MRI: Development of a Single Particle Mass Spectrometer for Field and Laboratory Studies of the Environmental Impact of Atmospheric Aerosols and Engineered Nanoparticles

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Mark Young and colleagues Vicki Grassian, and Paul Kleiber from the University of Iowa will develop a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer. The proposed aerosol mass spectrometer will acquire correlated size and chemical composition information on individual particles, sampled at atmospheric pressure and in real time. The proposed mass spectrometer will be used in a number of studies of particulate matter in the environment, including atmospheric aerosols, bioaerosols and engineered nanoparticles. These studies are expected to have an impact in a number of areas from climate science to health. The project will be carried out by a diverse group of scientists, working together in a highly interdisciplinary area. Mass Spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical methods used to identify and characterize small quantities of chemical species embedded in complex matrices. The mass spectrometer developed in this award will be able to identify the chemical composition of single aerosol particles. Aerosols are important species in a number of important areas including climate science, but they remain difficult to study, as they represent only a small fraction of the mass of the atmosphere. At the same time, they can have a disproportionate impact on the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere. Research enabled by the instrumentation to be developed in this award will help to determine the impact of aerosols on climate, atmospheric chemistry and human health. The young scientists working with the researchers on this project will obtain valuable training in the development of new kinds of sophisticated equipment -- training that will be prepare them for careers in science and technology.