Analysis Of Atmospheric Aerosols Research Articles

Evaluation of MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 aerosol products over Indonesia

Atmospheric aerosols play an essential role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. Amidst the issue of climate change, analysis of at-mospheric aerosols based on satellite and reanalysis is needed to estimate radiative forcing by aerosols, completing the spatial gap obtained from ground-based observation data. This research aims to evaluate the satellite and reanalysis aerosol products including Modern-Era Retrospective analy-sis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) and Moderate Res-olution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6.1 (C6.1) over In-donesia in the recent two decades, 2001 - 2020. The long-term performance of MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 is evaluated using the Aerosol Robotic Net-work (AERONET)-derived AOD. In general, the results show that the cor-relation of the two data models is good. The average correlation between AOD data obtained from AERONET to MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 was 0.8 and 0.5 at all locations, respectively. Meanwhile, the average RMSE val-ues for MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 were 0.24 and 0.26 at all locations, respectively. This study successfully assessed the performance of MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 in Indonesia as an initial study. This initial study verifies that MERRA-2 and MODIS C6.1 can be used to complement surface data in Indonesia.

Physicochemical characterization and source apportionment of Arctic ice-nucleating particles observed in Ny-Ålesund in autumn 2019

Abstract. Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) initiate primary ice formation in Arctic mixed-phase clouds (MPCs), altering cloud radiative properties and modulating precipitation. For atmospheric INPs, the complexity of their spatiotemporal variations, heterogeneous sources, and evolution via intricate atmospheric interactions challenge the understanding of their impact on microphysical processes in Arctic MPCs and induce an uncertain representation in climate models. In this work, we performed a comprehensive analysis of atmospheric aerosols at the Arctic coastal site in Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard, Norway) from October to November 2019, including their ice nucleation ability, physicochemical properties, and potential sources. Overall, INP concentrations (NINP) during the observation season were approximately up to 3 orders of magnitude lower compared to the global average, with several samples showing degradation of NINP after heat treatment, implying the presence of proteinaceous INPs. Particle fluorescence was substantially associated with INP concentrations at warmer ice nucleation temperatures, indicating that in the far-reaching Arctic, aerosols of biogenic origin throughout the snow- and ice-free season may serve as important INP sources. In addition, case studies revealed the links between elevated NINP and heat lability, fluorescence, high wind speeds originating from the ocean, augmented concentration of coarse-mode particles, and abundant organics. Backward trajectory analysis demonstrated a potential connection between high-latitude dust sources and high INP concentrations, while prolonged air mass history over the ice pack was identified for most scant INP cases. The combination of the above analyses demonstrates that the abundance, physicochemical properties, and potential sources of INPs in the Arctic are highly variable despite its remote location.

Elemental distribution and source analysis of atmospheric aerosols from Meycauayan, Bulacan, Philippines

One of the industrialized cities in the Philippines is Meycauayan, Bulacan. This study reports the elemental distribution and source apportionment in eight varying land cover-land use type sampling points located along the Marilao-Meycauayan- Obando Rivers System. Elemental analysis was conducted using a scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive x-ray. Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Mn, As, Cd, Co, Fe, Ni, Ti, and V concentrations were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and Hg concentrations by Mercury analyzer. Principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and Pearson's r correlation were used to analyze different sources of heavy metals and its corresponding land use-land cover type. The aerosol samples showed the presence of heavy metals Pb and Hg, elements that were also detected in trace amounts in the water measurements. Concentrations of heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, V, Ni, and As found in the atmospheric aerosols and urban dusts were attributed to anthropogenic sources such as residential, commercial and industrial wastes. Other source of aerosols in the area were traffic and crustal emissions in Meycauayan. Using HCA, there are 3 clusters observed based on the similar sets of heavy metals: (1) AQS1 (Caingin), AQS2 (Banga), and AQS8 (Malhacan); (2) AQS3(Calvario), AQS4 (Camalig), and AQS5(Langka); (3) AQS1(Sto Nino-Perez), and (AQS7) (Sterling). These groups are related based on different land use setting such as residential/commercial, agricultural, and commercial/industrial areas. Our study recommends the need to address heavy metal pollution in Meycauayan in support to the ongoing implementation of laws and regulations by the local and private sectors.

Comparison of the Sensitivity of Spectral Methods for Multi-Element Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosol Using Short and Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Comparison of the Sensitivity of Spectral Methods for Multi-Element Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosol Using Short and Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Elemental characterization and morphological analysis of atmospheric aerosols in a rural-continental environment of Northeast India

Elemental characterization and morphological analysis of atmospheric aerosols in a rural-continental environment of Northeast India

Direct adsorption sampling and ambient mass spectrometry analysis of tobacco smoke with porous paper strips.

Chemical analysis of atmospheric aerosols by conventional analytical methods is usually required to perform complicated and time-consuming sample preparation processes. In recent decades, ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AI-MS) methods have been proven to be simple, rapid, and effective analytical tools for direct analysis of various complex samples. In this work, we applied porous paper filters for direct adsorptive sampling of tobacco smoke, and then the sampled paper filters were performed the emitters of the paper spray ionization (PSI) device. An auto-sampling device was made to control the generation and collection of tobacco smoke. Nicotine, the typical compound of tobacco smoke, was used to optimize the key conditions of auto-sampling. Moreover, different types of tobacco smoke were also compared with multivariate variable analysis, and the makers of tobacco smoke from different sources of tobacco smoke were investigated. By using this method, direct sampling and analysis of a single tobacco sample can be completed within minutes. Overall, our results show that PSI-MS is a powerful tool that integrates collection, extraction, ionization, and identification analytes in smoke.

The maximum carbonyl ratio (MCR) as a new index for the structural classification of secondary organic aerosol components.

Organic aerosols (OA) account for a large fraction of atmospheric fine particulate matter and thus are affecting climate and public health. Elucidation of the chemical composition of OA is the key for addressing the role of ambient fine particles at the atmosphere-biosphere interface and mass spectrometry is the main method to achieve this goal. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is on its way to becoming one of the most prominent analytical techniques, also for the analysis of atmospheric aerosols. The combination of high mass resolution and accurate mass determination allows the elemental compositions of numerous compounds to be easily elucidated. Here a new parameter for the improved classification of OA is introduced - the maximum carbonyl ratio (MCR) - which is directly derived from the molecular composition and is particularly suitable for the identification and characterization of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The concept is exemplified by the analysis of ambient OA samples from two measurement sites (Hyytiälä, Finland; Beijing, China) and of laboratory-generated SOA based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to Orbitrap MS. To interpret the results, MCR-Van Krevelen (VK) diagrams are generated for the different OA samples and the individual compounds are categorized into specific areas in the diagrams. The results show that the MCR index is a valuable parameter for representing atmospheric SOA components in composition and structure-dependent visualization tools such as VK diagrams. The MCR index is suggested as a tool for a better characterization of the sources and the processing of atmospheric OA components based on HRMS data. Since the MCR contains information on the concentration of highly electrophilic organic compounds in particulate matter (PM) as well as on the concentration of organic (hydro)peroxides, the MCR could be a promising metric for identifying health-related particulate matter parameters by HRMS.

Microscopic and Spectroscopic Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols from Organic and Freshwater Sources

Microscopic and Spectroscopic Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols from Organic and Freshwater Sources

The development of Air Quality Indices using AOD-Retrieved Images during haze events in Peninsular Malaysia

Advances in satellite sensors provide new datasets to assist in the observation of air quality at urban and local scales. Quantitative Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and qualitative true colour image data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on the Terra satellite have been widely used to assess air quality. In this study, both 3 km and 10 km MODIS aerosol products were used to provide an overview of the state of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) during haze episodes over Peninsular Malaysia covering the period 21 to 26 June 2013. The result showed a high concentration of PM during the haze period based on ground-level data, with an average level of PM2.5 (mean ± standard deviation) of 99.86 ± 23.99, 190.37 ± 105.59, and 205.191 ± 165.76 (µg/m3) in Tanah Merah station, Cheras station, and Putrajaya station, respectively. Meanwhile, the PM10 in the Tanah Merah, Charas, and Putrajaya stations was 100.56 ± 28.17, 181.31 ± 83.70, and 197.99 ± 74.67, respectively. Overall, the results showed a correlation between monitoring station measurements and satellite data. Satellite remote sensing analysis of atmospheric aerosols remain a great method for estimating haze distribution and can be further used to monitor the atmospheric environment in Malaysia.

Advective Transport Modeling for Spatial Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols over Lagos Area of South Western Nigeria

In this study atmospheric aerosols distribution over Lagos area of southwestern part of Nigeria was analyzed using backward air mass trajectory model. GPS information of the study region was used to simulate meteorological variables and aerosol data that have been stored by satellite imagery from the National Oceanography and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Air Resource Laboratory (ARL). Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectories HYSPLIT was used to determine the wind-field information and also to obtain the backward air mass trajectory for atmospheric aerosols transport pattern at heights 0, 1000m and 2000m above ground level. The result showed that aerosols of sea-salt origin evolved from Atlantic ocean and spread over Lagos during the period under consideration. The average wind speed observed within the period ranged between 4 and 7m/s in south westerly direction which is attributed to the influence Atlantic Ocean. The results also showed that aerosol traversing Lagos area are mainly sea salts

Quantification of particulate matter, tracking the origin and relationship between elements for the environmental monitoring of the Antarctic region

The present work reports on the analysis of atmospheric aerosols in the Antarctic region, Deception Island, collected during austral summer 2016–2017 by field measurements carried from Gabriel de Castilla Spanish Research Station. A low-volume sampler was used to capture the aerosols depositing them onto the air filters. A chemical analysis of the samples using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) provided the total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), elemental Carbon (EC) and elements such as Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Cu, Pb, Sr, Ti, Zn and Cr. The average mass concentration of particulate matter (PM10) originated by natural and anthropogenic activities was calculated as 10 ± 4 μg/m3, although values such as 28.2 μg/m3 were also obtained which is very high even when compared to other places in the coast of the Antarctic region. In addition, high enrichment factors have been found for elements such as Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn showing a remote anthropogenic contribution to particulate matter in this region. Correlations were found between Na, Mg, Ca, Al, Ti and S, where Na/Mg displayed the influence of marine environments, S correspond to volcanic activities, Ca to penguin colonies and influence of sea whereas Al/Ti indicated the crustal origin. Polar contour graphical maps were obtained from meteorological data using chemometrics methods, which allowed reproducing wind maps revealing the distribution of the aerosols and possible emission sources of different elements in the area. Given that this island has not been previously studied for atmospheric contamination, this work provides an interesting insight about the site-specific characteristics of particulate matter.

Atmospheric aerosol analysis at the PIXE–RBS beamline in the University of Jordan Van de Graaff accelerator (JUVAC)

The University of Jordan Van de Graaff accelerator (JUVAC) was devoted many years ago to promote scientific research through the installation of several beamlines based on nuclear techniques. It constitutes the first and unique, till now, ion beam analysis facility in Jordan. Among these techniques, the JUVAC has recently installed, with the financial and technical aid of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a combination of particle‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). A new X‐ray detector has been installed, and the system has been tested for aerosol analysis using a set of thin MicroMatter standards. This manuscript includes a brief description of the combined PIXE–RBS beamline with some results, particularly those obtained by PIXE. The low‐energy proton beam adds a technical limitation to attain optimum analytical performance. However, a simulation of the RBS spectrum of protons on aerosol filter indicates that the RBS measurement for some elements (e.g., Pb) can replace the PIXE one.

Study on bulk to single particle analysis of atmospheric aerosols at urban region

The massive increase in emission of air pollutants due to the economic and industrial growth has made the air quality a crucial health and environmental problem. Present study describes the seasonal variation of water soluble ionic components, carbonaceous species and their emission sources from April 2013 to November 2014 at Pune, India. Morphology and surface elemental composition of single particle was also studied by using SEM-EDS. Average PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations were 98 ± 28 and 148 ± 45 μg m−3, respectively that substantially exceeded than Indian NAAQS and WHO standards limit values. Seasonal analysis of PM indicated higher concentrations during winter as compared to the rest of the seasons. Chemical analysis of PM accounted for ~40% for ionic components and 36% for carbonaceous species annually for fine mode whereas in coarse mode it accounted for ~28 and 24% for ionic component and carbonaceous species, respectively. This revealed that chemical species are more attributed to fine mode as compared to coarse mode size particles. Contribution of SOC was higher in comparison to POC throughout the study due to abundance of organic constituents. SO42−/EC ratios and ECR values indicates the abundance of scattering type aerosols than absorbing type aerosols. Morphology and surface elemental analysis of PM reveals the presence of soot and alumino-silicates particles. Size, shape and chemical species of aerosol are significantly varied with synoptic scale. Trajectory analysis reveals long range transportation of aerosols over receptor site from various regional and global environments. Measured data on bulk to single particle analysis is extremely useful as input data in climatic aerosol model and provide a more complete relevant picture of aerosol for scientific community with respect to urban air pollution.

Individual particle SEM-EDS analysis of atmospheric aerosols in rural, urban, and industrial sites of Central Italy

PM10 samples were collected simultaneously at three representative areas (urban, industrial, and rural areas). Their morphology and elemental composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive analysis (SEM-EDS). Twenty-four chemical parameters (C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, Cd, Cl, K, Ca, S, Sn, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, W, and Pb) were determined and three morphological parameters (area, roundness, and fractal dimension) were measured by Image Pro Analyzer 6.3. The particles were classified into ten groups based on morphology and elemental composition: Ca-rich and metal particles, soot aggregates, cenosphere, alumosilicates, sea salt, calcium sulfate, spherical particles of iron, biological carbonaceous particles, and various. Particles of natural origin were predominantly found in the coarse size fraction and particles of anthropogenic origin in the fine size fraction. The greatest contribution to particulate matter belonged to aluminum-silicates and calcium-rich particles. The cenosphere were recognized only in the coastal urban site, while all the other particles were present in each site. The coastal industrial site was characterized by the prevalence of alumosilicates and Ca-rich particles, due to construction activity in this site during the sampling period (movement of vehicles, transport of terrigenous materials, and use of construction products). The coastal urban site was characterized by a higher amount of soot and by the presence of cenosphere, due to the presence of vehicular traffic.

Wavelet Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosols as Ambient Air Pollutants

Atmospheric aerosols, also known as atmospheric particulate matter or suspended particulate matter (SPM), are microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in Earth's atmosphere that are transported and dispersed in the atmosphere. Study of atmospheric aerosols as ambient air pollutants has attracted the great interest of scientists due to the effect on human health and its major role in climate change. Reduced lung function, development in respiratory diseases and premature death are the effect of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution. The atmospheric aerosols affect the climate of the earth by changing the amount of incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial long wave radiation retained in the earth's system and their climate effects are the biggest source of uncertainty in future climate predictions. Wavelet transforms provide excellent analysis of non-stationary time series and extracts important hidden information from a signal or data set. For the data set of SPM and RSPM of Moradabad for given time interval, Haar wavelet transform of Level1 is applied. Skewness and Kurtosis parameter describes the lack of the symmetry of data and correlation coefficient between SPM and RSPM describes the linear relationship between them.

Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared Spectroscopy of Individual Atmospheric Aerosol Particles: Subdiffraction Limit Vibrational Spectroscopy and Morphological Analysis.

Chemical analysis of atmospheric aerosols is an analytical challenge, as aerosol particles are complex chemical mixtures that can contain hundreds to thousands of species in attoliter volumes at the most abundant sizes in the atmosphere (∼100 nm). These particles have global impacts on climate and health, but there are few methods available that combine imaging and the detailed molecular information from vibrational spectroscopy for individual particles <500 nm. Herein, we show the first application of atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to detect trace organic and inorganic species and probe intraparticle chemical variation in individual particles down to 150 nm. By detecting photothermal expansion at frequencies where particle species absorb IR photons from a tunable laser, AFM-IR can study particles smaller than the optical diffraction limit. Combining strengths of AFM (ambient pressure, height, morphology, and phase measurements) with photothermal IR spectroscopy, the potential of AFM-IR is shown for a diverse set of single-component particles, liquid-liquid phase separated particles (core-shell morphology), and ambient atmospheric particles. The spectra from atmospheric model systems (ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, succinic acid, and sucrose) had clearly identifiable features that correlate with absorption frequencies for infrared-active modes. Additionally, molecular information was obtained with <100 nm spatial resolution for phase separated particles with a ∼150 nm shell and 300 nm core. The subdiffraction limit capability of AFM-IR has the potential to advance understanding of particle impacts on climate and health by improving analytical capabilities to study water uptake, heterogeneous reactivity, and viscosity.

Evaluation of an automated EA-IRMS method for total carbon analysis of atmospheric aerosol at HEKAL

Comprehensive atmospheric studies have demonstrated that carbonaceous particles are one of the main components of atmospheric aerosols over Europe. The aim of our study was to establish an automated elemental analyser interfaced to a stable isotope mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS) method at the Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies (HEKAL), as a suitable method of quantification of total carbon mass in individual PM2.5 aerosol samples. Total carbon (TC) mass and simultaneous stable isotopic ratios were determined for both test standard and genuine aerosol samples. Finally, the results were compared to the ones obtained independently by an alternative sealed tube combustion method developed previously at HEKAL. The TC recovery tests of standard material prepared by the sealed tube method confirmed at least a carbon recovery yield of 92% for a broad range of carbon mass (100–2000 μg). The stable isotopic results confirmed that sealed tube method is reproducible and suitable to be used as a reference to verify our new EA-IRMS method. The EA-IRMS TC measurements of genuine aerosols gave on average 3% higher carbon recovery yield, relative to the uncorrected results of the sealed tube method. The comparison of the stable isotopic results by the two methods for aerosols also showed minimal differences. Consequently, the possibility of simultaneous TC and stable isotopic analyses makes the EA-IRMS method a very attractive alternative for continuous measurement of aerosols, with an accuracy and reliability similar to other commercial devices.

Trend Analysis of Aerosol Optical Depth and &amp;amp;#197ngstr&amp;amp;#246m Exponent Anomaly over East Africa

Trend analysis of atmospheric aerosols enhances confidence in the evaluation of both direct and indirect effects of aerosols on regional climate change. To comprehensively achieve this over East Africa, it’s important to understand aerosols temporal characteristics over well selected sites namely Nairobi (1°S, 36°E), Mbita (0°S, 34°E), Mau Forest (0.0°S - 0.6°S; 35.1°E - 35.7°E), Malindi (2°S, 40°E), Mount Kilimanjaro (3°S, 37°E) and Kampala (0°N, 32.1°E). In this context, trend analysis (annual (in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 550 nm and &#197ngstr&#246m Exponent Anomaly (&#197EA) at 470 - 660 nm) and seasonal (AOD)) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were performed following the weighted least squares (WLS) fitting method for the period 2000 to 2013. The MODIS AOD annual trends were ground-truthed by AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data. Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) was utilized to derive rainfall rates (RR) in order to assess its influence on the observed aerosol temporal characteristics. The derived annual AOD trends utilizing MODIS and AERONET data were consistent with each other. However, monthly AOD and RR were found to be negatively correlated over Nairobi, Mbita, Mau forest complex and Malindi. There was no clear relationship between the two trends over Kampala and Mount Kilimanjaro, which may imply the role of aerosols in cloud modulation and hence RR received. Seasonality is evident between AOD and &#197EA annual trends as these quantities were observed to be modulated by RR. AOD was observed to decrease over East Africa except Nairobi during the study period as a result of RR during the study period. Unlike the other study sites, Nairobi shows positive trends in AOD that may be attributed to increasing populace and fossil fuel, vehicular-industrial emission and biomass and refuse burning during the study period. Negative trends over the rest of the study sites were associated to rain washout. The AOD and &#197EA derived annual trends were found to meet the statistical significance of 95% confidence level over each study site.

In this issue of Weather

The effects of volcanoes and anthropogenic pollution are features of this month's issue, which begins with Maria Athanassiadou's fascinating report on a developing ability to use satellite data to track sulphur dioxide plumes emitted from volcanoes in ‘The Mt Etna SO2 eruption in December 2015 – the view from space’ on p. 273. Last year, the gas from one eruption in a relatively active period for Europe's most active volcano was followed around the world.A seasonal look at fog formation appears on p. 279 in ‘Fog analysis at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport’ by E. Tuncay Özdemir, Ali Deniz, İsmail Sezen, Ş. Sibel Menteş and Veli Yavuz. This paper is a useful reminder of the factors that affect the development of fog, as well as its effects on transport.The 5th of November is a significant festival in the UK – not least in terms of its meteorological effects, which are examined on p. 288 by R J Pope, A M Marshall and B O'Kane in ‘Observing UK Bonfire Night pollution from space: analysis of atmospheric aerosol’. Sometimes, the pollution exceeds safe limits in the major population centres of Britain.On p. 291, there's a particular highlight for all interested in the relationship between science and the arts, as well as the history of art in the way it has responded to environmental change. Hisami Nakamura and Julyan Cartwright begin a short series of papers explaining the difference in perception of snowflakes in the East and the West; our development of knowledge about their form; as well as the effect snow and ice have had on literature in ‘De nive sexangula – A history of ice and snow – part 1’.One probable effect of a changing climate is examined using historical records in ‘Heavy snowfall in southern Finland in May is extraordinary nowadays – but was it more common a hundred years ago?’ by Ilkka Juga on p. 294.Finally, on p. 299 we have a short piece by Bob Riddaway outlining the establishment of competency frameworks, reminding all meteorologists – world‐wide – of the need to be fully trained, qualified and assessed for the tasks they undertake, in particular for aviation, shipping and the public weather service, soon also to be extended to climate services and observing.

Present role of PIXE in atmospheric aerosol research

In the 1980s and 1990s nearly half of the elemental analyses of atmospheric aerosol samples were performed by PIXE. Since then, other techniques for elemental analysis became available and there has been a steady increase in studies on organic aerosol constituents and other aspects of aerosols, especially in the areas of nucleation (new particle formation), optical properties, and the role of aerosol particles in cloud formation and properties. First, a brief overview and discussion is given of the developments and trends in atmospheric aerosol analysis and research of the past three decades. Subsequently, it is indicated that there is still invaluable work to be done by PIXE in atmospheric aerosol research, especially if one teams up with other aerosol researchers and performs complementary measurements, e.g., on small aerosol samples that are taken with high-time resolution. Fine examples of such research are the work done by the Lund group in the CARIBIC aircraft studies and the analysis of circular streaker samples by the Florence PIXE group. These and other examples are presented and other possibilities of PIXE are indicated.