scholarly journals Continental anthropogenic primary particle number emissions

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 6823-6840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauli Paasonen ◽  
Kaarle Kupiainen ◽  
Zbigniew Klimont ◽  
Antoon Visschedijk ◽  
Hugo A. C. Denier van der Gon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Coke Production ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Carbon Particles ◽  
First Results ◽  
Aerosol Cloud Interactions

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosol particle number concentrations impact our climate and health in ways different from those of aerosol mass concentrations. However, the global, current and future anthropogenic particle number emissions and their size distributions are so far poorly known. In this article, we present the implementation of particle number emission factors and the related size distributions in the GAINS (Greenhouse Gas–Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies) model. This implementation allows for global estimates of particle number emissions under different future scenarios, consistent with emissions of other pollutants and greenhouse gases. In addition to determining the general particulate number emissions, we also describe a method to estimate the number size distributions of the emitted black carbon particles. The first results show that the sources dominating the particle number emissions are different to those dominating the mass emissions. The major global number source is road traffic, followed by residential combustion of biofuels and coal (especially in China, India and Africa), coke production (Russia and China), and industrial combustion and processes. The size distributions of emitted particles differ across the world, depending on the main sources: in regions dominated by traffic and industry, the number size distribution of emissions peaks in diameters range from 20 to 50 nm, whereas in regions with intensive biofuel combustion and/or agricultural waste burning, the emissions of particles with diameters around 100 nm are dominant. In the baseline (current legislation) scenario, the particle number emissions in Europe, Northern and Southern Americas, Australia, and China decrease until 2030, whereas especially for India, a strong increase is estimated. The results of this study provide input for modelling of the future changes in aerosol–cloud interactions as well as particle number related adverse health effects, e.g. in response to tightening emission regulations. However, there are significant uncertainties in these current emission estimates and the key actions for decreasing the uncertainties are pointed out.

scholarly journals Continental anthropogenic primary particle number emissions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Paasonen ◽  
K. Kupiainen ◽  
Z. Klimont ◽  
A. Visshedijk ◽  
H. A. C. Denier van der Gon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Coke Production ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
First Results ◽  
Particulate Number ◽  
Aerosol Cloud Interactions

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosol particle number concentrations impact our climate and health in ways different from those of aerosol mass concentrations. However, the global, current and future, anthropogenic particle number emissions and their size distributions are so far poorly known. In this article, we present the implementation of particle number emission factors and the related size distributions in the GAINS model. This implementation allows for global estimates of particle number emissions under different future scenarios, consistent with emissions of other pollutants and greenhouse gases. In addition to determining the general particulate number emissions, we also describe a method to estimate the number size distributions of the emitted black carbon. The first results show that the sources dominating the particle number emissions are different to those dominating the mass emissions. The major global number source is road traffic, followed by residential combustion of biofuels and coal (especially in China, India and Africa), coke production (Russia and China), and industrial combustion and processes. The size distributions of emitted particles differ across the world, depending on the main sources: in regions dominated by traffic and industry, the number size distribution of emissions peaks in diameters range from 20 to 50 nm, whereas in regions with intensive biofuel combustion and/or agricultural waste burning, the emissions of particles with diameters around 100 nm are dominant. In the baseline (current legislation) scenario, the particle number emissions in Europe, Northern and Southern Americas, Australia, and China decrease until 2030, whereas especially for India, a strong increase is estimated. The results of this study provide input for modelling of the future changes in aerosol-cloud interactions as well as particle number related adverse health effects, e.g., in response to tightening emission regulations. However, there are significant uncertainties in these current emission estimates and the key actions for decreasing the uncertainties are pointed out.

scholarly journals Remarkable dynamics of nanoparticles in the urban atmosphere

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6623-6637 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
A. Thorpe ◽  
D. C. S. Beddows ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
J. F. Barlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Particle Size Distributions ◽  
Number Count ◽  
Adverse Health Effects

Abstract. Nanoparticles emitted from road traffic are the largest source of respiratory exposure for the general public living in urban areas. It has been suggested that adverse health effects of airborne particles may scale with airborne particle number, which if correct, focuses attention on the nanoparticle (less than 100 nm) size range which dominates the number count in urban areas. Urban measurements of particle size distributions have tended to show a broadly similar pattern dominated by a mode centred on 20–30 nm diameter emitted by diesel engine exhaust. In this paper we report the results of measurements of particle number concentration and size distribution made in a major London park as well as on the BT Tower, 160 m aloft. These measurements taken during the REPARTEE project (Regents Park and BT Tower experiment) show a remarkable shift in particle size distributions with major losses of the smallest particle class as particles are advected away from the traffic source. In the Park, the traffic related mode at 20–30 nm diameter is much reduced with a new mode at <10 nm. Size distribution measurements also revealed higher number concentrations of sub-50 nm particles at the BT Tower during days affected by higher turbulence as determined by Doppler Lidar measurements and are indicative of loss of nanoparticles from air aged during less turbulent conditions. These results are suggestive of nanoparticle loss by evaporation, rather than coagulation processes. The results have major implications for understanding the impacts of traffic-generated particulate matter on human health.

scholarly journals Remarkable dynamics of nanoparticles in the urban atmosphere

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 30651-30689 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
A. Thorpe ◽  
D. C. S. Beddows ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
J. F. Barlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Particle Size Distributions ◽  
Number Count ◽  
Adverse Health Effects

Abstract. Nanoparticles emitted from road traffic are the largest source of respiratory exposure for the general public living in urban areas. It has been suggested that the adverse health effects of airborne particles may scale with the airborne particle number, which if correct, focuses attention on the nanoparticle (less than 100 nm) size range which dominates the number count in urban areas. Urban measurements of particle size distributions have tended to show a broadly similar pattern dominated by a mode centred on 20–30 nm diameter particles emitted by diesel engine exhaust. In this paper we report the results of measurements of particle number concentration and size distribution made in a major London park as well as on the BT Tower, 160 m high. These measurements taken during the REPARTEE project (Regents Park and BT Tower experiment) show a remarkable shift in particle size distributions with major losses of the smallest particle class as particles are advected away from the traffic source. In the Park, the traffic related mode at 20–30 nm diameter is much reduced with a new mode at <10 nm. Size distribution measurements also revealed higher number concentrations of sub-50 nm particles at the BT Tower during days affected by higher turbulence as determined by Doppler Lidar measurements and indicate a loss of nanoparticles from air aged during less turbulent conditions. These results suggest that nanoparticles are lost by evaporation, rather than coagulation processes. The results have major implications for understanding the impacts of traffic-generated particulate matter on human health.

scholarly journals Frequency of new particle formation events in the urban Mediterranean climate

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 26463-26494 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brines ◽  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
D. C. S. Beddows ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
F. Gómez-Moreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Atmosphere ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
New Particle Formation

Abstract. Road traffic emissions are often considered the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter smaller than 100 nm) in urban environments. However, recent studies have shown that – in southern European urban regions at least – new particle formation events can also contribute to UFP. In order to quantify such events we systematically studied four cities with a Mediterranean climate: Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Los Angeles. The city of Brisbane is also included in our study due to its similar climate. Five long term datasets (from 3 months to 2 years) of fine and ultrafine particle number size distributions (measured by SMPS, Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) were analysed. By applying k-Means clustering analysis, we categorized the collected aerosol size distributions in four main classes: "Traffic" (prevailing 41–63% of the time), "Background Pollution" (6–53%), "Nucleation" (6–33%) and "Specific case" (7–20%) the latter being site specific. The daily variation of the average UFP concentrations for a typical nucleation day at each site revealed a similar pattern for all cities, with three distinct particle bursts. A morning and an evening spike reflected traffic rush hours, whereas a third one at midday showed new particle formation events. This work shows that the average occurrence of particle size spectra dominated by new particle formation events was 18% of the time, showing the importance of this process as a source of UFP in the Mediterranean urban atmosphere. Furthermore, in a number of the studied cities, particle number concentration averaged daily profiles for the whole study periods clearly showed the same three particle bursts. This reveals nucleation events as a relevant contributor to the average daily urban exposure to UFP in Mediterranean urban environments.

scholarly journals Collocated observations of cloud condensation nuclei, particle size distributions, and chemical composition

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Schmale ◽  
Silvia Henning ◽  
Bas Henzing ◽  
Helmi Keskinen ◽  
Karine Sellegri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Retrieval Method ◽  
Particle Properties ◽  
Aerosol Cloud Interactions

Abstract Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations alongside with submicrometer particle number size distributions and particle chemical composition have been measured at atmospheric observatories of the Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure (ACTRIS) as well as other international sites over multiple years. Here, harmonized data records from 11 observatories are summarized, spanning 98,677 instrument hours for CCN data, 157,880 for particle number size distributions, and 70,817 for chemical composition data. The observatories represent nine different environments, e.g., Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean maritime, boreal forest, or high alpine atmospheric conditions. This is a unique collection of aerosol particle properties most relevant for studying aerosol-cloud interactions which constitute the largest uncertainty in anthropogenic radiative forcing of the climate. The dataset is appropriate for comprehensive aerosol characterization (e.g., closure studies of CCN), model-measurement intercomparison and satellite retrieval method evaluation, among others. Data have been acquired and processed following international recommendations for quality assurance and have undergone multiple stages of quality assessment.

scholarly journals Traffic and nucleation events as main sources of ultrafine particles in high-insolation developed world cities

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 5929-5945 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brines ◽  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
D. C. S. Beddows ◽  
R. M. Harrison ◽  
F. Gómez-Moreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer ◽  
High Solar Radiation

Abstract. Road traffic emissions are often considered the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter smaller than 100 nm) in urban environments. However, recent studies worldwide have shown that – in high-insolation urban regions at least – new particle formation events can also contribute to UFP. In order to quantify such events we systematically studied three cities located in predominantly sunny environments: Barcelona (Spain), Madrid (Spain) and Brisbane (Australia). Three long-term data sets (1–2 years) of fine and ultrafine particle number size distributions (measured by SMPS, Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) were analysed. Compared to total particle number concentrations, aerosol size distributions offer far more information on the type, origin and atmospheric evolution of the particles. By applying k-means clustering analysis, we categorized the collected aerosol size distributions into three main categories: "Traffic" (prevailing 44–63% of the time), "Nucleation" (14–19%) and "Background pollution and Specific cases" (7–22%). Measurements from Rome (Italy) and Los Angeles (USA) were also included to complement the study. The daily variation of the average UFP concentrations for a typical nucleation day at each site revealed a similar pattern for all cities, with three distinct particle bursts. A morning and an evening spike reflected traffic rush hours, whereas a third one at midday showed nucleation events. The photochemically nucleated particles' burst lasted 1–4 h, reaching sizes of 30–40 nm. On average, the occurrence of particle size spectra dominated by nucleation events was 16% of the time, showing the importance of this process as a source of UFP in urban environments exposed to high solar radiation. Nucleation events lasting for 2 h or more occurred on 55% of the days, this extending to > 4 h in 28% of the days, demonstrating that atmospheric conditions in urban environments are not favourable to the growth of photochemically nucleated particles. In summary, although traffic remains the main source of UFP in urban areas, in developed countries with high insolation urban nucleation events are also a main source of UFP. If traffic-related particle concentrations are reduced in the future, nucleation events will likely increase in urban areas, due to the reduced urban condensation sinks.

scholarly journals Inter-community variability in total particle number concentrations in the eastern Los Angeles air basin

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 11385-11399 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hudda ◽  
K. Cheung ◽  
K. F. Moore ◽  
C. Sioutas
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Monitoring Station ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Central Monitoring ◽  
Seasonal And Diurnal Variations

Abstract. Ultrafine Particles (UFP) can display sharp gradients in their number concentrations in urban environment due to their transient nature and rapid atmospheric processing. The ability of using air pollution data generated at a central monitoring station to assess exposure relies on our understanding of the spatial variability of a specific pollutant associated with a region. High spatial variation in the concentrations of air pollutants has been reported at scales of 10s of km for areas affected by primary emissions. Spatial variability in particle number concentrations (PNC) and size distributions needs to be investigated, as the representativeness of a monitoring station in a region is premised on the assumption of homogeneity in both of these metrics. This study was conducted at six sites, one in downtown Los Angeles and five located about 40–115 km downwind in the receptor areas of Los Angeles air basin. PNC and size distribution were measured using Condensation Particle Counters (CPC) and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). The seasonal and diurnal variations of PNC implied that PNC might vary significantly with meteorological conditions, even though the general patterns at the sites may remain generally similar across the year due to consistency of sources around them. Regionally transported particulate matter (PM) from upwind urban areas of Los Angeles lowered spatial variation by acting as a "homogenizing" factor during favorable meteorological conditions. Spatial variability also increased during hours of the day during which the effects of local sources predominate. The spatial variability associated with PNC (quantified using Coefficients of Divergence, CODs), averaged about 0.3, which was generally lower than that based on specific size ranges. Results showed an inverse relationship of COD with particles size, with fairly uniform values in the particle range which is associated with regional transport. Our results suggest that spatial variability, even in the receptor regions of Los Angeles Basin, should be assessed for both PNC and size distributions, and should be interpreted in context of seasonal and diurnal influences, and suitably factored if values for exposure are ascertained using a central monitoring station.

Exhaust Particle Number and Size Distributions with Conventional and Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Fuels

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W Schaberg ◽  
Darrick D. Zarling ◽  
Robert W. Waytulonis ◽  
David B. Kittelson
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Fischer Tropsch ◽  
Diesel Fuels

scholarly journals Fluorescent biological aerosol particle concentrations and size distributions measured with an Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UV-APS) in Central Europe

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 3215-3233 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Huffman ◽  
B. Treutlein ◽  
U. Pöschl
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Spores And Pollen ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Particle Sizer ◽  
Biological Aerosol Particles

Abstract. Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPs), including bacteria, spores and pollen, are essential for the spread of organisms and disease in the biosphere, and numerous studies have suggested that they may be important for atmospheric processes, including the formation of clouds and precipitation. The atmospheric abundance and size distribution of PBAPs, however, are largely unknown. At a semi-urban site in Mainz, Germany we used an Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UV-APS) to measure Fluorescent Biological Aerosol Particles (FBAPs), which provide an estimate of viable bioaerosol particles and can be regarded as an approximate lower limit for the actual abundance of PBAPs. Fluorescence of non-biological aerosol components are likely to influence the measurement results obtained for fine particles (<1 μm), but not for coarse particles (1–20 μm). Averaged over the four-month measurement period (August–December 2006), the mean number concentration of coarse FBAPs was ~3×10−2 cm−3, corresponding to ~4% of total coarse particle number. The mean mass concentration of FBAPs was ~1μg m−3, corresponding to ~20% of total coarse particle mass. The FBAP number size distributions exhibited alternating patterns with peaks at various diameters. A pronounced peak at ~3 μm was essentially always observed and can be described by the following campaign-average lognormal fit parameters: geometric mean diameter 3.2 μm, geometric standard deviation 1.3, number concentration 1.6×10−2 cm−3. This peak is likely due to fungal spores or agglomerated bacteria, and it exhibited a pronounced diel cycle (24-h) with maximum intensity during early/mid-morning. FBAP peaks around ~1.5 μm, ~5 μm, and ~13 μm were also observed, but less pronounced and less frequent. These may be single bacterial cells, larger fungal spores, and pollen grains, respectively. The observed number concentrations and characteristic sizes of FBAPs are consistent with microscopic, biological and chemical analyses of PBAPs in aerosol filter samples. To our knowledge, however, this is the first exploratory study reporting continuous online measurements of bioaerosol particles over several months and a range of characteristic size distribution patterns with a persistent bioaerosol peak at ~3 μm. The measurement results confirm that PBAPs account for a substantial proportion of coarse aerosol particle number and mass in continental boundary layer air. Moreover, they suggest that the number concentration of viable bioparticles is dominated by fungal spores or agglomerated bacteria with aerodynamic diameters around 3 μm rather than single bacterial cells with diameters around 1 μm.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document