Transition Metal Associations with Primary Biological Particles in Sea Spray Aerosol Generated in a Wave Channel

Abstract

In the ocean, breaking waves generate air bubbles which burst at the surface and eject sea spray aerosol (SSA), consisting of sea salt, biogenic organic species, and primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP). Our overall understanding of atmospheric biological particles of marine origin remains poor. Here, we perform a control experiment, using an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer to measure the mass spectral signatures of individual particles generated by bubbling a salt solution before and after addition of heterotrophic marine bacteria. Upon addition of bacteria, an immediate increase occurs in the fraction of individual particle mass spectra containing magnesium, organic nitrogen, and phosphate marker ions. These biological signatures are consistent with 21% of the supermicrometer SSA particles generated in a previous study using breaking waves in an ocean-atmosphere wave channel. Interestingly, the wave flume mass spectral signatures also contain metal ions including silver, iron, and chromium. The nascent SSA bioparticles produced in the wave channel are hypothesized to be as follows: (1) whole or fragmented bacterial cells which bioaccumulated metals and/or (2) bacteria-derived colloids or biofilms which adhered to the metals. This study highlights the potential for transition metals, in combination with specific biomarkers, to serve as unique indicators for the presence of marine PBAP, especially in metal-impacted coastal regions.

Particulate trimethylamine in the summertime Canadian high Arctic lower troposphere

“…4c, d and Table 2). Previous Arctic SPMS studies by Sierau et al (2014) and Gunsch et al (2017) reported a particle type similar to our EC-containing particles (denoted as ECOC type 1 and soot, respectively). Sierau et al (2014) attributed this particle type to remote biomass/biofuel sources of continental origin.…”

“…Despite the potential for oxidation of levoglucosan during transport, it has been previously reported as associated with biomass burning aerosol in Arctic regions (Hu et al, 2013;Fu et al, 2013Fu et al, , 2009. Sierau et al (2014) and Gunsch et al (2017) did not report the detection of levoglucosan with SPMS measurements in the summertime Arctic. It is likely that these ground-based measurements missed a large fraction of particles typically present above the BL (including levoglucosan particles).…”

“…Sierau et al (2014) attributed this particle type to remote biomass/biofuel sources of continental origin. In contrast, Gunsch et al (2017) assigned a large fraction of soot particles to emissions from the nearby oil fields at Prud- Total number of analyzed particles…”

“…1. Briefly, it is likely that single-polarity spectra are produced in high relative humidity (RH) environments (Neubauer et al, 1998;Spencer et al, 2008), in particular marine environments (Guasco et al, 2014). The CRISP software package (Concise Retrieval of Information from Single Particles) was used to perform m/z (mass to ion charge ratio) calibration of particle mass spectra and peak area integration as well as to classify particle mass spectra using ion markers for different species (Klimach, 2012).…”

Effect of wind speed on the size distribution of gel particles in the sea surface microlayer: insights from a wind–wave channel experiment

“…A major source of TEP and CSP in the ocean are phyto-and bacterioplankton (Alldredge et al, 1993;Long and Azam, 1996;Stoderegger and Herndl, 1999). Previous studies highlighted the importance of gels for increasing gelatinous biofilm formation in the sea surface microlayer (SML) (Wurl and Holmes, 2008;Cunliffe et al, 2013) and mediating vertical organic matter transport, either up to the atmosphere or down to the deep ocean (AzetsuScott and Niven, 2005;Ebling and Landing, 2015;Guasco et al, 2014;Mari et al, 2017). In addition, it has been suggested that gels play an important role in air-sea exchange processes.…”