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AVVISO DI SEMINARIO

Prof. Athanasios Nenes
Professor and head of the Laboratory of
Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts (LAPI) at EPFL
Title: “Aerosol Acidity, Biomass Burning and its Impacts”

       Martedì 02 Luglio 2019 ore 14:30
                Sala 312 - ISAC I piano
              Via Gobetti 101 – Bologna

               ABSTRACT

Human activities profoundly alter the composition of the atmosphere, leading to a cascade of effects on climate, ecosystems and human health. Atmospheric particulate matter, or aerosols, play a central role in all these changes. Much of the predictive uncertainty surrounding human impacts on the Earth System are related to poorly understood processes involving the emission, transformation and related impacts of atmospheric aerosol.

This talk will present research focused on aerosol acidity (pH). Despite its importance as a driver of aerosol concentration, chemistry, toxicity and nutrient bioavailability, aerosol pH remains poorly constrained because its direct measurement is currently not possible. We present recent advances in constraining in-situ particle pH from the
thermodynamic analysis of aerosol and gas-phase composition, and show that strong acidity (pH of 0 to 3) is ubiquitous in global aerosol. We then continue on showing how this renewed understanding of aerosol pH can help unravel the observed trends in aerosol toxicity, model bias and bioavailability of nutrients contained within them.
The talk will then continue on presenting research on biomass burning (BB) aerosol. Emphasis will be placed on the climate- (Brown Carbon) and health-related (Oxidative potential) properties of aged biomass burning aerosol, as well as efforts to identify new constraints that can be used as tracers (which are currently missing). Considering the current inability to detect aged BB in aged aerosol, together with increasing domestic woodburning and occurrence of wildfires worldwide from climate change, means that we may be largely underestimating the importance and impacts of this major aerosol source.
Short Bio: Athanasios Nenes is a Professor and head of the Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts (LAPI) at EPFL. He is affiliated with the Institute of Chemical Engineering Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Patras, Greece) and the National Observatory of Athens (Athens, Greece). He authored 270 manuscripts, developed the ISORROPIA aerosol model, and instrumentation to measure aerosol properties and Cloud Condensation Nuclei. He serves as President of Atmospheric Sciences of the European Geophysical Union, and member of the UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (WG38: Atmospheric input of chemicals to the ocean), the Committee on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, Editor in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and served on the US National Academies Committee on the Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research (2014-2016), Secretary of Atmospheric Sciences of the American Geophysical Union (2012-2016), and Board of Directors of the American Association for Aerosol Research (2014-2017). His distinctions include an ERC Consolidator Grant (2016); Vaughan Lectureship, California Institute of Technology (2014); Ascent Award, American Geophysical Union (2012); Whitby Award, American Association for Aerosol Research (2011); Houghton Award, American Meteorological Society (2009); Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award (2007); Friedlander Award, American Association for Aerosol Research (2005); NASA New Investigator Award (2004) and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2004).

La Segreteria
Luciana Trivellone
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima
Via Gobetti 101
40129 - Bologna (BO)
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