Aerosol
phase state is critical for quantifying aerosol effects
on climate and air quality. However, significant challenges remain
in our ability to predict and quantify phase state during its evolution
in the atmosphere. Herein, we demonstrate that aerosol phase (liquid,
semisolid, solid) exhibits a diel cycle in a mixed forest environment,
oscillating between a viscous, semisolid phase state at night and
liquid phase state with phase separation during the day. The viscous
nighttime particles existed despite higher relative humidity and were
independently confirmed by bounce factor measurements and atomic force
microscopy. High-resolution mass spectrometry shows the more viscous
phase state at night is impacted by the formation of terpene-derived
and higher molecular weight secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and smaller
inorganic sulfate mass fractions. Larger daytime particulate sulfate
mass fractions, as well as a predominance of lower molecular weight
isoprene-derived SOA, lead to the liquid state of the daytime particles
and phase separation after greater uptake of liquid water, despite
the lower daytime relative humidity. The observed diel cycle of aerosol
phase should provoke rethinking of the SOA atmospheric lifecycle,
as it suggests diurnal variability in gas–particle partitioning
and mixing time scales, which influence aerosol multiphase chemistry,
lifetime, and climate impacts.
Particle deposits on indoor surfaces can be as complex and diverse as the indoor environments in which they exist. Dust loading can range over several orders of magnitude, suggesting the existence of different types of particle deposits. These deposits can be broadly classified as either a monolayer, in which particles are sparsely deposited on a surface, or a multilayer, in which particles are deposited on top of one another and there is particle-toparticle adhesion and interaction. Particles within these diverse structures of settled indoor dust can become airborne through a process known as resuspension, which can occur due to airflow in ventilation ducts or human activity indoors. The dust loading and deposit structure on an indoor surface may have important implications for resuspension in the indoor environment. This literature review provides a summary of dust loads found on indoor surfaces in field studies and classifies each dust load as either a monolayer or multilayer particle deposit. The article highlights the unique attributes associated with resuspension from both types of particle deposits by summarizing key findings of the experimental resuspension literature. The fundamental differences in the resuspension process between monolayer and multilayer deposits suggest that resuspension may vary considerably among the broad spectrum of dust loads found on indoor surfaces.
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