Fluorescent biological aerosol particles measured with the Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor WIBS-4: laboratory tests combined with a one year field study

By E. Toprak, M. Schnaiter. 2012

170 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract. In this paper bioaerosol measurements conducted with the Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor mark 4 (WIBS-4) are presented. The measurements comprise aerosol chamber characterization experiments and a one-year ambient measurement period at a semi-rural site in South Western Germany. This study aims to investigate the sensitivity of WIBS-4 to biological and non-biological aerosols and detection of biological particles in the ambient aerosol. Several types of biological and non-biological aerosol samples, including fungal spores, bacteria, mineral dust, ammonium sulphate, combustion soot, and fluorescent polystyrene spheres, were analyzed by WIBS-4 in the laboratory. The results confirm the sensitivity of the ultraviolet light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) method to biological fluorophores and show the good discrimination capabilities of the two excitation wavelengths/detection wavebands method applied in WIBS-4. However, a weak cross-sensitivity to non-biological fluorescent interferers remains and is discussed in this paper. All the laboratory studies have been undertaken in order to prepare WIBS-4 for ambient aerosol measurements. According to the one-year ambient aerosol study, number concentration of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) show strong seasonal and diurnal variability. The highest number concentration of FBAP was measured during the summer term and decreased towards the winter period when colder and drier conditions prevail. Diurnal FBAP concentrations start to increase after sunset and reach maximum values during the late night and early morning hours. On the other hand, the total aerosol number concentration was almost always higher during daytime than during nighttime and a sharp decrease after sunset was observed. There was no correlation observed between the FBAP concentration and the meteorological parameters temperature, precipitation, wind direction and wind speed. However, a clear correlation was identified between the FBAP number concentration and the relative humidity. Humidity-controlled release mechanisms of some fungal spore species are discussed as a possible explanation.

Subfields: Atmospheric Science, Environmental Engineering, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/63983b2d5acf5e994a3a7c2a21a76dfb14e5b792

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Atmospheric Science

1. R. Wood
2. Chris Bretherton
3. Andrew Gettelman
4. Christopher W. Fairall
5. Jorgen B. Jensen
6. C. Bardeen
7. P. DeMott
8. S. Kreidenweis

In Environmental Engineering

1. Christopher W. Fairall
2. M. Schnaiter
3. Chris Bretherton
4. Andrew Gettelman

In Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

1. Nicole Riemer
2. Matthew West
3. R. Wood
4. M. Schnaiter
5. S. Kreidenweis

Citations in the corpus

• Aerosol Mixing State: Measurements, Modeling, and Impacts (2019, background): “…speciation is limited in comparison to other spectroscopy methods, studies have shown regional, seasonal, and diurnal variation in primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) and thus also variation in aerosol mixing state (Gabey et al., 2010; Perring et al., 2015; Toprak & Schnaiter, 2013).”
• Observations of Clouds, Aerosols, Precipitation, and Surface Radiation over the Southern Ocean: An Overview of CAPRICORN, MARCUS, MICRE, and SOCRATES (2020, methodology): “Toprak, E., and M. Schnaiter, 2013: Fluorescent biological aerosol particles measured with the Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor WIBS-4: Laboratory tests combined with a one year field study.”