Sulfur speciation in individual aerosol particles

Sulfur aerosols play an important role in acid deposition and the Earth's energy balance. Important species in these aerosols include methanesulfonates, hydroxymethanesulfonates, sulfates, and sulfites. Because the relative amounts of these species indicate different sources and atmospheric processes, it is important to distinguish them in single-aerosol particles. To accomplish this task, we use rapid single-particle mass spectrometry (RSMS), a technique that permits individual particles to be analyzed in an on-line mode. Each sulfur species produces a characteristic set of ions in the mass spectra. In simulated marine and urban aerosols the relative amounts of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and sodium hydroxymethanesulfonate (NaHMSA) in a single particle can be determined from peak area ratios in the mass spectra. Improved quantitation is possible by application of the classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm to distinguish the mass spectra of particles having different compositions. Factors that influence speciation include particle size, morphology, and laser fluence.