http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451929417301201?via%3Dihub

Chem <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/24519294>

11 May 2017, Vol.2(5)
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/24519294/2/5>:655–667, doi:
10.1016/j.chempr.2017.03.007
<http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2017.03.007>
Article
Molecular Diversity of Sea Spray Aerosol Particles: Impact of Ocean Biology
on Particle Composition and Hygroscopicity

   - Richard E. Cochran
   - Olga Laskina
   - Vicki H. Grassian

Show more
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451929417301201?via%3Dihub#>
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Highlights

   - •

   The molecular composition of individual nascent SSA particles is diverse
   - •

   Molecular diversity of individual SSA particles is controlled by the
   microbial loop
   - •

   Changes in hygroscopicity of SSA are driven by shifts in particle
   composition

The Bigger Picture

Sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles are an important component of Earth’s
atmosphere in that they serve as a critical link between the ocean and
climate. The key to understanding how SSA affects climate is to unravel the
chemical composition and the molecular diversity among individual SSA
particles and determine how this influences their climate properties,
including particle hygroscopicity. Here, we measured the molecular
composition and hygroscopicity of individual SSA particles that were
produced in a unique wave-flume facility during periods of dynamic
biological activity in seawater. With respect to molecular composition, the
number distribution of SSA particle types was seen to be influenced by
these biological processes within the seawater. Shifts in the distribution
of different particles types led to changes in the average particle
hygroscopicity; these changes were further explored via evaluation of the
hygroscopicity of model systems containing mixtures of organic compounds
and salts.
Summary

The impact of sea spray aerosol (SSA) on climate depends on the size and
chemical composition of individual particles that make up the total SSA
ensemble. There remains a lack of understanding as to the composition
of individual particles within the SSA ensemble and how it changes in
response to dynamic ocean biology. Here, we characterize the classes of
organic compounds as well as specific molecules within individual SSA
particles. The diversity of molecules within the organic fraction was
observed to vary between submicrometer- and supermicrometer-sized particles
and included contributions from fatty acids, monosaccharides,
polysaccharides, and siliceous material. Significant changes in this
molecular diversity were observed to coincide with the rise and fall of
phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria populations within the seawater.
Furthermore, the water uptake of individual particles was affected, as
learned from studying the hygroscopicity of model systems composed of
representative mixtures of salts and organic compounds.
Graphical AbstractKeywords

   - sea spray aerosol
   - molecular composition
   - single-particle analysis
   - particle hygroscopicity
   - phytoplankton bloom
   - selective enrichment
   - bacteria
   - marine chemistry

UN Sustainable Development Goals

   - SDG13: Climate action

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