Characterization of ragweed pollen adhesion to polyamides and polystyrene using atomic force microscopy.
Pollen is a leading contributor to asthma and allergies, yet pollen adhesion to common indoor surfaces is not well understood. We report the adhesive behavior of short ragweed (A. artemisiifolia) pollen grains with Nylon 6 (N6) and Nylon 6,6 (N66), chosen due to their use in synthetic carpet, and three control surfaces: polyamide 12 (PA12), polystyrene (PS), and silicon. The forces were measured by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) under controlled humidity, where single pollen grains were attached to tipless AFM cantilevers. Pollen grains had an average adhesion of 10 +/- 3 nN with the surfaces, independent of surface type or relative humidity from 20% to 60%. van der Waals forces are the primary molecular attraction driving pollen adhesion to these surfaces. The results also indicate that ragweed pollen contacts the polymer surface via its exine surface spikes, and the total adhesion force scales with the number of contacts. The pollen surface spikes are strong, resisting fracture and compliance up to a load of 0.5 GPa.
Thio
Beng Joo Reginald
BJ
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0100, USA.
Lee
Jung-Hyun
JH
Meredith
J Carson
JC
D031164:Ambrosia / Q000502:physiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D009757:Nylons; D011137:Polystyrenes