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- ItemA new method to measure real-world respiratory tract deposition of inhaled ambient black carbon(Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier Science, 2019) Madueño, Leizel; Kecorius, Simonas; Löndahl, Jakob; Müller, Thomas; Pfeifer, Sascha; Haudek, Andrea; Mardoñez, Valeria; Wiedensohler, AlfredIn this study, we present the development of a mobile system to measure real-world total respiratory tract deposition of inhaled ambient black carbon (BC). Such information can be used to supplement the existing knowledge on air pollution-related health effects, especially in the regions where the use of standard methods and intricate instrumentation is limited. The study is divided in two parts. Firstly, we present the design of portable system and methodology to evaluate the exhaled air BC content. We demonstrate that under real-world conditions, the proposed system exhibit negligible particle losses, and can additionally be used to determine the minute ventilation. Secondly, exemplary experimental data from the system is presented. A feasibility study was conducted in the city of La Paz, Bolivia. In a pilot experiment, we found that the cumulative total respiratory tract deposition dose over 1-h commuting trip would result in approximately 2.6 μg of BC. This is up to 5 times lower than the values obtained from conjectural approach (e.g. using physical parameters from previously reported worksheets). Measured total respiratory tract deposited BC fraction varied from 39% to 48% during walking and commuting inside a micro-bus, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, no studies focusing on experimental determination of real-world deposition dose of BC have been performed in developing regions. This can be especially important because the BC mass concentration is significant and determines a large fraction of particle mass concentration. In this work, we propose a potential method, recommendations, as well as the limitations in establishing an easy and relatively cheap way to estimate the respiratory tract deposition of BC. In this study we present a novel method to measure real-world respiratory tract deposition dose of Black Carbon. Results from a pilot study in La Paz, Bolivia, are presented. © 2019 The Authors
- ItemUnravelling New Processes at Interfaces: Photochemical Isoprene Production at the Sea Surface(Columbus, Ohio : American Chemical Society, 2015) Ciuraru, Raluca; Fine, Ludovic; van Pinxteren, Manuela; D’Anna, Barbara; Herrmann, Hartmut; George, ChristianIsoprene is an important reactive gas that is produced mainly in terrestrial ecosystems but is also produced in marine ecosystems. In the marine environment, isoprene is produced in the seawater by various biological processes. Here, we show that photosensitized reactions involving the sea-surface microlayer lead to the production of significant amounts of isoprene. It is suggested that H-abstraction processes are initiated by photochemically excited dissolved organic matter which will the degrade fatty acids acting as surfactants. This chemical interfacial processing may represent a significant abiotic source of isoprene in the marine boundary layer.
- ItemImpact of vertical air motions on ice formation rate in mixed-phase cloud layers(London : Springer Nature, 2019) Bühl, Johannes; Seifert, Patric; Engelmann, Ronny; Ansmann, AlbertThe relationship between vertical air velocity at cloud base and primary ice formation has been measured for shallow mixed-phase cloud layers (thickness <380 m) by means of ground-based cloud radar and Doppler lidar. For layers with a cloud-top temperature below −12 °C, an increase of vertical-velocity standard deviation from 0.1 to 1.0 m s−1 leads to an increase in the mass flux of ice water by two orders of magnitude. The cloud layers under study were selected in such a way that secondary ice-formation processes played a minor role, and primary ice formation was the dominant source of ice formation. Phenomenological parameterizations of the ice mass and the ice mass flux as functions of standard deviation of vertical air velocity are given.
- ItemFormation and composition of the UTLS aerosol(London : Springer Nature, 2019) Martinsson, Bengt G.; Friberg, Johan; Sandvik, Oscar S.; Hermann, Markus; van Velthoven, Peter F. J.; Zahn, AndreasStratospheric aerosol has long been seen as a pure mixture of sulfuric acid and water. Recent measurements, however, found a considerable carbonaceous fraction extending at least 8 km into the stratosphere. This fraction affects the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the radiative properties, and hence the radiative forcing and climate impact of the stratospheric aerosol. Here we present an investigation based on a decade (2005–2014) of airborne aerosol sampling at 9–12 km altitude in the tropics and the northern hemisphere (NH) aboard the IAGOS-CARIBIC passenger aircraft. We find that the chemical composition of tropospheric aerosol in the tropics differs markedly from that at NH midlatitudes, and, that the carbonaceous stratospheric aerosol is oxygen-poor compared to the tropospheric aerosol. Furthermore, the carbonaceous and sulfurous components of the aerosol in the lowermost stratosphere (LMS) show strong increases in concentration connected with springtime subsidence from overlying stratospheric layers. The LMS concentrations significantly exceed those in the troposphere, thus clearly indicating a stratospheric production of not only the well-established sulfurous aerosol, but also a considerable but less understood carbonaceous component. © 2019, The Author(s).