Tag : Aerosols

Birmingham (UK): Scientists have found the process of how organic aerosols are transformed in the atmosphere, and by this, they will be able to better understand and predict their impact on the environment and the climate. The findings of the study were published in the journal, 'Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics'. Organic aerosols are those molecule particles released in cooking. They stay in the atmosphere for several days, because of nanostructures formed by fatty acids as they are released into the air. Experts at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath have used instruments at the Diamond Light Source and the Central Laser Facility, both based at the Harwell Campus in Oxford, to probe the behavior of thin films of oleic acid, which is an unsaturated fatty acid commonly released when cooking. Scientists were able to analyze the particular molecular properties that control how rapidly aerosol emissions can be broken down in the atmosphere. Then, using a theoretical model combined with experimental data the team was able to predict the number of times aerosols generated from cooking may hang around in the environment. These types of aerosols have long been associated with poor air quality in urban areas, but their impact on human-made climate change is hard to gauge. That's because of the diverse range of molecules found within aerosols, and their varying interactions with the environment. By identifying the nanostructure of molecules emitted during cooking that slows down the break-up of organic aerosols, it becomes possible to model how they are transported and dispersed into the atmosphere. Lead author Dr Christian Pfrang, of the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said, "Cookin ...