Publications by authors named "Krzysztof Rudzinski"

Article Synopsis
  • Biomass burning (BB) emits significant carbonaceous aerosols that irritate airways, with key markers like levoglucosan (LG) and the harmful nitro-aromatic compound 4-nitrocatechol (4NC) formed through atmospheric aging.
  • The study compares the toxic effects of 4NC and LG on human lung cells, revealing that 4NC is more potent and induces apoptosis more readily than LG, especially in specific lung cell lines.
  • Findings indicate that while both compounds lead to reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance and mitochondrial dysfunction, 4NC exposure poses higher risks for respiratory health due to its stronger toxicity at lower concentrations compared to LG.
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The atmospheric α-pinene oxidation leads to three carboxylic acids: norpinonic acid (NPA), pinic acid (PA), and 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA). In this study, the OH radical kinetics in the aqueous phase of these carboxylic acids were investigated at different temperatures and pH values of solutions. Activation parameters and the corresponding atmospheric lifetimes of the acids in the troposphere were derived.

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C- and C- unsaturated oxygenated organic compounds emitted by plants under stress like cutting, freezing or drying, known as Green Leaf Volatiles (GLVs), may clear some of the existing uncertainties in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. The transformations of GLVs are a potential source of SOA components through photo-oxidation processes occurring in the atmospheric aqueous phase. Here, we investigated the aqueous photo-oxidation products from three abundant GLVs (1-penten-3-ol, (Z)-2-hexen-1-ol, and (E)-2-hexen-1-al) induced by OH radicals, carried out in a photo-reactor under simulated solar conditions.

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The pine-tree lappet moth, is a harmful defoliator of pine forests in Europe and Asia and a potentially invasive species in North America. The lures for trapping males based on two known components of its sex pheromone appeared weakly attractive to male moths. Identification of all components of the sex pheromone might allow for the development of more effective lures.

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The paper analyzes PM aerosol samples collected in Podkowa Leśna, a garden town in Mazovia, Central Poland, for 15 days in winter 2019. We determined the mass concentrations in the air of PM and PM-bound organic carbon, elemental carbon, levoglucosan, and nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PM ranged from 11 to 51 μg m (mean 31 μg m) and contained less than 32% organic carbon, 4% elemental carbon, 1% levoglucosan, and 0.

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Nitrophenols (NPs) are hazardous pollutants found in various environmental matrices, including ambient fine particulate matter (PM), agricultural residues, rainwater, wildfires, and industrial wastes. This study showed for the first time the effect of three pure nitrophenols and their mixture on human lung cells to provide basic understanding of the NP influence on cell elements and processes. We identified NPs in ambient PM and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles generated from the photooxidation of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the U.

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Green plants exposed to abiotic or biotic stress release C-5 and C-6 unsaturated oxygenated hydrocarbons called Green Leaf Volatiles (GLVs). GLVs partition into tropospheric waters and react to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). We explored the kinetics of aqueous-phase reactions of 1-penten-3-ol (PENTOL), ()-2-hexen-1-ol (HEXOL), and ()-2-hexen-1-al (HEXAL) with SO, OH, and NO.

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Recently, we identified seven novel hydroxy-carboxylic acids resulting from gas-phase reactions of isoprene in the presence of nitrogen oxides (NO), ozone (O), and/or hydroxyl radicals (OH). In the present study, we provide evidence that hydroxy-carboxylic acids, namely methyltartaric acids (MTA) are: (1) reliable isoprene tracers, (2) likely produced via rapid peroxy radical hydrogen atom (H) shift reactions (autoxidation mechanism) and analogous alkoxy radical H shifts in low and high NO environments respectively and (3) representative of aged ambient aerosol in the low NO regime. Firstly, MTA are reliable tracers of isoprene aerosol because they have been identified in numerous chamber experiments involving isoprene conducted under a wide range of conditions and are absent in the oxidation of mono- and sesquiterpenes.

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Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is a major component of airborne fine particulate matter (PM) that contributes to adverse human health effects upon inhalation. Atmospheric ozonolysis of α-pinene, an abundantly emitted monoterpene from terrestrial vegetation, leads to significant global SOA formation; however, its impact on pulmonary pathophysiology remains uncertain. In this study, we quantified an increasing concentration response of three well-established α-pinene SOA tracers (pinic, pinonic, and 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acids) and a full mixture of α-pinene SOA in A549 (alveolar epithelial carcinoma) and BEAS-2B (bronchial epithelial normal) lung cell lines.

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The molecular characterization of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is based mainly on LC-MS analyses of particulate matter (PM) samples collected with aerosol samplers. Several studies have analyzed atmospheric waters, including rain and cloud water, for the presence of SOA components, however, no separation techniques were used making identification of the individual components in these complex mixtures impossible. We have applied our improved UHPLC-HR-MS methodology to analyze atmospheric precipitates (hailstone, rain and snow), as well as SOA collected with high-volume samplers.

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Isoprene (CH) is the main non-methane hydrocarbon emitted into the global atmosphere. Despite intense research, atmospheric transformations of isoprene leading to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are still not fully understood, including its multiphase chemical reactions. Herein, we report on the detailed structural characterization of atmospherically relevant isoprene-derived organosulfates (OSs) with a molecular weight (MW) of 212 (CHSO), which are abundantly present in both ambient fine aerosol (PM) and laboratory-generated isoprene SOA.

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Highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) are a class of compounds associated with secondary organic aerosols exhibiting high oxygen to carbon (O:C) ratios and often originating from the oxidation of biogenic compounds. Here, the photooxidation and ozonolysis of isoprene were examined under a range of conditions to identify HOM tracers for aged isoprene aerosol. The HOM tracers were identified as silylated derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by detecting their parent compounds by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.

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The effect of acidity and relative humidity on bulk isoprene aerosol parameters has been investigated in several studies; however, few measurements have been conducted on individual aerosol compounds. The focus of this study has been the examination of the effect of acidity and relative humidity on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) chemical composition from isoprene photooxidation in the presence of nitrogen oxide (NO ). A detailed characterization of SOA at the molecular level was also investigated.

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In-cloud processing of volatile organic compounds is one of the significant routes leading to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the lower troposphere. In this study, we demonstrate that two atmospherically relevant α,β-unsaturated carbonyls, i.e.

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Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is an important yet not fully characterized constituent of atmospheric particulate matter. A number of different techniques and chromatographic methods are currently used for the analysis of SOA, so the comparison of results from different laboratories poses a challenge. So far, tentative structures have been suggested for many organosulfur compounds that have been identified as markers for the formation of SOA, including isoprene-derived organosulfates.

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Kinetic and mechanistic studies were conducted on the isoprene oxidation products methacrolein, methyl vinyl ketone, methacrylic and acrylic acid reacting with hydroxyl and nitrate radicals and sulfate radical anions in aqueous solution by use of the laser flash photolysis technique and a reversed-rate method for kinetics. High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry was applied for product analysis. The kinetic investigations show the highest reactivity of the hydroxyl radical followed by sulfate and nitrate radicals.

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Introduction: A myriad of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by terrestrial vegetation plays an important role in environmental sciences. A thorough chemical identification of these species at the molecular level is essential in various fields, ranging from atmospheric chemistry to ecology of forest ecosystems. In particular, the recognition of VOCs profiles in a context of plant-insect communication is a key issue for the development of forest protection tools.

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