Eric Schneider

Characterization of combustion aerosols using chromatographic methods and high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Emissions from combustion processes, e.g. from wildfires, make up a large proportion of the total amount of particulate matter worldwide and influence the general air quality. This results in a number of negative effects on human health, the climate and the environment as a whole.

In the DFG project IMPAERO, the use of an aerosol chamber in combination with the understanding of the simulation of forest fires and the ageing of the emitted aerosols will enable to generate sufficient particulate matter to investigate both the biological effects and the physico-chemical parameters responsible for them.

The application of chromatographic techniques such as liquid chromatography or gas chromatography in combination with suitable atmospheric pressure ionisation methods such as electron spray ionisation (ESI) or atmospheric pressure photoionisation (APPI) and subsequent detection by FT-ICR-MS (Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry) represents a suitable option for characterising the complex chemical composition of aerosol samples from various sources.


Key publications

  • Schneider, E. et al. Comprehensive mass spectrometric analysis of unprecedented high levels of carbonaceous aerosol particles long-range transported from wildfires in the Siberian Arctic, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 2024, 24, 553-776 DOI: 10.5194/acp-24-553-2024-769.
  • Schneider, E. et al. Humic-like Substances (HULIS) in Ship Engine Emissions: Molecular Composition Effected by Fuel Type, Engine Mode, and Wet Scrubber Usage. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57 (37), 13948–13958. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04390.
  • Schneider, E. et al. Molecular Characterization of Water-Soluble Aerosol Particle Extracts by Ultrahigh-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Observation of Industrial Emissions and an Atmospherically Aged Wildfire Plume at Lake Baikal. ACS Earth Space Chem. 2022, 6 (4), 1095–1107. DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00017.
  • Schneider, E. et al. Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in High Organic Carbon Ultrafine Particle Extracts by Electrospray Ionization Ultrahigh-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom.2022. DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00163.
  • Friederici, L.; Schneider, E. et al. Comprehensive Chemical Description of Pyrolysis Chars from Low-Density Polyethylene by Thermal Analysis Hyphenated to Different Mass Spectrometric Approaches. Energy & Fuels 2021. DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c01994.
Other publications

Other publications

  • Li, C.; Fang, Z.; Czech, H.; Schneider, E. et al. pH modifies the oxidative potential and peroxide content of biomass burning HULIS under dark aging. Sci. Tot. Environ. 2022, 155365. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155365.
  • Pardo, M.; Offer, S.; Hartner, E.; et al. Exposure to Naphthalene and β-Pinene-derived Secondary Organic Aerosol induced divergent changes in transcript levels of BEAS-2B cells. Environ. Int. 2022, 107366. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107366.
  • Samburova V., Schneider, E. et al. Modification of Soil Hydroscopic and Chemical Properties Caused by Four Recent California, USA Megafires. Fire 2023. DOI: 10.3390/fire6050186.
  • Czech, H., Popovicheva, O., Chernov, D. G., Kozlov, A., Schneider, E., et al. Wildfire plume ageing in the Photochemical Large Aerosol Chamber (PHOTO-LAC). Environmental science. Processes & impacts 2023. DOI: 10.1039/D3EM00280B.

University of Rostock
Institute of Chemistry
Division of Analytical and Technical Chemistry
Department Life Light & Matter
Eric Schneider
Albert-Einstein-Straße 25
18059 Rostock (Germany)

Tel.: +49 (0) 381 498 - 8993

eric.schneideruni-rostockde