Atmospheric budget of primary biological aerosol particles from fungal spores

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette L. Heald ◽  
Dominick V. Spracklen
Keyword(s):  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

scholarly journals Simulating the influence of primary biological aerosol particles on clouds by heterogeneous ice nucleation

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 15437-15450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Hummel ◽  
Corinna Hoose ◽  
Bernhard Pummer ◽  
Caroline Schaupp ◽  
Janine Fröhlich-Nowoisky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
Ice Crystals ◽  
Atmospheric Measurements ◽  
Cloud Ice ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles ◽  
Ice Phase ◽  
Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation

Abstract. Primary ice formation, which is an important process for mixed-phase clouds with an impact on their lifetime, radiative balance, and hence the climate, strongly depends on the availability of ice-nucleating particles (INPs). Supercooled droplets within these clouds remain liquid until an INP immersed in or colliding with the droplet reaches its activation temperature. Only a few aerosol particles are acting as INPs and the freezing efficiency varies among them. Thus, the fraction of supercooled water in the cloud depends on the specific properties and concentrations of the INPs. Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) have been identified as very efficient INPs at high subzero temperatures, but their very low atmospheric concentrations make it difficult to quantify their impact on clouds. Here we use the regional atmospheric model COSMO–ART to simulate the heterogeneous ice nucleation by PBAPs during a 1-week case study on a domain covering Europe. We focus on three highly ice-nucleation-active PBAP species, Pseudomonas syringae bacteria cells and spores from the fungi Cladosporium sp. and Mortierella alpina. PBAP emissions are parameterized in order to represent the entirety of bacteria and fungal spores in the atmosphere. Thus, only parts of the simulated PBAPs are assumed to act as INPs. The ice nucleation parameterizations are specific for the three selected species and are based on a deterministic approach. The PBAP concentrations simulated in this study are within the range of previously reported results from other modeling studies and atmospheric measurements. Two regimes of PBAP INP concentrations are identified: a temperature-limited and a PBAP-limited regime, which occur at temperatures above and below a maximal concentration at around −10 ∘C, respectively. In an ensemble of control and disturbed simulations, the change in the average ice crystal concentration by biological INPs is not statistically significant, suggesting that PBAPs have no significant influence on the average state of the cloud ice phase. However, if the cloud top temperature is below −15 ∘C, PBAP can influence the cloud ice phase and produce ice crystals in the absence of other INPs. Nevertheless, the number of produced ice crystals is very low and it has no influence on the modeled number of cloud droplets and hence the cloud structure.

scholarly journals Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 6127-6146 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hummel ◽  
C. Hoose ◽  
M. Gallagher ◽  
D. A. Healy ◽  
J. A. Huffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Reactive Trace Gases ◽  
Mean Square Errors ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Fungal spores as a prominent type of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) have been incorporated into the COSMO-ART (Consortium for Small-scale Modelling-Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) regional atmospheric model. Two literature-based emission rates for fungal spores derived from fungal spore colony counts and chemical tracer measurements were used as a parameterization baseline for this study. A third, new emission parameterization for fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) was adapted to field measurements from four locations across Europe. FBAP concentrations can be regarded as a lower estimate of total PBAP concentrations. Size distributions of FBAP often show a distinct mode at approx. 3 μm, corresponding to a diameter range characteristic for many fungal spores. Previous studies for several locations have suggested that FBAP are in many cases dominated by fungal spores. Thus, we suggest that simulated FBAP and fungal spore concentrations obtained from the three different emission parameterizations can be compared to FBAP measurements. The comparison reveals that simulated fungal spore concentrations based on literature emission parameterizations are lower than measured FBAP concentrations. In agreement with the measurements, the model results show a diurnal cycle in simulated fungal spore concentrations, which may develop partially as a consequence of a varying boundary layer height between day and night. Temperature and specific humidity, together with leaf area index (LAI), were chosen to drive the new emission parameterization which is fitted to the FBAP observations. The new parameterization results in similar root mean square errors (RMSEs) and correlation coefficients compared to the FBAP observations as the previously existing fungal spore emission parameterizations, with some improvements in the bias. Using the new emission parameterization on a model domain covering western Europe, FBAP in the lowest model layer comprise a fraction of 15% of the total aerosol mass over land and reach average number concentrations of 26 L−1. The results confirm that fungal spores and biological particles may account for a major fraction of supermicron aerosol particle number and mass concentration over vegetated continental regions and should thus be explicitly considered in air quality and climate studies.

scholarly journals Ambient measurements of biological aerosol particles near Killarney, Ireland: a comparison between real-time fluorescence and microscopy techniques

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 8055-8069 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Healy ◽  
J. A. Huffman ◽  
D. J. O'Connor ◽  
C. Pöhlker ◽  
U. Pöschl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Cascade Impactor ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Sampling Location ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
The Real ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) can contribute significantly to the coarse particle burden in many environments. PBAPs can thus influence climate and precipitation systems as cloud nuclei and can spread disease to humans, animals, and plants. Measurement data and techniques for PBAPs in natural environments at high time- and size resolution are, however, sparse, and so large uncertainties remain in the role that biological particles play in the Earth system. In this study two commercial real-time fluorescence particle sensors and a Sporewatch single-stage particle impactor were operated continuously from 2 August to 2 September 2010 at a rural sampling location in Killarney National Park in southwestern Ireland. A cascade impactor was operated periodically to collect size-resolved particles during exemplary periods. Here we report the first ambient comparison of a waveband integrated bioaerosol sensor (WIBS-4) with a ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) and also compare these real-time fluorescence techniques with results of fluorescence and optical microscopy of impacted samples. Both real-time instruments showed qualitatively similar behavior, with increased fluorescent bioparticle concentrations at night, when relative humidity was highest and temperature was lowest. The fluorescent particle number from the FL3 channel of the WIBS-4 and from the UV-APS were strongly correlated and dominated by a 3 μm mode in the particle size distribution. The WIBS FL2 channel exhibited particle modes at approx. 1 and 3 μm, and each was correlated with the concentration of fungal spores commonly observed in air samples collected at the site (ascospores, basidiospores, Ganoderma spp.). The WIBS FL1 channel exhibited variable multimodal distributions turning into a broad featureless single mode after averaging, and exhibited poor correlation with fungal spore concentrations, which may be due to the detection of bacterial and non-biological fluorescent particles. Cladosporium spp., which are among the most abundant fungal spores in many terrestrial environments, were not correlated with any of the real-time fluorescence channels, suggesting that the real-time fluorescence instruments are relatively insensitive to PBAP classes with dark, highly absorptive cell walls. Fluorescence microscopy images of cascade impactor plates showed large numbers of coarse-mode particles consistent with the morphology and weak fluorescence expected of sea salt. Some of these particles were attached to biological cells, suggesting that a marine source influenced the PBAPs observed at the site and that the ocean may be an important contributor to PBAP loadings in coastal environments.

scholarly journals Seasonal cycles of fluorescent biological aerosol particles in boreal and semi-arid forests of Finland and Colorado

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 17123-17158 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Schumacher ◽  
C. Pöhlker ◽  
P. Aalto ◽  
V. Hiltunen ◽  
T. Petäjä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snow Cover ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Seasonal Cycles ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Dew Formation ◽  
Total Particle ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. Biological aerosol particles have become increasingly important for atmospheric study, but continuous measurements at high time and size resolution have not been available until recently. Here we report seasonal cycles of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) from the boreal forest in Hyytiälä, Finland (18 months) and the semi-arid Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado (10 months). FBAP at both locations were observed to be highest in summer and lowest in winter, increasing by factors of 12 and 5 between these seasons, respectively. In addition to the low temperatures and reduced sunlight during winter, we suggest that snow cover inhibited FBAP release from local terrestrial surfaces and that more extensive snow cover at the Finland site contributed to lower winter FBAP concentrations. Average size distributions at each site exhibited peaks between 1.5 and 6 μm in aerodynamic diameter. The Finland site consistently showed a dominant, narrow FBAP peak at ~3 μm in addition to discreet modes at ~1.5 and ~5 μm, whereas the Colorado site showed broader peaks at 1.5 and 5 μm, suggesting different modes of biological particles at the two sites. FBAP concentrations in both locations were shown to correlate with daily patterns of relative humidity (RH) during each season. Also during summer at each site, average FBAP concentration scaled with RH, but at the Finland site RH values above ~82% led to a significant decrease in FBAP concentration. We hypothesize that this is due to dew formation that inhibits bioparticle release. Lastly we show that rain during summer at each location led to pronounced increases in both fluorescent and total particle concentrations with FBAP peak particle size at ~2 μm and concentration scaling with rain intensity. We suggest that these particles are primarily fungal spores and other bioparticles lofted from splashing of rain droplets hitting soil and leaf surfaces. During the summer at the Colorado site we consistently observed a mode of ~4 μm particles appearing several hours after rain events that we suggest are fungal spores actively emitted when ambient conditions are most advantageous for spread and germination. The pronounced patterns of fluorescent bioparticles observed here suggest that parameterizations of both daily and seasonal cycles will be important to accurately reflect bioparticle emissions in future studies of atmospheric bioaerosols and their potential effects on clouds and precipitation.

scholarly journals Using flow cytometry and light-induced fluorescence to characterize the variability and characteristics of bioaerosols in springtime in Metro Atlanta, Georgia

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1817-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaldo Negron ◽  
Natasha DeLeon-Rodriguez ◽  
Samantha M. Waters ◽  
Luke D. Ziemba ◽  
Bruce Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Acid Content ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Epifluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Nucleic Acid Content ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. The abundance and speciation of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) is important for understanding their impacts on human health, cloud formation, and ecosystems. Towards this, we have developed a protocol for quantifying PBAP collected from large volumes of air with a portable wet-walled cyclone bioaerosol sampler. A flow cytometry (FCM) protocol was then developed to quantify and characterize the PBAP populations from the sampler, which were confirmed against epifluorescence microscopy. The sampling system and FCM analysis were used to study PBAP in Atlanta, GA, over a 2-month period and showed clearly defined populations of nucleic-acid-containing particles: low nucleic acid-content particles above threshold (LNA-AT) and high nucleic acid-content particles (HNA) likely containing wet-ejected fungal spores and pollen. We find that the daily-average springtime PBAP concentration (1 to 5 µm diameter) ranged between 1.4×104 and 1.1×105 m−3. The LNA-AT population dominated PBAP during dry days (72±18 %); HNA dominated the PBAP during humid days and following rain events, where HNA comprised up to 92 % of the PBAP number. Concurrent measurements with a Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS-4A) showed that fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) and total FCM counts are similar; HNA (from FCM) moderately correlated with ABC-type FBAP concentrations throughout the sampling period (and for the same particle size range, 1–5 µm diameter). However, the FCM LNA-AT population, possibly containing bacterial cells, did not correlate with any FBAP type. The lack of correlation of any WIBS FBAP type with the LNA-AT suggests that airborne bacterial cells may be more difficult to unambiguously detect with autofluorescence than currently thought. Identification of bacterial cells even in the FCM (LNA-AT population) is challenging, given that the fluorescence level of stained cells at times may be comparable to that seen from abiotic particles. HNA and ABC displayed the highest concentration on a humid and warm day after a rain event (14 April 2015), suggesting that both populations correspond to wet-ejected fungal spores. Overall, information from both instruments combined reveals a highly dynamic airborne bioaerosol community over Atlanta, with a considerable presence of fungal spores during humid days and an LNA-AT population dominating the bioaerosol community during dry days.

scholarly journals Regional-scale simulations of fungal spore aerosols using an emission parameterization adapted to local measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 9903-9950 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hummel ◽  
C. Hoose ◽  
M. Gallagher ◽  
D. A. Healy ◽  
J. A. Huffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Fungal spores as a prominent type of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) have been incorporated into the COSMO-ART regional atmospheric model, using and comparing three different emission parameterizations. Two literature-based emission rates derived from fungal spore colony counts and chemical tracer measurements were used as a parameterization baseline for this study. A third, new emission parameterization was adapted to field measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) from four locations across Northern Europe. FBAP concentrations can be regarded as a lower estimate of total PBAP concentrations. Size distributions of FBAP often show a distinct mode at approx. 3 μm, corresponding to a diameter range characteristic for many fungal spores. Previous studies have suggested the majority of FBAP in several locations are dominated by fungal spores. Thus, we suggest that simulated fungal spore concentrations obtained from the emission parameterizations can be compared to the sum of total FBAP concentrations. A comparison reveals that parameterized estimates of fungal spore concentrations based on literature numbers underestimate measured FBAP concentrations. In agreement with measurement data, the model results show a diurnal cycle in simulated fungal spore concentrations, which may develop partially as a consequence of a varying boundary layer height between day and night. Measured FBAP and simulated fungal spore concentrations also correlate similarly with simulated temperature and humidity. These meteorological variables, together with leaf area index, were chosen to drive the new emission parameterization discussed here. Using the new emission parameterization on a model domain covering Western Europe, fungal spores in the lowest model layer comprise a fraction of 15% of the total aerosol mass over land and reach average number concentrations of 26 L−1. The results confirm that fungal spores and biological particles may account for a major fraction of supermicron aerosol particle number and mass concentration over vegetated continental regions and should thus be explicitly considered in air quality and climate studies.

scholarly journals Size distributions and temporal variations of biological aerosol particles in the Amazon rainforest characterized by microscopy and real-time UV-APS fluorescence techniques during AMAZE-08

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 11997-12019 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Huffman ◽  
B. Sinha ◽  
R. M. Garland ◽  
A. Snee-Pollmann ◽  
S. S. Gunthe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Inorganic Material ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Laser Induce Fluorescence ◽  
Biological Origin ◽  
Biological Particles ◽  
Total Particle ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. As a part of the AMAZE-08 campaign during the wet season in the rainforest of central Amazonia, an ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) was operated for continuous measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP). In the coarse particle size range (> 1 μm) the campaign median and quartiles of FBAP number and mass concentration were 7.3 × 104 m−3 (4.0–13.2 × 104 m−3) and 0.72 μg m−3 (0.42–1.19 μg m−3), respectively, accounting for 24% (11–41%) of total particle number and 47% (25–65%) of total particle mass. During the five-week campaign in February–March 2008 the concentration of coarse-mode Saharan dust particles was highly variable. In contrast, FBAP concentrations remained fairly constant over the course of weeks and had a consistent daily pattern, peaking several hours before sunrise, suggesting observed FBAP was dominated by nocturnal spore emission. This conclusion was supported by the consistent FBAP number size distribution peaking at 2.3 μm, also attributed to fungal spores and mixed biological particles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and biochemical staining. A second primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP) mode between 0.5 and 1.0 μm was also observed by SEM, but exhibited little fluorescence and no true fungal staining. This mode may have consisted of single bacterial cells, brochosomes, various fragments of biological material, and small Chromalveolata (Chromista) spores. Particles liquid-coated with mixed organic-inorganic material constituted a large fraction of observations, and these coatings contained salts likely from primary biological origin. We provide key support for the suggestion that real-time laser-induce fluorescence (LIF) techniques using 355 nm excitation provide size-resolved concentrations of FBAP as a lower limit for the atmospheric abundance of biological particles in a pristine environment. We also show some limitations of using the instrument for ambient monitoring of weakly fluorescent particles < 2 μm. Our measurements confirm that primary biological particles, fungal spores in particular, are an important fraction of supermicron aerosol in the Amazon and that may contribute significantly to hydrological cycling, especially when coated by mixed inorganic material.

scholarly journals Abundance of fluorescent biological aerosol particles at temperatures conducive to the formation of mixed-phase and cirrus clouds

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia H. Twohy ◽  
Gavin R. McMeeking ◽  
Paul J. DeMott ◽  
Christina S. McCluskey ◽  
Thomas C. J. Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Biological Particles ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Vertical Distributions ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Some types of biological particles are known to nucleate ice at warmer temperatures than mineral dust, with the potential to influence cloud microphysical properties and climate. However, the prevalence of these particle types above the atmospheric boundary layer is not well known. Many types of biological particles fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light, and the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor takes advantage of this characteristic to perform real-time measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP). This relatively new instrument was flown on the National Center for Atmospheric Research Gulfstream-V aircraft to measure concentrations of fluorescent biological particles from different potential sources and at various altitudes over the U. S. western plains states in early autumn. Clear-air number concentrations of FBAP larger than 0.8 µm diameter usually decreased with height, and generally were about 10–100 L−1 in the continental boundary layer, but were always much lower at temperatures colder than 255 K in the free troposphere. At intermediate temperatures where biological ice nucleating particles may influence mixed-phase cloud formation (255 K ≤ T ≤ 270 K), concentrations of fluorescent particles were the most variable, and were occasionally near boundary layer concentrations. Predicted vertical distributions of ice nucleating particle concentrations based on FBAP measurements in this temperature regime sometimes reached typical concentrations of primary ice in clouds, but were often much lower. If convection was assumed to lift boundary layer FBAP particles without losses to the free troposphere, better agreement between predicted ice-nucleating particle concentrations and typical ice crystal concentrations was achieved. Ice nucleating particle concentrations were also measured during one flight and showed a decrease with height, and concentrations were consistent with a relationship to FBAP established previously at the forested surface site below. The vertical distributions of FBAP measured on five flights were also compared with those for bacteria, fungal spores and pollen predicted from the EMAC global chemistry-climate model for the same geographic region.

scholarly journals Simulating the Influence of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles on Clouds by Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Hummel ◽  
Corinna Hoose ◽  
Bernhard Pummer ◽  
Caroline E. Schaupp ◽  
Janine Fröhlich-Nowoisky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
Ice Crystals ◽  
Atmospheric Measurements ◽  
Cloud Ice ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles ◽  
Ice Phase ◽  
Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation

Abstract. Primary ice formation, which is an important process for mixed-phase clouds with impact on their lifetime, radiative balance and hence the climate, strongly depends on the availability of ice nucleating particles (INPs). Supercooled droplets within these clouds remain liquid until an INP immersed in or colliding with to the droplet gets reaches its activation temperature. Only a few aerosol particles are acting as INPs and the freezing efficiency varies among them. Thus, the fraction of supercooled water in the cloud depends on the specific properties and concentrations of the INPs. Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) have been identified as very efficient INPs at high subzero temperatures, but their very low atmospheric concentrations make it difficult to quantify their impact on clouds. Here we use the regional atmospheric model COSMO-ART to simulate the heterogeneous ice nucleation by PBAPs during a 1-week case study on a domain covering Europe. We focus on three highly ice nucleation active PBAP species, Pseudomonas syringae bacteria cells and spores from the fungi Cladosporium sp. and Mortierella alpina. PBAP emissions are parameterized in order to represent the entirety of bacteria and fungal spores in the atmosphere. Thus, only parts of the simulated PBAP are assumed to act as INP. The ice nucleation parameterizations are specific for the three selected species and are based on a deterministic approach. The PBAP concentrations simulated in this study are within the range of previously reported results from other modelling studies and atmospheric measurements. Two regimes of PBAP INP concentrations are identified: a temperature-limited and a PBAP-limited regime, which occur at temperatures above and below a maximal concentration at around −10 °C, respectively. In an ensemble of control and disturbed simulations, the change in the average ice crystal concentration by biological INPs is not statistically 1significant, suggesting that PBAP have no significant influence on the average state of the cloud ice phase. However, if the cloud top temperature is below −15 °C, PBAP can influence the cloud ice phase and produce ice crystals in the absence of other INPs. Nevertheless, the number of produced ice crystals is very low and it has no influence on the modelled number of cloud droplets and hence the cloud structure.

scholarly journals Abundance of fluorescent biological aerosol particles at temperatures conducive to the formation of mixed-phase and cirrus clouds

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 8205-8225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia H. Twohy ◽  
Gavin R. McMeeking ◽  
Paul J. DeMott ◽  
Christina S. McCluskey ◽  
Thomas C. J. Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Spores And Pollen ◽  
Biological Particles ◽  
Vertical Distributions ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Some types of biological particles are known to nucleate ice at warmer temperatures than mineral dust, with the potential to influence cloud microphysical properties and climate. However, the prevalence of these particle types above the atmospheric boundary layer is not well known. Many types of biological particles fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light, and the Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor takes advantage of this characteristic to perform real-time measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAPs). This instrument was flown on the National Center for Atmospheric Research Gulfstream V aircraft to measure concentrations of fluorescent biological particles from different potential sources and at various altitudes over the US western plains in early autumn. Clear-air number concentrations of FBAPs between 0.8 and 12 µm diameter usually decreased with height and generally were about 10–100 L−1 in the continental boundary layer but always much lower at temperatures colder than 255 K in the free troposphere. At intermediate temperatures where biological ice-nucleating particles may influence mixed-phase cloud formation (255 K  ≤ T ≤  270 K), concentrations of fluorescent particles were the most variable and were occasionally near boundary-layer concentrations. Predicted vertical distributions of ice-nucleating particle concentrations based on FBAP measurements in this temperature regime sometimes reached typical concentrations of primary ice in clouds but were often much lower. If convection was assumed to lift boundary-layer FBAPs without losses to the free troposphere, better agreement between predicted ice-nucleating particle concentrations and typical ice crystal concentrations was achieved. Ice-nucleating particle concentrations were also measured during one flight and showed a decrease with height, and concentrations were consistent with a relationship to FBAPs established previously at the forested surface site below. The vertical distributions of FBAPs measured on five flights were also compared with those for bacteria, fungal spores, and pollen predicted from the EMAC global chemistry–climate model for the same geographic region.

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