Real-time detection of arsenic cations from ambient air in boreal forest and lake environments

Jennifer A. Faust; Heikki Junninen; Mikael  Ehn; Xuemeng Chen; Kai  Ruusuvuori; Antti-Jussi  Kieloaho; Jaana  Bäck; Anne  Ojala; Tuija  Jokinen; Douglas R. Worsnop; Markku  Kulmala; Tuukka  Petäjä

doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308

Real-time detection of arsenic cations from ambient air in boreal forest and lake environments

Jennifer A. Faust, Heikki Junninen, Mikael Ehn, Xuemeng Chen, Kai Ruusuvuori, Antti-Jussi Kieloaho, Jaana Bäck, Anne Ojala, Tuija Jokinen, Douglas R. Worsnop, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

We present the first observation of airborne organic and inorganic arsenic cations, detected in real time within the boreal forest in Hyytiala, Finland, and over nearby Lake Kuivajarvi. The technique of atmospheric-pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometry provides online, in situ monitoring as well as chemical information about the arsenic species, identified as protonated trimethylarsine oxide (AsC3H10O+) and AsO(H2O)(n)(+) clusters (n = 0-4). Quantum chemical calculations confirm that the proposed cations are stable under atmospheric conditions. Our most remarkable discovery is that minimal arsenic appeared during spring 2011 until after the ground began to thaw, triggering a sharp increase in airborne arsenic levels as snowmelt flooded the soil with water and stimulated microbial activity. These findings reveal that volatile arsenic species, detected here as atmospheric ions, link the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic through air, soil, water, and living organisms.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Science & Technology Letters
Volume	3
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	42-46
Number of pages	5
ISSN	2328-8930
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308
Publication status	Published - Feb 2016
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Fields of Science

1171 Geosciences
1172 Environmental sciences
4112 Forestry

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308

ATM: Centre of Excellence in Atmospheric Science – From Molecular and Biological processes to The Global Climate
Kulmala, M. (Other), Vesala, T. (Principal Investigator), Petäjä, T. (Participant), Vehkamäki, H. (Participant), Hämeri, K. (Participant), Boy, M. (Participant), Riekkola, M.-L. (Principal Investigator), Worsnop, D. (Participant), Bäck, J. (Principal Investigator), Pumpanen, J. (Participant), Mäkelä, A. (Participant), Moisseev, D. (Participant), De Leeuw, G. (Participant), Zilitinkevich, S. (Participant), Kerminen, V.-M. (Participant), Järvinen, H. (Participant), Hartonen, K. (Participant), Sipilä, M. (Participant), Virtanen, A. (Principal Investigator), Hakola, H. (Participant), Pulliainen, J. (Participant), Korhonen, H. (Participant), Viisanen, Y. (Principal Investigator), Öster, P. (Participant), Laaksonen, A. (Participant), Aalto, T. (Participant), Romakkaniemi, S. (Participant), Lihavainen, H. (Participant) & Lintunen, A. (Participant)
01/01/2014 → 31/12/2019
Project: Research project
Center of Excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Meteorology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change (ATM)
Aalto, J. (Participant), Aalto, P. (Participant), Aaltonen, H. (Participant), Altimir, N. (Participant), Arneth, A. (Participant), Asmi, A. (Participant), Backman, J. (Participant), Bister, M. (Participant), Bonn, B. (Participant), Boy, M. (Participant), Bäck, J. (Principal Investigator), Chandrasekar, V. (Participant), Dal Maso, M. (Participant), De Leeuw, G. (Principal Investigator), Duursma, R. (Participant), Ehn, M. (Participant), Franchin, A. (Participant), Gagne, S. (Participant), Göke, S. (Participant), Haapanala, S. (Participant), Hari, P. (Participant), Hartonen, K. (Principal Investigator), Herrmann, E. (Participant), Hienola, A. (Participant), Hilasvuori, E. (Participant), Hussein, T. (Participant), Hyötyläinen, T. (Participant), Hämeri, K. (Principal Investigator), Hölttä, T. (Participant), Julin, J. D. (Participant), Junninen, H. (Participant), Jussila, M. (Participant), Juurola, E. (Participant), Järvi, L. (Participant), Kajos, M. (Participant), Katul, G. (Participant), Kerminen, V.-M. (Participant), Keronen, P. (Participant), Kieloaho, A.-J. (Participant), Kolari, P. (Participant), Korhonen, J. (Participant), Kulmala, L. (Participant), Kulmala, M. (Principal Investigator), Kurten, T. (Participant), Duplissy (née Kyrö), E.-M. (Participant), Laakso, L. (Participant), Laitinen, T. (Participant), Lappalainen, H. K. (Participant), Launiainen, S. (Participant), Lauri, K. A. (Participant), Lauros, J. (Participant), Lehtipalo, K. (Participant), Levula, J. (Participant), Liao, L. (Participant), Linden, A. (Participant), Loukonen, V. (Participant), Makkonen, R. (Participant), Mammarella, I. (Participant), Manninen, H. (Participant), McGrath, M. (Participant), Merikanto, J. (Participant), Moisseev, D. (Principal Investigator), Mölgaard, B. (Participant), Mäkelä, A. (Principal Investigator), Määttänen, A. E. (Participant), Napari, I. I. (Participant), Nieminen, T. (Participant), Nikinmaa, E. (Principal Investigator), Nordbo, A. (Participant), Olascoaga Gracia, B. (Participant), Ortega Colomer, I. (Participant), Paasonen, P. (Participant), Parshintsev, J. (Participant), Patokoski, J. (Participant), Perämäki, M. K. (Participant), Petäjä, T. (Participant), Pihlatie, M. (Participant), Pohja, T. (Participant), Porcar-Castell, A. (Participant), Pumpanen, J. (Principal Investigator), Raivonen, M. (Participant), Rannik, U. (Participant), Rasilo, T. (Participant), Reissell, A. (Participant), Riekkola, M.-L. (Principal Investigator), Riikonen, A. (Participant), Riipinen, I. (Participant), Rinne, J. (Participant), Riuttanen, L. (Participant), Ruiz-Jimenez, J. (Participant), Ruuskanen, T. (Participant), Ruusuvuori, K. (Participant), Räisänen, J. (Participant), Savijärvi, H. (Principal Investigator), Schiestl-Aalto, P. (Participant), Schobesberger, S. (Participant), Schultz, D. (Principal Investigator), Sevanto, S. (Participant), Sipilä, M. (Participant), Sogacheva, L. (Participant), Sorvari, S. (Participant), Sundström, A.-M. (Participant), Suni, T. (Participant), Taipale, R. (Participant), Toivola, M. (Participant), Tomasic, M. (Participant), Vakkari, V. (Participant), Vana, M. (Participant), Vanhanen, J. (Participant), Vehkamäki, H. (Principal Investigator), Vesala, T. (Principal Investigator), Virkkula, A. O. (Participant), Worsnop, D. (Principal Investigator), Vuollekoski, H. (Participant), Väänänen, R. (Participant), Yli-Juuti, T. (Participant), Zilitinkevich, S. (Participant), Asmi, E. (Participant), Bogdan, A. (Participant) & Prisle, N. (Participant)
23/02/2011 → 23/02/2011
Project: Research Evaluation 2011

ACTRIS Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network
Faculty of Science
Facility/equipment: Coordination office
Hyytiälä Forest Station (LS-RIA/ Research Stations)
Aalto, J. (Manager) & Uotila, A. (Manager)
University of Helsinki
Facility/equipment: Core Facility
INAR RI Integrated Atmospheric and Earth System Science Research Infrastructure
Faculty of Science
Facility/equipment: Coordination office

Cite this

@article{d2e060154da04918bf2fea09731d01ef,

title = "Real-time detection of arsenic cations from ambient air in boreal forest and lake environments",

abstract = "We present the first observation of airborne organic and inorganic arsenic cations, detected in real time within the boreal forest in Hyytiala, Finland, and over nearby Lake Kuivajarvi. The technique of atmospheric-pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometry provides online, in situ monitoring as well as chemical information about the arsenic species, identified as protonated trimethylarsine oxide (AsC3H10O+) and AsO(H2O)(n)(+) clusters (n = 0-4). Quantum chemical calculations confirm that the proposed cations are stable under atmospheric conditions. Our most remarkable discovery is that minimal arsenic appeared during spring 2011 until after the ground began to thaw, triggering a sharp increase in airborne arsenic levels as snowmelt flooded the soil with water and stimulated microbial activity. These findings reveal that volatile arsenic species, detected here as atmospheric ions, link the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic through air, soil, water, and living organisms.",

keywords = "1171 Geosciences, 1172 Environmental sciences, 4112 Forestry",

author = "Faust, {Jennifer A.} and Heikki Junninen and Mikael Ehn and Xuemeng Chen and Kai Ruusuvuori and Antti-Jussi Kieloaho and Jaana B{\"a}ck and Anne Ojala and Tuija Jokinen and Worsnop, {Douglas R.} and Markku Kulmala and Tuukka Pet{\"a}j{\"a}",

year = "2016",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

pages = "42--46",

journal = "Environmental Science & Technology Letters",

issn = "2328-8930",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Real-time detection of arsenic cations from ambient air in boreal forest and lake environments

AU - Faust, Jennifer A.

AU - Junninen, Heikki

AU - Ehn, Mikael

AU - Chen, Xuemeng

AU - Ruusuvuori, Kai

AU - Kieloaho, Antti-Jussi

AU - Bäck, Jaana

AU - Ojala, Anne

AU - Jokinen, Tuija

AU - Worsnop, Douglas R.

AU - Kulmala, Markku

AU - Petäjä, Tuukka

PY - 2016/2

Y1 - 2016/2

N2 - We present the first observation of airborne organic and inorganic arsenic cations, detected in real time within the boreal forest in Hyytiala, Finland, and over nearby Lake Kuivajarvi. The technique of atmospheric-pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometry provides online, in situ monitoring as well as chemical information about the arsenic species, identified as protonated trimethylarsine oxide (AsC3H10O+) and AsO(H2O)(n)(+) clusters (n = 0-4). Quantum chemical calculations confirm that the proposed cations are stable under atmospheric conditions. Our most remarkable discovery is that minimal arsenic appeared during spring 2011 until after the ground began to thaw, triggering a sharp increase in airborne arsenic levels as snowmelt flooded the soil with water and stimulated microbial activity. These findings reveal that volatile arsenic species, detected here as atmospheric ions, link the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic through air, soil, water, and living organisms.

AB - We present the first observation of airborne organic and inorganic arsenic cations, detected in real time within the boreal forest in Hyytiala, Finland, and over nearby Lake Kuivajarvi. The technique of atmospheric-pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometry provides online, in situ monitoring as well as chemical information about the arsenic species, identified as protonated trimethylarsine oxide (AsC3H10O+) and AsO(H2O)(n)(+) clusters (n = 0-4). Quantum chemical calculations confirm that the proposed cations are stable under atmospheric conditions. Our most remarkable discovery is that minimal arsenic appeared during spring 2011 until after the ground began to thaw, triggering a sharp increase in airborne arsenic levels as snowmelt flooded the soil with water and stimulated microbial activity. These findings reveal that volatile arsenic species, detected here as atmospheric ions, link the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic through air, soil, water, and living organisms.

KW - 1171 Geosciences

KW - 1172 Environmental sciences

KW - 4112 Forestry

U2 - 10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308

DO - 10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00308

M3 - Article

SN - 2328-8930

VL - 3

SP - 42

EP - 46

JO - Environmental Science & Technology Letters

JF - Environmental Science & Technology Letters

IS - 2

ER -

Real-time detection of arsenic cations from ambient air in boreal forest and lake environments

Abstract

Fields of Science

Access to Document

Projects

ATM: Centre of Excellence in Atmospheric Science – From Molecular and Biological processes to The Global Climate

Center of Excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Meteorology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change (ATM)

Equipment

ACTRIS Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network

Hyytiälä Forest Station (LS-RIA/ Research Stations)

INAR RI Integrated Atmospheric and Earth System Science Research Infrastructure

Cite this