Special Symposia

Electronic Cigarettes: Formulation, Particle Generation, Deposition and Health Effects

Organizers:
Anthony Wexler, PhD, Air Quality Research Center, University of California, Davis
Kay Wanke, PhD, MPH, Tobacco Regulatory Science Program, Office of Disease Prevention, NIH

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is growing rapidly worldwide. Unlike conventional tobacco products, e-cigarette regulation at U.S. local, state and federal levels is minimal. Although e-cigarettes represent a diverse group of devices, most operate by heating a liquid that typically contains nicotine and various flavorants in a matrix of glycerol, propylene glycol or both into an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. E-cigarette use is likely less risky than combusted tobacco products; however, the short and long-term health effects associated with use of these products and with secondary or tertiary exposures to e-cigarette aerosols are largely unknown. E-cigarettes also appear to appeal to youth and may initiate nicotine addiction in this population. This symposium will lead off with a plenary by Jon Samet titled “Electronic Cigarettes: Evidence, Uncertainty, and Policy” followed by sessions on Formulation, Generation, Particle Deposition, and Health Effects to provide a comprehensive overview of current research and future research needs in this growing field.

 

Single aerosol particle studies: From fundamental physics to instrumentation

Organizers:
Chuji Wang, PhD, Physics and Astronomy, Mississippi State University
Yongle Pan, PhD, Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, Army Research Laboratory
Jian Wang, PhD, Environmental and Climate Sciences, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Due to the physical and chemical complexity of aerosol particles and the interdisciplinary nature of aerosol science that involves physics, chemistry, and biology, our knowledge of aerosol particles is rather incomplete; our current understanding of aerosol particles is limited by averaged (over size, composition, shape, and orientation) and/or ensemble (over time, size, and multi-particles) measurements. Physically, single aerosol particles are the fundamental units of any large aerosol ensembles. Chemically, single aerosol particles carry individual chemical components (properties and constituents) in particle ensemble processes. Therefore, study of single aerosol particles can bridge the gap between aerosol ensembles and bulk/surface properties and provide a hierarchical progression from a simple benchmark single component system to a mixed phase multicomponent system. Recent technological advances provide exciting new opportunities to study single aerosol particles and to further develop single aerosol particle instrumentation.

The purpose of this special symposium is to bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers with expertise and interest in single aerosol particle studies including, but not limited to, single aerosol particle manipulation, single aerosol particle measurements, single aerosol particle’s physical, chemical and biological properties, and single aerosol particle instrumentation. Submissions in all areas related to single aerosol particles are welcome.

 

Effects of NO_x and SO₂ on BVOC Oxidation and Organic Aerosol Formation

Organizers:
Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
Steven Brown, Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA

The extent to which emissions from human activities alter the oxidation of biogenic VOCs is largely undetermined. Anthropogenic pollutants such as NO_x and SO₂ can interact with BVOC to impact the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, ozone formation, and contribute to ambient fine particle loading through formation of SOA. Anthropogenic NO_x plays a critical role in governing SOA formation, chemical composition, and properties where the radical chemistry and oxidation pathways are drastically different in environments of different NO_x levels. NO_x does not only influence photochemistry during daytime, but also plays an important role in nighttime chemistry where NO₃ radical oxidation of BVOC leads to organic nitrates and SOA formation. Anthropogenic SO₂ can also alter gas-phase oxidation chemistry and sulfate provides specific conditions for reactive uptake of soluble gases and particle-phase reactions (e.g., acidity, particle water, particles surface area, particle volume, etc). This symposium solicits contributions presenting results and insights into the effects of anthropogenic NO_x and SO₂ on BVOC oxidation and aerosol formation from laboratory, field, and modeling studies.