The Semi-Volatile Fraction of Atmospheric Aerosols

Atmospheric aerosols are significant contributor to climate effects as well as health problems. Many of these aerosols are mostly organic where their effects are dependent on their chemical composition. Atmospheric aerosols consist of a complex mixture of organic and inorganic components. The properties of the organic components within the aerosols can vary widely including the degree of oxidation and their vapor pressure. Recent studies have shown that a large fraction of newly formed atmospheric aerosols are semi-volatile and may vaporize back into the environment. This semi-volatile fraction of organic aerosols is largely unknown due to its difficulty to model. We propose a procedure that can provide a detailed understanding of the semi-volatile fraction of atmospheric aerosols. This will be accomplished by comparing three different instrumental techniques that are ATR-FTIR, GC-MS, and LC-MS. The results of this research will provide knowledge on the composition of this fraction of organic aerosols and decrease gaps in current research models in this area