A searchable database and mass spectral comparison tool for aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) and aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM)

Abstract. The Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) are the most widely applied tools for in-situ chemical analysis of the non-refractory bulk composition of fine atmospheric particles. The mass spectra (MS) of many AMS and ACSM observations from field and laboratory studies have been reported in peer-reviewed literature and many of these MS have been submitted to an open-access website. With the increased reporting of such data sets, the database interface requires revisions to meet new demands and applications. One major limitation of the web-based database is the inability to automatically search the database and compare previous MS with the researcher’s own data. In this study, a searchable database tool for the AMS and ACSM mass spectral dataset was built to improve the efficiency of data analysis using Igor Pro, consistent with existing AMS and ACSM software. The database tool incorporates the published MS and sample information uploaded on the website. This tool allows the comparison of a target mass spectrum with the reference MS in the database, calculating match similarity, and provides a range of MS comparison plots, reweighting, and mass spectrum filtering options. The aim of this work is to help AMS users efficiently analyze their own data for possible source or atmospheric processing features by comparison to previous studies, enhancing information gained from past and current global research on atmospheric aerosol.