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 14536-14545

Subject Categories

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Chemical Process Engineering

Other Basic Medicine

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.1c03379

PubMed

34672572

More information

Latest update

10/26/2022