A worldwide compilation of atmospheric total phosphorus (TP) and phosphate (PO₄) concentration and deposition flux observations are combined with transport model simulations to derive the global distribution of concentrations and deposition fluxes of TP and PO₄. Our results suggest that mineral aerosols are the dominant source of TP on a global scale (82%), with primary biogenic particles (12%) and combustion sources (5%) important in nondusty regions. Globally averaged anthropogenic inputs are estimated to be ∼5 and 15% for TP and PO₄, respectively, and may contribute as much as 50% to the deposition over the oligotrophic ocean where productivity may be phosphorus‐limited. There is a net loss of TP from many (but not all) land ecosystems and a net gain of TP by the oceans (560 Gg P a⁻¹). More measurements of atmospheric TP and PO₄ will assist in reducing uncertainties in our understanding of the role that atmospheric phosphorus may play in global biogeochemistry.

Atmospheric inputs of iron to the open ocean are hypothesized to modulate ocean biogeochemistry. This review presents an integration of available observations of atmospheric iron and iron deposition, and also covers bioavailable iron distributions. Methods for estimating temporal variability in ocean deposition over the recent past are reviewed. Desert dust iron is estimated to represent 95% of the global atmospheric iron cycle, and combustion sources of iron are responsible for the remaining 5%. Humans may be significantly perturbing desert dust (up to 50%). The sources of bioavailable iron are less well understood than those of iron, partly because we do not know what speciation of the iron is bioavailable. Bioavailable iron can derive from atmospheric processing of relatively insoluble desert dust iron or from direct emissions of soluble iron from combustion sources. These results imply that humans could be substantially impacting iron and bioavailable iron deposition to ocean regions, but there are large uncertainties in our understanding.

An integral part of several International Atomic Energy Agency sponsored coordinated research programmes involving the sampling and analysis of ambient airborne particules was the development of a PM₁₀ sampler. Each participant was provided with such a sampler so that comparable samples would be obtained by each of the participating groups. Thus, in order to understand the characteristics of this sampler, we undertoke several characterization studies in which we examined the aerodynamic collection characteristics of the impactor inlet and the reproducibility of the sample mass collection. One of the samplers machined in Belgium was compared with one built from the same design in the U.S. and comparable results were obtained. The sampler was operated side-by-side with a commercial PM₁₀ beta gauge and an IMPROVE-design 2.5 μm cut-point cyclone. Although the sampler was not wind tunnel tested as required for certification as a reference sampler, it does provide a collection efficiency that generally follows the guidelines for a PM₁₀ sampler.

Understanding biochemical mechanisms and changes associated with disease conditions and, therefore, development of improved clinical treatments, is relying increasingly on various biochemical mapping and imaging techniques on tissue sections. However, it is essential to be able to ascertain whether the sampling used provides the full biochemical information relevant to the disease and is free from artefacts. A multi-modal micro-spectroscopic approach, including FTIR imaging and PIXE elemental mapping, has been used to study the molecular and elemental profile within cryofixed and formalin-fixed murine brain tissue sections. The results provide strong evidence that amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, phosphates, proteins and ions, such as Cl⁻ and K⁺, leach from tissue sections into the aqueous fixative medium during formalin fixation of the sections. Large changes in the concentrations and distributions of most of these components are also observed by washing in PBS even for short periods. The most likely source of the chemical species lost during fixation is the extra-cellular and intra-cellular fluid of tissues. The results highlight that, at best, analysis of formalin-fixed tissues gives only part of the complete biochemical “picture” of a tissue sample. Further, this investigation has highlighted that significant lipid peroxidation/oxidation may occur during formalin fixation and that the use of standard histological fixation reagents can result in significant and differential metal contamination of different regions of tissue sections. While a consistent and reproducible fixation method may be suitable for diagnostic purposes, the findings of this study strongly question the use of formalin fixation prior to spectroscopic studies of the molecular and elemental composition of biological samples, if the primary purpose is mechanistic studies of disease pathogenesis.