The performance of the handheld Partector Pro has been evaluated against a reference mobility particle size spectrometer (MPSS) for 70 days at an urban background site. The number concentrations measured with the Partector Pro were in excellent and the number size distributions in reasonable agreement with the MPSS. The Partector Pro is thus a promising candidate for the widespread measurement of ultrafine particle concentrations as, for example, requested by WHO, at reasonable costs.

We present a novel version of an aerosol number size distribution instrument, showcasing its capability to measure particle number concentration and particle number size distribution between 1 and 12 nm. Our results show that the instrument agrees well with existing instrumentation and allows for both the accurate measurement of the smallest particles and overlap with more conventional aerosol number size distribution instruments.

Differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) are widely used to measure aerosol size distributions. Here we argue that DMAs operating steadily at unusually high flow rates are not as complex as they appear and could be used with considerable advantage in many measurements currently carried out in conventional DMAs. We hope that the considerations presented will encourage DMA manufacturers to develop high-flow DMAs far more versatile yet comparable in complexity to today’s mainstream instruments.

We analyze the mechanism whereby sunlight and iron catalyze the production of chlorine from chloride in sea spray aerosol. This process occurs naturally over the North Atlantic and is the single most important source of chlorine. We investigate the mechanism using quantum chemistry, laboratory experiments, and aqueous chemistry modelling. The process will change depending on competing ions, light distribution, acidity, and chloride concentration.

Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF), together with secondary production of particulate matter in the atmosphere, dominates aerosol particle number concentrations and submicron particle mass loads in many environments globally. In this opinion paper, we describe the paradigm shift to understand NPF in a continuous way instead of using traditional binary event–non-event analysis.

Our study presents a novel method for quantifying mass spectrometer responses to molecular species in organic aerosols. Traditional calibrations often fail for complex mixtures like secondary organic aerosol. We combined chromatography with statistical component analysis to improve separation and quantification, achieving promising agreement with direct calibration. Our findings offer a new approach to assess aerosol composition, especially beneficial for complex mixtures.

This work demonstrates the feasibility of estimating the ultraviolet (UV) dose experienced by aerosols without using virus-containing droplets. We developed a model system using non-evaporating droplets containing UV-sensitive dyes. These dye-containing droplets were generated and then exposed to UV-C light in a custom-built irradiation chamber. The proposed method could aid in understanding the effect of the suspending medium and droplet size on the UV dose required for bioaerosol inactivation.

Atmospheric intermediate ions can be used to study atmospheric new particle formation (NPF). Here we aimed to find the optimal ion diameter for this purpose on a local scale. To fulfill our aim, we used ion size number distribution data from the SMEAR II measurement station, Hyytiälä, Finland. We found that concentrations of ions between 2.0–2.3 nm are the best suited for characterization of local intermediate ion formation and could be used to detect and evaluate the strength of local NPF.

Multi-annual in situ observations were combined with back trajectory and emissions inventories to study black and brown carbon (BC, BrC) sources in the north of France. Results show BC to be mainly originated from vehicular traffic (31 %), shipping (25 %), and residential heating (21 %). Also, a significant decrease of the BrC component from residential heating is observed after 24 h of atmospheric aging. These results should lead to better climate and air pollution mitigation strategies.

Aerosol formation is an important process for our global climate. While inorganic species have been shown to be important for aerosol formation, there remains a large gap in our knowledge about the exact involvement of organics. We present a new quantum chemical procedure for screening relevant organics that for the first time allows us to obtain direct molecular-level insight into the organics involved in aerosol formation.

Our study employs advanced tools, including scanning lidar, balloons, and UAVs, to explore aerosol particles in the atmosphere. The scanning lidar offers distinctive near-ground-level insights, enriching our comprehension of aerosol distribution from ground level to the free troposphere. This research provides valuable data for comparing remote sensing and in situ aerosol measurements, advancing our understanding of aerosol impacts on radiative transfer, clouds, and air quality.

In this study, we explored how tiny particles in the air, known as aerosols, have changed over time in two mountainous areas in Austria and Switzerland from 2007 to 2023. By using special instruments that measure sunlight, we tracked these changes and found that the amount of aerosols has been decreasing in both locations. This is important because aerosols can affect both our health and the climate. This work is crucial for understanding air quality trends in mountain environments.

Ambient ice-nucleating particle (INP) concentrations were measured in Israel, which experiences air masses from a variety of sources. We found that the INP activity is typically dominated by K-feldspar mineral dust but that air masses passing over regions of fertile soils correlated with high INP concentrations and indicators of biological activity. This suggests that these fertile regions could be sporadic sources of warm-temperature biogenic INPs and warrants further study of these areas.

This study addresses challenges in semivolatile organic compound (SVOC) aerosol sampling. Despite its promise, experimental evaluations of the semivolatile aerosol dichotomous sampler (SADS) reveal issues with leakiness, assembly repeatability, and significant wall losses for particles larger than 2 µm. Findings suggest the need for improvements in airtightness, nozzle alignment, and assembly repeatability for the SADS to fulfil its theoretical potential in workplace exposure assessments.

We highlight that the composition dependence of the counting efficiency of condensation particle counters can be immensely reduced by choice of the working fluid. A butanol- and a propylene glycol-based version of the Airmodus A30 was calibrated using a set of four different seed particles. Our study shows that composition-dependent counting efficiencies almost vanish in the case of the propylene glycol-based CPC. Simulations of supersaturation profiles were used to explain the results.