Surfactants in atmospheric aerosols

The concentration and characteristics of anionic and cationic aerosol surfactants at a range of locations were determined as methylene blue active substances (MBAS) and ethyl violet active substances (EVAS) for anionic surfactants and as disulfine blue active substances (DBAS) for the cationic surfactants. Results showed that the anionic surfactants (in the pmol m(-3) range) dominated the concentration of surfactant in atmospheric aerosols. The concentration of both MBAS and EVAS is typically higher on the finer aerosol fractions. Further study on the aerosols found both MBAS and EVAS had the ability to reduce the surface tension of aqueous extracts of the aerosol. MBAS were more readily destroyed on exposure to a high intensity of UV light than were EVAS. The source of these seemingly ubiquitous compounds is not clear, but we note that anionic surfactants are easily derived from degraded or oxidized soots, especially that from diesel engines.     

Research Watch: Urban aerosols

Air.     

Research Watch: Atmospheric aerosols

Air.     

Research Watch: Analyzing aerosols

Measurements.     

Aircraft measurement of organic aerosols over China

Lower to middle (0.5-3.0 km altitude) tropospheric aerosols (PM2.5) collected by aircraft over inland and east coastal China were, for the first time, characterized for organic molecular compositions to understand anthropogenic, natural, and photochemical contribution to the air quality. n-Alkanes, fatty acids, sugars, polyacids are detected as major compound classes, whereas lignin and resin products, sterols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phthalic acids are minor species. Average concentrations of all the identified compounds excluding malic acid correspond to 40-50% of those reported on the ground sites. Relative abundances of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) components such as malic acid are much higher in the aircraft samples, suggesting an enhanced photochemical production over China. Organic carbon (OC) concentrations in summer (average, 24.3 microg m(-3)) were equivalent to those reported on the ground sites. Higher OC/EC (elemental carbon) ratios in the summer aircraft samples also support a significant production of SOA over China. High loadings of organic aerosols in the Chinese troposphere may be responsible to an intercontinental transport of the pollutants and potential impact on the regional and global climate changes.     

Research Watch: Secondary organic aerosols

Air Quality.     

Characteristics of biological aerosols in dairy processing plants

The viable aerosol in dairy processing plant environments was characterized by using an Andersen six-stage sieve sampler and a Reuter centrifugal sampler. Artificially introduced Serratia marcescens were detected in the air during drain flooding and after rinsing the floor with a pressured water hose, thus illustrating the ability of a specific microorganism to be disseminated from drains and wet surfaces via physical disruption activities often observed in food plants. Once a high concentration of wet viable aerosol was generated, it took 40 or more min to return to the background level in the absence of forced ventilation or other activity. The greatest reduction in viable particles occurred during the first 10 min. Estimated mean aerosol particle sizes were decreased from approximately 4.6 to 3.2 mu with time lapse. The estimated mean aerosol particle sizes from actual dairy processing plant environments ranged from approximately 4.3 to 5.3 mu. In addition, a more heavily contaminated dairy processing environment contained larger aerosol particles. These results indicate that the RCS sampler will often overestimate the true aerosol concentration in highly contaminated air, because mean particle sizes are over 4 mu in diameter.     

Effect of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation on viral aerosols

Ultraviolet (UV) germicidal air disinfection is an engineering method used to control the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings. Despite the recent emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS and avian influenza viruses, UV disinfection of pathogenic viral aerosols has not been examined. Hence, we characterized the UV disinfection of viral aerosols using the bacteriophage MS2, adenovirus, and coronavirus. Our objectives were to characterize the effect of nebulization and air sampling on the survival of important viral pathogens, quantitatively characterize and estimate the UV susceptibility of pathogenic viral aerosols, and evaluate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the susceptibility of viral aerosols, to 254 nm UV-C. The viruses were aerosolized into an experimental chamber using a six-jet Collison nebulizer, exposed to 254 nm UV, and sampled using an AGI-30 liquid impinger. Both the MS2 and adenovirus aerosols were very resistant to UV air disinfection, with a reduction of less than 1 logarithm in viable viral aerosols at a UV dose of 2608 microW s/cm2. The susceptibility of coronavirus aerosols was 7-10 times that of the MS2 and adenovirus aerosols. Unlike bacterial aerosols, there was no significant protective effect of high RH on UV susceptibility of the tested viral aerosols. We confirmed that the UV disinfection rate differs greatly between viral aerosols and viruses suspended in liquid.     

Research Watch: Acid aerosols and health

Health.     

Measurements of the volatility of aerosols from alpha-pinene ozonolysis

The temperature-dependence of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations is measured using a temperature-controlled smog chamber. Aerosols are generated from reaction of alpha-pinene (14-150 ppb) and ozone at a constant temperature of 22 +/- 2 degrees C in the presence of the OH-scavenger 2-butanol. After the reactions are completed the chamber is heated or cooled in a range from 20 to 40 degrees C. SOA volume concentrations increase at temperatures below the initial formation temperature and decrease at elevated temperatures. The response to the temperature change as measured by percent mass change per degree ranged from -0.4 to -3.6% K(-1), for a total mass reduction of 5-60% upon heating from 22 to 35 degrees C. The reported range is due to two factors: (1) experimental uncertainty, arising mainly from uncertainty in evaporation and condensation behavior of particles lost to the chamber wall; (2) differences in the temperature response from experiment to experiment. Aerosol temperature sensitivity was also measured by tandem differential mobility analysis (TDMA) where similarly generated SOA were heated from 20 to 25 degrees C to 30-40 degrees C with residence times of 0.5-1.5 min, resulting in particle volume reductions of up to 20%. The TDMA experiments indicate that evaporation of the SOA particles in this system occurs with a potentially significant mass transfer limitation (e.g., accommodation coefficient <0.1).     

Electrostatic sampler for semivolatile aerosols: chemical artifacts

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) show promise as an alternative sampling method for semivolatile aerosols because they are less susceptible to adsorptive and evaporative artifacts than filter based methods. However, the corona discharge may after the chemical composition of a sampled aerosol. Chemical artifacts associated with electrostatic precipitation of semivolatile aerosols were investigated in the laboratory. ESPs and filters sampled both particles and vapors of alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and alkenes across varying concentrations. Gravimetric measurements between the two sampling methods were well correlated. Ozone generated by the ESP corona was the primary cause of alkene reactions in the gas phase. Particles collected within the corona region were vulnerable to irradiation by corona ions overtime. Particles collected outside the corona region did not react. Vapors passing through the corona reacted to a lesser extent. Vapors captured after passing through the ESP reacted with ozone that was not removed by the vapor trap. Chemical speciation of highly reactive compounds (i.e., alkenes or other compounds with relatively short half-lives outdoors) is not appropriate with ESPs. Electrostatic precipitation of these compounds is appropriate, however, when total organic carbon is of interest as the ESP does not alter the amount of mass measured gravimetrically. ESPs can make accurate measurements of more persistent semivolatile compounds, such as alkanes and PAHs.     

Apportionment of primary and secondary organic aerosols in southern California during the 2005 study of organic aerosols in riverside (SOAR-1)

Ambient sampling was conducted in Riverside, California during the 2005 Study of Organic Aerosols in Riverside to characterize the composition and sources of organic aerosol using a variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation and source apportionmenttechniques. The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass is estimated by elemental carbon and carbon monoxide tracer methods, water soluble organic carbon content, chemical mass balance of organic molecular markers, and positive matrix factorization of high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer data. Estimates obtained from each ofthese methods indicate that the organic fraction in ambient aerosol is overwhelmingly secondary in nature during a period of several weeks with moderate ozone concentrations and that SOA is the single largest component of PM1 aerosol in Riverside. Average SOA/OA contributions of 70-90% were observed during midday periods, whereas minimum SOA contributions of approximately 45% were observed during peak morning traffic periods. These results are contraryto previous estimates of SOAthroughout the Los Angeles Basin which reported that, other than during severe photochemical smog episodes, SOA was lower than primary OA. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.