Research progress and prospects of amino acids in the atmosphere

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2025.3.16

Abstract

Abstract:

The nitrogen cycle is an essential component of the global biogeochemical cycles. The intensification of human activities has led to an increase in the emission of reactive nitrogen, causing an imbalance in the nitrogen cycle and a series of ecological and environmental issues. Nitrogen is an important component of atmospheric aerosols. Atmospheric organic nitrogen, including amino acids (AAs), has a significant impact on the nitrogen cycle and environmental changes. This article reviews the detection methods, molecular composition, spatiotemporal distribution, sources and transformation processes of atmospheric free (FAAs) and combined AAs (CAAs), as well as their environmental effects. Instruments such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) can be used to detect the concentrations of AAs, or even chiral L-AAs and D-AAs, and compound-specific stable isotopic composition of AAs such as glycine (Gly). The composition, size distribution and spatiotemporal variation of AAs in atmospheric aerosols are influenced by sampling time, geographical location, and atmospheric transport processes. Gly is usually the most abundant FAA/CAA in atmospheric aerosols. The sources of AAs are diverse, including biological and soil emissions, bubbles bursting in seawater, biomass burning, anthropogenic emissions, and secondary formation. AAs can affect atmospheric chemical processes, act as cloud condensation nuclei to influence the climate, serve as a bioavailable nitrogen source, and threaten human health. Although many studies have been conducted on atmospheric AAs, there are still deficiencies, such as the need for standardized detection methods for spatiotemporal comparison, the combination of multiple methods for source apportionment to improve the accuracy, and a lack of quantitative assessment of the environmental, climatic and health effects of AAs. Besides, analyzing and solving related issues from the perspective of land/ocean-atmosphere interface science, and even earth system science, conducting comprehensive, multi-sphere and interdisciplinary innovative research, can help fully understand atmospheric AAs’ cycling processes and environmental impacts.

Key words: amino acids, atmospheric aerosols, spatiotemporal distribution, source, environmental effects, nitrogen cycle

CLC Number:

P402

WU Libin, BAI Jingqi, ZHAO Qingzi, FU Pingqing. Research progress and prospects of amino acids in the atmosphere[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2025, 32(3): 196-206.

Figures/Tables 3

Fig.1 Molecular composition of FAAs in the atmosphere. Based on the analyses of year-round PM2.5 samples collected from Tianhu, Guangzhou, China. Modified after [39].

Fig.2 A comparison of total FAAs concentrations in the atmosphere at different sampling sites. The figure shows the analysis results of TSP samples from the polar region (Antarctic Ross Sea area, the ocean (Atlantic Ocean), and mountainous areas (Mount Tai, China, as well as PM2.5 from rural areas (Jeju Island, South Korea) and urban areas (Tianjin, China). Adapted from [23,27-28,37,50].

Fig.3 Compound-specific stable nitrogen isotopic composition of free Gly in TSP samples from Mount Tai, China, during spring and autumn, as well as potential source samples, and the source apportionment results based on the Bayesian stable isotope mixing model “MixSIAR”. Modified after [28,72].

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