scholarly journals Quantitative estimates of the volatility of ambient organic aerosol

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1901-1938 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Cappa ◽  
J. L. Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Basis Sets ◽  
Volatile Fraction ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Volatile Material ◽  
Evaporation Coefficient ◽  
Quantitative Estimates

Abstract. Measurements of the sensitivity of organic aerosol (OA, and its components) mass to changes in temperature were recently reported by Huffman et al. (2009) using a tandem thermodenuder-aerosol mass spectrometer (TD-AMS) system in Mexico City and the Los Angeles area. Here, we use these measurements to derive quantitative estimates of aerosol volatility within the framework of absorptive partitioning theory using a kinetic model of aerosol evaporation in the TD. OA volatility distributions (or "basis-sets") are determined using several assumptions as to the enthalpy of vaporization (ΔHvap). We present two definitions of "non-volatile OA," one being a global and one a local definition. Based on these definitions, our analysis indicates that a substantial fraction of the organic aerosol is comprised of non-volatile components that will not evaporate under any atmospheric conditions, on the order of 50–80% when the most realistic ΔHvap assumptions are considered. The sensitivity of the total OA mass to dilution and ambient changes in temperature has been assessed for the various ΔHvap assumptions. The temperature sensitivity is relatively independent of the particular ΔHvap assumptions whereas dilution sensitivity is found to be greatest for the low (ΔHvap = 50 kJ/mol) and lowest for the high (ΔHvap = 150 kJ/mol) assumptions. This difference arises from the high ΔHvap assumptions yielding volatility distributions with a greater fraction of non-volatile material than the low ΔHvap assumptions. If the observations are fit using a 1 or 2-component model the sensitivity of the OA to dilution is unrealistically high. An empirical method introduced by Faulhaber et al. (2009) has also been used to independently estimate a volatility distribution for the ambient OA and is found to give results consistent with the high and variable ΔHvap assumptions. Our results also show that the amount of semivolatile gas-phase organics in equilibrium with the OA could range from ~20% to 400% of the OA mass, with smaller values generally corresponding to the higher ΔHvap assumptions. The volatility of various OA components determined from factor analysis of AMS spectra has also been assessed. In general, it is found that the fraction of non-volatile material follows the pattern: biomass burning OA < hydrocarbon-like OA < semivolatile oxygenated OA < low-volatility oxygenated OA. Correspondingly, the sensitivity to dilution and the estimated amount of semivolatile gas-phase material for the OA factors follows the reverse order. Primary OA has a substantial semivolatile fraction, in agreement with previous results, while the non-volatile fraction appears to be dominated by oxygenated OA produced by atmospheric aging. The overall OA volatility is thus controlled by the relative contribution of each aerosol type to the total OA burden. Finally, the model/measurement comparison appears to require OA having an evaporation coefficient (γe) substantially greater than 10−2; at this point it is not possible to place firmer constraints on γe based on the observations.

scholarly journals Quantitative estimates of the volatility of ambient organic aerosol

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 5409-5424 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Cappa ◽  
J. L. Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Basis Sets ◽  
Volatile Fraction ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Volatile Material ◽  
Evaporation Coefficient ◽  
Quantitative Estimates

Abstract. Measurements of the sensitivity of organic aerosol (OA, and its components) mass to changes in temperature were recently reported by Huffman et al.~(2009) using a tandem thermodenuder-aerosol mass spectrometer (TD-AMS) system in Mexico City and the Los Angeles area. Here, we use these measurements to derive quantitative estimates of aerosol volatility within the framework of absorptive partitioning theory using a kinetic model of aerosol evaporation in the TD. OA volatility distributions (or "basis-sets") are determined using several assumptions as to the enthalpy of vaporization (ΔHvap). We present two definitions of "non-volatile OA," one being a global and one a local definition. Based on these definitions, our analysis indicates that a substantial fraction of the organic aerosol is comprised of non-volatile components that will not evaporate under any atmospheric conditions; on the order of 50–80% when the most realistic ΔHvap assumptions are considered. The sensitivity of the total OA mass to dilution and ambient changes in temperature has been assessed for the various ΔHvap assumptions. The temperature sensitivity is relatively independent of the particular ΔHvap assumptions whereas dilution sensitivity is found to be greatest for the low (ΔHvap = 50 kJ/mol) and lowest for the high (ΔHvap = 150 kJ/mol) assumptions. This difference arises from the high ΔHvap assumptions yielding volatility distributions with a greater fraction of non-volatile material than the low ΔHvap assumptions. If the observations are fit using a 1 or 2-component model the sensitivity of the OA to dilution is unrealistically high. An empirical method introduced by Faulhaber et al. (2009) has also been used to independently estimate a volatility distribution for the ambient OA and is found to give results consistent with the high and variable ΔHvap assumptions. Our results also show that the amount of semivolatile gas-phase organics in equilibrium with the OA could range from ~20% to 400% of the OA mass, with smaller values generally corresponding to the higher ΔHvap assumptions. The volatility of various OA components determined from factor analysis of AMS spectra has also been assessed. In general, it is found that the fraction of non-volatile material follows the pattern: biomass burning OA < hydrocarbon-like OA < semivolatile oxygenated OA < low-volatility oxygenated OA. Correspondingly, the sensitivity to dilution and the estimated amount of semivolatile gas-phase material for the OA factors follows the reverse order. Primary OA has a substantial semivolatile fraction, in agreement with previous results, while the non-volatile fraction appears to be dominated by oxygenated OA produced by atmospheric aging. The overall OA volatility is thus controlled by the relative contribution of each aerosol type to the total OA burden. Finally, the model/measurement comparison appears to require OA having an evaporation coefficient (γe) substantially greater than 10−2; at this point it is not possible to place firmer constraints on γe based on the observations.

scholarly journals Volatility of secondary organic aerosol during OH radical induced ageing

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 11055-11067 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Salo ◽  
M. Hallquist ◽  
Å. M. Jonsson ◽  
H. Saathoff ◽  
K.-H. Naumann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Oh Radical ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Volatile Material ◽  
Phase Oxidation ◽  
Gas Phase Oxidation ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Pinic Acid

Abstract. The aim of this study was to investigate oxidation of SOA formed from ozonolysis of α-pinene and limonene by hydroxyl radicals. This paper focuses on changes of particle volatility, using a Volatility Tandem DMA (VTDMA) set-up, in order to explain and elucidate the mechanism behind atmospheric ageing of the organic aerosol. The experiments were conducted at the AIDA chamber facility of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe and at the SAPHIR chamber of Forchungzentrum Jülich (FZJ) in Jülich. A fresh SOA was produced from ozonolysis of α-pinene or limonene and then aged by enhanced OH exposure. As an OH radical source in the AIDA-chamber the ozonolysis of tetramethylethylene (TME) was used while in the SAPHIR-chamber the OH was produced by natural light photochemistry. A general feature is that SOA produced from ozonolysis of α-pinene and limonene initially was rather volatile and becomes less volatile with time in the ozonolysis part of the experiment. Inducing OH chemistry or adding a new portion of precursors made the SOA more volatile due to addition of new semi-volatile material to the aged aerosol. The effect of OH chemistry was less pronounced in high concentration and low temperature experiments when lower relative amounts of semi-volatile material were available in the gas phase. Conclusions drawn from the changes in volatility were confirmed by comparison with the measured and modelled chemical composition of the aerosol phase. Three quantified products from the α-pinene oxidation; pinonic acid, pinic acid and methylbutanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA) were used to probe the processes influencing aerosol volatility. A major conclusion from the work is that the OH induced ageing can be attributed to gas phase oxidation of products produced in the primary SOA formation process and that there was no indication on significant bulk or surface reactions. The presented results, thus, strongly emphasise the importance of gas phase oxidation of semi- or intermediate-volatile organic compounds (SVOC and IVOC) for atmospheric aerosol ageing.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the SOA Formation in the Reaction of Furfural with Atmospheric Oxidants

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 927
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Colmenar ◽  
Pilar Martín ◽  
Beatriz Cabañas ◽  
Sagrario Salgado ◽  
Florentina Villanueva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Nitrate Radical ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Severe Damage ◽  
Infrared Spectrophotometer ◽  
Cl Atoms ◽  
Product Study

An experimental product study of the reactions of furfural with the main tropospheric oxidants (Cl, OH and NO3) has been carried out using a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and a gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer with a time of flight detector (GC–TOFMS). The main gas-phase products detected were 5-chloro-2(5H)-furanone, maleic anhydride, 2-nitrofuran and CO. Molar yields were quantified for the detected products in these reactions, thus suggesting the existence of nongaseous products that could not be observed with the analytical techniques employed. The formation of Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) from the oxidation of furfural with Cl atoms, OH, NO3 and ozone was investigated in a smog chamber in the absence of inorganic seed aerosols. The experimental results show the formation of ultrafine particles (less than 1 µm in diameter) for all of the studied reactions except for the nitrate radical. Given their small size, these ultrafine particles (<1 µm) can easily penetrate into the respiratory tract and reach the alveolar region. These particles, therefore, have the potential to cause severe damage to the respiratory system. The aerosol yield obtained, Y, was low (<0.04) in all cases, which means that the aerosols generated from furfural, under atmospheric conditions, could have little impact.

The effect of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the formation and properties of biogenic secondary organic aerosol particles

2017 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 143-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Zelenyuk ◽  
Dan G. Imre ◽  
Jacqueline Wilson ◽  
David M. Bell ◽  
Kaitlyn J. Suski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Degradation ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Evaporation Kinetics

When secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles are formed by ozonolysis in the presence of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their formation and properties are significantly different from SOA particles formed without PAHs. For all SOA precursors and all PAHs, discussed in this study, the presence of the gas-phase PAHs during SOA formation significantly affects particle mass loadings, composition, growth, evaporation kinetics, and viscosity. SOA particles formed in the presence of PAHs have, as part of their compositions, trapped unreacted PAHs and products of heterogeneous reactions between PAHs and ozone. Compared to ‘pure’ SOA particles, these particles exhibit slower evaporation kinetics, have higher fractions of non-volatile components, like oligomers, and higher viscosities, assuring their longer atmospheric lifetimes. In turn, the increased viscosity and decreased volatility provide a shield that protects PAHs from chemical degradation and evaporation, allowing for the long-range transport of these toxic pollutants. The magnitude of the effect of PAHs on SOA formation is surprisingly large. The presence of PAHs during SOA formation increases mass loadings by factors of two to five, and particle number concentrations, in some cases, by more than a factor of 100. Increases in SOA mass, particle number concentrations, and lifetime have important implications to many atmospheric processes related to climate, weather, visibility, and human health, all of which relate to the interactions between biogenic SOA and anthropogenic PAHs. The synergistic relationship between SOA and PAHs presented here are clearly complex and call for future research to elucidate further the underlying processes and their exact atmospheric implications.

scholarly journals Volatility of secondary organic aerosol during OH radical induced ageing

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 19507-19543
Author(s):  
K. Salo ◽  
M. Hallquist ◽  
Å. M. Jonsson ◽  
H. Saathoff ◽  
K.-H. Naumann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Oh Radical ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Volatile Material ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Phase Oxidation ◽  
Gas Phase Oxidation ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Pinic Acid

Abstract. The aim of this study was to investigate oxidation of SOA formed from ozonolysis of α-pinene and limonene by hydroxyl radicals. This paper focuses on changes of particle volatility, using a Volatility Tandem DMA (VTDMA) set-up, in order to explain and elucidate the mechanism behind atmospheric ageing of the organic aerosol. The experiments were conducted at the AIDA chamber facility of KIT in Karlsruhe and at the SAPHIR chamber of FZJ in Jülich. A fresh SOA was produced from ozonolysis of α-pinene or limonene and then aged by enhanced OH exposure. As an OH-radical source in the AIDA-chamber the ozonolysis of tetramethylethylene (TME) was used while in the SAPHIR-chamber the OH was produced by natural light photochemistry. A general feature is that SOA produced from ozonolysis of α-pinene and limonene initially were rather volatile and becomes less volatile with time in the ozonolysis part of the experiment. Inducing OH chemistry or adding a new portion of precursors made the SOA more volatile due to addition of new semi-volatile material to the aged aerosol. The effect of OH chemistry was less pronounced in high concentration and low temperature experiments when lower relative amounts of semi-volatile material were available in the gas phase. Conclusions drawn from the changes in volatility were confirmed by comparison with the measured and modelled chemical composition of the aerosol phase. Three quantified products from the α-pinene oxidation; pinonic acid, pinic acid and methylbutanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA) were used to probe the processes influencing aerosol volatility. A major conclusion from the work is that the OH induced ageing can be attributed to gas phase oxidation of products produced in the primary SOA formation process and that there was no indication on significant bulk or surface reactions. The presented results, thus, strongly emphasise the importance of gas phase oxidation of semi- or intermediate-volatile organic compounds (SVOC and IVOC) for atmospheric aerosol ageing processing.

scholarly journals Multiday production of condensing organic aerosol mass in urban and forest outflow

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 17999-18047 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lee-Taylor ◽  
A. Hodzic ◽  
S. Madronich ◽  
B. Aumont ◽  
M. Camredon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Mass Increase ◽  
Radiative Characteristics

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production in air masses containing either anthropogenic or biogenic (terpene-dominated) emissions is investigated using the explicit gas-phase chemical mechanism generator GECKO-A. Simulations show several-fold increases in SOA mass continuing for several days in the urban outflow, even as the initial air parcel is diluted into the regional atmosphere. The SOA mass increase in the forest outflow is more modest (∼50%) and of shorter duration (1–2 days). The production in the urban outflow stems from continuing oxidation of gas-phase precursors which persist in equilibrium with the particle phase, and can be attributed to multigenerational reaction products of both aromatics and alkanes. In particular we find large contributions from substituted maleic anhydrides and multi-substituted peroxide-bicyclic alkenes. The results show that the predicted production is a robust feature of our model even under changing atmospheric conditions, and contradict the notion that SOA undergoes little mass production beyond a short initial formation period. The results imply that anthropogenic aerosol precursors could influence the chemical and radiative characteristics of the atmosphere over an extremely wide region, and that SOA measurements near precursor sources may routinely underestimate this influence.

scholarly journals Investigation of the reaction of ozone with isoprene, methacrolein and methyl vinyl ketone using the HELIOS chamber

2017 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 289-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangang Ren ◽  
Benoit Grosselin ◽  
Véronique Daële ◽  
Abdelwahid Mellouki
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Vinyl Ketone ◽  
Methyl Vinyl Ketone ◽  
Radical Scavenger ◽  
Oh Radical ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Methyl Vinyl ◽  
Analytical Equipment

The rate constants for the ozonolysis of isoprene (ISO), methacrolein (MACR) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) have been measured using the newly built large volume atmospheric simulation chamber at CNRS-Orleans (France), HELIOS (Chambre de simulation atmosphérique à irradiation naturelle d’Orléans). The OH radical yields from the ozonolysis of isoprene, MACR and MVK have also been determined, as well as the gas phase stable products and their yields. The secondary organic aerosol yield for the ozonolysis of isoprene has been tentatively measured in the presence and absence of an OH radical scavenger. The measurements were performed under different experimental conditions with and without adding cyclohexane (cHX) as an OH radical scavenger. All experiments have been conducted at 760 torr of purified dry air (RH < 1%) and ambient temperature (T = 281–295 K). The data obtained are discussed and compared with those from the literature. The use of the HELIOS facility and its associated analytical equipment enables the derivation of kinetic parameters as well as mechanistic information under near realistic atmospheric conditions.

scholarly journals Ozone-driven daytime formation of secondary organic aerosol containing carboxylic acid groups and alkane groups

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 8321-8341 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Liu ◽  
D. A. Day ◽  
J. E. Shields ◽  
L. M. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Carboxylic Acid ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Acid Group ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Carboxylic Acid Group ◽  
Carboxylic Acid Groups

Abstract. Carboxylic acids are present in substantial quantities in atmospheric particles, and they play an important role in the physical and chemical properties of aerosol particles. During measurements in coastal California in the summer of 2009, carboxylic acid functional groups were exclusively associated with a fossil fuel combustion factor derived from factor analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic measurements and closely correlated with oxygenated organic factors from aerosol mass spectrometry measurements. The high fraction of acid groups and the high ratio of oxygen to carbon in this factor suggest that this factor is composed of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) products of combustion emissions from the upwind industrial region (the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach). Another indication of the photochemically-driven secondary formation of this combustion-emitted organic mass (OM) was the daytime increase in the concentrations of acid groups and the combustion factors. This daytime increase closely tracked the O3 mixing ratio with a correlation coefficient of 0.7, indicating O3 was closely associated with the SOA maximum and thus likely the oxidant that resulted in acid group formation. Using a pseudo-Lagrangian framework to interpret this daytime increase of carboxylic acid groups and the combustion factors, we estimate that the carboxylic acid groups formed in a 12-h daytime period of one day ("Today's SOA") accounted for 25–33 % of the measured carboxylic acid group mass, while the remaining 67–75 % (of the carboxylic acid group mass) was likely formed 1–3 days previously (the "Background SOA"). A similar estimate of the daytime increase in the combustion factors suggests that "Today's SOA" and the "Background SOA" respectively contributed 25–50 % and 50–75 % of the combustion factor (the "Total SOA"), for a "Total SOA" contribution to the OM of 60 % for the project average. Further, size-resolved spectrometric and spectroscopic characterization of the particle OM indicate that the majority of the OM formed by condensation of gas-phase oxidation products. This unique set of measurements and methods to quantify and characterize photochemically and ozone-linked carboxylic acid group formation provide independent and consistent assessments of the secondary fraction of OM, which could result from second generation products of the oxidation of gas-phase alkane (molecules).

scholarly journals Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Nitrophenols Photolysis under Atmospheric Conditions

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1346
Author(s):  
Iustinian Gabriel Bejan ◽  
Romeo-Iulian Olariu ◽  
Peter Wiesen
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Degradation Mechanism ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Radical Scavenger ◽  
Oh Radical ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Chemical Models ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation

Nitrophenols are important products of the aromatic compounds photooxidation and play a considerable role in urban chemistry. Nitrophenols are important components of agricultural biomass burning that could influence the climate. The formation of secondary organic aerosol from the direct photolysis of nitrophenols was investigated for the first time in a quartz glass simulation chamber under simulated solar radiation. The results from these experiments indicate rapid SOA formation. The proposed mechanism for the gas-phase degradation of nitrophenols through photolysis shows the formation of biradicals that could react further in the presence of oxygen to form low volatile highly oxygenated compounds responsible for secondary organic aerosol formation. The inhibiting effect of NOx and the presence of an OH radical scavenger on the aerosol formation were also studied. For 2-nitrophenol, significant aerosol formation yields were observed in the absence of an OH radical scavenger and NOx, varying in the range of 18%–24%. A gas-phase/aerosol partitioning model was applied assuming the presence of only one compound in both phases. A degradation mechanism is proposed to explain the aerosol formation observed in the photolysis of nitrophenols. The atmospheric impact of nitrophenol photolysis is discussed and the importance for atmospheric chemical models is assessed.

scholarly journals Quantifying the volatility of organic aerosol in the southeastern US

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 501-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Provat K. Saha ◽  
Andrey Khlystov ◽  
Khairunnisa Yahya ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Lu Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Solubility ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Atmospheric Models ◽  
Evaporation Coefficient ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
Spectrometer Data

Abstract. The volatility of organic aerosols (OA) has emerged as a property of primary importance in understanding their atmospheric life cycle, and thus abundance and transport. However, quantitative estimates of the thermodynamic (volatility, water solubility) and kinetic parameters dictating ambient-OA gas-particle partitioning, such as saturation concentrations (C∗), enthalpy of evaporation (ΔHvap), and evaporation coefficient (γe), are highly uncertain. Here, we present measurements of ambient-OA volatility at two sites in the southeastern US, one at a rural setting in Alabama dominated by biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) as part of the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) in June–July 2013, and another at a more anthropogenically influenced urban location in North Carolina during October–November 2013. These measurements applied a dual-thermodenuder (TD) system, in which temperature and residence times are varied in parallel to constrain equilibrium and kinetic aerosol volatility properties. Gas-particle partitioning parameters were determined via evaporation kinetic model fits to the dual-TD observations. OA volatility parameter values derived from both datasets were similar despite the fact that measurements were collected in distinct settings and seasons. The OA volatility distributions also did not vary dramatically over the campaign period or strongly correlate with OA components identified via positive matrix factorization of aerosol mass spectrometer data. A large portion (40–70 %) of measured ambient OA at both sites was composed of very-low-volatility organics (C∗ ≤ 0.1 µg m−3). An effective ΔHvap of bulk OA of ∼ 80–100 kJ mol−1 and a γe value of ∼ 0.5 best describe the evaporation observed in the TDs. This range of ΔHvap values is substantially higher than that typically assumed for simulating OA in atmospheric models (30–40 kJ mol−1). TD data indicate that γe is on the order of 0.1 to 0.5, indicating that repartitioning timescales for atmospheric OA are on the order of several minutes to an hour under atmospheric conditions. The OA volatility distributions resulting from fits were compared to those simulated in the Weather, Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) with a current treatment of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. The substantial fraction of low-volatility material observed in our measurements is largely missing from simulations, and OA mass concentrations are underestimated. The large discrepancies between simulations and observations indicate a need to treat low-volatility OA in atmospheric models. Volatility parameters extracted from ambient measurements enable evaluation of emerging treatments for OA (e.g., secondary OA using the volatility basis set or formed via aqueous chemistry) in atmospheric models.

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