AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Atmospheric Fate of Individual Aerosol Particles
ERIN M. DURKE, Matthew B. Hart, EXCET Inc./Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
Abstract Number: 604 Working Group: Environmental Fate of Infectious Aerosols
Abstract The study of individual aerosol particles is highly important yet significantly challenging. With respect to studies of chemical warfare agent (CWA) aerosols, knowledge of the basic physical and chemical properties, such as shape and reactivity, are imperative to appropriately address such threats. In order to study CWA particles, a collaborative effort between researchers at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has resulted in the development of a device to levitate single aerosol particles for extended periods of time. The device, a linear electrodynamic quadrupole, is equipped with optical imaging and light scattering measurement capabilities. The most recent studies performed with the levitation device focused on CWA simulants, such as DMMP and DIMP. Using the levitation device, we were able to take direct measurements of simulant evaporation rates as well as investigate how simulant aerosols are affected by ambient humidity. Understanding these properties will aid in determining how these aerosols transport, transform, and persist in the environment.