ACTRIS Marketplace

This service consists of conducting experiments and performing comprehensive analysis of both optical and microphysical aerosol properties, provided by manual or automated data analysis with the use of certified ACTRIS tools, and tools developed at WOS Facility assuring the highest levels of data products.         The WOS facility offers expert knowledge on the atmospheric aerosol optical properties of different aerosol types (e.g. biomass burning aerosol, mineral dust), especially transported over long distances. We offer to perform experiments and analyses with a use of a wide range of measurement techniques and data analysis approaches. For interpretation of the obtained results WOS facility team applies different transport models (HYSPLIT, FLEXPART) and aerosol prediction models (NAAPS, Barcelona Dust Forecast Center), as well as the MODIS imagining to spot the wildfires. WOS facility researchers/technicians have deep, documented with the research projects, experience in biomass burning aerosol studies including analysis of the fresh and aged BBA in the fine temporal and spatial resolution as well as their impact on the Earth radiative transfer. The interface PROfiler developed at WOS allows for efficient and insightful comparative studies of the aerosol layers. The microphysical parameters in BBA layers are being successfully retrieved with the mathematical inversion methods. The remote sensing of the BBA at WOS is supported by in-situ measurements of black carbon and photometer/spectrometer measurements in column of the atmosphere. In case of mineral dust retrievals we offer additional data products such as the mineral dust separation including the apportionment of fine and coarse mode of aerosol (POLIPHON). For distinguishing between agricultural dust and pollen contribution in the boundary layer in-situ pollen detection is being applied. Thanks to inversion of lidar/photometer data WOS can provide the particle size distribution of mineral dust particles. Expertise and algorithms for aerosol cloud interactions might be provided thanks to the synergy of different aerosol and cloud remote sensing instrumentation.

TIME CONSTRAINTS: The remote and physical access of the external users at the WOS facility must be discussed and planned with the PI of WOS and the TNA coordinators. External users are allowed to access WOS observatory only under WOS personnel supervision, prior to their registration in the Visitor System. The user must go via HPS training prior to accessing the WOS facility.

CESAM chamber is a unique research infrastructure to investigate multiphase atmospheric processes including SOA formation, aerosol aging, cloud chemistry, etc. It is a 4.2 m3 stainless steel reactor, evacuable and temperature controlled (0°C to 60°C). It is equipped with a highly realistic irradiation system and with a comprehensive set of analytical instruments, including PTR-MS, AMS, CIMS, in situ long path UV-vis and FTIR, etc. Features that make this platform particularly suited to investigate multiphase processes are:

• very long submicronic aerosol lifetime

• ability to produce clouds

• protocol for mineral dust seeding

• high cleanliness level

• quality of the instrumentation

The CSA chamber is one of the two chambers of the CESAM platform. It is dedicated to the gas-phase atmospheric chemistry and spectroscopy studies. It is a 1m3 pyrex reactor evacuable and is operated at room temperature. It is equipped with a highly realistic artificial irradiation system and with analytical techniques including in situ long path UV-Visible and FTIR, in situ IBB-CEAS (for NO3 measurement) and PTR-Tof-MS. The CSA chamber is particularly suited for intercalibration of IR/UV spectra and study of kinetics and mechanisms of gas phase reactions.

CESAM platform provides the possibility of testing new instrumentation and to perform (inter)calibrations or intercomparisons. 

Existing standard operation procedures can be used for

comparison of new with established analytical techniques/instruments with the

user. 

CESAM chamber is a powerful infrastructure to investigate aerosol optical properties. It is equipped with in situ long path spectrometers to measure the aerosol extinction from UV-vis to mid-IR spectral ranges, and with various on-line techniques including nephelometer, aethalometer (7 wavelengths), CRDS. Different injection systems allow the introduction/generation of organic aerosol, soot, dust and salt. 

CESAM chamber can be combined with the POLLURISK platform to expose living organisms to atmospheric pollutants (controlled mixtures). The key features of CESAM-POLLURISK are:

• Exposure of preclinical models to urban atmospheric pollution 

• Biological facility to conduct analysis on preclinical models (as an illustration lung function, systemic response, biological analyses, blood/urine/organs sampling, …

• Exposure of preclinical models to more complex exposome as noise and stress

• Measurement of associated Oxidative Potential of the simulated exposome

  • Exposure of cells/organoids in parallel to in vivo studies (starting 2025): in a nutshell, in vivo studies are dedicated to establish the links between Exposome components and Health Effects, when in vitro studies will contribute to identify the nature of these links.

LOCATION

1) Italy, Mt. Cimone (Modena)

The "O. Vittori" observatory at Mt. Cimone (44°12' N, 10°42' E, 2165 m a.s.l.), is a research facility managed by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and hosted by the Italian Air Force (CAMM). 

See https://atmo-access.isac.cnr.it/monte_cimone

2) Italy, Bologna

The CMN-PV facility at Bologna is located on the roof of the CNR-ISAC HQs (25 m a.g.l.) within the CNR campus (Via Gobetti 101) at the city suburbs.

See https://atmo-access.isac.cnr.it/bologna

Calibration of chemioluminescence NOx analyzers with NO dilution and GPT. Equipment: zero air generator (Thermo 1160), dilution system (Thermo146i with range of dilution flow (0-5 SLPM), range of span flow (0-100 sccm), 5 ppm certified NO standards in N₂. Air-conditioning systems are available at the laboratories where instruments are located together with devices for protection by power surges and lightning.

This service includes:

• Administrative support for helping the users with shipping of materials (before and after the campaign).

• Administrative support for the fulfilment of the internal procedures related with the provision of access.

• Storing of the equipment at the CNR-ISAC headquarters before and after the access.

• Technical support at the infrastructure by senior technicians, including support during installation of equipment and execution of measurements.

• Interaction with senior atmospheric scientists for data interpretation and optimal definition of experiment strategy.

• Access to chemistry laboratories and instrumental workshops at CNR-ISAC HQs. 

• For Mt. Cimone: shipping to the infrastructure from Bologna (not dangerous goods) for equipment with total volume < 2 m³ (max: 350 kg) except during snow season. The transport of dangerous goods or larger/heavier materials which need special vehicles is NOT included in the offered services.

• For Mt. Cimone: daily transportation of max 2 people to the infrastructure (during the snow season this cannot be fully guaranteed).

TIME CONSTRAINTS: 

For Mt. Cimone: multi-day stay of external users at the “O. Vittori” observatory must be discussed and planned with CNR-ISAC. External users are allowed to access the “O. Vittori” observatory only under CNR-ISAC personnel supervision. 

For Bologna: access to the CNR Campus is typically not allowed during the weekend and over 20:00 – 7:00 local time. External users are allowed to access the CNR-ISAC HQs only with the presence of CNR personnel.

AVAILABILITY PERIOD: All year round, but accessibility cannot be fully guaranteed during the snow season for accesses at Mt. Cimone