Everything about Aerosols totally explained
Technically, an
aerosol is a suspension of fine solid or liquid droplets in a gas. (Contrast with a
smoke which is a suspension of solid particles in a gas.) In general conversation,
aerosol usually refers to an
aerosol spray can or the output of such a can.
The term
aerosol, derives from the fact that matter "floating" in air is a suspension (a mixture in which solid or liquid or combined solid-liquid particles are suspended in a
fluid). To differentiate
suspensions from true
solutions, the term
sol evolved—originally meant to cover
dispersions of tiny (sub-microscopic) particles in a liquid. With studies of dispersions in air, the term aerosol evolved and now embraces both liquid
droplets, solid particles, and combinations of these. An aerosol may come from sources as various as a volcano or an aerosol can.
Workplace exposure
Concentrated aerosols from substances such as
silica,
asbestos, and
diesel particulate matter are sometimes found in the workplace and have been shown to result in a number of diseases including
silicosis and
black lung.
Respirators can protect workers from harmful aerosol exposure. The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health certifies respirators through the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory to ensure that they protect workers and the public from harmful airborne contaminants.
Effect on climate
Anthropogenic aerosols, particularly sulfate aerosols from
fossil fuel combustion, exert a cooling influence on the climate. The cooling effect of aerosols, however, doesn't seem to directly counteract the warming induced by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor and is accounted for in climate models, despite some claims that "
global dimming" by aerosols may counteract global warming.
Recent studies of the
Sahel drought and major increases since 1967 in rainfall over the
Northern Territory,
Kimberley,
Pilbara and around the
Nullarbor Plain have led some scientists to conclude that the aerosol haze over
South and
East Asia has been steadily shifting tropical rainfall in both hemispheres southward. The latest studies of severe rainfall declines over
southern Australia since 1997 have led climatologists there to consider the possibility that these Asian aerosols have shifted not only tropical but also midlatitude systems southward.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Aerosols'.
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