AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Characterization of Lake Spray Aerosol Produced from the Great Lakes
NATHANIEL MAY, Jessica Axson, Andrew Ault, Kerri Pratt, University of Michigan
Abstract Number: 363 Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosols
Abstract While the production of sea spray aerosols has been well studied, little is known about the production of aerosols from freshwater bodies such as the Great Lakes, which we refer to as lake spray aerosol (LSA). With certain regions of the Great Lakes currently experiencing a historic rise in the occurrence and severity of harmful algal blooms, this LSA could pose a public health risk due to inhalation of aerosolized toxic bloom products. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the physiochemical factors controlling LSA production from the Great Lakes and the extent to which harmful algal bloom byproducts are incorporated into the LSA population during bloom events. To study this phenomenon, a laboratory LSA generator was constructed based off previously published sea spray aerosol generator designs. The generator was used to compare the differences in aerosol production when using salt composition of seawater versus freshwater by analyzing the bubble and aerosol size distributions generated from these representative salinities. Additionally, single particle techniques, including electron microscopy and single-particle mass spectrometry, were used to determine particle composition and morphology. To determine the components of harmful algal blooms that are incorporated into LSA population, the LSA produced in the generator using freshwater samples collected from nine locations with and without harmful algal blooms around the Great Lakes were examined. Seasonal variations were examined from water samples collected at these sites during fall 2014, spring 2015, and summer 2015. By understanding how the composition of the Great Lakes affects the production of lake spray aerosol, this study will provide novel insights into the impacts of the Great Lakes aquatic environment on the region’s atmosphere.