Application of an O-ring pinch device as a constant-pressure inlet (CPI) for airborne sampling

We present a novel and compact design of a constant-pressure inlet (CPI) developed for use in airborne aerosol mass spectrometry. In particular, the inlet system is optimized for aerodynamic lenses commonly used in aerosol mass spectrometers, in which efficient focusing of aerosol particles into a vacuum chamber requires a precisely controlled lens pressure, typically of a few hectopascals. The CPI device can also be used in condensation particle counters (CPCs), cloud condensation nucleus counters (CCNCs), and gas-phase sampling instruments across a wide range of altitudes and inlet pressures. The constant pressure is achieved by changing the inner diameter of a properly scaled O-ring that acts as a critical orifice. The CPI control keeps air pressure and thereby mass flow rate (≈0.1 L min-1) upstream of an aerodynamic lens constant, deviating at most by only ±2 % from a preset value. In our setup, a pressure sensor downstream of the O-ring maintains control of the pinch mechanism via a feedback loop and setpoint conditions are reached within seconds. The device was implemented in a few instruments, which were successfully operated on different research aircraft covering a wide range of ambient pressures, from sea level up to about 55 hPa. Details of operation and the quality of aerosol particle transmission were evaluated by laboratory experiments and in-flight data with a single-particle mass spectrometer. © Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

Optimizing the detection, ablation, and ion extraction efficiency of a single-particle laser ablation mass spectrometer for application in environments with low aerosol particle concentrations

The aim of this study is to show how a newly developed aerodynamic lens system (ALS), a delayed ion extraction (DIE), and better electric shielding improve the efficiency of the Aircraft-based Laser ABlation Aerosol MAss spectrometer (ALABAMA). These improvements are applicable to single-particle laser ablation mass spectrometers in general. To characterize the modifications, extensive sizeresolved measurements with spherical polystyrene latex particles (PSL; 150-6000 nm) and cubic sodium chloride particles (NaCl; 400-1700 nm) were performed. Measurements at a fixed ALS position show an improved detectable particle size range of the new ALS compared to the previously used Liu-type ALS, especially for supermicron particles. At a lens pressure of 2.4 hPa, the new ALS achieves a PSL particle size range from 230 to 3240 nm with 50% detection efficiency and between 350 and 2000 nm with 95% detection efficiency. The particle beam divergence was determined by measuring the detection efficiency at variable ALS positions along the laser cross sections and found to be minimal for PSL at about 800 nm. Compared to measurements by singleparticle mass spectrometry (SPMS) instruments using Liutype ALSs, the minimum particle beam divergence is shifted towards larger particle sizes. However, there are no disadvantages compared to the Liu-type lenses for particle sizes down to 200 nm. Improvements achieved by using the DIE and an additional electric shielding could be evaluated by size-resolved measurements of the hit rate, which is the ratio of laser pulses yielding a detectable amount of ions to the total number of emitted laser pulses. In particular, the hit rate for multiply charged particles smaller than 500 nm is significantly improved by preventing an undesired deflection of these particles in the ion extraction field. Moreover, it was found that by using the DIE the ion yield of the ablation, ionization, and ion extraction process could be increased, resulting in up to 7 times higher signal intensities of the cation spectra. The enhanced ion yield results in a larger effective width of the ablation laser beam, which in turn leads to a hit rate of almost 100% for PSL particles in the size range from 350 to 2000 nm. Regarding cubic NaCl particles the modifications of the ALABAMA result in an up to 2 times increased detection efficiency and an up to 5 times increased hit rate. The need for such instrument modifications arises in particular for measurements of particles that are present in low number concentrations such as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in general, but also aerosol particles at high altitudes or in pristine environments. Especially for these low particle number concentrations, improved efficiencies help to overcome the statistical limitations of single-particle mass spectrometer measurements. As an example, laboratory INP measurements carried out in this study show that the appli- cation of the DIE alone increases the number of INP mass spectra per time unit by a factor of 2 to 3 for the sampled substances. Overall, the combination of instrument modifications presented here resulted in an increased measurement efficiency of the ALABAMA for different particle types and particles shape as well as for highly charged particles. © 2020 Copernicus GmbH. All rights reserved

The isotope effect of nitrate assimilation in the Antarctic Zone: Improved estimates and paleoceanographic implications

Both the nitrogen (N) isotopic composition (δ^(15)N) of the nitrate source and the magnitude of isotope discrimination associated with nitrate assimilation are required to estimate the degree of past nitrate consumption from the δ^(15)N of organic matter in Southern Ocean sediments (e.g., preserved within diatom microfossils). It has been suggested that the amplitude of isotope discrimination (i.e. the isotope effect) correlates with mixed layer depth, driven by a physiological response of phytoplankton to light availability, which introduces complexity to the interpretation of sedimentary records. However, most of the isotope effectestimates that underpin this hypothesis derive from acid-preserved water samples, from which nitrite would have been volatilized and lost during storage. Nitrite δ^(15)N in Antarctic Zone surface waters is extremely low (−61 ± 20‰), consistent with the expression of an equilibrium isotope effect associated with nitrate–nitrite interconversion. Its loss from the combined nitrate + nitrite pool would act to raise the δ^(15)N of nitrate, potentially yielding overestimation of the isotope effect. Here, we revisit the nitrate assimilation isotope effect in the Antarctic Zone with measurements of the δ^(15)N and concentration of nitrate with and without nitrite, using frozen sea water samples from 5 different cruises that collectively cover all sectors of the Southern Ocean. The N isotope effect estimated using nitrate + nitrite δ^(15)N is relatively constant (5.5 ± 0.6‰) across the Antarctic Zone, shows no relationship with mixed layer depth, and is in agreement with sediment trap δ^(15)N measurements. Estimates of the N isotope effect derived from nitrate-only δ^(15)N are higher and more variable (7.9 ± 1.5‰), consistent with an artifact from nitrate-nitrite isotope exchange. In the case of the Southern Ocean, we conclude that the δ^(15)N of nitrate + nitrite better reflects the isotope effect of nitrate assimilation. The stability of this isotope effect across the Antarctic Zone simplifies the effort to reconstruct the past degree of nitrate consumption

Is hepatitis C virus elimination possible among people living with HIV and what will it take to achieve it?

Introduction The World Health Organization targets for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination include a 90% reduction in new infections by 2030. Our objective is to review the modelling evidence and cost data surrounding feasibility of HCV elimination among people living with HIV (PLWH), and identify likely components for elimination. We also discuss the real‐world experience of HCV direct acting antiviral (DAA) scale‐up and elimination efforts in the Netherlands. Methods We review modelling evidence of what intervention scale‐up is required to achieve WHO HCV elimination targets among HIV‐infected (HIV+) people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM), review cost‐effectiveness of HCV therapy among PLWH and discuss economic implications of elimination. We additionally use the real‐world experience of DAA scale‐up in the Netherlands to illustrate the promise and potential challenges of HCV elimination strategies in MSM. Finally, we summarize key components of the HCV elimination response among PWLH. Results and discussion Modelling indicates HCV elimination among HIV+ MSM and PWID is potentially achievable but requires combination treatment and either harm reduction or behavioural risk reductions. Preliminary modelling indicates elimination among HIV+ PWID will require elimination efforts among PWID more broadly. Treatment for PLWH and high‐risk populations (PWID and MSM) is cost‐effective in high‐income countries, but costs of DAAs remain a barrier to scale‐up worldwide despite the potential low production price ($50 per 12 week course). In the Netherlands, universal DAA availability led to rapid uptake among HIV+ MSM in 2015/16, and a 50% reduction in acute HCV incidence among HIV+ MSM from 2014 to 2016 was observed. In addition to HCV treatment, elimination among PLWH globally also likely requires regular HCV testing, development of low‐cost accurate HCV diagnostics, reduced costs of DAA therapy, broad treatment access without restrictions, close monitoring for HCV reinfection and retreatment, and harm reduction and/or behavioural interventions. Conclusions Achieving WHO HCV Elimination targets is potentially achievable among HIV‐infected populations. Among HIV+ PWID, it likely requires HCV treatment scale‐up combined with harm reduction for both HIV+ and HIV‐ populations. Among HIV+ MSM, elimination likely requires both HCV treatment and behaviour risk reduction among the HIV+ MSM pop

Aerosol processes in the Planetary Boundary Layer: High resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometry on a Zeppelin NT Airship

Atmospheric aerosol plays an ambivalent role for mankind. On the one hand, aerosol is known to have adverse health effects and even increase mortality. On the other hand, a raised aerosol concentration in the atmosphere is the only anthropogenic contribution to the Earth’s climate known to have a net cooling effect by scattering light and acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Among other things, the magnitude of these effects depend on the chemical composition of the aerosol. In this work, an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) was adapted for airborne aerosol chemical composition measurements on a Zeppelin NT airship. The Zeppelinplatform allows for measurements with high spatial resolution throughout the entire planetary boundary layer (PBL). The new instrument was successfully operated aboard the Zeppelin NT on nine out of ten flight days of a seven week campaign in two countries in the context of the European project PEGASOS. The mass concentrations of the measured aerosol chemical species are presented for these days.The campaign observations revealed a higher relative concentration of nitrate aerosol in the Netherlands compared to the Po Valley in northern Italy. For sulfate aerosol, the situation was opposite. Furthermore, the organic aerosol was more aged in the Po Valley than in the Netherlands. The influence of the aerosol chemical composition on the cloud droplet activation was studied by computation of the critical activation diameter and comparing to aerosol number size distribution measurements. In some situations, the chemical composition was the driving force behind changes in CCN concentration, in other situations its effect was overshadowed by changes in the size distribution. Differences between the individual layers of the PBL were identified in the mass concentrations of the aerosol chemical species and the organic aerosol age. A backward trajectory analysis was used in conjunction with the obtained data to estimate the aerosol production rate of the Po Valley to 0.60 ($\mu$g/m$^{3}$)/h for organic aerosol, 0.88 ($\mu$g/m$^{3}$)/h for nitrate aerosol, and 0.15 ($\mu$g/m$^{3}$)/h for sulfate aerosol.The aerosol ion balance was used to gain insights into organic aerosol functionalization patterns