Novel Technique for Measuring Atmospheric Wet & Dry Deposition

Most polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere have pyrogenic origins, such as the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass burning. PAHs are transported and deposited onto our ecosystem in both dry and wet forms. Since these have been found to be mutagenic and/or carcinogenic to fish and other marine organisms as well as to humans, it is worthwhile to measure the atmospheric deposition of PAHs onto water surfaces and eventually identify emission source. This project seeks to develop atmospheric deposition collectors that can simultaneously measure the dry and wet deposition of PAHs.