A new sampler for the collection and retrieval of dry dust deposition

Abstract

Atmospheric dust can influence biogeochemical cycles, accelerate snowmelt, and affect air, water quality, and human health. Yet, the bulk of atmospherically transported material remains poorly quantified in terms of total mass fluxes and composition. This lack of information stems in part from the challenges associated with measuring dust deposition. Here we report on the design and efficacy of a new dry deposition sampler (Dry Deposition Sampling Unit (DSU)) and method that quantifies the gravitational flux of dust particles. The sampler can be used alone or within existing networks such as those employed by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). Because the samplers are deployed sterile and the use of water to remove trapped dust is not required, this method allows for the recovery of unaltered dry material suitable for subsequent chemical and microbiological analyses. The samplers were tested in the laboratory and at 15 field sites in the western United States. With respect to material retention, sampler performance far exceeded commonly used methods. Retrieval efficiency was >97% in all trials and the sampler effectively preserved grain size distributions during wind exposure experiments. Field tests indicated favorable comparisons to dust-on-snow measurement across sites (r 2 0.70, p<0.05) and within sites to co-located aerosol data (r 2 0.57-0.99, p<0.05). The inclusion of dust deposition and composition monitoring into existing networks increases spatial and temporal understanding of the atmospheric transport on materials and substantively furthers knowledge of the effects of dust on terrestrial ecosystems and human exposure to dust and associated deleterious compounds.

Constraining the atmospheric limb of the plastic cycle

“…Deposition Data. Deposition data from the western United States were collected at National Atmospheric Deposition Network stations over a 14-mo period using Aerochem Metrics model 31 wet/dry collectors fitted with Dry Sampling Units (81). Dry deposition data were collected at monthly intervals while wet deposition was collected at weekly intervals at 11 stations (listed in SI Appendix, Table S1).…”

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the marine-atmosphere environment

“…However, the respective comparable sampling efficiencies of deposition and air concentration collectors, and the associated uncertainties, are unquantified. For example, deposition sample collectors such as funnels connected to a collection bottle [ 75 ], Petri dishes with double-sided tape [ 87 ], NILU AQ19 deposition collectors [ 88 ], or Brahney Buckets [ 89 ] (to name a few) have different blow-by (particles not collected due to turbulence at sampler opening resulting from sampler design or wind conditions), entrapment and retention efficiencies, resuspension and sample losses. These comparative analysis and method unknowns result in unquantifiable uncertainties in flux estimates.…”

Dust storms increase the tolerance of phytoplankton to thermal and pH changes

“…Atmospheric deposition samples were collected from five dry sampling units (DSUs; see Brahney et al., 2020) located across the western United States in collaboration with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). The DSUs are able to recover up to 97% of the gravitational dry deposition that enters the sampler (Brahney et al., 2020).…”

“…Atmospheric deposition samples were collected from five dry sampling units (DSUs; see Brahney et al., 2020) located across the western United States in collaboration with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP). The DSUs are able to recover up to 97% of the gravitational dry deposition that enters the sampler (Brahney et al., 2020). To obtain a representative sample of dust deposited over the western United States, dust samples were pooled from five locations including Arizona, California, New Mexico, Idaho, and Texas (Table S3).…”