Measurements and comparison of primary biological aerosol above and below a tropical forest canopy using a dual channel fluorescence spectrometer
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Abstract
Abstract. Aerosol particle size distributions were measured below and above a tropical rainforest canopy in Borneo, Malaysia, in June/July 2008 using the WIBS-3: a single particle dual channel fluorescence spectrometer. Material in the size range 0.8–20 μm was characterized according to optical equivalent diameter (DP), morphology and fluorescence at 310–400 nm and 400–600 nm following excitation at 280 nm and 370 nm respectively. Particles fluorescent after both excitations are likely to be fluorescent primary biological aerosol particles (FBAP). Measured FBAP number concentration (NFBAP) at both sites exhibited clear diurnal cycles. The largest variability was observed in the understorey, where NFBAP reached a minimum of 50–100 L−1 in late morning. In mid afternoon it exhibited strong transient fluctuations as large as 4000 L−1 that were followed by sustained concentrations of 1000–2500 L−1 that reduced steadily between midnight and sunrise. Above the canopy FBAP number ranged from 50–100 L−1 during the daytime to 200–400 L−1 at night but did not exhibit the transient enhancements seen in the understorey. The strong FBAP fluctuations were attributed to the release of fungal spores below the canopy and appeared to be linked to elevated relative humidity. The mean FBAP number fraction in the size range 0.8 μm
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A better correlation with measured FBAP concentrations is achieved for specific humidity rather than relative humidity.
“Analyzing the meteorological and surface parameters of the model output, it was found that a better correlation with the measured FBAP concentrations is achieved for specific humidity rather than relative humidity, as it was reported for previous field measurements (Gabey et al., 2010; Toprak and Schnaiter, 2013; Di Filippo et al., 2013).”
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 Gabey et al., 2010
Section 3.2 reports that FBAP concentrations peak when relative humidity is 80–90%, and Section 5 describes a potential link with relative humidity. The paper does not compare correlations with specific and relative humidity, so it does not support the claim that specific humidity correlates better. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe WIBS-4 instrument at Karlsruhe includes technical improvements compared to the WIBS-3 used at Manchester and Cork.
“The measurement series at Karlsruhe, Germany, are done with a WIBS-4 instrument which includes technical improvements compared to the WIBS-3 used at Manchester, UK, and Cork, Ireland (Gabey et al., 2010; Healy et al., 2012b).”
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 Gabey et al., 2010
Section 1.8 identifies and describes the WIBS-3 instrument used in this study, so the citation supports that part of the instrument comparison. The paper does not describe WIBS-4, technical improvements, or measurements at Karlsruhe, Manchester, or Cork; its site description instead concerns a tropical forest campaign. Page numbers were not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMeasured FBAP number concentrations often exhibit distinct diel (24 h) cycles with a maximum in the morning hours or around midnight and a minimum around noon.
“Measured FBAP number concentrations often exhibit distinct diel (24 h) cycles with a maximum in the morning hours or around midnight and a minimum around noon. These features have been consistently reported by most studies discussing temporal behavior of FBAP (Gabey et al., 2010; Huffman et al., 2010, 2012; Toprak and Schnaiter, 2013).”
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 Gabey et al., 2010
The technical difference between the two instrument types may lead to significantly different FBAP concentrations, because the WIBS instrument only counts particles as FBAP when a signal exceeds a threshold in both channels.
“The technical difference may lead to significantly different FBAP concentrations (Healy et al., 2014), because the WIBS instrument only counts particles as FBAP when a signal exceeds a threshold in both channels (Pöhlker et al., 2012; Gabey et al., 2010).”
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 Gabey et al., 2010
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Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Guyon, P., Graham, B., Roberts, G. C., Mayol-Bracero, O. L., Maenhaut, W., Artaxo, P., and Andreae, M. O.: In-canopy gra- dients, composition, sources, and optical properties of aerosol over the Amazon forest, J. Geophys. Res., 108(D18), 4591, doi:10.1029/2003JD003465, 2003. · DOI
- Heald, C. L. and Spracklen, D. V.: Atmospheric budget of primary biological aerosol particles from fungal spores, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L09806, doi:10.1029/2009GL037493, 2009. · DOI · Paper page
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- Möhler, O., DeMott, P. J., Vali, G., and Levin, Z.: Microbiology and atmospheric processes: the role of biological particles in cloud physics, Biogeosciences, 4, 1059-1071, doi:10.5194/bg-4-1059- 2007, 2007. · DOI
- Pan, Y.-L., Pinnick, R. G., Hill, S. C., Rosen, J. M., and Chang, R. K.: Single-particle laser-induced-fluorescence spec- tra of biological and other organic-carbon aerosols in the at- mosphere: Measurements at New Haven, Connecticut, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D24S19, doi:10.1029/2007JD008741, 2007. · DOI
- Penner, J. E.: Carbonaceous aerosols influencing atmospheric radi- ation: Black and organic carbon in: Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Houghton, J. T., Ding, Y., Griggs, D. J., Noguer, M., Linden, P. J. v. d., Dai, X., Maskell, K., and Johnson, C. A., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 289-348, 1995.
- Whitehead, J. D., Gallagher, M. W., Dorsey, J. R., Robinson, N., Gabey, A. M., Coe, H., McFiggans, G., Flynn, M. J., Ryder, J., Nemitz, E., and Davies, F.: Aerosol fluxes and dynamics within and above a tropical rainforest in South-East Asia, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10, 12023-12061, doi:10.5194/acpd-10-12023- 2010, 2010. · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Latham, J., Bower, K., Choularton, T., Coe, H., Connolly, P., Cooper, G., Craft, T., Foster, J., Gadian, A., Galbraith, L., et al. (2012) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences · doi:10.1098/rsta.2012.0086 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
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
Self-citation
- Authors
- Gabey, A. M., Gallagher, M. W., Whitehead, J., Dorsey, J. R., Kaye, P. H., & Stanley, W. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Hertfordshire (GB)
- Venue
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- Published
- 2010-05-17
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 4453-4466
- ISSN
- 1680-7316 (ISSN-L)
- 1680-7324
- OpenAlex
- W2158668210
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 7.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Atmospheric chemistry and physics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- University of Hertfordshire Research Archive (University of Hertfordshire) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Royal Society
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/E011217/1, NE/E011136/1, NE/H002316/1, NE/D002117/1)
- 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
- tropical rainforest canopy, fungal spores, diurnal variation, relative humidity, particle size distribution, fluorescence spectroscopy, Borneo
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