Article
Optics
Xuemei Bai, Ying Qu, Jin Duan, Guofang Xie, Qiang Fu, Su Zhang, Juntong Zhan
Summary: This paper divides sea fog into two categories: water fog and salt fog double-layer environments, and investigates the transmission of polarized light in these environments through simulation and experimental tests. The results show that the optical thickness of the sea fog double-layer media significantly affects the transmission of polarized light. Longer wavelength polarized light retains polarization information better as the optical thickness increases, and circularly polarized light has superior polarization-preserving properties compared to linearly polarized light.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Linnea Huusko, Angshuman Modak, Thorsten Mauritsen
Summary: This study using climate model simulations finds that the temperature response induced by aerosol-cloud interactions is larger than that directly induced by aerosols. The cooling effect of aerosol-cloud interactions occurs primarily over remote oceans in the extratropics, while the impact of aerosol emissions is localized around emission sources over tropical land.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rajeev S. Mathur, Bijay Banstola, Kelsey M. Lopez, Mark W. Beach, Daniel De Schryver
Summary: This paper investigates the photolysis of ethane-bis(pentabromophenyl) (EBP) in high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and polypropylene impact copolymer (PP). It is found that EBP has a very long half-life and does not further degrade to lower brominated congeners. It also demonstrates that EBP is more stable in resins than structurally-similar decabromodiphenyl ether, challenging the comparison between the two flame retardant molecules for this degradation pathway.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Duncan Watson-Parris, Christopher J. Smith
Summary: The degree of influence aerosols have on surface temperatures is still not clear. Reducing uncertainties in climate response to aerosol forcing is identified as a key challenge in reducing overall uncertainties in warming projections.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fabian Mahrt, Elli Newman, Yuanzhou Huang, Markus Ammann, Allan K. Bertram
Summary: The research found that internal mixtures of POA and SOA in the atmosphere almost always formed two phases when the O/C ratio of the POA was less than 0.11. When the O/C ratio of the POA was between 0.11 and 0.29, the mixtures mostly resulted in particles with one liquid phase. However, depending on the types of SOA and POA surrogates, two liquid phases were also observed in some cases, and an increase in phase-separated particles was observed when increasing the relative humidity within this O/C range.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jan-Hendrik Peters, Hans Peter Dette, Thomas Koop
Summary: This study experimentally demonstrates that aqueous glyoxal solutions can form highly viscous semisolid and glassy states upon drying, both in bulk and aerosolized samples. The glass transition temperatures measured in this study provide insights into the phase equilibria of glyoxal species in the aqueous phase, suggesting the formation of highly viscous states in atmospheric conditions.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theodore K. Koenig, Rainer Volkamer, Eric C. Apel, James F. Bresch, Carlos A. Cuevas, Barbara Dix, Edwin W. Eloranta, Rafael P. Fernandez, Samuel R. Hall, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, R. Bradley Pierce, J. Michael Reeves, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Kirk Ullmann
Summary: Iodine, an atmospheric trace element from oceans, is found to potentially form gas-phase iodine in airborne dust layers, leading to decreased ozone levels. This may result in an 8% regional decrease in O-3 and impact surface air quality.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Long Jia, YongFu Xu, MinZheng Duan
Summary: Aerosol particles have significant effects on local environment and global climate. The mechanism of explosive growth of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) during severe haze events is unclear. Through chamber experiments and kinetic model simulations, this study revealed the microphysical mechanism for explosive organic aerosol formation. The condensation of gas-phase organics and the interaction between aerosol and fog were found to contribute to the explosive growth of SOA. The co-condensation of organic vapors with water should not be overlooked as it can significantly underestimate SOA and liquid water content in 3D models.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ping Tian, Dantong Liu, Kai Bi, Mengyu Huang, Yangzhou Wu, Kang Hu, Ruijie Li, Hui He, Deping Ding, Yaqiong Hu, Quan Liu, Delong Zhao, Yan Qiu, Shaofei Kong, Huiwen Xue
Summary: This study provides field evidence that organic aerosols (OA) can be efficient ice nucleating particles (INPs) in anthropogenically influenced regions above the homogeneous ice nucleation temperature. Nonvolatile OA are more efficient as INPs than black carbon, and oxygenated OA by photooxidation and lower ambient temperature enhance their activity.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Mohammad S. Islam, Md. Mizanur Rahman, Akbar Arsalanloo, Hamidreza Mortazavy Beni, Puchanee Larpruenrudee, Nick S. Bennett, Richard Collins, Tevfik Gemci, Maureen Taylor, YuanTong Gu
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is highly transmissible and causes a higher mortality rate. It establishes a local infection at the extrathoracic airway level. This study developed a numerical model to analyze the transport behavior of Omicron droplets in the extrathoracic airways and found that nose inhalation is more harmful due to higher deposition rates and toxicity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fuquan Lu, Siyu Chen, Zeyong Hu, Zhiwei Han, Khan Alam, Hongyu Luo, Hongru Bi, Junyan Chen, Xinyang Guo
Summary: In this study, the spatiotemporal distributions of aerosol properties and their effects on direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) in China from 2004 to 2020 were investigated using the SBDART model. The results showed that aerosol optical parameters varied greatly and had seasonal regularity, strongly influenced by human activities. Single scattering albedo (SSA) had the greatest effect on DARF, followed by aerosol optical depth (AOD) and asymmetry factor (ASY). These findings are important for understanding DARF variation and formulating pollution prevention and control policies in the region.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lauren A. Garofalo, Yicong He, Shantanu H. Jathar, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Carley D. Fredrickson, Brett B. Palm, Joel A. Thornton, Fabian Mahrt, Giuseppe V. Crescenzo, Allan K. Bertram, Danielle C. Draper, Juliane L. Fry, John Orlando, Xuan Zhang, Delphine K. Farmer
Summary: This study reveals the details of organic aerosol formation and the condensation patterns of different chemical substances in the air, providing a deeper understanding of air quality and Earth's radiative balance.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Martin Brueggemann, Matthieu Riva, Sebastien Perrier, Laurent Poulain, Christian George, Hartmut Herrmann
Summary: Organosulfates derived from monoterpene oxidation (MT-OSs) are widely found in atmospheric aerosol particles, but potential sampling artifacts from SO2 have been largely ignored. This study showed a significant increase in OS numbers and abundances when collecting aerosol particles from alpha-pinene oxidation in the presence of SO2. Field study results also demonstrated a decrease in MT-OSs abundances when SO2 was removed during particle sampling under atmospheric conditions. This highlights the importance of considering SO2 artifacts in both classical filter sampling and emerging analytical techniques in future studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Yusuke Nishida
Summary: This study investigates the frequency-dependent complex bulk viscosities of one-dimensional Bose and Fermi gases and reveals the properties of their Drude peaks in various limiting cases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gizem Ozler, Holger Grosshans
Summary: Research has found that in hot and dry environments, solutes in saliva droplets form a shell on the surface, producing lightweight hollow particles. These hollow particles have a larger cross-sectional area compared to their solid counterparts, allowing them to float longer and travel farther in the air.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Beiping Luo, Aline Schaub, Irina Glas, Liviana K. Klein, Shannon C. David, Nir Bluvshtein, Kalliopi Violaki, Ghislain Motos, Marie O. Pohl, Walter Hugentobler, Athanasios Nenes, Ulrich K. Krieger, Silke Stertz, Thomas Peter, Tamar Kohn
Summary: Respiratory viruses, such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, can be transmitted by the airborne route. While air filtration and ventilation can reduce virus concentration, they fail to consider the impact of aerosol acidity on virus persistence. This study finds that exhaled particles in indoor air become mildly acidic, rapidly inactivating influenza virus but requiring days for SARS-CoV-2. Manipulating aerosol pH can significantly affect virus transmission and mitigation strategies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicolas Faure, Jie Chen, Luca Artiglia, Markus Ammann, Thorsten Bartels-Rausch, Jun Li, Wanyu Liu, Sen Wang, Zamin A. Kanji, Jan B. C. Pettersson, Ivan Gladich, Erik S. Thomson, Xiangrui Kong
Summary: Gas-phase interactions with aerosol particle surfaces play a crucial role in the atmospheric physicochemical evolution of Earth and other planets. In this study, the interfacial properties of a Martian salt analogue were investigated using an advanced surface-sensitive technique and molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed that the Martian salt analogue surface is highly sensitive to water vapor, showing unexpected ion-selective behavior as the relative humidity increases.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adrian-Iulian Borhan, Daniel-Dumitru Herea, Marius-Adrian Husanu, Dana Georgeta Popescu, Camelia Nicoleta Borca, Thomas Huthwelker, Georgiana Bulai, Ioana Radu, Alin Constantin Dirtu, Daniela Dirtu, Carmen Mita, George Stoian, Gabriel Ababei, Nicoleta Lupu, Aurel Pui, Daniel Gherca
Summary: Efforts have been made to develop efficient heterogeneous nano-particle systems for solar light-driven photodegradation. In this study, a chemically-engineered multi-component system was formulated as a recyclable, nontoxic, active and inexpensive catalyst for the degradation of tetracycline antibiotic. The nanoflower-like heteronanostructure showed enhanced photodegradation capability by using FeOOH nanografting of Al-based SrTiO3 perovskite material.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adrian Iulian Borhan, Adrian Iulian Ghemes, Marius-Adrian Husanu, Dana-Georgeta Popescu, Camelia Nicoleta Borca, Thomas Huthwelker, Ioana Radu, Alin Constantin Dirtu, Daniela Dirtu, Georgiana Bulai, Nicoleta Lupu, Mircea Nicolae Palamaru, Alexandra-Raluca Iordan, Daniel Gherca
Summary: We reported the development of a high-operative photocatalyst with improved charge trapping characteristics for enhanced solar light-driven photocatalytic degradation. The synthesized samples were investigated using various characterization techniques to understand their structural, morphological, optical, and electronic properties. The fibrous photocatalyst achieved a high-to-total degradation of tetracycline antibiotic under visible light irradiation, demonstrating its potential for efficient pollutant removal.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Fabiana Machado Ferreira de Araujo, Daniel Duarte-Ruiz, Holger-Dietrich Sassnick, Marie C. Gentzmann, Thomas Huthwelker, Caterina Cocchi
Summary: In this study, the stability and electronic structure of six ScF3 polymorphs were evaluated using first-principles calculations and X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed the transition between low- and high-temperature phases mainly consists of a rigid rotation of the lattice. Analysis of the computational results provided insights into the electronic origin of the absorption maxima and the excitonic effects in the spectra. Comparison with experimental measurements confirmed the presence of high- and low-temperature polymorphs, but also suggested the presence of defects or residual traces of metastable phases in the sample.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fernanda Brandalise Nunes, Nicolo Comini, J. Trey Diulus, Thomas Huthwelker, Marcella Iannuzzi, Jurg Osterwalder, Zbynek Novotny
Summary: Carboxylic acids can bind to titanium dioxide (TiO2) and form surface superstructures, but exposure to water leads to loss of the ordered surface structure. Research shows that a dynamic equilibrium exists between adsorbed formic acid and water molecules on the formate-covered surface. Understanding and controlling this equilibrium process is crucial for enhancing the self-cleaning properties of TiO2.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Physics, Applied
Daniel A. Knopf, Peter A. Alpert
Summary: Atmospheric ice nucleation from aerosol particles is important for global precipitation and climate. Recent advances in understanding the molecular picture of ice nucleation have impacted the interpretation and parameterization of ice nucleation. These advances include the role of interfacial free energy and pressure, mobility regions of water, classical and non-classical pathways of nucleation, ice polymorphs, solutes, and nanopores. Improving predictive understanding of ice nucleation is necessary for accurate cloud and climate modeling.
NATURE REVIEWS PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Angela C. Hong, Thomas Ulrich, Erik S. Thomson, Jurg Trachsel, Fabienne Riche, Jennifer G. Murphy, D. James Donaldson, Martin Schneebeli, Markus Ammann, Thorsten Bartels-Rausch
Summary: This work demonstrates that hydrogen peroxide can easily enter grain boundaries in ice and snow directly from the atmosphere. The accelerated reaction rates in these reservoirs have significant implications for air quality and snow composition. Laboratory experiments have revealed an unexpected oxidation acceleration by hydrogen peroxide in grain boundaries. However, it remains unclear how and to what extent hydrogen peroxide enters this reservoir.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jianhua Chen, Hongyu Jiang, Xiaoran Chen, Jinzhao Wang, Di Huang, Chaofan Lian, Weigang Wang, Markus Ammann, Fengxia Bao, Chuncheng Chen, Jincai Zhao
Summary: Soot, composed of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC), plays a crucial role in the formation of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO). Fresh soot exhibits a higher HONO yield than its EC or OC components alone, suggesting a new mechanism involving the synergistic participation of two sites: one located at OC and the other at EC. This mechanism highlights the importance of OC and EC in HONO release from soot.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Berkemeier, Matteo Krueger, Aryeh Feinberg, Marcel Mueller, Ulrich Poeschl, Ulrich K. Krieger
Summary: This study demonstrates how machine learning methods can be used to generate inexpensive surrogate models for predicting reaction times in multiphase chemical systems. Two common methods, polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) and neural networks (NNs), were applied and compared in generating these surrogate models. The results show that PCE is suitable for determining global sensitivity indices, while NNs can accelerate inverse modeling applications. Overall, the investigated surrogate models are fast, accurate, and robust, indicating their potential applicability as sub-modules in large-scale atmospheric models.
GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fernanda Brandalise Nunes, Nicolo Comini, Trey Diulus, Thomas Huthwelker, Marcella Iannuzzi, Jurg Osterwalder, Zbynek Novotny
Summary: Carboxylic acids dissociatively bind to titanium dioxide (TiO2), forming surface superstructures detected by low-energy electron diffraction. However, exposure to water disrupts the ordered surface structure. Investigation of the formate-covered surface using diffraction, spectroscopy, and ab initio simulations reveals a dynamic equilibrium between adsorbed formic acid and water molecules. This equilibrium process is crucial for understanding the self-cleaning properties of TiO2, as the formic acid monolayer contributes to the surface's amphiphilic character.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicolas Faure, Jie Chen, Luca Artiglia, Markus Ammann, Thorsten Bartels-Rausch, Jun Li, Wanyu Liu, Sen Wang, Zamin A. Kanji, Jan B. C. Pettersson, Ivan Gladich, Erik S. Thomson, Xiangrui Kong
Summary: Gas-phase interactions with aerosols play a crucial role in the physicochemical evolution of atmospheres, including that of Mars. However, our understanding of interfacial properties in natural systems with complex structures and compositions is limited. In this study, the researchers used ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate a Martian salt analogue sampled on Earth. They found that the Martian salt analogue surface is extremely sensitive to water vapor, and the surface behavior changes as the relative humidity increases.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marcel Mueller, Fabrice Stefanetti, Ulrich K. Krieger
Summary: This study investigates the oxidative degradation of unsaturated organic compounds in aerosol particles through heterogeneous reactions with atmospheric oxidants. Using electrodynamic balance-mass spectrometry, the researchers measured the mass spectra of levitated droplets before and after exposure to specific ozone mixing ratios. The results show that the uptake coefficient for ozone tends to increase at lower mixing ratios, indicating the oxidation of linoleic acid with molecular oxygen. These findings highlight the potential dominance of autoxidation under atmospheric conditions and the masking effect of elevated oxidant concentrations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)