title: Mathematical form factor studies on the effect of water on airborne particles morphology using a bi-dimensional TEM image processing.
abstract: Mathematical morphology is a tool for extracting image components that are useful for representation and description. The technique consists of a set-theoretic method of image analysis providing a quantitative description of geometrical structures. A simple application of mathematical morphology to a bi-dimensional processing of TEM images of airborne particles allows us to distinguish between particles grown and/or transported in atmosphere under dry conditions or in rainy days by a simple comparison of the corresponding image form factors. The form factors range in the 0.385-0.031 interval in the case of particles sampled in rainy days, and in the 0.103-0.006 interval in the case of non-rainy conditions. The same classification criterion was applied to filters collected under dry conditions and plunged in water. The results demonstrate that a morphological change may be artificially induced to the particle structure. The artificially wet particles, indeed, display an apparent contraction of their structures evidenced by a two-fold increase of the average values of their form factors. The last experiment roughly simulates the impact of particles on membranes of the respiratory tract.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Matematica--Università di Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 5, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cucchiella
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stracquadanio
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trombini
mesh_terms: D008432:Mathematical Computing; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D053260:Soot; D014867:Water