Atmospheric aerosols, tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, have profound effects on the world. High in the atmosphere, they seed clouds and thus influence weather and climate. Closer to ground, aerosols in the US have been regulated for many years by the Environmental Protection Agency because breathing high aerosol concentrations is connected to negative effects on the lungs, brain, and tissues. And aqueous aerosols produced by speech and coughing have made the news in the past two years as the dominant route of the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
With oceans covering 70% of Earth’s surface, sea spray aerosols (SSAs) are one of the most prevalent types of atmospheric aerosols. More than just salt water, SSAs contain a rich variety of compounds, including fatty acids and other organic molecules that originate from living creatures, in greater concentrations than the bulk ocean. The chemical makeup of SSAs is important because...
