Effects of Relative Humidity and Phase on the Molecular Detection of Nascent Sea Spray Aerosol Using Extractive Electrospray Ionization.

Online mass spectrometry techniques, such as extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS), present an attractive alternative for analyzing aerosol molecular composition due to reduced aerosol sample collection and handling times and improved time resolution. Recent studies show a dependence of EESI-MS sensitivity on particle size and mixing state. This study measured authentic sea spray aerosol (SSA) components generated during a phytoplankton bloom, specifically glycerol, palmitic acid, and potassium ions.

The Sea Spray Chemistry and Particle Evolution study (SeaSCAPE): overview and experimental methods.

Marine aerosols strongly influence climate through their interactions with solar radiation and clouds. However, significant questions remain regarding the influences of biological activity and seawater chemistry on the flux, chemical composition, and climate-relevant properties of marine aerosols and gases. Wave channels, a traditional tool of physical oceanography, have been adapted for large-scale ocean-atmosphere mesocosm experiments in the laboratory.

Atmospheric Benzothiazoles in a Coastal Marine Environment.

Organic emissions from coastal waters play an important but poorly understood role in atmospheric chemistry in coastal regions. A mesocosm experiment focusing on facilitated biological blooms in coastal seawater, SeaSCAPE (Sea Spray Chemistry and Particle Evolution), was performed to study emission of volatile gases, primary sea spray aerosol, and formation of secondary marine aerosol as a function of ocean biological and chemical processes. Here, we report observations of aerosol-phase benzothiazoles in a marine atmospheric context with complementary measurements of dissolved-phase benzothiazoles.

Continuous measurements of volatile gases as detection of algae crop health.

Algae cultivation in open raceway ponds is considered the most economical method for photosynthetically producing biomass for biofuels, chemical feedstocks, and other high-value products. One of the primary challenges for open ponds is diminished biomass yields due to attack by grazers, competitors, and infectious organisms. Higher-frequency observations are needed for detection of grazer infections, which can rapidly reduce biomass levels.

Acidity across the interface from the ocean surface to sea spray aerosol.

Aerosols impact climate, human health, and the chemistry of the atmosphere, and aerosol pH plays a major role in the physicochemical properties of the aerosol. However, there remains uncertainty as to whether aerosols are acidic, neutral, or basic. In this research, we show that the pH of freshly emitted (nascent) sea spray aerosols is significantly lower than that of sea water (approximately four pH units, with pH being a log scale value) and that smaller aerosol particles below 1 μm in diameter have pH values that are even lower.