Abstract. As a part of the AMAZE-08 campaign during the wet season in the rainforest of Central Amazonia, an ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) was operated for continuous measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP). In the coarse particle size range (> 1 μm) the campaign median and quartiles of FBAP number and mass concentration were 7.3 × 104 m−3 (4.0–13.2 × 104 m−3) and 0.72 μg m−3 (0.42–1.19 μg mm−3), respectively, accounting for 24% (11–41%) of total particle number and 47% (25–65%) of total particle mass. During the five-week campaign in February–March 2008 the concentration of coarse-mode Saharan dust particles was highly variable. In contrast, FBAP concentrations remained fairly constant over the course of weeks and had a consistent daily pattern, peaking several hours before sunrise, suggesting observed FBAP was dominated by nocturnal spore emission. This conclusion was supported by the consistent FBAP number size distribution peaking at 2.3 μm, also attributed to fungal spores and mixed biological particles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and biochemical staining. A second primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP) mode between 0.5 and 1.0 μm was also observed by SEM, but exhibited little fluorescence and no fungal staining. This mode consisted of single bacterial cells, brochosomes and various fragments of biological material. Particles liquid-coated with mixed organic-inorganic material constituted a large fraction of observations, and these coatings contained salts likely from primary biological origin. We provide key support for the suggestion that real-time laser-induce fluorescence (LIF) techniques provide size-resolved concentrations of FBAP as a lower limit for the atmospheric abundance of biological particles. We also show that primary biological particles, fungal spores in particular, are key fractions of supermicron aerosol in the Amazon and that, especially when coated by mixed inorganic material, could contribute significantly to hydrological cycling in such regions of the globe.
Abstract. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC) analysis has been successfully applied to several sets of ambient data (e.g. Crawford et al., 2015; Robinson et al., 2013) and with respect to standardized particles in the laboratory environment (Ruske et al., 2017). Here we show for the first time a systematic application of HAC to a comprehensive set of laboratory data collected using the wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor (WIBS-4A) (Savage et al., 2017). The impact of particle ratio on HAC results was investigated, showing that clustering quality can vary dramatically as a function of ratio. Six strategies for particle pre-processing were also compared, concluding that using raw fluorescence intensity (without normalizing to particle size) and inputting all data in logarithmic bins consistently produced the highest quality results. A total of 23 one-on-one matchups of individual particles types were investigated. Results showed cluster misclassification of
Abstract. Bioaerosols are produced by biological processes and directly emitted into the atmosphere, where they contribute to ice nucleation and the formation of precipitation. Previous studies have suggested that fungal spores constitute a substantial portion of the atmospheric bioaerosol budget. However, our understanding of what controls the emission and burden of fungal spores on the global scale is limited. Here, we use a previously unexplored source of fungal spore count data from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) to gain insight into the drivers of their emissions. First, we derive emissions from observed concentrations at 66 stations by applying the boundary layer equilibrium assumption. We estimate an annual mean emission of 62 ± 31 m−2 s−1 across the USA. Based on these pseudo-observed emissions, we derive two models for fungal spore emissions at seasonal scales: a statistical model, which links fungal spore emissions to meteorological variables that show similar seasonal cycles (2 m specific humidity, leaf area index and friction velocity), and a population model, which describes the growth of fungi and the emission of their spores as a biological process that is driven by temperature and biomass density. Both models show better skill at reproducing the seasonal cycle in fungal spore emissions at the AAAI stations than the model previously developed by Heald and Spracklen (2009) (referred to as HS09). We implement all three emissions models in the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem to evaluate global emissions and burden of fungal spore bioaerosol. We estimate annual global emissions of 3.7 and 3.4 Tg yr−1 for the statistical model and the population model, respectively, which is about an order of magnitude lower than the HS09 model. The global burden of the statistical and the population model is similarly an order of magnitude lower than that of the HS09 model. A comparison with independent datasets shows that the new models reproduce the seasonal cycle of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) concentrations at two locations in Europe somewhat better than the HS09 model, although a quantitative comparison is hindered by the ambiguity in interpreting measurements of fluorescent particles. Observed vertical profiles of FBAP show that the convective transport of spores over source regions is captured well by GEOS-Chem, irrespective of which emission scheme is used. However, over the North Atlantic, far from significant spore sources, the model does not reproduce the vertical profiles. This points to the need for further exploration of the transport, cloud processing, and wet removal of spores. In addition, more long-term observational datasets are needed to assess whether drivers of seasonal fungal spore emissions are similar across continents and biomes.
Organic aerosol (OA) emissions from motor vehicles, meat-cooking and trash burning are analyzed here using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). High resolution data show that aerosols emitted by combustion engines and plastic burning are dominated by hydrocarbon-like organic compounds. Meat cooking and especially paper burning emissions contain significant fractions of oxygenated organic compounds; however, their unit-resolution mass spectral signatures are very similar to those from ambient hydrocarbon-like OA, and very different from the mass spectra of ambient secondary or oxygenated OA (OOA). Thus, primary OA from these sources is unlikely to be a significant direct source of ambient OOA. There are significant differences in high-resolution tracer m/zs that may be useful for differentiating some of these sources. Unlike in most ambient spectra, all of these sources have low total m/z 44 and this signal is not dominated by the CO2+ ion. All sources have high m/z 57, which is low during high OOA ambient periods. Spectra from paper burning are similar to some types of biomass burning OA, with elevated m/z 60. Meat cooking aerosols also have slightly elevated m/z 60, whereas motor vehicle emissions have very low signal at this m/z.
Ventilation is of primary concern for maintaining healthy indoor air quality and reducing the spread of airborne infectious disease, including COVID-19. In addition to building-level guidelines, increased attention is being placed on room-level ventilation. However, for many universities and schools, ventilation data on a room-by-room basis are not available for classrooms and other key spaces. We present an overview of approaches for measuring ventilation along with their advantages and disadvantages. We also present data from recent case studies for a variety of institutions across the United States, with various building ages, types, locations, and climates, highlighting their commonalities and differences, and examples of the use of this data to support decision making.
Topic A3: Indoor air microbiology CHARACTERIZING MICROBES IN OCCUPIED SPACES: ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMBER STUDY OF HUMAN EMISSION FACTORS Rachel I ADAMS 1* , Seema BHANGAR 2 , Wilmer PASUT 3 , Edward ARENS 3 , John W TAYLOR 1 , Steven E LINDOW 1 , J. A. Huffman 4 , William W NAZAROFF 2 , and Thomas D BRUNS 1 Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA Corresponding email: adamsri@berkeley.edu Keywords: Building physics, Bioaerosol dynamics, Indoor microbiome, Occupancy INTRODUCTION As a broad generalization, strong data are emerging that characterize the integrated microbiological composition of indoor environments, including in non-water damaged buildings without reported problems (e.g. Pitkaranta et al. 2008, Adams et al. 2013, Dunn et al. 2013). On a fine time scale, however, many questions remain about the processes that determine the microbial composition indoors, and particularly the relative importance of different processes. To further characterize the microbiome of the built environment, we aimed to elucidate the relative roles of resuspension and direct shedding in contributing to airborne microbial composition in occupied spaces. We utilized a Controlled Environment Chamber, which, by design, controls temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation parameters. Previous work has shown that factors such as occupancy, occupant behavior, and floor type can have a marked affect on particle and bioaerosol concentrations (Ferro et al. 2004a, b, You et al. 2013) (Hospodsky et al. 2012, Qian et al. 2012) and bioaerosol composition (Meadow et al. 2013). For instance, total airborne particles were higher when one person walked on a carpeted classroom than when 30 people sat in the same space with the floor covered by sheeting (Hospodsky et al. 2012). Using a similar occupied and unoccupied carpeted classroom space, Qian et al. (2012) estimated the per person-hour emission rate based on presence was 31 mg of total particle mass, 37x10 6 bacterial genome copies, and 7.3 x 10 6 fungal genome copies, and analysis of bacterial composition show many taxa in occupied classrooms are associated with humans (Hospodsky et al. 2012, Qian et al. 2012, Meadow et al. 2013). In the existing studies, bioaerosol emission rates are an aggregate of resuspension from internal surfaces as well as those particles directly shed from the occupants. We disentangled these processes by undertaking an experimental series of occupancy and activity levels with the carpet exposed and again with the floor covered in a plastic sheeting in order to suppress resuspension. To this end, we 1) describe biological particles loads under varied experimental
This study is among the first to apply laser-induced fluorescence to characterize bioaerosols at high time and size resolution in an occupied, common-use indoor environment. Using an ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer, we characterized total and fluorescent biological aerosol particle (FBAP) levels (1-15 μm diameter) in a classroom, sampling with 5-min resolution continuously during eighteen occupied and eight unoccupied days distributed throughout a one-year period. A material-balance model was applied to quantify per-person FBAP emission rates as a function of particle size. Day-to-day and seasonal changes in FBAP number concentration (NF ) values in the classroom were small compared to the variability within a day that was attributable to variable levels of occupancy, occupant activities, and the operational state of the ventilation system. Occupancy conditions characteristic of lecture classes were associated with mean NF source strengths of 2 × 10(6) particles/h/person, and 9 × 10(4) particles per metabolic g CO2 . During transitions between lectures, occupant activity was more vigorous, and estimated mean, per-person NF emissions were 0.8 × 10(6) particles per transition. The observed classroom peak in FBAP size at 3-4 μm is similar to the peak in fluorescent and biological aerosols reported from several studies outdoors.Coarse particles that exhibit fluorescence at characteristic wavelengths are considered to be proxies for biological particles. Recently developed instruments permit their detection and sizing in real time. In a mechanically ventilated classroom, emissions from human occupants were a strong determinant of coarse-mode fluorescent biological aerosol particle (FBAP) levels. Human FBAP emission rates were significant under quiet occupancy conditions and increased with activity level. Fluorescent particle emissions peaked at a diameter of 3–4 μm, which is the expected modal size of airborne particles with associated microbes. Human activity patterns, and associated coarse FBAP and total particle levels varied strongly on short timescales. Thus, the dynamic temporal behavior of aerosol concentrations must be considered when determining collection protocols for samples meant to be representative of average concentrations using time-integrated or ‘snapshot’ bioaerosol measurement techniques.
Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques to analyze atmospheric aerosols are commonly applied for research and human exposure monitoring, but are very expensive or offer poor spectral resolution. Here, we discuss how a recently proposed instrument can acquire resolved fluorescence spectra from many individual particles in a single camera image using four excitation wavelengths matched with common biological fluorophores for particle discrimination at lower cost. We discuss emission intensity calibration and demonstrate spectral differentiation among four species of pollen. These data provide context for how the instrument could be developed for pollen and mold-spore detection or for use by citizen scientists.
Abstract. Fungal spores as a prominent type of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) have been incorporated into the COSMO-ART regional atmospheric model, using and comparing three different emission parameterizations. Two literature-based emission rates derived from fungal spore colony counts and chemical tracer measurements were used as a parameterization baseline for this study. A third, new emission parameterization was adapted to field measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) from four locations across Northern Europe. FBAP concentrations can be regarded as a lower estimate of total PBAP concentrations. Size distributions of FBAP often show a distinct mode at approx. 3 μm, corresponding to a diameter range characteristic for many fungal spores. Previous studies have suggested the majority of FBAP in several locations are dominated by fungal spores. Thus, we suggest that simulated fungal spore concentrations obtained from the emission parameterizations can be compared to the sum of total FBAP concentrations. A comparison reveals that parameterized estimates of fungal spore concentrations based on literature numbers underestimate measured FBAP concentrations. In agreement with measurement data, the model results show a diurnal cycle in simulated fungal spore concentrations, which may develop partially as a consequence of a varying boundary layer height between day and night. Measured FBAP and simulated fungal spore concentrations also correlate similarly with simulated temperature and humidity. These meteorological variables, together with leaf area index, were chosen to drive the new emission parameterization discussed here. Using the new emission parameterization on a model domain covering Western Europe, fungal spores in the lowest model layer comprise a fraction of 15% of the total aerosol mass over land and reach average number concentrations of 26 L−1. The results confirm that fungal spores and biological particles may account for a major fraction of supermicron aerosol particle number and mass concentration over vegetated continental regions and should thus be explicitly considered in air quality and climate studies.
