Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is widely used in various scientific fields. In atmospheric chemistry, there has been a long call for a detailed on-line analysis of the chemical composition of aerosol particles (i.e., particles in the solid or liquid state) in the atmosphere resulting in the development of the so-called aerosol mass spectrometers in the past 20 years. These instruments allow the measurement of the chemical composition of particles with sizes of ca. 50–800 nm, typically at minute resolution. Their development and possible applications are discussed in this review.