Atlanta 1999 Single Particle Mass Spectrometer Measurements

August 1999 aerosol particle data includes aerodynamic size and positive mass spectrum for each particle, along with measurement time and laser pulse energy. The EPA Supersite program and NSF funded measurements using a Rapid Single-particle Mass Spectrometer. Data collection occurred during a month-long experiment in Atlanta.

Use Cases

• Analyze particle-to-particle composition variations using recorded mass spectra and aerodynamic size classes.
• Identify key particle sources by correlating mass spectrum signatures with measurement date and time.
• Assess external mixing properties across nine logarithmically spaced size classes from 40 to 1300 nm.
• Study temporal resolution of aerosol characteristics using real-time single particle data flagged with background spectra.

Strengths

• Data provides real-time temporal resolution for individual aerosol particles.
• Particles were analyzed across nine discrete aerodynamic size classes spanning 40 to 1300 nm.

Limitations

• Spectra were only saved if ion peaks exceeded a threshold level, potentially filtering out low-signal particles.
• Data is from a single month in 1999, offering limited temporal coverage for long-term trends.
• Sampling at each size stopped after 30 particle hits unless time was excessive, which may introduce sampling bias.

Provenance

Source

NARSTO EPA Supersite program, with funding from EPA and NSF.

Collection Method

Individual aerosol particles were sized and analyzed using a Rapid Single-particle Mass Spectrometer with a 193 nm excimer laser.

Time Range

August 1999

Geography

Atlanta, Georgia, USA