Scavenging of Sub-Micron to Micron-Sized Microbial Aerosols during Simulated Rainfall

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dc.contributor.authorMoore, Rachel A.en
dc.contributor.authorHanlon, Reginaen
dc.contributor.authorPowers, Craig W.en
dc.contributor.authorSchmale, David G. IIIen
dc.contributor.authorChristner, Brent C.en
dc.contributor.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineeringen
dc.contributor.departmentSchool of Plant and Environmental Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-10T14:37:02Zen
dc.date.available2020-01-10T14:37:02Zen
dc.date.issued2020-01-09en
dc.date.updated2020-01-10T09:03:10Zen
dc.description.abstractThe processes removing aerosols from the atmosphere during rainfall are generically referred to as scavenging. Scavenging influences aerosol distributions in the atmosphere, with consequent effects on cloud properties, radiative forcing, and human health. In this study, we investigated the below-cloud scavenging process, specifically focusing on the scavenging of 0.2 to 2 µm-sized microbial aerosols by populations of water drops with average diameters of 3.0 and 3.6 mm. Rainfall was simulated in convective boundary layer air masses by dispensing the water drops from a 55 m bridge and collecting them at ground level. Particles and microbial cells scavenged by the water drops were visualized, enumerated, and sized using scanning electron and epifluorescence microscopy. Aerosolized particles and DNA-containing microbial cells of 2 µm diameter were scavenged at efficiencies similar to those reported previously in empirical studies; however, the efficiencies derived for smaller aerosols were significantly higher (one to three orders of magnitude) than those predicted by microphysical modeling. Application of the derived scavenging efficiencies to cell data from rainfall implies that, on average, approximately 50 to 70% of the 1 µm microbial cells in the precipitation originated from within the cloud. Further study of submicron to micron-sized aerosol scavenging over a broader raindrop size distribution would improve fundamental understanding of the scavenging process and the capacity to estimate (bio)aerosol abundances in the source cloud through analysis of rainfall.en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationMoore, R.A.; Hanlon, R.; Powers, C.; Schmale, D.G., III; Christner, B.C. Scavenging of Sub-Micron to Micron-Sized Microbial Aerosols during Simulated Rainfall. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 80.en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11010080en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/96376en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherMDPIen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectrain scavengingen
dc.subjectaerosolsen
dc.subjectbioaerosolsen
dc.subjectwet depositionen
dc.titleScavenging of Sub-Micron to Micron-Sized Microbial Aerosols during Simulated Rainfallen
dc.title.serialAtmosphereen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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Journal Articles, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Scholarly Works, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Scholarly Works, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences