scholarly journals Composition and sources of particulate matter in an industrialised Alpine valley

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 9391-9430 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Perron ◽  
J. Sandradewi ◽  
M. R. Alfarra ◽  
P. Lienemann ◽  
R. Gehrig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Alpine Valley ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Heavy Duty Vehicle ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
A Site ◽  
Rhone Valley

Abstract. A three-week long field campaign was carried out under autumnal meteorological conditions at four valley floor sites in the industrialised Swiss Rhone Valley. For one week of stable meteorological conditions, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM10) was analysed from daily filters using ion chromatography, X-ray fluorescence, anhydrosugars and radiocarbon analysis of the organic and elemental matter (OM and EM, respectively). Furthermore, PM1 composition along the whole campaign was monitored in Massongex (a site near industries) by a seven-wavelength aethalometer and a quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer (Q-AMS). At all sites, PM10 secondary inorganics and non-fossil EM and OM exhibited relatively stable concentrations over the selected days. On the contrary, PM10 fossil carbonaceous fractions, mineral dust components and several trace elements showed a significant decrease on Sunday, compared to the analysed working days. Their concentrations were also highly correlated. This evidenced the role of exhaust and resuspension emissions by heavy-duty vehicle traffic to the PM10 concentrations along the valley. In Massongex, organic matter and black carbon (BC) were the main contributors to PM1 over the campaign (accounting for 45% and 18% of PM1, respectively). An optical discrimination of BC highlighted the prevalence of fossil over wood-burning sources. Three types of PM1 organics could be identified by factor analysis: primary wood-burning organic aerosol (P-WBOA) dominated the PM1 carbonaceous fraction, followed by oxygenated organics (OOA) mostly representing secondary organics, and by traffic or possibly industry-related hydrocarbon-like organics (HOA) as the smallest carbonaceous contribution. Furthermore, unusually high contributions of fine chloride were detected at all sites. They were attributed to ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in Massongex and represented the only significant component exclusively attributable to industrial emissions.

Organic functional group composition of particulate matter from fresh and aged wood burning and coal combustion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Yazdani ◽  
Nikunj Dudani ◽  
Satoshi Takahama ◽  
Amelie Bertrand ◽  
André S. H. Prévôt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Infrared Spectra ◽  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Coal Combustion ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
High Abundance ◽  
Mid Infrared ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Wood Burning

<p>Particulate matter (PM) affects visibility and climate through light scattering, direct and indirect radiative forcing, and affecting cloud formation [1]. In addition, exposure to ambient fine PM is estimated to have caused 8.9 million deaths worldwide in 2015 [2]. Organic matter (OM), can make up more than half of total fine atmospheric PM, and yet its composition, formation mechanisms, and adverse health effects are not fully characterized due to its sheer compositional complexity. Biomass burning (e.g., residential wood burning, wildfires, and prescribed burning) and coal combustion (for heat and power generation) are two major OM sources, for which the impact of atmospheric aging - including secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation - is not yet fully clear [3].</p><p>In this study, we investigated the effect of aging on composition and mass concentration of organic aerosols of wood burning (WB) and coal combustion (CC) emissions using two complementary methods, i.e., mid-infrared spectroscopy and aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS). For this purpose, primary aerosols were injected into the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) environmental chamber and aged using hydroxyl and nitrate radicals to simulate day-time and night-time oxidation processes in the atmosphere. In these experiments, aerosols reached an oxidative age comparable to that of atmospheric aerosols. A time-of-flight AMS instrument was used to measure the high-time-resolution composition of non-refractory fine PM, while we collected PM<sub>1 </sub>aerosols on PTFE filters before and after four hours of aging for off-line Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) measurements.</p><p>AMS and FT-IR estimates of organic aerosol mass concentration were highly correlated (r<sup>2</sup>=0.92); both indicating an approximately three-fold increase in organic aerosol concentration after aging. The OM/OC ratio, indicating the extent of oxidation also agreed closely between the two instruments and increased, on average, from 1.6 (before aging) to 2 (after aging). Mid-infrared spectroscopy, which is able to differentiate among oxygenated species, shows a distinct functional group composition for aged WB aerosols (high abundance of carboxylic acids) and CC aerosols (high abundance of non-acid carbonyls) and detects considerable amounts polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for both sources. Mid-infrared spectra of fresh WB and CC aerosols are reminiscent of their parent compounds with differences in specific functional groups suggesting the dominant oxidation pathways for each emission source. Finally, the comparison of mid-infrared spectra of aged WB aerosols in the environmental chamber with that of ambient samples affected by residential wood burning and wildfires reveals interesting similarities regarding the high abundance of alcohols and visible signatures of lignin. This finding is useful for interpreting sources of atmospheric aerosols and better interpretation of their complex mid-infrared spectra.</p><p>--------------------------</p><p>REFERENCES</p><p>[1] M. Hallquist et al., “The formation, properties and impact of secondary organic aerosol: current and emerging issues,” Atmos Chem Phys, 2009.</p><p>[2] R. Burnett et al., “Global estimates of mortality associated with long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 2018.</p><p>[3] A. Bertrand et al., “Primary emissions and secondary aerosol production potential from woodstoves for residential heating: Influence of the stove technology and combustion efficiency,” Atmos. Environ., 2017.</p>

scholarly journals Particulate Matter emission sources and meteorological parameters combine to shape the airborne microbiome communities in the Ligurian coast, Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Palladino ◽  
Pietro Morozzi ◽  
Elena Biagi ◽  
Erika Brattich ◽  
Silvia Turroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Observation Time ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Relevant Factor ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Particulate Matter Emission ◽  
Compositional Structure ◽  
Ligurian Coast

AbstractHere we explore how the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) and meteorological conditions combine in shaping the air microbiome in a heavily inhabited industrial urban settlement. During the observation time, the air microbiome was highly dynamic, fluctuating between different compositional states, likely resulting from the aerosolization of different microbiomes emission sources. This dynamic process depends on the combination of local meteorological parameters and particle emission sources, which may affect the prevalent aerosolized microbiomes. In particular, we showed that, in the investigated area, industrial emissions and winds blowing from the inlands combine with an airborne microbiome that includes faecal microbiomes components, suggesting multiple citizens’ exposure to both chemicals and microorganisms of faecal origin, as related to landscape exploitation and population density. In conclusion, our findings support the need to include monitoring of the air microbiome compositional structure as a relevant factor for the final assessment of local air quality.

scholarly journals Sources and atmospheric processing of winter aerosols in Seoul, Korea: insights from real-time measurements using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 2009-2033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwajin Kim ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Gwi-Nam Bae ◽  
Jin Young Kim ◽  
Seung Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Secondary Aerosol ◽  
Atmospheric Processes ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Highly time-resolved chemical characterization of nonrefractory submicrometer particulate matter (NR-PM1) was conducted in Seoul, the capital and largest metropolis of Korea, using an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The measurements were performed during winter, when elevated particulate matter (PM) pollution events are often observed. This is the first time that detailed real-time aerosol measurement results have been reported from Seoul, Korea, and they reveal valuable insights into the sources and atmospheric processes that contribute to PM pollution in this region. The average concentration of submicron aerosol (PM1 =  NR-PM1+ black carbon (BC)) was 27.5 µg m−3, and the total mass was dominated by organics (44 %), followed by nitrate (24 %) and sulfate (10 %). The average atomic ratios of oxygen to carbon (O / C), hydrogen to carbon (H / C), and nitrogen to carbon (N / C) of organic aerosols (OA) were 0.37, 1.79, and 0.018, respectively, which result in an average organic mass-to-carbon (OM / OC) ratio of 1.67. The concentrations (2.6–90.7 µg m−3) and composition of PM1 varied dynamically during the measurement period due to the influences of different meteorological conditions, emission sources, and air mass origins. Five distinct sources of OA were identified via positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the HR-ToF-AMS data: vehicle emissions represented by a hydrocarbon-like OA factor (HOA, O / C  =  0.06), cooking activities represented by a cooking OA factor (COA, O / C  =  0.14), wood combustion represented by a biomass burning OA factor (BBOA, O / C  =  0.34), and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) represented by a semivolatile oxygenated OA factor (SV-OOA, O / C  = 0.56) and a low-volatility oxygenated OA factor (LV-OOA, O / C  =  0.68). On average, primary OA (POA = HOA + COA + BBOA) accounted for 59 % the OA mass, whereas SV-OOA and LV-OOA contributed 15 and 26 %, respectively. Our results indicate that air quality in Seoul during winter is influenced strongly by secondary aerosol formation, with sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, SV-OOA, and LV-OOA together accounting for 64 % of the PM1 mass during this study. However, aerosol sources and composition were found to be significantly different between clean and polluted periods. During stagnant periods with low wind speed (WS) and high relative humidity (RH), PM concentration was generally high (average ±1σ = 43.6 ± 12.4 µg m−3) with enhanced fractions of nitrate (27 %) and SV-OOA (8 %), which suggested a strong influence from local production of secondary aerosol. Low-PM loading periods (12.6 ± 7.1 µg m−3) tended to occur under higher-WS and lower-RH conditions and appeared to be more strongly influenced by regional air masses, as indicated by higher mass fractions of sulfate (12 %) and LV-OOA (20 %) in PM1. Overall, our results indicate that PM pollutants in urban Korea originate from complex emission sources and atmospheric processes and that their concentrations and composition are controlled by various factors, including meteorological conditions, local anthropogenic emissions, and upwind sources.

scholarly journals Sources and atmospheric processing of wintertime aerosols in Seoul, Korea: Insights from real-time measurements using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwajin Kim ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Gwi-Nam Bae ◽  
Jin Young Kim ◽  
Seung Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Atmospheric Processes ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Highly time-resolved chemical characterization of non-refractory submicrometer particulate matter (NR-PM1) was conducted in Seoul, the capital and largest metropolis of Korea, using an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The measurements were performed during winter, when elevated particulate matter (PM) pollution events are often observed. This is the first time that detailed real-time aerosol measurement results are reported from Seoul, Korea, which reveal valuable insights into the sources and atmospheric processes that contribute to PM pollution in this region. The average concentration of submicron aerosol (PM1 = NR - PM1 + black carbon (BC)) was 27.5 µg m−3, and the total mass was dominated by organics (44 %), followed by nitrate (24 %) and sulfate (10 %). The average atomic ratios of oxygen-to-carbon (O / C), hydrogen-to-carbon (H / C), and nitrogen-to-carbon (N / C) of organic aerosol (OA) were 0.37, 1.79, and 0.022, respectively, which gives that average organic mass-to-carbon (OM / OC) ratio of 1.67. The concentrations (2.6–90.7 µg m−3) and composition of PM1 varied dynamically during the measurement period, due to the influences of different meteorological conditions, emission sources, and air mass origins. Five distinct sources of OA were identified via positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the HR-ToF-AMS data: vehicle emissions represented by a hydrocarbon like OA factor (HOA; O / C = 0.06), cooking activities represented by a cooking OA factor (COA; O / C = 0.15), wood combustion represented by a biomass burning OA factor (BBOA; O / C = 0.34), and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) represented by a semi-volatile oxygenated OA factor (SV-OOA; O / C = 0.56) and a low volatility oxygenated OA factor (LV-OOA; O / C = 0.68). On average, primary OA (POA = HOA + COA + BBOA) accounted for 59 % the OA mass whereas SV-OOA and LV-OOA contributed 15 % and 26 %, respectively. Our results indicate that air quality in Seoul during winter is influenced strongly by secondary aerosol formation with sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, SV-OOA, and LV-OOA together accounting for 64 % of the PM1 mass during this study. However, aerosol sources and composition were found to be significantly different between clean and polluted periods. During stagnant periods with low wind speed (WS) and high relative humidity (RH), PM concentration was generally high (average ± 1σ = 43.6 ± 12.4 µg m−3) with enhanced fractions of nitrate (27 %) and SV-OOA (8 %), which suggested a strong influence from local production of secondary aerosol. Low PM loading periods (12.6 ± 7.1 µg m−3) tended to occurred under higher WS and lower RH conditions and appeared to be more strongly influenced by regional air masses, as indicated by higher mass fractions of sulfate (12 %) and LV-OOA (21 %) in PM1. Overall, our results indicate that PM pollutants in urban Korea originate from complex emission sources and atmospheric processes and that their concentrations and composition are controlled by various factors including meteorological conditions, local anthropogenic emissions, and upwind sources.

scholarly journals Hyphenation of a EC / OC thermal-optical carbon analyzer to photo ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: a new off-line aerosol mass spectrometric approach for characterization of primary and secondary particulate matter

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Diab ◽  
T. Streibel ◽  
F. Cavalli ◽  
S. C. Lee ◽  
H. Saathoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Mass Spectrometric ◽  
Wood Combustion ◽  
Ionization Time ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Wood Burning ◽  
Photo Ionization

Abstract. Source apportionment and exposure of primary and secondary aerosols remains a challenging research field. In particular, the organic composition of primary particles and the formation mechanism of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) warrant further investigations. Progress in this field is strongly connected to the development of novel analytical techniques. In this study an off-line aerosol mass spectrometric technique based on filter samples, a hyphenated thermal/optical analyzer-photo ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (PI-TOFMS) system, was developed. The approach extends the capability of the widely used PM carbon analysis (for elemental/organic carbon (EC / OC)) by enabling the investigation of evolved gaseous species with soft and selective (resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization, REMPI) and non-selective photo ionization (single photon ionization, SPI) techniques. SPI was tuned to be medium soft to achieve comparability with results obtained by electron ionization (EI) aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Different PM samples including wood combustion emission samples, smog chamber samples from the reaction of ozone with different SOA precursors, and ambient samples taken at Ispra, Italy in winter as well as in summer were tested. The EC / OC-PI-TOFMS technique increases the understanding of the processes during the thermal/optical analysis and identifies marker substances for the source apportionment. Composition of oligomeric or polymeric species present in PM can be investigated by the analysis of the thermally breakdown products. In case of wood combustion, in addition to the well-known markers at m/z ratios of 60 and 73, two new characteristic masses (m/z 70 and 98) have been revealed as potentially linked to biomass burning. All four masses were also the dominant signals in an ambient sample taken in winter time in Ispra, Italy, confirming the finding that wood burning for residential heating is a major source for particulate matter (PM) in winter at this location. The summer sample from the same location showed no influence of wood burning, but seems to be dominated by SOA, which was confirmed from the comparison with chamber experiment samples. The experiments conducted with terpenes as precursors showed characteristic masses at m/z 58 and 82, which were not observable in any other emission samples and could serve as marker for SOA from terpenes.

scholarly journals Multi-Oxygenated Organic Compounds in Fine Particulate Matter Collected in the Western Mediterranean Area

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Esther Borrás ◽  
Luis Antonio Tortajada-Genaro ◽  
Francisco Sanz ◽  
Amalia Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Tetradecanoic Acid

The chemical characterization of aerosols, especially fine organic fraction, is a relevant atmospheric challenge because their composition highly depends on localization. Herein, we studied the concentration of multi-oxygenated organic compounds in the western Mediterranean area, focusing on sources and the effect of air patterns. The organic aerosol fraction ranged 3–22% of the total organic mass in particulate matter (PM)2.5. Seventy multi-oxygenated organic pollutants were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, including n-alkanones, n-alcohols, anhydrosugars, monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and keto-derivatives. The highest concentrations were found for carboxylic acids, such as linoleic acid, tetradecanoic acid and, palmitic acid. Biomarkers for vegetation sources, such as levoglucosan and some fatty acids were detected at most locations. In addition, carboxylic acids from anthropogenic sources—mainly traffic and cooking—have been identified. The results indicate that the organic PM fraction in this region is formed mainly from biogenic pollutants, emitted directly by vegetation, and from the degradation products of anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic pollutants. Moreover, the chemical profile suggested that this area is interesting for aerosol studies because several processes such as local costal breezes, industrial emissions, and desert intrusions affect fine PM composition.

scholarly journals Quantification of Non-Exhaust Particulate Matter Traffic Emissions and the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown at London Marylebone Road

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
William Hicks ◽  
Sean Beevers ◽  
Anja H. Tremper ◽  
Gregor Stewart ◽  
Max Priestman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Traffic Emissions ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽  
Exhaust Emission ◽  
Brake Wear ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Exhaust Particulate

This research quantifies current sources of non-exhaust particulate matter traffic emissions in London using simultaneous, highly time-resolved, atmospheric particulate matter mass and chemical composition measurements. The measurement campaign ran at Marylebone Road (roadside) and Honor Oak Park (background) urban monitoring sites over a 12-month period between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020. The measurement data were used to determine the traffic increment (roadside–background) and covered a range of meteorological conditions, seasons, and driving styles, as well as the influence of the COVID-19 “lockdown” on non-exhaust concentrations. Non-exhaust particulate matter (PM)10 concentrations were calculated using chemical tracer scaling factors for brake wear (barium), tyre wear (zinc), and resuspension (silicon) and as average vehicle fleet non-exhaust emission factors, using a CO2 “dilution approach”. The effect of lockdown, which saw a 32% reduction in traffic volume and a 15% increase in average speed on Marylebone Road, resulted in lower PM10 and PM2.5 traffic increments and brake wear concentrations but similar tyre and resuspension concentrations, confirming that factors that determine non-exhaust emissions are complex. Brake wear was found to be the highest average non-exhaust emission source. In addition, results indicate that non-exhaust emission factors were dependent upon speed and road surface wetness conditions. Further statistical analysis incorporating a wider variability in vehicle mix, speeds, and meteorological conditions, as well as advanced source apportionment of the PM measurement data, were undertaken to enhance our understanding of these important vehicle sources.

scholarly journals Towards a better understanding of the origins, chemical composition and aging of oxygenated organic aerosols: case study of a Mediterranean industrialized environment, Marseille

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 7875-7894 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. El Haddad ◽  
B. D'Anna ◽  
B. Temime-Roussel ◽  
M. Nicolas ◽  
A. Boreave ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Statistical Confidence ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Organic Markers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Abstract. As part of the FORMES summer 2008 experiment, an Aerodyne compact time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (cToF-AMS) was deployed at an urban background site in Marseille to investigate the sources and aging of organic aerosols (OA). France's second largest city and the largest port in the Mediterranean, Marseille, provides a locale that is influenced by significant urban industrialized emissions and an active photochemistry with very high ozone concentrations. Particle mass spectra were analyzed by positive matrix factorization (PMF2) and the results were in very good agreement with previous apportionments obtained using a chemical mass balance (CMB) approach coupled to organic markers and metals (El Haddad et al., 2011a). AMS/PMF2 was able to identify for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the organic aerosol emitted by industrial processes. Even with significant industries in the region, industrial OA was estimated to contribute only ~ 5% of the total OA mass. Both source apportionment techniques suggest that oxygenated OA (OOA) constitutes the major fraction, contributing ~ 80% of OA mass. A novel approach combining AMS/PMF2 data with 14C measurements was applied to identify and quantify the fossil and non-fossil precursors of this fraction and to explicitly assess the related uncertainties. Results show with high statistical confidence that, despite extensive urban and industrial emissions, OOA is overwhelmingly non-fossil, formed via the oxidation of biogenic precursors, including monoterpenes. AMS/PMF2 results strongly suggest that the variability observed in the OOA chemical composition is mainly driven in our case by the aerosol photochemical age. This paper presents the impact of photochemistry on the increase of OOA oxygenation levels, formation of humic-like substances (HULIS) and the evolution of α-pinene SOA (secondary OA) components.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document