Articles | Volume 16, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5479-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5479-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Nov 2023
Research article |
| 14 Nov 2023
| 14 Nov 2023
Airborne bacteria viability and air quality: a protocol to quantitatively investigate the possible correlation by an atmospheric simulation chamber
Virginia Vernocchi
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Elena Abd El
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Marco Brunoldi
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Silvia Giulia Danelli
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Elena Gatta
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Tommaso Isolabella
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Federico Mazzei
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Franco Parodi
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Paolo Prati
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dario Massabò
INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genoa, Italy
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We present an innovative software toolkit to differentiate sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the atmosphere. Our toolkit implements an upgraded mathematical model which allows for determination of fundamental optical properties of the aerosol, its sources, and the mass concentration of different carbonaceous species of particulate matter. We have tested the functionality of the software by re-analysing published data, and we obtained a compatible results with additional information.
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Experiments conducted inside confined artificial environments, such as atmospheric simulation chambers (ASCs), where atmospheric conditions and composition are controlled, can provide valuable information on bio-aerosol viability, dispersion, and impact. We focus here on the reproducible aerosolization and injection of viable microorganisms into an ASC, the first and crucial step of any experimental protocol to expose bio-aerosols to different atmospheric conditions.
Ivan Kourtchev, Steve Coupe, Allison Buckley, Jishnu Pandamkulangara Kizhakkethil, Elena Gatta, Dario Massabò, Paolo Prati, Virginia Vernocchi, and Federico Mazzei
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This study examines optical properties and the variability of the mass absorption coefficient of carbonaceous aerosols produced by the combustion of different fuels. Experiments, conducted in an atmospheric simulation chamber, tested different methods of sampling and analyzing carbonaceous aerosols, with a focus on workplace environments. Results highlight the need to understand the variability in aerosol optical properties for accurate monitoring and health and environmental impact assessments.
Laura Renzi, Claudia Di Biagio, Johannes Heuser, Marco Zanatta, Mathieu Cazaunau, Antonin Bergé, Edouard Pangui, Jérôme Yon, Tommaso Isolabella, Dario Massabò, Virginia Vernocchi, Martina Mazzini, Chenjie Yu, Paola Formenti, Benedicte Picquet-Varrault, Jean-Francois Doussin, and Angela Marinoni
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Silvia Nava, Roberta Vecchi, Paolo Prati, Vera Bernardoni, Laura Cadeo, Giulia Calzolai, Luca Carraresi, Carlo Cialdai, Massimo Chiari, Federica Crova, Alice Forello, Cosimo Fratticioli, Fabio Giardi, Marco Manetti, Dario Massabò, Federico Mazzei, Luca Repetto, Gianluigi Valli, Virginia Vernocchi, and Franco Lucarelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2137–2147, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2137-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2137-2025, 2025
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Tommaso Isolabella, Vera Bernardoni, Alessandro Bigi, Marco Brunoldi, Federico Mazzei, Franco Parodi, Paolo Prati, Virginia Vernocchi, and Dario Massabò
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1363–1373, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1363-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1363-2024, 2024
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We present an innovative software toolkit to differentiate sources of carbonaceous aerosol in the atmosphere. Our toolkit implements an upgraded mathematical model which allows for determination of fundamental optical properties of the aerosol, its sources, and the mass concentration of different carbonaceous species of particulate matter. We have tested the functionality of the software by re-analysing published data, and we obtained a compatible results with additional information.
Alessandro Bigi, Giorgio Veratti, Elisabeth Andrews, Martine Collaud Coen, Lorenzo Guerrieri, Vera Bernardoni, Dario Massabò, Luca Ferrero, Sergio Teggi, and Grazia Ghermandi
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Atmospheric particles include compounds that play a key role in the greenhouse effect and air toxicity. Concurrent observations of these compounds by multiple instruments are presented, following deployment within an urban environment in the Po Valley, one of Europe's pollution hotspots. The study compares these data, highlighting the impact of ground emissions, mainly vehicular traffic and biomass burning, on the absorption of sun radiation and, ultimately, on climate change and air quality.
Virginia Vernocchi, Marco Brunoldi, Silvia G. Danelli, Franco Parodi, Paolo Prati, and Dario Massabò
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2159–2175, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2159-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2159-2022, 2022
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The performance of a mini inverted soot generator was investigated at a simulation chamber facility by studying the soot generated by ethylene and propane combustion, together with the number, size, optical properties, and EC / OC concentrations. Mass absorption coefficients and Ångström absorption exponents are compatible with the literature, with some differences. The characterization of MISG soot particles is fundamental to design and perform experiments in atmospheric simulation chambers.
Lucía Caudillo, Birte Rörup, Martin Heinritzi, Guillaume Marie, Mario Simon, Andrea C. Wagner, Tatjana Müller, Manuel Granzin, Antonio Amorim, Farnoush Ataei, Rima Baalbaki, Barbara Bertozzi, Zoé Brasseur, Randall Chiu, Biwu Chu, Lubna Dada, Jonathan Duplissy, Henning Finkenzeller, Loïc Gonzalez Carracedo, Xu-Cheng He, Victoria Hofbauer, Weimeng Kong, Houssni Lamkaddam, Chuan P. Lee, Brandon Lopez, Naser G. A. Mahfouz, Vladimir Makhmutov, Hanna E. Manninen, Ruby Marten, Dario Massabò, Roy L. Mauldin, Bernhard Mentler, Ugo Molteni, Antti Onnela, Joschka Pfeifer, Maxim Philippov, Ana A. Piedehierro, Meredith Schervish, Wiebke Scholz, Benjamin Schulze, Jiali Shen, Dominik Stolzenburg, Yuri Stozhkov, Mihnea Surdu, Christian Tauber, Yee Jun Tham, Ping Tian, António Tomé, Steffen Vogt, Mingyi Wang, Dongyu S. Wang, Stefan K. Weber, André Welti, Wang Yonghong, Wu Yusheng, Marcel Zauner-Wieczorek, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, Richard C. Flagan, Armin Hansel, Kristina Höhler, Jasper Kirkby, Markku Kulmala, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Ottmar Möhler, Harald Saathoff, Rainer Volkamer, Paul M. Winkler, Neil M. Donahue, Andreas Kürten, and Joachim Curtius
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17099–17114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17099-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17099-2021, 2021
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We performed experiments in the CLOUD chamber at CERN at low temperatures to simulate new particle formation in the upper free troposphere (at −30 ºC and −50 ºC). We measured the particle and gas phase and found that most of the compounds present in the gas phase are detected as well in the particle phase. The major compounds in the particles are C8–10 and C18–20. Specifically, we showed that C5 and C15 compounds are detected in a mixed system with isoprene and α-pinene at −30 ºC, 20 % RH.
Vaios Moschos, Martin Gysel-Beer, Robin L. Modini, Joel C. Corbin, Dario Massabò, Camilla Costa, Silvia G. Danelli, Athanasia Vlachou, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Sönke Szidat, Paolo Prati, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, and Imad El Haddad
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12809–12833, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12809-2021, 2021
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This study provides a holistic approach to studying the spectrally resolved light absorption by atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) and black carbon using long time series of daily samples from filter-based measurements. The obtained results provide (1) a better understanding of the aerosol absorption profile and its dependence on BrC and on lensing from less absorbing coatings and (2) an estimation of the most important absorbers at typical European locations.
Silvia G. Danelli, Marco Brunoldi, Dario Massabò, Franco Parodi, Virginia Vernocchi, and Paolo Prati
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4461–4470, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4461-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4461-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Experiments conducted inside confined artificial environments, such as atmospheric simulation chambers (ASCs), where atmospheric conditions and composition are controlled, can provide valuable information on bio-aerosol viability, dispersion, and impact. We focus here on the reproducible aerosolization and injection of viable microorganisms into an ASC, the first and crucial step of any experimental protocol to expose bio-aerosols to different atmospheric conditions.
Vera Bernardoni, Luca Ferrero, Ezio Bolzacchini, Alice Corina Forello, Asta Gregorič, Dario Massabò, Griša Močnik, Paolo Prati, Martin Rigler, Luca Santagostini, Francesca Soldan, Sara Valentini, Gianluigi Valli, and Roberta Vecchi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2919–2940, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2919-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2919-2021, 2021
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An instrument-dependent wavelength-independent parameter (C) is often used to face multiple-scattering issues affecting aerosol light absorption measurements by Aethalometers. Instead, we determined multi-wavelength C by comparison with absorption measurements of samples collected in parallel performed by an instrument developed in-house. Considering C wavelength dependence, harmonized results were obtained applying source and component apportionment models to data from different Aethalometers.
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Short summary
Bioaerosol are airborne particles or droplets that contain living organisms or biological materials, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, pollen, or other organic matter. The study of the relationship between bioaerosol viability and air quality or meteorological conditions is an open field, and running experiments of the bioareosol viability in an atmospheric simulation chamber gives the possibility to set up well-defined conditions to evaluate the interaction between bioaerosol and pollutants.
Bioaerosol are airborne particles or droplets that contain living organisms or biological...
