Kaitlyn M. McKinney, Raghu Betha*, Saravanan Kanagaratnam and Dagen D. Hughes,
{"title":"Influence of Biomass Burning on Fluorescent Aerosol Particles in Subarctic Winter Conditions","authors":"Kaitlyn M. McKinney, Raghu Betha*, Saravanan Kanagaratnam and Dagen D. Hughes, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestair.5c00029","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p >Fluorescent aerosol particles (FAPs) are airborne particles that emit fluorescence when exposed to specific wavelengths of light, typically ultraviolet or visible light. In recent times, real-time measurements of aerosol autofluorescence have been widely used to study primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) or bioaerosol. Although autofluorescence techniques provide improved temporal resolution for PBAP detection, interference from nonbiological fluorescent particles complicates measurements, particularly in polluted environments. This study investigates the fluorescence properties of airborne particles influenced by biomass burning. Real-time measurements of FAPs were conducted in the North Pole, Alaska, using a wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor. Concurrent filter measurements and data from other real-time instruments were used to analyze FAP composition and size to assess the influence of biomass burning. Results indicate a moderate correlation between biomass burning and specific FAP types below 0.75 μm, evidenced by their association with levoglucosan, a biomass burning tracer. Findings further demonstrate that biomass burning emissions increased FAP concentrations, resulting in statistically significant shifts in particle size and fluorescence intensity. Notably, biomass burning appears to drive increases in specific PBAP concentrations, including potential bacterial and fungal spores, raising concerns over health impacts for local populations exposed to both anthropogenic pollutants and elevated PBAP levels. These findings provide valuable data on PBAPs in subarctic winter conditions, underscoring the environmental and public health implications of biomass burning in cold climates.</p>","PeriodicalId":100014,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T Air","volume":"2 8","pages":"1496–1508"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ACS ES&T Air","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestair.5c00029","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Fluorescent aerosol particles (FAPs) are airborne particles that emit fluorescence when exposed to specific wavelengths of light, typically ultraviolet or visible light. In recent times, real-time measurements of aerosol autofluorescence have been widely used to study primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) or bioaerosol. Although autofluorescence techniques provide improved temporal resolution for PBAP detection, interference from nonbiological fluorescent particles complicates measurements, particularly in polluted environments. This study investigates the fluorescence properties of airborne particles influenced by biomass burning. Real-time measurements of FAPs were conducted in the North Pole, Alaska, using a wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor. Concurrent filter measurements and data from other real-time instruments were used to analyze FAP composition and size to assess the influence of biomass burning. Results indicate a moderate correlation between biomass burning and specific FAP types below 0.75 μm, evidenced by their association with levoglucosan, a biomass burning tracer. Findings further demonstrate that biomass burning emissions increased FAP concentrations, resulting in statistically significant shifts in particle size and fluorescence intensity. Notably, biomass burning appears to drive increases in specific PBAP concentrations, including potential bacterial and fungal spores, raising concerns over health impacts for local populations exposed to both anthropogenic pollutants and elevated PBAP levels. These findings provide valuable data on PBAPs in subarctic winter conditions, underscoring the environmental and public health implications of biomass burning in cold climates.