Contribution to EPMA to airbone pollen analysis

• Author(s): Guimarães, Fernanda ; Duque, L. ; Ribeiro, H. ; Sousa, R. ; Abreu, I.
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/2084
• Origin: Repositório do LNEG
• Subject(s): Análise do pólen; Meteorologia; Porto (Portugal)
• Document Type: Conference object
• Language: English
• Contributor(s): Repositório do LNEG

Description

As a component of aerosol, pollen is found in suspension with other mineralogical and anthropogenic particles that can adhere to the pollen wall. The aim of this study was to determine possible alterations that pollen grains suffer under different meteorological conditions in the coastal city of Porto, Portugal. For this study, 2 airborne pollen types were taken into account: Poaceae and Alnus spp sampled in July 2010 and February 2011, respectively. Quantitative analysis and X-ray map analysis were performed with a Field Emission Electron Probe Microanalyser (EPMA). Samples were mounted over adhesive carbon tape and carbon coated. Control pollen showed mainly the presence of C, O, N, P, K, Mg, S, Cl and Ca in different quantities, depending on the considered species. Airborne pollen consistently revealed a higher content of Mg and Cl than control pollen, while Si, Ca, K and P contents varied differently according to the samples. Our results show that during their “flight”, pollen grains acquire an external coating, become heavier and change significantly their composition.