title: Case study of water-soluble metal containing organic constituents of biomass burning aerosol.
abstract: Natural and prescribed biomass fires are a major source of aerosols that may persist in the atmosphere for several weeks. Biomass burning aerosols (BBA) can be associated with long-range transport of water-soluble N-, S-, P-, and metal-containing species. In this study, BBA samples were collected using a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) from laboratory burns of vegetation collected on military bases in the southeastern and southwestern United States. The samples were then analyzed using high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/HR-MS) that enabled accurate mass measurements for hundreds of species with m/z values between 70 and 1000 and assignment of elemental formulas. Mg, Al, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ba-containing organometallic species were identified. The results suggest that the biomass may have accumulated metal-containing species that were re-emitted during biomass burning. Further research into the sources, dispersion, and persistence of metal-containing aerosols, as well as their environmental effects, is needed.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Materials Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chang-Graham
authors.forename: Luisa T M
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Profeta
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Yokelson
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laskin
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laskin
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere; D018533:Biomass; D005390:Fires; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014867:Water