Effects of Solution Composition on the Physical Characteristics of Aerosols Produced by Nebulization

It has been confirmed that the size distribution of the analyte contained in an aqueous aerosol is affected by the chemical composition of the solution nebulized. The present work has shown that the addition of sodium to copper solutions shifts the aerodynamic and physical size distributions for the copper upward, while the sodium size distributions remain relatively constant. Examination of solid aerosols produced by flash evaporation of aqueous droplets has indicated that the particles tend to be hollow spheres which may encapsulate smaller spheres, as has been observed for particles emitted from combustion sources. The possible significance of droplet evaporation during aerosol transport is examined and judged to be a plausible and at least partial cause of the effects observed.