Ozone Initiates Human-Derived Emission of Nanocluster Aerosols
Journal article, 2021
Nanocluster aerosols (NCAs, particles <3 nm) are important players in driving climate feedbacks and processes that impact human health. This study reports, for the first time, NCA formation when gas-phase ozone reacts with human surfaces. In an occupied climate-controlled chamber, we detected NCA only when ozone was present. NCA emissions were dependent on clothing coverage, occupant age, air temperature, and humidity. Ozone-initiated chemistry with human skin lipids (particularly their primary surface reaction products) is the key mechanism driving NCA emissions, as evidenced by positive correlations with squalene in human skin wipe samples and known gaseous products from ozonolysis of skin lipids. Oxidation by OH radicals, autoxidation reactions, and human-emitted NH3 may also play a role in NCA formation. Such chemical processes are anticipated to generate aerosols of the smallest size (1.18-1.55 nm), whereas larger clusters result from subsequent growth of the smaller aerosols. This study shows that whenever we encounter ozone indoors, where we spend most of our lives, NCAs will be produced in the air around us.
ozone chemistry
particle formation
indoor air
human skin lipids
molecular clusters
Author
Shen Yang
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
Dusan Licina
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
Charles J. Weschler
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Rutgers University
Nijing Wang
Max Planck Society
Nora Zannoni
Max Planck Society
Mengze Li
Max Planck Society
Joonas Vanhanen
Airmodus Oy
Sarka Langer
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering
Pawel Wargocki
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Jonathan Williams
Max Planck Society
Cyprus Institute
G. Beko
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Environmental Science & Technology
0013-936X (ISSN) 1520-5851 (eISSN)
Vol. 55 21 14536-14545Subject Categories
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Chemical Process Engineering
Other Basic Medicine
DOI
10.1021/acs.est.1c03379
PubMed
34672572