New ACP Letter: How alkaline compounds control atmospheric aerosol particle acidity

15 October 2021

Aerosol particle pH is well-buffered by alkaline compounds, notably NH₃ and crustal elements. NH₃ is found to supply remarkable buffering capacity on a global scale, from the polluted continents to the remote oceans. Potential future changes in agricultural NH₃ must be accompanied by strong reductions of SO₂ and NO_x to avoid particles becoming highly acidic, with implications for human health (aerosol toxicity), ecosystems (acid deposition), clouds, and climate (aerosol hygroscopicity).

Contact: Vlassis A. Karydis (v.karydis@fz-juelich.de)