Luminescence of Some Airborne Plant Materials.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the excitation-emission spectra of seed pubescence, pollen and spores, and senesced plant materials that could be carried in the air column. Reference samples were a mature green-colored corn leaf, green-, yellow- and brow-colored soybean leaves, cellulose, commercial grade cotton batting and a soil. Spectral luminescence signatures were collected over the 300 to 800 nanometer region using a scanning spectrofluorometer. The excitation-emission spectra were broadband emission centroids in the 400-nm to 600-nm spectrum. Emission maxima were associated with the 440-nm, 470-nm and 370-nm excitation bands and the 455-nm to 590-nm emission bands. The coma of milkweed, silkvine, cotton (raw), cottonwood seeds and yellow-colored pollen and spores were highly fluorescent. The pappus of thistles, dandelion and goat's beard seeds and newly senesced grass leaves and glumes had moderate to high fluorescence. Dark brown-colored mushroom spores and weathered, senesced plant materials had low fluorescence. The emission spectra resembled that of reagent, microcrystalline cellulose although impurities incorporated within the plant materials altered their emission intensities from that of cellulose. Moderate to low emissions were from tan- to dark brown-colored materials, whereas the white-colored or light, tan-colored materials had high emissions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA355121
Entities
People
- Melvin B. Satterwhite