The current research focuses on the optimization of time-of-flight mass spectrometry techniques for individual aerosol particles to investigate air pollution from ships.

Ship emissions are known to have severe impacts on human health and the marine environment. Relevant aerosol components are sulphur, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metal oxides that are bound to airborne particles. Therefore, a new two-step photoionization technique permits the investigation of the particles’ chemical composition by means of tailored laser ionization schemes. This technique shall reveal characteristic chemical fingerprints of emissions from several ship fuels and the impact of scrubber technology on emissions.