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Iodine and bromine play central roles in polar atmospheric chemistry: iodine influences the atmospheric oxidative capacity and can generate cloud condensation nuclei, while bromine participates in ozone depletion reactions, known as bromine explosions. Here we present a very sensitive analytical method for Br and I speciation by coupling the ion chromatography system (IC) with an inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometer (ICP-SFMS). We achieved sub-picogram-per gram (pg g−1) as limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 0.4 pg g−1 for I−, 0.8 pg g−1 for IO3−, 4 pg g−1 for Br−, and 1 pg g−1 for BrO3−, respectively. These values represent a decrease of up to 30 times compared to the LODs reported in other studies. The method was validated using deep snow samples from the Svalbard Islands, collected at the end of the polar night to quantify various oxidized compounds during their seasonal minimum. In the future, this method could prove useful in the paleoclimatic study of ice cores and snow, as well as in ice chemistry research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plant protection products (PPPs) has become fundamental to guarantee excellent field productivity. Nevertheless, their usage presents critical issues, such as the quantity of substances used, the relative toxicity, and the contamination of nearby fields caused by atmospheric drift. This study focuses on the characterization of aerosol droplets of PPPs produced by spraying a chemical marker, fluorescein, with an orchard airblast sprayer equipped with conventional hollow cone (HC) and anti-drift air inclusion (AI) nozzles, using a wind tunnel as a controlled environment. A particle/droplet image analysis was employed to study the droplet production of the nozzles, while a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis allowed us to evaluate samples collected using a cascade impactor located at 5 m, 10 m, and 20 m from the emission point. Overall, HC nozzles are very accurate at producing specific drop size distributions (DSDs), while AI nozzles produce a much wider DSD, concentrating the largest part of the distributed volume into droplets of a larger size. The marker concentration was much lower for the AI nozzles compared to the HC nozzles; moreover, the two nozzles show a similar trend in the coarse droplet range, while significantly differing in the fine droplet spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of aerosols in high mountain regions is essential because particulate matter can play a role in altering the energy balance of high mountain regions, and aerosols can accelerate glacier melting in high mountain areas by darkening the ice surface, reducing its reflectivity (albedo). Studying aerosols in high mountain areas provides insights into long-range transport of pollutants, atmospheric dynamics, and climate change impacts. These regions can serve as valuable observatories for studying atmospheric processes. The main aim of this paper is to define the main sources of aerosols over an entire year of sampling at the Col Margherita Atmospheric Observatory (MRG; 46°22 ′ 0.059 ′′ N, 11°47 ′ 30.911 ′′ E; 2543 m a.s.l.), a high-altitude background site in the eastern Italian Alps. Here, we discuss the potential origins of more than 100 chemical markers (major ions, water-soluble organic compounds, trace elements, and rare earth elements) using different approaches. Some diagnostic ratios were applied, but source apportionment using positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to define the main inputs of PM 10 collected at this high-altitude site, resulting in the identification of four factors: (1) Saharan dust events, (2) long-range marine/anthropogenic influence, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) biomass-burning and anthropogenic emissions. It can be inferred that, despite the distant location of the Col Margherita site, both regional pollution and long-range anthropogenic pollution have discernible effects on this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine ice core research has long focused on a few suitable drilling sites at high elevation in the Western European Alps, assuming that the counterparts at lower elevation in the eastern sector are unsuitable for paleoenvironmental studies, due to the presence of melting and temperate basal conditions. However, it has been demonstrated that even in the Eastern Alpine range, below 4,000 m a.s.l., cold ice frozen to bedrock can exist. In fact, millennial-old ice has been found at some locations, such as at the Weißseespitze (WSS) summit ice cap (Ӧtztal Alps, 3,499m a.s.l.), where about 6 kyrs appear locked into 10mof ice. In this work, we present a full profile of the stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ²H), major ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-), levoglucosan, and microcharcoal for two parallel ice cores drilled at the Weißseespitze cap. We find that, despite the ongoing ice loss, the chemical and isotopic signatures appear preserved, and may potentially offer an untapped climatic record. This is especially noteworthy considering that chemical signals of other archives at similar locations have been partially or full corrupted by meltwater (i.e., Silvretta glacier, Grand Combin glacier, Ortles glacier). In addition, the impurity concentration near the surface shows no signs of anthropogenic contamination at WSS, which constrains the age at the surface to fall within the pre-industrial age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine ice core research has long focused on a few suitable drilling sites at high elevation in the Western European Alps, assuming that the counterparts at lower elevation in the eastern sector are unsuitable for paleoenvironmental studies, due to the presence of melting and temperate basal conditions. However, it has been demonstrated that even in the Eastern Alpine range, below 4,000 m a.s.l., cold ice frozen to bedrock can exist. In fact, millennial-old ice has been found at some locations, such as at the Weißseespitze (WSS) summit ice cap (Ötztal Alps, 3,499 m a.s.l.), where about 6 kyrs appear locked into 10 m of ice. In this work, we present a full profile of the stable water isotopes (S18O, S2H), major ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-), levoglucosan, and microcharcoal for two parallel ice cores drilled at the Weißseespitze cap. We find that, despite the ongoing ice loss, the chemical and isotopic signatures appear preserved, and may potentially offer an untapped climatic record. This is especially noteworthy considering that chemical signals of other archives at similar locations have been partially or full corrupted by meltwater (i.e., Silvretta glacier, Grand Combin glacier, Ortles glacier). In addition, the impurity concentration near the surface shows no signs of anthropogenic contamination at WSS, which constrains the age at the surface to fall within the pre-industrial age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of aerosol in high mountain regions is essential because particulate matter can play a role in altering the energy balance of high mountain regions, and aerosols can accelerate glacier melting in high mountain areas by darkening the ice surface, reducing its reflectivity (albedo). Studying aerosols in high mountain areas provides insights into long-range transport of pollutants, atmospheric dynamics, and climate change impacts. These regions can serve as valuable observatories for studying atmospheric processes. The main aim of this paper is to define the main sources of aerosol over an entire year of sampling at the Col Margherita Atmospheric Observatory (MRG 46° 22' 0.059" N, 11° 47' 30.911" E, 2543 m a.s.l.), a high-altitude background site in the Eastern Italian Alps. Here, we discuss the potential origins of more than one hundred chemical markers (major ions, water soluble organic compounds, trace elements, rare earth elements) using different approaches. Some diagnostic ratios were applied, but source apportionment using Positive Matrix Factorization was used to define the main inputs of PM10 collected at this high-altitude site. Moreover, a characterization of the air masses helped us to confirm the aerosol sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-step protocol was developed for the hydrolytic hydrogenation of microcrystalline cellulose into sorbitol over commercial carbon-supported Ru, in the presence of gaseous CO2 as an acid source and molecular hydrogen as a reductant. Under these conditions, cellulose was first hydrolysed to glucose by reversibly formed carbonic acid in water and then instantaneously hydrogenated on Ru/C. By tuning the reaction parameters, such as temperature, time and the relative pressure of CO2 and hydrogen gas, cellulose was fully converted at 220 °C in 18 h under 30 and 40 bar of H2 and CO2, respectively, with a sorbitol yield of 81%. Blank experiments revealed that without a catalyst and hydrogen, the reaction exhibited <5% conversion and glucose was the only detected product when the reaction was performed under CO2 pressure. XRD measurements on CO2-treated cellulose surprisingly revealed no noticeable changes in the crystallinity index (<10% with respect to microcrystalline cellulose), suggesting that hydrolytic hydrogenation took place on crystalline, not amorphous, cellulose. Furthermore, not only several cellulosic feedstocks, including filter paper, cotton wool, and cotton fiber, but also typical cellulose-based wastes such as a cardboard pizza box were also tested and under the optimized conditions sorbitol was obtained with yields ranging from 56% up to 72% in all cases. No less significant was the Ru/C catalyst stability, which could be recycled at least six times without any noticeable activity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Alpine ice core research focused on a few suitable drilling sites at high elevation in the Western European Alps, assuming that the counterparts at lower elevation in the eastern sector are unsuitable for paleoenvironmental studies, due to the presence of melting and temperate basal conditions. Since then, it has been demonstrated that even in the Eastern Alpine range, below 4000 m a.s.l., cold ice frozen to bedrock can exist. In fact, millennial-old ice has been found at some locations, such as at the Weißseespitze (WSS) summit ice cap (Ӧtztal Alps, 3499 m a.s.l.), where about 6 kyrs appear locked into 10 m of ice. In this work, we present a full profile of the stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H), major ions (Na+, Cl-, Br-, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NO32-, SO42-, NH4+, MSA-), levoglucosan, and microcharcoal for two parallel ice cores drilled at the Weißseespitze cap. We find that, despite the ongoing ice loss, the chemical and isotopic signatures appear preserved, and may potentially offer an untapped climatic record. This is especially noteworthy considering that chemical signals of other archives at similar locations have been partially or full corrupted by meltwater (i.e., Silvretta glacier, Grand Combin glacier, Ortles glacier). In addition, the impurity concentration near the surface shows no signs of anthropogenic contamination at WSS, which constrains the age at the surface to falls within the pre-industrial age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to urbanization and industrialization, water pollution is now one of the major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Considering the increasing of agricultural and non-agricultural settings in the last decades, the investigation of the relationship between such pesticides and urban stormwater is critical to understand how urban, residential, and industrialized areas can affect environmental safety. Recently, scientific interest has grown in stormwater chemical characterization with the aim to define its impacts in the environment and possibly to make it potable water. In this context, glyphosate, glufosinate, and their degradation products have been identified as the key knowledge gap for the chemical characterization of stormwater. Research investments are needed for a better understanding of the highly polar pesticides to estimate their load, source, and dispersion of urban runoff due to residential use of herbicides. Furthermore, a more comprehensive study of wet and dry deposition and spray drift should be considered for a correct evaluation of source apportionment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Preservation of chemical and isotopic Signatures within the Weißseespitze millennial old ice cap (Eastern Alps), despite the ongoing ice loss." The correction addresses errors in the names of laboratories mentioned in the article. The Laboratory of Palynology and Paleoecology of CNR-IGAG is the correct name for the laboratory involved in microfossils extraction and preparation, and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is the correct name for the laboratory where microscopy slides were analyzed. The authors apologize for the errors and state that they do not affect the scientific conclusions of the article. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents the results of simultaneous high time-resolution measurements of biogenic aerosol (methane sulfonic acid (MSA), non-sea salt sulfate nss SO42-) with its gaseous precursor dimethylsulfide (DMS), performed at the Italian coastal base Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) in Terra Nova Bay (MZS) during two summer campaigns (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). Data on atmospheric DMS concentration are scarce, especially in Antarctica. The DMS maximum at MZS occurs in December, one month earlier than at other Antarctic stations. The maximum of DMS concentration is connected with the phytoplanktonic senescent phase following the bloom of Phaeocystis antarctica that occurs in the polynya when sea ice opens up. The second plankton bloom occurs in January and, despite the high dimethylsufoniopropionate (DMSP) concentration in seawater, atmospheric DMS remains low, probably due to its fast biological turnover in seawater in this period. The intensity and timing of the DMS evolution during the two years suggest that only the portion of the polynya close to the sampling site produces a discernible effect on the measured DMS. The closeness to the DMS source area and the occurrence of air masses containing DMS and freshly formed oxidation products allow us to study the kinetic of biogenic aerosol formation and the reliable derivation of the branch ratio between MSA and nss SO42- from DMS oxidation that is estimated to be 0.84±0.06. Conversely, for aged air masses with low DMS content, an enrichment of nss SO42- with respect to MSA, is observed. We estimate that the mean contribution of freshly formed biogenic aerosol to PM 10 is 17 % with a maximum of 56 %. The high contribution of biogenic aerosol to the total PM 10 mass in summer in this area highlights the dominant role of the polynya on biogenic aerosol formation. Finally, due to the regional and year-to-year variability of DMS and related biogenic aerosol formation, we stress the need for long-term measurements of seawater and atmospheric DMS and biogenic aerosol along the Antarctic coast and in the Southern Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-two samples of feed, saliva, urines, and faeces collected from a cattle farm were investigated with the aim to evaluate the occurrence of glyphosate in faeces, urine and saliva. Glyphosate in the feed was also quantified to understand how it was assimilated by mammals. All cows excreted glyphosate in their faeces at concentrations between 57 and 983 ng g−1. In contrast, only 55% of urine and one sample of saliva tested positive. Most of the feeds demonstrated a non-negligible presence of glyphosate. In particular, a silage containing soybeans from genetically modified cultivation showed a concentration one order of magnitude higher than the other feeds. This study aims to provide the first complete determination of glyphosate in a cattle farm, considering the possible re-entry into the environment through the spreading of liquid and solid sewage and its possible impact on groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results on simultaneous high time resolution measurements of biogenic aerosol (methane sulfonic acid-MSA, non-sea salt sulfate nssSO42-) with its gaseous precursor dimethylsulfide (DMS) performed at the Italian coastal base Mario Zucchelli Station (MZS) in Terra Nova Bay (MZS) during two summer campaigns (2018-2019 and 2019-2020). The study provides information on marine biological activity in the nearby polynya in the Ross Sea and on the influence of biogenic and atmospheric processes on biogenic aerosol formation. Data on atmospheric DMS concentration are scarce especially in Antarctica. The DMS-maximum at MZS occurs in December, one month earlier than at other Antarctic stations. The maximum of DMS concentration is connected with the phytoplanktonic senescent phase following the bloom of Phaeocystis antarctica that occurs in the polynya when sea ice opens up. The second plankton bloom occurs in January and, despite the high Dimethylsulfopropionate (DMSP) concentration in sea water, atmospheric DMS remains low probably due to its fast biological turnover in sea water in this period. The intensity and timing of the DMS evolution during the two years suggests that only the portion of the polynya close to the sampling site produces a discernible effect on the measured DMS. The closeness to the DMS source area, and the occurrence of air masses containing DMS and freshly formed oxidation products allow to study the kinetic of biogenic aerosol formation and the reliable derivation of the branch ratio between MSA and nssSO42- from DMS oxidation that is estimated to be 0.84 ±0.06. Conversely, for aged airmasses with low DMS content, an enrichment of nssSO42- with respect to MSA, due to the presence of background concentration of nssSO42-from volcanic origin (Erebus) or from long range transport, takes place. Therefore, the aged air mass presents an MSA/ nssSO42- ratio lower than in newly formed biogenic aerosol. By considering the sum of MSA and biogenic nssSO42-, we estimate that the mean contribution of biogenic particulate matter to PM10 is 17%, with a maximum of 56%. The high contribution of biogenic aerosol to the total PM10 mass in summer in this area highlights the dominant role of the polynya on biogenic aerosol formation. Finally, due to the regional and year-to year variability of DMS and related biogenic aerosol formation, we stress the need of long-term measurements of atmospheric DMS and biogenic aerosol along the Antarctic coast and in the Southern Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aerosol samples were collected with a high-volume cascade impactor with a 10 day sampling frequency at the Gruvebadet observatory, close to Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Islands). A total of 42 filters were analyzed for free and combined amino acids, as they are key components of bio-aerosol. This article provides the first investigation of free and combined L- and d -amino acids in Arctic atmospheric particulate matter. The main aim of this study was to determine how these compounds are distributed in size-segregated aerosols after short-range and long-range atmospheric transport and understand the possible sources of amino acids. The total load of free amino acids ranged from 2.0 to 10.8 pmol m−3, while combined amino acids ranged from 5.5 to 18.0 pmol m−3. At these levels amino compounds could play a role in the chemistry of cloud condensation nuclei and fine particles, for example by influencing their buffering capacity and basicity. Free and combined amino acids were mainly found in the fine aerosol fraction (<0.49 μm) and their concentrations could be affect by several sources, the most important of which were biological primary production and biomass burning. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The article provides information about the presence of amino acids in the Arctic aerosol. • The study identifies mainly the phytoplanktonic bloom and biomass burning as sources. • For the first time free and combined L- and D-amino acids were studied in Arctic aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water soluble organic carbon significantly contributes to aerosol's carbon mass and its chemical composition is poorly characterized due to the huge number of species. In this study, we determined 94 water-soluble compounds: inorganic ions (Cl−, Br−, I−, NO 3 −, SO 4 2−,K+, Mg+, Na+, NH 4 +, Ca2+), organic acids (methanesulfonic acid and C 2 -C 7 carboxylic acids), monosaccharides, alcohol-sugars, levoglucosan and its isomers, sucrose, phenolic compounds, free l - and d -amino acids and photo-oxidation products of α-pinene (cis-pinonic acid and pinic acid). The sampling was conducted using a micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) at the urban area of Mestre-Venice from March to May 2016. The main aim of this work is to identify the source of each detected compound, evaluating its particle size distribution. Clear differences in size distributions were observed for each class of analyzed compounds. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to identify six factors related to different sources: a) primary biogenic aerosol particles with particle size > 10 μm; b) secondary sulfate contribution; c) biomass burning; d) primary biogenic aerosol particles distributed between 10 and 1 μm; e) an aged sea salt input and f) SOA pinene. Each factor was also characterized by different composition in waters soluble compounds and different particles size distribution. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Determination of 94 water soluble compounds in ultrafine, fine and coarse aerosol • Particle size distribution of l - and d -amino acids in urban aerosol • Factor analysis identified different sources for free amino acids and sugars. • Six different sources were identified with positive matrix factorization. • Each identified source had a specific particle size distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North-Eastern Italy and in particular Veneto Region, stands out as a major centre of agriculture and viticulture which has rapidly expanded in the last decade with high productivity indexes. In this context, assessing atmospheric pollution caused by crop spraying with pesticides in rural areas and their transport to high-altitude remote sites is crucial to provide a basis for understanding possible impacts on the environment and population health. We aim to improve existing methods with a highly sensitive technique by using high pressure anion exchange chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Thus, a total of fourteen polar pesticides were determined in aerosol samples collected from August to December 2021 at Roncade (Venetian plain) and Col Margherita Observatory (Dolomites). The observatory was chosen as the background site as it is representative of the surrounding alpine region. Some samples revealed a substantial amount of cyanuric acid mainly at Roncade (mean concentration of 10 ± 10 ng m−3), glyphosate and fosetyl-aluminium (0.1 ± 0.2 and 0.1 ± 0.1 ng m−3, respectively). Surprisingly, some pesticides have been also found at Col Margherita, a high mountain background site, with concentrations an order of magnitude lower than at Roncade. This is the first time that fourteen polar pesticides have been assessed in the aerosol phase of the Po' Valley and detected at a high-altitude remote site, and consequently this study provides the first data on their occurrences in Italian aerosols. It represents a basis for the assessment of risks for humans. [Display omitted] • A sensitive method was developed for fourteen pesticides in atmospheric aerosol. • The spray drift is likely the main atmospheric source of pesticides at rural site. • Both valley breeze and boundary layer affected the pesticides load in the Alps. • Preliminary assessments are provided on the risk posed by pesticide drift to human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the year-round variability of the water-soluble fraction of trace elements (wsTE) and rare earth elements (wsREE) among size segregated airborne particulate matter samples collected at Ny-Ålesund in the Svalbard Archipelago from 26 February 2018 to 26 February 2019. Six different aerosol dimensional fractions were collected using a multi-stage Andersen impactor to better understand local and global circulation with the aim of disentangling the source of inorganic tracers from specific natural or anthropogenic sources. The wsTE and wsREE content, especially in the finest fractions in remote areas, is primarily related to long-range transport and it gives valuable information on (1) the global circulation, (2) the natural sources and (3) the contribution of human activities to aerosol composition. A Factor Analysis was applied to the dataset, including levoglucosan and methanesulfonic acid (MSA), to assess the possibility of using certain inorganic tracers as indicators of specific transport events or circulation regimes. We also investigate back-trajectories to determine potential source areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic acids in aerosols Earth's atmosphere are ubiquitous and they have been extensively studied across urban, rural and polar environments. However, little is known about their properties, transport, source and seasonal variations in the Svalbard Archipelago. Here, we present the annual trend of organic acids in the aerosol collected at Ny-Ålesund and consider their size-distributions to infer their possible sources and relative contributions. A series of carboxylic acids were detected with a predominance of C2-oxalic acid. Pinic acid and cis-pinonic acid were studied in order to better understand the oxidative and gas-to-particle processes occurred in the Arctic atmosphere. Since the water-soluble organic fraction is mainly composed by organic acids and ions, we investigated how the seasonal variation leads to different atmospheric transport mechanisms, focusing on the chemical variations between the polar night and boreal summer. Using major ions, levoglucosan and MSA, the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) identified five different possible sources: a) sea spray; b) marine primary production; c) biomass burning; d) sea ice related process and e) secondary products. Unlabelled Image • A year-round record of organic acids was studied in Arctic aerosols. • The study investigates sources and seasonal trend of particulate organic acids. • The study provides an overview of the change of sources throughout the seasons. • PMF defines five sources for low molecular weight organic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations and particle-size distribution of sugars in Arctic aerosol samples were studied to investigate their potential sources and transport. Sugars are constituents of the water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) fraction in aerosol particles where some saccharides are used as tracers of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPs). Monosaccharides (arabinose, fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, xylose), disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose, lactulose), alcohol-sugars (erythritol, mannitol, ribitol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, galactitol) and anhydrosugars (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan) were quantified in aerosol samples collected during three different sampling campaigns (spring and summer 2013, spring 2014 and 2015). The mean total concentrations of sugars were 0.4 ± 0.3, 0.6 ± 0.5 and 0.5 ± 0.6 ng m−3 for 2013, 2014 and 2015 spring campaigns, while the mean concentration increased to 3 ± 3 ng m−3 in the summer of 2013. This work identified a reproducibility in the sugars trend during spring, while the summer data in 2013 allowed to us to demonstrate strong local inputs when the ground was free of snow and ice. Furthermore, the study aims to show that the two specific ratios of sorbitol & galactiol to arabinose were diagnostic for the type of biomass that was burnt. This study demonstrates that not only is long-range atmospheric transport significant. But depending on seasonality, local inputs can also play an important role in the chemical composition of sugars in Arctic aerosol. Unlabelled Image • For the first time a broad class of sugars were studied in Svalbard aerosol. • The study provides information about the sources and transport of sugars in Arctic. • The study identifies biomass burning and local terrestrial/sea input as sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]