scholarly journals Measurement of ambient aerosols in northern Mexico City by single particle mass spectrometry

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 6413-6457 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Moffet ◽  
B. de Foy ◽  
L. T. Molina ◽  
M. J. Molina ◽  
A. Prather

Abstract. Continuous ambient measurements with aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) were carried out in an industrial/residential section in the northern part of Mexico City as part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area – 2006 campaign (MCMA-2006) between 7–27 March, 2006. Biomass and organic carbon (OC) particle types were found to dominate the accumulation mode both day and night. The concentrations of both organic carbon and biomass particles were roughly equal early in the morning, but biomass became the largest contributor to the accumulation mode mass from the late morning until early evening. The diurnal pattern can be attributed to aging and/or a change in meteorology. Fresh elemental carbon (EC) particles were observed during rush hour. The majority of the EC particles were mixed with nitrate, sulfate, organic carbon and potassium. Submicron particles from industrial sources in the northeast were composed of an internal mixture of Pb, Zn, EC and Cl and peaked early in the morning. A unique nitrogen-containing organic (NOC) particle type was observed, and is hypothesized to be from industrial emissions based on the temporal profile and back trajectory analysis. This study provides unique insights into the real-time changes in single particle mixing state as a function of size and time for aerosols in Mexico City. These new findings indicate that biomass burning and industrial operations make significant contributions to particles in Mexico City. These sources have received relatively little attention in previous intensive field campaigns.

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (16) ◽  
pp. 4499-4516 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Moffet ◽  
B. de Foy ◽  
L. T. Molina ◽  
M. J. Molina ◽  
K. A. Prather

Abstract. Continuous ambient measurements with aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) were made in an industrial/residential section in the northern part of Mexico City as part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area-2006 campaign (MCMA-2006). Results are presented for the period of 15–27 March 2006. The submicron size mode contained both fresh and aged biomass burning, aged organic carbon (OC) mixed with nitrate and sulfate, elemental carbon (EC), nitrogen-organic carbon, industrial metal, and inorganic NaK inorganic particles. Overall, biomass burning and aged OC particle types comprised 40% and 31%, respectively, of the submicron mode. In contrast, the supermicron mode was dominated by inorganic NaK particle types (42%) which represented a mixture of dry lake bed dust and industrial NaK emissions mixed with soot. Additionally, aluminosilicate dust, transition metals, OC, and biomass burning contributed to the supermicron particles. Early morning periods (2–6 a.m.) showed high fractions of inorganic particles from industrial sources in the northeast, composed of internal mixtures of Pb, Zn, EC and Cl, representing up to 73% of the particles in the 0.2–3μm size range. A unique nitrogen-containing organic carbon (NOC) particle type, peaking in the early morning hours, was hypothesized to be amines from local industrial emissions based on the time series profile and back trajectory analysis. A strong dependence on wind speed and direction was observed in the single particle types that were present during different times of the day. The early morning (3:30–10 a.m.) showed the greatest contributions from industrial emissions. During mid to late mornings (7–11 a.m.), weak northerly winds were observed along with the most highly aged particles. Stronger winds from the south picked up in the late morning (after 11 a.m.), resulting in a decrease in the concentrations of the major aged particle types and an increase in the number fraction of fresh biomass particles. The highest wind speeds were correlated with the highest number fraction of fresh biomass particles (up to 76% of the submicron number fraction) when winds were coming directly from fires that were located south and southeast of the city based on MODIS fire count data. This study provides a unique clock of hourly changes in single particle mixing state and sources as a function of meteorology in Mexico City. These new findings indicate that biomass burning and industrial emissions can make significant contributions to primary particle loadings in Mexico City that are strongly coupled with local meteorology.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 3219-3227 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Niranjan ◽  
B. Melleswara Rao ◽  
P. S. Brahmanandam ◽  
B. L. Madhavan ◽  
V. Sreekanth ◽  
...  

Abstract. Measurements on aerosol spectral optical depths and near surface mass-size distributions made at several locations in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chattisgarh, constituting the northeastern part of the peninsular India during the ISRO-GBP land campaign-I show significant regional variations in aerosol physical properties. Higher spectral optical depths were observed in the coastal regions and over southern latitudes compared to interior continental regions and northern latitudes. The optical depths, size index "α" and the near surface aerosol mass concentrations indicate a relative abundance of nucleation mode aerosols in the northern latitudes, in contrast to the dominance of the accumulation mode aerosols at the eastern coastal and southern latitudes. The airmass pathways derived from the back trajectory analysis indicate that the higher aerosol population in the accumulation mode, and consequently the higher optical depths in the southern locations, could be due to the transport of aerosol from the polluted north Indian regions via the oceanic region over the Bay of Bengal, where significant particle growth is expected, increasing the population of accumulation mode aerosols over these regions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 5371-5389 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Salcedo ◽  
T. B. Onasch ◽  
A. C. Aiken ◽  
L. R. Williams ◽  
B. de Foy ◽  
...  

Abstract. We report the first measurements of particulate lead (Pb) from Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometers, which were deployed in and around Mexico City during the Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO)/Mexico City Metropolitan Area 2006 (MCMA-2006) field campaigns. The high resolution mass spectrometer of one of the AMS instruments (HR-AMS) and the measured isotopic ratios unequivocally prove the detection of Pb in ambient particles. A substantial fraction of the lead evaporated slowly from the vaporizer of the instruments, which is indicative of species with low volatility at 600 °C. A model was developed in order to estimate the ambient particulate Pb entering the AMS from the signals in the "open" and the "closed" (or "background") mass spectrum modes of the AMS. The model suggests the presence of at least two lead fractions with ~25% of the Pb signal exhibiting rapid evaporation (1/e decay constant, τ<0.1 s) and ~75% exhibiting slow evaporation (τ~2.4 min) at the T0 urban supersite and a different fraction (70% prompt and 30% slow evaporation) at a site northwest from the metropolitan area (PEMEX site). From laboratory experiments with pure Pb(NO3)2 particles, we estimated that the Pb ionization efficiency relative to nitrate (RIEPb) is 0.5. Comparison of time series of AMS Pb with other measurements carried out at the T0 supersite during MILAGRO (using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and single-particle counts from an Aerosol Time-of-Fight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS)) shows similar levels (for PIXE and ICP-MS) and substantial correlation. During part of the campaign, sampling at T0 was alternated every 10 min with an Aerosol Concentrator, which enabled the detection of signals for PbCl+ and PbS+ ions. PbS+ displays the signature of a slowly evaporating species, while PbCl+ appears to arise only from fast evaporation, which is likely due to the higher vapor pressure of the compounds generating PbCl+. This is consistent with the evaporation model results. Levels of particulate Pb measured at T0 were similar to previous studies in Mexico City. Pb shows a diurnal cycle with a maximum in the early morning, which is typical of primary urban pollutants. Pb shows correlation with Zn, consistent with previous studies, while the sources of Pb appear to be at least partially disjoint from those of particulate chloride. Back trajectory analysis of the T0 Pb data suggests the presence of sources inside the urban area SSW and N of T0, with different chemical forms of Pb being associated with different source locations. High signals due to particulate lead were also detected in the PEMEX site; again, no correlation between Pb and chloride plumes was observed, suggesting mostly different sources for both species.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (15) ◽  
pp. 8847-8869 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. F. Mikhailov ◽  
G. N. Mironov ◽  
C. Pöhlker ◽  
X. Chi ◽  
M. L. Krüger ◽  
...  

Abstract. In this study we describe the hygroscopic properties of accumulation- and coarse-mode aerosol particles sampled at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in central Siberia (61° N, 89° E) from 16 to 21 June 2013. The hygroscopic growth measurements were supplemented with chemical analyses of the samples, including inorganic ions and organic/elemental carbon. In addition, the microstructure and chemical compositions of aerosol particles were analyzed by x-ray micro-spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A mass closure analysis indicates that organic carbon accounted for 61 and 38 % of particulate matter (PM) in the accumulation mode and coarse mode, respectively. The water-soluble fraction of organic matter was estimated to be 52 and 8 % of PM in these modes. Sulfate, predominantly in the form of ammoniated sulfate, was the dominant inorganic component in both size modes: ~ 34 % in the accumulation mode vs. ~ 47 % in the coarse mode. The hygroscopic growth measurements were conducted with a filter-based differential hygroscopicity analyzer (FDHA) over the range of 5–99.4 % RH in the hydration and dehydration operation modes. The FDHA study indicates that both accumulation and coarse modes exhibit pronounced water uptake approximately at the same relative humidity (RH), starting at ~ 70 %, while efflorescence occurred at different humidities, i.e., at ~ 35 % RH for submicron particles vs. ~ 50 % RH for supermicron particles. This ~ 15 % RH difference was attributed to higher content of organic material in the submicron particles, which suppresses water release in the dehydration experiments. The kappa mass interaction model (KIM) was applied to characterize and parameterize non-ideal solution behavior and concentration-dependent water uptake by atmospheric aerosol samples in the 5–99.4 % RH range. Based on KIM, the volume-based hygroscopicity parameter, κv, was calculated. The κv,ws value related to the water-soluble (ws) fraction was estimated to be ~ 0.15 for the accumulation mode and ~ 0.36 for the coarse mode, respectively. The obtained κv,ws for the accumulation mode is in good agreement with earlier data reported for remote sites in the Amazon rain forest (κv &amp;approx; 0.15) and a Colorado mountain forest (κv &amp;approx; 0.16 ). We used the Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule to predict the chemical composition dependent hygroscopicity, κv,p. The obtained κv,p values overestimate the experimental FDHA-KIM-derived κv,ws by factors of 1.8 and 1.5 for the accumulation and coarse modes, respectively. This divergence can be explained by incomplete dissolution of the hygroscopic inorganic compounds resulting from kinetic limitations due to a sparingly soluble organic coating. The TEM and STXM-NEXAFS results indicate that aged submicron (> 300 nm) and supermicron aerosol particles possess core–shell structures with an inorganic core, and are enriched in organic carbon at the mixed particle surface. The direct FDHA kinetic studies provide a bulk diffusion coefficient of water of ~ 10−12 cm2 s−1 indicating a semi-solid state of the organic-rich phase leading to kinetic limitations of water uptake and release during hydration and dehydration cycles. Overall, the present ZOTTO data set, obtained in the growing season, has revealed a strong influence of organic carbon on the hygroscopic properties of the ambient aerosols. The sparingly soluble organic coating controls hygroscopic growth, phase transitions, and microstructural rearrangement processes. The observed kinetic limitations can strongly influence the outcome of experiments performed on multi-second timescales, such as the commonly applied HTDMA (Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer) and CCNC (Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter) measurements.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 2581-2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Salcedo ◽  
T. B. Onasch ◽  
A. C. Aiken ◽  
L. R. Williams ◽  
B. de Foy ◽  
...  

Abstract. We report the first measurements of particulate lead (Pb) from Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometers, which were deployed in and around Mexico City during the Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO)/Mexico City Metropolitan Area 2006 (MCMA-2006) field campaigns. The high resolution mass spectrometer of one of the AMS instruments (HR-AMS) and the measured isotopic ratios unequivocally prove the detection of Pb in ambient particles. A substantial fraction of the lead evaporated slowly from the vaporizer of the instruments, which is indicative of species with low volatility at 600 °C. A model was developed in order to estimate the ambient particulate Pb entering the AMS from the signals in the "open" and the "closed" (or "background") mass spectrum modes of the AMS. The model suggests the presence of at least two lead fractions with ~25% of the Pb signal exhibiting rapid evaporation (1/e decay constant, τ<0.1 s) and ~75% exhibiting slow evaporation (τ~2.4 min) at the T0 urban supersite and a different fraction (70% prompt and 30% slow evaporation) at a site northwest from the metropolitan area (PEMEX site). From laboratory experiments with pure Pb(NO3)2 particles, we estimated that the Pb ionization efficiency relative to nitrate (RIEPb) is 0.5. Comparison of time series of AMS Pb with other measurements carried out at T0 (using Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and single-particle counts from an Aerosol Time-of-Fight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS)) shows similar levels (for PIXE and ICP-MS) and substantial correlation. During part of the campaign, sampling at T0 was alternated every 10 min with an Aerosol Concentrator, which enabled the detection of signals for PbCl+ and PbS+ ions. PbS+ displays the signature of a slowly evaporating species, while PbCl+ appears to arise only from fast evaporation, which is likely due to the higher vapor pressure of the compounds generating PbCl+. This is consistent with the evaporation model results. Levels of particulate Pb measured at T0 were similar to previous studies in Mexico City. Pb shows a diurnal cycle with a maximum in the early morning, which is typical of primary urban pollutants. Pb shows correlation with Zn, consistent with previous studies, while the sources of Pb appear to be at least partially disjoint from those of particulate chloride. Back trajectory analysis of the T0 Pb data suggests the presence of sources inside the urban area SSW and N of T0, with different chemical forms of Pb being associated with different source locations. High signals due to particulate lead were also detected in the PEMEX site; again, no correlation between Pb and chloride plumes was observed, suggesting mostly different sources for both species.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinning Wang ◽  
Xiaofei Wang ◽  
Xin Yang

Abstract. Hygroscopicity plays a crucial role in determining aerosol optical properties and aging processes in the atmosphere. We investigated submicron aerosol hygroscopicity and composition by connecting an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) to the downstream of a hygroscopic tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA), to simultaneously characterize hygroscopicities and chemical compositions of ambient aerosols in Shanghai, China. Major particle types, including biomass burning, EC, Dust/Ash, organics particles, cooking particles and sea salt, were shown to have distinct hygroscopicity distributions. It is also found that particles with stronger hygroscopicities were more likely to have higher effective densities. Based on the measured hygroscopicity-composition relations, we developed a statistical method to estimate ambient particle hygroscopicity just from their mass spectra. This method was applied to another ambient ATOFMS dataset sampled from September 12nd to 28th, 2012 in Shanghai, and it is found that ambient particles were present in three major hygroscopicity modes, whose growth factors at relative humidity 85 % peaked at 1.05, 1.42 and 1.60, respectively. The temporal variations of the estimated particle hygroscopicity were consistent with the back-trajectory analysis and atmospheric visibility observations. These hygroscopicity estimation results with single particle mass spectra analysis can provide critical information on particulate water content, particle source apportionment and aging processes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 7837-7893
Author(s):  
E. F. Mikhailov ◽  
G. N. Mironov ◽  
C. Pöhlker ◽  
X. Chi ◽  
M. L. Krüger ◽  
...  

Abstract. In this study we describe the hygroscopic properties of accumulation- and coarse-mode aerosol particles sampled at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in Central Siberia (61° N; 89° E) from 16 to 21 June 2013. The hygroscopic growth measurements were supplemented with chemical analyses of the samples, including inorganic ions and organic/elemental carbon. In addition, the microstructure and chemical composition of aerosol particles were analyzed by X-ray micro-spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A mass closure analysis indicates that organic carbon accounted for 61 and 38% of PM in the accumulation mode and coarse mode, respectively. The water soluble fraction of organic matter was estimated to be 52 and 8% of PM in these modes. Sulfate, predominantly in the form of ammoniated sulfate, was the dominant inorganic component in both size modes: ∼34% in the accumulation vs. ∼47% in the coarse mode. The hygroscopic growth measurements were conducted with a filter-based differential hygroscopicity analyzer (FDHA) over the range of 5–99.4% RH in the hydration and dehydration operation modes. The FDHA study indicates that both accumulation and coarse modes exhibit pronounced water uptake approximately at the same RH, starting at ∼70%, while efflorescence occurred at different humidities, i.e., at ∼35% RH for submicron particles vs. ∼50% RH for supermicron particles. This ∼15% RH difference was attributed to higher content of organic material in the submicron particles, which suppresses water release in the dehydration experiments. The kappa mass interaction model (KIM) was applied to characterize and parameterize non-ideal solution behavior and concentration-dependent water uptake by atmospheric aerosol samples in the 5–99.4% RH range. Based on KIM, the volume-based hygroscopicity parameter, κv, was calculated. The κv, ws value related to the water soluble (ws) fraction was estimated to be ∼0.15 for the accumulation mode and ∼0.36 for the coarse mode, respectively. The obtained κv, ws for the accumulation mode is in good agreement with earlier data reported for remote sites in the Amazon rain forest (κv &amp;approx; 0.15) and a Colorado boreal forest (κv &amp;approx; 0.16). We used the Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule to predict the chemical composition dependent hygroscopicity, κv, p. The obtained κv, p values overestimate the experimental FDHA-KIM-derived κv, ws by factors of 1.8 and 1.5 for the accumulation and coarse modes, respectively. This divergence can be partly explained by incomplete dissolution of the hygroscopic inorganic compounds resulting from kinetic limitations due to a sparingly soluble organic coating. The TEM and STXM-NEXAFS results indicate that aged submicron (>300 nm) and supermicron aerosol particles possess core-shell structures with an inorganic core, and are enriched in organic carbon at the mixed particle surface. The direct FDHA kinetic studies provide a bulk diffusion coefficient of water of ∼10−12 cm2 s−1 indicating a semi-solid state of the organic-rich phase leading to kinetic limitations of water uptake and release during hydration and dehydration cycles. Overall the present ZOTTO data set, obtained in the growing season, has revealed a strong influence of organic carbon on the hygroscopic properties of the ambient aerosols. The sparingly soluble organic coating controls hygroscopic growth, phase transitions, and microstructural rearrangement processes. The observed kinetic limitations can strongly influence the outcome of experiments performed on multi-second time scales, such as the commonly applied HTDMA (Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer) and CCNC (Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter) measurements.


2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Heryanto Langsa

<p>Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan senyawa organik khususnya organic karbon terlarut (DOC) dari dua spesies daun tumbuhan (<em>wandoo eucalyptus </em>and <em>pinus radiate, conifer</em>) yang larut dalam air selama periode 5 bulan leaching eksperimen. Kecepatan melarutnya senyawa organic ditentukan secara kuantitatif dan kualitatif menggunakan kombinasi dari beberapa teknik diantaranya Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyser, Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) spektrokopi dan pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS).</p><p>Hasil analisis DOC dan UV menunjukkan peningkatan yang tajam dari kelarutan senyawa organic di awal periode pengamatan yang selanjutnya berkurang seiring dengan waktu secara eksponensial. Jumlah relatif senyawa organic yang terlarut tergantung pada luas permukaan, aktifitas mikrobiologi dan jenis sampel tumbuhan (segar atau kering) yang digunakan. Fluktuasi profil DOC dan UV<sub>254</sub> disebabkan oleh aktifitas mikrobiologi. Diperoleh bahwa daun kering lebih mudah terdegradasi menghasilkan senyawa organic dalam air dibandingkan dengan daun segar. Hasil pyrolysis secara umum menunjukkan bahwa senyawa hidrokarbon aromatic dan fenol (dan turunannya) lebih banyak ditemukan pada residue sampel setelah proses leaching kemungkinan karena adanya senyawa lignin atau aktifitas humifikasi mikrobiologi membuktikan bahwa senyawa-senyawa tersebut merupakan komponen penting dalam proses karakterisasi DOC.</p>


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