living in the study area (Yohannessen et al 2015). Metals and metalloids were determined in school and residential microenvironments (indoor and outdoor) during two times of the year (winter and summer), and the information was integrated to give a better idea of the average exposure throughout the year with different meteorological conditions (Martínez et al 2016, Mesías et al 2018). On the other hand, the determinations of metals(loid)s were carried out in centers with a recognized experience in the determination of environmental compounds.…”

A Highly Homogeneous Airborne Fungal Community around a Copper Open Pit Mine Reveals the Poor Contribution Made by the Local Aerosolization of Particles

“…Aerosols are emitted into the atmosphere from natural (e.g., erosion of surfaces, soil dust, sea breeze) or anthropogenic sources (e.g., particulate matter near urban, industry, or mining centers). These emissions are particularly high in human-impacted landscapes due to big urban, industrial, or mining activities [2][3][4]. Microorganisms are present in the atmosphere in the form of bioaerosols, i.e., particles of biological nature with diameters ranging between 1 nm and 100 µm, which include living and dead organisms such as bacteria, archaea, and algae, as well as dispersal units such as fungal spores or plant pollen; and larger biological fragments such as plant detritus or insect excretions.…”

“…The North of Chile has harbored intense mining activity for centuries. Studies usually focus on health issues related to mining activities, such as the high levels of PM in the indoor air in schools due to aerosols emitted from mine tailing deposits [3]. Some surveys have tracked the distribution, for instance, of mercury in the air [29] and copper, zinc, and arsenic in stream sediments and soils in the Coquimbo Region [30,31].…”

A Highly Homogeneous Airborne Fungal Community Around a Copper Open-Pit Mine Reveals a Poor Contribution by the Local Aerosolization of Particles

“…Aerosols are emitted into the atmosphere from natural (e.g., erosion of surfaces, soil dust, sea breeze) or anthropogenic sources (e.g., particulate matter near urban, industry, or mining centers). These emissions are particularly high in human-impacted landscapes due to big urban, industrial, or mining activities [2][3][4]. Microorganisms are present in the atmosphere in the form of bioaerosols, i.e., particles of biological nature with diameters ranging between 1 nm and 100 μm, which include living Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: The statements, opinions, and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s).…”