ABC - DEF - GHI - JKL - MNO - PQRS - TUV - WXYZ Particulate matter
Similar term(s): PM.
Definition:
Sum of all microscopic solid and liquid particles, of human and natural
origin, that remain suspended in a medium such as air for some time. These
particles vary greatly in size, composition, and origin, and may be harmful.
Particulate matter may be in the form of fly ash, soot, dust, fog, fumes etc.
Source & ©: GreenFacts
More:
Because of its complexity and the importance of particle size in determining
exposure and human dose, numerous terms are used to describe particulate matter.
Some are derived from and defined by sampling and/or analytic methods, e.g.
“suspended particulate matter”, “total suspended particulates”, “black smoke”.
Others refer more to the site of deposition in the respiratory tract, e.g.
“inhalable particles”, which pass into the upper airways (nose and mouth), and
“thoracic particles”, which deposit within the lower respiratory tract, and
“respirable particles”, which penetrate to the gas-exchange region of the lungs.
Other terms based on the aerodynamic diameter of particles, such as “PM10” [or
coarse and fine particles], have both physiological and sampling connotations.
Each of these categories may group particles with very different properties
and health effects.
Related words: Aerodynamic diameter - Aerosol - Coarse particles - Fine particles - PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1 To read about this term in context: GreenFacts Digest on Air PollutionParticulate Matter, Ozone, and Nitrogen Dioxide:
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