SAPUSS · Solving Aerosol Problems Using Synergistic Strategies

The topic of this research proposal is the source identification of particles in the atmosphere and the physical and chemical transformations occurring in them once emitted. Particles are injected directly into the atmosphere from a number of sources or formed in situ from gaseous precursors compounds. Atmospheric aerosols have several adverse effects on human health and atmospheric visibility, and partly compensate climate forcing by greenhouse gases. These effects depend on particle diameter and chemical composition, as well as on mass and number concentration which exhibits large temporal and spatial variability. Our approach involves measurements of aerosols with multiple techniques occurring simultaneously, to deduce point source characteristics and to understand the atmospheric processes responsible for their modifications. The use of the synergy of highly time-resolved instruments (such as Aerosol Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer and Aerosol Mass Spectrometer) will help to identify unique sources that would not be possible without multiple highly-resolved instruments working in concert. However, some of these state-of-the-art instruments are not fully characterized yet and they must be coupled with traditional aerosol measurements techniques in order to deduce all the information provided by them. Some of the advantages of these highly time-resolved data occur when they are combined with other data, both high time resolved and time averaged. Additional advantages are obtained when data from an array of instruments are further combined with atmospheric models. The data generated from this proposal will be the input of the receptor-oriented models which will help to re-construct the impacts of emissions from different sources of atmospheric pollutants such as particulate matter. In summary, it is necessary to characterize the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols and to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic aerosols components.