Frontiers in In-Situ and Remote Sensing for Chemical Characterisation of Atmospheric Composition

Atmospheric aerosols and airborne pollutants pose significant challenges for real-time detection and chemical characterization. These complex mixtures of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air originate from both natural sources and anthropogenic sources. Once released, they undergo intricate chemical and physical transformations in the atmosphere. Their presence directly degrades ambient air quality, drives global climate forcing, and triggers adverse effects on human health, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Despite their profound impacts, capturing the rapid dynamics of these pollutants remains difficult. Traditional offline analytical methods often fail to provide the temporal and spatial resolution needed to monitor short-lived chemical reactions and localized pollution spikes. Consequently, there is an urgent societal and scientific demand for robust, high-resolution analytical frameworks capable of tracking these atmospheric constituents in real time.The core problem that this Research Topic aims to tackle is the technical limitations currently hindering the real-time detection and precise chemical characterisation of atmospheric composition. Standard monitoring networks frequently suffer from high operational costs, complex maintenance, or insufficient sensitivity to track trace-level transients. To overcome these barriers, this topic focuses on accelerating the deployment of next-generation analytical toolkits. Recent technological leaps offer promising pathways forward. Advances in electrochemical sensors enable widespread, low-cost network deployments, while innovations in optical sensing and laser spectroscopy provide unprecedented selectivity. Furthermore, modern Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) now deliver deep insights into particle composition. Integration of these hardware breakthroughs with advanced data interpretation methods, such as machine learning algorithms and near-real-time source apportionment, can drastically reduce data noise, automate pattern recognition, and investigate the causes of pollution events.This Research Topic welcomes original contributions that advance the frontier of in-situ atmospheric monitoring and composition analysis. We invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following specific themes:• Optical and laser spectroscopy for trace gas and particle detection.• AMS and ED-XRF applications for chemical fingerprinting.• Sensor networks for high-density urban air quality mapping.• Studies validating novel instrumentation or new measurement protocols.We welcome a variety of manuscript types to foster a comprehensive discussion, including Original Research articles, Review papers synthesising recent community progress. All submissions must demonstrate clear relevance to expanding knowledge in the field of atmospheric and environmental chemistry. Topic editors: Daniele Contini, Antonio Pennetta, Dimitris G Kaskaoutis, 曹军骥 Cao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83959/frontiers-in-in-situ-and-remote-sensing-for-chemical-characterisation-of-atmospheric-composition