Aerosol mixing state: relevance to air quality, climate and public health

Dear Colleagues,

The world is facing rapid climate change and deteriorating air quality, both of which affect the habitability of the global environment and public health. Apart from greenhouse gases, aerosol particles play a remarkable role in the Earth’s energy budget and in shaping air quality. The impacts of aerosol particles on the atmosphere are determined by the complex structure of individual aerosol particles in terms of size, chemical composition, phases, and morphology, as well as interactions among the particles themselves and with other components of the atmosphere, especially solar and terrestrial radiation (aerosol–radiation interactions, i.e., ARI) and water vapor and hydrometers (aerosol–cloud interactions, i.e., ACI). Additionally, the inhalation of aerosol particles commonly known as particulate matter (PM) has been blamed for millions of global premature deaths annually and for leading to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Particles sizes and chemical compositions of aerosols affect deposition in the respiratory tract after inhalation and interactions with cellular tissues. Regarding the relationship between morbidity and PM, chemical compositions, oxidative potential, and aerosol toxicity are the subjects of recent research.

Although significant progress has been made in aerosol research in recent decades, our understanding of aerosol physicochemical properties and the interactions between aerosols, the atmosphere, and human bodies mentioned above is far from comprehensive and remains uncertain. This Special Issue focuses on the aerosol mixing state and the associated impacts on climate, air quality, and public health. We welcome studies using observations, modeling, or both. Studies utilizing but not limited to microscopy and imaging, in situ field measurements, and remote sensing observations are invited. Numerical modeling efforts including process-level, particle-resolved, regional, and global models are all welcome. In addition, data-driven approaches powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged and been applied to aerosol research in recent years. Studies incorporating these innovative approaches in the landscape of aerosol mixing state research will be greatly appreciated.

Dr. Joseph Ching
Dr. Mizuo Kajino
Dr. Kouji Adachi
Dr. Zhonghua Zheng
Guest Editors

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• Aerosol mixing state
• Aerosol microscopy and imaging
• Aerosol measurements
• Aerosol remote sensing
• Aerosol modeling
• Aerosol optical properties
• Aerosol and cloud microphysics
• Aerosol and air quality
• Aerosol toxicity and oxidative potential
• Aerosol and climate
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence