scholarly journals Aerosol charging state at an urban site: new analytical approach and implications for ion-induced nucleation

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4647-4666 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gagné ◽  
J. Leppä ◽  
T. Petäjä ◽  
M. J. McGrath ◽  
M. Vana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Uncertainty Assessment ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
New Method ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract. The charging state of aerosol populations was determined using an Ion-DMPS in Helsinki, Finland between December 2008 and February 2010. We extrapolated the charging state and calculated the ion-induced nucleation fraction to be around 1.3 % ± 0.4 % at 2 nm and 1.3 % ± 0.5 % at 1.5 nm, on average. We present a new method to retrieve the average charging state for a new particle formation event, at a given size and polarity. We improve the uncertainty assessment and fitting technique used previously with an Ion-DMPS. We also use a new theoretical framework that allows for different concentrations of small ions for different polarities (polarity asymmetry). We extrapolate the ion-induced fraction using polarity symmetry and asymmetry. Finally, a method to calculate the growth rates from the behaviour of the charging state as a function of the particle diameter using polarity symmetry and asymmetry is presented and used on a selection of new particle formation events.

scholarly journals Measurements of aerosol charging states in Helsinki, Finland

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 15875-15920
Author(s):  
S. Gagné ◽  
J. Leppä ◽  
T. Petäjä ◽  
M. J. McGrath ◽  
M. Vana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Small Cluster ◽  
New Method ◽  
Cluster Ions ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract. The charging state of aerosol populations was measured with an Ion-DMPS in Helsinki, Finland between December 2008 and February 2010. Based on the charging states, we calculated the ion-induced nucleation fraction to be around 0.8 % ± 0.9 %. We review the role of ion-induced nucleation and propose different explanations for a low ion-induced nucleation participation in urban areas. We present a new method to retrieve the average charging state for an event, and a given size. We also use a new theoretical framework that allows for different concentrations of small cluster ions for different polarities (polarity asymmetry). We extrapolate the ion-induced fraction using polarity symmetry and asymmetry. Finally, a method to calculate the growth rates from the variation of the charging state as a function of the particle diameter using polarity symmetry and asymmetry is presented and used on a selection of new particle formation events.

scholarly journals Natural new particle formation at the coastal Antarctic site Neumayer

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 15655-15681
Author(s):  
R. Weller ◽  
K. Schmidt ◽  
K. Teinilä ◽  
R. Hillamo
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Particle Growth ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Particle Size Distributions ◽  
Polar Night ◽  
Volatile Precursor ◽  
Simple Estimation

Abstract. We measured condensation particle (CP) concentrations and particle size distributions at the coastal Antarctic station Neumayer (70°39' S, 8°15' W) during two summer campaigns (from 20 January to 26 March 2012 and 1 February to 30 April 2014) and during polar night between 12 August and 27 September 2014 in the particle diameter (Dp) range from 2.94 to 60.4 nm (2012) and from 6.26 to 212.9 nm (2014). During both summer campaigns we identified all in all 44 new particle formation (NPF) events. From 10 NPF events, particle growth rates could be determined to be around 0.90 ± 0.46 nm h−1 (mean ± SD; range: 0.4 to 1.9 nm h−1). With the exception of one case, particle growth was generally restricted to the nucleation mode (Dp < 25 nm) and the duration of NPF events was typically around 6.0 ± 1.5 h (mean ± SD; range: 4 to 9 h). Thus in the main, particles did not grow up to sizes required for acting as cloud condensation nuclei. NPF during summer usually occurred in the afternoon in coherence with local photochemistry. During winter, two NPF events could be detected, though showing no ascertainable particle growth. A simple estimation indicated that apart from sulfuric acid, the derived growth rates required other low volatile precursor vapours.

scholarly journals New particle formation at urban and high-altitude remote sites in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 14253-14271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera ◽  
Hassan Lyamani ◽  
Lubna Dada ◽  
Simo Hakala ◽  
Pauli Paasonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Mass Load

Abstract. A substantial fraction of the atmospheric aerosols originates from secondary new particle formation (NPF), where atmospheric vapours are transformed into particles that subsequently grow to larger sizes, affecting human health and the climate. In this study, we investigate aerosol size distributions at two stations located close to each other (∼ 20 km) but at different altitudes: urban (UGR; 680 m a.s.l., metres above sea level) and high-altitude remote (SNS; 2500 m a.s.l.) sites, both in the area of Granada, Spain, and part of AGORA observatory (Andalusian Global ObseRvatory of the Atmosphere). The analysis shows a significant contribution of nucleation mode aerosol particles to the total aerosol number concentration at both sites, with a contribution of 47 % and 48 % at SNS and UGR, respectively. Due to the important contribution of NPF events to the total aerosol number concentrations and their high occurrence frequency (> 70 %) during the study period, a detailed analysis of NPF events is done in order to get insight into the possible mechanisms and processes involved in NPF events at these contrastive sites. At SNS, NPF is found to be associated with the transport of gaseous precursors from lower altitudes by orographic buoyant upward flows. NPF events at the SNS site are always observed from the smallest measured sizes of the aerosol size distribution (4 nm), implying that NPF takes place in or in the vicinity of the high-altitude SNS station rather than being transported from lower altitudes. Although NPF events at the mountain site seem to be connected with those occurring at the urban site, growth rates (GRs) at SNS are higher than those at the UGR site (GR7−25 of 6.9 and 4.5 nm h−1 and GR4−7 of 4.1 and 3.6 nm h−1 at SNS and UGR, respectively). This fact could have special importance for the production of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and therefore for cloud formations which may affect regional/global climate, since larger GRs at mountain sites could translate to a larger survival probability of NPF particles reaching CCN sizes, due to the shorter time period needed for the growth. The analysis of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) shows that the contribution of H2SO4 is able to explain a minimal fraction contribution to the observed GRs at both sites (< 1 % and < 10 % for the 7–25 and 4–7 nm size ranges, respectively), indicating that other condensing vapours are responsible for the majority of particle growth, as well as the differing growth rates between the two sites. Results also show that the condensation sink (CS) does not play a relevant role in NPF processes at both sites and points to the availability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as one of the main factors controlling the NPF events at both sites. Finally, a closer analysis of the NPF events that were observed at the SNS site during a Saharan dust episode that occurred during the field campaign was carried out, evidencing the role of TiO2 and F2O3 together with VOCs in promoting new particle formation during this dust intrusion event. Although further investigation is needed to improve our understanding in this topic, this result suggests that climate effects of mineral dust and NPF are not disconnected from each other as it was commonly thought. Therefore, since mineral dust contributes to a major fraction of the global aerosol mass load, dust–NPF interaction should be taken into account in global aerosol-climate modelling for better climate change prediction.

scholarly journals Natural new particle formation at the coastal Antarctic site Neumayer

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (19) ◽  
pp. 11399-11410 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Weller ◽  
K. Schmidt ◽  
K. Teinilä ◽  
R. Hillamo
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Particle Growth ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Particle Size Distributions ◽  
Polar Night ◽  
Volatile Precursor ◽  
Simple Estimation

Abstract. We measured condensation particle (CP) concentrations and particle size distributions at the coastal Antarctic station Neumayer (70°39´ S, 8°15´ W) during two summer campaigns (from 20 January to 26 March 2012 and 1 February to 30 April 2014) and during the polar night between 12 August and 27 September 2014 in the particle diameter (Dp) range from 2.94 to 60.4 nm (2012) and from 6.26 to 212.9 nm (2014). During both summer campaigns we identified all in all 44 new particle formation (NPF) events. From 10 NPF events, particle growth rates could be determined to be around 0.90 ± 0.46 nm h−1 (mean ± SD; range: 0.4–1.9 nm h−1). With the exception of one case, particle growth was generally restricted to the nucleation mode (Dp < 25 nm) and the duration of NPF events was typically around 6.0 ± 1.5 h (mean ± SD; range: 4–9 h). Thus, in the surrounding area of Neumayer, particles did not grow up to sizes required for acting as cloud condensation nuclei. NPF during summer usually occurred in the afternoon in coherence with local photochemistry. During winter, two NPF events could be detected, though showing no ascertainable particle growth. A simple estimation indicated that apart from sulfuric acid, the derived growth rates required other low volatile precursor vapours.

Connection of organics to atmospheric new particle formation and growth at an urban site of Beijing

2015 ◽  
Vol 103 ◽  
pp. 7-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z.B. Wang ◽  
M. Hu ◽  
X.Y. Pei ◽  
R.Y. Zhang ◽  
P. Paasonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Formation ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Particle Formation And Growth

scholarly journals New particle formation, growth and apparent shrinkage at a rural background site in western Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 10537-10555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simo Hakala ◽  
Mansour A. Alghamdi ◽  
Pauli Paasonen ◽  
Ville Vakkari ◽  
Mamdouh I. Khoder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Rural Background ◽  
Background Site ◽  
High Solar Radiation ◽  
Particle Formation And Growth ◽  
Condensation Sink

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosols have significant effects on human health and the climate. A large fraction of these aerosols originates from secondary new particle formation (NPF), where atmospheric vapors form small particles that subsequently grow into larger sizes. In this study, we characterize NPF events observed at a rural background site of Hada Al Sham (21.802∘ N, 39.729∘ E), located in western Saudi Arabia, during the years 2013–2015. Our analysis shows that NPF events occur very frequently at the site, as 73 % of all the 454 classified days were NPF days. The high NPF frequency is likely explained by the typically prevailing conditions of clear skies and high solar radiation, in combination with sufficient amounts of precursor vapors for particle formation and growth. Several factors suggest that in Hada Al Sham these precursor vapors are related to the transport of anthropogenic emissions from the coastal urban and industrial areas. The median particle formation and growth rates for the NPF days were 8.7 cm−3 s−1 (J7 nm) and 7.4 nm h−1 (GR7−12 nm), respectively, both showing highest values during late summer. Interestingly, the formation and growth rates increase as a function of the condensation sink, likely reflecting the common anthropogenic sources of NPF precursor vapors and primary particles affecting the condensation sink. A total of 76 % of the NPF days showed an unusual progression, where the observed diameter of the newly formed particle mode started to decrease after the growth phase. In comparison to most long-term measurements, the NPF events in Hada Al Sham are exceptionally frequent and strong both in terms of formation and growth rates. In addition, the frequency of the decreasing mode diameter events is higher than anywhere else in the world.

scholarly journals Direct observation of molecular clusters and nucleation mode particles in the Amazon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Wimmer ◽  
Stephany Buenrostro Mazon ◽  
Hanna Elina Manninen ◽  
Juha Kangasluoma ◽  
Alessandro Franchin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Ion Concentrations ◽  
Nucleation Mode ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
20 Nm ◽  
Spectrometer Data

Abstract. We investigated atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) in the Amazon rainforest using direct measurement methods. The occurrence of NPF on ground level in the Amazon region has not been observed previously in pristine conditions. Our measurements extended to two field sites and two tropical seasons (wet and dry). We measured the variability of air ion concentrations (0.8–20 nm) with an ion spectrometer between 2011 and 2014 at the T0t site and between February and October 2014 at the GoAmazon 2014/5 T3 site. The main difference between the two sites is their geographical location. Both sites are influenced by the Manaus pollution plume yet with different frequencies. T0t is reached by the pollution about 1 day in 7, where the T3 site is about 15 % of the time affected by Manaus. The sampling was performed at ground level at both sites. At T0t the instrumentation was located inside the rainforest, whereas the T3 site was an open pasture site. T0t site is mostly parallel wind to Manaus, whereas T3 site is downwind of Manaus. No NPF events were observed inside the rainforest canopy (site T0t) at ground level during the period Sep 2011–Jan 2014. However, rain-induced ion and particle bursts (hereafter, “rain events”) occurred frequently (306/529 days) at T0t throughout the year but most frequently between January and April (wet season). Rain events increased nucleation mode (2–20 nm) particle and ion concentrations on the order of 104 cm−3. We observed 8 NPF events at the pasture site during the wet season. We calculated the growth rates (GR) and formation rates of neutral particles and ions for the size ranges 2–3 nm, 3–7 nm and 7–20 nm using the ion spectrometer data. One explanation for the absence of new particle formation events at the T0t site could be a combination of cleaner airmasses and the rainforest canopy acting as an ‘umbrella’, hindering the mixing of the airmasses down to the measurement height. Neutral particle growth rates in the 3–7 nm regime showed two phenomena. Growth rates were either about 2 nm h−1 or about 14 nm h−1. There was no clear difference in the sulfuric acid concentrations for NPF days vs days without NPF. Back trajectory calculations show different airmass origin for the NPF days compared to non NPF days.

scholarly journals Climatology of new particle formation at Izaña mountain GAW observatory in the subtropical North Atlantic

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 3865-3881 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. García ◽  
S. Rodríguez ◽  
Y. González ◽  
R. D. García
Keyword(s):  
Sulfuric Acid ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Particle Growth ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Condensation Sink

Abstract. A climatology of new particle formation (NPF) events at high altitude in the subtropical North Atlantic is presented. A 4-year data set (June 2008–June 2012), which includes number size distributions (10–600 nm), reactive gases (SO2, NOx, and O3), several components of solar radiation and meteorological parameters, measured at Izaña Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) observatory (2373 m above sea level; Tenerife, Canary Islands) was analysed. NPF is associated with the transport of gaseous precursors from the boundary layer by orographic buoyant upward flows that perturb the low free troposphere during daytime. On average, 30% of the days contained an NPF event. Mean values of the formation and growth rates during the study period were 0.46 cm−3 s−1 and 0.42 nm h−1, correspondingly. There is a clearly marked NPF season (May–August), when these events account for 50–60% of the days per month. Monthly mean values of the formation and growth rates exhibit higher values in this season, 0.49–0.92 cm−3 s−1 and 0.48–0.58 nm h−1, respectively. During NPF events, SO2, UV radiation and upslope winds showed higher values than during non-events. The overall data set indicates that SO2 plays a key role as precursor, although other species seem to contribute during some periods. Condensation of sulfuric acid vapour accounts for most of the measured particle growth during most of the year (~70%), except for some periods. In May, the highest mean growth rates (~0.6 nm h−1) and the lowest contribution of sulfuric acid (~13%) were measured, suggesting a significant involvement of other condensing vapours. The SO2 availability seems also to be the most influencing parameter in the year-to-year variability in the frequency of NPF events. The condensation sink showed similar features to other mountain sites, showing high values during NPF events. Summertime observations, when Izaña is within the Saharan Air Layer, suggest that dust particles may play a significant role acting as coagulation sink of freshly formed nucleation particles. The contribution of dust particles to the condensation sink of sulfuric acid vapours seems to be modest (~8% as average). Finally, we identified a set of NPF events in which two nucleation modes, which may evolve at different rates, occur simultaneously and for which further investigations are necessary.

Cluster dynamics in different environments: from the boreal forest to megacities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Stolzenburg ◽  
Runlong Cai ◽  
Lauri Ahonen ◽  
Tiia Laurila ◽  
Sebastian Holm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Chem Phys ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Rate Analysis

&lt;p&gt;New particle formation (NPF) by gas-to-particle conversion occurs frequently in many different environments around the globe (Nieminen et al., 2018). NPF is the major contributor to the global cloud condensation nuclei budget (Gordon et al., 2017) and also impacts urban air quality (Guo et al., 2014). It is therefore crucial to understand how the newly formed particles can survive and grow to larger particles under different environmental conditions. Depending on the environment different condensable vapours and also different aerosol dynamics govern the NPF process.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In order to investigate the dynamics of aerosol growth in the sub-10 nm regime, where the newly formed particles are most vulnerable for losses to pre-existing aerosol, we tested several combining instrument inversion approaches. This allows to combine the measurements of several different particle sizing instruments in the sub-10 nm range, where each instrument offers different benefits and weaknesses. If the instruments are combined during the inversion, this could significantly reduce the error of the inferred particle size-distributions. Model results show that the regularization approach proposed by Wolfenbarger and Seinfeld (1990) yield the most stable inversion for data heavily influenced by measurement errors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We than apply the tested inversion techniques to measurements in three different environments where an array of different state-of-the-art sub-10 nm sizing instruments was deployed: The SMEAR-II station in Hyyti&amp;#228;l&amp;#228;, Finland, representative for a rural boreal forest background site, the SMEAR-III station in Helsinki, Finland, representative for a medium-polluted middle-scale European city, and at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China, an urban site in a global megacity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We demonstrate that the combining instrument approach can enable a more detailed analysis of the cluster dynamics, e.g. by the application of size- and time resolving growth rate analysis tools (Pichelstorfer et al., 2018). This will lead to a better understanding of the role of coagulation and condensation in the particle growth process and will help to explain the different dynamics which lead to NPF in fundamentally different environments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gordon, H. et al.: Causes and importance of new particle formation in the present-day and preindustrial atmospheres, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, doi:10.1002/2017JD026844, 2017.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guo, S. et al.: Elucidating severe urban haze formation in China, P. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 111(49), 17373 LP &amp;#8211; 17378, doi:10.1073/pnas.1419604111, 2014.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nieminen, T. et al.: Global analysis of continental boundary layer new particle formation based on long-term measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., (April), 1&amp;#8211;34, doi:10.5194/acp-2018-304, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pichelstorfer, L et al.: Resolving nanoparticle growth mechanisms from size- and time-dependent growth rate analysis, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18(2), 1307&amp;#8211;1323, doi:10.5194/acp-18-1307-2018, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wolfenbarger, J. K. and Seinfeld, J. H.: Inversion of aerosol size distribution data, J. Aerosol Sci., 21(2), 227&amp;#8211;247, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-8502(90)90007-K, 1990.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Formation and characteristics of ions and charged aerosol particles in a native Australian Eucalypt forest

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suni ◽  
M. Kulmala ◽  
A. Hirsikko ◽  
T. Bergman ◽  
L. Laakso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Cluster Ions ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
The World ◽  
Strong Source

Abstract. Biogenic aerosol formation is likely to contribute significantly to the global aerosol load. In recent years, new-particle formation has been observed in various ecosystems around the world but hardly any measurements have taken place in the terrestrial Southern Hemisphere. Here, we report the first results of atmospheric ion and charged particle concentrations as well as of new-particle formation in a Eucalypt forest in Tumbarumba, South-East Australia, from July 2005 to October 2006. The measurements were carried out with an Air Ion Spectrometer (AIS) with a size range from 0.34 to 40 nm. The Eucalypt forest was a very strong source of new aerosol particles. Daytime aerosol formation took place on 52% of days with acceptable data, which is 2–3 times as often as in the Nordic boreal zone. Average growth rates for negative/positive 1.5–3 nm particles during these formation events were 2.89/2.68 nmh−1, respectively; for 3-7 nm particles 4.26/4.03, and for 7–20 nm particles 8.90/7.58 nmh−1, respectively. The growth rates for large ions were highest when the air was coming from the native forest which suggests that the Eucalypts were a strong source of condensable vapours. Average concentrations of cluster ions (0.34–1.8 nm) were 2400/1700 cm−3 for negative/positive ions, very high compared to most other measurements around the world. One reason behind these high concentrations could be the strong radon efflux from the soils around the Tumbarumba field site. Furthermore, comparison between night-time and daytime concentrations supported the view that cluster ions are produced close to the surface within the boundary layer also at night but that large ions are mostly produced in daytime. Finally, a previously unreported phenomenon, nocturnal aerosol formation, appeared in 32% of the analysed nights but was clustered almost entirely within six months from summer to autumn in 2006. From January to May, nocturnal formation was 2.5 times as frequent as daytime formation. Therefore, it appears that in summer and autumn, nocturnal production was the major mechanism for aerosol formation in Tumbarumba.

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