Category: research

This is an excerpt of the planning document and the measurements that I would like to perform:

Chemistry and photochemistry within the snow pack and at the air-ice-water interface are being recognised increasingly as significant contributors to air quality and cloud formation in the lower troposphere, with consequent impact on climate change. Numerous field studies in the last five years have identified the snow pack as a significant source of various chemical species.

This research program addresses the understanding of the emission of organic compounds from the snow pack and transformations at the air-water interface, including the impact of organic (photo-) chemistry. We will collect data on the exchange of VOC species between the atmosphere and snow and monitor the transformation of organic compounds in the snow pack by photochemistry to improve the description of atmospheric boundary layer processes.

Objectives include:
1. The quantification of VOC/semi-VOC in snow and in air. Particular attention will be paid to oxygenated molecules both in snow and air.

2. The measurement of organic aerosols with a multistage impactor for both chemical and (distorted) morphological analysis. Stages are fitted with aluminium substrates and hence direct scanning electron microscopy can be performed.

3. The measurement of bioaerosols in air and snow-embedded aerosols.

I now finish up the final tasks and deal with last minute problems before my departure. I have received all the necessary flight information and except for a few errands I have everything ready.

Last minute issues include modifications to a syringe cleaner, which I will use to recondition my SPME fibers, which keeps the GC injector port available for measurements. A more serious challenge is that the order for my snow density gauge was cancelled at the last minute and only after I phoned the supplier to tell him that my gear had not arrived. So I am trying to find other sources – with no luck so far.

I have already an alternative supplier for the waterproof notebooks, but not for the inclinometer and snow density gauge. So I will keep digging in the next couple of days.

Except for my personal stuff and some minor things all preparations for my field trip are now completed. Dangerous goods have arrived and also the first of two pallets with regular freight have already arrived at Alert.

Preparations included testing of instrumentation (GC, ultra-pure water system, MOUDI, pumps), pre-cleaning of glassware (ethanol rinsing, acid washing, drying, packing) and canisters (heating and flushing with He). Apart from that there are a lot of tools and spare parts that have to be taken care of especially for the GC, including fuses, a spare column and ferrules, because resources at Alert are extremely limited and nothing can be shipped after my arrival.

So complete and detailed lists are essential and I have tried to keep things up-to-date by maintaining lists during testing procedures and during discussions with experienced field workers.

I have built a box for the GC that will be shipped to Alert – or rather I assisted Fred the Chemistry Workshop genius, who builds great stuff. It has been fun spending a couple of hours sawing and hammering and the result looks sturdy enough to get the instrument up North without any problems.

The plywood box is padded with some thick foam used for home insulation to prevent damage to the instrument. Screws fix the top and one sideboard for easy (un-)loading, all other boards are glued and nailed.

My trip to Alert is getting closer fast recently I have been able to ship the dangerous goods, consisting of hydrochloric acid and ethanol (which both use for cleaning purposes) and gas cylinders for the GC-FID. Getting these good ready for air cargo is a bit tricky and requires preparation by specially trained personnel. Some suppliers, who first assured me that they could provide the necessary documentation suddenly backed out – but in the end and with great support from several people everything went well.

Now I prepare the regular cargo shipment, including the GC-FID and other several large items for my measurements up North. Not forgetting anything is crucial, because there will not be a second chance – let’s see.

I have been back to Austria for a short while and (as expected) it turned out to be quite busy – also workwise. I gave a talk at my former institute – the IFA-Tulln – and I have also finished proof-reading the article on my SPME methodology that is now published online on the Springer Website for Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. There were also a few issues concerning shipping to Alert that had to be dealt with, but things are going smoothly so far.

One of the biggest challenges for my field trip into the Arctic is the availability of clean water. I need it for standard preparation, cleaning and rinsing. I have considered shipping the necessary amounts (close to 40 L was a rough first guess), but I am a bit concerned that contamination issues from the packaging (which would be plastic for weight reasons) could arise.

A de-ionised water source is available at Alert, and although it is not suitable to be used as a water source itself, if is an ideal feed water source, because ultra-pure water systems typically need pre-treated water, e.g. de-ionised or reverse-osmosis.

My advisor supported my considerations and I am very grateful that she provided funding for a portable ultrapure water system, which is now ready to be shipped. Apart from the cartridge, it is fitted with a UV lamp to reduce the remaining TOC levels even further.

Photocredit: Millipore Corporation