Underwater Mass Spectrometry?

Welcome to the "Cool Papers" series, where I share some of the most fascinating scientific papers I come across. With the vast number of publications out there, it’s easy to miss some truly remarkable research. Rather than overwhelming my colleagues by discussing multiple epic papers, I've decided to write about them here. Our first contender: "Underwater Mass Spectrometry (UMS)".

Article: Underwater Mass Spectrometry: Current Technology and Future Directions

When I first encounteredthis paper, my immediate thought was about the cost involved in such sophisticated technology. Surprisingly, the concept of underwater mass spectrometry isn't as new as one might think. It originated in the 1990s and gained popularity in the early 2000s.

The idea is fascinating: essentially, you’re taking an incredibly precise laboratory instrument and deploying it underwater. This approach allows us to collect data with unmatched temporal resolution and scale, effectively bringing an entire lab beneath the surface. It's possibly the most accurate data logger available today!

The technology described in the paper enables data collection with the highest resolution, capturing minute details over extended periods. For instance last year, I was amazed by *** probes embedded in sediment columns and chromatography machines from the CostClim project that autonomously sampled coastal air. The capabilities of UMS represent a significant leap beyond these technologies, almost making me feel spoiled by the advances.

The article reviews various mass spectrometry (MS) technologies used in situ. Some are more impressive than others, so not all UMS technologies are created equal. Below is a figure from the article showcasing the capabilities of different technologies at the time of publication.

Figure from the article.

Each technology has its trade-offs, but let's consider the highest capabilities each category can offer. We can now measure over a year with an atomic mass unit (amu) range from 1 to 1000, at a resolution of 1 part per billion (ppb), with sampling intervals around 10 minutes (some can be faster, but this is a good benchmark).

Since reading this paper, I've been pondering its implications. While UMS offers unparalleled capabilities, what does this mean for scientific research and its applications? How can this new technology contribute?

Honestly I'm not sure. We now can make high resolution measurements of hard to measure compounds such as dissolved atmospheric gases, light hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds.

What this teaches me though is our models should be accommodating to incorporate new variables as technology advances (or someone starts to have burning money in their pocket in this case). When thinking of models we should also consider incorporating expensive to measure variables, maybe they worth the expense...

So, what has happened since this article was published? Are there any new technologies? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I've seen a few more projects related to UMS, but I'm not fully acquainted with the current landscape. If I come across any noteworthy developments, I'll be sure to write about them.