The impact of atmospheric oxidation on hygroscopicity and cloud droplet activation of inorganic sea spray aerosol
(2021) In Scientific Reports 11.- Abstract
Sea spray aerosol (SSA) contributes significantly to natural aerosol particle concentrations globally, in marine areas even dominantly. The potential changes of the omnipresent inorganic fraction of SSA due to atmospheric ageing is largely unexplored. In the atmosphere, SSA may exist as aqueous phase solution droplets or as dried solid or amorphous particles. We demonstrate that ageing of liquid NaCl and artificial sea salt aerosol by exposure to ozone and UV light leads to a substantial decrease in hygroscopicity and cloud activation potential of the dried particles of the same size. The results point towards surface reactions on the liquid aerosols that are more crucial for small particles and the formation of salt structures with... (More)
Sea spray aerosol (SSA) contributes significantly to natural aerosol particle concentrations globally, in marine areas even dominantly. The potential changes of the omnipresent inorganic fraction of SSA due to atmospheric ageing is largely unexplored. In the atmosphere, SSA may exist as aqueous phase solution droplets or as dried solid or amorphous particles. We demonstrate that ageing of liquid NaCl and artificial sea salt aerosol by exposure to ozone and UV light leads to a substantial decrease in hygroscopicity and cloud activation potential of the dried particles of the same size. The results point towards surface reactions on the liquid aerosols that are more crucial for small particles and the formation of salt structures with water bound within the dried aerosols, termed hydrates. Our findings suggest an increased formation of hydrate forming salts during ageing and the presence of hydrates in dried SSA. Field observations indicate a reduced hygroscopic growth factor of sub-micrometre SSA in the marine atmosphere compared to fresh laboratory generated NaCl or sea salt of the same dry size, which is typically attributed to organic matter or sulphates. Aged inorganic sea salt offers an additional explanation for such a measured reduced hygroscopic growth factor and cloud activation potential.
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- author
- Rosati, Bernadette ; Christiansen, Sigurd ; Dinesen, Anders ; Roldin, Pontus LU ; Massling, Andreas ; Nilsson, E. Douglas and Bilde, Merete
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scientific Reports
- volume
- 11
- article number
- 10008
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:33976276
- scopus:85105767585
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-021-89346-6
- project
- Continental Biosphere Aerosol Cloud climate feedback loop during the Anthropocene
- Modelling atmospheric new particle formation from first principles – The role of Highly Oxygenated organic Molecules in clean and polluted air
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 774d4e1c-99d3-4de9-805a-9c60488fad95
- date added to LUP
- 2021-05-25 12:11:48
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 15:16:30
@article{774d4e1c-99d3-4de9-805a-9c60488fad95,
abstract = {{<p>Sea spray aerosol (SSA) contributes significantly to natural aerosol particle concentrations globally, in marine areas even dominantly. The potential changes of the omnipresent inorganic fraction of SSA due to atmospheric ageing is largely unexplored. In the atmosphere, SSA may exist as aqueous phase solution droplets or as dried solid or amorphous particles. We demonstrate that ageing of liquid NaCl and artificial sea salt aerosol by exposure to ozone and UV light leads to a substantial decrease in hygroscopicity and cloud activation potential of the dried particles of the same size. The results point towards surface reactions on the liquid aerosols that are more crucial for small particles and the formation of salt structures with water bound within the dried aerosols, termed hydrates. Our findings suggest an increased formation of hydrate forming salts during ageing and the presence of hydrates in dried SSA. Field observations indicate a reduced hygroscopic growth factor of sub-micrometre SSA in the marine atmosphere compared to fresh laboratory generated NaCl or sea salt of the same dry size, which is typically attributed to organic matter or sulphates. Aged inorganic sea salt offers an additional explanation for such a measured reduced hygroscopic growth factor and cloud activation potential.</p>}},
author = {{Rosati, Bernadette and Christiansen, Sigurd and Dinesen, Anders and Roldin, Pontus and Massling, Andreas and Nilsson, E. Douglas and Bilde, Merete}},
issn = {{2045-2322}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Scientific Reports}},
title = {{The impact of atmospheric oxidation on hygroscopicity and cloud droplet activation of inorganic sea spray aerosol}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89346-6}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41598-021-89346-6}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2021}},
}