Atmospheric budget of primary biological aerosol particles from fungal spores
Abstract
The contribution of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) to the global budget of organic aerosol is poorly understood. Concentrations of mannitol, a biotracer for fungal spores, are used here to constrain the first global model (GEOS‐Chem) simulation of PBAP from fungi. Emissions are driven by leaf area index and atmospheric water vapor concentrations and are empirically optimized based on the geographical and seasonal variability of observed mannitol concentrations. Optimized global emissions total 28 Tg yr−1, with 25% of that total emitted as fine mode (PM 2.5) aerosol. Fungal spores contribute 23% of total primary emissions of organic aerosol, or 7% of the fine‐mode source. Annual mean simulated surface concentrations of PBAP over vegetated regions range from 0.1–0.7 μ gm−3 (PM 2.5) and 0.4–3.0 μ gm−3 (PM 10), with the highest concentrations in the tropics, where PBAP may be the dominant source of organic aerosol. Further validation is required to reduce the substantial uncertainties on this budget.
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The mass size distribution of mannitol, used as a chemical tracer for fungal spores by Heald and Spracklen (2009), peaks at particle diameters of 5 μm in their study.
“On the one hand, the mass size distribution of mannitol, which is used as a chemical tracer for fungal spores by Heald and Spracklen (2009), peaks in their study at particle diameters of 5 µm.”
From Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (2015) · cites this paper as Heald and Spracklen (2009)
Among the drivers of day-to-day variations, specific humidity (qv) correlates best with the mannitol concentrations.
“Among the drivers of day-to-day variations, specific humidity ( q v) correlates best with the mannitol concentrations (Heald and Spracklen, 2009).”
From Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (2015) · cites this paper as Heald and Spracklen, 2009
The coefficient b2 is approximately the same as the constants in the Heald and Spracklen (2009) emission for a particle diameter of 3 μm given in Eq. (6).
“The coefficient b 2 is approximately the same as the constants in the Heald and Spracklen (2009) emission for a particle diameter of 3 µm given in Eq. (6).”
From Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (2015) · cites this paper as Heald and Spracklen (2009)
Cites
Interannual variability in global biomass burning emissions from 1997 to 2004
van der Werf, G. R., Randerson, J. T., Giglio, L., Collatz, G. J., Kasibhatla, P. S., & Arellano, A. F. (2006) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-6-3423-2006 · Cited by 1,656 · see citing works
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Hummel, M., Hoose, C., Gallagher, M., Healy, D. A., Huffman, J. A., O'Connor, D., Pöschl, U., Pöhlker, C., Robinson, N. H., Schnaiter, M., et al. (2015) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-15-6127-2015 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“Among the drivers of day-to-day variations, specific humidity (qv) correlates best with the mannitol concentrations (Heald and Spracklen, 2009).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
- Authors
- Heald, C. L., & Spracklen, D. V.
- Affiliations
- Colorado State University (US)
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2009-05
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 9
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W2063429073
- Cited by
- 210
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 7.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Keywords
- primary biological aerosol particles, fungal spores, mannitol, GEOS-Chem, fine-mode aerosol, PM2.5, leaf area index, atmospheric water vapor, global emissions, tropical aerosols, aerosol source apportionment
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