Investigating the Oxidative Potential of Secondary Organic Aerosols

Alexandra Wolfer

University of Florida

When primary organic aerosols (POA), both biogenic and anthropogenic byproducts of air pollution, are oxidized and condensed in the atmosphere, they form secondary organic aerosols (SOA), small particulate matter on the scale of nanometers to micrometers. These SOA are capable of penetrating the human respiratory system and are small enough to travel through the pharynx and trachea and into the bronchi branches. In 2006, the EPA attributed 25% of the global mortality rate to air pollution. Additionally, in 2015, small particulate matter such as SOA were found to be the 5^th leading cause of death globally, illustrating their worldwide significance. SOA are linked to having a negative impact on human health. This work has focused on developing and optimizing a workflow to study the radicals of two SOA: toluene SOA and a-pinene SOA. A series of controls have been developed to decrease variability from external influences within samples, including solvent and temperature effects. The chemical nature and oxidative potential of both SOA have been studied in high and low nitric oxide environments. Not only do the two SOA produce different radicals, distinct from each other but also themselves, but all samples also have different effects on both model and biologically relevant proteins.