Article
Environmental Sciences
David S. Connelly, David R. Thompson, Natalie M. Mahowald, Longlei Li, Nimrod Carmon, Gregory S. Okin, Robert O. Green
Summary: The net direct radiative effect of mineral dust is a major uncertainty in global radiative forcing, which NASA's EMIT mission aims to address. By mapping the surface mineralogy of Earth's desert dust source regions and constraining the composition of mineral dust aerosol for use in ESMs, significant reductions in uncertainty in radiative forcing estimates can be achieved. The study leverages Bayesian statistical methods and Monte Carlo sampling to analyze uncertainties in the retrieval and processing of EMIT data products, with a focus on the impact of iron oxides on radiative forcing.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaqiong Hu, Ping Tian, Mengyu Huang, Kai Bi, Julia Schneider, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, Nikolas Ullmerich, Kristina Hohler, Xiaoqin Jing, Huiwen Xue, Deping Ding, Yongchun Liu, Thomas Leisner, Ottmar Moehler
Summary: Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) play a crucial role in altering the micro-physical properties of clouds, thereby affecting regional weather and climate. This study conducted simultaneous measurements of INP concentrations at a mountain site and a suburb site in Beijing, representing different pollution levels, in order to better understand the sources and characteristics of INPs. The results showed variations in INP concentrations between the two sites, with dust particles being the most efficient INPs during the Spring season. Interestingly, the mountain site exhibited significantly higher INP concentrations at temperatures above -10 degrees C, attributed to primary biological aerosol from the forested area.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Slobodan Nickovic, Bojan Cvetkovic, Slavko Petkovic, Vassilis Amiridis, Goran Pejanovic, Stavros Solomos, Eleni Marinou, Jugoslav Nikolic
Summary: This study examines the impact of icing linked to convective weather conditions on two aircraft accidents, with a focus on desert mineral dust potentially enhancing the icing process. Numerical simulations show that desert dust can increase ice nucleation, leading to a proposed new icing parameter that includes predicted dust concentration for the first time.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Srinivas Bikkina, Arvind Shukla, Sunil Kumar Singh, Damodaraorao Karri, Naman Deep Singh, Bisweswar Sahoo
Summary: This study investigates the isotopic composition of dust samples collected over the Arabian Sea, revealing significant spatial variability in 87Sr/86Sr and epsilon Nd(0). Dust storms originating from the Arabian Peninsula and Iran/Indo-Gangetic Plain are identified using air mass back trajectories and satellite imagery. The findings highlight the need for more research and measurements on the impact of dust outbreaks on the marine ecosystem.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ziming Ke, Xiaohong Liu, Mingxuan Wu, Yunpeng Shan, Yang Shi
Summary: The nine-mode version of the modal aerosol model (MAM9) has been shown to improve the representation of dust in remote regions and globally reduce fine dust burden while increasing coarse dust burden.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jianyu Zheng, Zhibo Zhang, Hongbin Yu, Anne Garnier, Qianqian Song, Chenxi Wang, Claudia Di Biagio, Jasper F. Kok, Yevgeny Derimian, Claire Ryder
Summary: A novel algorithm was developed in this study to retrieve dust aerosol optical depth (DAOD) and coarse-mode dust effective diameter (Deff) over global oceans using collocated Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal infrared (TIR) observations and CloudAerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) dust vertical profiles. The accuracy of Deff retrieval was assessed by comparing retrieved Deff with in situ-measured dust particle size distribution (PSD) from multiple field campaigns. The new DAOD retrievals showed good agreement with previous retrievals and significantly reduced retrieval uncertainties due to better dust size constraint. Climatological analysis of coarse-mode dust Deff revealed regional and seasonal variations.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
N. B. Lakshmi, Vijayakumar S. Nair, S. Suresh Babu
Summary: This study estimated the shortwave radiative effects of absorbing aerosols over the Indian landmass using a combination of spaceborne and ground-based observations, finding that pre-monsoon aerosol loading is mainly influenced by mineral dust and high aerosol warming within the planetary boundary layer is mainly caused by carbonaceous aerosols.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yubing Pan, Jiannong Quan, Pengkun Ma, Zhiheng Liao, Xingcan Jia, Youjun Dou, Zhigang Cheng, Lei Lei, Yuanyuan Wang, Mei Zheng, Daren Lue, Yinan Wang
Summary: This study investigated the scavenging of anthropogenic aerosols by mineral dust in a polluted environment, based on comprehensive observations of a long durative dust event in north China from March 15 to 18, 2021. The combined observations of a Raman-depolarization lidar (355 nm) and a micro-pulse lidar (532 nm) showed that dust particles become more spherical after mixing with anthropogenic pollutants, likely due to mixing with anthropogenic aerosols. The decrease in anthropogenic aerosol in PM2.5 during the dust event, especially for inorganic components such as nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium, supports this viewpoint. The mass concentration of anthropogenic aerosol in PM2.5 decreased by 78% in the later period of the dust event. Further analysis indicated that this decrease is caused by the coating of fine anthropogenic aerosols on coarse dust particles, enhancing the scavenging of anthropogenic aerosols.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Patrick Chazette, Alexandre Baron, Cyrille Flamant
Summary: During the EUREC4A field campaign, 20 ATR-42 scientific flights were conducted over the tropical Atlantic, off the coast of Barbados, with the use of a sideway-pointing lidar to retrieve the optical properties of aerosols in the sub-cloud layer and below the trade wind inversion. The study identified two distinct periods with significant aerosol contents related to trade wind and tropical regimes, highlighting the mixings of dust and carbonaceous aerosols from West Africa. The aerosol vertical structures were well reproduced using atmospheric composition reanalyses from CAMS when compared with lidar-derived vertical profiles.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shanshan Tang, Feifei Li, Jitao Lv, Lei Liu, Guangming Wu, Yarui Wang, Wanchao Yu, Yawei Wang, Guibin Jiang
Summary: This study comprehensively characterized the chemical and light-absorbing characteristics of secondary BrC using optical spectroscopy, H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The results indicate that the light-absorbing and molecular characteristics of secondary BrC are highly related to the structures of their precursors. In addition, the light-absorbing products from Maillard-like reactions are mainly nitrogen-containing heterocycles, unlike black carbon. A significant portion of molecular formulae detected in real atmospheric samples were also found in simulated Maillard reaction products, suggesting a potentially important contribution of Maillard chemistry to the atmospheric organic molecular pool.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elisa Bergas-Masso, Maria Goncalves Ageitos, Stelios Myriokefalitakis, Ron L. Miller, Twan van Noije, Philippe Le Sager, Gilbert Montane Pinto, Carlos Perez Garcia-Pando
Summary: Human activities have increased the deposition of soluble iron, particularly through combustion emissions and increased atmospheric acidity. It is projected that global deposition of soluble iron will increase by 40% by the late 21st century. This has significant implications for marine ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haotian Zhang, Pengfei Tian, Chenliang Kang, Yumin Guo, Zeren Yu, Gefei Lu, Chenguang Tang, Tao Du, Jiayun Wang, Zhida Zhang, Xianjie Cao, Jiening Liang, Jinsen Shi
Summary: This study investigated the physico-chemical properties and major sources of atmospheric aerosols in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP). It found that organic matter and mineral dust were the main components of the total suspended particulate matter (TSP), with crustal materials being the main contributor to mineral dust. Organic carbon and mineral dust had the same sources, but local wind erosion was not the main contributor to mineral dust.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Silvia Alonso-Perez, Javier Lopez-Solano
Summary: This study presents the long-term monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations using a low-cost particle sensor in a suburban environment in the Canary Islands. The impact of African dust outbreaks on aerosol concentrations was assessed, and a good correlation was found between the sensor and a reference instrument. The study highlights the potential of this sensor for long-term air quality monitoring.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Thomas Caton Harrison, Richard Washington, Sebastian Engelstaedter, Richard G. Jones, Nick H. Savage
Summary: This study investigates the impact of central Saharan orography on the strength of Harmattan low-level jets (LLJs) and associated dust emission frequency. Results suggest that central Saharan orography plays an important role in sustaining erosive dusty conditions during boreal summer.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Wasiu O. Alimi, Saheed K. Adekunle, Shamsad Ahmad, Abduljamiu O. Amao
Summary: The utilization of cement byproducts to enhance carbon sequestration in concrete can contribute to cleaner production and reduce carbon emissions. This study evaluated the impact of cement kiln dust (CKD) on the carbon dioxide uptake characteristics of concrete mixtures and found that finer-grained CKD incorporated into mixtures with higher water-binder ratio and low or high CKD content had higher relative CO2 uptake. Additionally, it was found that 12-hour pre-ACC curing offered better carbon dioxide sequestration performance.
CASE STUDIES IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marin Kuntic, Ivana Kuntic, Roopesh Krishnankutty, Adrian Gericke, Matthias Oelze, Tristan Junglas, Maria Teresa Bayo Jimenez, Paul Stamm, Margaret Nandudu, Omar Hahad, Karin Keppeler, Steffen Daub, Ksenija Vujacic-Mirski, Sanela Rajlic, Lea Strohm, Henning Ubbens, Qi Tang, Subao Jiang, Yue Ruan, Kenneth G. Macleod, Sebastian Steven, Thomas Berkemeier, Ulrich Poeschl, Jos Lelieveld, Hartmut Kleinert, Alex von Kriegsheim, Andreas Daiber, Thomas Muenzel
Summary: Up to 8.8 million excess deaths per year worldwide are attributed to air pollution and traffic-related noise. Both factors have significant impacts on cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric health outcomes. Further research on the combined exposure is urgently needed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anita M. Avery, Mitchell W. Alton, Manjula R. Canagaratna, Jordan E. Krechmer, Donna T. Sueper, Nirvan Bhattacharyya, Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz, William H. Brune, Andrew T. Lambe
Summary: Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS) emitted from industrial processes and consumer products dominate the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in occupied spaces. These cVMS can undergo oxidation by gas-phase radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH) and chlorine atoms (Cl), leading to the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). While the SOA formation potential of cVMS with OH has been studied, the impact of Cl oxidation on SOA formation has not been explored.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susannah Ripley, Dong Gao, Krystal J. Godri Pollitt, Pascale S. J. Lakey, Manabu Shiraiwa, Marianne Hatzopoulou, Scott Weichenthal
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether within-city spatial variations in the oxidative potential of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) modify the relationship between oxidant gases and cardiovascular mortality. The results showed that spatial variations in PM2.5 oxidative potential were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Regions with elevated oxidative potential of O-x and PM2.5 may be priority areas for interventions to decrease the population health impacts of outdoor air pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Manabu Shiraiwa
ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Aishwarya Singh, Subha S. Raj, Upasana Panda, Snehitha M. Kommula, Christi Jose, Tianjia Liu, Shan Huang, Basudev Swain, Mira L. Poehlker, Ernesto Reyes-Villegas, Narendra Ojha, Aditya Vaishya, Alessandro Bigi, R. Ravikrishna, Qiao Zhu, Liuhua Shi, James Allen, Scot T. Martin, Gordon McFiggans, Meinrat O. Andreae, Ulrich Poeschl, Hugh Coe, F. Bianchi, Hang Su, Vijay P. Kanawade, Pengfei Liu, Sachin S. Gunthe
Summary: The COVID lockdown in India provided an opportunity to study anthropogenic emissions under cleaner conditions. Measurements of CCN activity and aerosol composition during the lockdown revealed an episodic event caused by meteorological conditions. This event was characterized by rapid growth and high hygroscopicity of aerosol particles from a coal-fired power plant, which had high cloud-forming potential. Studying CCN properties under cleaner conditions helps to understand the contributions of different emission sectors and their impact on climate forcing.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jiandong Wang, Hang Su, Chao Wei, Guangjie Zheng, Jiaping Wang, Tianning Su, Chengcai Li, Jonathan E. Pleim, Zhanqing Li, Aijun Ding, Meinrat O. Andreae, Ulrich Poschl, Yafang Cheng
Summary: In this study, through numerical simulation and field observation, we found that black-carbon (BC) aerosol plays a distinct role in the development of planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the formation of severe haze, compared to scattering aerosols. We identified a tipping point where the daily maximum PBL height decreases abruptly when the aerosol optical depth (AOD) exceeds a critical threshold, due to a BC-induced decoupling of mixing zones. Our results suggest that reducing the AOD below the threshold or reducing the BC mass fraction can avoid the abrupt transition to adverse PBL conditions, with the latter being more effective (up to four to six times) in extreme haze events in Beijing. Our findings highlight the high priority of controlling BC emissions for co-benefits in air quality and climate change.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuxuan Zhang, Hang Su, Simonas Kecorius, Nan Ma, Zhibin Wang, Yele Sun, Qiang Zhang, Ulrich Poeschl, Alfred Wiedensohler, Meinrat O. Andreae, Yafang Cheng
Summary: Black carbon aerosols have a significant impact on climate systems, and estimating their radiative effect requires understanding their mixing state and light absorption enhancement from coatings. Observations have shown lower light absorption enhancement factors (Eabs) than expected, leading to a debate on the true magnitude of BC's climate impact. However, considering the presence of extremely low-volatility (eLV) organics in BC coatings, the estimates of Eabs increase substantially. Our results highlight a strong radiative warming effect from atmospheric BC.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Najin Kim, Hang Su, Nan Ma, Ulrich Poeschl, Yafang Cheng
Summary: A high time resolution of aerosol hygroscopicity and CCN activity can be achieved using the BS2-CCN system. However, the accuracy of the size-resolved aerosol hygroscopicity measurement can be affected by multiply charged particles, resulting in the overestimation of kappa values. A new multiple-charging correction algorithm is proposed to retrieve the true activation fraction value.
ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Kathrin Reinmuth-Selzle, Iris Bellinghausen, Anna Lena Leifke, Anna T. Backes, Nadine Bothen, Kira Ziegler, Michael G. Weller, Joachim Saloga, Detlef Schuppan, Kurt Lucas, Ulrich Poeschl, Janine Froehlich-Nowoisky
Summary: The chemical modification of aeroallergens by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species may contribute to the increase of respiratory allergies. This study investigates the activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by major birch and grass pollen allergens and how peroxynitrite changes the TLR4 activation through protein nitration and formation of protein dimers and higher oligomers. The modified grass pollen allergen with peroxynitrite induces enhanced TLR4 signaling, suggesting it may contribute to increased sensitization to the allergen and the prevalence of allergies in the Anthropocene.
FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amir H. Souri, Matthew S. Johnson, Glenn M. Wolfe, James H. Crawford, Alan Fried, Armin Wisthaler, William H. Brune, Donald R. Blake, Andrew J. Weinheimer, Tijl Verhoelst, Steven Compernolle, Gaia Pinardi, Corinne Vigouroux, Bavo Langerock, Sungyeon Choi, Lok Lamsal, Lei Zhu, Shuai Sun, Ronald C. Cohen, Kyung-Eun Min, Changmin Cho, Sajeev Philip, Xiong Liu, Kelly Chance
Summary: The use of the ratio between formaldehyde (HCHO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) tropospheric columns from ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) satellites has been motivated by the availability of these data, allowing researchers to gain insights into near-surface ozone sensitivity.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ting Fang, Brian C. H. Hwang, Sukriti Kapur, Katherine S. Hopstock, Jinlai Wei, Vy Nguyen, Sergey A. Nizkorodov, Manabu Shiraiwa
Summary: Wildfires in the era of climate change emit substantial amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere, which significantly impacts air quality and public health. However, there is a lack of data on the specific components of these particulate matter that are associated with wildfires, hindering our understanding of their effects on climate and human health.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meredith Schervish, Manabu Shiraiwa
Summary: It has been found that secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) have complex morphologies and can exist in amorphous semisolid or glassy states. However, current experimental and numerical modeling often assume equilibrium partitioning with ideal mixing in the particle phase. In this study, the kinetic multilayer model of gas-particle partitioning (KM-GAP) was used to simulate the condensation of semi-volatile species into a core-shell phase-separated particle to evaluate the equilibration timescales of SOA partitioning. The results showed that the interplay of non-ideality and phase state significantly affects SOA partitioning kinetics.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pascale S. J. Lakey, Andreas Zuend, Glenn C. Morrison, Thomas Berkemeier, Jake Wilson, Caleb Arata, Allen H. Goldstein, Kevin R. Wilson, Nijing Wang, Jonathan Williams, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Manabu Shiraiwa
Summary: Studies have shown that the reaction of squalene with ozone can produce various products, and the yield depends on relative humidity. A new mechanism has been developed to simulate these reactions and control the concentrations of different products accordingly. Increasing relative humidity significantly impacts the concentrations of various products.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
B. J. Finlayson-Pitts, A. Anderson, P. S. J. Lakey, W. Wang, M. J. Ezell, X. Wang, L. M. Wingen, V. Perraud, M. Shiraiwa
Summary: Neonicotinoids (NNs) are commonly found throughout the environment and are present on surfaces such as seeds, soil, vegetation, and dust particles. However, little is known about their kinetics and oxidation products when exposed to the atmosphere. In this study, the OH oxidation of three solid NNs (imidacloprid, dinotefuran, and clothianidin) was investigated using in situ attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed that the initial lifetimes of NNs with respect to OH were approximately 10-17 days. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the reactions of NNs and their photodegradation products with OH in assessing their environmental impacts.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
