The chemical composition of aerosols are important for both their influence on climate and human health. To deduce which compounds are present in the particles, the particles are collected and thereafter analysed in detail. One way to collect particles is to draw air through a filter. The particles are collected on the filter and thereafter extracted. The extraction liquid with the particle constituents are then analysed with either liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, gas chromatography coupled to mas spectrometry, or ion chromatography. Another option to collect particles is to use a sequential spot sampler where the particles are enlarged in a grow tube and then collected in a well on a well plate. The wells are extracted and may be analysed in the same way as the particles which were collected onto filters. The sequential spot sampler is able to be used throughout an experiment, while particle sampling onto filters only gives a snapshot of the chemical composition of the aerosols. 

This work is done in collaboration with Marianne Glasius. If you want to know more about the chemical analysis, click here.