scholarly journals Measurement report: Determination of Black Carbon concentration in PM<sub>2.5</sub> fraction by Multi-wavelength absorption black carbon instrument (MABI)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ryś ◽  
Lucyna Samek
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Environmental Sciences ◽  
Absorption Coefficients ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Wavelength Absorption ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. The evaluation of black carbon (BC) sources is very important, especially in environmental sciences. This study shows how the contributions of biomass burning and fossil fuel/traffic to PM2.5 mass can be assessed. MABI was used for this purpose and gave the possibility to measure the transmission of light at different wavelengths. Absorption coefficients were calculated from measurements data and recalculated for concentrations of eBC. The samples of PM2.5 fraction were collected from February 1, 2020 to March 27, 2021 every third day in Krakow, Poland (50°04' N, 19°54'47" E). The concentrations of equivalent BC (eBC) from fossil fuel/traffic and biomass burning were in the range 0.82–11.64 μg m−3) and 0.007–0.84 μg m−3, respectively. At the same time, PM2.5 concentrations varied from 3.14 to 55.24 μg m−3. It means that about 18 % of PM2.5 mass belongs to eBC and 11.3 % of this value comes from biomass burning. The eBC contribution is the significant part of PM2.5 mass and we observed seasonal variation of the eBC concentration during the year with the peak in winter. The contribution of biomass burning to PM2.5 mass is more stable during the whole year. The eBC concentration during workdays is a bit higher than during weekend days but biomass burning is similar for both days (work and weekend taken as the mean for the whole period).

Source apportionment of black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass burning in metropolitan Milan, Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 252-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirhosein Mousavi ◽  
Mohammad H. Sowlat ◽  
Christopher Lovett ◽  
Martin Rauber ◽  
Soenke Szidat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Fossil Fuel

scholarly journals Comparison of different Aethalometer correction schemes and a reference multi-wavelength absorption technique for ambient aerosol data

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2837-2850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Saturno ◽  
Christopher Pöhlker ◽  
Dario Massabò ◽  
Joel Brito ◽  
Samara Carbone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wavelength Dependence ◽  
Absorption Coefficients ◽  
Multiple Wavelength ◽  
Filter Loading ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Online Measurements ◽  
Loading Effects ◽  
Wavelength Absorption ◽  
Absorption Photometer ◽  
Absorption Measurements

Abstract. Deriving absorption coefficients from Aethalometer attenuation data requires different corrections to compensate for artifacts related to filter-loading effects, scattering by filter fibers, and scattering by aerosol particles. In this study, two different correction schemes were applied to seven-wavelength Aethalometer data, using multi-angle absorption photometer (MAAP) data as a reference absorption measurement at 637 nm. The compensation algorithms were compared to five-wavelength offline absorption measurements obtained with a multi-wavelength absorbance analyzer (MWAA), which serves as a multiple-wavelength reference measurement. The online measurements took place in the Amazon rainforest, from the wet-to-dry transition season to the dry season (June–September 2014). The mean absorption coefficient (at 637 nm) during this period was 1.8 ± 2.1 Mm−1, with a maximum of 15.9 Mm−1. Under these conditions, the filter-loading compensation was negligible. One of the correction schemes was found to artificially increase the short-wavelength absorption coefficients. It was found that accounting for the aerosol optical properties in the scattering compensation significantly affects the absorption Ångström exponent (åABS) retrievals. Proper Aethalometer data compensation schemes are crucial to retrieve the correct åABS, which is commonly implemented in brown carbon contribution calculations. Additionally, we found that the wavelength dependence of uncompensated Aethalometer attenuation data significantly correlates with the åABS retrieved from offline MWAA measurements.

scholarly journals Modeled source apportionment of black carbon particles coated with a light-scattering shell

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aki Virkkula
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Core Size ◽  
Carbon Particles ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Measured Absorption ◽  
Absorbing Material ◽  
Fossil Fuel Emissions

Abstract. The Aethalometer model been used widely for estimating the contributions of fossil fuel emissions and biomass burning to equivalent black carbon (eBC). The calculation is based on measured absorption Ångström exponents (αabs). The interpretation αabs is ambiguous since it is well-known that it not only depends on the dominant absorber but also on the size and internal structure of the particles, core size and shell thickness. In this work the uncertainties of the Aethalometer-model-derived apparent fractions of absorption by eBC from fossil fuel and biomass burning are evaluated with a core-shell Mie model. Biomass-burning fractions (BB(%)) were calculated for pure and coated single BC particles, for lognormal unimodal and bimodal size distributions of BC cores coated with ammonium sulfate, a scattering-only material. BB(%) was very seldom 0 % even though BC was the only absorbing material in the simulations. The shape of size distribution plays an important role. Narrow size distributions result in higher αabs and BB(%) values than wide size distributions. The sensitivity of αabs and BB(%) to variations in shell volume fractions is the highest for accumulation mode particles. This is important because that is where the largest aerosol mass is. For the interpretation of absorption Ångström exponents it would be very good to measure BC size distributions and shell thicknesses together with the wavelength dependency of absorption.

scholarly journals The determination of highly time-resolved and source-separated black carbon emission rates using radon as a tracer of atmospheric dynamics

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 14139-14162
Author(s):  
Asta Gregorič ◽  
Luka Drinovec ◽  
Irena Ježek ◽  
Janja Vaupotič ◽  
Matevž Lenarčič ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Carbon Concentration ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Emission Rate ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Black Carbon Concentration ◽  
Atmospheric Radon

Abstract. We present a new method for the determination of the source-specific black carbon emission rates. The methodology was applied in two different environments: an urban location in Ljubljana and a rural one in the Vipava valley (Slovenia, Europe), which differ in pollution sources and topography. The atmospheric dynamics was quantified using the atmospheric radon (222Rn) concentration to determine the mixing layer height for periods of thermally driven planetary boundary layer evolution. The black carbon emission rate was determined using an improved box model taking into account boundary layer depth and a horizontal advection term, describing the temporal and spatial exponential decay of black carbon concentration. The rural Vipava valley is impacted by a significantly higher contribution to black carbon concentration from biomass burning during winter (60 %) in comparison to Ljubljana (27 %). Daily averaged black carbon emission rates in Ljubljana were 210 ± 110 and 260 ± 110 µgm-2h-1 in spring and winter, respectively. Overall black carbon emission rates in Vipava valley were only slightly lower compared to Ljubljana: 150 ± 60 and 250 ± 160 µgm-2h-1 in spring and winter, respectively. Different daily dynamics of biomass burning and traffic emissions was responsible for slightly higher contribution of biomass burning to measured black carbon concentration, compared to the fraction of its emission rate. Coupling the high-time-resolution measurements of black carbon concentration with atmospheric radon concentration measurements can provide a useful tool for direct, highly time-resolved measurements of the intensity of emission sources. Source-specific emission rates can be used to assess the efficiency of pollution mitigation measures over longer time periods, thereby avoiding the influence of variable meteorology.

Spatio-temporal trends and source apportionment of fossil fuel and biomass burning black carbon (BC) in the Los Angeles Basin

2018 ◽  
Vol 640-641 ◽  
pp. 1231-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirhosein Mousavi ◽  
Mohammad H. Sowlat ◽  
Sina Hasheminassab ◽  
Andrea Polidori ◽  
Constantinos Sioutas
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Los Angeles Basin ◽  
Spatio Temporal

scholarly journals Quantifying black carbon from biomass burning by means of levoglucosan – a one year time series at the Arctic observatory Zeppelin

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 31965-32003
Author(s):  
K. E. Yttri ◽  
C. Lund Myhre ◽  
S. Eckhardt ◽  
M. Fiebig ◽  
C. Dye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Chemical Degradation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
European Arctic ◽  
One Year ◽  
Upper Estimate

Abstract. Levoglucosan, a highly specific tracer of particulate matter from biomass burning, has been used to study the influence of residential wood burning, agricultural waste burning and boreal forest fire emissions on the Arctic atmosphere black carbon (BC) concentration. A one year time series from March 2008 to March 2009 of levoglucosan has been established at the Zeppelin Observatory in the European Arctic. Elevated concentrations of levoglucosan in winter (Mean: 1.02 ng m−3) compared to summer (Mean: 0.13 ng m−3) were observed, resembling the seasonal variation seen for e.g. sulphate and BC. The mean concentration in the winter period was two to three orders of magnitude lower than typical values reported for European urban areas in winter, and one to two orders of magnitude lower than European rural background concentrations. Episodes of elevated levoglucosan concentration were more frequent in winter than in summer and peak values were higher, exceeding 10 ng m−3 at the most. Concentrations of elemental carbon from biomass burning (ECbb) were obtained by combining measured concentrations of levoglucosan and emission ratios of levoglucosan and EC for wild/agricultural fires and for residential wood burning. Neglecting chemical degradation by OH provides minimum levoglucosan concentrations, corresponding to a mean ECbb concentration of 3.7±1.2 ng m−3 in winter (October–April) and 0.8±0.3 ng m−3 in summer (May–September) or 8.8±4.5% of the measured equivalent black carbon (EBC) concentration in winter and 6.1±3.4% in summer. When accounting for chemical degradation of levoglucosan by OH, an upper estimate of 31–45% of EBC could be attributed to ECbb* (ECbb adjusted for chemical degradation) in winter and <65% in summer. Hence, fossil fuel sources appear to dominate the European Arctic BC concentrations in winter, whereas the very wide range obtained for summer does not allow us to conclude upon this for the warm season. Calculations using the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART show that the seasonal variation of the modelled ECbb (ECbb,m) concentration compared relatively well with observationally derived ECbb from agricultural/wild fires during summer, and residential wood burning in winter. The model overestimates by a factor of 2.2 in winter and 4.4 in summer when compared to the observationally derived mean ECbb concentration, which provides the minimum estimate, whereas it underestimates by a factor of 2.3–3.3 in winter and a factor of 4.5 in summer when compared to ECbb*, which provides the upper estimate. There are indications of too low emissions of residential wood burning in Northern Russia, a region of great importance with respect to observed concentrations of BC in the European Arctic.

scholarly journals Source apportionment of black carbon aerosols from light absorption observation and source-oriented modeling: an implication in a coastal city in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 14419-14435
Author(s):  
Junjun Deng ◽  
Hao Guo ◽  
Hongliang Zhang ◽  
Jialei Zhu ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Light Absorption ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Central China ◽  
Fossil Fuel Combustion ◽  
East Central ◽  
Coastal City

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) is the most important light-absorbing aerosol in the atmosphere. However, sources of atmospheric BC aerosols are largely uncertain, making it difficult to assess its influence on radiative forcing and climate change. In this study, year-round light-absorption observations were conducted during 2014 using an aethalometer in Xiamen, a coastal city in Southeast China. Source apportionment of BC was performed and temporal variations in BC sources were characterized based on both light absorption measurements and a source-oriented air quality model. The annual average concentrations of BC from fossil fuel (BCff) and biomass burning (BCbb) by the aethalometer method were 2932 ± 1444 ng m−3 and 1340 ± 542 ng m−3, contributing 66.7 % and 33.3 % to total BC, respectively. A sensitivity analysis was performed with different absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) values of fossil fuel combustion (αff) and biomass burning (αbb), suggesting that the aethalometer method was more sensitive to changes in αbb than αff. BCbb contribution exhibited a clear diurnal cycle, with the highest level (37.9 %) in the evening rush hour and a seasonal pattern with the maximum (39.9 %) in winter. Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis revealed the large biomass-burning contributions were accompanied by east-northeasterly and northerly winds. Backward trajectory indicated that air masses from North and East–Central China were associated with larger biomass-burning contributions. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) suggested that North and East–Central China and Southeast Asia were potential sources of both BCff and BCbb. The source-oriented modeling results showed that transportation, residential and open biomass burning accounting for 45.3 %, 30.1 % and 17.6 % were the major BC sources. Among the three fuel catalogs, liquid fossil fuel (46.5 %) was the largest source, followed by biomass burning (32.6 %) and coal combustion (20.9 %). Source contributions of fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning identified by the source-oriented model were 67.4 % and 32.6 %, respectively, close to those obtained by the aethalometer method. The findings provide solid support for controlling fossil fuel sources to limit the impacts of BC on climate change and environmental degradation in the relatively clean region in China.

Assessment of biomass burning and fossil fuel contribution to black carbon concentrations in Delhi during winter

2018 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 93-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.C. Dumka ◽  
D.G. Kaskaoutis ◽  
S. Tiwari ◽  
P.D. Safai ◽  
S.D. Attri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Carbon Concentrations
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