scholarly journals Characterization of fresh and aged organic aerosol emissions from meat charbroiling

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 7143-7155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Kaltsonoudis ◽  
Evangelia Kostenidou ◽  
Evangelos Louvaris ◽  
Magda Psichoudaki ◽  
Epameinondas Tsiligiannis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Gas Phases ◽  
Uv Illumination ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Inorganic Species ◽  
Aerosol Emissions

Abstract. Cooking emissions can be a significant source of fine particulate matter in urban areas. In this study the aerosol- and gas-phase emissions from meat charbroiling were characterized. Greek souvlakia with pork were cooked using a commercial charbroiler and a fraction of the emissions were introduced into a smog chamber where after a characterization phase they were exposed to UV illumination and oxidants. The particulate and gas phases were characterized by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) correspondingly. More than 99 % of the aerosol emitted was composed of organic compounds, while black carbon (BC) contributed 0.3 % and the inorganic species less than 0.5 % of the total aerosol mass. The initial O  :  C ratio was approximately 0.09 and increased up to 0.30 after a few hours of chemical aging (exposures of 1010 molecules cm−3 s for OH and 100 ppb h for ozone). The initial and aged AMS spectra differed considerably (θ =  27°). Ambient measurements were also conducted during Fat Thursday in Patras, Greece, when traditionally meat is charbroiled everywhere in the city. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) revealed that cooking organic aerosol (COA) reached up to 85 % of the total OA from 10:00 to 12:00 LST that day. The ambient COA factor in two major Greek cities had a mass spectrum during spring and summer similar to the aged meat charbroiling emissions. In contrast, the ambient COA factor during winter resembled strongly the fresh laboratory meat charbroiling emissions.

scholarly journals Characterization of fresh and aged organic aerosol emissions from meat charbroiling

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Kaltsonoudis ◽  
Evangelia Kostenidou ◽  
Evangelos Louvaris ◽  
Magda Psichoudaki ◽  
Epameinondas Tsiligiannis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Chemical Aging ◽  
Gas Phases ◽  
Uv Illumination ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Inorganic Species ◽  
Aerosol Emissions

Abstract. Cooking emissions can be a significant source of fine particulate matter in urban areas. In this study the aerosol and gas phase emissions from meat charbroiling were characterized. Greek souvlakia with pork meat were cooked using a commercial charbroiler and a fraction of the emissions were introduced into a smog chamber where after a characterization phase they were exposed to UV illumination and oxidants. The particulate and gas phases were characterized by a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and a Proton-Transfer-Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) correspondingly. More than 99 % of the aerosol emitted was composed of organic compounds, while black carbon (BC) contributed 0.3 % and the inorganic species less than 0.5 % of the total aerosol mass. The initial O : C ratio was approximately 0.09 and increased up to 0.30 after a few hours of chemical aging. The initial and aged AMS spectra differed considerably (θ = 27°). Ambient measurements were also conducted during Fat Thursday in Patras, Greece when traditionally meat is charbroiled everywhere in the city. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) revealed that COA reached up to 85 % of the total OA from 10:00 to 12:00 LST that day. The ambient COA factor in two major Greek cities had a mass spectrum during spring and summer similar to the aged COA chamber spectrum. On the other hand the ambient COA factor during winter resembled strongly the fresh laboratory COA.

scholarly journals Secondary organic aerosol formation and primary organic aerosol oxidation from biomass-burning smoke in a flow reactor during FLAME-3

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 11551-11571 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Ortega ◽  
D. A. Day ◽  
M. J. Cubison ◽  
W. H. Brune ◽  
D. Bon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Flow Reactor ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Smog Chambers

Abstract. We report the physical and chemical effects of photochemically aging dilute biomass-burning smoke. A "potential aerosol mass" (PAM) flow reactor was used with analysis by a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and a proton-transfer-reaction ion-trap mass spectrometer during the FLAME-3 campaign. Hydroxyl (OH) radical concentrations in the reactor reached up to ~1000 times average tropospheric levels, producing effective OH exposures equivalent to up to 5 days of aging in the atmosphere, and allowing for us to extend the investigation of smoke aging beyond the oxidation levels achieved in traditional smog chambers. Volatile organic compound (VOC) observations show aromatics and terpenes decrease with aging, while formic acid and other unidentified oxidation products increase. Unidentified gas-phase oxidation products, previously observed in atmospheric and laboratory measurements, were observed here, including evidence of multiple generations of photochemistry. Substantial new organic aerosol (OA) mass ("net SOA"; secondary OA) was observed from aging biomass-burning smoke, resulting in total OA average of 1.42 ± 0.36 times the initial primary OA (POA) after oxidation. This study confirms that the net-SOA-to-POA ratio of biomass-burning smoke is far lower on average than that observed for urban emissions. Although most fuels were very reproducible, significant differences were observed among the biomasses, with some fuels resulting in a doubling of the OA mass, while for others a very small increase or even a decrease was observed. Net SOA formation in the photochemical reactor increased with OH exposure (OHexp), typically peaking around three days of equivalent atmospheric photochemical age (OHexp~3.9 × 1011 molecules cm−3 s), then leveling off at higher exposures. The amount of additional OA mass added from aging is positively correlated with initial POA concentration, but not with the total VOC concentration or the concentration of known SOA precursors. The mass of SOA formed often exceeded the mass of the known VOC precursors, indicating the likely importance of primary semivolatile/intermediate volatility species, and possibly of unidentified VOCs as SOA precursors in biomass burning smoke. Chemical transformations continued even after mass concentration stabilized. Changes in the biomass-burning tracer f60 ranged from substantially decreasing to remaining constant with increased aging. With increased OHexp, oxidation was always detected (as indicated by f44 and O/C). POA O/C ranged from 0.15 to 0.5, while aged OA O/C reached up to 0.87. The rate of oxidation and maximum O/C achieved differs for each biomass, and appears to increase with the initial O/C of the POA.

scholarly journals Airborne Extractive Electrospray Mass Spectrometry Measurements of the Chemical Composition of Organic Aerosol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Demetrios Pagonis ◽  
Pedro Campuzano-Jost ◽  
Hongyu Guo ◽  
Douglas A. Day ◽  
Melinda K. Schueneman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Regression Slope ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Working Solution ◽  
Field Intercomparison

Abstract. We deployed an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-MS) for airborne measurements of biomass burning aerosol during the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) study onboard the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. Through optimization of the electrospray working solution, active control of the electrospray region pressure, and precise control of electrospray capillary position, we achieved 1 Hz quantitative measurements of aerosol nitrocatechol and levoglucosan concentrations up to pressure altitudes of 7 km. EESI-MS response to levoglucosan and nitrocatechol was calibrated for each flight, with flight-to-flight calibration variability of 60 % (1σ). Laboratory measurements showed no aerosol size dependence in EESI-MS sensitivity below particle geometric diameters of 400 nm, covering 82 % of accumulation mode aerosol mass during FIREX-AQ. We also present a first in-field intercomparison of EESI-MS with a chemical analysis of aerosol online proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (CHARON PTR-MS) and a high-resolution Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). EESI-MS and CHARON PTR-MS levoglucosan concentrations were well correlated, with a regression slope of 0.94, R2 = 0.77. AMS levoglucosan-equivalent concentrations and EESI-MS levoglucosan showed greater difference, with a regression slope of 1.36, R2 = 0.96, likely indicating the contribution of other compounds to the AMS levoglucosan-equivalent measurement. Total EESI-MS signal showed correlation (R2 = 0.9) with total organic aerosol measured by AMS, and the EESI-MS bulk organic aerosol sensitivity was 60 % of the sensitivity to levoglucosan standards.

scholarly journals Enhanced SOA formation from mixed anthropogenic and biogenic emissions during the CARES campaign

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 26297-26349 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Shilling ◽  
R. A. Zaveri ◽  
J. D. Fast ◽  
L. Kleinman ◽  
M. L. Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Biogenic Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Radiation Balance ◽  
Particle Phase ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Research Aircraft

Abstract. The CARES campaign was conducted during June 2010 in the vicinity of Sacramento, California to study aerosol formation and aging in a region where anthropogenic and biogenic emissions regularly mix. Here, we describe measurements from an Aerodyne High Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), an Ionicon Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS), and trace gas detectors (CO, NO, NOx) deployed on the G-1 research aircraft to investigate ambient gas- and particle-phase chemical composition. AMS measurements showed that the particle phase is dominated by organic aerosol (OA) (85% on average) with smaller concentrations of sulfate (5%), nitrate (6%) and ammonium (3%) observed. PTR-MS data showed that isoprene dominated the biogenic volatile organic compound concentrations (BVOCs), with monoterpene concentrations generally below the detection limit. Using two different metrics, median OA concentrations and the slope of plots of OA vs. CO concentrations (i.e. ΔOA/ΔCO), we contrast organic aerosol evolution on flight days with different prevailing meteorological conditions to elucidate the role of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions on OA formation. Airmasses influenced predominantly by biogenic emissions had median OA concentrations of 2.2 μg m−3 and near zero ΔOA/ΔCO. Those influenced predominantly by anthropogenic emissions had median OA concentrations of 4.7 μg m−3 and ΔOA/ΔCO ratios of 35–44 μg m−3 ppmv−1. But, when biogenic and anthropogenic emissions mixed, OA levels were dramatically enhanced, with median OA concentrations of 11.4 μg m−3 and ΔOA/ΔCO ratios of 77–157 μg m−3 ppmv−1. Taken together, our observations show that production of OA was enhanced when anthropogenic emissions from Sacramento mixed with isoprene-rich air from the foothills. A strong, non-linear dependence of SOA yield from isoprene is the explanation for this enhancement most consistent with both the gas- and particle-phase data. If these observations are found to be robust in other seasons and in areas outside of Sacramento, regional and global aerosol modules will need to incorporate more complex representations of NOx-dependent SOA yields into their algorithms. Ultimately, accurately predicting OA mass concentrations and their effect on radiation balance will require a mechanistically-based treatment of the interactions of biogenic and anthropogenic emissions.

scholarly journals Formation of secondary organic aerosol coating on black carbon particles near vehicular emissions

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex K. Y. Lee ◽  
Chia-Li Chen ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Derek J. Price ◽  
Raghu Betha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Vehicular Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Inorganic Species

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) emitted from incomplete combustion can result in significant impacts on air quality and climate. Understanding the mixing state of ambient BC and the chemical characteristics of its associated coatings are particularly important to evaluate BC fate and environmental impacts. In this study, we investigate the formation of organic coatings on BC particles in an urban environment (Fontana, California) under hot and dry conditions using a Soot-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS). The SP-AMS was operated in a configuration that can detect refractory BC (rBC) particles and their coatings exclusively. Using the −log(NOx/NOy) ratio as a proxy for photochemical age of air masses, substantial formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) coatings on rBC particles was observed due to active photochemistry in the afternoon, whereas primary organic aerosol (POA) components were strongly associated with rBC from fresh vehicular missions in the morning rush hours. There is also evidence that cooking related organic aerosols were externally mixed from rBC. Positive matrix factorization and elemental analysis illustrate that most of the observed SOA coatings were freshly formed, providing an opportunity to examine SOA coating formation on rBC near vehicular emissions. Approximately 7–20 wt % of secondary organic and inorganic species were estimated to be internally mixed with rBC on average, implying that rBC is unlikely the major condensation sinks of SOA in this study. Diurnal cycles of oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA) observed by a co-located standard high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-MS) correlated well with that of SOA coatings on rBC, but their mass spectral characteristics were different from each other. Our results suggest that at least a portion of SOA materials condensed on rBC surface were chemically different from OOA particles that were externally mixed with rBC, although they are both generated from local photochemistry.

scholarly journals Factor analysis of combined organic and inorganic aerosol mass spectra from high resolution aerosol mass spectrometer measurements

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 8537-8551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. Sun ◽  
Q. Zhang ◽  
J. J. Schwab ◽  
T. Yang ◽  
N. L. Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Mass Spectra ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Nitrates ◽  
Spectral Matrix ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Inorganic Species

Abstract. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the merged high resolution mass spectra of organic and inorganic aerosols from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements to investigate the sources and evolution processes of submicron aerosols in New York City in summer 2009. This new approach is able to study the distribution of organic and inorganic species in different types of aerosols, the acidity of organic aerosol (OA) factors, and the fragment ion patterns related to photochemical processing. In this study, PMF analysis of the unified AMS spectral matrix resolved 8 factors. The hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and cooking OA (COA) factors contain negligible amounts of inorganic species. The two factors that are primarily ammonium sulfate (SO4-OA) and ammonium nitrate (NO3-OA), respectively, are overall neutralized. Among all OA factors the organic fraction of SO4-OA shows the highest degree of oxidation (O/C = 0.69). Two semi-volatile oxygenated OA (OOA) factors, i.e., a less oxidized (LO-OOA) and a more oxidized (MO-OOA), were also identified. MO-OOA represents local photochemical products with a diurnal profile exhibiting a pronounced noon peak, consistent with those of formaldehyde (HCHO) and Ox(= O3 + NO2). The NO+/NO2+ ion ratio in MO-OOA is much higher than that in NO3-OA and in pure ammonium nitrate, indicating the formation of organic nitrates. The nitrogen-enriched OA (NOA) factor contains ~25% of acidic inorganic salts, suggesting the formation of secondary OA via acid-base reactions of amines. The size distributions of OA factors derived from the size-resolved mass spectra show distinct diurnal evolving behaviors but overall a progressing evolution from smaller to larger particle mode as the oxidation degree of OA increases. Our results demonstrate that PMF analysis of the unified aerosol mass spectral matrix which contains both inorganic and organic aerosol signals may enable the deconvolution of more OA factors and gain more insights into the sources, processes, and chemical characteristics of OA in the atmosphere.

scholarly journals Secondary organic aerosol formation from idling gasoline passenger vehicle emissions investigated in a smog chamber

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6101-6116 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Z. Nordin ◽  
A. C. Eriksson ◽  
P. Roldin ◽  
P. T. Nilsson ◽  
J. E. Carlsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrum ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Smog Chamber ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Gasoline Vehicles

Abstract. Gasoline vehicles have recently been pointed out as potentially the main source of anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in megacities. However, there is a lack of laboratory studies to systematically investigate SOA formation in real-world exhaust. In this study, SOA formation from pure aromatic precursors, idling and cold start gasoline exhaust from three passenger vehicles (EURO2–EURO4) were investigated with photo-oxidation experiments in a 6 m3 smog chamber. The experiments were carried out down to atmospherically relevant organic aerosol mass concentrations. The characterization instruments included a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and a proton transfer mass spectrometer. It was found that gasoline exhaust readily forms SOA with a signature aerosol mass spectrum similar to the oxidized organic aerosol that commonly dominates the organic aerosol mass spectra downwind of urban areas. After a cumulative OH exposure of ~5 × 106 cm−3 h, the formed SOA was 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the primary OA emissions. The SOA mass spectrum from a relevant mixture of traditional light aromatic precursors gave f43 (mass fraction at m/z = 43), approximately two times higher than to the gasoline SOA. However O : C and H : C ratios were similar for the two cases. Classical C6–C9 light aromatic precursors were responsible for up to 60% of the formed SOA, which is significantly higher than for diesel exhaust. Important candidates for additional precursors are higher-order aromatic compounds such as C10 and C11 light aromatics, naphthalene and methyl-naphthalenes. We conclude that approaches using only light aromatic precursors give an incomplete picture of the magnitude of SOA formation and the SOA composition from gasoline exhaust.

scholarly journals Aerosol composition and the contribution of SOA formation over Mediterranean forests

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 7041-7056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Freney ◽  
Karine Sellegri ◽  
Mounir Chrit ◽  
Kouji Adachi ◽  
Joel Brito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Proton Transfer Reaction ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Total Contribution ◽  
Inorganic Species ◽  
Forested Areas

Abstract. As part of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx), a series of aerosol and gas-phase measurements were deployed aboard the SAFIRE ATR42 research aircraft in summer 2014. The present study focuses on the four flights performed in late June early July over two forested regions in the south of France. We combine in situ observations and model simulations to aid in the understanding of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation over these forested areas in the Mediterranean and to highlight the role of different gas-phase precursors. The non-refractory particulate species measured by a compact aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (cToF-AMS) were dominated by organics (60 to 72 %) followed by a combined contribution of 25 % by ammonia and sulfate aerosols. The contribution from nitrate and black carbon (BC) particles was less than 5 % of the total PM1 mass concentration. Measurements of non-refractory species from off-line transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that particles have different mixing states and that large fractions (35 %) of the measured particles were organic aerosol containing C, O, and S but without inclusions of crystalline sulfate particles. The organic aerosol measured using the cToF-AMS contained only evidence of oxidized organic aerosol (OOA), without a contribution of fresh primary organic aerosol. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) on the combined organic–inorganic matrices separated the oxidized organic aerosol into a more-oxidized organic aerosol (MOOA), and a less-oxidized organic aerosol (LOOA). The MOOA component is associated with inorganic species and had higher contributions of m∕z 44 than the LOOA factor. The LOOA factor is not associated with inorganic species and correlates well with biogenic volatile organic species measured with a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer, such as isoprene and its oxidation products (methyl vinyl ketone, MVK; methacroleine, MACR; and isoprene hydroxyhydroperoxides, ISOPOOH). Despite a significantly high mixing ratio of isoprene (0.4 to 1.2 ppbV) and its oxidation products (0.2 and 0.8 ppbV), the contribution of specific signatures for isoprene epoxydiols SOA (IEPOX-SOA) within the aerosol organic mass spectrum (m∕z 53 and m∕z 82) were very weak, suggesting that the presence of isoprene-derived SOA was either too low to be detected by the cToF-AMS, or that SOA was not formed through IEPOX. This was corroborated through simulations performed with the Polyphemus model showing that although 60 to 80 % of SOA originated from biogenic precursors, only about 15 to 32 % was related to isoprene (non-IEPOX) SOA; the remainder was 10 % sesquiterpene SOA and 35 to 40 % monoterpene SOA. The model results show that despite the zone of sampling being far from industrial or urban sources, a total contribution of 20 to 34 % of the SOA was attributed to purely anthropogenic precursors (aromatics and intermediate or semi-volatile compounds). The measurements obtained during this study allow us to evaluate how biogenic emissions contribute to increasing SOA concentrations over Mediterranean forested areas. Directly comparing these measurements with the Polyphemus model provides insight into the SOA formation pathways that are prevailing in these forested areas as well as processes that need to be implemented in future simulations.

scholarly journals Characterization of urban aerosol in Cork city (Ireland) using aerosol mass spectrometry

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4997-5015 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dall'Osto ◽  
J. Ovadnevaite ◽  
D. Ceburnis ◽  
D. Martin ◽  
R. M. Healy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Organic Matrix ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Urban Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

Abstract. Ambient wintertime background urban aerosol in Cork city, Ireland, was characterized using aerosol mass spectrometry. During the three-week measurement study in 2009, 93% of the ca. 1 350 000 single particles characterized by an Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (TSI ATOFMS) were classified into five organic-rich particle types, internally mixed to different proportions with elemental carbon (EC), sulphate and nitrate, while the remaining 7% was predominantly inorganic in nature. Non-refractory PM1 aerosol was characterized using a High Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (Aerodyne HR-ToF-AMS) and was also found to comprise organic aerosol as the most abundant species (62%), followed by nitrate (15%), sulphate (9%) and ammonium (9%), and chloride (5%). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the HR-ToF-AMS organic matrix, and a five-factor solution was found to describe the variance in the data well. Specifically, "hydrocarbon-like" organic aerosol (HOA) comprised 20% of the mass, "low-volatility" oxygenated organic aerosol (LV-OOA) comprised 18%, "biomass burning" organic aerosol (BBOA) comprised 23%, non-wood solid-fuel combustion "peat and coal" organic aerosol (PCOA) comprised 21%, and finally a species type characterized by primary \\textit{m/z}~peaks at 41 and 55, similar to previously reported "cooking" organic aerosol (COA), but possessing different diurnal variations to what would be expected for cooking activities, contributed 18%. Correlations between the different particle types obtained by the two aerosol mass spectrometers are also discussed. Despite wood, coal and peat being minor fuel types used for domestic space heating in urban areas, their relatively low combustion efficiencies result in a significant contribution to PM1 aerosol mass (44% and 28% of the total organic aerosol mass and non-refractory total PM1, respectively).

scholarly journals Formation of secondary organic aerosol coating on black carbon particles near vehicular emissions

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 15055-15067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex K. Y. Lee ◽  
Chia-Li Chen ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Derek J. Price ◽  
Raghu Betha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Vehicular Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Carbon Particles ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Inorganic Species ◽  
Dry Conditions

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) emitted from incomplete combustion can result in significant impacts on air quality and climate. Understanding the mixing state of ambient BC and the chemical characteristics of its associated coatings is particularly important to evaluate BC fate and environmental impacts. In this study, we investigate the formation of organic coatings on BC particles in an urban environment (Fontana, California) under hot and dry conditions using a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). The SP-AMS was operated in a configuration that can exclusively detect refractory BC (rBC) particles and their coatings. Using the −log(NOx ∕ NOy) ratio as a proxy for photochemical age of air masses, substantial formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) coatings on rBC particles was observed due to active photochemistry in the afternoon, whereas primary organic aerosol (POA) components were strongly associated with rBC from fresh vehicular emissions in the morning rush hours. There is also evidence that cooking-related organic aerosols were externally mixed from rBC. Positive matrix factorization and elemental analysis illustrate that most of the observed SOA coatings were freshly formed, providing an opportunity to examine SOA coating formation on rBCs near vehicular emissions. Approximately 7–20 wt % of secondary organic and inorganic species were estimated to be internally mixed with rBC on average, implying that rBC is unlikely the major condensation sink of SOA in this study. Comparison of our results to a co-located standard high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) measurement suggests that at least a portion of SOA materials condensed on rBC surfaces were chemically different from oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA) particles that were externally mixed with rBC, although they could both be generated from local photochemistry.

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